A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 716 Dangerous Assumptions

"I'm not here to find food," Hermione thought resentfully. Despite her principles having been honed to a high degree of flexibility and adaptability by her constant adventures, it was strange that she kept encountering people who treated breaking school rules (and sometimes the law!) as easily as eating and drinking.

Unless she had a good excuse, she would try to make herself appear respectable.

Therefore, she hesitated whether to mention that she had unintentionally created a sniffing spyglass, inspired by Grindelwald, who had given Neville a spyglass. But the words caught in her throat; hmm, it sounded like she had ulterior motives…

"I'm not hungry—" Hermione opened her mouth, but her stomach growled the next second. Her face immediately turned as red as fire.

The fire in the fireplace was blazing. Hermione didn't know how she sat down; it seemed the professor had invited her. When she came to her senses, she found herself sitting upright on a small round stool (provided by a house-elf), staring at the sizzling fish in the fireplace, her face burning from the fire.

Hermione lowered her head, while Varen looked up at her, his bright black eyes blinking.

"I've been quite busy lately and haven't been at school often," Felix said. "I heard students quite like having classes in classroom number seven?"

"Oh, yes. Professor, what have you been busy with these past few days?"

"Just traveling all over the world. Yesterday I even dealt with a magical incident," Felix explained, seeing Hermione's surprised look. "It was by chance. A farmer found an automatic stirring cauldron that a wizard had discarded. Although the magic on it had already worn off, there were still remnants of failed concoction of 'life-and-death potion' inside. The farmer used the cauldron to make a deworming medicine, and the next morning he found thirty cows unconscious... It even made the news."

"Was that abandoned cauldron an accident, or was it left there intentionally?" Hermione asked, frowning. "I know some wizards like to play tricks on Muggles; Ron's father dealt with similar situations."

"It's hard to say," Felix thought for a moment and said, "I guess it was an accident. A lot of wizards living in Muggle communities have returned to the wizarding world during this period, and Hogsmeade alone has expanded by twice its size, which may have been left behind during the relocation."

"Mr. Hyp, Ms. Granger." At that moment, a house-elf wearing a large white headscarf appeared, carrying a silver tray with a plate of cookies and three goblets filled with pumpkin juice. "Thank you, Mr. Vane." Felix picked up a cookie, and Hermione thanked him as well. Then Felix keenly noticed the difference in their forms of address.

"You know each other, Uncle Yun?" he asked. But clearly, the emphasis of this address was not on the surname.

“Yes,” said the house-elf, Yunbo, respectfully. “For a while, Ms. Granger came often, which puzzled us, and some elves were unhappy about it. Later we realized that she was advocating for our rights.”

Hermione waved her hands repeatedly, signaling the house-elf to stop talking, so Uncle Yun bowed deeply and left. Felix was actually quite curious about the house-elf's opinion of the Pan-Magical Alliance, and he didn't know what the Ministry of Magic staff had to say—maybe it was just a few extra days of vacation and funds for buying gifts.

The kitchen fell silent for a moment. Then Hermione heard a metallic clanging sound. She turned her head and saw Warren take out a miniature knife and fork from his small pocket, then take out a palm-sized emerald green handkerchief and tie it around his neck. When he saw Hermione staring at him, he hesitated and then took out another red handkerchief and handed it to Hermione.

"Chirp?"

"Oh, I don't need one, and it's too small, it doesn't fit—" Hermione whispered, but Felix said, "Give me one too." Varen grumbled, slowly taking out a bright yellow handkerchief and stuffing it into his hand. Felix flicked it in the air, and the handkerchief magically grew larger, now adorned with a ring of magical runes.

He placed the handkerchief, which was several sizes too big, on his knees and turned to look at Hermione.

Hermione then took out her wand and pointed it at the handkerchief, which immediately transformed into a large tablecloth. Then the fireplace in front of them lit up, and a dozen fragrant, oily roasted fish hung in front of them, looking very appetizing.

Felix, Hermione, and Varen each received a grilled fish, and the rest were given to the house-elves. The house-elves didn't refuse; instead, they dutifully brought over three small tables and placed them in front of them. Then the children went to enjoy their meal in a secluded spot.

This behavior, which was contrary to the house-elf's nature, surprised Hermione, but it really happened. There could only be one reason: the same thing had been done countless times, and the house-elf knew that persuasion was hopeless and would no longer waste her energy.

Hermione took a bite of fish and didn't feel any fish bones. She couldn't help but marvel at the magic of the fishbone-removing spell.

This late-night snack was extremely strange.

There were many people, like a feast, but the house-elves were mostly silent. Judging from their contented swaying and subtle physical movements, they were in high spirits, giving Hermione the illusion that she was participating in a celebration in some mysterious tribe.

She also gleaned a secret from the way house-elves swallowed their food—thankfully, she could see it clearly now that she was sitting on a stool less than a foot high—that house-elves are difficult for wizards to distinguish by appearance. But today Hermione learned that male house-elves have slightly protruding Adam's apples, while female house-elves have softer, less noticeable lines on their necks. Just like humans.

Hermione suspected that the house-elves' habit of always speaking with their heads down was preventing the secret from being discovered. With her plate empty and feeling full, Hermione finally remembered why she had come in the first place.

"Hmm, Professor?" she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Those children you rescued from the US government..." Felix turned to her; his plate was long empty. "...There's a lot of talk in the newspapers, but generally speaking, the reviews are mixed."

“That’s pretty normal,” Felix muttered. “When you put yourself in the public eye, unless you’re absolutely rotten, you’ll always get both praise and criticism. But I doubt many people would question the necessity of rescuing those children.”

"That's right. With the publication of the book 'Promoting the Publicity of Magic,' many anthropologists and historians have recognized ancient wizards as one of the earliest humans. The director of the British Museum claims to have found evidence in early human murals, suggesting that wizards originated from two groups: valiant warriors and priests. The former gained magical powers by fighting magical creatures, while the latter used the blood and bones of magical creatures to perform rituals..."

Felix remained noncommittal about this conjecture. He had made similar guesses, but they were still just guesses. The exact origins of wizards are too ancient; no one knows the definitive truth. Moreover, the criteria for judgment are inconsistent. What truly marks the emergence of wizards? Is it the creation of 'magical tools' using parts of magical creatures, or does it begin when mysterious powers first appeared in ancient humans? Or perhaps—it only truly holds true when magical knowledge is summarized and flows to other gifted individuals?

Each of these three examples is significant. The first example represents humanity's attempt to harness magic; the second example signifies the emergence of magic in wizards; and the third example demonstrates that magic can be taught, meaning that those who wield magic have evolved from individuals to groups.

It's also possible that none of the above is correct. Why can't it be that magical creatures and wizards appear at the same time?

Felix did not place too much importance on the answer to this question. During the negotiations, he requested that this "unverified history" be included solely from a moral standpoint, as this would avoid many problems.

After Hermione explained what she had compiled from the clippings, she concluded:

"The controversial part is the methods you are taught to use—they want to solve problems through legal means rather than direct confrontation, and there is ongoing debate about issues such as whether wizards have investigative and law enforcement powers."

Felix said quietly but firmly, "They can discuss it, but I'm not going to compromise on this issue."

Hermione bit her lip. But that wasn't her purpose tonight, and besides, Grindelwald's attitude was much more radical—he advocated for complete revenge, believing that if any nation or individual stole a wizard's power, the wizard could take any means to retaliate, just like the witch who lost her daughter and burned her laboratory with Fiendfyre.

"Are the children alright?" she asked softly.

"They're alright, except for being a little frightened." Felix glanced at her, not going into details. "Iphamoni's healers will take good care of them and conduct necessary examinations—magic isn't the only way to modify memories, but other methods are more complicated and require being in a closed environment for a long time."

"Therefore, I simply checked them to see if they had any tracking devices."

"A tracking device?" Hermione asked in surprise. "Won't those magical substitutes stop working? I read in 'Hogwarts: A History'—"

"Hoping they'll automatically become ineffective when the other side is determined to investigate is too passive and reactive," Felix said, pausing as if hesitant to reveal more, but he continued, "Actually, I suspect the local government roughly knows the locations of some wizarding communities. The Magical Congress of the United States and the Muggle government don't get along well, and as potential enemies, they'll naturally try to gather useful intelligence, so keeping it completely secret is quite difficult."

"But—" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

"Are you worried that they might follow this lead and deliberately provoke a conflict?"

Hermione nodded.

"That possibility is extremely slim," Felix chuckled. "All magical communities—especially schools—are shrouded in magic, at the very least protected by Muggle expulsion and warning charms, and the coverage is enormous. Trying to break through using purely technological means—I don't know if it's feasible, but it would certainly take time, and the wizards inside could evacuate quickly; as for using heavy weapons… perhaps that was possible at first, but now it's almost completely gone."

Hermione looked at Felix in confusion. Felix waved his hand to prevent the sound from spreading and ensure that only the two of them could hear it.

"Granger... since your career path is Minister for Magic, and you've certainly shown the potential for it, we can discuss this in more detail. I don't want this conversation to be made public, not even to Harry, Ron, or your parents—not a single word... Do you agree?"

Hermione nervously agreed.

"Very well, let's take the United States as an example. Due to historical reasons, their number of wizards is much lower, around 40,000 to 50,000. Let's discuss the most extreme scenario—these wizards suddenly suffer a devastating blow, with heavy losses, but there's still a pretty good chance that half of them will survive. This is even if the Magical Congress of the United States is so foolish as to not discover any clues."

Hermione imagined the scene. She had watched documentaries about human warfare and had a clear concept of the horror of dense artillery fire. Her body swayed violently, and her face turned pale.

"But then what?"

Felix spoke calmly, "This is the beginning of war, not the end. Once this happens, many wizards will certainly flee, but a considerable number will remain to fight to the death, for they have lost their loved ones and friends, lost everything… A person who has nothing left, whose mind is filled only with revenge, will become a mindless beast, and also the most tenacious warrior. We know from history that weapons are updated and replaced most rapidly during wartime, but I am 100% certain that wizards will grow even faster, especially when they choose to let hatred fill their hearts. War will make people cold and numb, and then Fiendfire will only be the most merciful means…"

"No, that's terrible. We can't let that happen," Hermione whispered.

Felix looked at her quietly for a moment, then said, "This is what we're doing. Okay, forget about it. It's just an academic discussion, an assumption, and one that's highly unlikely to happen. Otherwise, what have we been working on for the past few months? You should go back; it's almost lights out."

Hermione walked silently out of the kitchen, while Warren yawned and nestled in Felix's arms. They reached the foyer, and Hermione suddenly said, "Wait, Professor, I have something very important to tell you, which is why I came to see you—I went to your office, but you weren't there."

She was so emotionally shaken that she almost forgot the real purpose of her trip.

"What is it?"

"While sorting through the clippings this morning, Harry, Ron, and I discussed a possibility..." Hermione quickly recounted the day's events. Felix shook his head slightly. "The Magical Congress of the United States is wary of this; they've had some conflicts with the Muggle government over it. As for young wizards who haven't yet enrolled, they are indeed a potential point of entry, but Ilfamori—"

"Professor, you mean Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has their names on its books, right?" Hermione interjected.

Felix's expression gradually turned serious. Hermione clearly wanted to point out that there was a loophole that could be exploited... A scene suddenly flashed through her mind: what Professor McGonagall had told him: "Three students have refused to enter the school."

Actually, refusing to enter the school is not a big deal; he didn't take it too seriously before.

The procedures are standardized. Generally, when this happens, Hogwarts will send multiple professors to communicate with the parents. If the communication fails, it will be reported to the Ministry of Magic, which will then assign a specialist to handle the matter (using a Forgetfulness Charm if necessary), accompanied by supervision for several years. This process usually continues until adulthood (they become less concerned as they get older), which is around 17 years old. This means that those who have given up magic are unlikely to accidentally cast spells due to emotional outbursts, and their magic will gradually become dormant due to the lack of training over a long period.

This is different from the Obscurials. Obscurials are usually the result of physical or psychological abuse during childhood, leading them to hate and suppress their magical abilities, refusing to cast spells. They have virtually no contact with those who have given up magic, as Obscurials rarely live past the age of ten.

Felix only mentioned it to Professor McGonagall after learning about Dumbledore's sister's experience and that some rare Obscurians could live past the age of ten.

"...The light in Hagrid's hut was always on, making us think he was still inside, but he actually went out. Harry's Marauder's Map has a limited search range; once Hagrid ventured deep into the Forbidden Forest, he was nowhere to be found," Hermione continued, her lips beginning to tremble. "But the question is, was he really in the Forbidden Forest then? And what happened to him? We know nothing about any of that..."

There's no need to continue.

Felix fully understood her thoughts, but that was precisely why his expression was more serious than ever before.

Harry's Marauder's Map covers the area that the Magical Congress of the United States can monitor. Hagrid represents the young wizards who have not yet enrolled. If these young wizards stay and live locally, they will naturally not encounter any danger, and even if danger occurs, it will be detected quickly. But what if one day their whole family decides to immigrate? Or for some other reason? The vast ocean is a place that wizards' magic cannot reach.

Right now, while they're talking, could one or two ships, or even submarines, be carrying the wandering young wizards? Before they set foot on land, no one knows what has happened to them. This naturally includes the possibility that they may never reach the shore.

(End of this chapter)