A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

He sat in the chair with a gloomy expression, his gaze passing through the green light of the lounge to the black lake outside the window, where one or two fish occasionally swam past the window.

Two henchmen approached him. "Draco, want to have dinner?"

“Crawb, Goyle…” Malfoy gave them a serious look. “Never mind, you can go.”

Crabbe and Goyle shrugged and left quickly.

Malfoy huddled in his chair, his pale blond hair and slightly pale face half-hidden in shadow.

He was still thinking about Professor Hyp's words.

Despite his attempts to refute this absurd view, the two months of copying punishment had already ingrained a portion of the book's contents into his mind.

This reminded him of a time when his mother took him to visit a pure-blood wizard and they happened to meet his aunt.

That aunt was my mother's second sister, but she was expelled from the family because she married a stupid mud... Muggle wizard.

The two had a fierce argument, and her mother advised her to go back and apologize, but she refused without hesitation.

He had little recollection of it; the only thing he remembered was his aunt yelling at them, "Besides magic, what else do you have that makes you superior?"

He still remembers that distorted expression.

For some reason, he suddenly picked up his schoolbag, took out the two books, and stared at the covers.

One book is "The Muggle's Struggle: Starting from a Million Year Ago," and the other is "How Muggles Think."

He was very familiar with the cover, having spent two months copying it, but there were slight differences—

Below the author, a few new words have been added—transcriber: Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy picked up the book "How Muggles Think" and opened it to the first page. Looking at the familiar handwriting, for the first time, he set aside his preconceived notions and began to read seriously.

Chapter 41 Magic Potion

At seven o'clock in the evening, Hermione entered Professor Hyp's office on time, just as she had for the past two months.

This time, however, she felt a little uneasy.

Felix looked up and saw that the little witch was a bit reserved. He smiled and said, "Sit down quickly. I thought you would have a week off, since you spend most of your daytime here."

Hermione mustered her courage and said, "Professor, I'm sorry, we followed you because we were investigating clues about the Chamber of Secrets and happened to find you in the Forbidden Forest..."

Felix understood somewhat. "So I'm the one being suspected..."

“No, Professor, you are very talented, we are just being too sensitive,” Hermione quickly explained. “Last year we encountered a professor who was a dark wizard and wanted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone hidden in the school.”

"Oh, having had such an experience, no wonder you're so suspicious. But I still want to advise you, perhaps your intentions are good, but you should also act within your capabilities. Many dangers are not determined by whether a person is despicable or noble."

Hermione nodded obediently.

The two then spent five mental hours in the Mind Hut, during which Felix taught her three spell runes.

This timeframe was determined through repeated comparisons; it was neither too tiring nor too slow to learn anything. Hermione even had some energy left, and after returning to reality, she practiced for another ten minutes or so, barely managing to sketch the three runes.

“Absolutely fantastic!” Felix couldn’t help but clap his hands in praise.

If he were in her shoes, without his special abilities, he might not necessarily be as outstanding as her.

However, he also discovered a weakness in this little witch: the magic she possessed always seemed to be of moderate power, with little fluctuation—which was a good thing to some extent, as it made casting spells stable and difficult to fail once learned.

However, this is also a drawback at times. For example, she is unlikely to "go into overdrive" and cannot amplify the power of the spell through strong emotions.

It could be said that she was more suited to be a magic scholar, researching and learning magic, rather than becoming an Auror or a spellcasting wizard.

Felix thought that perhaps after she graduated, he could make her his research assistant, or—a research partner?

It's not that he's overthinking things; there are simply too few qualified backup candidates. This is also where his dissatisfaction with Hogwarts and even the wizarding world lies—the training methods are too crude, and how many wizards are still diligently researching magic after graduation?

On the contrary, there are plenty of such wizards in the black market, but the key question is, would he dare to use such a person?

If I could rule the magical world… a thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it; that was not his path.

"It's still early. You can go back early, or we can watch a movie together?" Felix snapped out of his reverie and checked the time. It was just past nine o'clock. He asked the little witch.

Hermione smoothed her hair. "Oh—Professor Hyp?" she stammered. "I think—I'm curious about some potions and would like to know some background information."

"Potion?"

"Yes, you know, in Potions class we learn about antidotes, burp potions, and things like that, but I've read in books that some potions, some advanced potions, have incredibly magical effects..."

“That’s true.” Felix thought for a moment; it wasn’t a big deal. “Potion, let me think.” He waved his wand, causing it to tap lightly on the ring on his left index finger, and a small vial about the thickness of six fingers appeared before him.

"The field of potions is indeed complex and magical. Although I attended Professor Snape's advanced class, I have to say that I am still far from being good enough in the field of potions alone."

Hermione was somewhat surprised that Professor Hyp held Snape in such high regard.

“The first one is the Buffet Mind-Boosting Potion.” Felix made the first vial on the left fly to Hermione. “It can significantly enhance the user’s mental abilities and accelerate learning efficiency. In some ways—it’s similar to the Mind-Boosting Hut.”

Hermione looked at the small bottle in front of her, which was filled with a light blue liquid. When she shook it gently, it shimmered with a bright fluorescent light.

“Many wizards become addicted to Buffalo Potion due to its abuse, becoming unable to break free and completely losing their ability to think.” Seeing Hermione’s outstretched hand tremble slightly, he added, “However, taking it occasionally is still acceptable.”

"Secondly, a fire-retardant potion." A small bottle of purple liquid flew in front of her. "Although the name is inconspicuous, it can effectively prevent damage from magical flames."

Hermione suddenly remembered the challenges Professor Snape had set up during her first year of high school.

It was a logic puzzle, and one of the potions was meant to allow one to pass through magical flames.

“The third one, Felix Felicis.” A small vial flew to her, containing only the smallest amount of the potion, about a third of its original volume, probably only two or three milliliters. But it was the most beautiful—it was a liquid like molten gold, and with the slightest movement, droplets would leap up like swimming fish.

"Also known as the potion of luck, it can make the user's life go smoothly, as if divinely aided. However, misuse can lead to dizziness, recklessness, and arrogance..."

"It must be very complicated to make, right?" Hermione asked.

“It’s extremely complex and will take at least six months. If we make a mistake at any step, it will turn into a pot of poison,” Felix said with a sigh.

"Fourth, wolfsbane potion. It can prevent werewolves from losing their minds after transforming into full moon form. Of course, it's useless to me; it's just for my collection..."

“The fifth one, Polyjuice Potion.” Hearing this, Hermione's eyes lit up, her gaze fixed on the small vial that flew towards her. “So you’ve heard of this potion before?”

Hermione whispered, "Professor Snape mentioned in class that it can transform the user into someone else."

"That's right, this is also a rather complex potion, taking a month to brew. A standard dose lasts for about 10 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the quality of the potion."

"And what about yours?"

"My portion? It's probably enough for one person to transform for half an hour."

Hermione was somewhat disappointed. It seemed she would have to make it herself again, and the problem was back to square one: how could she get the professor's signature and the recipe?

Felix continued his explanation, waving his wand and sending the last vial flying to her.

"The sixth one is the love potion. Also known as the love potion. Once taken, it will make you fall madly in love with the person who gave it to you."

Hermione couldn't help but gape.

"You'll find that its usage is somewhat similar to compound decoctions: compound decoctions involve adding someone else's hair or body tissue, thus transforming oneself into that person;"

"Love potions are made by adding one's own hair or body tissue to another person's drink, thereby making the other person fall in love with oneself."

The little witch said angrily, "This potion is awful."

Felix shrugged. "Indeed, it will only give you false love, like a soap bubble—just like its scent, which is exactly what you like to smell the most."

Felix waved his wand, and the stopper of the small bottle popped off with a "bang." "You can try its smell—don't worry, it's the purest original liquid, not very dangerous, and at least it won't affect your sanity."

Hermione leaned closer and took a gentle sniff; it smelled of books, sunlight, and her home in the Muggle world.

Chapter 42 Quidditch and the Second Attack

The following week flew by; everyone was incredibly busy.

Felix had to focus more on fifth and seventh grade, as these years determined a young wizard's future. Of course, he also sincerely hoped that more people would engage in rune research—not the outdated translation, but research like his own.

He also had to tend to the Little Devil's Web and imbue the Beating Willow branch with magic, which would determine the success or failure of his first magical creation.

We also shouldn't give up on instant-kill techniques.

The library's many banned books await his selection and reading...

Everyone else was busy too. Harry was busy with Quidditch training. As the first match approached, the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team became anxious, and they would use some time in the evenings after school to practice extra.

Besides practicing spells and researching information on the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione also has to find time to get an autograph from a certain professor.

She easily obtained an autograph from Professor Lockhart, who, with slightly exaggerated praise, signed his name without even reading the note.

"You were so clever to catch that last ghoul with the tea strainer..." Hermione blushed a little when she thought about what she had said.

Fortunately, the project to prepare the compound decoction was successfully launched.

“It will take about a month to cook, around Christmas,” Hermione said cheerfully.

Harry and Ron squatted on the bathroom floor with long faces; the environment there was really terrible.

In the days that followed, the school was peaceful; no new attacks occurred, and no unknown monster suddenly appeared and turned the young wizards to stone.

The young wizards also lost interest in the legends and secrets of a thousand years ago, and even suspected that the last incident was a malicious prank, after all, the victim was Filch's cat, the "accomplice" of the most unpopular castle keeper.

One young wizard confidently asserted that he saw a suspicious figure loitering on the third floor before the incident, holding a cake that must have been mixed with petrifying potion!

The rumor spread faster than the truth, and within a week, everyone was discussing what petrifying potion could achieve a similar effect, leaving Dumbledore helpless and only able to wait for the mandrake to mature so he could prepare the antidote.

However, the Hogwarts professors knew the truth. They spent a week searching the entire castle, but found nothing. They then ordered the prefects to take responsibility and spread the word.

During a Gryffindor assembly, Percy cited the example of his younger brother loitering near an abandoned girls' lavatory to illustrate the irrationality and danger of such behavior.

The scene was quite heated; Ron almost got into a fight with his brother.

“You shameless opportunist, all you care about is your own power! I’m your brother! Your brother! You complete power-hungry animal!” Ron’s ears turned red as he shouted curses.

“I am a Gryffindor prefect! I have to consider the badge on my chest, understand, you idiot!” Percy shouted, his ears also turning red.

"You went too! You went to the girls' restroom too!"

"I was just fulfilling my duties as prefect! Gryffindor, deduct 10 points!"

Overall, Hogwarts is a harmonious and friendly place.

This calm continued until Saturday's first Quidditch game of the school year.

This Quidditch match was highly anticipated. First, the two sides were Gryffindor and Slytherin, two long-time rivals. Second, Slytherin "shamelessly" received off-field assistance, with the entire team riding the world's most advanced broomsticks—the Nimbus 2001.

The other two teams were eager to witness the power of the Nimbus 2001 in the game.