Chapter 402: Wizards and Muggles

Chapter 402: Wizards and Muggles

Sherlock's expression was calm, and his voice carried no hint of anger.

But Draco sensed an inexplicable pressure. The pure-blood education he had received from a young age did not make him yield immediately. Instead, he maintained a seemingly strong stance, though his tone was more explanatory.

"Wizards and Muggles have never been the same species. We are born with the superiority of magic, just as Muggles feel superior to animals like chimpanzees. Would a Muggle ever volunteer to work with chimpanzees? It's an insult to our kind, an insult to being a Wizard!"

Sherlock did not rush to contradict Draco or forcefully lead him into the classroom. Instead, he asked a question.

"Why do you draw a parallel between the relationship of Wizards and Muggles and that of Muggles and chimpanzees?"

"Because that's what my father taught me!" Draco seemed to gain courage, realizing Sherlock was not scolding him.

"Pure-blood families that maintain their lineage almost always produce Wizards, born with the innate ability to use magic. Even in the rare cases where a Squib is born, they still have magic power in their bodies; they just can't use it. This is fundamentally different from Muggles."

"The presence or absence of magic power is the biggest distinction between Wizards and Muggles, just as significant as the difference between chimpanzees and humans. Chimpanzees can never learn to speak or think like humans, just as Muggles can never master magic power or learn magic!"

From these words, it was clear that Draco's thoughts had been warped by Lucius. The question of whether Wizards and Muggles are the same species had been debated in the Wizarding World for many years, and the Ministry of Magic had ultimately determined the nature of the relationship.

Wizards are human, and Muggles are human. As long as they are human, there is no fundamental difference.

This conclusion was acceptable to most people in the Wizarding World, especially since half-blood Wizards and Muggle-born Wizards make up the majority of the Wizard population. Those who insist on maintaining pure-blood lineage are a minority.

However, this minority holds the majority of resources and power in the Wizarding World.

For pure-blood families, the Ministry's decree was as good as a fart—something to be endured with a pinched nose, but with no real impact on their behavior. They continued to discriminate and educate as they saw fit.

Take Draco, for example.

After listening to his entire argument, Sherlock did not get angry or show any dissatisfaction. Instead, he spoke seriously.

"The understanding your father taught you is flawed from the start. I won't say it's wrong, but I hope you listen carefully to what I have to say about the differences between Wizards and Muggles. You can decide for yourself who is right and who is wrong."

"What is the key distinction between humans and chimpanzees? Is it a particular ability that humans have and chimpanzees lack? Both have two arms and two legs, both are made of flesh and bone. Is there a significant physiological difference?"

"The true distinction between humans and chimpanzees is not in the body or a specific ability, but in the brain and mind. Humans have desires that are innate, just like chimpanzees, but the difference lies in the ability to recognize that such desires are harmful, not just to oneself but to others. Humans then create rules to restrain these desires."

"These rules are sometimes invisible, yet universally accepted, and we call them 'morals.' Some are visible and codified for everyone to follow, known as 'laws.' Together, these form the basis of human society, which is what fundamentally distinguishes humans from chimpanzees and all other creatures, not a specific ability."

"Do Wizards and Muggles have such a distinction? I know you haven't interacted with many Muggles since you were young, but what about the students at Hogwarts you consider to have impure blood? Are they all animalistic? Have you noticed any difference in their thoughts and communication? You pride yourself on your pure blood, yet you are no different from those with Muggle heritage, or even those born entirely to Muggles. In fact, they often outperform you in learning magic. So, where exactly is the difference between Wizards and Muggles? Can you clearly define it, Draco?"

Draco's face turned red, as if he felt that the beliefs he had always held dear were being challenged by Sherlock's words.

He mustered all his strength to counter, and without hesitation, he fired back at Sherlock's questioning.

"Then, Professor, how do you explain the difference in magic power? Only those who possess magic power and can use magic can be called Wizards, while those who can't use anything are Muggles. We have it, they don't. This is the fundamental difference! Just like you said, the biggest difference between humans and apes lies in the brain and mind, there is no essential difference!"

Sherlock, facing his challenge, simply countered with a question.

"Can a human and an ape produce an offspring with a brain and mind? And can a Wizard and a Muggle produce a Wizard?"

Draco was speechless for a moment.

He still tried desperately to find any logical argument in his mind to refute Sherlock, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with a reasonable rebuttal.

Sherlock watched him quietly, giving him ample time to think. Once Draco was completely at a loss for words, Sherlock posed another question.

"Do you know what the pure-blood families define as a pure-blood Wizard?"

As the sole future heir of the Malfoy family, Draco was well aware of this prestigious standard.

"Both parents must have three generations of Wizards on both sides to be called a pure-blood Wizard."

This was an unwritten rule in the pure-blood circles, and even the Death Eaters followed this standard to purge those they deemed non-pure-blood Wizards.

After all, if the requirement were pushed to the extreme, demanding that all recorded ancestors of both parents be Wizards, then the so-called pure-blood families would be at odds with over 95% of the Wizarding World.

"So, the requirement for being a pure-blood is just three generations?"

Sherlock's question cut straight to the heart of the matter, tearing away the veil that Lucius had always used to indoctrinate Draco with the idea that Wizards and Muggles were different species.

"This means that among those you consider your kind, most of them still have the blood you despise in their veins. Is the pride of being a pure-blood worth only three generations?"

"Magic power is indeed something unique to Wizards, but it is not entirely isolated from Muggles. If Wizards and Muggles continue to intermarry and reproduce, it is entirely possible that everyone in the future could become a Wizard. In fact, the world is already moving in that direction."

"Because of this, the presence or absence of magic power cannot be used to classify species. It is a talent, a talent that can lead to more development and civilization. This talent is not limited to Wizards alone, which proves that Wizards and Muggles are both human, with no essential differences between them."

Draco fell completely silent, unable to find any words to argue with Sherlock.

Even though he was at a loss for words, Draco did not abandon his beliefs.

The faith he had held for over a decade was not something Sherlock's words could easily destroy.

Sherlock, of course, did not expect that a single "talking down" would be enough to make the spoiled Malfoy heir see the light.

Humans are complex beings, and convincing someone through words is one of the most challenging and arduous tasks in the world.

That was why Sherlock had brought Draco here today.

Although Draco was not convinced, he now had no reason to refuse to enter and volunteer for the children.

After a brief pause outside the door, Sherlock led him inside the rather modest classroom.

As they pushed the door open, a dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at them.

Because only Mrs. Chris was responsible for running the orphanage, the number of orphans here was relatively small—only about fifteen in total, ranging from the youngest, who looked to be around five or six years old, to the oldest, who was about twelve or thirteen.

Currently, the children were being supervised in the classroom by a girl who was roughly the same age as Draco, though she appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen. Her demeanor and speech were far more mature than Draco, who seemed like a child who hadn't fully grown up.

When she saw Sherlock and Draco walk in together, the girl, who was teaching the children how to weave flower baskets, looked somewhat puzzled.

"Hello? Who are you?"

This was actually a problem caused by the Confundus Charm. Normally, Mrs. Chris should have introduced them to the children first, but because Sherlock had used the charm to cheat, Mrs. Chris had overlooked this step.

Now, Sherlock had to explain to the girl.

"My name is Sherlock Forrest, and this is my nephew, Draco Malfoy. We're here to volunteer."

"Why didn't Mrs. Chris bring you over together?" the girl asked warily.

"She seemed in a hurry to prepare lunch and left us at the door. If you're worried, you can go ask her", Sherlock said.

Even if Sherlock hadn't suggested it, the girl would have gone to check anyway.

She called out one of the children, a boy named Wilson, who looked to be the oldest, and asked him to keep an eye on Sherlock and Draco. Then she ran out of the classroom to find Mrs. Chris.

Draco was quite unhappy with the girl's wary attitude. Standing next to Sherlock, he whispered, "She acts like we're begging to be here."

Sherlock didn't respond to him but patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to look in a certain direction in the classroom.

There, a girl who looked about six or seven years old and was missing a front tooth smiled at them in a friendly, albeit somewhat silly, way. She seemed to rarely see strangers.

Sherlock smiled and waved at the little girl while whispering to Draco, "Aren't you going to say hello to this cute little girl?"

Draco crossed his arms, his eyes full of disdain, and let out a dismissive "tch", showing no intention of responding.

His attitude was arrogant and deserved a good punch, but Sherlock didn't want to force him. You can't expect a normal person to undergo a complete transformation in just a few minutes.

They didn't have to wait long. The girl soon ran back into the classroom, clearly in a hurry and not wanting to keep them waiting.

"Sorry, Mr. Forrest. I've confirmed with Mrs. Chris. My name is Haley, and I'm also from this orphanage. I'm temporarily working here."

Haley, the young girl, seemed very polite. Once she confirmed Sherlock's identity, she didn't rest, panting slightly as she apologized.

Sherlock, of course, didn't mind the earlier incident. He blinked and asked, "So, Miss Haley, what should we do next?"

After confirming their identities, Haley didn't hesitate. It seemed she had plenty of experience with volunteers at the orphanage.

"Please help supervise the youngest children. Their motor skills are still developing, and it's best to have an adult around."

Sherlock and Draco followed Haley to a corner of the classroom where the youngest children, who looked to be about five or six years old, were gathered. This made it easier for the adults to keep an eye on them.

After arranging them, Haley went to the back to collect the handiwork already completed by the older children.

Draco and the youngest children stared at each other, the children curious and Draco too proud to initiate conversation.

After a while, the children found the blond-haired big brother uninteresting and turned their attention back to weaving the branches into flower baskets.

Draco felt humiliated, thinking these Muggle kids were looking down on him.

Sherlock, ignoring Draco's childlike mentality, friendly greeted the little girl who had smiled at them earlier.

"Hi, can I get to know you?"

The little girl, who was diligently weaving her flower basket, looked up and smiled at Sherlock, her smile harmless and warm.

"My name is Beatrice, but everyone calls me Bea."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end