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Chapter 538: The Choice
Chapter 538: The Choice
Felix and Dumbledore opened their eyes simultaneously, and the professors in the room watched them anxiously.
" Were you whispering to each other?" Sirius asked with a hint of irritation. "We've been staring at you like fools for five minutes."
It was true; since they were in someone else's dream, Felix hadn't used mind acceleration. Whatever time passed in the dream was the same as in reality.
Snape disdainfully flicked his sleeve and walked away.
"You can think of it as two healers discussing a treatment plan, not wanting to be disturbed by certain noisy individuals", Felix said with a smirk. "By the way, hasn't all the Apparition training with students lately drained your energy?"
Sirius clicked his tongue and muttered, "I should ask for a raise."
At that moment, Professor Burbage woke up from the bed. She initially appeared flustered, but when Dumbledore's bright blue eyes, seen through his glasses, met hers, she quickly calmed down, much to Felix's amazement.
"Kettlebury, I don't mean to sound accusatory, but you really shouldn't have shouldered these troubles alone", Dumbledore said gently. "At Hogwarts, you can always seek help."
Professor Burbage took a deep, trembling breath, tears streaming down her face. She covered her face and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
Madam Pomfrey stepped forward and handed her a steaming cup. "Dear, drink this hot chocolate. It will lift your spirits", she said. Professor Burbage took the cup, sipped it, and whispered, "I was so foolish..."
"Kettlebury, what exactly happened? I've heard part of the story from the students, but their accounts are absurd. A Squib? That's impossible", Professor Flitwick said in a high-pitched voice. "Perhaps we can help."
"It was a shadow", a deep, slow voice echoed in the ward. "I saw many wizards, but their faces were indistinct..."
"Are you referring to the Ancient Runes exchange event in Hogsmeade?" Professor Mcgonagall said bluntly. "Thank you, Sybill, but I can't pretend I didn't see this news in the paper... October 27th, three weeks from now."
"Of course not!" Trelawney shouted, as if insulted, glaring at Professor Mcgonagall. "I foresaw that the event would have complications... Fate warned me, but I'm talking about something else..."
"Can you explain more clearly?" Professor Mcgonagall asked, barely suppressing a snort.
"Hmm... The Third Eye cannot be misused, but... yes, I did see something", Trelawney tried to widen her eyes, tilting her head back. Her glasses glinted as she spoke in a deliberately trembling voice. "It seemed like an island, no, perhaps a castle..."
The others lost interest and turned their attention back to the person on the bed.
Professor Burbage's lips moved hesitantly, unsure how to start. No one rushed her, and finally, she began, "It's my fault—I learned some knowledge from the Muggle World, and it made me doubt myself... and doubt magic. I'm such a fool."
"My thoughts changed several times", she said softly. "About two years ago, I first encountered similar knowledge in a book called 'Mendel's Legacy.' Some of the ideas in it aligned with my long-held beliefs", she glanced quickly at Dumbledore. "You know, I oppose the 'Pureblood supremacy'... of course, Muggle books don't mention wizards, but the meaning is similar."
She then began to mention unfamiliar terms like "Mendel", "pea experiments", "genes", and "hybridization", leaving everyone around her utterly confused. They looked at Dumbledore, then at Felix.
"To put it simply, these are terms created by Muggles in their study of the grand theme of 'life,'" Felix summarized.
The professors nodded, understanding better now.
Professor Sprout examined Professor Burbage. "No wonder you kept coming to me to chat for a while. It sounds like you were studying humans as if they were plants."
"Plants? How can humans be like plants?" Professor Sinistra shook her head.
"Not entirely", Professor Burbage countered, "that book was just for enlightenment. Their research methods were quite rudimentary back then. It's only in the past decade or so that they've become more sophisticated... I mean, Mendel was a 19th-century figure."
Felix blinked. Speaking of which, when was Headmaster Dumbledore born? He found this thought somewhat disrespectful and wisely kept it to himself.
"If I may say so, you are already ahead of many people, Professor Burbage", Dumbledore said gently. "But... how did you end up in such a dangerous situation?"
"I, well", she sighed, "two years ago, I attended a Muggle Studies conference that was interrupted by an accident. As a result, my hastily completed essay never got a chance to be published. Before that, Professor Hup had already warned me that my research would likely face collective opposition from Pureblood Wizards. I didn't take it seriously enough..."
She sniffed, "I was optimistic, thinking that if I delved deep enough into my research, I could gain the upper hand in any foreseeable controversy with irrefutable evidence, leaving them speechless."
Professor Burbage hesitated before continuing:
Later, my research hit a roadblock, so I turned to Muggle literature, which had given me a lot of inspiration. I bought the most cutting-edge professional books, magazines, and essays, and buried myself in reading. My progress was slow, with so many obscure terms and convoluted logical relationships... Honestly, at first, I didn't think Muggles would achieve anything remarkable... I just wanted to find new perspectives to refine my theories. But as I delved deeper, I discovered a terrifying fact: Muggles' research on the essence of life doesn't involve magic at all, not a single word... yet their theories are surprisingly coherent... I was unwilling to accept this and wanted to find a loophole, alas, that's when the nightmare began.
Her eyes filled with fear as she shivered and took a large sip of hot chocolate. The fragrant liquid gave her the courage to continue.
"Despite my conscious rejection, my subconscious had already accepted these theories. My research direction subtly shifted: I hoped to reconcile these two perspectives. I mean, to blend them together... it was an overambitious goal... in the end, my mind became completely muddled", Professor Burbage trembled, her eyes reflecting a confused glimmer. "Strangely, they share striking similarities in some aspects, but are completely opposite in others... I couldn't reconcile these contradictions, so I decided to visit Muggle biologists during the summer, but that led to even more terrifying consequences. I began to doubt magic itself... in the end, in the end..."
She clamped her mouth shut, and the hospital room fell silent.
Each professor fell into deep thought. Snape looked at Felix with a peculiar expression. Though his face was as calm as a stone or a plant growing in the dark, his mind was in turmoil.
That boy nearly got him into trouble.
The Christmas gift he gave him! Those chemistry books! Although Felix had given him a guide for middle school experiments, he had stumbled upon a few chemistry books in a bookstore in Knockturn Alley during the summer, out of curiosity. After reading them seriously, he found them very beneficial...
Snape's expression was inscrutable as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. No one could guess what he was thinking. He had indeed seen many points of disagreement between Muggle and Wizard perspectives in those chemistry books, but he didn't get stuck on them. He had long known that Muggles lacked magic, and even if he gave them potion recipes, the best they could achieve by following the same steps would be a pot of stinky, foul-smelling goo.
Thinking of this, he coldly glanced at Professor Burbage. No wonder her magic betrayed her, given that she didn't even recognize her Wizard identity.
At that moment, Sirius broke the silence in the room.
"Why do you have to obsess over these issues?" he shrugged. "James and I modified a motorcycle... I mean, we ventured into Muggle stores, cough, to investigate Death Eaters! Yes, that's it... at the time, we didn't even understand the purpose of spark plugs, but that didn't stop us from keeping them. They didn't bother us when we sat on the motorcycle."
"That's a different matter", Snape said.
"I think it's the same", Sirius countered instinctively. "Do you really think you can grasp all knowledge? Are you invincible?"
Snape gave him a cold look and ignored him. "Headmaster Dumbledore, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." With that, he walked out of the hospital room. A few seconds later, his energetic voice could be heard from outside the door:
"No casting in the corridors! Gryffindor loses twenty points!"
Sirius couldn't sit still anymore. He found a flimsy excuse to leave, and soon, intense arguments could be heard from the corridor.
"Severus Snape! Try deducting points again and see what happens!"
"Ah", Dumbledore snapped out of his deep thoughts and turned to Professor Mcgonagall, "Minerva, you'd better go and separate them before they cause a bigger commotion. I don't want to see news of Hogwarts professors fighting on the front pages." After Professor Mcgonagall left, the others gradually followed.
When the infirmary was left with only Dumbledore, Kettleburn, Felix, and Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore explained the two most feasible treatment methods to Professor Burbage. Surprisingly, she didn't choose the seemingly easier option.
"I don't want to forget that knowledge", Professor Burbage said hesitantly. "I'll be more careful in the future!"
"If you insist", Dumbledore respected her choice but warned, "but you must not conduct similar research in the near future."
Professor Burbage nodded solemnly.
"Best to take Professor Burbage to St. Mungo's for a period of recuperation. The conditions here are too basic and can only handle routine injuries", Madam Pomfrey suggested.
"But I don't want to miss out... well, alright", Professor Burbage sighed.
Dumbledore stood up easily, "Then it's settled. Please wait a moment; I need a few minutes to explain to the students. Their little heads are always full of all sorts of ideas, and it's best not to let them run wild..."
He walked out of the infirmary, his light voice faintly audible from outside:
"... I am pleased to announce ... there will be no lasting effects ... just a bit overworked, needing a few days of rest ... before long, I'll return a fully restored professor to you all ..."
In the infirmary, Felix also prepared to take his leave.
"Professor Hup", Professor Burbage hesitated, then called out, "I'm sorry, I didn't listen to your advice."
"This was something no one could have predicted", Felix said calmly. "I understand your actions: discovering a hint of treasure on the path forward, it's hard for a normal person not to be tempted." He sympathized with Burbage's situation but also reflected on his own.
He considered another issue in his mind. If one day Wizards revealed their identities to promote mutual understanding, a place where Wizards and Muggles could coexist would be necessary. A place like a test field where all mature and immature ideas could be put into practice...
Neither Diagon Alley nor Hogsmeade would be suitable for such a place, as there were many practical factors to consider—such as the attitude of the Muggle government. But Trelawney's words gave him some inspiration: an island...
Felix thought about it, wondering if he could create such a place in the future?
...
Professor Kettleburn didn't stay at St. Mungo's. She returned to the school after only two days, which prevented any significant rumors from spreading among the students. As she resumed teaching, especially demonstrating the Levitation Charm in class, the baseless rumors were quickly dispelled.
Hogwarts Castle returned to its usual calm. As October 27th approached, newspapers began to publish extensive reports and photos of the Hogsmeade venue. One student flipped through the latest newspaper, which showed an incomplete site map. Dozens of workers stood in a small open space in the center of Hogsmeade village, directing wooden planks to their correct positions.
"It looks like a giant outdoor Great Hall", the student reading the newspaper said.
"More like a dueling arena", his companion corrected.
Their views were representative. For this exchange event, Hogwarts students had different focuses. They naturally split into two groups: one group focused on the exchange itself, discussing who would attend and what the outcomes might be; the other group fixated on the side events—specifically, the challenge rounds.
Coincidentally, the latter view was prevalent in both Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses.
(End of Chapter)
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