Chapter 586: The Will of the Leader (2 in 1)

Felix continued to address them.

"Professor Snape should have told you that Potions is a delicate study, where attentiveness, discipline, patience, and just the right amount of wand wielding are all that matters. In the curriculum, the difficulty of learning will gradually increase, and each potion you concoct will be highly distinct and often involve subtle manipulation ..."

Harry, Ron, and Neville, as well as Hermione, looked at Felix in a daze, none of them ever thought they would have a day like this: listening to the ancient rune professor explaining the puzzles of Potions to them - although all their minds were filled with thoughts of how to trick and get high marks.

But this wonderfully odd feeling lingered in their minds.

"If you want to go further in the field of Potions," - Harry, Ron, and Neville shook their heads, and Felix sighed - "it's best to learn it in the proper way. But-" he cleared his throat, his tone no longer that serious.

"Yeah, I was thinking pretty much the same thing as you guys, equally uninterested in delving into all the deep theory and subtle boiling steps," he said softly, "to me, getting into the advanced class was just the easiest way to master the method of brewing the potions I was interested in."

"As for learning the finer points, I didn't really care."

Harry listened more carefully, this was also what he wanted from potion class - he could hardly imagine himself enduring the loneliness later, holed up in an airtight basement for years, staring into a row of steam-emitting cauldrons.

Felix patted the textbook in his hand, "The original owner of this set was adept at this, there are many tips and easy methods, but of course, you will find notes on more than just potions, there are also some interesting little hexes-"

He hesitated, "There are a few spells that are dangerous, and I want you to promise me that you won't use them on your classmates."

Given the professor's very serious expression, the four students took the promise seriously.

"So next it's time to talk about my methods," Felix's expression returned to calm, "Standing on a somewhat higher viewpoint, you will see that the O.W.Ls exam is just a test for your past learning rather than an examination for originality and innovation. Theoretically, if you memorize all the material and become proficient in the manoeuvres mentioned in the book, getting an Outstanding is an easy and natural thing to expect ..."

Now even Hermione couldn't help but stare at him, she had always gotten an Outstanding, but it definitely didn't have anything to do with the word 'easy'.

"Work out the theory yourselves. For the practical work, my suggestion is to compile a list of how to concoct each potion, pick out the steps that are tedious and difficult to perform and try to simplify them. There may be dozens or hundreds of steps in boiling a potion, but if you group them according to 'purpose', they may only add up to a dozen or so steps - you ought to have your own insight, don't you?"

But from the looks on their faces, it seemed that Felix had asked a very superfluous question. But he could only assure himself that it was in no way his own question. "At least the set has been written along with similar lines, and I've included some of my personal insights. Well, that's all there is to say."

Felix handed them the books, Luna, Cedric, and the others were still waiting there as the professor had said earlier that there is something he needed their help with.

Harry and Neville placed the books they were holding on the small square desk and looked at Felix as they sat down with Ron and Hermione.

"You've all mastered the Patronus Charm, haven't you?"

Nearly all of them nodded. Even Fred and George, who are only about a foot tall, did the same, but the reason I said 'Nearly ' was because there was still someone who wasn't in that range. "I haven't!" Astoria shouted, "I am just a third year."

Although Draco on one side didn't say anything, he didn't look like he had mastered the spell either.

"You can watch, eat some biscuits, or go outside and play." Felix said to Astoria who had spoken up.

Astoria puffed up angrily but still stayed behind.

"I was looking for you guys for a test that I originally intended to give you after the next school year started, but on second thought, today is a better opportunity. After all, not all the students in the Magic Rune Club know this magic."

Harry actually wanted to say that he had taught this spell in the 'Frontline Lookout Club', but he quickly realized that the professor is already aware of that.

"The test itself isn't dangerous, but it's quite emotionally draining."

Felix paused for a moment to wait, and when no one raised an objection, he continued.

"The Patronus itself is a perfect combination of positive emotion and magic. From what we can tell from ancient glyphs and manuscripts, this spell was used by many people during the very oldest era, but - at some point - the Patronus Charm became exclusive to those wizards who possessed pure, positive emotional power.

Some, especially dark wizards whose minds have fallen into darkness, simply do not seem qualified to use it."

Felix said and shifted his gaze away from Harry.

He had put a lot of thought into this spell, especially after incorporating the knowledge given to him by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw and had improved it subversively, taking the magic beyond its original limitations.

At one time he believed he had reached the limits of his understanding regarding this spell, but it turned out that he had still discovered something new during Harry's demonstration.

Harry is one of the most gifted wizards when it comes to this spell that he has ever seen.

As far as he knew, the first time Harry had managed to cast a visible Patronus was on the covered bridge in his third year, where the Stag Patronus had fought off a hundred with a single blow, demonstrating amazing power. Since then Harry has mastered the art of using the Patronus to deliver a message without a teacher, later incorporating an ancient rune to give it a physical form, and demonstrated excellent practical skills when hunting down Umbridge not long ago.

He has gone ahead of the vast majority of wizards, but Harry is still unable to incorporate runes that represent other emotions into the Patronus.

Because the Patronus itself is built from pure to extreme positive emotions, mixing in any other emotion is simply 'mixing ink in the water' and making the magic less pure.

That's why Harry was never able to pull it off.

The difference between Felix and Harry is that his Patronus Rain Swallow was reconstructed with memory nodes and became very stable. Even if he mixed in other emotions, he was able to force them together under his superior control.

Felix even took this level of difficulty for granted. But Harry's experience had taught him that perhaps it was just his deeply ingrained 'escalation mindset' in action. He went back to his Ravenclaw notes and parsed the construction of the Ravenclaw diadem, then combined it with a mishmash of knowledge from various sources to try to put together a clear framework for 'Emotion Magic'.

The results were phenomenal.

He created a whole series of Patronus magic.

But this thinking did not stop there ...

"I need you to pay attention to a few words, 'pure, positive emotional power'. This will be important in the rest of the discussion." Felix said, " All you have used your happy memories when learning this magic. Is that right?"

Most of them nodded.

Harry thought of the scene where Remus had taught himself and how he had mentioned that positive emotions could deal with Dementors, but in practice, he had only used happy memories or visualized happy enough memories.

"I discovered a secret in my research - I may be overthinking it, the exact conclusion is yet to be verified. But there is nothing prevents me from sharing it with you:

The Patronus has gone through three vague phases in its long history that can only be supported by assumptions

The first phase is unproven with no historical evidence, and it can only be traced from glyphs. At that time there was no such a thing as a Dementor, and the Lethifold was not discovered until the 18th century - and such creatures lived only in tropical regions.

The second phase, which dated before and after the Middle Ages, is relatively well-preserved and the wizards of that time had a much closer understanding of the Patronus Charm to the present view, except this charm remained one of the rarest and most difficult to master profound defensive magic, and for a long time it was associated with those 'wizards who fought for a noble cause'.

Miranda Goshawk, who wrote the Standard Book of Spells series, mentioned in her description of the Patronus 'This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings.'

I have likewise seen similar statements in some ancient grimoires and manuscripts.

But there is a subtle difference between this description and the specific descriptions in the third stage - that is, over the last two or three hundred years - when wizards wrote study notes for this magic. They coincidentally equate "most positive emotions" with "happy memories".

Perhaps they did it to make it less difficult?

Perhaps it was originally a particular wizard's secret shortcut trick, which eventually spread, and when people tried it, the success rate did increase. But to be precise, all this magic has done is distinguish normal wizards from particularly evil dark wizards, and if that's all it could do alone, it doesn't seem to deserve the fame it has gained ..."

Felix briefly recounted his research and concluded, "I have repeatedly made comparisons and thought that the problem might be in the emotions put into it. Happy memories may fall into the category of positive emotions, but does it rival the same level of conviction as 'fighting for a noble cause'?"

He looked at the crowd, "Perhaps one of you can give the answer." His eyes darted between Harry, Hermione, Cedric, and the Weasley twins, all of whom he knew had their own beliefs, such as defeating Voldemort, building a pan-magical alliance, and creating a new profession ...

Actually, Draco barely counted, but he didn't know the spell yet.

Felix held expectations but likewise thought it wouldn't be easy to pull off; after all, he is still in the groping stage himself.

He had once selectively forgotten this magic spell, and tried it like a beginner, infusing it with his full emotions, but instead of using positive and happy memories, he had used the belief, 'to fight for a noble cause', as described in the ancient manuscripts, as far as possible.

He fulfilled this requirement precisely: he intended to transform the magical world, to bring it into line with the real world. In Felix's opinion, how could this be anything short of a noble cause?

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But the result was frustrating.

He was unable to generate a tangible Patronus with his belief, and there seemed to be something lacking; at best, he could only conjure up a silver shield made of vaguely shaped mist.

The students sitting on the couch looked at each other in shock as the professor seemed to debunk the Patronus Charm, no, uncovering what this magic really looked like at the base of it? Only ... he had no idea if he was right.

"Let's try it."

Felix reached out and Fred and George's bodies swelled rapidly like a balloon and bloated out, growing from a foot to two and three feet ... until they were back to their original size, both of them touching their faces and letting out a strangled cry.

Then Felix said in a low, bewitched tone.

"Think about it; you are the best of your age, with a strong will, and you can do great things if you want to. Everyone has their part in society, but you, for your part, will not submit to your fate, and will follow your inner compass and find your true calling ..."

The lights in the office became dim and his voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, easily bringing the group into the pre-defined mood he had set. They pondered what it is that they truly wanted.

Only Draco and Astoria stared wide-eyed. They were unaffected, but Draco now felt odd, if he didn't have amnesia, it seemed that the Professor had just taken what he had said to him and rephrased it and used it on others?

"Think of the noble cause you have in mind, how much you would be willing to give ... in times of defeat, frustration, opposition, and even despair? Now, take out your wands, shout the incantation, and show me your determination!"

The Ancient Rune office was plunged into complete darkness, and both Draco and Astoria tried to use their wands to illuminate the room, only to find that they were completely unable to do so. In the midst of the utter darkness, they heard an increasingly solemn voice shouting out the incantation with great determination, "ex-PEK-toh pa-TRO-num-"

The professor's whispers bore into their ears from all sides, causing the only two unaffected people to shiver briefly. They subconsciously came together.

"What, what's going on?" Astoria asked with trepidation.

"Stay put." Draco said through clenched teeth, "And don't pinch me." Astoria snapped and moved her fingers away from his arm.

"ex-PEK-toh pa-TRO-num!"

A hazy bright light appeared, and the face belonging to Cedric flickered for a moment, followed by an even brighter light, the twins with tense faces and serious expressions, as well as Hermione and Neville, but their faces looked like dream bubbles, lingered only briefly for a few seconds before falling once again into the pitch-black world.

Pressure appeared in everyone's minds.

Even after trying for a long time, no one succeeded. Felix furrowed his brow, is there a genuine issue - was his assumption wrong, and there never was any 'true Patronus'?

He had to change his tactics.

He spoke in a raspy voice, this time not as an encouragement, but as a discouragement.

"Quit ... give it up ... and pretend it had never happened, bury your dreams in your heart and accept the reality ... honestly there is no shame in that, how can one person stand against a whole world? One will always have a chance later ..."

A deeper darkness descended, so dense that it became impossible to see.

The phoenix cried out. Dumbledore and Fawkes appeared in his office, his brow furrowed and his expression looked solemn as the thick black fog seemed to do nothing to block his vision.

"Felix." He uttered in a deep voice.

"Albus, you're here." Felix replied calmly.

As he spoke, a few silver moon-like lights extinguished again, but others struggled. Dumbledore's gaze swept over the students present, quickly became aware of what is happening, and he observed silently before finally setting his eyes on Harry.

Harry's face flushed, his eyes red and his teeth clacked together.

"What exactly did you show the boy in his vision?" Dumbledore asked.

"Nothing I could control - I just added more layers upon his vision, putting him into an even more 'desperate' situation." Felix said, waving his hand to get some of the students to wake up from the darkness before they were really overwhelmed. It wasn't all bad for them, at least with this opportunity they would be able to get a better idea of what they wanted.

On the contrary, Harry and Neville, two people with great resilience, were able to hold on for a while.

Harry at the moment fully immersed in the fantasy he had constructed; Dead, everyone dead ... Sirius, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Hap, Snape ... Mad-Eye Moody, Remus, Tonks... ... Neville, Ginny, Fred, George, the Weasleys ...

He heard the sound of gurgling water, the sound of blood pooling as it came together.

Harry stared blankly at Voldemort who had a ferocious grin on his face as the bodies of Ron and Hermione fell at his feet.

Voldemort sneered and raised his wand, "Surrender." In a high, cold voice, he said triumphantly, "Everyone you know is dead, and that's what happens when you disobey the Dark Lord." -- "No!" Harry shouted madly, but a blinding green light gathered at the tip of Voldemort's wand, and with a flash of light, he fell to the ground.

He was dead.

Harry lay in the cold darkness, surrounded by dead silence. A voice told him that he would be given a second chance to be reborn, but he would need to submit to his fate.

"Succumb to Voldemort?" The voice did not retort and Harry gritted his teeth as he rose from the cold ground. That was when Voldemort stepped out of the darkness, followed by the dark, haunted figure. Harry took a deep breath and raised his wand. But there were many voices sounded behind him as well and Harry jerked his head around as those who had died earlier seemed to return.

He stared blankly at the familiar faces, who seemed to have been corrupted by the darkness, repeating a coward speech over and over like clay statues.

"Give it up, Harry." Hermione said.

"We're utterly defeated and the Dark Lord is willing to spare our lives." Ron said bitterly.

"Give in for now." Professor Hap said simply.

The Death Eaters and Voldemort's dark minions pounced, overwhelming those he valued, leaving only a circular gap, like a ring made of flesh and blood. Voldemort stood in the ring and surveyed him with mocking eyes.

"You are the last one. Die like this, or submit to my rule?"

Harry responded by raising his wand, the voice in his head urging him to use the Patronus Charm and call upon the Patronus ...

A large, majestic stag leaped out.

It stepped between Harry and Voldemort like a true giant with its foot on the earth and the green light pierced through the darkness.

The people in the office surveyed Harry's new Patronus, the silvery glow collecting and merging into the stag-like liquid, and as the vision cleared, the silvery shiny fur of the stag was clearly visible, making it look like a real creature in reality.

Its eyes are both cloudy and emotional, but also calm, determined, and unrelenting. Like its owner, when it stood, everyone - whether illusory, existing only in Harry's imagination, or students under great psychological pressure in reality - felt their courage multiply, their conviction strengthened and their bodies filled with endless strength.

It was as if they too shared that heavy dose of courage and conviction.

Felix looked at the transformed Patronus, and he finally knew what he had lacked, though he would not necessarily correct himself, as it's a fact he is certainly aware of.

Dumbledore's blue eyes misted with a thin layer of moisture. He fumbled for the black jewelled ring in his hand and the biggest stone in his heart fell to the ground. The real plan could begin. His mouth quirked and his voice turned into a thread that burrowed into Felix's ears.

"Voldemort asked me to meet him last night. After sharpening his skills and waiting for a long time, he seemed to have finally confirmed my condition ... A duel time was set."

"When?"

"Two months from now!"

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