A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts - Chapter 445: The Book of Magic Runes

Pages shimmered with a soft light, illuminating the surroundings perfectly even in the darkest of places, inviting readers to delve into its depths.

Felix casually sketched out a sequence of “Lumos” runes on the surface. The Book of Magic Runes flipped to a new section with a cascade of additional symbols, akin to a fish sniffing out bait, connecting with the original runes, forming sequences, short and long.

These were unperfected magical circuits or sequences.

He plucked symbols at random from the book, mere silver shadows. But as Felix infused them with his magic, they transformed entirely, indistinguishable from the ones he sketched.

A thought sparked within Felix, refocusing his attention on the Book of Magic Runes. With his intent, a complete sequence emerged from the book. As his magic entwined with it, it immediately transformed into a soft, milky-white sphere of light.

Lumos.

Felix, like a child with a new toy, continued experimenting. The book seemed like a programmed tool, arranging and coalescing magical sequences according to his will.

Then, a curious thought arose in his mind.

He glanced at the window; the night had fallen, but it was worth a try. Exiting his office, he strode out of the castle, the silver cloak trailing behind him, casting silent streaks of light. Swiftly, he found himself in a clearing within the Forbidden Forest.

The night’s darkness enveloped the Forbidden Forest, a realm of silence save for the whispers of the wind. Within this silence, eerie sounds, clearly of living creatures, occasionally echoed.

With a wave of his hand, the Book of Magic Runes materialized and floated before him.

His finger traced on it as he murmured, “Black lightning… swift to deploy. Let’s start with two.” As the words faded, two ethereal shadows emerged from the book, hovering before him.

Felix scrutinized them for a moment, continuing, “Golden flames would be nice too.” Another phantom emerged, transforming between the runes and the specific magical imagery.

“Some added radiance.”

“And a touch of defense.”

“What about visual distortion?”

Felix, draped in the silver cloak, resembled someone ordering from a menu, selecting over a dozen satisfying names in one breath. When he closed the book, several blurry apparitions appeared before him. In the chilly midnight, he was surrounded by a myriad of differently colored phantoms, like a canvas of wandering spirits.

“This state is truly marvelous… Illusory runes that swiftly transform into reality, summoning thunder.” Felix mumbled to himself, unable to resist extending his hand, infusing magical energy into two dark shadows.

The blurry figures swiftly materialized into two black lightning bolts, crackling through the air. As Felix attempted to control them, the lightning obediently flowed, akin to liquid.

“So, the limit depends on how many magics I can control?” Felix pondered. Dispelling the magic, he began to conceive various tactics. However—

“What’s this?” Felix frowned, staring at his hand. His index finger was slowly emitting a glimmer, as if a piece of ancient rune embedded itself not under his fingernail but within the skin.

He double-checked twice. The rune wasn’t lodged beneath his nail; it melded into his skin, an unseen alteration allowing his skin to absorb runes.

Standing amidst the cold breeze, he contemplated cautiously, assimilating with the environment.

After a while, he exhaled deeply. His brow furrowed deeper; he confirmed repeatedly that only a small portion of his right index finger’s skin exhibited this peculiarity, invisible to the eye but discernible to Felix.

He could only recall a similar instance—when Dumbledore demonstrated deflecting spells barehanded. It was akin to what Professor Ravenclaw had described as “magical beings.”

“Am I approaching this state?” Felix wondered, amazed. “Close to the level of the four Hogwarts founders, or Dumbledore?” Unable to discern accurately, the vast temporal gap between them made comparison difficult. But one thing was certain: these individuals surpassed him in understanding magic.

Is it the Book of Magic Runes causing this change? Felix speculated. Choosing the path of runes as his means of understanding magic, viewing Salazar Slytherin’s manuscripts in Hogwarts’ office both perplexed him and strengthened his resolve. Later, under fortuitous circumstances, he completed the Book of Magic Runes.

Did this signify he had traversed far enough down this path?

“A prelude to transformation?” Felix pondered if this demonstrated an increased affinity with runes, maybe corresponding resistances would elevate. But the extent of this change and its duration remained uncertain.

“Magical beings? Or rune beings?” Felix contemplated the difference between these two words, smiling faintly. All the numerous phantasms behind him vanished simultaneously. He eagerly anticipated the day of revelation.

The next day was a weekend, and young wizards hadn’t recovered from the previous day’s excitement. Discussions incessantly revolved around their astonishing performances. Harry and the others had planned to catch up on assignments or speculate on the third project’s test (Hermione’s idea). However, the common room bustled with people, showering them with congratulations and inquiring for more details.

“Could you hear anything in the Black Lake?”

“A little,” muttered Harry.

“Didn’t your hand hurt when you punched the salmon?”

“Magic protection,” retorted Hermione dryly.

After a morning of this, Harry finally signaled Ron and Hermione with a glance, and they slipped out of the room, rushing to an abandoned classroom, their usual spot for magical practice and the dueling self-study group’s territory.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind sharing, but they know better what they did to me than I do,” Ron fretted. He felt that one downside of the projection screen was losing his ability to improvise.

Imagine trying to vividly describe how huge the giant octopus was to the onlookers. “It was much bigger than me!” someone promptly suggested using a wand as a spear; others found it too odd. Or when he wanted to tease, “Guess what I saw?” The serious answer was “Merfolk camp.” Some said “red hair” or “a net for the bubble-head charm.” Eventually, the audience abandoned him, arguing which answer was more credible…

Ron yawned, tears welling up. “Ah—maybe I should catch up on sleep; stayed up too late last night.”

“I want to check on Hagrid,” Harry said.

“We’ll meet at the library later; it’ll surely be less crowded,” Hermione decisively stated.

Hermione headed to the library alone. Her two roommates bombarded her with inquiries about the magic that “knocks out a salmon with a punch.” Rolling her eyes, she handed them a rune card.

Parvati and Lavender stared at the card, depicting a charging buffalo.

“Does Hermione’s temper have anything to do with this…” Lavender whispered.

Parvati tugged her sleeve, exchanging a glance. Both looked over; Hermione poked her head out from her bed, glaring at them.

Lavender quickly smirked, “How about… I lend you that book for a couple more days?”

>

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