A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Headmaster, we..." Felix Harp drew his wand.

Dumbledore didn't answer; instead, he seemed lost in thought, as if he had fallen asleep.

"Headmaster Dumbledore!" Hermione stamped her foot impatiently.

Dumbledore pondered for a few seconds, then waved his wand, casting a few Disillusionment Charms over them.

Felix overheard the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape.

"I don't understand, Dumbledore..."

"What is it, Severus?"

"That child... Harry Potter, he's about to die!"

"I'm here," Dumbledore said briefly.

The conversation ended there, and Felix couldn't help but get lost in thought —

Could Dumbledore be trying to nurture Potter? Between life and death lies the greatest wellspring of courage and potential for a person, especially when the old man stands by, controlling the whole situation.

Or perhaps...

Suddenly, he remembered Potter's Parseltongue incident and his conversation with Dumbledore. The headmaster mentioned needing to confirm something. What could that be?

The group approached the battlefield silently. As they drew closer, Felix noticed shattered ice crystals scattered across the clearing. Several palm-sized, bloodstained black scales clung to a partially collapsed ice wall.

The four of them reached an area near a coiled snake-shaped pillar. The effects of some of the Disillusionment Charms were lifted, allowing them to see each other's positions.

"Professor!" Hermione tugged at his sleeve. Behind the pillar, a young wizard lay on the ground, beside him a small bird the size of a hand.

It was Ron and Fawkes.

"Headmaster, we've found Weasley."

Dumbledore glanced at the scene. "Severus..."

"I'm watching," Snape replied without turning his head. His gaze was fixed intently on Harry, his expression intriguing.

Dumbledore and Felix crouched beside Ron. His clothes were covered in dust and scratches, but he seemed uninjured.

The small phoenix at the side let out a soft chirp, seemingly claiming credit.

Clearly, it had healed Ron.

"Thank you, Fawkes," Dumbledore said appreciatively to the phoenix.

"Professor, Ron, he..." Hermione looked worriedly at Ron.

"He's fine," Felix said. He tapped a ring on his left hand with his wand, and a vial of potion flew out. He forcefully poured it into Ron's mouth.

Ron's eyebrows twisted.

On the open ground, Harry's battle raged on —

He hid behind a large boulder, wand in hand, conjuring spells. Fist-sized magical puppets released icy attacks mixed with crystalline shards. The blinded serpent creature could not locate "her" and only launched sweeping attacks, its snake tail still bearing traces of white frost.

Harry agilely evaded a stone the size of a head. The boulder barrier in front of him shattered upon impact. He quickly ran away, but his footsteps caught the serpent's attention. In the next moment, the thick tail swung toward him.

Harry promptly directed the magical puppet to shield him, and a series of "hissing" sounds followed as a column of ice spikes materialized.

The massive black serpent tail struck, and after a teeth-grinding crunch, the ice spikes and the magical puppet shattered.

Meanwhile, Harry took advantage of the moment to run farther, tiptoeing as he went.

Huddled in the shadows, the three professors simultaneously lowered their wands. Felix Harp couldn't help but glance sadly at the scattered puppet fragments on the ground. All that effort, wasted?

"Professor, I want to help Harry!" Hermione said to him.

Felix fell silent for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Felix lifted the Disillusionment Charm on Hermione while pulling a small beaded bag from his ring. He handed it to her. "I had planned to give this to you as a Christmas present, but you might need it now. You know how to use it, right?"

"No need to explain, thank you, Professor!" Hermione said cheerfully.

She wasn't truly worried about Harry's safety, given the two professors and the headmaster present. However, she didn't want to see Harry facing the serpent alone.

After all, they were the best of friends!

Hermione carefully concealed herself in the shadows, stepping as lightly as possible.

On the field, Harry struggled to evade the serpent's tail and the flying debris. Without the magical puppets to assist him, he found himself at a severe disadvantage.

Harry hissed through gritted teeth, "Stay quiet!"

But the serpent had gone berserk. Blinded and on the brink of death, it seemed destined to either be killed or starve. And they had entered the Chamber of Secrets, too.

"Kill... Kill..." The serpent hissed, its tail swiping toward Harry in response to his movements.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp whistle cut through the air. A verdant, wrist-thick vine shot up the serpent's tail, forcibly halting its attack.

Harry's expression shifted from disbelief to astonishment.

"Hermione!?"

The young witch had wrapped the other end of Devil's Snare around a pillar, using it to counter the serpent's terrifying strength. "Harry, run!"

Harry didn't have time to ponder why Hermione was here. He quickly retreated and stumbled for a moment, almost tripping over the Sorting Hat, the same one the silver bird had brought him earlier!

Not too long ago, the serpent had spotted him, an intruder, and decided to kill both him and Ron. At this point, the Parseltongue wasn't going to help; its "master's command" was everything.

At that critical moment, a majestic silver bird suddenly appeared. It not only blinded the serpent but also, upon reappearing, brought him the Sorting Hat.

He didn't know why, but he believed the Sorting Hat was useful in this situation.

Picking up the tattered hat, he muttered softly, "Whatever it takes, please help me."

No audible response came, but the hat tightened around his head as if an invisible hand was desperately clutching it.

Clang!

Something heavy and hard landed on Harry's head, nearly knocking him out. He realized it was a gleaming silver sword, adorned with a dazzling, egg-sized ruby on its hilt.

Not far away, Felix's gaze froze. That was... the Gryffindor Sword?

The symbol of courage and conviction of the Hogwarts Four Founders? He turned his head, staring intently at Dumbledore. Is this what you wanted to confirm?

Dumbledore didn't pay attention to his gaze, his eyes through half-moon glasses fixed on the serpent. His lips moved silently.

This gave Felix an inkling of unease, a peculiar feeling. In his line of sight, three paces to the left, an immense source of magic burned as brightly as the sun – Dumbledore. From his feet, a line of magic extended, connecting to the ground beneath the serpent.

There, an enormous magical fluctuation lay hidden. In his unique perspective, the ground appeared like rippling waves, undulating and surging.

What was this?

Had Dumbledore intervened in secret?

It appeared to be some kind of transfiguration, but Felix had never seen such an extravagant form of it before...

Felix's emotions were incredibly complex at this moment.

Unbeknownst to him, Dumbledore had already trapped the serpent inside a cage.

At this point, Felix cared little for the ongoing battle; there was no need. The serpent was just a colossal pawn. Perhaps its only value was to play a part in Harry's act, to make Dumbledore see something clearly.

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