Chapter 96

Looking at Felix with a thoughtful expression, Flitwick explained, “Slughorn is the former head of Slytherin House, and like Severus, he teaches potions.”

Felix nodded, he and this master of potions did not cross paths, he had only heard the name, once in a while.

Flitwick said, “It is said that he is leading a fulfilling retirement life, which is certainly true, he had a very high quality of life during his teaching at Hogwarts.”

“Professor Flitwick –”

“Felix, you can call me just by my name.” Professor Flitwick waved his hand, “We’re already colleagues, right?”

“That’s … fine, Filius,” Felix said.

“Same here, Felix, no need to be so polite when we’re in private.” Professor McGonagall said.

So Felix addressed her, “Minerva.” The Transfiguration professor smiled at him in a friendly manner.

Then he turned his head to look at Snape, who looked back at him with an expressionless face, his eyes like he was looking at a stone.

But Felix, who knew him best, trailed off and said, “Ah, Severus …”

Snape’s lips quivered with anger.

Flitwick, suddenly interested in the view outside the window, Professor McGonagall surveyed the interior decoration with interest.

They both had a smile in the corners of their eyes.

This awkward atmosphere did not last long when a curvaceous woman with a fine face approached.

“A small glass of champaign drink-”

“For me.” Professor McGonagall’s voice came out.

“A soda of Cherry Juice with ice and umbrella snails-”

“Mmm! Thanks, Rosmerta.” Professor Flitwick said, smacking his lips.

“A glass of water–”

Snape took it in silence.

Ms. Rosmerta looked at the newly added Felix, “What would you like, this guest, oh wait, you’re Felix Hap?”

Felix looked at her suspiciously.

He did come to the ‘Three Broomsticks’ when he was in school, but never spoke to her except to order a drink.

Rosmerta looked at him, “Mr. Hap, you don’t know how famous you were when you were in school. There were a lot of people sitting around discussing your exploits …”

Felix quipped about himself, “Not in a good way, I guess?”

“No, there were a lot of people who admired you.” She didn’t specify, but gave a light laugh: “Besides, good and bad reputations are a pair of inseparable best friends – inviting one of them as a guest always inevitably brings the other along with it. What would you like to order?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“A butterbeer, I’m used to that.”

Flitwick extended an invitation, “You too, ma’am, sit with us.”

Rosmerta looked at the few scattered tables in the tavern, “All right, thank you.”

In a few moments, she returned and handed Felix a glass of butterbeer.

Rosmerta sat in the empty seat next to him, with a glass of gin in front of her.

The lady had long fingers and took a few sips, and she gave a reminiscent expression: “In all of my years of running the tavern, my greatest pleasure has been observing the conversations of the customers, certainly not eavesdropping, on occasions like this, they would say little in confidence …”

“We understand what you mean.”

“Yes, a generation of young wizards come and go, and only the best ones leave their names to be remembered. Let’s see, the most famous one in recent years is definitely Mr. Hap, but there are actually some others …”

Rosmerta named one: “Bill Weasley, he would have been in your class?” She looked to Felix.

“That’s right.”

“As I recall, he got twelve distinctions on the OWLs, something that was talked about at the time.” Rosmerta said, “And his brother, who apparently was captain of the Quidditch school team, later ran off to raise dragons.”

Professor McGonagall scowled, she had always been upset about it, “He should have joined the national team, Charlie had the potential.”

“But that’s not what he wanted, Minerva,” Flitwick said, “as professors, we should be proud of him.”

“I do-” McGonagall reddened and stammered, “I just feel bad that the national team hasn’t had any good talent these past few years.”

She had always been a big fan of Quidditch.

“There’s also a little girl named Tonks who is a pretty good metamorphmagus.” Rosmerta said, “Come to think of it, many of them are little Gryffindor wizards.”

Flitwick said with some embarrassment, “Ravenclaw has a lot of good graduates, too.”

Rosmerta winked, “Of course. They are active in a wide range of professions and are well-deserved of the best of the best.”

Snape grunted, “Ms. Rosmerta, I should remind you that Slytherin has the lowest number of people, yet has won the most House Cups.”

“Severus! Last year’s House Cup belonged to Gryffindor, and the odds are that this year as well–” Professor McGonagall countered him irritably.

Snape gave a low “snort”.

Seeing some heads have a tendency of quarrelling, Rosmerta hurriedly said: “Each house has a lot of excellent students, this is true. By the way, what were you guys talking about?”

Flitwick also played the role as he answered, “We were talking about Damocles Belby, Severus, you should have seen the recipe of the Wolfsbane Potion, right?”

“I saw it, it’s brilliantly composed, but I don’t see the use of learning about this type of potion.”

“At least it solves the werewolf problem, doesn’t it?”

“From a political standpoint – it does, fills a void.” Snape gave his usual mocking expression, “But unless the price of the potion can be reduced to less than seven golden galleons, it’s not as useful at all as a single lock.”

In the wizarding world, werewolves are basically synonymous with poverty, and no one wants to hire them. So werewolves either stayed isolated from the pack or kept company with evil.

In other words, at the current cost, not many werewolves can afford them.

“As far as the effect is concerned, the wolfsbane potion can only ease the pain during the full moon transformation and keep the werewolf sane, but it can’t cure the lycanthropy,” Felix said, these are what he learned from his correspondence with Damocles Belby.

Professor McGonagall smacked her lips, “But that’s not bad, if back then–” She glanced at Snape and stopped talking.

She thought of her former student, Remus Lupin, who is also a werewolf, only the relationship between Lupin and Snape is not good, one might even say, awful.

Rosmerta, though curious, wisely did not pursue the matter, the chat continued, and after a while, she got up to greet other guests.

For the next hour, several professors discussed their respective courses of lectures.

Felix talked about the dueling course that had just ended, and he expressed his regret at the overall level of the young wizards. He said, “The Disarming Charm is not really difficult, but very few have mastered it.”

Flitwick, after detailed inquiries, offered a different idea.

“Felix, they probably just don’t understand the whole concept of dueling. If you ask me, pick a senior at random, and the number of little vile jinx they know will exceed your expectations.”

Felix froze for a moment, an observation he hadn’t thought of before. When he was in school, he was completely uninterested in the little vile jinx that was of little use.

“You mean, they don’t know the Disarming Charm because they don’t understand the need of this spell?”

“Or rather, don’t value it. After all, the effect of this spell does not please the little wizards.” Flitwick is an experienced professor of charms, and he knows the mentality of little wizards very well: “Only those little vile jinx with exaggerated and hilarious effects are their favourites.”

Flitwick snapped his fingers, “Trip Jinx, Pimple Jinx, Stinging Jinx, Sticking Charm, Curse of the Bogies … too many. Despite the school’s explicit prohibition, these spells have been passed down from one term to the next in the hands of young wizards.”

Felix said knowingly, “Perhaps I should tell the little wizards the difference between dueling spells and little vile jinx. Severus, what do you think?”

Snape didn’t say anything, but that would imply consent.

Flitwick then asked Felix if he could be included in the next dueling session.

“I was a dueling champion when I was younger.” He said with some embarrassment, “Don’t worry, it’s just one lesson. I just want to share my experience with the young wizards.”

Felix looked at Flitwick and said pleasantly, “Of course, Filius.”

Professor McGonagall couldn’t help but interject as well, “If you don’t mind, Felix, I would also like to show the young wizards the application of transfiguration in dueling.”