A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Yes, your connections, your influence..."

Slughorn chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, not at my age, not anymore. Besides, my heart's no longer in it." He appeared defeated, munching on another pastry.

At that moment, Dumbledore returned, holding a small bottle filled with a golden liquid. "Ah, Felix, forgive me for keeping you waiting," he said, handing the bottle to Slughorn, who seemed delighted. "Thank you, Albus. Your timing is perfect, as always."

"You have the best interests at heart, Horace," Dumbledore said, placing a reassuring hand on Slughorn's shoulder. "I trust Felix can appreciate the weight of your concerns."

Felix nodded. Dumbledore then winked at Felix before turning to Slughorn. "I believe Felix might offer a new perspective on matters of great importance."

Slughorn glanced at Felix thoughtfully before the room fell into silence, broken only by Valen's gentle chirping.

"Secondly," Felix's eyes gleamed with an unusual light, "let the wind out and say that I have a way to prove the doubts of the outside world. Welcome British wizards and foreign wizards to 'witness'." He emphasized the word 'witness.'

In that moment, he seemed absolutely confident.

The so-called 'witness' was just a subtle challenge.

"You claim I possess the Elder Wand, but I don't need it at all. I could leave it bare and still make everyone coveting its power feel utterly hopeless." Felix grinned, displaying his gleaming white teeth. He found himself strangely anticipating that day.

"Felix..." Dumbledore paused.

"Rest assured," Felix glanced at him, "if possible, I won't arbitrarily take lives, but don't expect them to have it easy either." Truthfully, if this were Voldemort, the shadows lurking would only envy and fear more. But with him, it might become troublesome.

He seemed too understated.

In Britain, he was somewhat safe. Some of his 'exploits' whispered in dark corners, unlikely to attract attention.

But abroad, his name seemed inconsequential, well, maybe not entirely. Felix pondered. Many saw him in action at the Quidditch World Cup, but the actual impact, he couldn't be sure of.

When the clock struck eleven, flames rose high in the fireplace once more.

Amelia Bones emerged, somewhat disheveled.

"You're all here," she hesitated for a moment, then continued, "confirmed, there's been an illegal influx. Kingsley's team raided Knockturn Alley and Hogsmeade, apprehended over a dozen foreign wizards, two of them even being wanted fugitives from other countries."

"The clandestine numbers will only grow," Dumbledore murmured softly.

"We suspect so," Mrs. Bones added.

"The Daily Prophet has an issue—the editor seems to be under the Imperius Curse," Felix interjected suddenly.

"Indeed, we tried Veritaserum, but Barnabas Cuff doesn't remember a thing, hard to tell if it's a disguise in such a short time." Mrs. Bones said, pausing, looking at Felix. "Mr. Hap, I wonder about the wand in your hand..."

Felix waved his hand, a black wand flew towards her.

"I did indeed have Ollivander craft a new wand for me—an imitation of my first one, thirteen inches, ebony, the only difference being, the core is my own hair." Felix explained, gesturing politely.

Mrs. Bones expressed apologetic sentiments, "I apologize." She picked up the wand, waved it gently, but it didn't respond, resisting her magic.

"You should notice its peculiarity, extremely exclusive, tailored solely for me," Felix murmured. He calmly opened his hand, and the wand forcefully broke free from Mrs. Bones' grasp, flying back to him, buzzing with excitement as it circled him.

"So, you should also conclude, this is the wand best suited for me."

Mrs. Bones gazed in astonishment, thinking the wand seemed overly vivacious, nodding instinctively.

"Wait, your hair?" She scrutinized Felix with a strange expression, "Do you have magical creature blood? Oh, sorry, you don't have to answer..."

Felix's face darkened; this was precisely why he didn't want others to know the wand's core material, especially acquaintances like Sirius and Severus. Even though these two had vastly different personalities, they'd undoubtedly reach some consensus on this matter—he'd be ridiculed to no end.

"The use of hair is related to my unique magical path," he explained simply.

"I can vouch for that," Dumbledore said.

Mrs. Bones thought he referred to a unique magical ability and didn't press further. The three discussed for a while and eventually reached an agreement.

"Oh, right," Mrs. Bones said before leaving, "Tonks reported a large puppet guard at Fortescue's. I took a stroll near the castle and sensed their extraordinary nature... I wonder if the Ministry can purchase a batch?"

"We can, I'll speak with Lems." Felix replied, "But don't hold high hopes; their existing defense mechanisms are quite rigid, at most, they serve as a deterrent."

"Can they reduce casualties in battle?" Mrs. Bones inquired.

"Indeed."

"That's enough then." Mrs. Bones smiled and left via the fireplace.

Felix also excused himself; he needed to prepare for the coming days. He was somewhat optimistic. To him, this was an opportunity to promote magical literacy and expand the influence of the 'Future World' company. It all depended on his specific actions.

Valen waved farewell to Fawkes, and the proud phoenix let out a call.

As Felix reached the door, Dumbledore hesitated, calling out from behind, "I do know the ownership of the Elder Wand."

Felix turned, gazing deeply at him.

"It's irrelevant now," he said.

"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded slightly, "In this confrontation, truth is the only thing that doesn't matter."

"—But I am still intrigued," Felix added.

Dumbledore seemed somewhat surprised by his words. After a moment, he shook his head. "Well, if you insist... It's in my possession."

By now, after a morning of fermentation, the news from the newspaper had spread throughout the school. Students were enthusiastically discussing the 'Ten Great Wands.'

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