I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 507 Considerations

"A successor?" Headmaster Dumbledore murmured, then sighed imperceptibly.

Beside him, Irving looked up at the old man.

He was somewhat hunched over.

Perhaps it's because the bunker corridor has too low a ceiling.

Less than two meters.

Due to the influence of the Outer God, Kyrie Irving's height will likely never exceed 3.2 feet (180 cm) in his lifetime.

Now he only reaches the principal's shoulder, and is only three punches away from the ceiling.

The principal could only hunch over.

Seeing this scene, he felt a little uncomfortable.

In this world, no one dares to claim to know Dumbledore better than him; even his grandfather, Grindelwald, is no match for him.

The headmaster has been busy lately, working tirelessly for the magical world, but at this critical moment, many people are still holding him back.

The British Ministry of Magic, the Federation, and the Ministries of Magic in various European countries are all like this—a bunch of worms.

Professor Dumbledore – from his stance, he is considered a left-leaning conservative.

He advocated for equality among all wizards, opposed the power of dark wizards, and had a favorable attitude towards Muggles, which was a progressive aspect of him. However, he was also a deeply entrenched conservative. He did not attempt to change the privileged status of "pure-blood nobles" in a practical sense, nor did he ever crack down on the breeding ground for dark forces (such as Knockturn Alley, the Ministry of Magic, and certain interest groups within Hogwarts).

This is related to his life experiences.

After experiencing the First Global Wizarding War launched by Grindelwald, the old headmaster became terrified of power, fearing that he might become like Grindelwald and endanger the world.

Perhaps this is because he genuinely agrees with some of Grindelwald's views and knows they are correct.

The wizarding world is sick, and seriously so; it requires drastic measures to cure. Dumbledore is more clear-headed than anyone else.

It is because we are awake that we suffer.

He feared the chaos and death that change would bring, and did not want to see the relatively peaceful magical world descend into turmoil. His complex mental state led him to choose stagnation, maintaining the world governed by the Law of Secrecy.

Currently, the "Secrecy Law" can no longer be maintained under any circumstances.

The young wizards were all reformists.

Miss Granger, needless to say.

Even Harry's stance is not to maintain such a world; he stands in opposition to the pure-blood privileged class of the past.

The others—the young wizards at Hogwarts—have experienced this "education" over the past few years. The incompetence and hindrance of the Ministry of Magic have repeatedly risen before their eyes. Starting in 1992, with Fudge, two Ministers of Magic almost completely shattered the young wizards' illusions about magical leaders.

In the past, if a Slytherin student talked about the power of his family, such as how his uncles or father had a very good relationship with the Minister of Magic, the other young wizards who heard this might not show any disapproval on the surface, but they might feel a little jealous in their hearts.

But now, if someone were to say such a thing, in their ears it would be almost like talking politics with baboons in the trees or discussing friendship with goblins in the ground—a truly ridiculous thing.

My uncle is very close to the Minister of Magic, which is tantamount to saying my uncle is an idiot. At Hogwarts, that's an insult.

Outside the office, Irving suddenly remembered that famous quote.

The world is swept by a mighty tide; those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish.

What pains the principal is that there is no ship to carry him in this new era.

As I pondered this, the office door opened again.

Irving and Dumbledore returned to the table.

He knew that in a little over a minute, the sun would rise from the earth and take away all the filth.

The Prime Minister looked somber, his face etched with worry.

They only calmed down a little after seeing the two wizards, one big and one small, walk in.

"The battle isn't over yet. Outside, dark wizards are still locked in combat with the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. Sir, you should pull yourself together," Owen said calmly, his gaze fixed on the Prime Minister's face. He had naturally watched the two classic British dramas, *Yes, Minister* and *Yes, Prime Minister*, and he knew years ago that the Prime Minister of this world was Mr. Harker. He had seen his photograph in the newspapers.

But this is the first time we've met face-to-face.

"Hmm—you're right." Mr. Hack sighed. He was under a lot of psychological pressure at the moment, which was why he was acting so emotionally. It was really not like a national leader.

"Ahem—" He coughed lightly, then sat up. "The main reason I invited you here is to discuss the post-war world order." Mr. Huck looked at Dumbledore.

"I think the covert policies implemented by the wizards will be difficult to maintain after this war."

"Indeed," Dumbledore didn't deny it, but rather readily admitted it. "We're also troubled by this."

"The British government's principle is one of limited boundaries. That is, we will not participate in or interfere with the existing structure of the British magical world, but you need to establish a liaison office within the government, similar to an embassy, ​​to carry out some technical, cultural, and economic exchanges between the two sides."

"Limited boundaries?" The old principal was somewhat surprised, a hint of interest flashing behind his crescent-shaped glasses, because this coincided with his own thoughts.

Wizards have their lives, and Muggles have theirs; ideally, they should be like two parallel lines that don't interfere with each other. Of course—in reality, limited overlap is permissible, but they shouldn't merge into one.

"Oh"

Irving smacked his lips, a flippant expression on his face.

As expected of the British Empire?

For centuries, this idea of ​​intervening and manipulating the balance of power on the continent has remained relevant.

The British seem never to have been willing to use force to directly conquer Europe like the French or Germans, and then establish a vast empire spanning three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Their guiding principle has always been to oppose the emergence of the largest, most aggressive, and most domineering nation on the continent. They advocate joining forces with the less powerful to defeat and thwart the continent's military hegemon, regardless of who it is or which country it rules.

This refers to the so-called balance of power concept on the continent.

But—times have changed, sir!

Magic is like the steam that powers a steam engine, the fuel that powers an internal combustion engine, and the electricity that powers a power system.

For Muggle scientists, magic is a completely new source of energy.

If we continue to cling to our old ideas and sluggishly, we'll never have a chance to turn things around once others surpass us.

However—this has nothing to do with him.

Even if the British Isles were to sink into the Atlantic Ocean tomorrow—that would be a headache for old Deng.

He will then carry the Scottish Highlands on his shoulders and drag Hogwarts with one hand, cross the English Channel, and reopen the school on the Eurasian continent.

He and the other young wizards still had to continue their schooling.

So whether Britain can turn its fortunes around has nothing to do with him.

"Yes—" Dumbledore said after a moment of silence.

"Alright, the specifics will need to be discussed at the United Nations Security Council. The meeting will likely be held in November, and I will invite you to attend as the president of the International Federation of Wizards." Mr. Hark's expression relaxed.

"Very well, then I will prepare to attend this meeting." Dumbledore finally made his decision. "At the same time, I will also inform the other members of the International Federation of Wizarding Societies to prepare as well."

"Thank you very much, Headmaster Dumbledore." Mr. Harker breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "I am confident that this meeting will be a complete success."

"Then I should leave. The chaos outside must stop." Dumbledore stood up, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

It must have been the dark wizard's blatant and unbridled attack that thoroughly enraged the old wizard.

After saying that, he left the office directly.

Irving couldn't keep up.

Or rather, Dumbledore deliberately left him there.

The old man had already seen the future clearly; some of his ideas were indeed no longer suitable for the current world. As for what the future would hold, he left it to the younger generation.

"What's wrong, child? Do you have any other questions? Your headmaster has already left." Mr. Huck simply assumed that the girl in front of him was absent-minded and hadn't noticed that his conversation with Dumbledore had ended.

"No, Mr. Prime Minister. I just have a question." Owen's face broke into a smile.

"Hmm? What's the problem?" Mr. Huck didn't put on any air of authority, but smiled kindly. In his eyes, Owen was just an incredibly beautiful little girl, like a porcelain doll. Perhaps she was very smart, and perhaps she was the headmaster of Hogwarts' favorite student. But in the end, she was just a child.

However, children also have their value. Cultivating a new generation of wizards who are pro-British and aligned with the government is precisely the policy the government is about to implement, so Mr. Hack showed great patience.

Owen certainly understood why the Prime Minister was suddenly so enthusiastic.

They're all ancient foxes, why are they playing at Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?

"Um—" He raised his left hand to his cheek, "I'm just curious, who is the troublemaker the British government has chosen?"

"???" Mr. Huck was taken aback, not understanding what Owen meant. "What troublemaker?"

"Oh dear—that's just a very apt analogy," Irving chuckled. "The balance of power on the continent—it needs proxies. If you don't inject sand into the other side's countries, how can you control it? How can there be a balance of power on the continent?"

"So what I'm asking is, which lucky wizard did you, or rather the government behind you, choose as your proxy?"

The office fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

A flicker of surprise crossed Mr. Harker's face, followed by a slight frown and a serious expression. He gave Owen a deep look, deeply shocked that this girl, who looked to be only a teenager, could see through their plan.

That's right, the "Third Kind of Contact Scheme" is the British government's plan to select wizarding agents.

Its formulation predates Operation October Storm by a considerable margin.

The Third Kind of Contact program was already underway during the previous prime minister's term.

The power of the state apparatus far exceeds the imagination of ordinary people.

After obtaining some basic information, they were able to easily deduce certain things.

For example, the identities of the young wizards at Hogwarts.

This isn't hard to spot. After all, Muggle-born wizards almost always attract attention when their magical powers begin to emerge. Take Harry Potter, for example. MI5 only needed to investigate his previous school to discover his amazing feats, such as flying over rubbish heaps to a high point on campus in a moment of desperation to escape being chased, or being warned by the school for turning a teacher's wig blue.

In addition, young wizards leave home at the age of eleven to go to Hogwarts and conduct a census of eligible children throughout the UK, making it easy to identify young wizards like Justin, Hermione, Harry, Colin, and Dennis.

Then comes a more detailed examination, including strength, influence, and attitude towards the government, etc.

After several rounds of screening, a group of people were finally selected.

This is the full picture of the Third Kind of Contact Program.

Silence remained in the Prime Minister's office.

This time, Mr. Bernard didn't make any witty remarks to liven things up; instead, he quietly took notes on the meeting's content.

As the Prime Minister's Principal Private Secretary, it is his job to record all of the Prime Minister's meetings, and the meeting minutes will serve as a blueprint for future government policy-making.

Time passed slowly, and the three people in the office remained silent.

After a moment, the Prime Minister snapped out of his thoughts and said, "You're even smarter than I thought, young lady. Perhaps you also have the qualities to be chosen?"

"Me?" Owen shrugged, still smiling. He didn't correct the Prime Minister's misunderstanding of his gender. It was too troublesome to explain to every stranger. He then said directly, "No—no, I'm not very valuable."

Most importantly, the British government shouldn't be able to find any information about me. An unknown little wizard is naturally less reassuring than a well-known native wizard.

Before he was influenced by an external god, the British government might have been able to trace back to the orphanage he attended as a child. But their investigation stopped at the Sphinx orphanage in France.

Now that his appearance has changed so drastically, unless he admits to his past, who would be able to connect his former self with his present self?

Owen casually continued, "Let me think—among the young wizards, I'll choose based on three factors: influence, lineage, and nationality."

Well, the goal is clear—it's Miss Granger.

Who else but her could have that qualification?

"Actually—in some ways, we're on the same page. Wizards and Muggles are merging, and you want the Ministry of Magic to be subject to the British government, with the Minister of Magic as a minister in your cabinet. I agree with that—wizards have extremely poor organizational and mobilization skills, and the Minister of Magic is incapable of managing a large country."

"Oh?" Mr. Huck was surprised. This girl's idea was excellent! If all wizards thought this way, he could save himself so much trouble.

"But—" Owen paused, then continued, "The fact that the Minister of Magic is incapable doesn't mean others are. If Miss Granger were to become Minister of Magic and also Prime Minister of the United Kingdom—"

(End of this chapter)