A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 251: Demonstration of Ancient Magic

Felix and Hermione sat across from each other. He lightly tapped the dark armrest of the couch, and through a small table in front of a young witch, they found themselves silently transported into the Room of Thought.

"The professor's spellcasting has become increasingly subtle," Hermione thought to herself. It had been over a year since her first time in here. The colors and shapes had twisted, then transformed, and now she was brought in without a single sound. Professor's mastery over this magic was evident.

Hermione was very familiar with the room. She casually surveyed the furnishings, then her brow furrowed.

The half that belonged to the professor hadn't changed much: dominated by shades of brown, black, and deep green, occasionally adorned with beige and soft gray, it presented a rich yet dignified ambiance.

The deep chestnut carpet was soft and inviting, piled high with thousands of weighty books. These books complemented the black bookshelves against the wall, the dark, matte-finished square table, and the thick emerald curtains.

Of course, there were also more and more ancient runic symbols of various colors, dancing like vibrant spirits throughout the room, providing a lively and magically visual spectacle.

Hermione could almost imagine the professor coming into the room alone—sinking into the couch, summoning a book with a casual gesture, a mischievous runic symbol leaping into his view, flicked away by a gesture...

But today, she felt that something was off. Was it the slightly dimmer color of the carpet underfoot, or the occasional stillness of the green curtains in the corner?

Perhaps it was all in her imagination?

"Miss Granger?" Felix gave his assistant a curious look as she nervously glanced around upon entering.

Hermione, equally puzzled, said, "Professor, your Room of Thought feels strange to me, like... heavier? Or more solemn." She stood at the boundary between their two halves of the room, scrutinizing her own space.

Her side was unmistakably modern in decor. Soft sunlight spilled in, illuminating the light brown carpet, butter-yellow curtains, two potted plants on the central round table—unchanged from a year ago.

"As I compare the two, the odd sensation becomes even clearer," Hermione thought. Finally, she found the word to describe her feeling, "Gothic style?"

Felix chuckled softly, "However did you arrive at that?"

Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "It just occurred to me. It looks unchanged, but certain details evoke a different sense."

Felix began to understand. He said thoughtfully, "You remind me of something. This place is the external projection of our inner worlds. I've had some new insights into magic lately, it'll sort itself out in a few days."

"Shall we commence today's lesson, Miss Granger?"

Temporarily setting aside her doubts, Hermione returned to her seat. She and Felix delved into the progression of magical runes.

"Professor, from individual runes to rune circuits, the rune sphere I've seen, and the intricate overlapping and nesting circuits on the chestnut wood plate today—does this mean that more complex runic structures are more advanced?"

"Functionally speaking, yes. Individual runes are simple in attribute. We humans always strive for more complex functions, which leads us to study how to combine multiple runes."

"Allow me to provide an example." Felix held a runic symbol in his hand. "Take fire, for instance. This rune already holds significant potential. The effects you and I produce with it would differ significantly due to our varying understandings."

His magical symbol constantly shifted between the rune and flames.

Hermione quickly constructed a fire rune. Her transformation was noticeably slower, and after two or three changes, the structure of the runic symbol became unstable, ending in a soft "poof" of green smoke.

"Understanding magic like this is quite a challenge—it's either understood or not. There are no shortcuts. However, if you simply wish to enhance the power of fire, there are actually many approaches—"

Felix Harp conjured a series of runes from the air. "For instance, I'd like to magnify the flames." Over a dozen runes connected to the original one representing fire. The small flame that was initially palm-sized swelled to the size of a pumpkin in an instant.

"I also want it to burn more fiercely..." He added more runes, as if seasoning a dish. The pumpkin-sized fireball erupted into intense flames with crackling bursts.

"By this point, controlling this magic becomes quite challenging, and I must emphasize that the Room of Thought isn't reality. What I can do here doesn't necessarily translate perfectly outside... But let's get back on track. I also want to increase the temperature."

New runes combined and were poured into the flames. The orange fire became vibrant, transitioning rapidly from bright yellow to brilliant white, and then a hint of blue appeared.

Felix's tone remained relaxed as he explained, "If this were reality and we had no protection, we'd be on fire ourselves. So, the notion that ancient magic is dangerously powerful isn't entirely untrue. From what I've gleaned from ancient texts, many individuals faltered on their first successful spellcasting attempt."

"Continuing on—technically, we've already achieved a potent magic. However, obviously, we want more: control, accumulation of magical energy, or even shaping..."

"If you have a deep understanding of magic, and you're adept at manipulating magic power, you can skip some steps. In theory, all magic in the world is a result of manipulating and transforming magic power. However, for most of us, including you and me, we're far from being able to bend it to our will."

Hermione nervously observed as the professor's blue fireball grew to a meter in diameter. The air around it began to warp. Despite knowing that everything here was a construct of thought, she couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension.

Felix waved his hand, making the blue fireball vanish. "Alright, the game's over. What you just witnessed was a mental demonstration. In reality, it's not nearly as easy for me. I hope that doesn't give you any misconceptions."

"I must reiterate, ancient magic is very perilous."

Hermione seemed to accept his explanation. Next, she diligently practiced the ancient runes step by step. Apart from learning new content, she also needed to deepen her understanding of the runes. One major criterion for understanding was "being able to transform runic symbols into corresponding magical meanings."

She counted on her fingers and realized that she had genuinely comprehended only a few, like "Buffalo Strength," "Lumos," and "Fire."

The road ahead was long and demanding.

Felix encouraged her, saying, "At the upcoming Runes Club meeting, I'll dissect an ancient spell and integrate it into the lesson. If your progress is swift enough, I'll teach you the combination of runes for that ancient spell. The same goes for everyone else."

Hermione's heart raced. She knew that the professor had always approached ancient magic with great caution. Throughout this past year, their discussions on the topic had been sparse.

Did this mean that the professor found her learning progress and magical control satisfactory?

She began to reflect: In her first year, she focused on translating practical runes and delved into rune circuits in the second semester. Before the term ended, she successfully restored a broken bead pouch.

During the summer holidays, she practiced engraving runes and rune circuits with a runic knife.

At the start of the new term, she had already delved into rune transformation, emphasizing understanding the runes themselves. She couldn't help but wonder: By the end of her third year, would she perhaps be capable of mastering an ancient spell directly?

Seeing Hermione brimming with enthusiasm, Felix added, "It's the simplest of ancient spells, don't imagine it has any lethal power." But this hardly dampened her enthusiasm.

As the practice session concluded, Hermione, unusually tired, stood up to stretch. Her gaze swept across the entire room. The unsettling feeling persisted, more pronounced the longer she looked.

"Although the professor attributes the change to newfound insights, it still appears rather gloomy."

She decided to shift her focus, standing in one corner of the room and surveying. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She lifted a potted plant and placed it on the professor's book-laden square table. Squinting her eyes, she smiled.

"It looks much better this way."

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