A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 151 Course Selection

"Please come in," Felix said.

The two sat opposite each other on the sofa, and plates of snacks and two glasses of pumpkin juice floated onto the small table automatically.

"Oh, thank you," Hermione said. "Professor Hyp, I haven't thanked you yet. The Easter eggs you gave me are beautiful."

She didn't have many friends, and the Easter chocolate eggs she received were basically limited to her parents, roommates, Harry, and Ron.

"It's nothing, I'm glad you like it," Felix said politely. He had ordered a batch from the candy store to give to close friends and family, such as professors and students at Hogwarts, as well as his pen pals.

In his view, this was a matter of social etiquette.

Aside from attaching a handwritten greeting card, he didn't put much thought into it—don't expect people who eat in the cafeteria to have the skills to make Easter eggs.

"Miss Granger, do you have any questions about course selection for the third year? And you should consult Professor McGonagall about this, shouldn't you?"

"I'll speak with Professor McGonagall tomorrow," Hermione nodded, taking a deep breath. "Actually, I've checked off all the courses, even though some people say there might be scheduling conflicts. But as far as I know, Percy, Ron's brother, took all the courses in his third year..."

“Percy Weasley?” Felix blinked. “He is indeed excellent at ancient runes.”

"I don't want to give up any classes. I mean—" she said slowly, "If others can do it, why can't I?"

Felix understood immediately. "So, you want to know the secrets behind this?"

"Yes, Professor, if it would be convenient for you to disclose that."

"Well, it's a semi-open secret among the professors, but they try their best not to tell other students and go to great lengths to cover it up... Of course, some smart people will definitely notice something amiss."

"You're one of them, aren't you? Or are you a hidden witness to this, like Percy?" Hermione slowed her breathing and looked at Felix with expectant eyes.

"Unfortunately, I only found out about it later. I didn't choose Muggle studies and arithmetic divination when I was in school, which made me miss a valuable opportunity," he said with a melancholy look.

"You didn't choose Muggle research?" She looked at Felix incredulously.

"Yeah, I thought the course was a complete waste of time. Nobody could have imagined that I would later become an expert on Muggle issues."

Hermione thought to herself, "I wouldn't understand either. This is just too outrageous." But the professor was from the Muggle world, so he was no stranger to this.

"So, the secret is—"

"Using a time converter, it can take you back several hours."

"Go back in time?" Hermione stared at him in shock. "But...but Professor, how is that possible!"

"Otherwise, why would a student choose two conflicting courses?" Felix retorted.

Hermione was speechless.

She heard Professor Hyp continue, "I haven't studied this exquisite magical artifact and don't know its structure. But according to publicly available information, the Ministry of Magic is extremely strict about the use of the Time-Turner, having enacted hundreds of laws for this purpose and imposing the harshest penalties for its misuse."

"Why did that student—"

"Strict guarantees and scrutiny are required, Miss Granger. Behind your back, the headmasters of Hogwarts—now Dumbledore—have vouched for it themselves, and Professor McGonagall must write various letters to prove that the user is an absolutely exemplary student, to ensure that it will not be used for anything other than academic purposes."

Hermione suddenly remembered one of Percy's nicknames—Model Percy.

"So, if it's you applying, Professor McGonagall shouldn't refuse," Felix reassured her.

If his assistant got his hands on the time converter, perhaps he would have a chance to conduct research? But Felix viewed this sudden idea with caution; from the meager available information, he had only seen dangerous cases of time converter abuse.

Using a time converter is not dangerous; what is dangerous is presumptuously manipulating time.

Hermione left satisfied.

Before leaving, Professor Hyp warned her, "Don't reveal the existence of the Time-Turner to anyone. It will put Professor McGonagall in a very difficult position and pose a huge threat to the user."

……

The other second-year wizards were also worried about course selection, as it would significantly impact their future—this course selection would essentially determine the subject range for the OWLs and NEWTs exams.

Each little wizard has their own method—

Students from wizarding families often discuss these topics in detail with their families, but sometimes this has the opposite effect. For example, Neville had several relatives writing to him with conflicting advice, leaving him bewildered and unsure of what to do.

"Don't you think arithmetic divination sounds harder to learn than ancient runes?" Hermione asked Harry in the common room when she returned.

"Uh...maybe?" Harry mumbled, with a course selection form and course information in his hand.

Ron patted Neville on the shoulder: "Buddy, of course we'll choose the Ancient Runes!"

Neville said hastily, "My memory is bad, Professor Snape said—"

"Oh, don't listen to him, he never says anything nice," Ron said in a mysterious low voice. "Let me tell you a secret, Professor Hyp is the strongest of all the teachers. Once you become his student, Snape will never dare to bully you again."

"But...but Professor Hyp is Snape's student!"

Ron was speechless, stammering, "Maybe they don't get along." Seeing Hermione walk in, he immediately sought her support: "Hermione, you should know, right?"

"I haven't seen any evidence of discord between the two professors!"

Ron sullenly sat back down in his chair.

Harry looked up and asked Hermione, "Did you get any advice from Professor Hyp?"

"I didn't ask about the details of course selection, I just resolved a question..." She thought of Felix's advice to her and vaguely touched on the topic.

Percy was quite willing to give advice to the younger students. Surrounded by a group of people, his voice reached Harry and the others: "It's related to your plans for the future. If you enjoy outdoor activities, feel free to choose the Conservation of Magical Creatures class; if you're passionate about calculations and puzzles, you can choose Divination; I personally highly recommend Ancient Runes, Professor Hyp has given this course a whole new meaning."

The young wizards nodded in agreement, envying the magical puppets that filled the school.

"...Some people might tell you that Muggle research is foolish, but personally, I believe wizards should have a comprehensive understanding of non-magical societies, especially since you can't be sure you won't be working in close contact with Muggles. And, by the way, Professor Hyp is an expert in this field!"

"As for the divination course, I highly recommend it to you. The reason is very simple. If you have a talent for prophecy, this course will change your life; even if you don't, divination is the easiest subject to pass."

The young wizards left thoughtfully.

Harry also had a similar experience, and he was thinking about a question at that moment: What should I do in the future?

If we're talking about what he's best at, it's undoubtedly Quidditch, but he's unsure if he'll ever become a professional Quidditch player.

Finally, after discussing it with Ron, he chose the same few new courses—Protection of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Ancient Runes.

He felt that if these courses were difficult to learn, at least there was someone willing to help him in a friendly way.

Dean, who also grew up among Muggles, told the two, "Except for ancient runes, I choose them all with my eyes closed."

Other students, influenced by Felix, also tended to prioritize ancient runes.

A huge surprise awaits him when the new school year begins.

Felix was completely unaware of this.

The storyline for this academic year is nearing its end, and the author is preparing to wrap it up, experiencing some writer's block.

Wishing all candidates the best of luck and hope they live up to their potential!

(End of this chapter)