Chapter 720: Chaos is the Ladder
Chapter 720: Chaos is the Ladder
In Britain, both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds have a long Christmas holiday, usually lasting around three weeks. However, for Liam, this Christmas holiday was exceptionally short. On the third day after the holiday, he hurried back to Hogsmeade Village to join up with the guerrilla fighters.
"You could have stayed at home a bit longer", Liam said when he saw over a dozen guerrilla fighters had already gathered at the meeting point. "After all, you've been on the move with us for over a month, and you must be quite tired. I think you should have taken this Christmas to rest and spend more time with your families."
"Three days is enough", said Bob, a young wizard who used to work in a secondhand bookstore in Diagon Alley. "If we rest a little less now, we can destroy the enemies sooner. That way, we'll have more time to be with our loved ones in the future."
"Right." "He's correct." "That's exactly how it is." After the young man spoke, the other guerrilla fighters chimed in, and seeing their high morale, Liam smiled with satisfaction.
"Don't worry, I'll lead you to victory in this war", Liam encouraged them once everyone had quieted down. "We will reclaim everything we've lost through our own hands."
Perhaps because Voldemort was planning a major operation, or perhaps because it was Christmas, there were no attacks during the holiday. In this situation, Liam decided not to launch any raids as usual but to begin formal training for the guerrilla fighters.
During their previous guerrilla warfare, Liam had already trained these fighters to some extent, focusing mainly on various combat skills to quickly improve their fighting capabilities. Now, he brought them all to his Manor for a short, comprehensive training program to address their previous shortcomings.
Given Liam's cautious nature, he had previously kept his Manor as a key location, keeping it hidden. However, with the acquisition of his own flying castle, he moved most of his important items there and then, after careful screening, opened his Manor to those deemed reliable.
Over the next ten days, these guerrilla fighters, along with a dozen or so former Joke Shop employees who had been confirmed as reliable, underwent strict, fully enclosed training.
On the first day of testing at the Manor, Liam discovered that, except for a few, most of the group had a poor grasp of magical knowledge, to the point of being abysmal.
It made sense. Among this group, only a few had excelled and entered the Ministry of Magic, while the rest had mediocre academic levels, which was why they ended up in ordinary clerical positions. Moreover, due to the pressures of life and the knowledge restrictions imposed by pureblood families, their abilities had not only failed to improve after graduation but had actually declined.
Even though most of the former Joke Shop employees now worked at the Ministry of Magic, this only indicated that the training Liam provided after their hiring had been somewhat effective. It did not mean their current level had reached the standards Ryan and others hoped for. In fact, they were still a step behind the regular Ministry of Magic personnel. If not for the severe shortage of manpower in Hogsmeade, they would not have been given such positions.
Fortunately, this academic issue was not insurmountable. With the help of potions and soul magic, Liam managed to have the group grasp a significant amount of important theoretical knowledge in just one day.
"I'm so tired", Hermione complained as they went to bed that night. "Teaching knowledge to over thirty people at once, and ensuring their memories don't have any issues during the process, is a real challenge for my current level."
The memory infusion was primarily Hermione's responsibility, with Liam only assisting her. After all, Hermione's powers were better suited for such tasks, and fortunately, Liam had designed a specialized magic array that greatly reduced her workload.
"Still, it’s all good", Hermione said after her complaint. "At least after this memory infusion, I can confirm that they are now absolutely loyal and reliable. We can proceed with the next step of our plan."
"You checked their memories today?" As soon as Hermione said this, Liam realized what had happened and quickly followed up. "How did it go? Did anyone notice what you were doing?"
"Of course not. I just investigated their thoughts; I didn’t modify anything", Hermione said, turning over with a rustle to face Liam. "I thought you might object to my methods."
"To be honest, I’m not entirely supportive of what you did today. But since you’ve already done it, I stand by you", Liam replied. "I understand your reasoning. All our future plans depend on having enough supporters, and what you did today was to ensure that our supporters are genuine."
"Yes", Hermione agreed. "After all, the knowledge we are about to teach them is incredibly valuable, even by Pureblood Family standards. After the war, we will gradually make this knowledge more accessible and commonplace, so that all wizards can learn it. But for now, we need to ensure that this power goes to those who have already shown their loyalty and dedication."
"You’re right. Our dream is to build a more equitable Magicworld. The principle that effort and reward should be equal, regardless of one’s background, is non-negotiable", Liam said, then shifted the topic. "What if you found someone unreliable today?"
"That would depend on the situation", Hermione replied. "If they are just unwilling to be loyal for personal gain or reasons, I can find an excuse to give them a different kind of knowledge, one that is less valuable than what the loyal ones receive. But if they have malicious intentions, they will face severe punishment."
"Don’t worry, I’m not an evil witch", Hermione concluded seriously. "That’s why I only checked their thoughts and didn’t modify them. No matter what, I have my principles and won’t become a madman who tramples everything to achieve my goals."
"I know, I trust you", Liam said. "It’s amazing to think we now have over 30 followers. This means the weakest link in our plan has been strengthened."
Unlike the protagonists in Harry Potter fanfiction who try to change the world, Liam’s approach to reforming the Magicworld is much slower. This isn’t due to a lack of power, but rather a disadvantage in his background. Britain is a country that values class, and wizards are no exception, perhaps even more so. As a Muggle-born wizard, Liam lacks the prestigious magical lineage that could influence the Ministry of Magic and secure the necessary resources.
Additionally, he doesn’t have the favor of a powerful mentor like Harry did with Dumbledore, which would provide him with vast resources and connections.
Thus, he has always kept a low profile while building his strength. After all, Liam knows that attempting to reform the wizarding world without followers is just a joke.
Fortunately, wizards have a fundamental principle: might makes right. So, over the years, he has traveled to various worlds to accumulate resources and strengthen himself, waiting for the inevitable war to break out. The war has given him unprecedented opportunities, just as the saying goes, "Chaos is the ladder."
It was during this time that Liam realized an additional benefit of choosing Hermione as his partner: Hermione, like him, comes from the Muggle world and doesn’t object to his plan of using chaos to achieve his goals. In contrast, other popular female leads from fanfiction, such as Luna, Cho Chang, Ginny, Penelope, and even Pansy, have deep ties to the Magicworld. They would not support a plan that seeks to completely overthrow the British Wizarding World.
(End of Chapter)
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