A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts C.355: Enchanted Cards

Felix Harp sat in the Great Hall, enjoying his breakfast while perusing the day's newspaper. Rita Skeeter, with her sharp wit and unapologetic bias, had written a scathing account of the trouble caused by Alastor Moody the previous day, and she couldn't resist mocking Mr. Weasley along the way.

In this article, Moody was portrayed as a "troublesome figure unable to distinguish between a regular handshake and deliberate murder," while Mr. Weasley was mistakenly referred to as "Arnold Weasley." The article also revisited the flying car incident from two years ago.

Felix read through it again. Rita had a talent for reporting facts with just the right amount of concealment, sharing only what she needed and then twisting it with her own interpretation to arrive at a ridiculous conclusion.

However, amidst the sensationalism, there were still some useful bits of information. For example, there was mention of a female official who had been missing for months, likely referring to Bertha Jorkins.

...

Felix entered the Ancient Runes classroom ten minutes early. Some students were already scattered across the seats.

"Hello, Felix," Luna looked up from her magazine and greeted him cheerfully, as if they had bumped into each other somewhere other than a classroom, perhaps on a clear patch of the Forbidden Forest.

Felix smiled, "Hello, Luna. Are you in your third year now?"

"Yes," she said dazedly, her gaze lingering for a moment. Ginny, seated beside her, seemed unfazed as she pulled the magazine towards herself. They had been playing a prize-winning quiz from the magazine, and guessing correctly meant winning a prize.

Luna fixed her misty eyes on Felix and suddenly said, "By the way, I liked your Christmas present. Have I told you that before?"

"Oh, um, yes, you did. I remember it was..." Felix trailed off, genuinely taken aback by the question, "about nine months ago."

Two rows ahead, a boy with gray hair shot his hand up, looking expectantly at Felix.

"Hello?"

Felix was a bit surprised. He pulled out a long parchment and carefully studied the red pattern on the boy's wizarding robes, bending his head to find the name of the Gryffindor student.

"Professor Harp, I'm Colin. Harry Potter recommended this class to me, and I really like Charmed Puppetry!" He spoke with his arm raised high.

Felix combed the list on the parchment, nodding at him, "Mr. Creevey, the class hasn't started yet. We're just chatting for now."

"Can we get the Charmed Puppets today? Can I pick one myself?" Colin asked excitedly.

"Of course, and I'll also grant all of you access to the 'Quiz Parchment' for Ancient Runes, where you'll complete many of your assignments for this year..." Felix explained.

More students began filling the classroom.

Luna and Ginny, holding the magazine "Singing in the Rain," were attempting to solve its puzzles. Luna picked up the page with the puzzle, holding it against the light to see the shadows, "I think it's a folded paper hat."

"Why do I see nothing?" Ginny wondered. Then she asked, "By the way, why are you calling the professor by his name?"

"Because we're friends," Luna said cheerfully. She took out a quill and began sketching the imagined shape of the hat.

Ginny pondered the riddle's clue, "An empty belly, yet filled with wisdom; visible only when used, but invisible when seen." She shook her fiery hair, suddenly realizing, "Oh, right, what else could it be?"

She grabbed Luna's pen and wrote the word "hat" in the blank space for the answer. The page gently detached from the magazine and she folded herself into a hat, placing it on Luna's wild hair.

"Alright," Felix stood at the front of the classroom, looking at the filled seats, "Welcome, students! It's great to see the number of students signing up for Ancient Runes increase again this year."

He took attendance, his gaze sweeping over the young wizards in the room, their eyes eager on him.

"Since it's the start of the school year and your minds are still sharp, let's discuss some thought-provoking topics. While I certainly hope for outstanding performances in this class, there's a fundamental point I need to clarify

"The knowledge in your textbooks represents the bare minimum I expect from you. If you wish to stand out, or to achieve something remarkable in this subject... whether that's becoming a pure scholar, combining Rune Studies with Alchemy, recreating ancient magical artifacts, or even tracing the footsteps of ancient wizards and experiencing the exhilarating sensation of molding and unleashing powerful ancient magic with your own hands... I can teach you all of this. However, there's a prerequisiteyou must meet my standards.

"As our class materials become more enriched and the learning curve eases, my expectations will naturally rise. The benefits are evidentyou will gain more than students from previous years. This time, I will lead you to explore more intriguing and mysterious territories."

With a flourish of his hand, dozens of cards flew out of his robe, landing accurately in front of each young wizard.

"Runic Cards," Felix stated succinctly. "I've compared runic carving tools and runic cards, and ultimately, I believe runic cards are better suited for beginners with no prior knowledge."

"Runic carving tools are actually used for etching runic circuits, a step that's far from where you are."

The young wizards listened attentively, temporarily baffled by these unfamiliar concepts. However, Felix didn't intend to delve into them in detail. He simply made the distinction and pushed the lesson forward.

He flipped the card in his hand and showed its front side to the students. As he infused magic into the card, the original markings gradually lit up. He explained as he did so, "The reason I say it's suitable for beginners is that it only requires a stable infusion of magic, and considering you've had two years of magical practice, this step shouldn't be an insurmountable barrier."

By the time he finished speaking, the patterns on the card were completely illuminated. They projected egg-sized orbs of light, composed of countless tiny dots. It emitted a soft, hazy light, resembling a bright, furry sphere from a distance.

"This is a runic representation of light. For now, it's enough for you to know that much. Look, does it not resemble a glowing little fuzzball?"

"The corresponding runic symbol is the pattern on the card, somewhat like a torch. This is its actual appearance"

An invisible hand materialized in the air, outlining a golden symbol. The young wizards compared it to the pattern on the card, and it was an exact match.

Felix smiled, capturing the golden runic symbol, "In the upcoming lessons, you'll understand the meaning of this runic symbol. By then, you'll be able to translate it into the image you see in the projection. That's its magical representation. Like this"

He opened his closed palm to display it before the students. The golden runic symbol transformed into a luminous small sphere. Then, Felix released it, allowing it to expand into a bright white light.

"Alright, let's proceed to the practice."

Felix announced. The young wizards held their cards, brows furrowed, attempting to infuse magic into them. After a short while, Felix observed a series of flushed faces, mouths tightly shut, their seriousness akin to those about to enter a potentially life-threatening duel.

Navigating through the students, he reminded, "Think of how you felt when you transfigured the goblets in Transfiguration classallow the magic to flow evenly and steadily. Relax, forcing it will only make your magic falter. This is just a game..."

Empowered by his words, the young wizards began to calm down, and the progress accelerated.

Under his linguistic influence, they settled into a more tranquil state, moving on.

Felix muttered under his breath, "Thank Merlin we didn't use the Weasley twins' prank cards, or the classroom would be filled with rats by now."

Unexpected yet fittingly rational, Luna was the first to succeed. Perhaps, in the entire class, she truly treated all of this as a game. "Look, just like Floofers," she said.

Unusually, Felix heard a term from her that he was familiar with.

Floofers were popular magical pets among young wizards. They had spherical bodies covered in pale yellow soft fur. Indeed, they bore some resemblance to the luminous orb projected by the runic card. Moreover, the key point wasthis creature wasn't fictional; it actually existed.

"Ravenclaw ten points, also," Felix displayed a stack of cards before her, "pick another, Miss Lovegood."

Luna's eyes widened with excitement as she inquired, "Is there a runic symbol representing the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?"

"...No."

"What about the Flying Fiend?"

"That doesn't exist either."

Felix handed her a runic card symbolizing frost, thinking that they both needed a moment of calm.

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