A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

library.

Felix was engrossed in his book, oblivious to everything else around him.

Yesterday's open lecture didn't seem to have any effect on him, even though he was the direct cause of such a sensation.

He flipped through the book with his left hand, while his right hand slid his wand in a small arc, causing runes to appear and disappear in the air. Mrs. Pince watched intently from the side; she had been observing Felix for over half an hour.

Mrs. Pince was a thin, elderly woman who looked somewhat malnourished. But she was perfectly suited for the job of librarian because she loved books dearly and had a keen sense of smell, always able to spot and punish students who broke the rules at the first sign of trouble.

If a student dared to pull out a wand and wave it around in the library, she would kick him out immediately, but Felix was a professor, which made her hesitate.

Fortunately, Felix left quickly with the two books, so she didn't have to be so conflicted.

Felix returned to his office, took a piece of chestnut wood from his briefcase, and poured magic down his carving knife, carving ancient magical runes onto the surface of the chestnut wood.

Chestnut wood is a material used to make wands, but it is like a blank sheet of paper, without any particular inclination, and it is not expensive. Felix discovered it and used it to practice ancient runes.

The enchanted carving knife left magical symbols on the surface of the chestnut wood. Each time a complete symbol was drawn, it would emit a scorching red light, which would then quietly extinguish, leaving a black mark.

Felix carved the runes incredibly fast, causing the chestnut wood surface to shimmer continuously. His carving knife danced across the surface, as if he weren't simply carving runes, but rather writing an immortal chapter that would be etched in history.

A few minutes later, Felix filled the surface of the chestnut wood. He took out his wand and brushed it across the surface of the chestnut wood. A thin layer of wood instantly detached and flew automatically to the other side of the table.

Felix then picked up his carving knife again and continued working on the chestnut wood.

He didn't stop until the chestnut wood had shrunk by three inches, and he stretched in place.

Thirty thin wooden slabs, like pages of a book, were piled up on one corner of the table, covered with ancient black runes.

Felix calculated a number in his mind and nodded in satisfaction, "272 runes, that's the power I currently possess."

He rose leisurely, stood by the window, and gazed into the distance, realizing that his decision to return to Hogwarts was absolutely the right one.

This is the life I want!

"Splash~"

An owl flew in through the window and dropped a letter on the table.

Felix opened the envelope, read the letter, and couldn't help but frown.

This is a letter from an "old friend".

Although Felix had only graduated three years ago and had only spent a year traveling, he had traveled all over the country and had a wealth of experiences, which broadened his horizons and made him "well-connected"—no matter where in the world he was, he could tell you which magic black market was closest to him with his eyes closed.

This letter came from a "friend" he met on the black market.

Felix pulled out a parchment and hastily scribbled down a message, inviting him to meet at the Hogsmeade Boar's Head pub on Saturday.

Even after the owl flew away, he was still pondering his friend's intentions.

He recalled the scene of their first meeting.

The man called himself Klein. He always wore the hood of his robe, and his face was always shrouded in mist, making it impossible for anyone to see his true identity.

Klein adheres to the principle of equivalent exchange, and he has connections with rare magical manuscripts, magical potions, magical creatures, and so on.

Felix and he traded seven times, and both of them were very disciplined.

So he was also very curious about what Klein's purpose was in contacting him. Of course, he was even more curious about what kind of stock his friend had recently acquired.

Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.

Felix arrived at the Pig's Head Bar. It was still early, and there was only one customer.

Felix walked over to the table of guests, saw the familiar mist-shrouded face, and sat down with a smile. As he sat down, the two figures became indistinct, and their voices were completely cut off from the outside world.

"Klein."

"Felix." It was a neutral voice, neither male nor female, and its age was impossible to discern.

The magical world is not lacking in such mysterious beings, and the reasons are always varied. For example, they may be dark wizards, or they may have committed some crime and are evading the pursuit of enemies, or perhaps it is just some kind of wicked hobby.

"What do you need me for?"

"To gather information."

"What news?"

"The relics of the second Dark Lord."

Felix remained silent for a few seconds, his mind racing.

"Sure, but you need to tell me where you got your information first."

Klein tapped his fingers on the corner of the table, seemingly weighing his options, but he quickly uttered a single word, "Vagado."

"You went to that group of mad witch priests?" Felix was somewhat surprised. Vagado is a magic school in Africa. African wizards did not start using wands until the 20th century, which made their development trajectory different from that of other countries.

For example, they also inherit a branch of prophetic magic called witchcraft, though outsiders call them mad witchcraft.

Because this kind of prophetic magic is actually a form of black magic, every prophecy requires a price—such as a limb of your body.

Most importantly, the predictions aren't even guaranteed to be accurate...

When Klein mentioned Vargadu, that was the only place Felix could think of, since Africa and Britain were unrelated and had no contact with each other.

"Continue," Felix said, intrigued. Given Klein's character, he wouldn't hire a quack priest, and getting a skilled priest to make a prophecy would come at a high price.

"The prophecy states that the Dark Lord's relics will remain at Hogwarts for a year."

Felix's heart skipped a beat. "What exactly is this relic?"

"I don't know, I only know it's extremely evil."

Felix was speechless, wondering what all this trouble was about!

Evil? Do you think you're an Auror?

Seemingly sensing Felix's skepticism, Klein added, "The prophecy I requested is: the secret of leaping over death."

Almost instantly, Felix activated his Occlumency technique to its fullest extent, and said in "surprise," "Say that again?"

"Leap over death."

"But the Dark Lord is already dead."

"That's how prophecy works."

"You can check it yourself."

"Hogwarts has Dumbledore."

Are you afraid of him?

Klein chuckled twice. Although Felix couldn't see through the fog on his face, he knew that the other man's expression wasn't good at the moment.

Felix feigned deep thought before finally speaking, "Thank you for the information, but I can't guarantee that I'll obtain the relic. I can only promise that I won't abandon you and go alone to unravel the Dark Lord's secrets."

Klein thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

The two extended their hands, their index fingers touching, and a golden pattern bloomed.

This is a temporary magical contract, lasting for one year. If it is broken, there will be no punishment for Felix. However, Klein will keep track of his location at all times during that period!

If you are not afraid of the revenge of a mysterious wizard, you may break the contract.