A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“Oh, okay… actually it’s Barty’s speech, I found it in his office.” Bagman explained quietly, “I’m not very good at these things, but if you need to liven things up… let’s get back to business.” He suddenly became uneasy.

"It's about that... what do you call it, the magic projector?" He stammered, looking into the distance. Students lined up in long queues as they entered the castle up the marble steps. Every now and then, there were crackling explosions or red sparks shooting from the tip of someone's staff.

The projection screens on the shore of Black Lake stood in place, with several 'Future World' staff members circling around them. These projection screens will be dismantled and placed in a temporary warehouse until they are used again.

“That’s right,” Felix said. Actually, there wasn’t much difference between a magic phonograph and a magic projector; they used almost the same magic. But Felix wanted the projector to be able to show ordinary movies.

He looked at Bagman, who wiped the sweat from his brow. "I know that 'Future World' has obtained the license to sell footage of the second project..."

Felix nodded slightly and said calmly, "There is indeed such a plan. The tournament will generate just as much buzz as the Quidditch World Cup, and there's no worry about sales. The only problem is that Remus is trying to make the projector more refined. In Kremy's words, to make it more magical..."

“I can convince the Ministry of Magic to promote these videos,” Bagman said, his forehead glistening with sweat in the sunlight. “To convince Fudge… He’s been having a tough time lately. He miscalculated. Nobody cares if the Ministry of Magic has secured another international potions deal under his leadership. People want more exciting, more eye-catching information, like the Wars of Champions. A colleague of mine told me that other countries have been reposting a lot of our coverage.”

"I don't intend to change the contract—"

“Oh, of course not, it won’t affect you. I was just making a suggestion, and Fudge will agree. He wants to divert public attention.” Bagman said slowly, “You know, there have been rumors circulating in the ministry lately… the Dark Mark… Old Barty’s arrest, and Scrimgeour is very upset…”

……

“Don’t be a spoilsport, Hermione, we’re definitely going to have a blast,” Ron said excitedly.

Fleur and her companions had just left; she had come to thank Harry. She kissed him twice on the cheek, much to Ron's envy. Then the Valhalla warriors parted the crowd to marvel at Harry's brilliant Patronus Charm.

Captain Nona Ripper also gave Harry a charm that looked like a hollowed-out knot woven from some kind of leaves and twigs.

“It can protect you,” Nona said confidently.

The other two warriors of Vagado stood beside her like guards. It was the first time Harry had been so close to them, and he suddenly realized how tall all three of them were.

Harry took the knot, mumbled "Thanks," and hung it on his clothes.

“It looks great,” Nona said with a smile, and they turned and left.

What followed kept the three of them busy, with each of the warriors seeking an opportunity to be alone with them, just to exchange a few words. Even the seemingly gloomy and shrewd Grevis took the initiative to speak to them. Harry had previously disliked him because he had tried to attack Hermione with a powerful spell, but surprisingly, he actually took the initiative to talk to them.

"What day is it today?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.

“It must be thanks to Harry’s Patronus,” Hermione said after a moment’s thought.

“But I only used one spell,” Harry said, his eyes wide. “They looked at me like I had done something amazing…”

“Oh, that’s different, Harry,” Hermione said, looking at him with a mixture of admiration and regret in her eyes.

Harry looked back, somewhat confused.

"Towards the end of the competition, everyone was exhausted. If it weren't for your guardian spirit, they might have all been captured by the mermaids. That's a completely different difference—the evaluation of success versus failure," Hermione said. "I think that's why they are grateful to you."

“So,” Ron said, surprised, “we had a chance to leave everyone far behind in the second project?”

“It’s just a possibility,” Hermione said sternly. “I guess if that’s the case, the other teams might only get half of what they have now. But that’s just speculation, since Harry has already made his choice.”

Harry scratched his head. He hadn't thought that much about it; he just felt he had to do something in that situation, especially since Cedric and the others were there too. Hermione's words made him blush a little, but luckily Fred and the Weasley twins passed by at that moment. He winked at them and followed them.

“Hello, Mr. Bagman… May we buy you a drink?” Fred and George stepped forward and said with smiles.

“Oh, uh, kids… well, let’s go over there and talk…” Bagman said, hurrying away with Fred and George, nearly bumping into Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were following behind. They slowed down in unison and pricked up their ears to ask what was going on.

“I’ll get a sum of money soon, when? Today. So don’t worry, kids!” Bagman said, raising his voice, before disappearing from the auditorium with the twins.

“Guess what they are—oh, Professor,” Hermione said, looking at Felix.

Harry and Ron greeted him as well. Felix nodded to them, smiled, and said, "Congratulations." He added meaningfully, "You're going to be famous because of this match."

"Is it in the newspapers?" Ron asked with interest. "I saw quite a few reporters here, but they only circled around when we came out of the Black Lake, and then they turned their cameras on those distinguished guests." He added sarcastically.

“Maybe more,” Felix said with a laugh. “Perhaps you’ll start receiving fan letters… I estimate in a month or two?”

Harry and his friends left, completely bewildered.

As evening approached, Sirius burst into the office, "Felix, I need to borrow your fireplace. I almost forgot, I promised to go back to school to tidy up the equipment, and old Vernal can't manage it all by himself..."

"How's school life?" Felix asked him, sitting behind him in his chair.

“So be it,” Sirius said vaguely, grabbing a handful of Filo powder and sprinkling it into the fireplace. “Those naughty students… they’re everywhere. Sometimes I really want to whack them on the head with my wand.”

“Perhaps this is exactly what Dumbledore was worried about,” Felix said.

Sirius stared at him, stunned for a moment, then shouted, "You mean he's worried I'll hit students? I wouldn't go that far—"

“I didn’t say anything,” Felix said with a smile, his tone teasing. “But you certainly can’t think of yourself as a student anymore. Maybe you like the title of ‘king of the kids’? Want to be the head of Gryffindor?”

Sirius made a rude gesture and disappeared into the rising emerald flames.

Felix turned his attention back to the book of runes on the table.

It lay there quietly, flashing every few seconds as if breathing rhythmically. He wasn't sure if it was breathing, but he knew one thing: the book was indeed growing.

At first, he simply wanted to organize the runes he had learned. For convenience, and also out of habit, he chose the shape of a book. Initially, the Book of Runes was completely illusory, without any physical form. Later, the first page and the second page appeared.

Felix said softly, "Actually, I should have thought of this sooner. Quantity is meaningless. My understanding of the ancient runes forms the skeleton of the book. As each rune is filled in, they will spontaneously find the optimal arrangement... The time to reap the rewards has finally come."

His index finger gently brushed across the spine of the book, and the Book of Magic Runes opened instantly.

Chapter 443 The Book of Magic Runes

The pages shimmered with a soft light, illuminating the surroundings just right, making it readable even in the darkest places.

Felix casually sketched a "light" rune on it, and the book of runes flipped to a new position with a "whoosh," followed by more symbols appearing, like fish that have smelled bait, constantly connecting with the original rune, ranging from three or five to a dozen or twenty.

These are all incomplete magic rune circuits or magic rune sequences.

He casually snatched a string of symbols from the book; they were just silver shadows. But when Felix infused them with his magic, they became completely different, indistinguishable from those he had drawn out of thin air.

Felix's mind stirred, and he refocused his attention on the Book of Runes. With his thought, a complete sequence of runes appeared on the Book of Runes, and as his magic wrapped around it, it instantly transformed into a soft, milky-white sphere of light.

Illumination.

Felix experimented with the book of runes as if he had discovered a new toy, and the book seemed to be programmed to arrange rune sequences according to his will.

At that moment, an idea popped into his mind, making him eager to try it.

He glanced out the window; it was already dark, but it was definitely worth the try. He left his office, stepped out of the castle, and a streak of light from his silver cloak flashed by as he silently glided across the area. Soon, he appeared in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.

The forbidden forest was pitch black at night, utterly silent except for the sound of the breeze. And it was in this silence that, every now and then, a strange sound, clearly from a living creature, could be heard.

Felix waved his hand slightly, and the Book of Runes appeared, floating in front of him.

His finger touched it, and he murmured, "Black lightning... can be activated first, hmm, let's start with two." As soon as he finished speaking, two illusory shadows flew out of the Book of Demonic Runes and hovered in front of him.

Felix stared at them for a moment, then continued, "Golden flames are not bad either." Another illusory shadow flew out, shifting between runes and concrete magical imagery, just like the black lightning.

"It's better if there's some light."

"We need to add more protective capabilities."

What about visual interference?

Felix, draped in a silver cloak, casually selected over a dozen names as if ordering food at a restaurant. When he closed the book, more than a dozen blurry shadows appeared before him. In the cold, late night, he felt as if he were surrounded by a dozen or so will-o'-the-wisps of different colors.

“This state is truly wondrous… It’s clearly an illusory magical script, yet it can become real in an instant, unleashing thunder.” Felix murmured, unable to resist reaching out and channeling magic into the two dark figures.

The blurry shadow quickly solidified, condensing into two black lightning bolts that crackled and popped open the surrounding air. When Felix tried to control them, the black lightning immediately became docile, like flowing water.

"So, the upper limit depends on how many spells I can control?" Felix pondered, waving his hand to dispel the spell. He had a general idea of ​​what was going on, and various tactics could be refined accordingly, except—

“What’s going on?” Felix frowned, staring at his hand. His index finger was merging with an ancient rune, slowly glowing…

He checked twice; the rune hadn't burrowed into his fingernail, but into his skin, as if the skin on his finger had undergone a different change, capable of absorbing the rune.

He stood in the cold wind, thinking carefully, as if he had become one with his surroundings.

After a long while, he let out a long breath, his brows furrowing even deeper. He had checked repeatedly and found that only a small patch of skin on his right index finger was like this; it was completely invisible on the outside, but Felix knew the difference.

He could only think of one similar example—Dumbledore had once demonstrated to him how to deflect a spell with bare hands. That was almost identical to the “magical creatures” that Lady Ravenclaw had told him about.

"Am I approaching that state?" Felix wondered in surprise. "Approaching the four founders of Hogwarts, Dumbledore and the like?" He couldn't accurately tell who was stronger or weaker, after all, the time between them was too long, but one thing was certain: their understanding of magic was definitely superior to his.

Was it the Book of Runes that brought about the change? Felix couldn't help but wonder. He chose runes as his path and stepping stone to understanding magic. Later, in his office at Hogwarts Castle, when he first saw Salazar Slytherin's manuscript, he was confused yet his confidence was strengthened. Later, by chance, he perfected the Book of Runes.

Does this mean he has come far enough down this path?

"A harbinger of a transformation?"

Felix believes this is a sign of his increased affinity for runes, and that various resistances may also increase accordingly. However, he doesn't know to what extent this change will eventually reach, or how long the entire process will last.

"A magical creature? Or a creature with runic runes?"

Felix pondered the difference between the two words, smiled slightly, and the many phantoms behind him vanished all at once. He was really looking forward to that day.

The next day was the weekend, and the young wizards were still reeling from yesterday's competition. Their conversations revolved around the spectacular performances. Harry and his friends had planned to use the weekend to catch up on their homework or imagine what the third challenge would be (Hermione's idea), but the common room was too crowded, and the people there were incredibly enthusiastic. Every now and then, they'd pass by their seats, tap them on the shoulder, and say, "Well done!"

Or suddenly sit down next to them, looking amazed and asking them for more details.

"Can you hear anything in the Black Lake?"

“I can hear a little,” Harry mumbled.

"When you punch a salmon, doesn't your hand hurt?"

“It’s protected by magic,” Hermione said dryly.

After a morning of fun, Harry finally couldn't resist giving Ron and Hermione a wink. They crouched down and slipped out of the common room, running to an abandoned classroom, which was where they often practiced magic and also the territory of the Duel Study Group.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind talking about it, but they know better than I do what they did to me,” Ron said, conflicted. He felt that one downside of the projection screen was that it deprived him of the ability to express himself.

Just imagine, he had just vividly described to the onlookers how terrifying the giant squid was, “It’s much bigger than me!” Immediately someone next to him said that using a magic wand as a spear was too strange;

Or perhaps he wanted to keep everyone in suspense—"Guess what I saw?" The serious answer was "a mermaid camp." Others said "red hair" or "a bubble-head curse dome," and eventually, the audience ignored him, the main character, and started arguing amongst themselves about which answer was more plausible...

Ron yawned, tears welling up in his eyes. "Ah—maybe I should go back and get some sleep. I slept too late last night."

“I want to go see Hagrid,” Harry said.

“Then let’s meet at the library. There will definitely be fewer people there today,” Hermione said decisively.

Hermione went to the library alone. Her two roommates had been asking her incessantly all night about a spell that could "knock out a salmon with one punch," and she rolled her eyes, took out a spell card, and handed it to them.

Parvati and Lavender stared in surprise at the card, which depicted a rampaging bison.

"Could Hermione's temper be related to this..." Lavender whispered.

Parvati tugged at her sleeve and gave her a look. The two looked over and saw Hermione peeking her furry head out of the bed, glaring at them angrily.

Lavender immediately chuckled and said, "How about... I borrow that book for another two days?"