aircannonsinc Chapter 104 Four Professors
Chapter 104 Four Professors
In the center of the auditorium, hundreds of candles burned, and the sky on the ceiling was like black velvet, with not a single star in sight.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood among the Gryffindors, whispering to each other.
"Harry, have you finished your form?" Hermione asked him.
"More or less," Harry mumbled, admitting he'd only filled out a third of his form.
Two weeks ago, after the last dueling class, Hermione told him that sparks coming out of the tip of his staff was a sign that the Disarming Charm was about to succeed. So when he returned to the common room, he couldn't resist pulling Ron to practice with him for half an hour.
Having failed repeatedly and exhausted, Ron suggested that he pretend to be Malfoy, or even Snape.
As a result, he successfully used the disarming spell.
Hermione was very envious when she heard the news the next day. "Harry, you're a genius! I dare say no one your age can do that."
Harry said somewhat awkwardly, "I have a special feeling about this spell."
The little witch took a piece of paper out of her bag. "Let's go through the evaluation criteria that Professor Hyp gave us."
Harry stood there dumbfounded: "Hermione, I haven't even had a chance to see it yet..."
……
Inside the auditorium.
Ron couldn't help but interject, "Harry's Disarming Charm is already very skilled; he succeeds eight or nine times out of ten, unlike me..." He suddenly made a face, "...succeeds only once or twice out of ten."
Hermione pulled a parchment from her robes; the form on it was filled with data. She said anxiously, "I can use it, but this, this, and this standard—I'm barely meeting them. What if I wake up one day and suddenly can't remember them anymore?"
Neville, who had been listening for a while, humbly asked Hermione, "Hermione, what should I do if I fill out the form but still haven't mastered the spell?"
Hermione: "Uh..." After a long pause, she said uncertainly, "Have you tried breaking down the exercises?"
"Of course I tried, but I didn't meet the requirements for two-thirds of the items..." Neville's round little face scrunched up, and he said pitifully, "I'm too stupid. Maybe Professor Snape is right."
"Don't be discouraged, Neville. I can help you sort out the parts you're not good at," Hermione said.
"Th-thank you, Hermione."
Harry comforted him, saying, "Neville, we can practice together."
"Exactly, don't worry about Snape, your Herbalism class is fantastic," Ron said. "Neville, believe in yourself, you're an unpolished gem, and one day you'll shine brightly."
To be honest, after going through Lockhart's trials, he can now say nice things without batting an eye.
Neville's face quickly turned red, and he even seemed a little flattered.
He said somewhat shyly and haltingly, "I just like to tend to flowers and plants. My grandma grows a lot of flowers, and I take care of them during the holidays."
"See, that's your strength," Harry encouraged him.
On the other side, Felix stood at the entrance of the auditorium, waiting for the arrival of several professors.
Professor Flitwick arrived first. He had changed out of his usual wizard robes and was wearing a fitted men's suit with his hair neatly styled.
"Felius, you look great today," Felix complimented.
Flitwick was in a good mood. "Thank you, Felix. This is the outfit I wore when I won the Duel Championship."
The two started chatting casually.
"Felix, have you made any progress in your research on that magic?"
"It's barely usable, but to be honest, it's so incomplete that I would even say it's a simplified spell mixed with ancient magical ideas..."
"Ahem! Felix, there's nothing I can do; very few ancient magic spells have been passed down intact."
The two discussed the feasibility of replicating ancient magic, but even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice; they had too little information at hand, and the magical world had no common research approach.
Felix, however, felt that if he mastered a sufficient number of runes, he would one day be able to restore the spell very easily.
I just don't know how many years it will take.
He has quietly lowered the priority of this matter, preparing to let things take their course.
Soon, Professor McGonagall and Snape arrived together. Perhaps Felix's gaze was too obvious, for Snape couldn't help but taunt him. "What's going on in your head, Felix?"
"It's nothing, I just thought you'd be counting down the time to come," he said somewhat awkwardly.
With all four professors present, Felix got down to business: "My idea is that this dueling class will be primarily a demonstration. Each of us will present the most essential aspects of our own views on dueling."
"In subsequent courses, I will invite different professors in stages so that you can fully explain your ideas."
Flitwick was the first to respond, "Of course, no problem."
No one else objected.
So when the four professors appeared in the Great Hall and stepped onto the gilded arena, the young wizards were all shocked.
Ron groaned, "What day is it today?"
The crowd erupted in excitement, with hundreds of students buzzing with discussion. The young wizards from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor burst into thunderous applause, welcoming their Head of House.
"Where's Professor Sprout?" asked a second-year Hufflepuff wizard.
"Ernie, Ms. Sprout doesn't care about this..." said an upperclassman.
The other three professors remained silent, all looking at Felix.
Felix stepped forward, bolstering his voice with a booming tone: "It is an honor to have Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick with us today. They are eager to show you even more possibilities in dueling. Rejoice, young wizards!"
The audience erupted in applause, as if it were a festival; Harry's hands were red from clapping.
"Do you think Snape doesn't want to do this anymore?"
"Although I think you're overthinking it, it's a really good idea!"
After some refusals, Professor McGonagall stayed in the ring, while the other three stepped down.
Flitwick pulled out a handkerchief, turned it into a platform, and stood on it.
Professor McGonagall clasped her hands tightly together, looking at everyone with a serious expression, and the crowd gradually quieted down.
Everyone was curious about what she would say, since in their minds, Transfiguration and dueling had little to do with each other.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and calmly looked at all the students, saying, "Transfiguration is a profound magical discipline. It can accomplish many incredible things, and your Headmaster Dumbledore is the most skilled in this field."
"That's interesting," Ron muttered from the audience. "Don't tell me he defeated the Dark Lord using Transfiguration."
"Of course, that requires profound magical support, which is difficult for you to achieve," McGonagall said. "The significance of Transfiguration for you lies not in its power, but in enriching your means."
"The core of Transfiguration is change, change at will."
Professor McGonagall drew her wand, raised her arm straight up, and a chair that had been piled in the corner flew over.
The chair transformed into a large black cat in mid-air, which landed nimbly and lightly on the ground. Following Professor McGonagall's command with her wand, the cat quickly circled around her.
The next second, it suddenly leaped up, its body rapidly expanding and transforming into a majestic lion, its golden mane reflecting a fine light.