A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 705 Television Interview

News of the wizard's upcoming interview made headlines early on, and television broadcast previews on repeat for two days in advance. When the scheduled time arrived, countless people waited in front of their televisions for the live broadcast to begin.

The three guests sat down in turn. Slughorn sat alone in a large chair, wearing a magnificent emerald green wizard's robe. Mr. Weasley and Hermione sat next to him. The former wore a gray-brown suit with sparse red hair plastered to his forehead, while the latter looked like a student who had just come from the high school next door and rushed over without stopping, her body movements revealing a hint of restraint.

The host, who had taken on today's interview assignment, sat diagonally across the curved table. He looked capable and energetic, constantly using gestures to make final communication with the audience. The audience whispered among themselves, curiously observing the three of them. These audience members were carefully selected from thousands of applicants and had passed tests to prove they had no extremist ideologies.

After the usual opening remarks, the interview officially began.

"...Thank you to our three special guests for their introductions. They come from different age groups and play different social roles—there are school teachers, government workers, and students. What thoughts will their ideas bring to the audience? Let's start with Mr. Slughorn..."

"Hello, Mr. Slughorn, may I ask what subject you teach at the school?"

"Potions," Slughorn said. He gave a brief introduction to the basic concepts of potions, which was quite easy for someone with decades of teaching experience. The conversation unfolded in a pleasant atmosphere, and apart from the occasional confusing name that popped up, the audience listened with great interest. Slughorn spoke fluently, casually introducing some simple potion names, such as potions for treating boils, cold remedies, euphoria potions, and vitality tonics. Then, at the request of the audience, he mentioned several more complex potions.

"Potions that bring good luck, bone-growth potions that make bones grow overnight, mind-clearing potions that sharpen the mind, beauty potions that make people beautiful..." the host said somewhat absentmindedly, but his professionalism quickly brought him back to his senses. "Hmm, I think everyone has the same question in their mind right now: can these potions be mass-produced?"

"I'm afraid that won't work," Slughorn frowned slightly. "Many potions require magic. That includes taking potions."

The host's expression immediately turned as disappointed as the audience's.

"However—cough cough, my student, Severus Snape," Slughorn said, "he's been assigned by the Ministry of Magic to oversee the simplification of potions, with the aim of making some potions usable by non-wizards. I've heard that Futureworld Corporation has done some preliminary work, but these things definitely need to be left to the professionals..."

He spoke eloquently, making a concerted effort to steer the conversation toward areas he was familiar with.

"...The effect might be slightly less, but it still retains its most magical properties. Severus has this ability; he recently received the Order of Merlin, First Class. Do you know what the Order of Merlin is? Only the most outstanding wizards receive this honor, and I've had the privilege of teaching a few." He proudly muttered a few names, staring expectantly at the host, seemingly waiting for him to ask who they were, before continuing after a long pause.

"Of course, I will also provide guidance, but only in theoretical and directional discussions—after all, time waits for no one, I am over a hundred years old, and my energy cannot keep up with that of young people."

This gave the impression that if he were twenty years younger, he could solve all the problems by himself. The eyes of those present gleamed.

"You've lived to be over a hundred years old?" the host asked in surprise. "You don't look it at all."

"I usually pay a lot of attention to health and wellness," Slughorn said. "I have quite a few secrets in this regard, and even Dumbledore has asked me for advice..." He sighed, "That's the downside of living too long; you get to know fewer and fewer people, a common ailment of old age."

"Excuse me—I was wondering if wizards generally live longer? It's said that Mr. Dumbledore lived to be over 110 years old before he died..."

“One hundred and sixteen years old,” Slughorn corrected. “Wizards of his caliber usually live long lives, and I suspect that with his and Nick's—cough—” he coughed violently, “I mean—I suspect he was seriously injured fighting two Dark Lords, otherwise he might have lived to be two hundred. Like Felix, he was destined for a particularly long life, which is a fortunate thing, whether for wizards or ordinary people.”

Slughorn took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat.

He had almost blurted out Nicolas Flamel's name; the secret of the Philosopher's Stone was legendary even in the wizarding world. Thinking of this, he suddenly realized that Felix Heap had inherited all of Nicolas Flamel's alchemical knowledge. Even if he started from scratch, with his talent, he had a chance to forge a brand new Philosopher's Stone before his lifespan ended, not to mention he was already a top alchemist—Felix himself didn't really care about that title.

"You mean Mr. Felix Heap?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

The host keenly sensed that there was a secret to uncover, but he had been warned beforehand that today's interviewee was not some third-rate celebrity, nor was he looking for gossip. So he decisively changed the subject and turned to Mr. Weasley.

"We know that Mr. Weasley previously participated in the cabinet meeting. As Minister Borns' deputy, do you have anything to share with us?"

Mr. Weasley's mouth dropped open and his ears turned slightly red, a sign that he was feeling the pressure.

Merlin, just two years ago, was stuck in a two-person department, ignored by everyone, dealing all day with biting teapots, posters that could suddenly speak and startle people, packaging bags, and clay sculptures that had entered Muggle society. But with Ms. Burns taking over, his department's status has risen significantly, and this time, he's participating in negotiations as an expert because of his experience in drafting laws.

"Hmm... I must say, those things called technology have truly opened my eyes, yes, I must say opened my eyes," Mr. Weasley said seriously. "So ingenious, so mysterious. I'm still not sure how the card reader works, and it's hard to imagine that some plastic pieces and metal combined could have such amazing functions..."

The host had to remind him, "I think it might be because you were using a computer."

"A computer?" Mr. Weasley blinked. "Is there someone in there who can do math?"

"Oh, no, no," the host laughed, repeating his pronunciation. "It's a device. Some say the computer is the greatest invention of this century. Although it can be used for arithmetic, we now have the ability to make it perform more complex operations, such as controlling machine tools, and it's used in personal computers, mobile phones..."

Mr. Weasley listened with a smile, and after the host finished speaking, he said frankly, "That's remarkable. I've only ever used mobile phones. One of your ministers kindly demonstrated one to me."

For the next segment, the host seemed to develop a strong interest in Mr. Weasley's family, and the two engaged in a lively question-and-answer session. Initially, Mr. Weasley worried about saying the wrong thing, but finding the questions focused on trivial matters, he gradually became more talkative. Little did he know, he was unaware that these ordinary things were precisely what the average viewer found interesting. The ratings steadily increased.

At this moment, a TV station staff member handed the host a stack of cards covered in handwriting. The host flipped through them and said:

"Many viewers of our television program called in, and our recorder has selected some messages. Mr. Weasley, would you be willing to answer a few questions?" Mr. Weasley cautiously replied, "I think so. However—" "Excellent!" The host picked through the messages, holding up a card and asking, "Mr. Duncan from Surrey asks why wizards' lives seem so primitive?"

The host cleared his throat. "I think this viewer is referring to the fact that wizards still use owls to mail letters and packages—which is quite surprising, really. Have wizards ever considered introducing advanced technology, like mobile phones?"

“That’s the common perception,” Mr. Weasley said seriously. “The wizarding life isn’t primitive; it’s just two different ways of living. We do use owls to mail letters and packages, but we also communicate in other ways, such as the Floo Network, Apparition, Knight Bus, and so on. And in recent years, something similar to a cell phone has appeared, called the Mirror of Messages.”

Thanks to the Hogwarts students' continued dedication to writing to the Muggle newspapers, the two sides tacitly understood each other; in addition, government spokespeople would occasionally release some information about wizards, which allowed the audience to roughly understand Mr. Weasley's words. Many people were impressed by the Knight Bus that traveled all over the country and automatically avoided all obstacles wherever it went, and hoped to experience it for themselves. However, some people were skeptical and believed that a vehicle that could leap dozens of kilometers like a toad simply did not exist.

"A voice transmitter," the host repeated in astonishment, "you mean this thing functions similarly to a mobile phone?"

Mr. Weasley nodded.

"It was invented by my two sons, Fred and George, and it's really convenient to use."

"Uh, your two sons? Their names are—" The host frowned, "Fred and—"

"George," Mr. Weasley said patiently, "they are twins."

The host looked at him in disbelief and asked a question that piqued the curiosity of everyone present, "How old are they?"

"They just turned nineteen three months ago," Mr. Weasley said proudly, puffing out his chest. "They are my fourth and fifth sons."

"Incredible!" the host said to the audience. "It seems that the principles of magic and technology are completely different, and it's hard to imagine such a thing happening in reality. I wonder if everyone is looking forward to seeing the real thing... Let's listen to the next audience member's question: Mrs. Beverly asks, why does magic seem to be all-powerful, yet wizards have the same troubles as ordinary people?"

Mr. Weasley said seriously:

"Magic isn't omnipotent. We also need a long period of learning to master specific spells. From what I've observed and understand so far, the lives of wizards and Muggles are quite similar—except for magic. We all need to study and work, have families and friends, and worry about money and various trivial matters in life. There's no fundamental difference." He emphasized again at the end, "except for magic."

"...Our audience has another question: what is the status of the secrecy law that you've mentioned repeatedly? Is it similar to a country's constitution? If so, wouldn't that mean all wizards in the world share the same constitution?"

"I don't know how the Constitution defines it, but I understand the secrecy law. It's less about restricting wizards and more about restricting magic from appearing in the public eye. We have a special department, the Office for Prohibiting the Misuse of Magic..."

When the host turned his attention to Hermione, almost an hour had passed, and Hermione's expression was somewhat stiff.

"Miss Granger, I've read your name in the newspaper. Are you still a student?"

"Yes, I still have one year left to graduate," Hermione said somewhat reservedly.

"Oh, I think you must be exceptionally talented to have been chosen for this interview."

"I, uh," Hermione shook her head, "I'm not the best. I think it might have something to do with my expertise in the history of magic—that is, wizarding history—and my identity—"

"identity?"

"My parents are both Muggles, which means they are ordinary people."

"Wow, so you didn't know magic existed before you enrolled? How did you come to accept that magic was real? I mean, most people might think they'd been scammed?"

Hermione smiled, as if she had thought of something interesting.

"I did think about it, but some strange things happened when I was a child, which I remember very clearly, so I sent a letter to the school. It turned out that it was unnecessary, as the professors at the school would visit young wizards from non-wizard families."

"Did that professor convince your parents?"

"You convinced me," Hermione corrected.

"How exactly was it done?" The host glanced at the audience's reaction and realized that he had once again caught up with a topic that the public was interested in.

Hermione looked at him hesitantly, and the host encouraged her, "It's okay, our audience is very curious—no one can predict whether their child will become one."

Hermione reached out, and the cup on the table instantly transformed into a beaver the size of her palm. She didn't even use a wand. Perhaps no one in the world knew more about the anatomy of this creature than she did; even wizards wouldn't spend half an hour every week transforming into a beaver.

Everyone stared intently at the agile creature on the table, trying to determine if it was an illusion. The host extended a hand, but the beaver nimbly dodged it. It had transformed back into a cup.

The host picked up the cup and examined it closely, imagining it could run and move. The audience followed his arm movements, their gazes shifting.

"This should be one of the subjects, called change, change—"

"Transfiguration".

"That's right, besides Transfiguration, what other subjects are there?"

"Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbalism, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Magical Creatures Protection Class..."

"The magic that happened in front of the parliament building that day belonged to—"

"A beginner-level ancient rune spell."

……

The topics became more specific, and the host, adept at navigating social situations, kept asking various questions, gradually revealing the differences between the three. Slughorn loved to talk at length about social relationships, and the audience could weave a vast web in their minds based on his words, like a naturalist; however, the old man also had a tendency to boast.

Mr. Weasley was very familiar with the Ministry of Magic, but he preferred to talk about topics that weren't dangerous, such as family and friends; the host understood his concerns and intentionally steered the conversation in that direction, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

Hermione Granger, a student, surprised the host the most. When talking about wizarding history, she spoke for ten minutes straight, and seemed to have anticipated that few of the people in the audience might not be good at historical dates, so she thoughtfully supplemented her speech with contemporary British history after each section.

For example, Henry VII actually recruited real wizards as court sorcerers. Of course, both sides maintained a tacit understanding regarding the witch hunts, and neither discussed it openly. The host privately felt that as more information about wizards is revealed, anyone with a modicum of sense will begin to have doubts about that period of history.

How many wizards were actually burned to death in history? The exact number might be enough to make many people despair, which may explain why religious groups in China have remained silent about this.

"Miss Granger, what are your thoughts on wizards being exposed to the world? As someone who understands both sides, which side do you personally lean towards?"

"I agree that the issue should be resolved through negotiation, and both sides should coexist peacefully," Hermione said, downplaying the seriousness of the matter.

"But the negotiations have reached a stalemate. The wizards are unwilling to abide by modern laws. You should be able to understand the risks involved, right?" the host asked. He wasn't deliberately trying to make things difficult, but rather the young girl opposite him was showing a keen political sense.

“Wizards have their own laws, and they’ve worked well before,” Hermione emphasized. “Now that there are no new laws, it’s necessary to continue the old ones. And new laws aren’t made from one side’s perspective; they need to be accepted and believed by both sides—a professor who taught me in my third year said—well, the purpose of laws is to use limited words to express our expectations of this society.”

Hermione carefully chose her words:

"In my view, the law cannot fully calculate human behavior and will always face new challenges, such as the situation we are facing now. These problems are difficult to solve in the short term, but the relationship between the two must not stagnate. The best way is to stop and think carefully about what we really want: conflict or peace? If we can't figure it out, even if we draft a thousand or ten thousand laws, it will be useless."

"This is a clash of two ideologies."

Hermione finished speaking fluently and frankly, expressing her truest thoughts, which she had finally managed to say all at once. The audience fell silent. She instinctively glanced at their reactions, and suddenly her eyes widened, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat—a familiar face sat in the crowd.

It was Professor Heap! He was wearing a bright blue suit, his crisp striped trousers crossed, and he was clapping with a broad smile, as if to say, "Well done."

She glanced around discreetly, but no one noticed anything amiss. Instead, they seemed to be caught up in the applause and joined in. The host asked another question, but she paid no attention.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger?" the host called to her.

Hermione quickly looked away and apologized softly, "Sorry, I didn't hear you?"

A soft chuckle came from the audience.

"Oh, my question is, you seem very confident about the future?"

Hermione seemed a little embarrassed by her earlier panic, but she was surprisingly calm. She subconsciously smoothed her hair, and after a few seconds answered seriously:

"...Yes, I believe it's inevitable. There have been periods in history when ordinary people and wizards lived together, so we are not making history, but rather taking a segment from many years and inheriting it. The question is whether we choose suffering or a more promising path, even though both are fraught with thorns. My companions and I are ready..."

Felix was lost in thought. How many people realize that the elderly tend to reminisce about the past, while the young dream of the future, because the young themselves represent the future? Magic is a power that reaches the soul; in this turbulent era, how many wizards will truly rise to prominence?

He seemed to see the curtain slowly rising, a drama that wasn't just for one person.

(End of this chapter)