A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 143: The Trial of the Crown

Felix Harp dismissed Justin and returned to his office.

He had never imagined he would come to know individuals like the Weasley twins. They seemed to devote all their passion to pranks and mischief. No wonder Professor McGonagall's expression turned so sour whenever the twins were mentioned.

"I wonder how their magical mobile phones are coming along?" Felix pondered. Although the wizarding world generally shunned Muggle technology, its influence could still be faintly seen.

For instance, the Hogwarts Express, the Knight Bus, magical radios... these were recognized by the Ministry of Magic, legal for use, though they required proper regulation.

The Ministry had a specialized department - the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office - responsible for handling related matters.

The word "misuse" really spoke volumes.

Most violators tampered with Muggle items to infuse them with magic, only to have these enchanted objects find their way back into the hands of Muggles, causing various magical mishaps.

As for Felix, altering existing mobile phones wasn't difficult if he wanted to. The simplest method was to inscribe magical runes on them, blocking Hogwarts' interference, just as he had done with the small movie projector.

But what would that achieve?

He yearned to witness the wizarding world embrace more possibilities, more benign developmental changes, rather than convincing wizards to carry around mobile phones.

If there was hope in his heart for the twins, that was indeed an undeniable truth.

These scattered thoughts flitted through his mind before fading away.

Felix waved his wand, securing the doors and windows, and cast a magical thief-detection spell. When someone entered the enchanted range, the spell caster would be alerted.

He took the crown from his ring. Lady Ravenclaw had repaired it, transforming it from a worn and corroded shape into a gem-encrusted, shining diadem.

The crown took the form of an eagle, with a sky-blue gemstone set on its chest. Two outspread wings were symmetrically adorned with meticulously arranged pearls.

Felix donned the crown.

"Nothing seems to have changed..."

He silently contemplated for two minutes, jotting down notes on a piece of parchment:

-No apparent change when worn;

Next, Felix picked up a stack of parchment, information he had obtained from Lohart. However, what he referred to as the "Hidden Legacy" was actually a "surprise" left by Lady Ravenclaw for the students of her house.

Felix forced himself to momentarily forget the crown's presence and studied the magical content on it carefully. He had memorized this information long ago, and he even had a shaky grasp on the ancient magic contained within.

But this time, he felt a difference.

His thoughts became more agile, like countless tiny bubbles rising to the surface of simmering water. Accessing existing knowledge became much easier.

Digesting new information was essentially an ongoing process of internalization – connecting unfamiliar things to one's existing cognitive framework.

And this process required continually mobilizing what one already knew to understand the unknown.

The crown significantly accelerated this process.

As Felix Harp delved into the study of Memory Magic, the associated memories were unmistakably activated. They brimmed with an extreme vivacity, seemingly calling out to him: "I can connect with this; take a look at me!"

Felix Harp jotted down on parchment—

-Easier to access similar types of knowledge while wearing it;

After some thought, he added, "Heavily influenced by one's own reservoir of knowledge, cannot directly provide knowledge."

To verify this conclusion, Felix Harp perused his collection and retrieved a copy of "The Political Attributes of Power." This book was once among the alternate Christmas presents for Professor Snape. He chose it because the text was small and dense, and its content was so mind-numbingly dry that it could nearly cause one to go bald from sheer boredom.

He persevered through a dozen pages, feeling his stomach churning.

He wrote a line on the parchment—josei

-Limited assistance for completely unfamiliar fields, knowledge gaps.

Then, he proceeded to conduct seven or eight more tests, continuously recording them on parchment.

Unbeknownst to him, the day had gradually turned dark.

Felix Harp surveyed the entries on the parchment, comparing them in his mind to the Room of Requirement, the Thought Accelerator, and Baruffio's Brain Elixir.

Of the three, the Thought Accelerator emphasized enhancing reaction speed, effectively a dueling magic;

The other two, the Room of Requirement boosted thought-processing speed, creating the illusion of extended time. In essence, it allowed you to accomplish conclusions that would take three hours in reality in just one hour;

However, it didn't connect to the real world; after all, one couldn't improve practical skills through mere "thought."

As for Baruffio's Brain Elixir, it was less demanding. It significantly boosted intellectual capacity, and being a potion used in the real world, it was effective for both memorization and magical practice. Yet, it leaned more towards memory retention, and many young wizards hoped to cram with it before exams.

"Indeed, the crown is more useful." Just the ability to activate specific areas of knowledge and accelerate the absorption of new knowledge of the same type was enough to make it highly desirable.

Moreover, since he began his research until now, roughly six or seven hours had passed, and Felix Harp felt nothing more than a bit hungry as a residual effect.

Taking precautions, Felix Harp retrieved the 'Psychometric Chart' that he hadn't used in a long time. He made modifications and prepared to record data for a month.

He wasn't concerned about Lady Ravenclaw's potential harm, but rather the fear of any unknown effects.

Felix Harp removed the crown, gazing at it thoughtfully. "Aside from having a slightly feminine design, there are no obvious drawbacks."

"In reality, upon closer inspection, it's simply delicate and elegant; not necessarily exclusive to women. After all, Lady Ravenclaw was quite formidable..."

After ten o'clock in the evening, Felix Harp was getting ready to rest when a copper Knut in his pocket suddenly grew scorching.

"At long last."

Felix Harp tightly grasped the heated Knut—a match for the one he gave to Dobby—and infused it with magic, offering a response.

Then he waited quietly, for about a minute—

An unmistakably incongruous house-elf clad in an old pillowcase materialized in his office. The office immediately emitted a "wailing" sound, which Felix Harp promptly silenced.

This was a defensive spell he casually cast before beginning his research.

Dobby the house-elf appeared slightly surprised, but he didn't inquire further, respectfully greeting, "Dobby greets Mr. Harp. Dobby is so delighted to see you again."

"As am I, Dobby." Felix Harp replied, "I've been waiting for you quite a while."

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