A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“Alright then.” Professor McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at Crabbe and Goyle next to Draco, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione peering out from a distance, and snapped angrily, “Do you want to come along?”

They quickly slipped away.

At the dinner table, Ron, with his eyes closed and fork raised in mid-air, sighed contentedly, "I must raise a ferret someday... Whenever I see it, I'll think of Malfoy today. Will it also grab my trouser leg and refuse to let go?"

Harry and Hermione laughed, and Harry asked, "But is body-changing really that dangerous? Professor McGonagall's expression doesn't seem like she's joking."

Hermione, holding a fork, said meaningfully, "Imagine you've been turned into an owl. At first, you remember who you are, but soon, your animal instincts take over, and you forget your identity..."

Harry frowned. "So, if the spell isn't broken in time, Malfoy will completely believe he's a ferret?"

Hermione said seriously, "I'm just giving you an example to make you aware of the danger. Some transformations can be resolved on their own over time, but for wizards with high magical power, their transformations can last for a very long time, and some malicious transformations are like a curse that can last forever."

Ron, as if struck by a sudden thought, burst out laughing. He said breathlessly, "That's...not bad...isn't it?"

Hermione glanced at him. "Although the chances are slim, if Malfoy manages to get lost in the chaos and hides in the Forbidden Forest, he might be eaten by the animals there before he's discovered..."

Ron imagined it for a moment, and suddenly the food in front of him didn't taste good anymore, and Harry also lost his appetite. Hermione, however, was unaffected and quickly finished her dinner before packing her schoolbag.

"Are you going to the library?" Harry asked her.

“Of course I’ll go,” Hermione said. “There’s a ton of work to do. It’s not schoolwork.” Seeing that Harry was about to ask, she spoke first, then picked up her bag and hurried away.

On the other side, Felix and Draco Malfoy walked down a dark underground corridor. Draco's eyes were filled with tears, and the torches on the wall illuminated his pale face, allowing Felix to see the occasional flashes of resentment in his eyes.

"You hate Professor Moody?" Felix asked, looking at him.

Draco clenched his fists, his face flushed with shame, muttering, "I'm going to tell my dad..."

“Hmm.” Felix didn’t say much more, and they continued walking for a while. Then he suddenly spoke up: “What you said is also a method, but it might not be very useful.”

"Why! Just because he's Dumbledore's good friend?" Draco gritted his teeth.

“It’s Headmaster Dumbledore,” Felix corrected him, but judging from Draco Malfoy’s dismissive expression, he probably complained about the headmaster as well.

"I'm curious about the origin of this conflict..."

“It was I who humiliated Weasley’s father,” Draco said coldly. “Is that what you’re asking? That I deserved it?”

“No,” Felix chuckled softly, “I’m just curious what you were thinking when you provoked him. After all, even without Professor Moody, the three of you plus Crabbe and Goyle wouldn’t be a match for Potter alone.”

"Or do you think that Potter won't hurt you, making you feel emboldened? Or do you not mind being defeated by Potter? It's worth mentioning that Miss Granger is not so easy to deal with either."

Draco Malfoy's face flushed, and he stammered, "I...I didn't think that much."

“Hmm,” Felix nodded, then asked, “Do you remember our first more in-depth conversation? The one when you brought your diary to my office?”

Draco slowly looked at him, not quite understanding why he had suddenly brought this up.

“I told you before that everyone is responsible for their own actions,” Felixton paused, “but it seems you don’t recall.”

He said with a smile, "I really want you to see what happened back then. You were a bit like you are now, trembling and hesitant. Of course, one time it was a noble act of self-preservation and altruism, and the other time it was with some dark thoughts..."

Draco glared at him, feeling uncomfortable but also a little proud.

“That’s normal. Anyone who’s been humiliated would have strong destructive thoughts,” Felix said casually as they rounded a bend, Snape’s office coming into view.

"Have you ever had that thought?" Draco asked, but he suddenly realized he had asked a terrible question. Professor Hyp's school days were far from peaceful; he would only have experienced more.

Felix chuckled. "I guess everyone has had similar dark thoughts to some extent, but putting them into practice is not so easy." He knocked on Snape's office door, but there was no response for a while.

“Well, he might not be there…” he said regretfully. “We’ll have to do it another day. Go on, Mr. Malfoy. Go back and get some sleep. I’d like to see how long you can keep this up.”

Chapter 357 Shifting the Focus

Draco Malfoy's somewhat pointed face contorted in surprise. He looked up eagerly, staring intently at Felix, as if trying to read the true meaning from the professor's calm expression.

"A good night's sleep gives you a sense of satisfaction, something I don't usually tell people," Felix said. "The only thing that can compare is a big meal, but that'll have to wait until Halloween, when there will be lots of exotic food..."

After he left, Draco remained where he was. His light gray eyes darted around, unsure if he had escaped unscathed.

Professor Hyp is a person who dislikes trouble, a fact that is generally acknowledged by the entire faculty and student body.

For example, he would put a lot of assignments on 'answer parchment' because this would greatly save grading time. Similarly, although he gave just as many tests in class as other professors, he was the only one who required students to answer questions in a fixed format.

Rumors suggest that this would make it easier for a very special, high-level magical puppet to grade exam papers.

In addition, there is other corroborating evidence. Professor Hyp rarely put students in solitary confinement, and he rarely deducted points. More than one Hufflepuff student had run into the professor in the kitchen, and they would discuss their experiences eating fish together. His 'Fishbone Removal Charm,' which he improved from the Bone Removal Charm, was once very popular in the school.

However, if students ask him about this in class, or want to learn food spells, they will find that their workload immediately increases, and this trend gradually subsides.

Now Draco Malfoy is considering whether he can just let the job that Professor Hyp took from Professor McGonagall slip away without Professor McGonagall mentioning it later.

He spent two days in a state of anxiety, being cautious in his Ancient Runes and Potions classes, avoiding eye contact with the two professors. He even refrained from participating in Neville Longbottom's spectacular melting of the cauldron—a rare occurrence indeed, as Longbottom's grades had been steadily improving.

The Magical Creatures Protection class was also tough. He had to endure the mocking looks from the foolish Gryffindor students, especially Weasley, who would laugh whenever he saw him and always pretend to pat his trouser leg, making him secretly want to cast a curse on him. He wished he could make Weasley spit out a slug again, but unfortunately, he couldn't find the spell in the library.

As usual, Hagrid, that big guy, made them look after the burrowing snails in class, which the students were very reluctant to do. They were slimy, gray worms, somewhat like shelled lobsters, with many legs growing haphazardly. Hundreds of them were crammed into a box, jostling and crawling around, oozing a slimy substance like snot.

Despite his dislike for Gryffindor, he still felt a sense of pleasure as the girl named Lavender Brown screamed "Disgusting!" while feeding the six-inch worms lettuce. However, Crabbe, that brainless idiot, overturned the incubator, sending the rotting snails scattering in all directions, their tails spitting sparks. A stench of rotting fish and shrimp filled the air, making them vomit uncontrollably, unable to straighten up…

Thursday was a special day; he saw Moody again.

Moody was as crazy as ever, openly demonstrating the Unforgivable Curse in class. When talking about the Killing Curse, Moody grinned and said, "The Avada Kedavra Curse requires a lot of magical power as a foundation—you can all take out your wands, point them at me, and say the spell. I suspect I'll only get a nosebleed at most."

He admitted to a fleeting moment of attraction, like the dark thoughts Professor Hyp mentioned, but he also realized with dismay that he simply couldn't muster the courage to point his wand at that ugly nose.

On Friday, he saw Professor Hyp again and was surprised to find that the Ancient Runes classroom had changed a lot. Soft light illuminated the room very brightly. He looked up and, along with the other students, looked at the magic lamp made up of the animals that symbolized the four houses.

"Professor Hyp, will the other classrooms at Hogwarts also switch to magic lamps?" a girl asked, raising her hand.

“Your question is irrelevant to the lesson, Miss Parvati. However, I can reveal that people from the ‘future world’ will be coming to the school in a couple of days to discuss this matter.”

Felix smiled and said, "Personally, I think the magic lamp is much better than the kerosene lamp or the magic flame. At least you don't have to worry about hurting your eyes when you're reading in the classroom or the library."

Below the podium, Harry and Ron whispered to each other—

"Isn't 'The Future World' Professor Hyp's?" Ron asked, puzzled.

“Maybe he’s still teaching at the school and it’s not convenient for him,” Harry said, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. “Maybe we’ll be able to see Professor Lupin.”

“And Penelope,” Ron said without hesitation, revealing a piece of information. “Before school started, Percy brought her home, and Mom talked about marriage, which scared her away.”

Felix cleared his throat, glanced around, and the young wizards below quieted down.

He clapped his hands. "Alright, students, today we're going to translate a manuscript. You encountered an excerpt of it in third grade..."

For the remaining twenty minutes, Felix arranged for the students to study on their own. Hermione finished her assignment on the 'answer parchment' in just ten minutes, while Harry and Ron were still biting their quills, struggling to think.

“How did you do that?” Ron asked her.

“It’s all just memories, and it doesn’t require any brainpower. It’s much easier than making up some unfortunate stories to fool Trelawney,” Hermione said, looking at the professor sitting behind the podium, who was holding a half-real, half-illusory book and occasionally tossing in a few magical symbols.

“The Book of Demonic Script…” she murmured.

“What?” Harry asked, having just finished the last part with only a few minutes left before the end of get out of class. He looked up from the parchment and just in time to hear Hermione’s whisper.

“The Book of Runes,” Hermione repeated, “I wish I could do that too.” Felix turned another page on the podium. She blinked, as if she saw a black lightning bolt flash by.

Ron muttered to Harry in a low voice, "I'm fine with anything as long as we don't talk about 'vomiting'."

Harry almost laughed. Hermione had been spending her days in the library researching house-elves, outraged by the unfair treatment they had suffered over the centuries, and had even founded a non-profit organization—the House-Elf Rights Promotion Association, whose acronym was the same as the word 'vomit'.

Hermione said emotionally, "You shouldn't say that! You're the organization's treasurer—"

“Yes,” Ron said, “Harry is still a secretary, so should we write down everything you’re saying? But we’re busy right now; we have to attend the Warriors’ training this weekend…”

“That was in sixth or seventh grade.” Hermione raised her eyebrows and glared at him unfriendly.

“But the notice board didn’t say that only sixth or seventh graders could go. Can’t we just take a look?” Ron muttered, seeking Harry’s support. Harry nodded vigorously beside him.

Hermione was about to say something when the school bell rang. Ron and Harry immediately ran out and stood at the door, peering out into the distance. Hermione didn't emerge for quite some time, looking triumphant when they met again.

“I asked Professor Hyp! The way to get into the kitchen is to find a pear with a picture of a fruit platter and tickle it.” Hermione said happily, “It seems the professor supports me.”

"He agreed!?" Ron asked incredulously. "He agreed to wear the 'Vomiting' badge? What position did you give him?"

“Oh, no.” Hermione’s face fell. “The professor said he needs to think about it carefully, but—”

"The professor suggested that I go to the kitchen, chat with the house-elves, and write a report titled 'A Survey of the House-Elves in the Hogwarts Kitchen.'"

Ron quietly voiced his thoughts: "I guess Professor Hyp just couldn't get away from it, so he gave her something to do."

Harry thought about Professor Hyp's reaction when he was asked to join the strange organization, and he strongly agreed with Ron's guess; perhaps this was the truth.

He was secretly angry with himself; why hadn't he thought of this method?

If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have needed to hold any meetings or discuss the organization's founding declaration and rules.

……

On Saturday morning, the sky was somewhat overcast, and students appeared in classroom number seven in twos and threes, far more than expected. Many first and second graders carried candy and snacks, looking on with a sense of anticipation.

Harry was deeply impressed by this place. When the Spellbook Club was selecting members, he and Ron followed Hermione around, helping to receive students who came to register and having them fill out forms and instructions.

He also defeated Malfoy here to win the third-year duel championship, and the reward was that he learned Apparition three years early.

However, after a summer vacation, the magic here has been somewhat neglected. In the distance, you can see the white paint on the walls, which is the boundary of the room, and half of the ceiling is visible against the clear blue sky.

Chapter 358 What is a Warrior?

Felix, Flitwick, Sprout, Snape, and Moody stood together, Moody leaning on a long cane and speaking loudly to Flitwick.

“It’s a real shame that Professor McGonagall isn’t here. She’s the only one missing from the four deans,” Flitwick said.

“There’s no need, Professor Flitwick,” Moody said in a deep voice. “We’ve all agreed beforehand that we’re here today just to join in the fun. I also want to see how these students perform…”

“Minerva is chairing the meeting. Lupin came this morning, along with representatives from the school board. The school needs important people present,” Felix replied succinctly, understanding the situation.

“Is it a magic lamp?” Moody asked, his magic eye turning sharply towards Felix. “I’ve heard of the Futureworld Corporation. The Daily Prophet interviewed almost everyone in Diagon Alley, asking them what they thought of this suddenly appearing building.”

Sprout said, "Yes, I saw it too, and the light show at the Quidditch World Cup, but it seems to have been overshadowed by that unexpected parade. I wonder if it was affected?"

"Actually, it doesn't have a big impact. Remus even complained to me that there were too many orders and they couldn't keep up, so they had to urgently hire more people," Felix said with a smile. He was still very satisfied with the development of Future World Company.

The professors chatted amongst themselves, while Snape remained silent, appearing far more so than usual. He wore a black robe, his arms crossed in front of him, detached from the group.

At 10 a.m., the crowd was dense and dark. Some students sat on the slope far away, spread out a blanket, took out various foods, as if they were there for a picnic, and leisurely looked around.

Felix looked at the professors. "It's almost time, shall we begin? Perhaps—"

“We’re here to watch the show,” Flitwick shrieked. “Dumbledore appointed you to be in charge of training the champions. Your Sceptre is the perfect tool. I can’t wait to record my memories, but I’m no match for Dumbledore. I’ll record the memories of the year I won the Duel Championship…”

In the faculty lounge, Professor McGonagall organized several meetings specifically to discuss the selection and training of the warrior candidates. To legitimize Dumbledore's appointment of Felix, McGonagall used the Pensieve of Thought to persuade the professors. However, she remembered the headmaster's warning and simply explained its use. Later, Flitwick approached Felix to inquire about the details and readily agreed to provide a memory.