A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 38: Tracking

Nighttime at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hid in the bushes at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, constantly gazing towards the direction of the castle.

Hermione said somewhat impatiently, "I don't think we should suspect the professors..."

Ron quickly interjected, "Hermione, we've been burned by that before, remember Professor Quirrell in our first year? Who would've thought the timid guy had Voldemort sticking to the back of his head?"

"But that doesn't mean other professors—" Hermione tried to argue, defending the professors she admired.

"Think about Lockhart. He might not be a dark wizard, but he sure isn't a competent professor either. Harry, have you forgotten when you had to impersonate a vampire in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Ron reminded.

Harry paused for a moment, suddenly feeling queasy.

So, in a hushed tone, Harry reassured her, "We're not suspecting, just curious. Let's see why he's going into the Forbidden Forest. It could help us eliminate a suspect, and maybe even seek Professor Harp's help."

Hermione fell silent.

The three of them hid in the bushes. The November night had brought a chill, and the thin mist intensified the cold sensation.

Ron's body had stiffened from the cold. Shivering, he said, "Maybe he won't show up tonight. Should we head back?"

"Let's wait a little longer," Harry advised patiently.

Time passed, approaching midnight.

A tall figure emerged from the castle.

"Someone's coming, it's Professor Harp!" The three of them got excited, their wait had not been in vain.

On the other side—

Felix Harp left the castle and headed towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

The cool night breeze brushed against his face, creating a pleasant sensation.

He reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and then felt as if something was watching him.

Small creatures? Forest creatures?

But they shouldn't appear at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Felix drew his wand, and from its tip shot out a burst of light. Several milky white sparks flew out and then exploded, illuminating a hundred-meter radius of the forest.

Nothing.

Feeling curious, he walked towards a large tree and inspected it carefully.

After a while, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

Across from him, three small figures were draped in Harry's invisibility cloak, hardly daring to breathe, their faces filled with tension as they watched the professor.

Harry could even feel his legs trembling, and Ron's warm breath was hitting his face.

Thankfully, the professor didn't suddenly reach out to lift their invisibility cloak. He brushed past them and entered the Forbidden Forest.

"Phew~" The trio took deep breaths.

"Did he notice us?"

"He probably didn't."

"Should we go back?" Ron suggested retreating.

"No, let's continue," surprisingly, it was Hermione who decided to press on.

So, the three of them held up the invisibility cloak and followed the professor's steps closely.

Felix's pace wasn't fast. He played with his wand, feeling a hint of curiosity.

The trio, the main characters' group, were there any "plot developments" waiting for them today?

Flaws were too numerous: disarrayed footprints near the tree, faint breaths, and an intuitive feeling that exposed the trio's position.

But what truly gave him away was the scent of his assistant's shampoo. That's why Felix Harp didn't immediately expose them.

Felix proceeded towards his intended destination, realizing that the three were following behind. This surprised him. Are they targeting me?

Well, that's fine. It's an opportunity to get to know the other two "main characters."

After approximately half an hour, Felix arrived at a clearing deep within the Forbidden Forest and halted.

About thirty or forty meters away, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were hiding behind a large tree. "What's he up to?"

"Hush!"

They watched as Felix raised his wand, waved his wrist, and three crimson curses struck the stones. In the astonished eyes of the onlookers, the stones transformed into three black, large dogs.

The dogs were half the height of a person, their fur sleek and shiny like the finest black velvet. The three imposing black dogs shifted slightly, then fixed their gaze on Felix. Their upper bodies lowered, teeth bared, and their eyes gleamed with aggression.

"Quite sophisticated Transfiguration... Look, they're practically alive!" Hermione whispered in amazement.

"I don't care about his Transfiguration skills, I just want to know why he came into the Forbidden Forest," Ron muttered, though he couldn't look away either.

However, the next moment took them by surprise. The three large black dogs charged at Professor Harp simultaneously, launching an attack. They were incredibly fast, covering over ten meters almost in the blink of an eye.

"Ah!" Hermione couldn't help but scream. From her perspective, the sharp teeth of the large dog were less than three feet from Professor Harp.

But Felix didn't dodge; instead, he skillfully cast a spell.

Hermione was anxious. Even if they blocked one large dog, there were still two more. Harry and Ron wore expressions of shock, especially Harry. A year had passed, and yet another professor was facing death before him?

However, they had clearly forgotten that all three large dogs were Transfigurations cast by Professor Harp.

In the span of a second, the situation on the field changed drastically.

Felix's figure abruptly vanished into a puff of black smoke, leaving behind a black cloud. The next instant, his form appeared two meters away. Just as quickly, a burst of red light shot out from his wand. His figure disappeared again, reappearing in another corner, casting another spell.

In the eyes of the trio, the professor seemed to split into three, simultaneously casting three spells.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Three large black dogs fell to the curses, collapsing instantly.

Underneath the Invisibility Cloak, they watched in astonishment.

"Merlin's beard, what kind of magic is that!" Ron exclaimed, his mouth agape, replaying the scene in his mind.

Amidst the black smoke, the stern face of the professor appeared along with a burst of red light, disappearing in a blink only to appear in another spot. This speed was astonishing, impossible to evade or resist.

Harry's eyes were equally wide.

In the center of the clearing, Felix, having just cast the spells, shook his head. It still wasn't quite right; he had deviated by half a meter.

This was the second teleportation. If he had done it ten or eight times, would he be at risk of being hit by his own curses?

The reason Felix had come out was to perfect his Triad Ambush technique. In his teenage enthusiasm, he had dubbed this tactic the "Instant Execution" skill. The principle was simple: three spells cast simultaneously, seamlessly blended, resulting in an effect much greater than the sum of its parts.

The speed of "Phantom Translocation," the might of "Solidification Hex," and most importantly, the "Thought Acceleration" that maintained his own balance and reaction capabilities.

When combined, Felix could release spells from multiple different locations in an instant, forming an elaborate crossfire line, achieving a terrifying effect of one person acting as an entire squad.

The principle was indeed simple, yet the path was exceedingly arduous.

The only challenge lay in enhancing his reaction time and maintaining physical balance in a split second.

At the beginning of the school year, he had developed the rudimentary form of this magic—or rather, a branching technique called the "Mind Chamber," suitable for instructional purposes. But that wasn't enough. Over the past two months, he had been far from idle.

While Hermione practiced magical texts in the Mind Chamber, he brainstormed how to apply it to combat situations.

Thankfully, he had gained quite a few insights recently.

This was why he had been venturing deep into the Forbidden Forest for the past few days—to avoid the ubiquitous Anti-Phantom Translocation spells within Hogwarts Castle!

"Two teleportations, it's somewhat acceptable." Felix was rather satisfied; there was room for improvement, after all.

Afterward, he looked up and fixed his gaze steadily in the direction of the trio.

"Come out."

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