stonecrandall Chapter 109 Professor Castor's Letter
Chapter 109 Professor Castor's Letter
Chapter 109 Professor Castor's Letter
Professor Castor's letter arrived at breakfast the following day.
Karen, who was eating breakfast, didn't bother to wipe the milk splattered on her robe. She quickly opened the letter, and the handwriting was Professor Castor's.
"Karen, Albus has probably already informed me of my temporary absence. There's no need to worry excessively; the situation is still under control. The environment here with Nicolas Flamel is helpful in untangling those overly active threads."
"I regret to inform you that it seems I am destined to be unable to complete my teaching duties this academic year. This is unpleasant, but it is also a twist of fate. Do not let my situation cause you to neglect your studies, especially your progress in alchemy. Nico has a large collection of books, and I will send you some insights and questions from time to time."
"Albus told me that Severus will temporarily teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts course at Hogwarts. His knowledge is beyond question, especially his expertise in defense against dark creatures and poisons. However, as you know, remember to remain calm and focus on the knowledge itself. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you may write to me directly. My address is at the end of this letter."
"Remember, Karen, knowledge is the only torch that can illuminate any darkness. Focus on your 'vision,' focus on the alchemical flame, focus on the 'protection' you are building. That is your true power. I look forward to seeing your next achievement."
Castor Grindelwald.
The address in the note was in Saint-Paul-de-Vans, in the south of France. Karen silently noted it down, carefully rolled up the letter, and tucked it into her inner pocket.
"Whose letter is it? Is it from Professor Victor?" Wesley asked, his mouth full of pie.
Karen took a deep breath and conveyed the letter's meaning in a simplified way: "It's from Professor Victor. He said he's with Mr. Nicolas Flamel now, and his situation is stable for the time being. He told me not to worry too much. We can't slack off on our studies, especially alchemy. He also said—Professor Snape is very knowledgeable—and that we should concentrate on learning in class."
"Oh, that's good." Fabian breathed a sigh of relief, adjusted his glasses, and said, "With Mr. Nicolas Flamel taking care of things personally, there shouldn't be any problems."
Ernesto, however, astutely caught the unspoken implication in Cullen's tone: "Just 'temporarily stable'? And he specifically mentioned Snape; it doesn't sound like pure praise." He scoffed. "That old professor, can he really teach Defense Against the Dark Arts? I have my doubts."
"At least the knowledge is real." Karen picked up a slice of toast and tore off the edges without much appetite. "I have class this afternoon, then I'll find out."
The morning class was History of Magic. Professor Binns' monotonous, flat voice, like a hypnotic spell, recounted details of a long-forgotten treaty from the goblin rebellion, successfully lulling most of the students into a half-awake, half-asleep state. Cullen tried to concentrate, forcing herself to jot down the key years and names Binns mentioned, but her thoughts, like uncontrollable thieves, kept drifting back to Dumbledore's instructions, Castor's letter, and the upcoming first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, to be taught by Snape in the afternoon.
The atmosphere in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom that afternoon was completely different from when Professor Castor was there. Professor Snape, like a huge, light-absorbing shadow, glided silently across the podium. He was still wearing his ever-present black robes, his face sallow, his hair greasy and plastered to his cheeks; it seemed even Defense Against the Dark Arts couldn't make him change his attire.
However, when those unfathomable black eyes swept across the classroom, they didn't contain the usual deep-seated annoyance and coldness that Snape usually displayed in Potions class. In fact, Karen swore she saw Snape's sarcastic lips twitch upwards for an extremely brief moment while explaining a certain point, revealing an almost pleasant arc.
"Kaba." Snape's voice was deep and smooth, yet strangely clear to everyone. "An aquatic creature originating from the magical swamps of the Far East." He waved his wand, and a precise but sinister magical diagram appeared on the blackboard, depicting an ape-like creature with a pool of water in a depression on its head, skin covered in scales, and webbed hands and feet. "Its physical characteristics, as shown on the blackboard, include the water pool on its head, which is both its core of power and its fatal weakness. It possesses incredible strength, is particularly adept at twisting the bones of its prey, and has a particular fondness for unprotected human internal organs."
The classroom was silent except for the scratching of quills across parchment. The Ravenclaw students were taking notes intently, while a few Slytherins watched with amusement.
"His defensive strategy is based on his physiological characteristics." Snape's gaze, like a cold probe, slowly swept over the students in the front row, lingering for a moment on Karen, scrutinizing her but not deliberately making things difficult for her, "to lure her into bowing, causing the puddle on her head to overflow, and her power to dissipate."
Then he paused. "It's worth noting that Kaba produces a strong nausea-inducing vomiting reaction to certain herbs, such as a mixture of foxtail powder and wormwood extract. This property can be used to make repellents or to set traps."
Karen frantically jotted down these practical but nauseatingly obvious points of knowledge, forcing herself to ignore the eerily satisfied atmosphere emanating from the lecturer and focus on her notes. Snape's knowledge was indeed impeccable; if one ignored his face, which seemed to imply everyone owed him a hundred Galleons, and his sharp tongue, the sheer volume of knowledge from this class was incredibly rewarding.
In the latter half of the lesson, Snape began distributing samples of a sticky, green, viscous substance with a strong, fishy smell, asking the students to observe its physical properties closely and speculate on its possible biological origin. A chorus of suppressed gagging sounds immediately filled the classroom.
"Mr. Brian," Snape slid over to Fabian, watching him carefully pick up a small clump of mucus with tweezers and place it on a glass slide for observation, "please state your observations and speculate on their relationship to the Kaba's protective barrier. I hope your answer will be more convincing than your expression."
Fabian's face was indeed a little pale. He adjusted his glasses and tried to keep his voice steady: "Professor, the sample is dark green."
It has a sticky texture and a strong smell of rotting algae. Its stickiness might help the Kaba maintain its body moisture in humid environments, while also adhering to prey or interfering with opponents?
"Not bad, at least it didn't immediately spew out like some Gryffindor trolls, wasting precious teaching materials," Snape commented scathingly, then turned to Cullen, "Mr. Hawthorne, anything to add? Or do you think Mr. Brian has already provided a perfect answer?"
Karen calmly met his gaze: "Fabian's points about adhesiveness and interference are valid. In addition, based on its strong odor and color, I speculate that this secretion may also have a certain camouflage function, helping the Kaba blend into the algal environment at the bottom of the swamp. At the same time, its odor may also attract certain small creatures to approach, becoming bait for the Kaba."
Snape's dark eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized Cullen, seemingly assessing whether he was showing off. "A reasonable inference based on sample characteristics."
He then turned and walked to the podium, his black robe billowing. "get out of class dismissed. Clean up the samples in front of you. I don't want any residue contaminating my classroom."
"Ugh!" Wesley leaned against the cold, oppressive stone wall of the corridor as he stepped out of the gloomy, dark defenses classroom.
He gagged dramatically a few times. "Merlin's stinky socks! Those things are more disgusting than Filch's mop that hasn't been washed in a month! Snape even made us get that close to smell them! He definitely did it on purpose!"
Fabian's complexion hadn't fully recovered yet. He took out his small water bottle and took a few sips of water: "But—but the defense strategy he talked about was indeed very practical, and he even expanded on some points, it's just too disgusting. As for Kaba's reaction to wormwood extract and ni-vixen feces, it was only mentioned briefly in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'."
Ernesto was vigorously wiping his fingers with a silk handkerchief. "Knowledge is one thing, but the way he—enjoyed it—was creepy. I'd rather go back to memorizing Professor Binns's timeline of magical history. Besides, you and Cullen answered quite well; Snape didn't find any fault with you."
Karen shook her head, ignoring Ernesto's comments about Snape, and simply said, "As long as he's happy, that's fine. As long as he gets the knowledge, that's all that matters." She was preoccupied with something else, "No classes this afternoon, I should make the most of it. Ernesto, is there any progress on those things you mentioned before?"
"I have some leads, but not many. It's been too short. I haven't received a reply yet after sending a letter home to inquire, so I'm still unsure about the Tranquil Crystal. But I've consulted some books, and it should indeed exist." Ernesto paused his wiping action upon hearing Karen's words.
"A clue is better than nothing!" Wesley immediately perked up. "Karen, didn't you say the headmaster mentioned magic nodes? Shall we go investigate that place this afternoon?"
Karen already had a plan in mind: "Let's go to the Black Lake first. The Black Lake is so big, its magic field must be very special. Then—near the Ravenclaw Tower gate. Fabian, take your plant notebook and drawing tools, and focus on recording the distribution of plants in the magically active areas by the lake. Let's go check that out first."
"Understood!" the three replied in unison and quickly got to work.
Karen stood on a flat rock by the lake, concentrating her mind, holding the prepared instrument in her hand, pretending to use alchemical tools for detection, but actually relying on her true eye.
"How is it?" Fabian squatted not far away, opened his hardcover sketchbook, his charcoal pencil already prepared, his eyes scanning between Karen and the lake.
"Vast, heavy, like the heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth." Karen's voice was soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. His gaze pierced through the water's surface. "The flow of magic is generally steady, carrying the tranquility and inclusiveness unique to water. But—" His brow furrowed slightly.
The eyes caught a deeper change: "Deep down, near the lakebed, there are undercurrents. Not chaotic, but a more primal, wild pulse, which I can't quite describe."
"Can you sense the 'soothing' or 'stabilizing' properties?" Ernesto asked from the side.
Karen slowly shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the deep magical field: "The magical field here is 'still,' even excessively 'sinking.' It's like a vast, self-balancing abyss. It can hold many things—giant squid, mermaids, Grindylows—but it doesn't 'actively' soothe external violence. It's more like a silent vessel." He paused, his voice lowering. "What we need is something that can actively intervene and calm the raging magic. The 'stillness' here comes from its own vastness and depth, not from a 'stabilizing force' that can exert influence outwards."
Fabian listened intently, then quickly sketched the imagery of the magic field Karen described with a charcoal pencil, adding a note beside it: "Black Lake Magic Field: Deep blue, thick, highly self-balancing, its response to external violent magical disturbances is 'encompassing' and 'absorbing,' rather than 'actively managing' and 'smoothing.' Deep within, there exists a primal, wild pulse, low in intensity and slow in frequency." He looked up and asked, "And what about the areas near the shore where magic is more active?"
Karen turned her gaze to the nearshore area as instructed, observing and explaining to Fabian as she went.
Fabian quickly took notes and gestured for Karen to identify the different magical plants, swiftly sketching their features in his notebook. Ernesto, meanwhile, confirmed that Fabian's notes were accurate.
Wesley, bored, skipped pebbles across the water while cautiously scanning his surroundings, overhearing their discussion. "So Black Lake won't work? Shall we try the door knocker then?"