And on the Basilisk's flattened snake head, a large hole ran through its head to its upper jaw, and both eyes were left with only two blackened, empty hollows.
From time to time, a few exclamations accompanied by fear were heard from the crowd.
These wizards ranged from the first four years younger ones to the last three years older ones, but they still couldn't help but gulp while facing the dead Basilisk.
One of the young wizards asked what everyone wanted: "Is this behemoth what Potter and the rest fought? How did they do it?"
No one answered his question.
One Slytherin student couldn't resist trying to get closer, he reached out his hand, but an invisible barrier bounced him away.
" You know what Dumbledore said, Flint." A shrill voice appeared, and the crowd moved aside to make way for Professor Filius.
He looked short, but the young wizards at Hogwarts respected him because he always lectured with passion and would treat the young wizards of all four houses equally.
He came to the front and walked around the Basilisk, "What a rare magic creature, I think Hagrid would have liked it."
...
Felix thought about it at the end of the lesson and decided to go to the yard.
Dumbledore had said last night at the dinner that the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, would be here today, and he intended to get a closer look at this man.
Rumour had it that he is Dumbledore's echoing dog and has absolutely no opinion of his own. But Felix didn't think so; a man who is playing politics can be the best licker and more unprincipled than the rest when you're vulnerable.
He walked down the stairs and prepared to cross the Great Hall.
Just then, from the distance, there came a clamour, and seven or eight figures approached from afar.
"Minister Fudge, this way, please." Professor McGonagall walked in front.
Behind her came a stout, small, middle-aged man, short, chubby, and solid-looking, with a scraggly head of grey hair and an anxious scowl on his face.
His clothes were a strange mishmash: pinstriped suit, bright red tie, long black cloak, and purple pointed boots. He also had a dark green bowler hat under his arm.
Felix recognized him at once as Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister of Magic. Following him closely is a tall man, in an Auror outfit, who looks like Fudge's subordinate.
After this is a middle-aged man with platinum blonde hair, his whole body is tightly wrapped in a long black travel cloak, his face carries a cold, rejecting expression of indifference, and his hand carries a wand that looks very much like a cane.
Felix looked at his trademark hair colour and had a few guesses in his mind, perhaps it is that rather famous pureblood family head of - Malfoy?
After Malfoy came a woman, with whom Felix happened to mingle, Rita Skeeter. Her face heavily coated with makeup, she's energetically instructing her two assistants, "Seize the moment, the moment! Got it? Take lots of pictures."
Two young men with enchanted cameras coyly agreed.
Felix could not help but smile, it seems that this newspaper celebrity has a good psychological quality.
Rita Skeeter carried a purse in her hand, and as she walked through the Great Hall, her eyes began to look around cautiously for something.
Her pupils suddenly tightened, and her steps became hesitant and indecisive as she met Felix's gaze.
Behind her is a slow walking in the last place is Dumbledore, his size is the tallest among the crowd, at the moment, his blue eyes watching all this.
Professor McGonagall saw Felix in front of her, she paused, "Oh, Felix. Let me introduce you, this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic." She then grunted softly and reluctantly, "These two are Lucius Malfoy and Rita Skeeter."
Fudge showed enough enthusiasm as he walked up briskly and held out his hands, "Felix Hap, I've really heard a lot about you, I've heard your name mentioned more than once by the French Minister of Magic."
Felix drew his hand back without a trace, "Just writing a few books." He stared into Fudge's eyes the entire time, and in those eyes, he didn't see much enthusiasm present.
He looked again at Rita Skeeter and whispered, " It's Rita."
The woman with the exaggerated curls greeted awkwardly, "Hello, Mr. Hap." She wondered if she should pretend she didn't know him, and if she would get into any trouble if she revealed the man's hidden face.
But if Felix saw correctly, this instant, Fudge and Malfoy's eyes changed at the same time.
What a keen ... should I say, worthy of a figure in the world of prestige?
Felix nodded at Malfoy, and the two did not cross paths.
But Lucius Malfoy looked at him quietly for two seconds with his grey eyes, and then tugged out a reserved smile as he extended his right hand: "Hello, Mr. Hap."
Felix, surprised in his heart, similarly extended his hand, "Hello, Mr. Malfoy."
After a short exchange of pleasantries, Professor McGonagall continued to lead the way, Felix has quietly followed the pace to the end of the line and walked alongside Dumbledore.
The two men adorned the group from afar, whispering to each other.
"Felix, it's not right to abuse the Legilimency." Dumbledore winked, "That will take a lot of the fun out of it and make you more likely to get bored with the world."
"Is that your experience?"
"Anyone has to be young at some point." Dumbledore did not answer directly, but Felix has heard the underlying meaning - young people are always prone to make mistakes.
So he said, "I'm young now, Headmaster Dumbledore. Besides, I only slightly perceived his true emotions, it helps to understand each other better, doesn't it?"
Dumbledore did not insist on the topic, he asked with interest, "What did you perceive?"
"Could it be that you are interested in what the Minister of Magic is thinking?" Felix asked rhetorically.
"No, Felix, I don't need to use Legilimency to see through him, it is perhaps the only thing I mastered without active learning after living for a hundred years."
Felix is somewhat surprised, Dumbledore should not talk to him about these, right? When did their relationship become so close?
The two of them remained silent for the next few minutes.
When they walked to the yard, Professor McGonagall had led Fudge and the others to stand in front of the Basilisk, Felix and Dumbledore did not push forward either, and stood on the periphery of the crowd.
Hagrid stood awkwardly in the corner, Felix listened to a few words of chatter from the young wizards and figured out what is going on.
Just now, Hagrid kept pleading Professor Filius to unlock the ward around the Basilisk, he wanted to feel the charm of a creature like a Basilisk up close ...
Is this how all wizards who study magical creatures think about things?
So, how many seconds before Professor Kettleburn would reach the battlefield? Felix thought out of tune in his mind.