A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 327: The Enchanted Foundry

Chapter 327: The Enchanted Foundry

Once the battle commenced, it was difficult to put a halt to it. Professor Lupin strained to control the spells, while Felix Harp wrestled with him for control over the transfigured entities. Half of the debris on the field turned into cat-lynxes, and the other half transformed into plump Snidgets. They waddled amusingly, sitting on the cat-lynxes' backs, causing them to emit pitiful cries.

On the other side, Snape's incantations were both rapid and urgent. Instead of dodging the spells flying toward him, he met them head-on, deftly deflecting them at the last moment with remarkable reflexes. His casting speed was at least twice that of an average wizard.

Yet, Felix was equally relentless. He seemed to have no limits, not only suppressing Lupin but also managing to retaliate against him. Occasionally, he used gestures to weave spells, conjuring forth moving golden shields.

A queasiness settled in Snape. He couldn't think of a better term; the golden shields had exceptional resistance against spells. He found himself facing two or three spells deflected onto him by the shields. In desperation, he employed more powerful spells to immobilize the shields, but in the next second, the shields transformed into agile serpents, slithering across the ground.

What surprised him even more was that, for some simple spells, when he managed to hit Felix, the spells simply slid off his chest.

"The Human Armor Charm... Professor, I must admit, I underestimated it. It isn't my most potent defensive magic. If you had used that Cutting Curse just now, I might have shed some blood."

As the battle reached its climax, Snape and Lupin combined their efforts to release a small black whirlwind. The building vibrated with a humming sound as the debris on the ground was swept up and drawn into the vortex, intensifying its menacing appearance.

It stood some fifty or sixty feet tall, occupying a third of the castle's space. It emitted a "whooshing" howl as several people were forced to retreat.

"Now it's getting interesting," Felix Harp remarked with a smirk. Dodging would be quite simple, but overcoming it head-on required a bit more effort. Besides, winning was never his true intention.

At that moment, the castle's interior began to shimmer incessantly. Felix looked up; the chandelier at the very top was being tugged by the miniature whirlwind, swaying violently and emitting strained groans.

A milky-white sphere was pulled down, drawn into the whirlwind. Under the external force, it started to twist and expand... Bright beams of light pierced through the black whirlwind, as if countless beams of light swords had pierced through a tear in a bag. The light illuminated the dim space, falling upon their uncertain faces.

Finally, the beams of light and the whirlwind vanished together.

Snape stood dazed for a moment. "Unimpressive," he muttered, sheathing his wand and preparing to leave.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Professor," Felix Harp held him back, grinning. "After the welcoming ceremony, it's time we discussed the future of the company."

"That's your future company," Snape retorted coldly.

"It's our 'future'," Felix Harp replied, looking directly at him.

Ten minutes later, Felix Harp nodded toward Dobby, expressing apology. "Thank you for your help, Dobby."

"Leave it to me, Mr. Harp. Dobby finally has something to do," the house-elf said, tapping his chest. The tips of his long, slender fingers glowed, restoring the rubble to its original places.

Snape, Lupin, and Felix Harp made their way to the grand room on the second floor, taking their respective seats.

Felix Harp spoke earnestly, addressing Lupin, "Professor Lupin, most of the time, Severus and I are occupied with teaching at Hogwarts, leaving us with limited energy for this endeavor. I can only formulate strategies at a higher level; the day-to-day management will fall to you."

Perhaps due to exhaustion, Snape did not voice his objections.

Lupin pondered seriously for a moment. "What do you need me to do?"

"Learn."

"Learn?" Lupin asked, puzzled.

Felix spoke, "Even back when Dumbledore interviewed me, he mentioned that he wished to introduce the wisdom from the non-magical world. The magical world has been closed off for far too long. Things commonplace in the outside world, even if slightly modified, can profoundly transform the entire magical realm. Therefore, learning is essential."

Snape gave Felix a meaningful look. In the temporary office at L.C.A headquarters, he had seen some materials. Even if only a tenth of them were realized, it could bring about a revolutionary change in the wizarding world.

Starting from the lives of wizards as a whole, it was, as always... cunning.

Felix unfurled a stack of parchment, letting them drift over to Lupin. "I don't intend to create something shockingly unconventional. Instead, I hope to achieve somethinghow should I put it? Like spring rain, quietly nourishing, so that the company's products become an indispensable part of every wizard's life without them even realizing it."

"We can begin with wizarding households, like magical lamps, and magical air conditioners. Imagine this, a small box that can maintain the temperature within a twenty-foot radius at the most comfortable level."

Lupin toyed with the small box that had floated in front of him. He tried infusing a bit of magic, and the temperature around him immediately dropped, like a breeze on a March day, bringing a hint of coolness.

"That's just an example. In reality, I've created some similar gadgets, you can think of them as prototypes. You can build upon these, envision different applications."

"What about profits..." Lupin was being persuaded; he saw this as a good thing. He began to consider the company's development.

"For now, don't worry about profits," Felix nodded. "Apart from what I just mentioned, I'm more interested in you finding suitable magic. Don't confine yourselves to ancient runes, alchemy, or obscure spells. It would be better if you can establish effective standards and processes."

"Lems, we're forging a new path in history."

Lupin admitted he was convinced. His heart gradually regained its fervor, and he rediscovered his purpose.

"How many people are currently in the company?" Lupin asked.

"You, me, Severus, Dobby, and Miss Kritov who just left," Felix counted on his fingers. "I've scheduled more interviews for the upcoming week. There should be... around three hundred people."

Lupin's vision darkened. "Are you implying that I..."

"Well, since you'll be in charge of the R&D team, it's best for you to personally review them. But I can provide a list of individuals I believe are promising. It might be of some use," Felix said.

"I'll help too, during this summer break," he added.

Lupin found the term "help" a bit grating. This wasn't his company at all. "What about the full moon nights..."

"Severus will be responsible for providing Wolfsbane Potion and coordinating the preparation of certain alchemical materials," Felix said. He had inherited a wealth of alchemical knowledge from Nicolas Flamel, and among that, what best exemplified the depth of a great alchemist's expertise was a collection of formulas for various enchanted materials.

Some alchemical symbols only worked with specific enchanted materials. Originally, this was a disadvantage, but with continuous development, various formulas became more refined and they had truly become mainstream.

"Besides that, during this summer break, we also need to do one more thing," Felix said, "Create a magical factory."

"A magical... factory?" Lupin asked. He understood both of these words individually, but together, they were a bit baffling.

"Yes," Felix waved his wand, casting a golden mist. An image of an automated assembly line appeared. "For now, consider it a concept I've envisioned. The real world doesn't yet have such unmanned production lines, at least not now."

"This concept comes from the non-magical world. We don't need to fully embrace it, but rather pick what's suitable, ideally something that complements magic. Like high-precision engraving... or batch repetitive tasks..."

"I've contacted a equipment manufacturer. Once you're done with the hiring process, we can go take a look together," Felix said with a smile.

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