A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

Now he understands a little better. The four founders did indeed infuse the Sorting Hat with ideas, but not shallow concepts; rather, they left their mark on the world.

Felix walked in the darkness, new scenes appearing every second. Gradually, he grasped a thread, glimpsing a hidden corner of history—why did Gryffindor and Slytherin become good friends? Because they both pursued great power; why did they eventually part ways? When he saw Gryffindor learning swordsmanship from Muggle knights, and Slytherin ruthlessly eliminating any threat in their path, Felix had a vague answer in his mind.

This feeling became even stronger when they met Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

As two exceptionally talented witches of their time and close friends, they traveled together to many places, helping the weak and vulnerable. Hufflepuff was compassionate, treating everyone equally, and her gaze always lingered on the weak. Ravenclaw, on the other hand, clearly preferred dealing with quick-witted individuals, as this was more conducive to problem-solving. The two worked seamlessly together; the former averted many unnecessary conflicts, while the latter excelled at devising strategies to resolve problems once and for all.

Felix saw in the travels of these two ladies the rudiments of the culinary magic that would later grace the Hogwarts kitchens and the architectural structure of the castle.

Naturally, the experiences of the four school founders in their youth foreshadowed their future disagreements.

Of the four, Salazar Slytherin was the most extreme, or rather—the most closed off. He was more like an ascetic, solitary and wandering through a chaotic world. Like Gryffindor, he pursued power, but was even more ruthless; like Ravenclaw, he was detached and aloof, but even more indifferent to himself; and like Hufflepuff, he had compassion for young wizards living in harsh conditions, but this compassion was extremely stingy, never extending even a fraction to those who were not close to him.

These four most outstanding wizards and witches of their time met. Having heard of each other, they unsurprisingly exchanged magical knowledge. To Felix's surprise, the three of them, excluding Hufflepuff, got along exceptionally well. Slytherin even bluntly stated that Hufflepuff's magical research was "worthless and useless in chaotic times." Fortunately, the calm Ravenclaw and the enthusiastic Gryffindor mediated, and with Hufflepuff's usual good temper, the conflict was prevented from escalating into a major incident.

As the conversation deepened, Hufflepuff proved herself to be an exceptionally talented witch. She was not only skilled in cooking magic, but also excelled at identifying herbs and concocting potions.

Finally, the four decided to establish a magic school together.

They arrived in the Scottish Highlands, a remote, pristine, and desolate place where ancient rocks were carved into valleys and lakes by water and glaciers. Ravenclaw chose a cliff overlooking a lake, surrounded by emerald-green hillsides capped with white snow, with deep valleys below and dense forests lining the lakeshore.

All four agreed that this was the ideal location to build the school.

Of them, only Ravenclaw had experience building houses (with magic) herself. She conceived the school's floor plan, especially the main building's spiral staircase that could be moved flexibly. The two men brought in various materials, and Hufflepuff searched for flowers and greenery to decorate the school. They also unexpectedly discovered wild wand trees in the nearby primeval forest.

The castle gradually took shape, and the four of them worked together to set up the most rigorous defensive magic for the school at that time. Considering that the castle would be filled with students in the future, they came up with a brilliant idea - which was unprecedented at the time - to collect the dissipated magic power of the castle as the most important part of maintaining the magic castle and building the defense system.

Felix watched the scene intently.

He hadn't expected to gain any magical knowledge from the Sorting Hat. Initially, he was curious about its existence, and later, he wanted to talk to the four founders within the Sorting Hat, if possible. But the surprise came unexpectedly—

The four founders of the school worked together with unwavering passion and dedication on the same goal, applying their knowledge to the fullest. The secrets of Hogwarts Castle unfolded before his eyes, and Felix's hands followed suit; the Book of Runes, suspended at his chest, began to turn its pages automatically. From him, concentric circles of runes spread outwards from the ground, climbed the walls, and extended outwards through the cracks in the doors…

As a magical hub within the castle, the magical passageway within the Room of Requirement manifested from the thin air, receiving the power symbolizing ancient runes. Soon, this new power flowed throughout the castle like surging blood through magical veins. Passing Myrtle's abandoned washroom, the passageway branched off into a new path, leading directly to the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin.

In the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick had just given a brilliant demonstration to his students when he suddenly stopped, reached out, and flicked his wand lightly in the air, the tip of which produced a golden rune.

The students looked up, and the walls and floor rippled like fine waves, before everything returned to calm in the blink of an eye.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Class, let's continue the lesson..."

In the school kitchen, the house-elves were busily preparing lunch for the students. A gust of wind swept by, and they seemed to sense something, looking up and around, but finding nothing. Hanging in the kitchen was an ordinary portrait; the woman in the painting had a kind gaze. This painting hadn't entered the school castle, nor did it possess any magic; it was simply passed down through generations of house-elves.

Every house-elves, from the time they can remember, has heard an ancient tale: "It was Lady Hufflepuff who brought them to Hogwarts, gave them shelter, respect, and work, and personally taught them cooking magic..."

Felix opened his eyes, the last image still lingering in his mind: the four founders standing together, infusing their thoughts—their life trajectories—into the Sorting Hat. Slytherins wore lockets, Gryffindors held swords, Ravenclaws wore crowns, and Hufflepuffs held golden cups. At least in that moment, their eyes held a sense of peace.

Felix slowly stood up and placed the Sorting Hat back on the shelf. His gaze fell on the glass box beside him, which contained a locket, a sword, and a golden cup. Except for the Gryffindor sword, which gleamed, the other two relics of the founder were somewhat dull.

Felix took the Ravenclaw tiara from his ring and gently placed it beside him.

On the Eve of Chapter 722

Professor McGonagall arrived a while later. She was used to Felix's occasional antics, and they had already discussed the possibility of incorporating Felix's magic into the school, only failing to convince the Sorting Hat at the time. Therefore, she calmly reassured some of the frightened teachers and students before returning to the Headmaster's office.

Felix sat on the sofa, seemingly unchanged—except for the book of runes he was engrossed in reading.

Professor McGonagall looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, then asked, "Did you gain a lot?"

“Yes,” Felix said with a smile, “it broadened my horizons considerably and increased my knowledge. Although I didn’t get to say a word to the four founders in the end, it felt like we really traveled together.” He paused, then said somewhat shyly, “Minerva, there’s something you’d better know…”

“You’ve taken a third of the school’s magic?” Professor McGonagall shouted. Felix nodded obediently, indicating she hadn’t misheard. After confirming several times, Professor McGonagall had to accept the reality. She calmly asked, “Will this affect the school?”

"A little, but it won't interfere with the school's daily magical operations. Uh, I think—the armor and statues in the castle will be quiet for a while. Sorry to ruin your Christmas plans..."

Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze swept over, but she stammered, "You know?"

“‘Stone Pier Dance Troupe’ is a good name; it corresponds perfectly to the spell that controls them.”

Professor McGonagall stared at him expressionlessly, her lips tightly pressed together. The constant bending and straightening of her knuckles indicated that she was far from calm, as if she might rush over and strangle him at any moment.

Felix glanced at it and quickly added:

“…It wasn’t intentional. I just glanced at it when I put the Sorting Hat back. I’m sure anyone would take a second look at the comic book that stands out among the pile of documents on the table…” Then he said with a smile, “Minerva, this is the first time I’ve known you can draw. If I had to give you my opinion, I would say it’s extremely lifelike.”

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, deciding not to pursue the topic. She paused, then asked, "Do you desperately need magic? Don't you have enough?" As she spoke, she suddenly glanced at Felix's book of runes; the thin pages swirled with chilling violet and icy blue magic, and a tiny snake swam merrily, its silver, translucent body floating and sinking within the pages.

“If it’s just about fighting a well-prepared battle, that’ll be enough, but I want to do something else along the way,” Felix said thoughtfully, his hand on his chin. “I’m not sure if it will work, after all, it’s impossible to actually carry out a massacre.”

"Do something else? Yes—"

“We’ve made so many grand promises, we have to deliver at least one of them, and at the same time, we’re proving to the world that wizards always have a way out, and that what they value is far less important than we imagine.”

"What do you mean?" Professor McGonagall asked in a low voice.

"land."

They were silent for almost a minute, when Phineas Black's portrait on the wall stroked his goatee and said, "I get it, you want to be a hero all by yourself."

"What insightful opinion do you have?" Felix asked politely.

“No brilliant ideas, but plenty of rubbish,” the portrait of Black said sarcastically. “Skip the process of proving you’re a fool, and I’ll just state the conclusion—” He suddenly grabbed the frame and shouted, “Boy, you can’t do this! You’re the most famous archmage since Salazar Slytherin!”

"Speaking of archmages, Tom Riddle—"

"Get him out!"

"And Merlin—"

"To hell with Merlin!" the portrait of Black snapped. "That's Gryffindor's job, but you're Slytherin. We're brave, but not stupid, understand? No need to go it alone, at least drag a bunch of people along, like those reckless Gryffindors and those silly Hufflepuffs..."

These words immediately drew protests from several other headmasters. Felix was deeply worried; if he were to one day be hung on the wall, he would naturally be on the same side as Headmaster Black. Thinking of this terrifying scenario, he quickly said, "No one knows the four founders' true intentions better than me. I just spoke with the Sorting Hat, remember?"

The portraits of the principal stopped and stared at him intently.

"Is the college system useful? Yes, it is. It allows us to find companions better and discover our inner noble qualities—and there is certainly more than one quality that can be called noble. Generally speaking, some people succeed and some do not. And when our seven-year study period ends, we will be tempered by an environment far more complex than that of school."

"Don't forget, people change. Think about how many seven-year periods you have in your life—if you still have the chance to wear the Sorting Hat when you're a hundred, where will it sort you? Of course, personally, it doesn't mean much anymore."

The portraits look at Dumbledore. If anyone has ever experienced the Sorting House process after the age of one hundred, Dumbledore is undoubtedly the most famous.

“It doesn’t really matter,” Dumbledore said in the canvas. “When you’re young, you have endless possibilities and you can aspire to be one of Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, or Godric Gryffindor. When you’re old, you just become yourself.”

A moment of silence fell over the round office. Professor McGonagall blew her nose. "Alright, alright, I'll give you time to debate. Albus, there are some things you should have told me while you were still alive..."

She composed herself and said seriously to Felix, "We need to prepare as much as possible and go all out. We don't have much time left, and I believe you need time to process this..." As she spoke, she strode to her desk and took out a photo album from the drawer.

Felix looked at her in surprise.

“Don’t you need magic?” Professor McGonagall explained as she turned the pages, “What better place would you be than other equally renowned magic schools? Thanks to this album, I know enough about other schools that have similar defensive measures to Hogwarts, like Beauxbatons…”

Professor McGonagall looked up at Felix, who was standing there dumbfounded, and asked, "What's wrong?" Felix joked, "Minerva, I really want to kiss you." Professor McGonagall blushed and glared at him.

……

In mid-December, Hogwarts School of Design experienced several snowfalls, and Black Lake froze over with a thick layer of ice. Some students trudged through the snow-covered grounds on their way to their Magical Creatures Protection class, where they could see Professor Hyp's hut on the lakeshore in the distance.

Students had many speculations about this, but none were confirmed, and the professors at the school remained tight-lipped. The most widely circulated story was that Professor Heip was working hard to develop a strategy for the exercise a week later—yes, it's hard to pinpoint exactly where this idea came from, but people refer to any visible conflict as an 'exercise'.

"It's really just a fig leaf," a boy said seriously. "My dad wrote to me saying that anyone with a brain should support Professor Hyp, support the International Wizarding Federation, oh, and the International Pan-Magic Alliance—"

"So you left a bouquet of flowers at the professor's door?" another student teased. "Not only did you get put in solitary confinement, but you also got a full head of bumps from a Niffler?"

The boy's face flushed red. "I left a greeting card! A greeting card!"

The students around him laughed and giggled, but they all looked at the little house by the Black Lake with awe. However, this awe did not last long. A chubby, furry black sniffler rushed towards the students, waving a small, glowing stick in its little hand and making cooing noises.

"Run!" a student shouted, and then took off running, with the rest of the students quickly following. But some stayed behind, mostly girls, their faces showing eager expressions.

Valen blinked her bright black eyes, brimming with excitement. This past week, the Dark Lord had been busy with important matters, barely having time to play cards. Only Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Luna would come over, but even Valen didn't know if she was lost. In short, life had been incredibly boring, but thankfully, she had found a new pastime.

Wearing an exquisite cloak, Valen stood on a boulder by the lake and made a powerful gesture. Instantly, the snow tumbled, and one after another, crystal-white snowmen sniffed out, rushing forward behind Valen. The students who had stayed behind were already on high alert, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Soon, the two sides clashed, snowballs flew everywhere, and laughter and shouts filled the air.

A dozen minutes later, the burly Hagrid stood in front of the house and yelled at them.

The battle was forced to a halt, and both sides, displaying an air of victory, agreed to fight again another day. Valen strode confidently toward the Black Lake, when suddenly he found himself being lifted up by someone.

Varen turned around and opened his mouth to Hermione, who was crept closer. Hermione smiled.

"Let's go to class together. Professor Slughorn misses you."

“Maybe he found a Niffler with more snacks than him,” Ron muttered quietly. Harry grinned. “But we have to admit, Professor Slughorn always finds a good excuse—what was it this time?” He turned to Hermione and asked.

“Oh, I heard he found two hibernating dormouses in the flowerpot,” Hermione replied with a grin.

"What, does Varen want to recruit them?" Harry asked in surprise, as Varen bared his teeth and claws at him.

They walked toward the castle, occasionally pausing on the stone steps to gaze at the snow-covered cottages by the Black Lake, falling silent in unison. At the castle gate, Harry suddenly said, "I'm prepared to follow Mr. Dorje's advice."

“What?” Ron then asked.

"Graduation trip".

“Oh, you mean that?” Ron said slowly. “I’m not sure… a few months should be fine, but… Hermione, what about you?”

Hermione shook her head.

"I'll probably go straight to the Ministry of Magic, right after graduation. Ms. Burns said they're short-staffed—people who know both sides well. My plan is to stay at the Ministry of Magic for a few years, then find an opportunity to transfer out and see the world. The Charter of the Federation and Alliance mentions many departments that are still in the planning stages, and I think the position of observer in the Pan-Magical Alliance would be perfect for me..."

Ron stroked his chin.

"So one of you went abroad first and then returned to China, while the other is always ready to go abroad."

“That’s a very accurate summary,” Harry said.

No one mentioned the possibility of an accident, as if they were full of confidence in the future. They entered the castle, glancing inside the Great Hall as they passed by. The fires for warmth burned brightly, and twelve Christmas trees stood straight and tall. Harry glanced at the empty table; soon it would be filled with a plump roast turkey, mountains of roast meat and boiled potatoes, delicious sausages, buttered peas, thick gravy, and cranberry sauce…

And of course, there were Christmas firecrackers. Harry recalled the scene from the last Christmas dinner:

He and Ron drew sailor hats, which were far less impressive than the tiger-skin hats and parrot hats they had drawn themselves. Then he thought of two people who were destined not to attend Christmas this year: Dumbledore, wearing a reindeer antler hat and smiling as he urged people to eat more, and Grindelwald, who drew a red Santa hat, when he was still disguised as Professor Bagshot...

……

Felix lay on his simple bed, in a semi-conscious state, gazing at the richly colored book of magical runes, cradled by a soft glow of violet and ice-blue light. A small snake slithered among the pages—

That was his guardian angel, his new guardian angel.

Chapter 723 Pages

As Christmas approaches, the festive atmosphere is overshadowed by a solemn and dignified air, leaving everyone feeling heavy-hearted, as if they, like the Christmas trees in the auditorium, are adorned with invisible ribbons of holly and mistletoe. News and photos about New York Harbor are piling up, from traffic jams caused by blizzards to the deployment of army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard personnel to the harbor, and the United Nations headquarters' appeal for calm and restraint from both sides… all increasingly tug at the nerves of the public.

Initially, the White House did try to portray the conflict as an 'exercise'—"helping wizards understand the situation and their place in the world." But it quickly found that this wouldn't work.

As the unusual silence and resilience of the entire wizarding world, coupled with the growing global outcry over the news of 'hundreds of young wizards being illegally imprisoned and abused for over two decades,' quickly turned their guns on the legitimacy of the Federation and Alliance Charter.