A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

After a while, the old man said that he would give Felix a small gift before he left.

"This is... a viewing mirror?"

"Yes, they are very interesting little gadgets. I've sent out quite a few gifts these days, which may be related to my limited time left," the old man said with a smile.

“Wizards do have ways to live longer. I know a witch who must be 120 or 130 years old, and she’s still very healthy,” Felix reassured the old man.

He was referring to Professor Gershilda Marchbane of the Wizarding Examinations Board, who had proctored Dumbledore's NEWTs exams.

The old man smiled. “Maybe it’s not for me… It was a pleasure chatting with you, Felix Heap.”

"You know me?" Felix looked at him in surprise.

"Ha, a friend of mine recommended your book. It's very interesting. The magical world needs to look outward."

The old man waved his hand and left, his steps faltering.

……

When Felix returned to the hotel, the dilapidated auditorium and charred marks had all disappeared, and the hotel was intact, as if the attack had never happened.

He saw a Muggle research expert staring intently at the statue in front of the hotel—its head had been smashed open.

Felix was not bothered by the staff and successfully found the French Auror, Roxwell, who was now like a gatekeeper outside the hall, along with three other French Aurors.

"Are they still talking inside?"

“It’s still going on,” Maxwell said.

"It's quite quiet."

"Wait a little longer," he said with experience. "Three, two, one, coming!"

An exaggerated roar echoed from inside the hall, "Marcus! As the president of the Magical Congress of America, shouldn't you be responsible for the actions of your subordinates?! Look at the mess you've made! I'm ashamed for you!"

“See, I told you so?” Maxwell gave Felix a pleased look. “I love the minister, he’s been berating that American for half an hour.”

Felix looked at him speechlessly.

After the jokes, Maxwell got down to business, "The meeting has been canceled, and everyone else in the hotel has been told to leave. This place will serve as a temporary meeting place to discuss the current series of troublesome issues."

"Does that mean I should pack my things and leave?"

“No, no, it was your colleague. She left first and asked me to tell you.” He blinked. “Lucky guy, you’ve gained the friendship of both the French and American magical communities. Although the latter is of little use… at least no one can kick you out, and you can even request to listen in on the entire negotiation process.”

Felix guessed that Celeste definitely hadn't mentioned that he had spied on her memories, but even if she had, it wouldn't have bothered him; he had plenty of excuses.

On the surface, he was the hero who stopped the attack, preventing things from spiraling out of control, and he also saved the life of an Ilvermorny student. From this perspective, everyone from the president of the Magical Congress of America to the principal of Ilvermorny should express their gratitude to him.

The same goes for the French Ministry of Magic. Felix was originally part of the unfortunate group who were invited to the meeting but were unfortunately attacked. However, he single-handedly turned the tide, and we really couldn't ask for more.

"Forget it." Felix refused outright. He wasn't interested in it; it was too chaotic inside, and he even felt a little sorry for Dumbledore.

"Where are those students?"

"They're being watched by two professors from Iphamoni."

……

Felix didn't want to stay any longer; waiting for the concrete results could be a long and drawn-out process, possibly not even ending the entire summer vacation. He prepared to go back to his room to get his things and leave; he still had a lot of things to do at Hogwarts.

But as he was cleaning the room, something suddenly occurred to him.

"What is it?"

He quickly recalled that his experiences of the day were rewinding from 'this moment', from his conversation with Maxwell to the Muggle studies expert in front of the statue, and then to his chance encounter with an interesting old man...

“Perenaar, I feel like I’ve seen that name somewhere before.”

Felix pondered, "No, that's not the point. The name is common, but I sense something strange about it."

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The scene of his conversation with the old man kept replaying in his mind's eye—

After a moment, he suddenly sat up and said in an uncertain tone, "Nicolemacht?"

Chapter 170 Peeping in the Mirror Joke

Under the light, Felix carefully examined the endoscope on the table; it looked like a spinning top, rotating slowly.

As the most commonly used warning device by wizards, it will light up and spin at high speed if there are suspicious people around, and some special spyglasses will emit a piercing alarm sound.

In fact, Felix was no stranger to such alchemical creations. The first book he saw upon returning to Hogwarts, "Ancient Alchemy," described the methods for making seven types of viewing mirrors.

As a detector, it contains detailed instructions on how to make a spyglass targeting black magic, lies, or even specific groups of people.

At this moment, what puzzled him was whether this miniature viewing mirror was just a small gift from Nicholas Lemay, or whether it contained some deeper meaning.

"Should I take this thing apart?"

He fiddled with the slowly spinning top, his mind filled with questions:

Nicolas Lemaître clearly knew him and said he had read his book on the recommendation of a friend. Who was that friend?

Dumbledore? Or some old relic?

Did you only read your own Muggle research work, or did you read "Ancient Rune Exploration" as well?

Was his discovery of himself accidental or inevitable? Was it a form of indirect testing?

Felix believed that if Nicolas Flamel were to seek a successor, he would be a good fit. Alchemical creations and runic creations were deeply connected, and as the most famous alchemist, Nicolas Flamel would certainly be able to understand this connection.

Felix even suspected that the number of practical ancient runes he possessed might far exceed that of himself.

Thinking about this, he felt a little itchy.

But Nicolas Lemaître just left like that, without even saying his name, leaving him only a spyglass. What does that mean?

Could it be that the spyglass emitted light while the two were chatting?

Felix: "..."

After some hesitation, he finally made up his mind. Half an hour later—

He stared blankly at the parts on the table. There was no magic left behind, no hidden notes, nothing at all.

'Could I have guessed wrong? Was he just an ordinary old wizard with mobility issues?'

He now only has one way left to verify: if the old wizard is Nicolas Flamel, there must be someone who knows something.

As evening fell, Felix blocked Dumbledore's path as he emerged from the Great Hall; Dumbledore looked somewhat tired.

Felix inquired, "Headmaster Dumbledore, is there any progress in the discussions?"

"You can almost assume that such a thing doesn't exist."

The two descended the steps into the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky. Dumbledore spoke, "All I've heard all day is complaints and excuses; there are far too few people who can truly take responsibility."

Felix didn't quite understand: "Where is the problem? Logically speaking, the Reform Association's demands should be very clear. It's simply a matter of whether to amend the law or not. If it is to be amended, which articles should be amended, and to what extent? There shouldn't be no progress at all."

Dumbledore patiently said, “You’re oversimplifying things, Felix. Everyone’s needs are different, and the issues to be discussed are different. Should the laws be amended? Should the Reformation be punished? Should the Magical Congress of America provide compensation…”

"Even Fudge wrote from afar, implying that I should help the French Ministry of Magic in order to extract greater benefits."

Felix exclaimed in surprise, "What does it have to do with him? He won't get a single copper nut."

“You and Kerridine are here,” Dumbledore said wisely. “Besides, money has never been the most important thing. Since records began, there has been almost no official communication between the wizarding worlds of America and Europe. They want to break the status quo of the American wizarding world.”

"How to do it?"

"On a small scale, it could mean exchange students or jointly organizing large-scale events; on a larger scale, it could mean extending influence beyond one's own country and gaining various benefits..."

Felix shook his head; this was indeed something he hadn't thought of.

“I have a higher opinion of that student named Yuria,” he said, changing the subject.

“Ah, he certainly has great courage,” said Dumbledore. “I will do my utmost to secure his pardon.”

Felix hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I think I saw Nick Flamel today..."

Dumbledore looked back at him, his gaze perfectly calm. "I mentioned you to him, and his attention to you has noticeably increased in recent months."

"Then why is he paying attention to me?" Felix's heart suddenly raced.

“I think,” Dumbledore blinked and smiled, “it might be to discuss some alchemical knowledge with you.”

"Really? But he didn't leave any contact information."

“Of course, Nick rarely goes out and spends most of his time in his safe house. There are very few people who can contact him.” Dumbledore took a photograph out of his pocket and handed it to Felix: “This is what he left for you. You can communicate through Nick’s photo.”

Felix took it; it was completely empty.

“He’s not here for the time being,” Dumbledore explained.

At the end of the conversation, Felix couldn't help but ask, "Dumbledore, do you know what it means to give someone a viewing mirror?"

Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Perhaps, maybe it's just that this is all he has in his pocket to give away?"

Felix returned to his room with a dark expression. He glanced at the spyglass parts on the table and couldn't help but want to smash them with a shredded spell.

"I'm not!"

He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll give you a spyglass another day, so you can guess what I'm thinking."

“Hmm? That’s a good idea. A spyglass… It’s a magical artifact with a very low minimum requirement and a very high maximum requirement. There are many inferior junk products on the market, but even Gringotts wouldn’t refuse to use a high-end spyglass.”

"The peeping mirror and the magic puppet are similar in some ways, and can be used as a supplement to the course or as teaching material for the Magic Rune Club."

Felix's thoughts began to wander. When the new school year started, in addition to regular classes, he also had the Duel Club and the Rune Club to attend to, and he felt like he suddenly had a lot more to do.

"I should bring in another professor to be a permanent member of the Duel class. Usually it's just me and Severus, and the pressure will be immense once the semester starts."

Who should we invite?

"Flitwick? McGonagall? Or perhaps the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? I don't know who Dumbledore has chosen yet."

The next morning, Felix bid farewell to everyone. It was also his first time meeting the president of the Magical Congress of the United States and the minister of the French Ministry of Magic. After exchanging pleasantries, the French minister of magic even hinted that he could be recommended for the 'Medal of Valor', which Felix politely declined.

Felix immediately Apparated away.

As Hagrid's cabin came into view in the distance, he felt a long-lost peace and joy.

Chapter 171 The Shrinking Magic Wand Tree

The July wind swept through the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, the green leaves swaying and creating a gentle lullaby. Felix felt as if a pair of hands were stroking the nerves of his brain, and his whole body relaxed.