Chapter 659: Power and Memory
Chapter 659: Power and Memory
"Happy birthday, Ron." The next day, Harry yawned and got out of bed, instinctively closing his mouth mid-yawn to check for the Mandrake leaf with his tongue.
He looked around the dormitory. Seamus and Dean were already gone, and Neville was nowhere to be seen. Harry found it odd but then remembered that Neville had an Animagus training session with Professor Mcgonagall that morning.
"Cheers." Ron mumbled groggily, his foot landing on a small pile of presents. He instantly woke up, shouting, "Presents!" and started tearing into them without even changing out of his pajamas.
Harry tossed a brightly wrapped box onto Ron's bed. "Your gift." Then he began to change.
He stripped off his pajamas and put on his robes in just two minutes. Glancing at his watch, he breathed a sigh of relief. Good, he still had time.
"Where are you going—hey, thanks, Harry, this is amazing." Ron waved the Quidditch Keeper dragon-hide gloves Harry had given him. He sat on the floor, surrounded by a mess of wrapping paper, beaming. "This year is a bonanza. Every gift I received is a step up. I wish I could turn of age again next year—where are you going?"
He asked again, finally looking up from a heavy gold watch.
"I have an appointment with Professor Hup." Harry mumbled.
"Oh, bummer, I was hoping to go to Hogsmeade with you", Ron said. "If Fred and George Weasley had any conscience, they'd give their little brother a discount on his coming-of-age day..." He recounted his gifts again, grumbling, "Maybe I'm expecting too much. They didn't even send a gift."
"Maybe they're planning to give them to you in person", Harry suggested.
Ron thought about it and brightened up. "You might be right... but don't get your hopes up too high. They've been pretty busy lately. I bet they just left a box of dungbombs at the Hogsmeade branch."
Harry and Ron parted ways at the castle entrance. "I'll bring you some Honeydukes' sweets", Ron said, heading towards Filch. Harry descended the stone steps and made his way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Grindelwald was already waiting there.
They strolled slowly through the grass, the soft sunlight filtering through the treetops, and the air was a mix of damp earth and fresh grass. In the distance, Harry saw the Whomping Willow, looking harmless as it swayed gently in the breeze.
"Harry", Grindelwald said, "you've learned a few spells, but I've noticed you're far from reaching your true potential."
"Sorry", Harry said, a bit uneasy, "I'm still not very proficient..."
"That's not the reason", Grindelwald murmured. "While I explain the theory and models of spells in class to cater to the general pace—catering to... mediocre students."
Harry looked at him in surprise.
"People are different. Most of the people you see—unless something extraordinary happens—will lead ordinary lives. Their greatest contribution is to pass on magic."
Grindelwald continued walking, and Harry followed. "Sir, I disagree with that view", he said. Grindelwald glanced at him. "Then tell me your thoughts."
"Uh—" Harry said, "Isn't leading an ordinary, peaceful life good enough? I like that kind of life, and I think judging a person's value based on their magical abilities is too... too..."
"Pragmatic?" Grindelwald asked with interest.
"Sort of", Harry admitted. He felt that Professor Hup must have been influenced by the Dark Wizard Grindelwald's ideas. He had read similar descriptions in a travelogue he found in the Library.
"I believe—well, there's no need to categorize people by their usefulness. Take my friend Ron's family, for example. Mr. Weasley works at the Ministry of Magic and is currently working on a new Muggle-Protecting law. I think that's quite meaningful, even if it's not directly related to magic. And Mrs. Weasley is a homemaker, a great person who takes care of the entire family..."
"Their eldest son, Bill Weasley, used to be a Curse-Breaker at Gringotts but applied for an office job due to the war. I think he'd prefer a cooler job, but now it's not possible... His girlfriend is also there. The second son, Charlie, raises dragons in Romania, and the third son, Percy, works at the Ministry like Mr. Weasley, but I suspect his job mainly involves writing reports all day..."
"Of those who continued studying magic after graduation, there are Fred and George Weasley. They run a joke shop and spend their days inventing all sorts of prank items. Ron dreams of becoming an Auror, and Ginny is still young, but I think she has the potential to become a professional Quidditch player..."
Harry counted the Weasley family members on his fingers.
"If I follow your logic, most of them would be categorized as useless, but I think they don't care about such evaluations. They just want to live their lives well."
Harry said this in one breath, then took a few deep breaths. Professor Hup didn't speak for a long time, making Harry wonder if his tone had been too harsh and intense. He didn't dare to look the professor in the eye and instead stared at a small blade of grass on the ground.
"Talking about them makes me a bit envious of their family, Harry", Grindelwald said, then shifted the topic, "I just have a question. When Voldemort was wreaking havoc, were your dear Weasley family living their carefree lives?"
"Think about it. Without Dumbledore and without Felix Hep, what would the scene be like? Oh, if I remember correctly, the Weasleys are Purebloods. If they showed submission to Voldemort, they would have lived quite well..."
"They would never accept Voldemort's evil rule!" Harry shouted in protest.
"Then they were doomed", Grindelwald said coolly. "Just like this little plant." He walked up to Harry and crushed the plant Harry had been staring at under his foot. Harry felt a surge of anger, but then he thought of something...
It was the scene in Professor Hup's office where he practiced the Patronus Charm. To ignite his fighting spirit, he entered the illusion Professor Hup had set up. In that illusion, he saw many terrible things—everyone had fallen, and Voldemort had won. It was then that he conjured an incredibly powerful Patronus.
"If you don't want your fate to be at the mercy of others, you must have great power, like Hep. There are very few people in this world who can threaten him. If he is cold enough, he won't even have a single weakness left." Grindelwald's eyes glinted with a strange light. "I'm quite curious."
"But the war is over, Voldemort has been locked away—"
Harry quickly stopped himself from revealing the secret of Voldemort in the seventh classroom. However, Professor Grindelwald didn't seem to notice his slip-up and continued in a calm tone, "There will always be conflicts. Can you guarantee that none of your classmates will become a terrifying Dark Wizard? And don't underestimate the Muggles' belligerence. Look at their history, and you'll see it's a history of war."
"There won't be any war", Harry said urgently, recalling what Sirius had told him, "The Ministry of Magic has found a way, and the Minister of Magic and the Muggle Prime Minister maintain constant contact. As long as—"
"The influence of the people?"
"—both sides can, uh, what?" Harry asked, a bit dazed.
"You're overlooking the influence of the Muggle public on their government. I know those politicians. They might deceive, incite, and manipulate the masses, but they will never stand against them. If a significant number of Muggles oppose Wizards, there will be no shortage of unprincipled politicians to speak on their behalf. With a little bit of manipulation, just a tiny spark... boom, your so-called peace will vanish instantly." Grindelwald stated coldly, "This is too easy and will inevitably happen."
Harry was stunned. They had discussed Muggles and Wizards before, but never in such stark, blood-soaked terms. He swallowed hard, feeling as if he had lost his voice.
"Wizards are the ones who truly love peace. For thousands of years, we have maintained order without strict rules, we have powerful abilities but do not abuse them. In contrast, Muggle civilization was born in war. Ironically... Wizards chose to retreat when they should have established order because there are always ignorant Muggles who take advantage of our inattention to harm our children. This has made Muggles arrogant, believing they are the true masters of this land. Wizards, on the other hand, have become the outliers."
"With Professor Hup around..." Harry's voice was hoarse.
"Do you think he will succeed?" Grindelwald glanced at him calmly, making Harry's heart race. He feared the professor would say something terrifying, but Grindelwald simply said, "Perhaps. So, are you planning to pin your hopes on others and pretend everything is fine behind closed doors? Sounds good. I remember the Potions Professor did just that." He was referring to Slughorn.
Harry's face burned, feeling both ashamed and terrified.
He knew even Professor Hup had no guarantees, so theoretically, what Grindelwald said could happen. At that moment, he thought of the Dursleys, of Uncle Vernon. If Wizards were truly exposed to the world, would Uncle Vernon allow Wizards to openly enter his life?
Harry didn't need to hesitate to know the answer. Thinking of how Uncle Vernon treated the homeless on the street, how he treated him... he would definitely call the government hotline non-stop.
How many people like Uncle Vernon were there? If they banded together, protests would follow, and then things might unfold as Grindelwald predicted—some government officials would capitulate, and the situation would become unpredictable. Harry remembered the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with the Muggle parade, those cold stares as if they had crossed time to fall on him again.
Harry's expression was heavy, his limbs leaden as he followed the professor in a daze. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a solution. Suddenly, he noticed that Professor Grindelwald had stopped walking. "We're here", he said.
Harry looked around in confusion. They were deep in the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by tall trees. It was only March, so the branches and leaves were not yet lush. He could see the sky through the sparse foliage.
"Remember the magic I taught you. Try it now", Grindelwald said calmly, as if the previous conversation had never happened.
Harry waved his wand haphazardly, and the spell struck a large tree, causing its massive trunk to shake. Even he felt embarrassed, "Oh, sorry, let me try again." He tried to calm himself and waved his wand a second time. This time, the powerful spell split the thick trunk in two.
Harry looked at Professor Bashaat with a hint of satisfaction. The professor's earlier words had an effect. Harry still hadn't come up with a foolproof plan, but he felt that if things really went to the worst, he wouldn't stand idly by or hide.
Besides, Harry believed he would likely be an Auror by then, with his family and everything he cared about standing behind him. He had no room to back down.
"Not good enough", Grindelwald said loudly, unsatisfied. "You can do better."
"I've done my best", Harry replied.
"Do you think I'm playing pretend with you?" Grindelwald scolded. "Why don't I find that Muggle-born girl? She performs better in class than you."
"I've wondered about that too", Harry said stiffly.
"If you didn't have potential, I wouldn't waste my time. There are only a few in the entire school who surpass you, and that includes the professors. Your biggest problem is that you've never considered what you're truly capable of! Magic isn't rigid; you're the one restraining your power."
"I haven't—"
"Then show me real power, or go back and pray that misfortune won't befall you, praying like a coward that the big shots will spare you—"
The forest suddenly erupted. A massive shockwave shattered hundreds of trees into splinters, as if a huge explosion had occurred. The area within a few hundred feet was flattened, and trees farther away were knocked over like they had been hit by a violent typhoon.
Broken branches and splintered wood rained down, and Harry stared wide-eyed, unable to believe he had caused this.
"See, Harry! See!" Grindelwald shouted, his gaze sweeping over the vast wasteland before them. "This is your true power."
...
That evening, Harry appeared in the Headmaster's Office.
"Harry, you're here", Dumbledore said as usual, his tone gentle. Harry noticed a Pensieve on the table, the silvery substance inside swirling rapidly. He guessed the Headmaster had just used it.
Dumbledore touched his wand to his forehead, extracted a new memory, and placed it in the Pensieve. Then he tried to take Harry's hand.
"We need to speed things up. We have a lot to do today."
Harry dodged. He lowered his head, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze, and stared at the Pensieve.
"But, sir, I don't understand the point of this. I know dealing with the soul fragment in my head is complicated, but I don't see—what's the use of just watching things that have already happened, if magic can't fix it?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Ah, Harry", Dumbledore said with a slightly troubled tone. "I see I need to reveal some information to make what we're doing more meaningful to you... In short, I want you to have the ability to discern right from wrong and the courage to make the right choices when it matters most."
Harry sat there, wide-eyed, feeling insulted. What did Dumbledore really think of him?
"Don't misunderstand, Harry", Dumbledore said. "You are one of the closest to having saintly qualities that I have ever seen, perhaps even unique. Given my long life and the many students I've known, this is a strong endorsement."
Harry shifted uncomfortably, his face burning. He didn't expect such direct and passionate praise from Dumbledore, especially after he had just lost his temper. He tried to soften his expression.
"Of course, I'm not saying you don't have flaws and struggles. In fact, I see this as a good thing, showing that you remain a normal person, not arrogant or conceited because of your fame or abilities. That's why I have higher expectations of you. I don't treat you like an ordinary student. For example—"
Dumbledore raised a finger.
"When you were learning magic with Professor Bashaat, did you feel any fear about your own power, even a little?"
Harry was taken aback. He thought back to the morning when, under Professor Bashaat's guidance, he had easily destroyed a part of the Forbidden Forest. He had felt both amazed and a bit terrified, even wondering if Voldemort had possessed him.
"I—do you know, sir?"
"Yes, I do", Dumbledore said calmly.
"That's a power you inherently possess", he continued, seemingly understanding Harry's thoughts. "I'm sure Professor Bashaat has reassured you, though I don't know his reasons. His advice might not be suitable for you."
"Suitable for me?" Harry repeated softly.
"You have to find the answer yourself, Harry", Dumbledore said seriously. "I can't help you with this. The best I can do is borrow Alastor's catchphrase: be cautious, Harry. Mindless force can easily turn into violence."
Harry had a sudden insight.
"So you want me to watch those memories to control my power?"
"We can discuss that later. What I really want you to focus on are the choices different people made, especially the situations they faced. It would be even better if you gained some useful insights", Dumbledore said. "I use my memories—forgive my arrogance—because I've seen the joys and sorrows of countless men and women."
Seeing Harry deep in thought, Dumbledore said cheerfully, "So—let's begin today's lesson."
He stood up and bowed slightly, as if preparing for a grand banquet.
"I will be honored to share with you my experiences from my student days. You may find them somewhat trivial, as they involve more than one person, some of whom are still in touch with me. Perhaps you’ve heard a name or two!"
"Let’s begin our adventure!"
(End of Chapter)
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