"Hahaha... That's impossible!" Michael let out a dry laugh. "Muggles can't even find where we are. They don't even know wizards exist."
Ryan silently stared at him.
Michael's smile disappeared.
"My grandmother, your mother, Wade's parents, Harry's aunt and uncle, and Hermione's parents—none of them are from the wizarding world," Ryan said calmly, hitting the point directly: "Do Muggles really not know about the existence of wizards?"
After a long pause, Hermione murmured, "I think I finally understand why the Statute of Secrecy exists..."
"And Dumbledore," Harry added quietly.
No one responded this time.
They couldn't help but wonder: if it were Dumbledore, could he resist those terrifying weapons?
Or would even Dumbledore, in the face of a Muggle assault, have no choice but to flee and hide?
"Wade, do you think... if Hogwarts is discovered, will we be able to withstand a Muggle attack?"
Somehow, Theo had more confidence in Wade than in most of the professors at the school—perhaps second only to Dumbledore.
After a few seconds, Wade said slowly:
"There is a way... but... it's very difficult."
For instance, using the Imperius Curse and Legilimency combined with Transfiguration or Polyjuice Potion to control Muggle leaders, even replacing them, could provoke wars between Muggle nations while shielding the wizarding world from being discovered.
But interacting with Muggles isn't as simple as a casual "Good morning." Even the slightest gesture, like raising an eyebrow, can reveal whether someone is genuine or an imposter.
Moreover, high-ranking officials are constantly under scrutiny, with countless pairs of eyes watching them. They appear on camera almost daily, and even the smallest abnormality could be magnified.
So, any wizard tasked with such a mission would need an unshakable will and faith, years of observation and preparation, and extraordinary endurance and patience to possibly succeed in replacing someone.
For some reason, Wade suddenly thought of the "lizard people" conspiracy theories that were popular on the internet in his previous life.
If someone had a similar idea as me... if someone truly dedicated ten, or even dozens of years to executing such a plan...
Could it be that some Muggle leaders had already been replaced?
Or... am I overthinking it?
He thought of the original story—after everything ended, nineteen years later, Harry's children went to Hogwarts as usual.
At least until that moment, the world was still at peace.
...
Knock, knock, knock!
A rapid knocking sounded at the door. Dumbledore put on his glasses and, with a slight movement of his finger, the oak door swung open.
"Albus!"
Professor McGonagall hurried in, slowing her steps slightly only after seeing Dumbledore.
"Do you... do you know what Professor Abigail talked about with the students today?"
"Of course," Dumbledore replied calmly. "Professor Abigail discussed it with me before her class."
"Then, Muggle... Muggle weapons... have they really reached such a level?" McGonagall asked, incredulity written on her face.
"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said. "You know, I have a few Muggle friends. Take dear Jacob, for example—he fought in the First World War, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces..."
"Albus!"
McGonagall had met that Muggle named Jacob before, but this wasn't the story she wanted to hear.
"Alright," Dumbledore said indulgently. "I understand your concern, Minerva. But there's no need to worry. For now, the Statute of Secrecy is still doing its job."
"So that means..."
"Yes, there's no need to worry about Muggle shells falling on our heads one day. Even if someone were to fire missiles at what they think is 'Hogwarts,' they'd explode elsewhere."
McGonagall let out a breath of relief.
"You've already thought this through? Oh—of course—you've surely considered these possibilities long before now! You always see crises ahead of the rest of us."
"I'm no prophet, Minerva. I've simply... witnessed the power of these things firsthand," Dumbledore said.
After sending off the deputy headmistress, who was now embarrassed by her "overreaction," Dumbledore's lighthearted expression vanished as well. He stirred the surface of the Pensieve, and silver mist began to swirl.
An illusory image materialized in the air—
Explosions, death, war.
There were more human corpses than crows in the sky, and the landscape had been reshaped by relentless bombings.
A shadowy figure slowly turned, shouting at an unseen audience:
"Who does the Statute of Secrecy really protect? Us, or them?"
"Who forces us into hiding? Who are the true executioners in war?"
"Face the facts, Dumbledore! Running away solves nothing!"
"What we long for is freedom, truth—and above all, love!"
The silver figure disappeared.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair, wearily rubbing his temples.
...
For most teenagers, worries and anxieties about the future don't linger long in their minds.
The idea of Muggles attacking wizards exists only in imagination—perhaps in a distant future—but the end-of-term exams were less than a month away.
And, more immediately, the highly anticipated maze challenge loomed near.
Or even closer concerns—being late to class, forgetting to finish an essay, getting pranked by Peeves, or perhaps a confession of love being rejected...
These issues felt far more urgent than the development of Muggle weapons.
As a result, discussions about that particular lesson quickly faded from the list of hot topics. The most direct impact was that many Muggle-born students started holding their heads a bit higher.
They enjoyed talking about the weapons Professor Abigail had demonstrated and some half-true, half-false stories they had heard from their families.
Students from other years also began attending the same lesson as it was introduced.
By the second time Professor Abigail taught the class, nearly all the faculty came to observe. Even Professor Murray had canceled a banquet to attend.
Wade, who had been asked to show the way, stood at the back of the classroom with Professor Murray, watching the first-years. These young, inexperienced students were trying out a few simple-to-operate weapons under Professor Abigail's guidance.
"Looks like Dumbledore brought you all a good teacher this time," Professor Murray commented amidst the intermittent sound of gunfire.
"I've long thought that today's children need to learn more about Muggle progress. Too many of them still think of Muggles as if they were stuck in the Middle Ages."
"Professor Abigail has indeed taught us a lot," Wade replied. "Her knowledge in this area probably surpasses most Muggles themselves."
Professor Murray glanced at him. "I heard you've taken up Muggle Studies as an elective?"
"Yes," Wade said. "In fact, I've taken all the electives."
"Professor Charity Burbage is a kind person, but her Muggle Studies class? You might as well skip it," Professor Murray remarked bluntly. "She knows less about Muggles than my radio does!"
"I just find it... interesting to study Muggles from a wizard's perspective," Wade explained.
"Is that so?" Professor Murray murmured skeptically. "I get the feeling you've heard something... and that's why you're taking all the electives, even though you don't actually need them."
"What?"
Wade turned his head to look at him, his gaze as innocent as a bird preening its feathers in a tree.
Professor Murray: "..."
After a moment of silence, he gave a warning. "...Don't misuse it. And don't try to delve into its secrets. Time is the most terrifying and dangerous force in this world."
Wade paused, the playful look fading. In a soft voice, he replied, "...I understand, Professor."
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