A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 262 Response

As Felix emerged from the school hospital, he stood by the window in the castle corridor and saw the young wizards returning from their holidays appearing from below the long ramp. Even though he couldn't hear them, he could imagine from their body language how excited they were talking.

"School starts tomorrow. I'd better ask Percy Weasley at the dinner party. Eleven or twelve years old... it's hard not to make some connections at that time..." Felix muttered to himself. "And the conversation between Dumbledore and Lupin. Although the specific details are unknown, we can get a sense of it by looking at the headmaster's subsequent actions."

"It feels like I've stepped onto a crucial juncture in a drama. Will it end uneventfully, or will it be a stunning twist?"

"Felix—"

Professor McGonagall's voice came from the other side of the corridor. She walked quickly, the hem of her robe fluttering behind her.

"My Patronus couldn't find you..." She walked up to Felix, her chest heaving, and said quickly, "Dumbledore has arranged a series of tasks: Hagrid and Snape are going to the station to pick up students, Flitwick is going to modify the magic on the school walls, and several secret passages need to be temporarily sealed off... He himself is going to meet with the centaur leader—"

Felix's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Did Headmaster Dumbledore mention any orders regarding the rats?"

"Oh," Professor McGonagall gave him a strange look, "Dumbledore said you might know, and told me not to hide it from you. But it's best not to tell anyone—"

"I'm going to the school hospital and common room to see if Weasley's rat is still there. Good heavens, I couldn't believe it when Dumbledore told me that it could possibly be an Animagus of a dark wizard."

"Is there anything I can do, Minerva?"

"There are two secret passages in the castle that connect directly to Hogsmeade. I need your help to seal them off..."

Later, in the faculty lounge next to the Great Hall, Felix saw Dumbledore again. He was talking closely with Professor McGonagall, and both of them had serious expressions on their faces.

"Percy Weasley told me it was twelve years..."

Besides McGonagall, he also saw Lupin, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. He looked tired and even more exhausted.

Professor McGonagall was still reporting on the tasks Dumbledore had assigned her, "...Hagrid and Snape completed their tasks well without any mishaps, but Flitwick still needs some time. As for the seven secret passages, four of them were sealed off a long time ago, and as for the other three, you told me to leave the Whomping Willow alone for now, and the remaining two—" She looked at Felix.

Felix said, "The one-eyed witch statue on the fourth floor of the castle has been sealed by magic, and the one behind the mirror on the fifth floor has collapsed."

After a brief pause, he couldn't help but ask, "Dumbledore, I don't quite understand. Are you worried that Black might come in through the secret passage? Why don't we set a trap for him?"

Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "The risks are too great. They connect directly to the interior of the castle. I left the only secret passage on the Willow of the Forbidden Forest open, which might lead to Black's trail."

He looked at the three people present and said in a low voice, "I don't want too many people to know before the truth comes out. Of the three of you, one is too deeply entangled with the past, one is a trusted deputy, and the other may have already discovered some clues..."

"I have to tell you: the claim that Sirius Black betrayed the Potters is questionable, because Peter Pettigrew, whom he allegedly killed, may still be alive, and may even have lived in the Weasley household for twelve years as Ron Weasley's pet mouse, Scabbers."

McGonagall exclaimed, "My God! Is it true? Albus, you told me before that he was a dark wizard..."

Lupin looked at Felix, who remained calm and composed, showing no surprise whatsoever. Just as Dumbledore had said, Felix Heap was indeed a remarkably astute man. Was this the most outstanding student Slytherin had produced in recent decades?

Half a semester later, he had gained some understanding of this frighteningly young professor. When he first learned about Felix's performance in school, he was almost speechless with astonishment.

This was far more outrageous than what they had done back then, including the duel that had shaken the wizarding world. He had heard a more complete version of it, and from then on, he kept his distance from Felix. He felt that if he came into contact with him a few more times, his identity might be exposed...

Dumbledore replied softly, "I'm not sure, Minerva. The two most crucial people, Black is still on the run, and Scabbers the Rat is also missing, he might not even return..."

Lupin interjected, "That's highly unlikely. I know him. If the rat really is Peter, he'll observe from somewhere he considers safe, not too far away, until things develop in the way he expects before he shows up."

Dumbledore nodded and said, "That's also why I don't want to reveal the secret. Besides the lack of evidence, I'm actually hoping that Ron Weasley's pet will come forward on its own, which would save us a lot of time."

Professor McGonagall asked anxiously, "Albus, should we tell Potter and the others?"

"It's best not to," Dumbledore rejected her suggestion. "Minerva, the more people who know the secret, the greater the risk of it leaking out. Besides, if Potter and his men give anything away, we might never see that rat again."

He paused, then added, "And the worst-case scenario is that the rats will harm them."

Felix suggested, "Perhaps we could leak some information to Miss Granger. We can't keep an eye on them all the time, and based on my understanding of these three students, they're very likely to start their own investigation."

Dumbledore looked troubled. "That is indeed a problem, Felix. You know Miss Granger well enough; do you think she is capable of this task?"

"I don't think there's any problem," Felix glanced at Lupin. "She's very good at uncovering the truth and keeping secrets."

At the end of this brief conversation, Lupin couldn't help but ask Dumbledore, "Could we inform the Ministry of Magic and ask them to go easy on Sirius Black...?"

"On what grounds?" Dumbledore countered, his deep blue eyes gleaming in the dim room.

"All of the above is based on assumptions, our speculations about existing questions, but Black has always been the Potters' confidant, and you agree with that, Remus? I provided this crucial testimony to the Ministry of Magic back then, and according to my information, he offered no defense during private questioning, which made me utterly disappointed in him..."

"We have no evidence. The Ministry of Magic will hardly accept your testimony based on just a picture of an ordinary rat, and once they know your identity—" Dumbledore said, "your words will be greatly diminished."

Lupin's expression darkened. If he were to testify, he would have to reveal what happened back then, including his werewolf identity. And the entire wizarding world knew the Ministry of Magic's attitude towards werewolves.

"Remus, we've done our best."

The short meeting ended, and Professor McGonagall and Lupin both left. "Felix—" Dumbledore called out to him from behind. Felix looked at the headmaster with a puzzled expression.

"If you capture Black—I have no doubt about that—I hope you can keep him under control and not let anyone else know, especially Severus and the Ministry of Magic."

"I understand the Ministry of Magic, but Professor Snape—"

"The misunderstanding between them runs too deep, and I'm worried that Severus might do something irrational." Dumbledore showed signs of exhaustion for the first time. "I have to think more about this, Felix."

"...I promise you, Headmaster."

Felix turned and left the faculty lounge. Waves of lively noise filled the auditorium as everyone chatted excitedly. He saw Fred and George tapping their cutlery on their glasses and empty plates, making a crisp sound.

……

The banquet ended amidst laughter and merriment. Felix returned to his office and reviewed the day's events in his mind. He realized that the key to the whole affair was Sirius Black and Scabbers the Rat. Once one of them was caught, the long-buried truth would be revealed to the world.

He shook his head, deciding to focus on teaching in the new semester. The magic of the Mind Hut had undergone a dramatic transformation, giving him a great idea.

"Try it in the seventh-grade ancient runes class. The world of thought is getting more and more wonderful. I can't even predict what it will become in the end."

(End of this chapter)