A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 404: Alchemy

"Gryffindor gets five points."

"Today, our magical insights come from the descendants of Andros, or perhaps his nephews, documenting some of Andros's views on magic, just a collection of his musings," Felix spoke gently. "Though I might not entirely agree with some points within, they do serve as good mind-openers."

Ron, basking in the glory of the awarded points, sat a bit dazed. Even though this year's House Cup was canceled due to the tournament, this still felt like an honor, especially witnessing the discontent among Slytherin students.

Felix, too, found unexpected gains. Throughout the class, everyone enthusiastically participated, and he was awarding points left and right, like they were freebies—

"Miss Gringlass, precise answer, Slytherin gains five points."

"Mr. Phinegan, though your hand was quick, your answer lacked depth, only two points. Let me explain further; immense power doesn't necessarily equate to explosive power. We can discuss this issue separately at another time. I happen to know some useful techniques."

"Crab... Your answer is quite imaginative, please take a seat."

...

At the end of the class, Hermione stayed back.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said, while Harry and Ron eagerly looked on. She calmly continued, "We need to decipher the secret of the golden egg. Apart from relying on luck, we have two approaches: one involves using various unlocking spells, like Revelio or Revealing Charms, or even something like Revealing Rubber... We plan to try each one! The second approach revolves around alchemy," she shrugged, "after all, this is a magical item. If we can decipher its production method, whatever secrets it holds will be revealed."

She glanced at Felix, seeking his opinion. "Professor, we believe this is a test for the champions, isn't it?"

Felix remained noncommittal. "I haven't handled a golden egg myself, so I can't give an accurate answer. However, your approaches seem reasonable. If I were in your place, I'd think the same way."

Hermione's expression appeared greatly encouraged, casting a triumphant glance at Harry and Ron.

Harry, on the other hand, thought relying on luck wasn't a bad method. Despite occasional misfortune and dangerous escapades, he was still in one piece... that said a lot.

Felix compiled a list of books, signing his name on it. "There are some books from Mr. Nicolas Flamel's collection and research. I've picked out a few that seemed fitting and placed them in the library. Part of the introductory books on alchemy is in the alchemical section, while those related to alchemical item crafting are in the restricted section."

He handed the signed book list to Hermione, walking out of the classroom with them.

"I was just about to head to the library myself. I'll help you out; some books are quite hidden, and Mrs. Pince might not stumble upon them..."

Hermione asked with great interest, "Professor, are you researching something new?"

"Oh, sort of," muttered Felix. "If the Iron Armor Charm counts as something new."

Outside the library, there was a commotion. A crowd was gathered, two older witches excitedly peering inside. Hermione impatiently remarked, "Can't he take the books back to his ship to read?"

Felix caught sight of Krum's figure, understanding that these people were probably his admirers.

Ron's expression turned odd; he used to admire Krum greatly, but since becoming a champion himself, unconsciously viewed him as a rival. With one hand on his bag, he pondered whether to pull out parchment for an autograph.

However, when he noticed a few girls at the entrance scrutinizing them and whispering, he withdrew his hand, straightening his posture as though awaiting inspection. After all, he was one of the champions, seeking an autograph from another champion seemed too embarrassing.

"What are you thinking?" Harry nudged his shoulder.

Ron realized that Professor Moody and Hermione had already entered. Suppressing a laugh, Harry said, "You're not expecting someone to ask for your autograph, are you?"

"Oh, no, why would I?" Ron blurted out, his face suddenly reddening.

At that moment, they saw Moody coming out with a book in hand. Passing by them, he stopped, both eyes fixed on them.

"You did well, especially the tunneling move, brilliant! Yes, suits you well."

The two stared at Professor Moody hobbling away. Ron incredulously said, "Suits us? Does he think we're groundhogs? We just didn't have any other choice..."

Harry shook his head. "Perhaps he thinks, at our age, avoiding direct confrontation with dragons is the right choice."

Entering the library, they found Hermione already piled up with books, beckoning them. Beside her was Professor Felix, with an equally towering stack of books, taller than Hermione's.

Harry and Ron took their seats, staring at the books before Hermione.

"'Interpreting Common Alchemical Items', 'Complete Guide to Alchemical Techniques', 'Nick LeMay's Manuscript I', 'Nine Schools of Alchemy', 'The Dispute of the Fifth Element', 'Concealing Your Secrets', 'Unreliable Alchemy'..."

Ron's finger traced the titles on the book spines, reading aloud.

"You might want to start with the basics. I recommend 'Unreliable Alchemy,' from a 17th-century alchemist," Felix flipped a page, not bothering to lift his head.

As he spoke, a hefty tome in front of Harry and Ron flew open with a loud "thud," landing in front of them. "This book introduces the fundamental concepts of alchemy, refuting some erroneous perspectives stemming from the Muggle world..."

He hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist adding a few more words.

"If this author delved deeper or if someone followed his thoughts, they might discover a realm as fascinating as alchemy itself. However, magical ideology restricted him, coupled with the fact that in his era, ordinary people confused chemistry with alchemy, and the alchemical craze prevailed. Many errors were glaringly obvious..."

He paused, somewhat nostalgic. "So, you'll find this author holds disdain for the conventional notion of 'alchemy'."

"After the 'Secrecy Law', alchemists no longer paid attention to those absurd conclusions from the non-magical world. And as it turns out: they, referring to Muggles, had their own alchemy; they simply gave it a different name—chemistry."

>

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