Chapter 697: Discussion
Chapter 697: Discussion
In the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, Liam confidently assured Headmaster Dumbledore that he could quickly restore some of the British Magic Community's resource production, compensating for the losses caused by his previous actions.
This was not just empty talk or evasion. By integrating technologies from several worlds, Liam had developed a new type of plantation that required minimal manual labor to operate. However, he had held back on introducing these innovations to avoid intense competition with the Pureblood Manors.
Although he hadn't introduced these innovations in this world, Liam had already established three such plantations each in Middle-earth and the World of A Song of Ice and Fire as experiments to secure sufficient resources. After nearly a year of operation, Liam was confident that everything would run smoothly.
In addition to the six plantations in those two worlds, Liam, with his hoarding tendencies and ample resources, had prepared all the necessary equipment and raw materials for six more plantations. He could quickly set up six new manors. This time, Liam planned to introduce three of these in the area under their control.
"It seems you've thought everything through in advance", Dumbledore said slowly, his blue eyes, which had been fixed on Ryan and the others, now deep and serene like a lake. "I hope you can honestly answer my final question: why have you chosen to split the British Magic Community?"
"We didn't—", Hermione started to protest, but Liam raised a hand to stop her. He then turned to Professor Dumbledore and asked, "We admit that we are consciously dividing the Wizarding World, but it is to ensure that the end of this war will truly mark the beginning of lasting peace, not just a temporary truce that lasts less than twenty years."
Dumbledore's ability to see through their plans was something Liam had anticipated. Whether it was the attacks on Pureblood Wizards and their followers, the introduction of independent financial institutions, or the overall shift in the control of the magic resource production bases through destruction and reconstruction, everything clearly indicated Liam's intention to rebuild a new magic society.
As a centenarian who had experienced so much, Headmaster Dumbledore could not have missed the signs of Liam's long-term strategy. What puzzled Liam was why Dumbledore had only brought up this issue now, which, from a certain perspective, was already a bit late.
"I hope you understand that the purpose of war is peace", Dumbledore said solemnly. "What you are doing is tearing apart the British wizarding society, severely exacerbating the tensions between Purebloods, Halfbloods, and Muggle-borns."
"I am well aware of that", Liam nodded. "But the British Wizarding World is already divided. Ever since the Dark Lord, with the help of the Pureblood Families, established his own Ministry of Magic in London, the British wizarding world has openly split into two opposing factions. And all of this stems from the mistakes made after the last war."
"Oh? What do you believe were the mistakes?" Dumbledore looked at Liam with interest. "After the last war, we quickly emerged from the shadow of conflict, maintaining the British wizards' status in the world and restoring prosperity to the British wizarding community in the shortest time possible. In my view, this was a very good outcome."
"But it also laid the groundwork for the current war", Liam pointed out bluntly. "The last war was less about the Dark Lord's ambition and more about the Pureblood Families' retaliation for feeling their interests were threatened after the Muggle-born and Half-blood populations increased significantly due to the modifications to the Secrecy Act."
"After the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters were defeated, the British Magic Community failed to seriously hold those who sparked the war accountable. Many Death Eaters with severe blood purity prejudices, who had participated in the last war, were not tried. They retained their beliefs, their status, and their wealth and resources."
Liam looked at Dumbledore with a serious expression. "You might think that after the last compromise, these Pureblood Families would be grateful, would repent, and would correct their deeply ingrained prejudices. But you are wrong. At least from the rapid fall of the Ministry of Magic and the subsequent battles, we can see that these people have not repented at all. Instead, they have buried their hatred deep within, ready to erupt again, and once more engage in their so-called mission to cleanse impure blood."
"I believe that even if the Dark Lord had not been resurrected, a war would still have erupted", Liam concluded with a grim realization. "From the moment I started school, I heard the word 'Mudblood' being used by Slytherins. At the Quidditch World Cup, I saw a gathering of former Death Eaters. This shows that a dirty and dangerous ideology has been spreading in the minds of many, and your mercy last time only earned you their ridicule of your weakness and their preparation for the next war."
"You are right, my boy. You are right", Professor Dumbledore looked incredibly weary. He did not try to defend himself as Liam had expected, because the current situation was exactly as Liam described it—those enemies from the last war had returned, and they had launched a new war for the same reasons.
"At the time, I only hoped that more people in the British magical community would survive and that the losses could be minimized", Professor Dumbledore began recounting the past to Ryan and the others. "When I was young, I experienced a brutal wizarding war that spread across Europe. Many lives were lost, and since then, I have always tried to minimize the damage when dealing with issues."
"Your intentions were noble, Professor. I believe the only justifiable purpose of a war is to prevent further wars", Hermione interjected after listening for a while. "However, I must say that during the war Grindelwald initiated, the Pureblood Families that dominated much of Europe, except for Britain, were severely weakened. This allowed them to integrate and resolve the conflicts between Purebloods, Half-bloods, and Muggle-born wizards after the war."
"But Britain did not. Under your protection, Grindelwald's power never reached Britain. British wizards retained the oldest social structures and, more importantly, the oldest mindsets. As society progressed, the number of Muggle-borns and Half-bloods increased, but stubborn Pureblood wizards still controlled almost all resources. In such a situation, war was inevitable; the only question was who would strike first."
After reading the many books Liam recommended, especially those on politics and history, and applying the knowledge in various worlds, Hermione gained a deeper understanding of the causes of the wizarding wars. The most crucial insight was that when a group's power is disproportionate to its status, these wars are unavoidable.
"Moreover, Professor, you have also experienced the two world wars in the Muggle world", Liam continued. "The different directions Germany took after the two wars speak volumes. Therefore, we believe that this time, a comprehensive reckoning with the blood purists is necessary. Only then can we achieve lasting peace, and everything we do now is for that goal."
"Indeed", Hermione nodded and gave Headmaster Dumbledore a somewhat awkward smile. "You know, we are still young. We really don't want our lives to be spent either in war or preparing for war."
"Very well, very well. This time, do as you see fit", Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair, looking utterly exhausted. "But do not forget your original intentions in the midst of the war."
"Very well, very well, this time, do as you see fit", Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair, looking utterly exhausted, "but do not forget your original intentions in the midst of the war."(End of Chapter)
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