A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 272: The First Collaboration of the Club

Felix and Newt exchanged addresses. Felix learned that after retiring, Newt and his wife lived in the countryside of Devon County, where they had a "spacious" underground sanctuary for magical creatures in need.

"I don't always keep them, more like a healer. Once the 'patients' are well, I let them return to nature," Newt told him.

Although he had guessed the answer, Felix still inquired, "Mr. Scamander, if you don't intend to gain something from them, how have you maintained your love for them over the years?"

Newt smiled and replied, "How do you maintain love? It's because of the love itself, of course."

...

The next weekend, at the meeting of the Magical Arts Club, Felix presented the Ring of the Serpent's Embrace to the members.

He flipped the emerald green coin in his hand, deftly maneuvering it between his fingertips. His actions quickly captured the attention of the students. In the next moment, the coin transformed into a small snake, coalescing into a serpent-shaped ring on his right pinky.

With a wave of his wand, dozens of coins flew out from a corner table, accurately landing in front of each young witch and wizard.

"Consider it your belated Christmas present."

"It can replace the copper knuts I gave you before. It has two forms—coin and ring—your choice. If you want it to transform into the latter, just think 'unlimited' and infuse it with magic. You can try it now—"

The club members extended their hands, letting the coins fall into their palms, feeling their weight. Navimol, attending her first gathering, traced the patterns on the coin's surface. It exuded a unique and substantial sheen, yet didn't feel like metal. She looked up at Harry, who mouthed to her, "Basilisk scales."

Harry had learned this from Hermione, who had learned it from Professor Snape. When Harry first heard about this, he was surprised. He thought the Basilisk had been returned to the Chamber of Secrets after the incident. But Hermione informed him that Basilisk materials were valued magical ingredients and had been divided among the professors...

Navimol's heart raced as if completing a ritual. She enunciated clearly, "Unlimited." The coin in her hand transformed, becoming a slender, emerald green snake in the blink of an eye.

Cradling it, Navimol tentatively asked, "Do you know how to do it?" The little snake slithered onto her right pinky, coiling twice and twisting into a Serpent's Embrace ring.

The most excited ones were the Slytherins. Draco Malfoy, as soon as he saw the snake-shaped transformation, grew fond of it. He couldn't help but touch its head with his index finger. It didn't feel slippery as expected; instead, it was a warm touch, like being carved from an emerald gemstone.

The little snake raised its head, its shining black eyes meeting his gaze.

Draco extended his finger, and the snake swayed its body, winding around his finger and forming a circular loop. He gleefully looked left and right, catching sight of Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass. Their eyes were wide open, completely captivated.

Others reacted more calmly. They didn't reject the snake motif, but they didn't show excessive fondness either. Cedric contemplated asking if he could have a different form, but he realized that this "snake" wasn't the emblem of Slytherin House; rather, it was the symbol of alchemy, representing the philosophy endorsed by the Magical Arts Club and Professor Harp himself, so he refrained.

Then he heard Professor Harp's voice—

"Its material comes from a thousand-year-old Basilisk. You should have some impression of it, the one in the Chamber of Secrets last year. I discovered that Basilisk scales possess extremely potent magical inertia, making it difficult to channel magic through them. However, they also serve as excellent materials for isolating and storing magic."

"I used Basilisk scale as the vessel, inscribing runic symbols with powdered African tree snake skin and bird snake eggshell. That's how you have the Ring of the Serpent's Embrace you see before you."

When African tree snake skin was mentioned, Hermione swiftly glanced at the professor. She knew that this material was an important component in brewing the Antidote to Common Poisons, but she didn't know it could also be ground into powder for runic inscriptions. Considering that Professor Harp had spent a considerable amount of time pondering the usage of Basilisk scales, trying various approaches, she found this explanation quite acceptable.

Felix began his demonstration. Waving his hand, he revealed a set of practical runic symbols near his wrist. Then, he brought the ring on his right pinky closer to them. Suddenly, the Ring of the Serpent's Embrace started to move, the snake's mouth opening and swallowing each of these symbols. It then returned to Felix's hand, transforming back into a ring.

"In my experiments, I found that it can store magical runes for an extended period, significantly slowing down the process of magical diffusion. Although I haven't discovered how this benefits me yet, it's quite apparent that it's advantageous for all of you—"

Under the gaze of everyone, he tapped the snake's head, and the snake spat out the sequence of runes it had just swallowed. Felix unveiled the answer, saying, "As long as you successfully outline a runic symbol, you can retain and analyze it for an extended period until you're completely familiar with the structure of the rune."

Felix's lips curled up. "So, we have our theme for today—collaboration and exchange."

"In the previous club meetings, you all have mastered at least one practical runic symbol. Now, I need you to exchange with others, acquiring runes that others excel in. A minimum of twenty each."

He glanced at Hermione and added, "You can exchange with the same person for up to three runes." Otherwise, these students would only need to find Hermione.josei

Draco couldn't help but complain, "Professor, this isn't fair. Slytherins here are the fewest."

"Hmm—valid point," Felix responded readily. "In that case, let's add another condition. You can't exchange with someone from your own house."

The other students exchanged puzzled glances. Felix smiled and explained, "You should have realized that I want you to get to know each other. In the previous meetings, you all sat with your housemates. But that's not conducive to future collaborations..."

"Now, let's begin."

The club members sprang into action. It was evident which house was the most popular. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin students gathered around the Hufflepuffs, implying that they were in demand.

Sixth-year Hufflepuff student Petra Selwyn couldn't help but exclaim, "This is an unexpected turn of events—Oh, Warren, you're here too!" She giggled.

Ravenclaw's Warren Partis wore a straight face. "Stop teasing. I've helped you quite a few times..."

Ever since last year when Professor Harp had called them up to participate in an Ancient Runes knowledge competition —before they even had answer parchment— they had engaged in a friendly rivalry. Occasionally, they would work on assignments and research together in the library. It was a unique camaraderie they had built.

At least, that's how he saw it.

Harry stood on the outskirts of the crowd. He was never good at handling such situations, especially ones where he had to initiate social interactions. However, when he noticed that Draco Malfoy didn't seem too pleased either, his mood instantly lifted. It felt like being back in Diagon Alley, enjoying an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's on a sunny day.

Draco caught Harry's gaze and sneered softly, "Potter—you're as annoying as Macadamius, why don't you roll back to your Punching Telescope?"

Harry looked at him in astonishment. He didn't care about Malfoy's sour attitude— their relationship had never been amicable. But what came out of Malfoy's mouth was quite unexpected—

"Have you read 'The Little Wizard Mick's Adventures'?"

"No, no way!" Draco immediately denied.

Harry stated with certainty, "You definitely have. Macadamius and the Punching Telescope are both things from the book," he suppressed a smile, "And you've at least read the third volume."

Draco's face darkened abruptly. He opened his mouth several times but couldn't come up with a retort.

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