Chapter 372: Ephemeral Magic and Hogwarts
After the students had departed, Felix sat alone in an armchair, lost in thought. Several pieces of parchment floated before him, and lines of letters appeared one by one, as if an invisible quill were writing upon them.
The dense white mist dissipated as if illuminated by sunlight, revealing the sprawling grounds, the dueling tournament's arena, the circular-walled arena, and the twisty maze inspired by the Triwizard Tournament. They all gradually vanished, as if they had never existed.
In their place was a dazzling expanse of white. The ground was as smooth as a mirror, and there was nothing around.
The memory remnants of a few professors emerged. They appeared human, but ultimately, they were mere memories. All their emotions remained in the past; the "present" did not trouble them.
"It's still rather desolate here," the young Albus Dumbledore remarked, conjuring an ornate high-backed chair for himself and sitting down. "I prefer a livelier atmosphere."
Felix withdrew his hand from his chin, collected the pieces of parchment, and smiled. "Then perhaps you should advise 'yourself.' I can see the Headmaster has some ideas, which is what I hoped for. Perhaps only he can persuade Mr. Scamander."
"If it's about memories of magical creatures, it isn't that difficult... Newt is a kind person. Unless," the young Albus Dumbledore said playfully, looking at Felix with a wry smile, his auburn hair slightly curled, "you want something more from him."Updated from n0velb(i)n.c(o)/m
"Indeed," Felix conceded. "I hope he leaves behind a memory fragment. After all, the knowledge that can be written in books is only a small part of his precious thoughts."
The young Felix Harp smirked, "You're being quite circuitous." He hit the nail on the head, "Tangible knowledge can help students, but it's the intangible ones that truly assist them."
Laughter erupted among the professors present.
The young Minerva McGonagall didn't laugh. With her bright eyes fixed on them, she huffed in annoyance, "Gentlemen, we should get to work."
"Right you are," the young Filius Flitwick chimed in. He transformed his legs into a misty cloud and floated mid-air, resembling a deity from some Muggle tale, "Today is just a test of our abilities. I have plenty of interesting scenes in mind. Like the fairy colonies."
Shaking his head, the young Albus Dumbledore said, "Can I admit my school memories are somewhat dull? But I did spend my summer break visiting some intriguing individuals. A few of them still correspond with me. And for research purposes, I've spent quite a bit of time observing giant, centaur, and troll communities..."
The young Felix Harp muttered under his breath, "Compared to them, I'm like a blank page." He glanced at his physical self, "How about creating an international black market exhibition, where students practice disguise and infiltration, uncovering people with hidden agendas? But I'd need your assistance."
Felix responded somewhat awkwardly, "What black market? It's just a part of foreign magical customs. I was merely curious..."
Snape choked on his words; he had been about to speak but Trelawney beat him to it. He followed her lead and said icily, "I share the same sentiment, Headmaster. While we may accept some students, they must demonstrate ample proficiency in Potions. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to place them in lower yearsfifth, fourth perhaps..."
McGonagall looked hesitantly between them. Dumbledore smiled gently and reassured, "No need to worry, Professor Slughorn. As far as I'm aware, Ilvermorny also offers Potion classes, or rather, the founders of Ilvermorny were greatly influenced by Hogwarts. The resemblance in their curriculum suggests a closer connection between their school and ours."
"Ilvermorny also comprises four housesHorned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie. Of course, the latter is not what we traditionally think of as garden sprites. This amusing misconception arises from differing interpretations. Once misunderstandings spread, everyone began to use that term. In reality, they are native to North America, distant cousins to the European fairies. I speculate they might be a distant branch of fairies, who, having lost their unique culture, concealed themselves deep within the dense forests... Nevertheless, they have learned to wield venomous bows and arrows."
"These four houses represent a wizard's wisdom, physique, spirit, and heartoffering a unique division, which, in our perspective, means Ilvermorny students are likely to exhibit distinct inter-house traits. For instance, the Horned Serpent house combines some aspects of Ravenclaw and Slytherin."
"The variations within these similarities, and the intellectual clashes they bring about, are what make this exchange so valuable."
"They might understand and explore our ideas, but understanding goes both ways. We should extend a warm welcome to them," Dumbledore addressed the professors.
After the meeting, Professor Pomona Sprout sought out Felix.
She was the Herbology professor at Hogwarts and also the head of Hufflepuff House. An optimistic and compassionate woman, she had an extensive knowledge of magical plants.
"Are you planning to leave behind a memory too and need assistance?" Felix asked with genuine interest. "Of course, I'm happy to help."
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