A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 687 Student List

After Ms. Burns left, Felix and Professor McGonagall discussed things for a while longer before coming out of the faculty lounge.

All students were ordered to come down with their luggage.

"...That's the arrangement for now," Professor McGonagall said. "Young wizards from Muggle families will have to wait a while; a professor will escort you back. The Ministry of Magic will also send specialists to provide safety guidance to wizarding families living in Muggle communities."

The students sat listlessly on benches, clutching their luggage. Justin Finley, sitting at the Hufflepuff dining table, stood up and exclaimed, "Professor, has the wizard really been exposed?"

Professor McGonagall glanced at him, pursed her lips, and said, "That's right, Mr. Finley."

A somber mood instantly filled the hall. The students were still unable to grasp the impact of the wizarding world's exposure; they only knew it was a terrible thing, or perhaps they were actually aware that Grindelwald had spent a year explaining how to guard against Muggles and hide themselves.

Felix cleared his throat.

"The Ministry of Magic already has a plan to deal with this, so you don't need to worry too much. However, you will likely hear various rumors in the coming period, so I require you to refrain from participating in any activities that could potentially expose your wizarding identity during the holidays. Please pay close attention to announcements from the Ministry of Magic and listen to the radio broadcasts..."

He went on to explain a series of specific measures, and the students gradually came to their senses.

Just then, Sirius and Percy approached. Sirius said to Harry, "Molly and I have arranged for you to stay at the Burrow for a while; she'll welcome you. The fireplace in Felix's office is usable; you can get there from there—"

"And what about you?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"I'll stay," Sirius said without hesitation. He glanced at Lupin, Moody, and the others. "We need to talk to Felix to see if we can help, or maybe reorganize the Order of the Phoenix... In any case, I'll probably join the Ministry of Magic for now."

“Then I’ll stay too,” Harry said. Sirius’s eyes widened, and Harry quickly added, “I’ll be an adult in a month, and besides, this concerns the entire wizarding world. If war breaks out, it won’t matter where I hide, right? The flames of war will eventually reach me, and I don’t want to be dragged out like a goblin.”

Sirius looked at him hesitantly.

Harry's tone became more urgent. "I think even if Dumbledore were still alive, he wouldn't refuse my contribution; he would want me to do so! I attended his classes during the last period of his life, and I know Grindelwald very well..." he said somewhat incoherently.

"Alright, I agree," Sirius said suddenly, a smile spreading across his face as he saw Harry's astonished expression. "I knew you wouldn't hide behind me. I just talked to Remus, and he told me to ask for your opinion. But you have to come back to class after the new term starts," he said seriously at the end.

"We'll see," Harry said vaguely. "We're not even sure if school will even be open after all this." He was just making an excuse, but Sirius sighed worriedly. "You're right. If the situation doesn't stabilize before school starts, Hogwarts really risks closing."

In turbulent times, people naturally prefer to stay with their families.

"I'll stay too," Hermione said after listening for a while. "I don't want to go home and be unable to do anything but sit in front of the TV and listen to news about whether wizards and Muggles are at war! But I need to go home first; my parents must be waiting for me, they must be so worried."

"And me," Ron said.

"Including the two of us," Fred and George said in unison.

"I also want to do something," Neville said earnestly, glancing back at his parents, who had retired but had stayed without hesitation.

Before Ginny could speak, Mrs. Weasley strode over, glaring at them suspiciously. "What are you talking about?" "Nothing!" Ron, Fred, and George replied reflexively. Ron quickly added, "Mama, Ginny is terrified. She wants to get back to the Burrow as soon as possible."

Ginny let out an angry meow and was reluctantly dragged away by Mrs. Weasley.

Soon, Ministry of Magic staff appeared. Because the young wizard and his parents needed to be transported back and forth at once, the Ministry of Magic specially sent two Floo management teams to modify and maintain the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office to prevent any accidents.

The students lined up and were led through the fireplace by Professor Sprout, while Filch stood guard at the school gate to greet the wizarding parents who had heard the news and rushed to the school. Other teachers were responsible for maintaining order, and everything proceeded smoothly.

Felix sat in a corner of the auditorium, unfolding the Marauder's Map and examining it carefully.

Because of the wizarding world's unexpected exposure, a series of chain reactions caused a large influx of people into Hogsmeade, the only village in Britain composed entirely of wizards. Some were foreigners who had attended funerals and were stranded in Britain, some came to seek refuge after hearing the news, or to inquire about the inside story, and some were snipers sent by the Ministry of Magic to patrol and maintain order. As a result, the map was covered with tiny dots, and Felix couldn't find any useful information.

Sirius Black led a large group of people over, and upon hearing their idea, Felix agreed almost immediately.

"I have a feeling that the next few months will be crucial, and the Ministry of Magic will be severely understaffed. Since you have this idea, it wouldn't be a problem for the Ministry of Magic to provide some temporary identities. A few students can do some trivial tasks such as organizing documents and delivering messages... In fact, most people do this kind of work. If a battle really breaks out, the situation will probably be extremely bad."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; he had thought the professor wouldn't agree.

"The Order of the Phoenix—" Sirius said.

“I suggest you temporarily merge into the Ministry of Magic,” Felix said. “The situation is different now compared to dealing with Voldemort. Don’t worry about the Ministry of Magic being like a sieve, leaking information everywhere. You can form several small teams to suppress the dark wizards in the country and prevent them from causing trouble. Also, you can form a pan-magical alliance—”

"The Pan-Magic Alliance?" Hermione and Sirius asked in unison.

“That’s right,” Felix explained the concept simply. “Miss Granger should be familiar with this term. The earliest similar concept appeared in one of her papers, which I later passed on to Amelia.”

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance.

"Spew?"

"It's the House-Elf Rights Promotion Association!" Hermione said, displeased.

Harry and Ron grinned.

"This is it," Felix said. "The intelligent races in the wizarding world are not limited to wizards. There are other magical creatures that are classified as human because their civilization and intelligence are close to those of wizards. We need to win them over."

"Why?" Sirius asked, puzzled.

"There are two reasons. First, if we only target wizards, the objective is too singular. We worry that the Muggle government might prejudicially perceive wizards as people living on their land and demand control over them, which we believe most wizards would not agree to."

"Let Muggles rule wizards?" Lucius Malfoy's face darkened. He said coldly and arrogantly, "Should I change 'Merlin is above' to 'The Queen is above'?"

Moody scoffed gruffly, "Your ancestors used to shout that too."

Lucius Malfoy glared at him fiercely.

Felix, as if he hadn't heard, continued:

"Moreover, I personally believe that there are huge differences between the lifestyles of wizards and ordinary people in all aspects, which cannot be overcome in a short time. If the restrictions are lifted all at once, allowing each other to infiltrate each other's lives, it will inevitably lead to endless contradictions and conflicts. Therefore, at least until the negotiation results are in, there can only be one channel of communication between the two sides."

There was something Felix didn't mention: even long after the negotiations concluded, the wizarding world wouldn't be completely open to the outside world. Instead, several communication channels would be established. For example, a small island might be built.

"This leads to the second reason," he said, holding up a finger. "Since the wizarding world isn't just home to wizards, there must be other voices. As negotiations progress, the Muggle government's understanding of the wizarding world will increase, and they might very well bypass the wizards to negotiate with other races separately, offering benefits and trying to win them over... I'm particularly worried about the elves' stance. Therefore, the establishment of the Pan-Magical Alliance is imperative."

The conversation continued, but Harry quietly tugged at Hermione and Ron's sleeves, and they backed away, Neville hesitantly following. Just as Harry was about to speak, Ginny appeared out of thin air, her hair disheveled, as if she had just been in a fight.

"I dumped my mother," she said calmly.

Neville was dumbfounded. He had lived at Black's old house for a while before the start of fifth year, so he was not unfamiliar with Mrs. Weasley's temper tantrums. When he privately expressed his awe of Mrs. Weasley to Harry, he said that she was "somewhat like my grandmother."

Ron gave him a thumbs up. Ginny rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, stop fooling around. Harry, what do you want to say?" Hermione asked.

“Let’s ask the other sixth and seventh year students,” Harry whispered, “and see if they’re planning on getting a summer internship. Make a list of their names; they might come in handy. You’ve heard the Ministry of Magic is going to be very busy these days.”

"Will it work?" Hermione asked skeptically.

“Absolutely,” Neville said excitedly. “Like me—I don’t want to sit here and wait to die, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who think the same way.”

"Unless they're cowards," Ginny said.

"Don't say that, Ginny." Harry shook his head. "Everyone thinks differently." He thought of the various people he had seen in Dumbledore's Pensieve, some wizards who avoided war and had no interest in fame or fortune, yet achieved outstanding success in other fields.

"Let's try contacting the lookouts and members of the Spellbook Club first," Harry said finally.

They dispersed, each holding a piece of parchment, and stealthily searched for their targets. They did this with a certain noble sentiment, and when they reunited, they had a list in their hands.

"If even half the people on the list respond to the call, it will be a huge help," Harry said happily.

"Finally, some good news," Hermione said with a smile.

At this point, Ron stammered, and the others looked at him questioningly. He mumbled, "Um—I'm not sure if it's good news, but—"

"Ron, stop keeping me in suspense!" Ginny shouted.

“Alright,” Ron said softly, “come with me.” He led the group out of the Great Hall and onto the stone steps, where the sunlight was a bit too bright. “I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, but I felt it wasn’t the right time.” He took a deep breath and gripped his wand tightly.

To everyone's astonishment, he transformed into a sleek, shiny hunting dog.

"Merlin's beard!" Ginny exclaimed in shock.

"That's really cool," Harry said sincerely. "You've mastered the Animagus."

Hermione playfully punched the dog's head, grinning broadly. "When did you learn that?"

"Congratulations," Neville said.

The hounds circled them playfully, and Harry was suddenly overcome with a strong urge. He glanced back furtively, but the hallway behind him was empty. He transformed into a stag. Neville and Hermione followed suit, transforming into Animagus forms.

Ginny looked around and realized she was the only one still human, so she couldn't help but pout.

"Don't rush, Mrs. Weasley," Felix's voice came from afar, "I've spared a glance, and if I'm not mistaken, Ginny should—uh, am I at the zoo?"

Ginny whirled around, her hands gripping the stag's antlers tightly as if she wanted to wrestle with it. A tortoiseshell cat, a hound, and a beaver watched with great interest. Of course, they all turned around to look at Professor Hyp and Mrs. Weasley, who were also stunned in place, with Sirius Black and Lupin following behind them.

A moment of silence.

A dark figure darted out—it was Sirius Black. Before anyone could react, he transformed into a large, furry black dog, frolicking and jumping around them, looking extremely happy.

This change silenced Mrs. Weasley, who was about to speak; her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes blazed with anger.

As if things weren't chaotic enough, Felix coughed lightly twice, pulled a silver pocket watch from his pocket, and flipped open the cover to pretend to check the time. But the next second, a sniffler rushed out of it.

Valen used both hands and feet to quickly climb onto Felix's shoulder. Only then did it have time to notice the person beside it, and then its expression froze.

"Chirp (zoo)?"

……

The clock struck eleven. The Prime Minister closed the door. He had just finished a hectic day, seeing off several members of parliament, and finally, he was alone in his office. He took off his glasses and sat wearily in his chair.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but with such a major event, there must be some movement on the 'other side'. Therefore, he firmly refused several advisors, even though his mind was blank and he was about to be questioned by the parliament.

A soft cough came from behind me.

The Prime Minister froze. Although this had happened several times in his career, he couldn't get used to it, and he felt he never would. He could almost picture a small, frog-like man with a silver wig staring at him from the filthy painting behind the chair, a painting that couldn't be removed no matter what he tried.

"To the Muggle Prime Minister. Requesting an urgent meeting. Please respond immediately. Yours truly, Burns."

"Okay, okay, I agree," the Prime Minister said, then muttered under his breath, "as if my refusal would have made a difference." Then his eyes were uncontrollably fixed on the fireplace, where green flames flickered and a woman with a monocle and a serious expression emerged.

The Prime Minister knew her—another minister who succeeded Fudge. They had met twice, the first time when Burns took office. The Prime Minister had a good impression of the woman; although she always had a stern face, she was at least not as arrogant as her predecessor and was willing to answer his questions instead of looking at him like he was an idiot.

He stood up, his face contorted with rage—he believed he had every right to do so—but then his anger froze, the flames rose again, and a young man appeared. The man looked around the room with interest, and after a couple of seconds, he slowly strode out of the grate.

A thought suddenly popped into the Prime Minister's mind: Could this female minister be about to step down, and is that young man her successor? Is the change of power in the magical world really that rapid?

(End of this chapter)