Inside the classroom for experiments, Felix sat before his table drawing out a blueprint and calculating. Dark circles were below his eyes as he constantly yawned as he continued to work on the project before him. While John worked on his homework not far away from him.
"Felix, why don't you rest?" John asked, a bit worried about his friend.
"I can't. I got jinxed by the idiots in my dorm room." Felix complained a bit, clearly irritated at Lenny and his small gang.
Since day one they have been harassing him for some grand goal of making him drop out. Now he can usually prevent and block most of their petty tricks. Yet, somehow they got their hands on a jinx or more like a curse, that made him unable to sleep for the next forty eight hours. Now only the first twenty four hours have passed.
He had tried to dispel it himself, but found out he couldn't. Somehow the numbskulls either by luck or being told, three of them casted it simultaneously. Thus by the power of three the jinx was empowered and even with Madam Pomfrey's help, they were unable to lift it. While the jinx was weakened a lot, neither could get rid of it totally.
Naturally, Felix had more ways and options, but by the time he got all the materials and set it up. The jinx would have run its course, so he didn't try them. However, he did decide to begin collecting the materials for future incidents as he did learn a lesson this time.
"I still can't believe Professor McGonagall only gave those four detention only for two days." John grumbled.
"The Headmaster increased it to two weeks." Angel walked in with a couple bags in hand.
In one bag were some fruits while the other seemed to be materials. She sat them down at her table and began to open the jars she previously placed on it. All while she opened up a journal that displayed some sort of recipe.
What it is, neither John or Felix knew as she hasn't told them and besides Angel's Cookbook on the cover. They didn't look at any of the content as they weren't interested in looking through their friend's things.
"So, Felix, what have you been working on that requires you to write so many numbers?" Angel asked.
"The communication watches are much more popular than I originally thought, despite their prices. I am having trouble crafting and sending them out in a reasonable amount of time. Hence, I decided to set up an automation chain to help with crafting them." Felix explained.
"An automation chain? Why didn't you just hire a workshop or older students to help?" Angel asked.
"I thought it would be an interesting challenge to do it this way." Felix replied honestly.
The subject was actually much more complex than he actually expected. Which is probably why no one or very few have tried to do it. Due to this, it is probably why the wizarding world seemed like it was lagging behind, nearly everything needed to be handcrafted.
The complex part wasn't so much moving the materials from one spot to another to be worked on. Its complexity comes from the magic involved since magic requires willpower to be used. So since magical arms and conveyor belts can't generate will power. He has to find a work around otherwise the magic from the belt and arms will be used, which would halt the process once it ran out.
Luckily he already has a few ideas, but if they will work, he actually doesn't know yet. In theory, it should, but in actual practice is a different question. So he will just have to try them and see which one fits best.
"Ok, oh, by the way Felix do you remember that wizard training idea we chatted about over the summer?" Angel changed the subject.
Felix thought about it for a moment before he recalled it. The idea was basically to set up small gym-like areas around the island where minor wizards and witches could go to practice alongside adult wizards and witches. It was a semi interesting idea to talk about at the time, but he wondered why Angel was bringing it up now.
"I do."
"Well, my father got five shops opened up across Britain. While the cost hasn't really been recouped yet, it is actually fairly popular among quite a few witches and wizards." Angel said excitedly. "He says if this trend continues, by the end of the first month of summer the shops would be finished paying themselves off."
"That's good," Felix smiled.
He was actually a bit surprised that she actually convinced her father to do it.
--
While the three friends were working on their own projects that they deemed interesting. Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk looking at the stern woman before him. Her usual stern demeanor was gone at the moment.
"Why did you increase the detention of Lenny and his group? I thought I handed out the appropriate amount." Minerva McGonagall asked.
"It wouldn't be a problem if it was a prank, but this isn't a prank. Minerva, it is fine if students fight, but only when it is within a certain degree. Lenny and his group have begun to leave that certain degree." Dumbledore explained. "Felix is a nice child, but even nice people have limits to their patience. Your actions when it involves him tends to be biased against him."
Minerva stood up after a few more words and left the room questioning her past actions.