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Chapter 492: Reconstructing the Worldview
Chapter 492: Reconstructing the Worldview
Cornelius fell silent for a moment, looking at the peculiar, talking cloak and whispered, "Magic?"
The cloak: "..."
It spun around in place, speechless, and retorted, "Look at me! Open your eyes and really look at me! Do you see any wires, speakers, or propellers on me?"
"I haven't seen anything like that... But with technology advancing to this level, to an old man like me who's been left behind by the times, it doesn't seem much different from magic."
Cornelius sighed and said, "Stop trying to fool me. What's your real purpose? Just come out and say it."
The cloak: "...So, even if I turn invisible, take you for a flight, or play a game of chess with you, you, old man, would still think it's all the result of human technology, right?"
Cornelius's eyes widened in shock, and he asked, "You can do all that?"
The cloak ignored his question and flew over to Wade, complaining, "Master, look, he doesn't believe us."
Cornelius's gaze also shifted to Wade.
Earlier in the car, the Granger couple had already introduced their son to him, a young wizard described as talented and hardworking, achieving in a few short years what others might not accomplish in a lifetime. He had invented several remarkable alchemical creations.
According to the Granger couple, their child was perfect in both ability and character, almost too good to be true. The decision to cure Cornelius and hire him for a certain research project was made by this young man.
To be honest, as a staunch materialist, Cornelius didn't believe a single word of it.
He thought the poor couple might have been brainwashed by some cult or suffering from a delusional disorder.
He had accompanied them back to their home, partly to thank them for curing his illness and partly to investigate the situation and help them return to reason and reality.
But once he stepped into the house, Cornelius felt his entire worldview beginning to crumble—
The incredibly lifelike and animated magical dolls, the moving photographs on the walls, and the cloak, which was just a thin layer with nothing inside, acting as if it had a life of its own.
Most importantly, Cornelius had noted the time on the newspapers and TV while on the way. He knew he hadn't "slept for twenty years", and he had seen that people on the streets mostly kept cats and dogs as pets, not such agile "intelligent robots."
Cornelius tried to explain everything he saw with the scientific theories he knew, attempting to stabilize his crumbling understanding of the world.
He looked up at the young man descending the stairs, his gaze trembling with a mix of fear and anticipation.
Wade approached him, smiled, and without a word, drew out his wand and tapped Cornelius's golden button.
The button seemed to twitch as if it were itchy, and right before Cornelius's eyes, it transformed into a golden butterfly. The butterfly flapped its delicate wings and suddenly took flight.
Since both his parents were Squibs, Wade rarely performed such "tricks" at home.
At that moment, the Granger couple couldn't help but follow the butterfly with their eyes, watching it dance in the air, its wings like golden gossamer.
After a moment, the butterfly flew back, and Cornelius couldn't resist reaching out his hand.
The golden butterfly landed in his palm, its black antennae trembling slightly as if sensing the surrounding air.
Its delicate legs moved gently on Cornelius's palm, the sensation fine and subtle, tingling like the touch of a feather.
Cornelius dared not breathe loudly, fearing he might disturb this fragile little life.
He cradled the butterfly, whose wings still bore the pattern of buttons, feeling as if a destructive hurricane had ravaged his heart. The once towering edifice had crumbled, leaving him standing amidst the chaotic ruins, yet he saw a broader horizon, his heart becoming clear and serene once more.
"Is this magic?" Cornelius whispered.
"Yes", Wade replied.
"Can magic create life?" Cornelius asked.
"It can. Magic can create life, transform species, and prevent death."
Wade continued, "However, this butterfly is just the result of transfiguration. I can turn non-living objects into ordinary creatures and vice versa."
"Transfiguration?" the old man asked, his voice trembling.
"Transfiguration, potions, spells, herbology, divination, alchemy, and astronomy—these are the main aspects of magic", Wade explained. "If you're willing, we can study them together using scientific methods."
Cornelius lifted his head, the confusion, bewilderment, and deadness in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a burning flame of desire and reverence for the new world.
"Of course, I'm willing", he said eagerly. "Where do we start?"
...
Wade entrusted the laboratory and all the equipment to his father. It took Ferdinand nearly a year to gradually prepare everything.
The Granger family had originally been a modest, middle-class household, far from wealthy.
However, since Wade entered the magic school, he used alchemy to amass a considerable fortune in the magical world. Meanwhile, Ferdinand, following Wade's advice, made some investments, which quietly swelled their wealth.
Convincing his father was simple; Wade merely mentioned his talent for divination, and his parents readily believed his judgment.
While Harry Potter's world differed from Wade's previous one, certain developments were inevitable. By seizing a few key opportunities, one could ride the wave of the times and reap significant benefits.
However, the Granger family did not become the world's richest. Ferdinand was cautious and rarely took risks, preferring to let opportunities slip by rather than take a chance that could bankrupt them.
Wade himself had little desire for wealth, as once it accumulated to a certain point, it became merely a useful tool, enough to meet his needs.
Nonetheless, with the support of their wealth, the Granger family's laboratory was like a castle glowing with the light of technology, exuding the scent of money, which made Cornelius's eyes sparkle.
"Is this heaven? Am I already dead?"
The old man lovingly caressed the top-of-the-line laboratory equipment, eventually tearing his gaze away to look at Wade.
"If I'm to study magic, will you be my subject?"
"Thanks, but I don't plan on being a guinea pig just yet."
Wade took out a vial of blood and said, "Let's start with this sample of werewolf blood."
(End of Chapter)
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