A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts - Chapter 446: Sense of Smell

In the evening’s embrace, Felix knocked gently on the door of Professor Harp’s Ancient Runes office, finding the professor engrossed in a book, relishing each word as though it held the secrets of the cosmos.

“Professor Harp?”

Felix raised his head, and the book in his hands vanished without a sound, causing Harry’s eyes to widen in surprise.

Yet, he’d grown accustomed to such occurrences. Settling across from the professor on the sofa, with a flick of his wrist, a magical book soared off the shelf, landing perfectly in his hands.

“Professor, I have a question.” Harry refrained from flipping open the book right away.

“Regarding?”

Harry recounted inadvertently blocking the checkpoint information during his second project assessment to Felix, concluding with an expectant tone, “Would this count as my initiation into Occlumency?”

Felix pondered, “It indicates we’re on the right track… Initiating Occlumency isn’t merely about resisting external intrusion consciously or when prepared. It’s about enhancing your alertness and self-protection, enabling your mind to naturally block external influences, even in sleep. Furthermore, it serves as effective mental exercise…”

“I understand, Professor.”

Harry resumed perusing his book. Though the professor hadn’t acknowledged his Occlumency initiation, perhaps it was because his standards were too high. At least, he’d resisted intrusion once… maybe more. It had been a while since he’d had a nightmare.

Turning a new page, he encountered a furry, orange-colored sphere—a seemingly adorable sight. But the next moment, an itching sensation spread through him, worse than the aftermath of consuming Fred and George’s Canary Creams. Harry couldn’t help but reach out—

*Cough!* Felix coughed, swiftly flipping a page across from Harry, engrossed in the book once again.

Harry withdrew his hand, battling embarrassment and this sensation. But the “itch” felt scarier than “torment.” At least he knew the latter was false, for he was safely seated on the professor’s couch. Yet, he couldn’t help but suspect the professor had secretly cast an itching hex on him…

Fortunately, his remaining sanity prevented Harry from asking aloud. He attempted to clear his mind, a hit-or-miss endeavor. Even as he walked through the castle corridors, he could still sense the “phantom itch.”

Maybe it was a residual effect of that magical book, he pondered. A hot bath seemed ideal for today.

Taking a deep breath, Harry suppressed his inner turmoil—a trick he’d devised. When faced with negative emotions, he could try sealing them with Occlumency and divert his attention.

Yet, he wasn’t quite proficient, often forgetting to use it in tense situations…

March brought slightly clearer weather, followed by gusty winds. In the first week of March, at least five days were spent in fierce gusts. Felix could witness Beauxbatons’ carriages and the statues of Uagadou from his window, flags fluttering at the Quidditch pitch.

Felix and Valen lazed about on the couch, seemingly purposeless.

He’d been lethargic during this period, uninterested in anything except delving into ancient rune readings. Even Dueling, now an elective, only saw his attendance when it was his turn.

He often caught wind of interesting news. Professor Moody enjoyed pairing off students who didn’t get along. “It will bring out your courage and wisdom!” he’d proudly proclaim. The aftermath of each Dueling class painted a sorry picture.

The change in his right index finger was slower than anticipated, barely covering a single finger in the past two weeks. He’d tested it himself, finding no discernible impact, as if it were all an illusion. He hadn’t realized it because he hadn’t considered melding runes into his skin…

But such a possibility was far-fetched.

Felix was convinced he was undergoing a benign, beneficial transformation, evident in his recent lackadaisical demeanor—neither his mind nor his magic sounded any alarms.

At this moment, a particular talking mirror on the shelf chimed in, triggering a headache upon recognition. “Valen, fetch it for me,” Felix yawned, and Valen, eyeing a gold butterfly-shaped brooch (from Future World’s No. 7 store), glanced at him upon hearing the request, chirping curiously.

“I don’t feel like moving… It’s a chance to train your sense of smell,” Felix retorted.

“Chirp chirp (What do you want)?”

“Anders’ talking mirror, the scruffy uncle one.” Felix casually described, immediately conjuring the image in Valen’s mind—the fool who’d performed coin magic in front of it—and also recalled his scent.

Valen sniffed and, with a wiggle of its furry body, hopped off the couch, retrieving the talking mirror from the shelf. It then slinked back onto the sofa, finding a comfortable spot in Felix’s embrace, raising the butterfly brooch again to inspect.

Felix picked up the mirror, scanning the messages; most were sales stats of “Little Wizard Mick’s Adventures,” a tale he’d seen several times and had ceased to interest him. Following were various inquiries about his plans for the new book.

Umm…

Felix scratched his head; he had considered publishing a booklet on ancient runes but knew it wouldn’t align with the comic’s style. However, a supplementary comic issue alongside the booklet, narrating Mick’s school days, was a possibility.

While he had a moment, he pondered:

“The comic’s plot would be relatively simple, involving Mick’s introduction to ancient runes in the third year, studying under the professor, targeted as a short story.”

“For the booklet, I hope it encompasses more educational and informative elements. Firstly, an introduction to the history of ancient runes—concise, a few hundred words should suffice… Following that, flipping a page would reveal a series of dynamic images showcasing ancient magical practices… For fairness, include an illustration of an old scholar translating manuscripts…”

“The second part would delve into the development and evolution of ancient runes, also requiring simplification, as nobody wants lengthy dissertations…”

“Next comes the crux; I need to clarify my distinction between ancient runes and ancient magic… Hmm, I’d better choose a simple ancient magic as an example for analysis, preferably something easily practiced,” Felix’s expression brightened a bit, considering, “let’s go with the Lumos spell.”

Felix lounged on the couch, contemplating while glancing at the time. There was a Dueling class tonight, after nearly a month’s hiatus; he wondered what surprises these little wizards might bring him?

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