A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“It must be because of me,” he said, sitting on a rock. “I’ve tried transforming into magical creatures a few times recently, but it’s clearly easier and more complete with the newly mastered Oolong-Snake transformation. I guess it’s because I have a very good grasp of the Scaling Charm.”

"The spell you used on the Blasttail?" Newt asked sharply.

Felix nodded.

“That explains it,” Newt said. “Ancient runes and magical creatures are deeply connected—I’ve read your paper—but, well,” he considered his words, “you should understand that they are different. I mean, ancient magic and the talent of magical creatures are different.”

“I understand,” Felix nodded. “Perhaps in the beginning, ancient runes did imitate magical creatures and plants, but once wizards combined pure rune symbols to create the first new spell, the two became distinct.”

"However, I will try to restore their abilities."

His light blue eyes gleamed with longing. "The talents of some magical creatures are truly fascinating." He glanced down at the Invisible Beast, a little creature with the ability to briefly foresee the future, and then thought of Fawkes the Phoenix in the Principal's office, reborn from the ashes... that must be incredibly difficult.

“You’re the most qualified person to say that,” Newt remarked. “Everyone has underestimated the potential of ancient runes… When are you coming next time? I can’t wait to see the new developments.”

“I’ll wait until I hit a bottleneck,” Felix said with some regret. “I need time to digest what I’ve already gained, and I expect to be very busy for the next year or two.”

“War,” Newt whispered.

……

After leaving Newt's house, Felix first took a stroll around the company headquarters in Diagon Alley.

The 'Future World' company is on the right track, and—Felix was surprised to find—that the employees are generally young, and many of them are even students who graduated from Hogwarts in the last two years.

“We currently have 267 people. At your request, Professor, we will maintain our current level of development in the UK, and instead focus on rapid expansion and establishing bases abroad,” Kremy said, holding a thick stack of documents.

"Is the plan to introduce the basics of alchemy progressing smoothly?"

"Those with a foundation in ancient magic script master it quickly, but the rest progresses more slowly."

“No rush,” Felix nodded. “What about defensive training?”

Kremy sighed.

“Not all wizards like to fight, especially since dueling classes in schools haven’t been offered for many years. You know what the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was like before… More than a third of the staff didn’t even know a single dueling spell, let alone any combat awareness. They did know a lot of minor curses, but they were only good for playing pranks on people.”

“A prank can be just as bad if used properly,” Felix said. “However, the company’s employees must master the most basic self-defense skills. The Ancient Rune Armoring Charm…” He paused to think for a moment, “Never mind, not everyone has studied Ancient Runes, so let’s go with the Armoring Charm and the Stunning Charm. These two spells must be mastered as soon as possible. Apparition and the Lightfire Charm can be postponed. Orders can be delayed for a while, or they can be handed over to employees overseas. We currently have no competitors.”

Kremi quickly wrote it down.

"What's the progress on the Anti-Thief Waterfall?"

"Remus is still negotiating with Gringotts, but the goblins are ignoring him," Clemi said indignantly.

“The fairies want to remain neutral, or rather, the more intense our fighting, the happier they are…” Felix said. “And what about the Ministry of Magic?”

“The Ministry of Magic has the technology, but it hasn’t been used for centuries,” Clement said with a strange expression. “They can’t find the right people to build a thief-proof waterfall.”

"Didn't the Alchemy Guild send anyone to assist?" Felix asked curiously.

“After all, it’s a magical organization that spans across Europe,” Kremy shrugged. “Many people are unwilling to come at this sensitive time, and there aren’t many famous alchemists in Britain, unless you include Zonko as well.”

“Zoko…” Felix was speechless.

Zonko is the owner of Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade. He used to be an alchemist, but his business didn't go well at first. After struggling for a few years, he was unable to make ends meet and almost starved to death. Later, he had no choice but to switch to researching pranks and magic tricks. Unexpectedly, he became an instant hit and has gone further and further in this field ever since.

What should he do? Felix pondered. As his goals grew larger, he worried that Voldemort would set his sights on the employees of the 'Futureworld' company. In addition to regular protective magic, the Thief Falls seemed to have more strategic value. It could wash away all spells and all magical disguises, and its effective range even covered Polyjuice Potion and Imperius Curse.

“Professor…” Kremi raised her hand, looking at him with bright eyes.

Felix's heart skipped a beat. "You want to give it a try?"

“That’s right,” Kremy said, relieved. She thought she and the professor were on the same page. “We have more than fifty research wizards, each specializing in two or three areas, and they have been through the development of multiple new products. I can’t think of a more compatible group.”

Felix pondered the feasibility of the plan. The Ministry of Magic had the technology, and they had a skilled team and sufficient intellect; it seemed like a win-win situation. However, it was uncertain whether the Ministry of Magic would agree to transfer the technology. During the First War, the Ministry of Magic had already reached a cooperation agreement with the Daily Prophet.

The Daily Prophet also experienced rapid growth after the war.

“Professor,” Kremy said urgently, “this is an opportunity.”

“Alright,” Felix agreed. “I’ll go talk to Ms. Burns and see if she has a better option right now; I’m confident I can persuade her. Anything new?”

“Yes!” Kremy said, “but they are all minor matters.”

She flipped through the documents quickly.

"The Weasley twins are interning here, their—"

“Wait, Fred and George are here? Right here at the company? Now?” Felix asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Kremy nodded. “They came on the first day of the holiday, full of all sorts of strange ideas… Remus really valued their anti-curse hat and anti-curse cloak series, appointing them as team leaders and even personally assisting them.” She pursed her lips. “However, Remus rejected their Mysterious Man Prank series, you know, the kind with the scare boxes and constipation pills… Fred kept saying Remus didn’t know what he was talking about, and that you raved about it—is that true?”

"Uh, I appreciate their design concept, but joking about Voldemort... is really inappropriate. Death Eaters would be chasing after them chanting the Death Curse..."

Kremy stared at Felix's unnatural face for a while, a suspicious look on her face.

"Ahem, let's continue."

"...Thanks to the Ministry of Magic's endorsement, the sales of rune cards have increased significantly. At this rate, it's estimated that every household will soon have a set...In fact, everything related to rune promotion is selling well. Whether it's the comic book extras published by Andes or the rune booklets, they've been reprinted repeatedly...Many people have written to inquire about the casting techniques for the Illumination spell, and Penelope has been working overtime frequently lately."

Felix wasn't too surprised by this.

"Illumination is arguably the simplest and safest form of ancient magic," he said.

“That might not be the reason,” Kremy said strangely. “The Anti-Dark Magic Alliance recently released a list of spells that are effective against dark magic. Besides the Lightfire Charm topping the list, Illumination is also on the list, and its recommended effect is to expel a large number of undead…”

“Uh—is that the reason? I thought it was because of his love for ancient runes,” Felix joked.

“Professor,” Kremy said sternly, “the Inferi are not even a problem for you, but during the First War, the Mystic created a large number of Inferi to spread terror, and they are a nightmare for countless wizards.”

Felix scratched his chin. She was right; he'd never considered inanimate objects a threat, after all, he could deal with them in all sorts of ways. But on second thought, inanimate objects weren't so easy to handle—they were fast, felt no pain, and could resist conventional spells.

It's a nightmare for wizards who can't Apparate and have families to support.

If it's combined with an army of Dementors, it would be even more terrifying.

……

He went to the Ministry of Magic that very day to discuss a collaborative research project on the Thief-Proof Falls. Mrs. Burns readily agreed, saying, "I've had enough of those goblins' attitude." The whole process was uneventful, except for Felix witnessing a banter between Sirius and Burns.

The incident began when the Longbottoms returned from their trip.

The Ministry of Magic recently recruited a batch of prospective Aurors and strikers, resulting in a decline in the average combat level. Burns is in dire need of experienced Auror squad leaders and is deeply troubled by this.

"As a result, the Order of the Phoenix quietly absorbed two important combat forces," Ms. Burns said with dissatisfaction.

Sirius's attitude was to deny it to the death.

"Is that so? I didn't notice. I've been here with you these past few days, so busy I'm dizzy... You haven't paid me yet!" He had one hand in his pocket, squinting at him, his tone utterly provocative. "And are you sure Frank and Alice are from the Order of the Phoenix?"

“Sirius Black! My brother was one of the first members of the Order of the Phoenix! Do you think I didn’t know that?” Burns yelled at him.

Sirius Black immediately fell silent, unusually refraining from rebuttal. With a complex expression, he said, "Edgar... he was a brave man and a reliable comrade. I am very sorry for what happened to him."

It took Bones a long time to calm down.

“I’m sorry, I’ve lost my composure—Felix, let’s talk about the arrangements for the investiture ceremony. Dumbledore is worried that the Death Eaters will launch an attack on that day, and alas, in order to boost morale, we have to make a big fuss… Many people know about this.”

If even the Ministry of Magic's janitors know, it would be hard for the Death Eaters not to know.

“On the day of the awarding ceremony, we will have Aurors guarding the place closely. They are all the most trustworthy people. And with Dumbledore and you there, the chance of danger is very low. I even think…” she hesitated for a moment and said, “we can take the initiative and lure a group of Death Eaters.”

“Absolutely not!” Sirius Black objected. “I can’t let Harry and the others be used as bait.”

"It wasn't them."

"what?"

“It wasn’t them acting as bait, it was our people,” Ms. Burns said. “I was one of them.”

Sirius stared at her in astonishment.

"What? Do you think I became the director of the Law Enforcement Division during the more than ten years you were in prison?" Ms. Burns said calmly.

Sirius was stunned by the confidence in those words.

“The crybaby turned into a cool girl…” Felix said, sitting in his chair flipping through a comic book. The two stared at him. Felix closed the book and said casually, “Borns, I’m very interested in the bait part. We can have a good talk about it.”

……

When Felix returned to 12 Grimmauld Place, it was just in time for dinner. A large group of people were gathered around the table: Sirius, Tonks, Moody, the Weasleys, Bill, Fred and George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and—

“Hello, Professor,” Neville said shyly. The Longbottoms, sitting on either side, smiled and greeted him. “Mr. Hyp, it’s been almost a year since we last met, at Neville’s birthday party.”

“Yes,” Harry couldn’t help but say, “I only found out today that Neville and I are only one day apart.”

“It looks like we’ll have to prepare two birthday parties in a row,” Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. “Felix, I’ve prepared your favorite soup.”

"Oh--"

“Molly, Felix has only eaten your cooking once,” Mr. Weasley reminded his wife.

“There will be more later.” Mrs. Weasley patted her husband and said to everyone, “Hurry up and eat, the children are exhausted.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Fred and George said in unison.

“I wasn’t talking about you guys.” Mrs. Weasley gave them a sidelong glance, then turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville with a smile. “You’ve been stuck in the basement for days, which isn’t healthy. You need to get some fresh air. Maybe staying in the Burrow for a few days wouldn’t be so bad. Staying cooped up for too long will make you depressed.”

“Yes,” Mr. Weasley added, “you can’t expect to be as good as adults in just one summer. With us in front of you, the war might be over before you graduate. You can play Quidditch with Cedric; his family has moved to the Burrow…look after each other.”

"Is that so?" Sirius asked.

“Yes, we also tried to persuade the Lovegood family, but they were unwilling to move—”

“No,” Sirius frowned, looking at Harry and the others, “you’ve been staying indoors all this time? Practicing magic all day? What are you planning to do?”

Harry silently ate his rice, while Hermione looked up, glanced around, and then looked down again.

Ron muttered, "You guys won't let us attend the Order of the Phoenix meetings, so we have to find something to do."

“My dears, you are not old enough—” Mrs. Weasley said.

"We might be able to help a little with this..." Fred and George exchanged a sly glance and said, "There's something called a retractable ear—"

“Shut up, you two. I haven’t even said anything to you yet!” Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Ron shrugged and said to the others, "You've all seen it, even Fred and George have been forced to run away from home. They're both adults, not much younger than Tonks—"

Tonks across from him made a face at him, a real face.

“They want to deal with the Mysterios and the Death Eaters!” Ginny shrieked, her fiery red hair whipping back. “I wanted to train with them, but they didn’t want me and kicked me out.”

“Oh, shut up, Ginny,” Ron said.

“I hope this is just a long-term goal, children,” Mr. Weasley said, setting down his cutlery with a slightly serious expression. “Otherwise, we’ll need to talk.”