Draco didn’t speak, he slumped on the floor, his face sweaty, his pale-blonde hair sticking on his forehead, shivering. He stumbled a few times without being able to get up, when Crabbe and Goyle came over, looked at Moody who had little reaction, as they pulled Draco to his feet.
McGonagall’s suspicious eyes darted between Felix and Moody, quickly confirming the target as she frowned and said, “Professor Moody, you used a Transfiguration spell on Malfoy?”
“Yeah, to teach him a lesson, gotta leave a lasting impression on him, save him from attacking people behind their backs in the future.” Moody said.
Professor McGonagall looked at Felix enquiringly, Felix lightly nodded, and McGonagall said breathlessly, “Even so, we will only detain them instead of punishing students with Transfiguration, prolonged human transfiguration is harmful and has long been abolished – Dumbledore should have told you this, right?”
“Probably said it?” Moody scratched his chin carelessly, he grinned and said gruffly, “It’s not that serious, Professor McGonagall!”
“I couldn’t stand the sight of him attacking someone from behind, so I scared him off, and this Professor Hap showed up out of nowhere, probably thinking I wasn’t doing it quite right! There was a bit of a skirmish, and I also happened to hear a lot about him from Dumbledore before … just wanted to try out his level.”
Moody limped around, waving his big, rough hand, mumbling, “I know why I’m here, Dumbledore hired me not for me to be the good old man!”
“Danger never comes out brightly, letting you prepare for it in advance. That’s what I’m here for – to cut off some people’s tails and sharpen them. I did overreact a bit, but in my experience, it’s better to overreact than to be defenseless!”
“Constant Vigilance!” He yelled, and a first-year student sat down on the floor in fear.
Moody’s magic eye saw it, and with a grin, he dragged his wooden prosthetic leg over to the freshman, pulled him up by the hand, pointed his nose, which lacked a piece of flesh, and the one intact eye at him, as he said with a wide grin, “Boy! You will find that appearances are the least thing to fear. Excuse me, make way for–”
The crowd moved out of the way and looked at him with awe.
“That’s right!” Moody paused and turned to look at Felix, “How about we better pick some champion seedlings and train them in advance, during the first dueling class?”
“Sure.” Felix said with a slight smile.
Moody stared at him for a few seconds and took a big stride to leave.
“Oh my God, he looks cool!” A student said as he looked at Moody’s back.
“He’s a real warrior, the most knowledgeable kind, and has seen a lot … of things, you’ll understand when the time comes.” Another student had great respect for Moody, as he had just taken Moody’s class this afternoon.
Professor McGonagall looked at the students who remained in place and said seriously, “All disperse, Disperse! Go ahead and eat, don’t block the way.” She walked next to Draco Malfoy, but her eyes looked hesitantly at Felix.
“So – Mr. Malfoy -”
“I’ll hand him over to Severus.” Felix said.
“All right then.” Relieved, Professor McGonagall glanced at Crabbe and Goyle next to Draco, and at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were looking at them from a short distance away, and shouted in annoyance, “Do you want to tag along!”
They hurriedly fled.
At the table, Ron’s eyes closed, his fork raised in midair, he said contentedly with a sigh, “I must raise a ferret in the future … as soon as I see it, I will recall Malfoy from today, will it also clutch my pant leg without letting go?”
Harry and Hermione laughed, then Harry asked, “But is human transfiguration really dangerous? Professor McGonagall’s face looked like she was serious.”
Hermione lifted her fork and said thoughtfully, “Imagine that you were turned into an owl – initially you remembered who you are, but soon, animal instincts took over, and you forgot your identity …”
Harry frowned, “So, if you don’t undo the magic in time, Malfoy will completely think he’s a ferret?”
Hermione said seriously, “I’m just giving you an example to make you aware of the dangers that exist. Some transfigurations will dissolve overtime on their own, however, for those wizards who are highly skilled in magic, their transfigurations can last for a long time, and even some human transfigurations with malicious intent can last forever, like a curse.”
Ron thought of something, laughed out loud, he said under his breath, “Well, that’s … nice … isn’t it?”
Hermione glanced at him, “Although the possibility is small, in case Malfoy ran away in a panic and got lost while hiding in the forbidden forest, he might have been eaten by the creatures in the forest before he was found …”
As Ron imagined, the food in front of him suddenly didn’t look that appetizing anymore and Harry also had little appetite. Hermione, however, finished her dinner quickly without being affected and packed up her book bag.
“You’re going to the library, aren’t you?” Harry asked her.
“Of course I am,” Hermione said, “there’s a lot of stuff to catch up on. Not school homework–” Seeing that Harry was about to ask, she said in advance, lifting her book bag and leaving in a hurry.
On the other hand, Felix and Draco Malfoy walked down the gloomy underground corridor, Draco’s eyes tearing up, the torches on the walls shining on his pale face and allowing Felix to see the resentful gaze he flashed occasionally.
“You hate Professor Moody?” Felix asked, looking at him.
Draco clenched his fists, his face red from shame, and muttered, “I’m going to tell my dad …”
“Hmm.” Felix didn’t say anything more, and they continued their walk for a while. Only then did he suddenly said, “What you mentioned is also a solution, but it may not be of much use.”
“Why! Just because he’s a good friend of Dumbledore’s?” Draco gritted his teeth.
“It’s Headmaster Dumbledore.” Felix corrected him, but looking at Draco Malfoy’s expression of unconcern, he guessed that even the headmaster bore a piece of the blame.
“I do wonder about the origin of this conflict …”
“I was the one who humiliated Weasley’s dad,” Draco said coldly, “Is that what you’re asking? Do I deserve it?”
“No,” Felix laughed softly, “I’m just wondering what kind of mindset you had to initiate the provocation; after all, even without Professor Moody, the three of you – you plus Crabbe and Goyle – were no match for Potter alone.”
“Or in your opinion, Potter will not hurt you, so you are not afraid? Or do you not mind being beaten by Potter – for what it’s worth, Miss Granger is also not that easy to deal with.”
Draco Malfoy’s face grew hot as he stammered, “I, I wasn’t thinking about it that much.”
“Well,” Felix nodded and turned inquiring, “remember the first time we talked in more depth? The time you brought that diary to my office?”
Draco looked at him slowly, not quite understanding his intention in bringing it up suddenly.
“I told you once that everyone is responsible for their own actions-” Felix paused, “It seems you don’t remember much.”
He said with a smirk, “I wish you could have seen the scene back then, when you were a tad a bit like you are now, trembling and quivering, but of course, it was with a high-minded act of self-defence, self-interest, and with a bit of determination before, and now with some dark thoughts in mind …”
Draco stared at him, not too comfortable in his heart, but also with a faint pride.
“That’s normal, anyone who is humiliated will have a strong desire for destruction.” Felix said light-heartedly, and they turned a corner, Snape’s office is in sight.
“You’ve had those thoughts too?” Draco asked, but he suddenly realized he had asked a lousy question, Professor Hap hadn’t been at peace when he was in school, he would have only experienced more.
Felix smiled, “I guess everyone at one time or another has harboured some similar dark thoughts, but it’s not exactly easy to put them into action.” He knocked on the door of Snape’s office, and there is no movement for a long time.
“Well, perhaps not in …” he said regretfully: ” will have to find another day, go on, Mr. Malfoy. Go back to sleep, I’d like to see how long this thoughts of yours will last.”
———
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