A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“Of course.” Ms. Burns forced a smile and cast an admiring glance at Felix. “Because of the existence of the Pan-Magic Alliance, they have no excuse to order wizards around, but they want to restrict wizards’ freedom through cumbersome laws. We timely proposed the concept of joint law enforcement and an external window, catching them off guard. Negotiations will continue tomorrow.”

According to Felix and her ideas, wizards will not completely loosen restrictions for a long time, and each will be managed separately. They will only enforce the law together when their paths cross. Moreover, this will not be planned from the beginning, but rather a case-by-case strategy will be adopted, accumulating little by little to form a set of rules.

Joint law enforcement is for dealing with emergencies, and both sides also need a stable communication channel. Currently, there are two options on paper: one is a shop selling special items for wizards, and the other is to establish a fixed location where both sides can freely communicate and interact within a certain area, including but not limited to cooperation and communication in science and magic, allowing ordinary people to also have the opportunity to come into contact with magic, etc.

They chatted for a while longer before Ms. Burns got down to business. "The law is the focus of the next round of negotiations, determining the bargaining power of both sides. I don't think it will be easy to reach an agreement. We just happened to discuss trade issues this morning, and if there's still no progress by tomorrow, I'm prepared to discuss that first."

“Letting them see the potential benefits of magic will help them achieve a better outcome.” Felix nodded in agreement, then asked, “Has Babajid Abakind contacted you?”

Ms. Burns sighed. “No, he just sends a representative every day to request a copy of the day’s negotiation records. To be fair, he’s a very capable man, but he’s now facing a completely unfamiliar territory and is responsible for dozens of Ministries of Magic. He can’t and dares not make decisions lightly.”

She shook her head; without the help of others, she would be helpless even if she were placed in that difficult position.

“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Lupin pointed out incisively. “He himself didn’t understand it and was afraid of making a mistake. So the opportunity was wasted.”

“Let’s find a suitable opportunity to invite him to meet,” Felix said.

"The right time?" Ms. Burns pondered for a moment, as if she had thought of something. "I'll arrange it. There are two more things. The first thing—" she looked at Snape and Slughorn, "—is related to potions. First potions, then healing. Magic still has a great advantage in this regard."

“I need manpower,” Snape said calmly. “A lot of manpower.”

“Alright,” Ms. Burns nodded. “There’s a group of potions temporarily residing in Diagon Alley, and I will extend an invitation to them on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. Professor Slughorn, I know you’re getting on in years and have the right to enjoy a peaceful life, but right now, we need your help. Even just some advice would be appreciated.”

“Oh, of course, that’s no problem,” Slughorn said. “I’ve been retired for decades and finally found that the school is the best place for me. I think I’ll stay at Hogwarts forever, but if the students aren’t interested in learning, I, as a professor, will have nothing to do.”

He said thoughtfully:

"It was Dumbledore who reminded me... Alas, in his final days... he said that the school is the safest place and the best place to retire. If even the school loses its peace, other places will only be worse."

The people in the room fell silent, as if suddenly preoccupied with something. If they had anything in common, it was that Dumbledore had spoken to them on several occasions over the past few months… albeit for different reasons.

"The second thing is..." After a moment of silence, Ms. Burns adjusted her monocle and continued.

……

"A television interview?" Ron looked at Hermione in surprise, as if she were talking about something unbelievable.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

“It can be understood as a way for both sides to increase trust. As you should know, the Ministry of Magic is preparing to select some non-magical people to visit the wizarding community. The principle is the same,” Hermione explained. “It’s not just me; Mr. Weasley and Professor Slughorn are on the list.”

"My dad's going to be on TV?" Ron said with a hint of excitement. "He didn't even tell the family. Oh, right, he's been too busy lately."

“So I have to get started, there are only a few days left,” Hermione said hurriedly. “I need to go to the library to do some research—”

“You probably don’t find what you’re looking for in the library,” Harry reminded her.

“How could there not be? Wizarding history, wizarding culture… there definitely will be.” Hermione rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to get to work.

Chapter 702 Wizarding History

The lights at Hogwarts were on sparsely. Tonight was not much different from yesterday and the day before, but for many people it was still a sleepless night.

The library was very quiet, allowing Hermione to immerse herself in her work.

A thick stack of books lay before her, about ten of them open at the same time, but she didn't read any of them. Instead, she bit her lip and pondered. Clearly, after the Law of Secrecy came into effect at the end of the seventeenth century, no wizard dared to operate openly. If she intended to find places where wizards and Muggles crossed paths, she should have looked back to that time.

Hermione tried hard to recall what she had read, occasionally grabbing a book and flipping to a page to read carefully for a while. Gradually, a thousand-year-old picture of the magical world began to form in her mind.

Although Professor Bathilda Bagshot, the author of the History of Magic, only wrote up to the end of the nineteenth century, Hermione still managed to gather useful information.

During World War I in the early 20th century, Archer Evermond, then Minister for Magic, chose neutrality and passed legislation prohibiting wizards and witches from participating in the war to prevent large-scale violations of the International Law of Secrecy.

At the time, Harry's great-grandfather, Henry Potter, strongly condemned Evermond's decision, and his actions, as a pure-blood and Wizengamot member, caused a sensation and were widely discussed.

Some surviving fragments suggest that the Potter family's exclusion from the Twenty-Eight Holy Families may be related to this matter. Meanwhile, the wizards of war made their own choices—they did not violate the Statute of Secrecy or the Ministry of Magic's laws by directly engaging in the war, but the Ministry's laws also failed to prevent thousands of wizards living near Muggles from cautiously and diligently helping them to the best of their ability.

Hermione flipped through the book, reminiscing as she went—

In the 19th century, the Ministry of Magic agreed to let goblins run Gringotts; in the 1950s, a serious Floonet accident occurred; in the 1960s, the Act on Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards was passed, after which Hogwarts students were prohibited from casting spells outside of school; around the same time, the Hogwarts administrators tried to capture and control Peeves, but failed, and instead provoked Peeves' fierce resistance.

Because of the unique birth principle of Mischievous Ghost, the principal at the time made a compromise.

Idris Oakbeard, the founder of the Squib Supporters Association, was also born around this time. Some suspect that her experience of being mistaken for a Squib in her youth may have contributed to her empathy for real Squibs. In 1892, the Bigfoot Rebellion broke out in the United States, and the headquarters of the Magical Congress of the United States moved to its current location, Woolworth Building. In the last year of the century, Albus Dumbledore graduated with honors, but later gave up his graduation trip due to his mother's unexpected death. He met Grindelwald for the first time in Godric's Hollow...

Besides, this century has also produced some tedious Quidditch news. Oh, and Hermione remembered something closely related to her own life: the witch Eloise Minttab used a time-tamper in an experiment to travel back five centuries, getting trapped in 1402 for five days. Eloise died as a result, while she was much luckier…

In the 18th century, a law was passed prohibiting private dragon ownership, and the concept of the Unforgivable Curse was first proposed.

The Law of Secrecy had been in effect for nearly half a century, undergoing numerous revisions and improvements, but it also made some wizards feel oppressed, leading to some opposition. Gideon Flatworth formed an anti-Muggle extremist group, but their way of expressing hatred was by refusing to engage in manual labor like Muggles (Hermione thought this was somewhat similar to the professor's theory of using magic in daily life), and they expanded upon this to develop a series of practical applications for summoning charms. However, Flatworth didn't use the charms appropriately. He was exposed during an attempt to steal Gringotts' property using a summoning charm, failed, and had to flee in disarray to evade capture. His members were greatly disappointed in him, abandoning him alone in a cave, and the organization disbanded.

It's worth mentioning that Fratworth's ending wasn't too good. He was trapped in a cave, injured, and lacking food. So he dared to call for the only food source in his sight—the barn at the foot of the mountain—only to be crushed to death by cows and haystacks.

Quidditch news is never absent; two groups fight for no apparent reason, and the only valuable thing is the first appearance of the Restoration Charm in the world.

Rappaport laws have been officially enacted...

The 17th century began with the goblin rebellion, and eight years later, Isolde Thayer, the most important founder of the Ilvarmoni School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, went to America; Mungo Bonham also founded St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses at this time;

The fact that 'all magical creatures except wizards are prohibited from possessing wands' was confirmed by law, along with the werewolf code of conduct. However, it is clear that no werewolf will voluntarily step forward to admit their identity.

1692 was a pivotal year, as the International Act of Secrecy officially came into effect. Wizards went into complete secrecy, and "smaller communities within communities" gradually formed over the next century; the Magical Congress of the United States was also established.

The 15th and 16th centuries were uneventful, and many wizards voluntarily distanced themselves from society. They began to seek out novel forms of entertainment, leading to the first Quidditch World Cup (again, Quidditch!), which was followed by an unprecedented collection of fouls, with over 700 different fouls used. A book specifically documented this, and Hermione could hardly believe she had ever flipped through it out of boredom…

The fourteenth century was the origin of the laws of secrecy. As the Black Death spread across Europe, everything related to or connected with witchcraft was rejected. Some wizards who practiced openly or semi-openly were expelled. This situation escalated, eventually leading to the burning of wizards in some places. Many wizards were forced to hide their identities and go underground or live in seclusion.

Hogwarts was founded in the 10th century, and other magic schools were subsequently established.

……

As night deepened, Hermione looked up and heard a soft sound behind her. She suddenly turned around and saw Mrs. Pince, the librarian, standing behind her, which startled her.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Pince, are you closing the door?” Hermione exclaimed, startled. She was struck by the stern, short-tempered woman who resembled a vulture.

Mrs. Pince shook her head, her hand, which usually held a feather duster, now held a cup of hot cocoa. She placed the cup on the table.

Hermione stared at the hot cocoa, somewhat lost in thought, so surprised that she didn't even say "thank you." By the time she realized what was happening, Mrs. Pince was already gone. Hermione sat down and continued working. She tried to piece together a pattern by combining it with non-wizard history, but ultimately came up empty-handed, leaving her somewhat discouraged.

Hot cocoa energized her, and she wandered among the huge bookshelves, searching for inspiration. Her gaze slid over the titles of the books, and before she knew it, she had come to an area she rarely visited. The tall bookshelves were piled high with all sorts of notes that smelled of decay, all left by Hogwarts students.

Hermione randomly picked up a notebook containing the travelogue of a Hufflepuff student. Because it was quite old, the vocabulary and sentence structure were rather awkward to read. She put the notebook down and picked up another one, this time a different one.

She read with great interest for a while, then realized how much time had passed. She put down the book, sighed, and said that now was not the time to read such things.

But then her eyes gradually brightened; she seemed to have just found a suitable angle.

---Aside---

I was originally going to write about the TV interview segment today, hoping to explore different perspectives on wizarding thought. Unfortunately, progress was slow, so I hastily put together a chapter that serves as a general overview of wizarding history. The author has selected a few interesting points, though unrelated to the main plot, that may represent some of the wizarding worldviews.

Chapter 703 Television Interview

News of the wizard's upcoming interview made headlines early on, and television broadcast previews 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 been tested to prove that they did not have extreme 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 subjects you teach at the school?"

“Potions,” Slughorn began. He gave a simple 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, the audience listened with great interest. Slughorn spoke fluently, casually introducing some simple potions, 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, brain-clearing potions that make people clear-headed, 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 a 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, “has 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 this kind of thing definitely needs 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 maintenance,” Slughorn said. “I have a lot of secrets in this regard, and even Dumbledore has asked me for advice…” He sighed, “Living too long has this downside: fewer and fewer people you know, a common problem for the elderly.”

"Excuse me—I was wondering if wizards generally live longer? It's said that Mr. Dumbledore lived to be over one hundred and ten 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 in the battles against 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 that 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, because of his experience in drafting laws, he is participating in the negotiations as an expert.

“Well… 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 could combine to have such amazing functionality…”

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 the pronunciation. “It’s a device. Some people 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 and mobile phones…”

Mr. Weasley listened with a smile, and after the host finished speaking, he said frankly, "That's remarkable. I've only ever handled 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 the hotline, 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 and chose, holding up a card and asking, “Mr. Duncan from Surrey asks, why do wizards’ lives seem so primitive?”

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