A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 249: The Origin of Names

In the old district of London, within the city cemetery, the evening sun stubbornly clung to the horizon, refusing to descend.

Felix Harp, draped in a dark overcoat, stood before a tombstone.

"Locke," Felix murmured, "You must be quite curious about what happened today. Only in front of you can I truly open up..."

"I did a good deed, saved a pair of war heroes; but it seems I also did something not so good. I meticulously schemed, thinking I could manipulate hearts, but the results went against my expectations."

"I understand what Dumbledore meant, it's all about the influence of negative and positive emotions on magic, and he said it so cryptically..." Felix shrugged.

"In my younger years, I advanced in Dark Magic fueled by negative emotions. Even though I later abandoned it, I found it never truly left me."

"Seeing Neville, I couldn't help but envy him."

"He has parents to accompany him, classmates who care for him. Even though his talent isn't outstanding, he has friendly peers to help and encourage him. When bullied by students from other houses, there are those who stand up for him."

Felix spoke softly, "I know I should be happy, as I played a hand in this, but, Locke, I feel lonely."

"Why wasn't I this lucky back in the day?"

His overcoat swirled without wind, the deep black magic naturally emanating from him, fanged and clawed, yet bound within a certain range.

Despite Felix's self-proclaimed composure and reason, he couldn't escape the impact.

Among those he knew, only Snape understood him best. Snape once asked him, "Has someone truly entered your heart?" He had deflected the topic at the time.

The answer, of course, was no.

The sky gradually darkened, people occasionally passed through the cemetery. They would lay down bouquets, stay silent for a few minutes, and then quietly depart, until—

"Felix? Felix Harp?" A stranger's voice came from behind him.

Felix turned around in surprise. He wasn't surprised to see a young couple, but rather that they knew his name.

They were clearly ordinary people.

Felix scrutinized the man who had spoken for a moment and tentatively said, "Jim?"

The man smiled, "Impressive that you remember me. I left the orphanage when you were only nine, right?"

"My memory has always been good," Felix shrugged, "How did you recognize me?"

Jim explained, "Black hair, standing by Evelyn's tombstone, the age matches. I guessed and it turned out right." He introduced the woman beside him, "This is my wife, Rebecca."

Rebecca was a cheerful redhead. She appraised Felix with her eyes and playfully tapped Jim's chest, "You never mentioned you had such a handsome friend."

Jim complained, "It's been so long since we've seen each other. Back then, he was just a little troublemaker, full of mischief..."

"A little troublemaker, huh?" Rebecca grinned.

In the London old district, within the city cemetery, evening cast its last defiant rays as the sun lingered.

Felix Harp, draped in a dark overcoat, stood before a tombstone.

"Cough cough, what I mean is, mischievous and spirited, he started setting traps to deal with bullies when he was quite young. He was quite famous for that at the orphanage back then."

Felix looked at them with a playful expression, "You two seem to have a great relationship... What brings you here today?"

Jim said, "I just returned to London and accompanied Rebecca to visit a grave. When we came out, we saw you. I wasn't entirely sure, so I circled around. The light on the other side was a bit dim."

Felix immediately retracted the magic he had unconsciously dispersed. Jim shook his head. Was it just an illusion? It seemed like the light brightened ever so slightly.

Jim extended an invitation to Felix, "We're planning to pay a visit to the old Headmaster. Rebecca hasn't met him yet. Care to join us?"

"Of course," Felix agreed readily.

The three of them got into a taxi, traversing streets and alleys. Felix gazed at the cityscape with curiosity; some warm orange lights had already come to life.

"Felix, I haven't asked you. Where are you working?"

"I was at Neil & Co. in London before, but now I've moved to Scotland. I can come back once a year."

Rebecca exclaimed, surprised, "Neil & Co., that emerging company, it's quite well-known now. Why did you leave?"

Felix smiled, "I found a more suitable opportunity."

The taxi stopped in front of an old house in the old district. Shadows streaked across the walls, and the courtyard was covered in snow.

"Headmaster, we've come to visit you!" Jim called out excitedly. After a moment, a small, white-haired old man emerged.

The old man put on the glasses hanging on his chest and scrutinized them, "Jim," then he looked at Felix and laughed, "Lucky Felix, it's you. Didn't you visit a few months ago?"

"Had some business this time, ran into Jim, so we came together," Felix said, changing the subject, "Let's chat inside. Jim has brought his wife along."

Sitting on an old brown sofa, Felix almost reached for the beer in the refrigerator but stopped himself just in time.

Close call ~ Almost blew my cover ~

The four of them enjoyed chilled beers and chatted casually. Soon, they got to talking about Felix's recent life. Felix presented himself as a professional manager, his company in Scotland, but he traveled all over the world.

He happened to have a wealth of experiences, no risk of exposing himself.

Jim asked a question, "Headmaster, why do you always call him 'Lucky Felix'?"

The old Headmaster grinned widely, "Ah, when we found him as a baby, he was in a large water tank, three feet deep. He wasn't drowned, but instead, he swam joyfully. Isn't that lucky?"

'Felix' in English does indeed carry the meaning of luck.

"And what about my last name?" Felix couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm, let me think..." The old Headmaster pondered, "You were different from the other children. You would call out when hungry or thirsty, but you wouldn't when there was nothing wrong. Also, when other kids soiled their pants, you were always eager to alert someone..."

Felix's face darkened. Wasn't it because the smell was overpowering and he couldn't stand it? He quickly called someone over to deal with it.

"...So, the caregivers at that time started calling you 'helper,' as in someone who offers help." The old Headmaster laughed.

Felix was hearing for the first time that his name had come about this way. Indeed, back then, some people called him 'helper,' but the pronunciation of 'helper' and his surname were quite different.

"Transliteration, you know. Can't be too straightforward, might make me seem unrefined..." The old Headmaster defended himself, though he later admitted when he was tipsy that he never had much education.

Jim summarized, "So, the meaning of Felix's name is 'lucky helper'? And mine, mine?"

"You?" The old Headmaster shot him a glance, "You didn't stand out at the time, so we just picked one casually."

Jim pouted, looking hurt, and sought refuge in Rebecca's embrace, prompting her to push him away repeatedly.

The old Headmaster treated them to a meal and promptly sent them on their way.

"It's good that you came to see me. Now off you go, tend to your own business!"

Leaving the old Headmaster's place, Felix bid Jim farewell and walked into a dim alley, his figure fading away.

As he returned to his office, he saw a figure standing at the door. He suddenly remembered he forgot to cancel today's magical writing tutoring. "Professor Harp!" Hermione greeted enthusiastically.

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