Chapter 63: Family, Death Eaters, and the Wizarding Purists
Chapter 63: Family, Death Eaters, and the Wizarding Purists
"Brilliant, simply brilliant!" Michael couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "I thought for sure you'd snap back at them!"
Vider wondered when he had given Michael this impression of him being a bold Gryffindor.
"Just look at how vindictive Slytherins can be; take Malfoy and Potter as examples," Vider shrugged. He cast a spell to muffle the sound in the compartment and poured himself a glass of water. "I don't want to deal with them bothering me every day at school."
Theo nodded. "You're right—Yaxley holds a grudge, and unlike Malfoy's petty pranks, he favors underhanded methods. Even the professors haven't caught him red-handed yet. Ryan, you really need to learn to control your temper."
Ryan pouted but neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he asked, "Vider, about that...computer from the Muggle world, can it really do all the things you mentioned?"
He tried to recall what Vider had said earlier, managing to extract a small portion that he could barely understand.
"So, they can buy anything from around the world from the comfort of their homes?"
Vider laughed. "Actually, online shopping has been around for about a decade now, and it will definitely become even more convenient in the future. But to be honest, I don't know much about it either."
Vider was not an expert in computers. In his previous life, he had only attained the level of an average university student, and most of what he had learned about C programming language was returned to his teacher after the exam.
In this new life, due to his knowledge of the future development of computers, Vider had considered delving into this field to bring forth WeChat, Douyin, online shopping websites, and smartphones ahead of their time. Perhaps then, he could become a billionaire before turning thirty. However, Vider's studies had only just begun when he received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts...
Given the choice between becoming the world's richest person and magic, Vider needed only 0.1 seconds to make his decision—he chose magic.
Michael said incredulously, "But I just saw how confidently you were talking about it—"
"I was just repeating some things I read in magazines," Vider said, leaning against the carriage wall. "It sounds impressive, doesn't it? You guys don't understand it, neither do Puett and his gang, but I'm confident that they'll think I know a lot. They can't communicate with me, so they'll keep their distance, otherwise, they'll feel uncomfortable just listening to me talk."
"Merlin!" Theo exclaimed, "I thought you were a computer expert in the Muggle world! I've watched their TV shows, and the experts there don't speak as...as incomprehensibly as you do."
For a moment, Theo wondered if he had heard English at all, or if Muggles had invented a new language specifically for their computers.
—Come to think of it, Vider did mention something about 'computer languages'...C, C++, Java, Python...
Theo fell into deep thought.
—So Muggles really did this? They invented a machine...and then invented many complex languages for that machine...
"You looked a bit tense earlier," Vider said to Michael. "What's the deal with those guys?"
"They're a troublesome bunch among pure-bloods," Michael explained. "If the Dark Lord were to rise again, they'd be the first to pledge their allegiance."
"Jermaine Puett, you probably haven't paid much attention to him before. He's a sixth-year Ravenclaw who loves hosting all sorts of gatherings in the common room. He got an 'Outstanding' in his O.W.L.s for Defense Against the Dark Arts, all through self-study, but he's even better at casting minor Dark curses. He's narrow-minded, so it's best to avoid provoking him if possible."
Ryan sighed. "Before—before I came to Hogwarts—I used to think all Ravenclaws were bookworms! Did you see the look on Puett's face?"
"He looks eager to be Yaxley's right-hand man!"
"That's because Puett isn't the real Puett," Theo recalled. "I vaguely remember hearing that his great-great-grandmother married a mixed-blood wizard with the surname Dion or Dick. Later, when the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' registry was published, they changed their surname to Puett, one of the pure-blood families."
"And then?" Vider asked curiously. "Did the Puett family acknowledge this relation?"
"No, they never received the Puett family's recognition. However, both Puett brothers were killed during the war against Grindelwald and the Death Eaters. Puett—I mean, Yom Puett's father and uncle now hold high positions in the Ministry of Magic. They claim themselves to be pure-blood Puetts, and no one bothers to dispute it." Theo smiled at the others' intrigued expressions as he continued, "In fact, the Weasleys of Gryffindor are probably the closest in blood relation to the Puetts at school."
"The Weasleys?" Everyone was surprised.
"Yes, Ron Weasley's mother is a Puett. The two brothers who died were her uncles," Theo said.
"They're all dead?" Ryan asked.
"Yes."
"How terrifying—I mean, the war. It's fortunate that it's over."
Ryan silently thanked Harry Potter in his heart. Even though that boy didn't display any exceptional talent or strength, he had truly saved the world, and that alone was enough.
Including Ryan's parents, many people were deeply grateful for and respected that boy who had survived.
"What about Yaxley and Flay?" Vider asked.
"Yaxley—" Theo's face paled slightly. "His father used to serve He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, just like Malfoy. After the Dark Lord's disappearance, they all claimed to be under the Imperius Curse and used money to escape punishment. Unlike Malfoy, Yaxley's father still works in the Ministry of Magic and is said to be a brutal and cold-blooded person. I have no doubt that Yaxley is skilled in Dark Magic."
Michael was astonished. "Even if they were really controlled by the Imperius Curse, they must have done a lot of bad things, right? And yet, they're still allowed to hold positions in the Ministry?"
"Yes, that's right," Theo said with a bitter smile. "It's quite unbelievable, isn't it?"
Michael fell silent. This intelligent boy suddenly felt the image of the Ministry of Magic, which had once been so lofty in his mind, beginning to crumble.
"As for the Flay family—" Theo continued, "they used to be followers of Grindelwald. After he was defeated by Dumbledore, the Wizarding Purists disappeared from the public eye, and the Flay family kept a low profile. But regardless, the Wizarding Purists were once a more terrifying existence than the Death Eaters, so be especially careful around him."
The compartment fell silent for a while.
Michael and Ryan, both half-blood wizards, didn't know much about the wizarding world's families, factions, and the wars that had taken place. Some things were not recorded in their history books. Young wizards like them, born in a time of peace, mostly thought of war as a story in textbooks and a frustrating exam topic, unaware that the shadow of war loomed over their classmates.
Thinking of Professor Quirrell, who had been possessed by Voldemort at school, and the classmates who might aspire to become Death Eaters, the young boys sighed deeply, feeling the weight of it all.
The rest of the journey was peaceful, with only a few students coming by to admire the "inventor of the Friend's List." As always, Vider used the "internet concept" as a weapon to end the topic within minutes. By the time they arrived at their destination, no one approached him to discuss these troublesome topics anymore.
The train slowly pulled into Hogsmeade Station, and the students disembarked, bundling up in their thick clothes. In the distance, Hogwarts, illuminated by lights, awaited them.
(End of Chapter)
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