A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 162: Uncle and Nephew

Chapter 162: Uncle and Nephew

Felix Harp was indeed very curious, especially about the viewpoints of a philosophical professor.

In the large classroom, a murmur of discussion arose as they all tried to immerse themselves in the scenarios he had set, collectively pondering a question they had never seriously considered before:

"If magic truly exists, how should we confront it?"

The professor observed the reactions of others and felt it was necessary to address this question seriously.

He turned to Felix and inquired, "In your hypothesis, are there enough wizards?"

"Not many, but they can't be ignored either."

"Do they fall under the conventional definition of evil, from a collective perspective?"

"Disregarding proportions when discussing groups leads to fallacies, Professor. My view is that they're equivalent to ordinary people."

The professor and Felix engaged in a back-and-forth, avoiding sensitive topics like 'the overall power of wizards' with vague responses, claiming they hadn't thought it through yet.

Other students were drawn to the tug-of-war questioning between the two, alternating their gaze between the professor and Felix.

Among the crowd, a young student with brown curly hair was sweating profusely, looking at Felix with a terrified expression.

The professor's expression turned gratified. "It seems you've given this question a thorough thought, which will aid us in our upcoming discussions."

Felix's explanation followed: "I plan to write a magical work, much like 'The Chronicles of Narnia'."

In order to complete his new book, he had deliberately collected a batch of fairy tales during the holidays, and was surprised to find that this series had been published as early as the 1950s.

"Is that so..." The professor pondered earnestly for a moment, then looked up and said, "Leaving aside the philosophical aspect, as a scholar, my viewpoint is communication."

"Communication?" Felix repeated, dissatisfied with this answer. "Professor, I want to write a 'realistic' novel, one where the content can withstand scrutiny."

"My answer remains the same. Regardless of the eventual outcome, the first step between two unfamiliar groups must be to deepen mutual understanding."

The public class came to an end, and the students filed out.

The young student with brown curly hair rushed into the restroom, accidentally bumping into someone on the way.

Meanwhile, Felix politely bid farewell.

Amadine shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "Alright, if you ever get the chance to come to France in the future, you can find me here. I'll show you around Paris."

As Felix walked out of this renowned institution, pondering beneath a row of plane trees, he keenly sensed someone had been watching him all along.

He turned the corner of the street and entered a narrow alleyway.

The young man with brown curly hair and a middle-aged man with a bearded face suddenly appeared, following directly into the alley. After taking two turns, they realized the path ended at a wall.

The middle-aged man abruptly turned around, raised his wand with an imposing air, but in the next second, his wand slipped out of his hand like a short stick.

A man with black hair and light blue eyes calmly stared at him, toying with a wand made of black walnut in his hand.

Maxwell Colbert opened his mouth, watching his own oak wand obediently float in front of the young man opposite him.

The unexpected happened too quickly, and without a sound. He didn't even have time to react.

"Uncle, he vanished. Did he use Apparition?" The young man with curly hair stared at the empty wall in a daze. Seeing no response from his uncle, he turned around belatedly.

"It was him, it was him! He's the one who exposed the magical world!" The young man spoke rapidly in a muddled mix of languages.

Felix Harp looked at him with amusement. "I'm sure I know the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy better than you do. So, which clause have I violated?"

The curly-haired young man appeared very unconvinced. "I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. Don't think you can deny it. Oh, Uncle, why is your wand on the opposite side?"

Maxwell Colbert, his bearded face stern, reprimanded, "Be quiet, Callamy."

He looked at Felix. "I believe there's a misunderstanding here. You're the Muggle Studies expert attending the conference, right?"

"A misunderstanding?"

"Yes, indeed. I am Maxime Colbert, an Auror from the French Ministry of Magic, responsible for the security of this conference. My nephew is studying at Sorbonne in Paris, he must have been mistaken."

"I apologize. I might have misunderstood." Callamy mumbled slowly while reaching for the wand concealed behind his back.

Felix raised an eyebrow and flicked his finger lightly, causing the young Callamy's wand to fly out of his hand.

With large and small faces looking at each other, the man across them spoke with satisfaction, "Now we can have a proper conversation."

...

A restaurant on the street in Paris's Fifth District.

Felix received the menu handed over by the waiter. "One salad, a French fish soup, a plate of escargot in salt, the main course will be braised beef in red wine... um, dessert later. That's all."

He handed the menu to the uncle and nephew across the table. "What about you?"

Maxwell was still hesitating, but Callamy, his nephew, had already taken the menu. "Uncle, what do you want? How about this blue cheese?"

Maxwell pointed at Felix and said to the waiter, "Same as his."

Callamy ordered various odd dishes.

"I recommend pairing with a light white wine." The waiter suggested.

Felix had no objection, but the other two had no clue.

The waiter took note of the names and swiftly left.

Maxwell Colbert looked complex. "I'm starting to believe you're a Muggle Studies expert, given your reputation. What's your name?"

"Although it's a bit late, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Felix Harp, author of two books on Muggle Studies."

Maxwell fell silent. After a while, he spoke, "Considering your reputation, I temporarily believe you don't have an intention to expose the magical world, but I will still verify. As for attacking an Auror—"

"What Auror? I was facing a wizard with an unclear identity. Just after learning about the attack targeting Muggle Studies experts, it's quite normal to be a bit on edge, don't you think?"

Maxwell's expression turned serious. "You know about the attack? How did you find out?"

"Emmerson Kane, Alice Alpha, Gorsworth Moore..." Felix listed a string of names, and Maxwell Colbert's expression grew darker and darker.

These were the names of officials in the French Ministry of Magic.

"I have a broad network of information," Felix said as he picked up his cutlery, flashing a gentle smile. "Perhaps I could recommend one or two of them to you?"

Throughout the meal, Maxwell Colbert appeared downcast, eating in silence, unable to taste the flavor.

Callamy quickly became familiar with Felix.

"You're studying at Sorbonne? What's going on?" Felix brought up a topic he was curious about.

Callamy explained, "It was arranged by my mother—oh, I'm a half-blood—just an auditor, without a certificate."

Felix understood.

Exiting the restaurant, Callamy was sent away, and using Apparition, Felix brought Maxwell to the Fontenbourg Square in Paris.

This was the location of the French Ministry of Magic.

In the center of the square, four ancient trees guarded a bronze statue. As they entered the range of the ancient trees, their figures magically disappeared, while those around paid no attention.

Standing beside the statue, the roots of the four ancient trees suddenly came to life, intertwining to form a birdcage-shaped elevator. Felix felt a slight tremor under his feet, and the elevator started descending.

He glanced at Maxwell and returned his wand to him.

"Thank you," Maxwell said sincerely.

He didn't want anyone to know what happened today. He planned to keep these embarrassing experiences to himself forever.

Hello everyone,

If you enjoy reading this novel and want to read 10 Chapters ahead of schedule, then please join my Patreon.

Or Consider donating! at Paypal or Ko-fi.

Your support is greatly appreciated