A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 642: Transformation of Reality and Illusion - (1)

Chapter 642: Transformation of Reality and Illusion

On the last Ancient Magical Runes class before the Christmas break in the fifth year, the curriculum transformed into a free activity. Students eagerly flipped open their "Practical Beginner Magical Runes" books and engaged in lively discussions.

Colin Creevey produced a list, earnestly declaring that it contained the Animagus transformations of the students in the "Animagus Club." He loudly read out the names on the list, glancing at Professor Hagrid after each one, hoping for a response.

However, Felix was busy playing cards with a few students and didn't notice Colin's expectant gaze.

Valen sat in Felix's lap, sharing the same set of cards and enthusiastically suggesting moves. "Are you sure about playing this card?" Felix asked, lowering his head. Valen nodded decisively, extending a tiny paw – yes, that's the one.

"Except your weapon," Felix said.

On the opposite side, student Newman Bark laughed and revealed a card that had been hidden for three rounds. "Humanoid Ironclad Hex, I used Concealment Charm, so the defense was successful." He proudly explained, then played his entire hand.

"Swift Imprisonment – Professor, you're immobilized, unable to counter – Thunder Explosion! And let's add a quick Eyesight Curse, hehe, more control... and look at this, a roaring flame."

Felix looked sourly at the miniature figure representing himself exploding in frustration. Valen covered his eyes.

Newman Bark and another student high-fived in celebration.

Meanwhile, Colin reached the end of the list. "...Draco Malfoy – White Peacock; Elvira – Fox; Harry Potter – Lion. I must say, I'm not at all surprised. Harry pulled out the Gryffindor sword back in his second year..." Colin passionately exclaimed.

"Fake news," Ginny whispered to Luna a few desks away. "Harry says he feels more connected to stags." Luna, in the midst of constructing with physical magical runes, casually lifted her head. "Patronus?"

"An interesting topic, isn't it?" Ginny tossed her hair. "Unfortunately, there aren't many samples. Both Animagus and Patronus charms are extremely rare, and there are very few historical cases of individuals possessing both."

"Many members of the club can produce a Patronus." Luna vaguely stated.

"We are special." Ginny promptly replied. "There haven't been many incidents of rogue Dementors causing harm over the past few centuries, until the third year..." she became angry, "all thanks to that Umbridge woman! Heard a mysterious figure messed with her mind – quite satisfying!"

Luna paused, looking thoughtful.

"My dad says the mysterious figure's connection with Dementors is unusual. He might have disguised himself as a Dementor when he was young, learning a few tricks, you know, Dementor's Kiss..."

Ginny blinked, then burst into laughter. "Oh—"

After a while, she straightened up, her face serious. "You make a point, Luna. Why didn't I notice it before? The mysterious man's clothes and Dementor cloaks are remarkably similar, even their body shapes... maybe he's nostalgic for those carefree days."

"And the nose and hair can also serve as evidence," Luna said seriously, "if you've paid attention."

Ginny laughed wholeheartedly, leaning on the table. Luna looked at her curiously, appearing puzzled and bemused. Nevertheless, she patted Ginny's shoulder and continued building with magical runes.

After class, students streamed out, with many greeting Felix before heading home for the holidays.

"See you next year, Professor Hagrid!"

"Until next year."

Once everyone had left, Felix sighed, having played cards all morning. Due to conflicting strategies with Valen, they ended up losing more than winning. He decided to let Valen have a solo seat in the afternoon so they could team up against other students.

"Chirp?"

Valen climbed onto the seat Luna had previously occupied, curiously examining the runic trophy left on the table. It wobbled, revealing the shadow of a Fire Cup.

Felix retrieved the runic trophy, an idea forming in his mind. Thinking about Luna's thesis, he found it generally correct, with some similarities to the magical creatures he had envisioned. However, Luna's goal would be challenging, involving an extensive range of knowledge.

Nevertheless, this didn't stop Felix from giving Luna a talking magical trophy as a Christmas gift.

Half an hour later, a sparkling trophy appeared in front of Felix. Its body consisted of ancient runes and blank memory fragments, capable of flexible transformations between reality and illusion. It could be conveniently stored in the Serpent's Tail Ring.

Staring at the trophy, Felix cleared his throat and asked, "What does Felix Hagrid like as a Christmas gift?"

"Magic books, unique insights, and a painting," the trophy replied.

"What doesn't he want to receive?"

"Pumpkin masks, flying earlobe earrings, and cloaks covered in glowing sparkles."

"Perfect," Felix said contentedly, deciding to send it out promptly. Valen, who had been listening nearby, now understood who had given those peculiar gifts.

Descending the stairs, the Great Hall appeared grandiose, with twelve Christmas trees adorned with silver frost and delicate icicles illuminating the space. If one approached, distant, ethereal singing could be heard, while garlands made of mistletoe and holly connected the trees. Flower fairies danced gracefully, their transparent wings scattering silver radiance.

The ceiling was enchantingly transformed, showering the students with magically conjured snowflakes that found their way into necks, sending a cool sensation.

The dining table was as chaotic as ever, filled with festive dishes. However, Felix keenly noticed some students looking distressed, particularly those from the "Animagus Club." Nav frowned at the beef pies, ribs, and vegetable stew on his plate, sighing deeply. He grabbed a piece of dry bread, tearing it into small pieces with a look of grievance, reminiscent of the Nearly Headless Nick.

A few seats away, Harry also couldn't bring himself to eat. Ron stared at the food in front of him, then with immense effort, averted his gaze, as if they had a personal grudge against him. Hermione cautiously sipped her porridge, chewing slowly.

"Hermione, try this, it tastes amazing!" Lavender Brown happily urged, enjoying her apple pie. Throughout lunch, she persistently tempted Hermione with food, and whenever Hermione sternly declined, Lavender would giggle and cuddle with Parvati.

"I really want to turn her into a giant frog!" Hermione exclaimed angrily after Lavender left.

"No, you can't," Harry weakly said, feeling famished. "Those who did that before got deducted a hundred points and were assigned detention throughout the entire Christmas break. McGonagall was on the verge of losing her mind."

"Yeah, Snape is supposedly quite pleased." Ron lamented. "We're completely out of the running for the House Cup this year."

All students in the "Animagus Club" underestimated the difficulty of consuming a leaf – including Felix himself. It wasn't a matter of one or two hours, or even a day, but an entire month. During the inspection with Professor McGonagall last weekend, they discovered that almost all students had failed.

The reasons given were varied – accidentally swallowing during soup, chewing the leaves while biting ribs, inadvertently blowing them away while talking loudly, and even instances of teeth grinding during sleep, resulting in the disappearance of leaves by the next day. The few students who presented leaves were ultimately confirmed to be cheating, having plucked them from the Christmas tree in the Great Hall just before the inspection.

Felix found the explanations intriguing. Professor McGonagall, surprisingly calm, accepted these reasons. She even gave Felix a meaningful look, suggesting, 'Don't make a fuss...'

"If there's no other way," Ron said, standing up and gritting his teeth, "we'll have to try Sirius's method." He referred to using Stupefy and Petrificus Totalus, or adding Stickfast Hex if needed.

Nav looked at him with a troubled expression. "Alright," he murmured.

The common ground between the two was their loud snoring. Two mornings ago, when they woke up, both Ron and Nav found the leaves in their mouths, though Ron's leaf was on his pillow, while Nav could only glimpse green remnants through his teeth.

Harry's situation was slightly better than theirs. At least he didn't snore much, so when he woke up, the leaf was still in his mouth, albeit neatly cut in half. He was investigating the cause.

Among them, only Hermione refused to divulge any information about her leaf, but Harry believed that since Hermione hadn't actively participated in class discussions these past few days, it was sufficient evidence of the severity of her problem.

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