The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 305, Section 304: A Harmonious Society, Amazing Encounters

Ian also enjoys reading a bit of unofficial history in the Hogwarts library.

In fact.

Most young wizards are very interested in these kinds of unofficial histories, as they are something that people enjoy talking about. Even a young wizard like Ian is very fond of reading unofficial histories.

And among the many unofficial histories.

Aside from the romantic escapades of those great wizards, the unofficial history surrounding the origins of wizards is a question that even adult wizards have been debating for countless centuries.

There are several versions of the story.

The Stardust Apocalypse theory is one of the most popular theories after the rise of science among Muggles. It tells of a meteorite called the "Arcane Star" that fell into the British Forest in ancient times.

This theory suggests that magic did not exist on Earth in ancient times.

Magic was born when a burning, silvery meteorite crashed onto the planet. It was no ordinary celestial body, but a "star core" carrying cosmic magic. When it struck the earth, it released an energy wave known as the "Breath of Aether," which permeated the earth, water, and air.

The cosmic energy contained in its fragments seeped into the soil.

A group of humans living nearby were affected by this force, and their bodies began to change: their blood began to glow, their pupils could see darkness as bright as day, and they could even sense the flow of natural elements. These people gradually mastered the ability to manipulate nature, summon storms, and control fire.

They were the earliest wizards.

This legend is most often cited by pure-blood families, especially the Black and Malfoy families, who firmly believe that their bloodline originates from the innermost part of that "star core".

They are born noble inheritors of magic. Supporters of this theory believe that modern wizards' obsession with the stars, such as the use of star charts in divination classes, alchemists' worship of the lunar cycle, and astrological symbols in ancient runes, may actually stem from this lingering memory of the origins of the universe.

Well, how should I put it?

This alternative view of divination is actually similar to the theory of cosmic migration. A destroyed fragment of the Chronicle of Pure Blood reveals that wizards are exiles from "beyond the stars"—of course, this so-called chronicle was indeed created after the rise of science in the Muggle world.

How much of the content is copied directly from Muggle world theories is unknown, but in the wizarding world, none of the various schools of thought claim to have a dedicated plagiarism detection agency. "Muggle Prehistory" even goes so far as to propose a subversive theory: that wizards are the original inhabitants while Muggles are aliens.

In short.

Wizards with mental disorders have researched many theories about the origins of their mental instability. Among these, the Stardust Apocalypse theory is one of the most widely accepted.

In recent years.

Newt and a few friends also unearthed an ancient document that proposed an evolutionary theory that wizards were actually "ancient reptiles," suggesting that the earliest wizards may not have been purely human.

Rather, they are descendants of some kind of "humanoid reptile".

Snake-like speech is not a linguistic talent, but rather a "genetic remnant"—their throat structure is similar to that of snakes, enabling them to emit sound waves of a specific frequency that directly stimulate the nerves of snakes.

This kind of explanation, which is closer to scientific understanding, became increasingly popular among wizarding communities after the rise of modern science. However, some of these explanations are obviously absurd to anyone with a discerning eye. For example, Salazar Slytherin did not build the Chamber of Secrets out of "pure-blood fanaticism," but because his "serpent ancestors" attempted to "awaken their sleeping companions" through the Chamber.

In addition, during the 17th-century "witch hunt," Muggles were not simply afraid of magic, but discovered that if wizards overused Parseltongue, they would gradually "degenerate" into mindless snake-like creatures.

These are statements.

To those truly knowledgeable, it is indeed riddled with flaws. This is precisely why the theory of wizarding evolution isn't particularly appealing to mainstream wizards. They are more inclined to believe in the Stardust Apocalypse theory, as well as four other theories—the Fairy Pact theory, the Dream Awakening theory, and the symbiotic element theory.

Once, a group of greedy humans made a forbidden pact with fairies, exchanging fragments of their souls for magical knowledge. The fairies inscribed spellcasting methods and potion recipes on parchment scrolls, but secretly planted a curse—each time magic was used, a part of their soul would be devoured. To prevent the pact from backfiring on humans, they established pure-blood families.

An attempt was made to dilute the fairy curse through inbreeding.

This is one of the theories championed by pure-blood families.

In contrast, half-blood wizards and Muggle wizards are more inclined to believe in the dream awakening school, which claims that there was a type of "dream prophet" among ancient tribes who could travel between magical planes while asleep. When they brought the spells and magical creatures from their dreams back to reality, their dormant magical genes were activated.

According to this theory, the oldest prophetic journals are said to be kept in a secret chamber beneath Gringotts, which states that "every wizard is a two-faced being, living one side in the present world and the other in the magical dream world." Those who cannot control their journeys through the dream world will eventually become ghosts who can only wander in reality.

Well, how should I put it?

It also explains the birth of ghosts, which is a more complete explanation. It is more convincing than the elemental symbiosis theory that the wizards were born because the elemental spirits injected their power into the human body.

The concept of elemental symbiosis mainly appears in various stories and fairy tales told to children. It is not a serious traditional story, but rather a new type of story that has only emerged in recent years.

The majority of those who believe in it are children. As for Ian, he leans more towards the theory of bloodline research, suggesting that certain abilities or characteristics of magical creatures were transferred to humans, thus creating wizards.

This involves the realm of alchemy.

And those future gods, those black-robed wizards, seemed to be confirming this claim. However, it wasn't until Ian set foot on this island that he suddenly realized this.

perhaps.

There may be more than one origin story for wizards.

For example, the theory of hybridization.

Was he born on this island?

Nobody knows. One theory suggests that the earliest wizards may have been the offspring of magical creatures and humans. For example, some magical creatures with special abilities may have somehow mated with humans, giving their offspring magical powers, much like certain families possessing unique magical talents.

Talents such as the Dumbledore family's Phoenix affinity and the Slytherin family's Parseltongue voice may be manifestations of the bloodline inheritance of magical creatures in ancient times.

They need to hybridize with magical creatures. This is supposed to be one of the most absurd theories, but Ian isn't sure about the relationship between humans and magical creatures here.

Kissing, hugging, and lifting each other up high—these are things you see everywhere.

"My God, is this really something I should be seeing?" Ian also saw a man dressed up a humanoid magical creature as a girl and dragging it out for a walk.

have to say.

Thinking hard.

"Let me show you around our world." Little Sprout had no idea what kind of shock Ian's little heart had been experiencing, but she showed her warm and hospitable side.

As the morning light shone on the cobblestone streets, Ian followed Sprout into the town and saw a pumpkin carriage speeding by, pulled by a herd of enormous lightning reindeer.

Each one is adorned with an exquisite leather bridle.

"Make way! Make way!"

The driver called out.

"The freshly delivered Brachiosaurus eggs need to be rushed to the hatchery!"

He seemed to be in a hurry. Ian pressed himself against the wall, looking at the five eggs stacked in the carriage, each about the size of a watermelon, their surfaces sparking with dangerous static electricity.

"That's the town's express mail service."

Little Sprout proudly introduced it.

"Three times faster than a regular chocobo!"

Her words shocked Ian once again, as if he had been transported to a new world—could it be that the Titan had indeed found something that did not belong to this world from somewhere?

Even a game console that doesn't belong to this timeline? Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating the little bud's face and highlighting her bright eyes. Ian followed behind her, through narrow, ancient streets, surrounded by houses built of stone and wood with thick thatched roofs.

Turn the corner.

In front of a treehouse with a sign that reads "Postal and Information," a dozen different species of birds and magical creatures are lining up. The toucan at the front is sorting the letters and stuffing them into its belly pouch.

The sign next to it clearly states:

For urgent shipments, please use Lightning Express (additional fee applies).

"Fragile items are recommended for heavy-load transportation"

"For love letters, we recommend choosing the special Rainbow Bird (success rate +30%)."

have to say.

The civilization of this era may not have been very advanced, but in terms of defecation, it was second to none. Compared with later generations, its defecation was in no way inferior to that of later generations.

"That's my cousin's partner. He passed the civil service exam last year," Xiaoya said, pointing to the night owl stamping a document. "Now he works at the post office and earns my cousin a lot of money every day."

They even have currency.

And there are ways to get magical creatures to go out and make money.

have to say.

Ian was deeply shocked.

"Cold medicine - effective in seven seconds"

Hair regrowth medication - money-back guarantee if ineffective.

"Love Potion - Side effect: grows a pig's nose, use with caution."

The scene outside the pharmacy is even more exciting.

The most primitive potions seem to have already been created in this world.

No rituals or magic are needed.

Purely handmade potion.

It might also use the mouths of some magical creatures.

A doctor is examining a patient using different magical creatures, each seemingly corresponding to a different testing instrument. Ian has no idea how this development came about—the most comfortable one is a tortoise, its shell open to reveal various herbs fermenting.

The air was filled with a scent that blended earth, roasted meat, and flowers, as if the whole town was immersed in an atmosphere where the primitive and natural intertwined.

"This is our town—Wind Chime Town," Little Sprout proudly introduced as they walked. "Every household here has its own magical animal companion."

Ian looked around and saw that many residents were surrounded by creatures of various shapes and sizes: winged lizards hovering in the air, small beasts as docile as cats but covered in scales squatting at the door, and even an old woman leading a three-headed snake past them.

"Perhaps they're more than just partners?"

Ian was still secretly filled with dread.

As they spoke, they arrived at a bustling market. The morning market in the central square was in full swing, with vendors calling out their wares and holding all sorts of unusual goods.

Wooden stalls stood side by side, vendors calling out their wares. A merchant wearing a feathered headdress was peddling herbs that shimmered faintly: "A miracle cure for scrapes! Ten shells each!" In the blacksmith's shop next door, a blacksmith was hammering a piece of glowing metal, sparks flying everywhere.

Those are potion ingredients.

It is still a very powerful potion ingredient.

Ian could clearly sense the magic within, but he couldn't make an effective distinction. It was clearly a powerful magical potion ingredient that had become extinct in later generations.

If it weren't for the fact that I felt I couldn't take it back...

Ian actually wanted to buy a few copies as well.

"This stone...it glows?"

Ian pointed to the raw materials in the blacksmith's shop.

He also felt the magic in the ore used by the blacksmith.

Little Sprout nodded, "All the metals on our island glow, and that one is 'Meteorite Iron.' Just a little bit of it can turn even a mushroom into a lamp!"

What a metaphor that's hard to describe! She pointed to the mushroom lamps being sold at the stall; indeed, those orange-red fungi emitted a soft light.

Ian sensed the most primitive way magical materials were used. That makes sense; the people here don't possess magic within their bodies, so they certainly can't use those "natural treasures" like wizards.

can only say.

When the resources are abundant enough.

Indeed, even those who don't know magic can understand how to use the most primitive magic—perhaps partly due to the help of magical creatures.

"What's that over there?"

Ian's gaze was drawn to a fishmonger energetically hawking his wares—a middle-aged man with a full beard, directing thirteen tentacle octopuses to simultaneously kill, pack, and collect money from customers. Most remarkably, the octopus in the middle was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and was rapidly calculating with its tentacles.

"It's a smart octopus, its math skills are more than ten times better than ordinary people," Xiaoya whispered. "Last year's town-wide mental arithmetic competition champion was a smart octopus that disguised itself as a human."

She was recounting a case of cheating.

The tone was one of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection).

Ian couldn't fathom what kind of art style this was supposed to be. He noticed that some stalls were actually run by fantastical creatures! A fox with a broom-like tail sat behind the counter, giving customers change with its paws. Another creature, resembling a turtle but covered in mushrooms, was selling soup.

It used the mushrooms on its back to cook a pot of fragrant stew.

This...is just too illogical!

Ian muttered to himself.

It was as if he had already eaten mushrooms from Yunnan himself. The harmonious scene before him not only seemed bizarre to him, but also gave off an indescribable sense of unease.

of course.

Perhaps Newt would adapt well here. This looks like the utopia that an old man like Newt would most like to see, a harmonious society where humans and magical creatures are completely integrated.

(End of this chapter)