A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 313: Dangerous Ancient Magic

Inside the Magical Texts Club, young wizards and witches sat comfortably on various-sized sofas, chatting animatedly about their plans for the holidays.

"I'm definitely going to the World Cup... I'll also be visiting relatives with my family. My uncle has a strange beast with a high humped back and a pair of long horns..."

In a corner of the sofa, Hermione whispered, "I think he's talking about an Erumpent. They're usually found in mountainous regions, all purple and quite aggressive"

"Oh, Hermione, we're done with exams," Ron interjected.

"This isn't exam material"

"I know, you're just so excited about getting a response from Newt Scamander that you're practically bursting, and you've memorized all his notes," Ron teased.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, while Hermione shot them an embarrassed glance.

Harry fiddled with a seven-sided Muggle coin. Professor Harp had told him that he could use the Animagus Transfiguration outside the Room of Requirement only when the entire coin turned into a bright gold color. But there was still one missing corner, and Harry hoped to fill it before the holidays.

Ron cast an envious glance at the coin. He had tried a few times while practicing with Harry, but without success. He harbored a wish to master the spell before the twins did and then tease them about it.

"Harry, when is Professor Lupin's farewell gathering? Is it confirmed?" Ron inquired.

"Day after tomorrow," Harry replied, "It's a small gathering, some professors... and us."

"It's strange," Ron mused, "I thought Snape wouldouch!" Harry hurriedly stomped on Ron's foot, reminding him, "I mean, considering Snape's attitude towards Professor Lupin, he wouldn't mind revealing his secret, would he..."

Hermione added, "Professor Snape knew about it long ago, right from the start. He had no reason to expose it."

"What I meant was"

Harry, deep in thought, said, "Perhaps he's a bit embarrassed. After all, Professor Lupin did help him out, didn't he? He doesn't need a Patronus Charm." Though he said this, he still couldn't be sure if the silver light he had glimpsed on Snape's wand that day was real or just his imagination.

Or perhaps it was entirely unrelated to the Patronus Charm?

At that moment, Professor Harp walked over, holding a shallow basin in his hands, and the young wizards and witches gathered around curiously.

"What's this... a Pensieve?" a sixth-year student exclaimed excitedly. "Professor, is this a Pensieve?"

"Just a replica," Felix chuckled, placing the basin on a small table so everyone could see. "We'll be using it shortly."

The gray basin contained some silvery substance that looked like liquid clouds or molten silver, swirling slowly.

Harry remembered, during his first Ancient Runes class, the professor had introduced this ancient magical creation that could store and view memories. He thought of his unnamed book and couldn't help but speculate if it served a similar purpose.

Felix sat down, smiling at everyone. "Many of you are aware that I'll be teaching you an ancient magic during the final part of this year. I'm pleased to see that you've all mastered the necessary runic components."

"Illuminum Lumenmy own name for it. Originally, I thought it could only be used for illumination, but I recently discovered it has some restraining effects on dark creatures as well. It can dispel magical dark mists... in summary, it's a useful spell that falls under the category of defensive magic."

With that, Felix pronounced some peculiar incantations, gesturing forward. He deliberately slowed down the process, making it traceable. The young wizards craned their necks, afraid of missing any details.

One ancient rune after another materialized out of thin air, as if they had always been there but hidden from view. They were smaller than the tip of a little finger, intricately interwoven into a complex pattern. The next moment, milky-white light blossomed from the professor's fingertips.

"I've only demonstrated the casting process, not its true power. In fact, the upper limit of this spell is hard to gauge." Felix grinned. "But I don't think anyone will get so bored as to deplete their magic"

He suddenly paused, as more than one young wizard looked eager to try it out. He rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Well, that was boring for him, but for the young witches and wizards, it was quite an amusing entertainment.

So he warned them once again, "Even though this spell is safe enough, the worst danger is feeling drained of magic afterward. It's quite uncomfortable, I must say. I can only tell you that if you faint, you'll be glad you did."

The professor's solemn tone made the students somewhat more restrained. Felix continued, "It's immensely powerful, hard to control. That's the hallmark of ancient magic. But why is it like that? Has anyone thought about it?"

The club members started a lively discussion. Over the past half-year, they had progressed far beyond novices in the field of Ancient Runes. When it came to practical runic magic, they were among the best in the wizarding world.

Although Felix still considered them rather weak.

"Perhaps it requires a great deal of magical power?"

"It's clearly not that. I guess when the magical runes converge into a pattern, any mistakes could trigger an explosion."

Draco Malfoy suddenly spoke up, "My father says ancient magic is quite malevolent. Once it takes form, it gains its own consciousness, drawing on the caster's magic, even their life..."

The discussion grew quieter, and everyone looked at him with wary eyes.

Felix clapped his hands, "Hmm, Malfoy, to some extent, I can't say you're entirely wrong. This brings us to the question of how we can master an ancient magic..."

"First step, you need to master all the corresponding ancient runes of the spell, preferably to a level of expertise, understanding the magical symbols of the runes themselves."

In the air before him, runes appeared one after another, taking on various forms and then disappearing without a sound.

"Taking Illuminum Lumen as an example, it has a core meaning of 'light.' There are six secondary core runes representing different attributes of light. Around these are seventeen less important runes."

Felix displayed all these runes one by one. Everyone present mastered them, at least the seven core runes, to an expert level.

"Second step, you need to arrange the runes in a specific sequence. In ancient times, this was a wizard's most closely guarded secret, only revealed to immediate family members."

"The logic is simple. Wizards back then didn't have a vast array of spells, and many were similar. Once these secrets got out, enemies could easily target them."

"To complete this step, while not simple, it isn't terribly difficult. The best way is to practice extensively. Except for certain obscure ancient spells, this step isn't very dangerous, especially for the Illuminum Lumen spell we're discussing today."

Hermione nodded along. Her practice process had gone quite smoothly. Even if a runic sequence collapsed, it simply transformed into pure magic. After each practice, she would jot down her insights and review them regularly.

"Lastly, we reach the crucial point, where the distinctive trait of ancient magic truly shinesshaping."

Felix surveyed the room, satisfied to see all the students listening intently. He continued, "The form of ancient magic isn't fixed. The same spell might manifest as a phoenix of fire for one person, a firebird for another, a fiery lizard, or even a fire crab."

He gave an exaggerated example, eliciting chuckles from the young wizards.

"The first half of Malfoy's statement is quite accurate. Once ancient magic takes form, it's as if it gains its own consciousness. It instinctively draws on the caster's magic to strengthen itself, much like a voracious creature. At this point, you must possess the ability to control your magic, to counteract this pull."

"Furthermore, since ancient magic lacks a fixed form, you need to make it heed your command, following your will... How much magic do you want to pour into it? How long should it last? What form should it take? What attributes do you enhance? How do you make it end?"

Felix posed a series of questions and waited a few moments in silence. He then spread his hands, saying, "Regrettably, there are no fixed answers to any of these. It all relies on your judgment."

"So, once you're learning a powerful offensive ancient magic, you can imagine the consequences if it spirals out of control."

Harry followed the professor's train of thought, envisioning what it would be like for an ancient fire-based magic. If it didn't take form, that was fine, but if it accidentally succeeded and then couldn't be controlled, draining his magic, he could only watch as the magic consumed him...

"But fortunately" Felix raised his voice, snapping the young wizards out of their dreadful reverie, "the Illuminum Lumen you're learning isn't that dangerous. At the very least, you won't have to worry about being incinerated by flames, corroded by toxic mist, or struck down into a dry husk by lightning."

The young wizards stared wide-eyed, not finding much consolation from the professor's words.

"Does anyone know the lesson this holds for us?"

One of the twins muttered, "Don't let it take form."

"Absolutely right," Felix said, giving him an approving look. Fred grinned widely; he had just blurted out a thought.

"Don't let your ancient magic take form easily. Repeat the second step over and over until you feel extremely confident. Only then can you proceed to the next phase of experimentation."

"Each one of you will undergo an assessment before leaving the school. I'll also be writing to your parents to explain the situation. Private practice is strictly prohibited. Even draining your magic is foolish behavior, understood?"

The young wizards fell silent like startled crickets. The professor had never been this stern. They nodded fervently.

"Very well, you have about a week to grasp the basics of Illuminum Lumen," Felix gestured to the basin, "Utilize it."

Felix stood up, surveying the room. "Who wants to go in first? Although it's a replica, I've retained some of the characteristics of the Pensieve. Entering it is a bit like diving, and personally, I find that quite amusing."

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