NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Interview
July 21, 10 am.
Felix, in an formal dress wear, stands in front of the fireplace, as he sprinkles a handful of Floo powder and said "Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress's Office".
Professor McGonagall had a stern look on her face as she sorted through the school's files in the Deputy Headmistress's office.
The Professor of Transfiguration, who is known for her stern face, is in a good mood at this moment. Gryffindor House had won the long-awaited House Cup in the previous academic year, which kept the happy mood of the Head of Gryffindor House alive.
"Puff!"
A pale green flame flashed from the fireplace and a handsome, refined young man walked out of it.
Felix looked around him and saw that nothing has changed, it's been a long time!. He smiled gently at McGonagall, "Hello Professor McGonagall, it's been a long time."
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, which meant that her mood was rapidly changing for the worse, or to the work mode, "Long time no see, Felix."
Professor McGonagall also taught him once, being one of his professors. She had mixed feelings about this great student, certainly not the kind of mixed feelings Professor Snape has.
Before their long-awaited House Cup, Gryffindor lost seven times in a row, and that history had much to do with Felix.
Apart from the first three years, when Felix had to fight back because of the poor learning environment, he had been exposed to, and therefore lost a lot of points, after that he finally seemed to realize that he himself in fact a Slytherin student and should be fighting for the honour of the house. Following years in which he managed to mingle with the young snakes effectively.
The next few years can be described as, "Glory to Slytherin".
...
Felix stepped forward and glanced at his pocket watch, "I hope I didn't miss the interview."
Professor McGonagall, whose flashback was interrupted, stood up and led him to the Headmaster's office, "Chocolate frog." She recited the password and escorted Felix in. Before she left, she remarked, "Your books are very good, you seem to have spent the last three years very well."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." He froze for a moment, smiled, and then walked up the steps.
All his three years after graduation hadn't been for anything. Especially after his first unsuccessful job application, he pondered over it, suspecting that he had been too raw as a student, and followed Headmaster Dumbledore's advice to "travel more and see more."
He spent a year travelling around the Wizarding World and the remaining two years working, um, studying Muggles.
The results are remarkable, Three books in three years, two on muggle studies and one on ancient magic runes.
He also amassed a considerable fortune.
After walking up the lengthy staircase, Felix entered the Headmaster's office, which was filled with books, artefacts, and portraits of successive Hogwarts Headmasters on the wall.
On the side of the Headmaster's desk, a phoenix rests with its eyes closed.
Dumbledore is studying something and the office is quiet.
"Good morning, Headmaster Dumbledore." Felix greeted out loud. With his words, the room came to life.
The portraits of the headmasters opened their eyes and looked at Felix, pointing and whispering.
One of the portraits exaggerated, "Ha! The best Slytherin is here!"
The man in that portrait, with his goatee and slender eyebrows and wearing the robes of Slytherin, is Phineas Black, voted as the least popular Headmaster of Hogwarts by the students, also from Slytherin.
Felix gave a very graceful bow.
At this point, Headmaster Dumbledore finally looked up, his appearance very different from the norm, with a silvery-white beard that trailed down to his chest, unkempt robes, and with a pair of crescent-shaped eyes.
But his eyes were very bright, his blue pupils gleaming with light.
Felix stood lost in thought, time had not left many traces on this old man, and yet it seemed to have left too many.
"Ah, ah! It's Felix," Dumbledore rose to his feet and came striding forward, his movements measured, "I've been waiting for your arrival."
Felix shook the Headmaster's hand with a certain amount of formality, after all, he had come to the door to ask for a job and had been turned down three times so far.
The two sat down in their seats, Dumbledore gazing at him through the thin glass while waving his wand, "What can I get you? Pumpkin juice? Tea?" Then with a wink, "I also have some fresh butterbeer here."
"A cup of tea, please."
Dumbledore waved his wand and a cup of steaming tea floated to him, Felix took a sip. A bitter taste washed over him, it is an antique tea. The headmaster seemed to be not drinking much tea in general.
"Sibyl gave me this tea. I can't taste it personally, but she said it came from the far east."
Liar!
Felix swore, at least one of you two is a liar.
After a cup of tea, the conversation got down to business.
"Felix, you've done an excellent job over the last year. I've been reading your books and I have to say, you've been very innovative and have a very in-depth ... view of muggle studies, which has given this old man a lot of ideas."
Felix smiled, "Thanks to your advice, the world of muggles is a wonderful place, especially in the last few decades, they have developed very quickly. As for the writings ... perhaps it is because I was raised as a muggle myself and have a deep understanding of them further."
Dumbledore shook his head, "Birth doesn't take away your efforts, there are many people in the wizarding world who are muggle-born, but they are not exactly experts in muggle studies, at best they have a better knowledge of some common sense, but that is far from knowing them."
Of course, because I was a pure Muggle in my past life.
Dumbledore waved his wand and out of his desk flew a book entitled The History of the Muggle Wars: From a Million Years Ago, one of Felix's books. Speaking about the Muggles raise through the Ages, written by Felix, and it dawned to him that Dumbledore had just been reading his book.
"It's very inspiring to me, I've read it more than once, especially when you look at the history of technology - that's a term, isn't it? The history of technology, how the Muggles have gone from being a beast to what they are now, over millions of years. A marvel, I must say."
"You also pointed out the rapid leaps in technology that the Muggles have made at intervals, with shorter and shorter intervals, and even predicted that the next leap was not far away - very enlightening!" Dumbledore was full of praise for this book.
Felix said modestly, " This idea wasn't pioneered by me, in fact, many sociologists from the Muggle world, oh, that is, scholars of Muggles who study about Muggles, have given me a lot of help with their writings."
Dumbledore said calmly, "Many Muggles are equally intelligent, but few in the wizarding world acknowledge that."
"I agree with you on that, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore then blinked, seemingly skipping over the subject, and said amusingly, "So you must have read a lot of Muggle books? Frankly, a lot of my Christmas presents are books, and they seem to think that I prefer them. In fact, I've read most of them, and I prefer a pair of wool socks over them."
"Of course, if it's a book from the muggle world, I don't think I'd turn it down."
A clear hint ...
At least he knows what to get as Christmas presents ...
"Yes, although they don't have magic, some of them are willing to spend more than a decade to complete a book that is devoted to a certain problem, or a theory." Felix softly said, "It's very difficult. And for that reason, it's very precious."
Dumbledore got somewhat relieved, "It seems you have really gained a lot in these past few years." Then a question came out of nowhere, "So why do you still insist on teaching at Hogwarts?"
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