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Chapter 721: Professor Babbling's Warning
Chapter 721: Professor Babbling's Warning
It had been over a week since Dumbledore's last departure from the headmaster's office. In the intervening time, he had returned to teach Harry a lesson before disappearing once more.
As for what they studied, Kyle didn't know, but he could probably guess... it was most likely an open conversation with Harry.
The topic might have been about the Order of the Phoenix or Horcruxes... After all, Harry had been kept in the dark about many things before he learned the Mind-Closing Spell, and he had been feeling troubled about it.
This lesson, to put it bluntly, was to help Harry untie the knot in his heart. The extent to which it succeeded would depend on how much Dumbledore wanted Harry to know.
But that had nothing to do with Kyle.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the Ancient Runic class ended, Kyle approached Professor Babbling, who was preparing to make a quick escape, with a piece of parchment in hand that was filled with magical formulas.
Yes... escape.
Ever since the first class of the school year when Kyle asked a few questions about the arrangement of magical symbols, she hadn't been too keen on seeing this particular student.
It wasn't that she was afraid of being stumped and losing face. Professor Babbling's knowledge of ancient runes might even surpass that of Dumbledore, and Kyle's questions were trivial to her.
Professor Babbling simply didn't want to work overtime. Usually, she would leave right after class, not wasting a single minute.
However, if she answered Kyle's questions, it wouldn't just be a matter of wasting a minute or two; even half an hour would be considered little.
Unfortunately for her, Kyle was seated right by the door, and one couldn't use Apparition within the castle. Her plans for a punctual end to her workday had failed the moment she stepped out of the classroom.
Professor Babbling glanced down at the parchment that Kyle held out to her, and her expression immediately soured.
"Primitive runes..." she said almost instinctively. "Why bother yourself with such useless things, wasting your time?"
"Huh?" Kyle blinked, taken aback. He had considered many possibilities, but he never expected Professor Babbling to respond like this, and her tone didn't sound like she was merely placating him. She genuinely seemed to think that Kyle was wasting his time.
"It is as I said," Professor Babbling explained. "In the eyes of medieval scholars led by Rowena Ravenclaw, primitive runes had significant drawbacks. I don't recommend you waste your time on them."
Kyle still didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"
Professor Babbling took a rare moment to be patient and explained, "So-called primitive runes are, to put it bluntly, an ancient form of magical writing devised by wizards themselves.
"However, due to the limitations of the era, these writings were not effectively unified or organized. In other words, they were too chaotic. Even a tiny mistake, a slight misinterpretation, could lead to the collapse of a magical symbol.
"That is why the great Rowena Ravenclaw gathered all the scholars of her time to collectively unify and organize the primitive runes, compiling them into the textbooks we use today."
As she spoke, Professor Babbling gave Kyle a meaningful look. "I recall saying something to a student over fifty years ago, and now I'll share those same words with you...
"There are reasons why certain things become obsolete. Don't overly pursue so-called power. For as you revel in your invincibility, you may unknowingly invite far more terrible things that drag you into the depths of magic."
Looking into Professor Babbling's light gray eyes, Kyle unconsciously took a step back, scratching his head. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I came across something written in primitive runes, and it sparked my interest in learning them."
"Oh?" Professor Babbling raised an eyebrow. "A document from at least a thousand and three hundred years ago—that's quite a rare find... But it's still unnecessary to go out of your way to study them."
She waved her hand, and a thick book instantly appeared. Then, she tossed it to Kyle.
"This is a primitive rune dictionary. You can just refer to this yourself; there's no need to waste time learning them properly.
"Let me be clear: even if you insist, I won't waste my time teaching you... No one is allowed to take up my time, not even Dumbledore!"
Professor Babbling's patience had reached its limit. By the time Kyle examined the dictionary, she had already left the classroom without a backward glance.
When Kyle reacted and rushed out, the corridor was empty.
Kyle sighed. Professor Babbling didn't have an office, or at least she never went to one. In situations like this, unless it was the next class, no one could find her. She was notorious for never running late.
Kyle stood alone in the empty corridor, once again recalling her previous words.
Fifty years ago, she had warned a student. Who was that person? Tom Riddle?
The timing seemed to match up, and more importantly, Riddle also had a deep understanding of runes, something Kyle could attest to.
However, Professor Babbling didn't want to elaborate further, and Kyle had no way to ask.
He glanced at the book in his hand and then casually tossed it into his trunk, unconcerned.
At least this trip hadn't been entirely fruitless. He now knew that there was no need to delve into those seemingly mysterious but already obsolete primitive runes, saving him quite a bit of time.
After Kyle left the corridor, the vanished Professor Babbling reappeared at the classroom door.
She gazed in the direction Kyle had left, and a hint of curiosity crept into her usually calm eyes, as if she had just witnessed an intriguing development.
She never expected that another student, aside from that one, would take an interest in primitive runes during their school years. At the same time, she wondered if Kyle's choice was the same as that of the previous student.
Elsewhere, Kyle hurried towards the classroom for Charms class, but despite his haste, he was still ten minutes late.
"Sorry, Professor Flitwick," Kyle explained as he stood at the doorway. "I was asking Professor Babbling some questions and lost track of time."
"Remember to be here earlier next time, and don't hold up the other students," Professor Flitwick said, giving a light punishment.
"A point deducted from Hufflepuff, then. Alright, come in."
Kyle nodded and stepped into the classroom.
"Where were we..." Professor Flitwick clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Oh yes, wandless magic."
He continued, "This is also an ability that wizards should master. Now, who can tell me the benefits of wandless magic?"
"It allows a wizard to not be helpless and defenseless even when they've lost their wand," Autumn said, raising her hand.
"That's right, five points to Ravenclaw," Professor Flitwick said. "For a wizard, there's nothing more terrifying than losing their wand.
"In such a situation, wandless magic becomes their last resort. Remember that duel where I won the Duelling Championship? I was careless and my opponent snatched my wand away.
"He thought he had won and started celebrating, but then I hit him with a wandless Stunning Spell and won the match."
Professor Flitwick's face took on a nostalgic look. "So, wandless magic can be a wizard's last trump card."
...
"By the way, how many times has Professor Flitwick won the Duelling Championship?" At this moment, Michael whispered, "Why do I remember him saying in our previous Charms class that he won by using a Swelling Spell?"
"As far as I know, Professor Flitwick has won the Duelling Championship three times," Kyle thought for a moment and said, "If he hadn't come to teach at Hogwarts, that number might have been even higher."
"Three times..." Michael rolled the thought around in his mouth, "Well, that's impressive."
"Let's start with the simplest, Levitation Charm," Professor Flitwick said as he began to teach them the key points of wandless magic.
"You must concentrate," he said, "Keep your eyes on the feather and imagine that you're holding your wand. Now, everyone, begin the incantation..."
"Wingardium Leviosa!" The classroom echoed with a cacophony of voices.
The feathers on the desks wobbled and floated into the air, but none of them were stable. Ryan's feather swayed from side to side, while Michael's spun around like a top.
Even Connor's feather trembled slightly, occasionally dipping downwards.
The Charms classroom seemed to have gone back in time to their first year, when everyone was struggling to control their feathers and make them float.
However, Professor Flitwick was quite pleased with the result. He had expected that half of the students might not even be able to make their feathers float, so this outcome was much better than last year's.
"Good, good," he clapped his hands and said loudly, "Focus your attention and imagine your fingers to be your wand. You can do it..."
With his reminder, some students gradually got the hang of it, and more and more feathers stabilized in mid-air.
To be able to cast magic without a wand was, to be honest, quite fascinating, and it gave one a sense of accomplishment.
Ryan loved this feeling. After successfully stabilizing his feather, he quickly grew bored of this simple task and turned his attention to the 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7' on the desk.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ryan pointed his hand at his textbook.
The thick book trembled violently on the desk and then flew straight towards Ryan's head.
"Thud!"
Accompanied by a loud collision, a large bump appeared on Ryan's forehead, and he fainted on the spot.
"I told you to start with the feather!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed. "Someone take him to the hospital wing."
Michael immediately abandoned his spinning feather and took on the task without hesitation.
Due to his unique situation, Michael dared not use magic freely, and wandless magic required precise control of magical power, so this task was practically impossible for him.
"How did your inquiry go?" Connor asked as she manipulated the feather in front of her.
"Not well," Kyle twirled his fingers, and the feather moved back and forth. "She said it was a waste of time."
"What do you think?" Connor asked. "Maybe you can ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore. They should be able to teach you as well."
"Never mind," Kyle shook his head after a moment's thought. "I think Professor Babbling's words make sense..."
After class, Kyle was on his way to the hospital wing to visit Ryan. Along the way, he met Hermione and Harry.
From their direction of travel, it was easy to guess that they were also heading to the hospital wing, as this path led to that destination.
"Is someone from Gryffindor injured as well?" Kyle asked.
"It's Ron," Harry sighed. "He was hit on the head by a Bludger during Quidditch practice.
However, this may also be due to their different positions. After all, Ron is a goalkeeper and usually doesn't deal with the Bludger.
"Did you start training so soon?" Kyle diverted the topic.
"Because the competition is intense." Harry explained, "A total of five people want to be goalkeepers. Ron is quite nervous, so he wanted to practice beforehand during the break. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have lent out all the Quidditch balls."
"By the way, why are you going to the hospital wing?"
"To visit my roommate." Kyle said, "He had a little accident in class and got hit on the head."
"Speaking of which," Harry said with lingering fear, "I almost got hit on the head by a crucible during Potions class the other day."
"What happened?" Kyle asked curiously, "Neville's grades shouldn't be high enough for the advanced class, right?"
"It was me." Harry's face turned slightly red, "I only realized that putting the ingredients in late could also cause the crucible to explode."
"Although Professor Slughorn insists it was my negligence, I think he was a little disappointed."
"Because of your Potions grade?"
"Yes." Harry nodded, "He thinks I should be a Potions genius like my mom, but I can't even chop a Drowsy Daisy properly."
"Wait..." Kyle suddenly realized something. "Did Professor Slughorn award Felix Felicis in your Potions class?"
"Yes, and Hermione got it." Harry's mood finally improved a little, "You know, there's no one more outstanding than Hermione in our year."
"Ah, I was just lucky." Hermione said, trying to appear nonchalant.
In fact, after getting the Felix Felicis, she was so excited that she couldn't sleep for several nights.
"What about you, did you get it?" Harry asked.
"No." Kyle shook his head, "It was Connor."
Harry understood, but he wasn't too surprised. He knew that Connor had attended the assessment of the Extraordinary Potion-Makers' Association during the holidays and had learned about this aspect of knowledge. The association was the most authoritative magical organization in the wizarding world.
Bringing this up now, Harry couldn't help but feel a little envious.
Others were already able to join the most powerful magical organization in their seventh year, but he, in his sixth year, couldn't even complete the in-class assignments.
"How about this..." Kyle suddenly said, "If you don't mind, I can lend you my notes from last year. There are some tips for brewing potions in them, which should be helpful to you."
"Really?" Harry's eyes lit up.
"What's there to be true about, it's just a set of notes." Kyle laughed, "I'll find it when I go back later, and bring it to you at dinner."
"Then thank you so much." Harry said gratefully, "To be honest, ever since Professor Snape left, I've suddenly found Potions quite interesting, but my previous grades were too bad."
"Can I take a look as well?" Hermione asked.
"Of course." Kyle nodded, "You can copy it with the Copying Charm later, but some of the content in it may be different from the textbook. If that's alright with you."
"Different from the textbook?" Hermione frowned.
"They are a Potions Master's personal tips, which I recorded." Kyle said, "But I dare to guarantee that those tips are really useful... After all, the book 'Advanced Potion-Making' hasn't changed for decades, and a lot of the content in it is outdated."
Hermione opened her mouth but didn't speak.
In fact, she preferred the textbook over so-called tips, but since it was Kyle's recommendation, she decided to give it a try.
The three of them chatted along the way and soon arrived at the corridor where the hospital wing was located.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" Hermione suddenly said at this time, "The notice says that next week will be the first Hogsmeade visiting day."
"I'm not sure yet." Kyle thought for a moment, "If there's nothing else, I should be going..."
Before Kyle could finish his sentence, a ball of fire suddenly appeared in front of the trio, and Fawkes emerged, perching on Kyle's shoulder.
It looked directly into Kyle's eyes and let out a soft chirp.
"Sorry, Harry, Hermione." Kyle's expression turned serious, "Could you please pass my regards to Ryan? I might have something to do, so I won't be able to visit him at the hospital wing for now."
"Oh, no problem." Harry said.
"You..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Fawkes disappeared again with Kyle.
The two of them looked at the empty corridor and glanced at each other.
"That was..." Hermione was the first to ask, "A phoenix?"
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix." Harry said, "I saw it when I went to his office before."
"So Professor Dumbledore is looking for Kyle?" Hermione continued to ask, "Do you think it's about the Order of the Phoenix?"
"I don't know." Harry said, "It should be related to the Order. Remember a few days ago when Professor Dumbledore gave me a lesson? He told me that Kyle is actually involved in a lot of Order matters. He also said that if he's not at school, I can go to Kyle for help if I need anything."
Hermione looked in the direction where the phoenix had disappeared. "It seems that Professor Dumbledore trusts him a lot."
"Obviously." Harry said.
...
(End of Chapter)
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