Chapter 172: Not Enough, Far From Enough!
Temptation and Dumbledore's endorsement weren't everything. Aside from Rita and a few others, no one immediately declared their stance.
Lockhart didn't mind. He ushered everyone into the adjoining banquet hall, inviting them to sit around the long table, waiting for Tutu and the other house-elves to present the books.
Seeing was believing.
The Ravenclaws were intelligent enough to judge for themselves what the book was about and what it would bring.
Soon, the entire conference room was filled with the rustling sound of turning pages.
Lockhart smiled as he sat to the side, observing each person's expression, patiently waiting.
"Lord Voldemort: A Pure-Blood Supremacist with a Muggle Father?"—just the title of this book was extremely dangerous. It delved into intimate gossip about a Dark Lord who reveled in terror, and it was gossip with immense implications. Such a sensational topic, and the underlying societal impact it implied, thrilled many Ravenclaws.
Even Mad-Eye Moody, who had been frowning throughout, simply took the book from the house-elf, stared blankly at the cover for a long time, and then, snapping out of it, eagerly began to flip through the pages.
Everyone had their own agenda, and there was nothing wrong with that.
But the interesting part was that as they flipped through the book, everyone became immersed in its content.
Lockhart's long-standing insistence on using the most straightforward language to describe magic and magical stories was enough to make many obscure and difficult-to-understand magical concepts clearer and more direct.
There was an old saying in his hometown from his previous life, "Once explained, it's worthless," and a more universally propagated one, "A word of truth, a thousand books of falsehoods," meaning that many seemingly profound things are actually quite simple in principle.
Mysterious magic, under Lockhart's pen, truly became simpler.
Yet, this simplicity did not lose its mystery by having its veil lifted; instead, it was imbued with a unique beauty and dreaminess.
That was Lockhart's exclusive view of magic—a beauty that was closer to life, more integrated into daily routines, and tangibly accessible.
This treatise clearly transcended the gossip about Voldemort having a Muggle father; it was more like a dialogue between Lockhart and the three magical masters: Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald.
Consequently, many Ravenclaws sensed Lockhart's self-expression within the book—an approach that stripped away social identity, political leanings, means of action, and all other externals, to touch upon magic itself.
This was precisely the concept most aligned with Ravenclaws' preferences.
I don't care about Dumbledore or Voldemort's disputes; the wizarding society and magical life in my eyes are not at all what you claim.
Your upper-class factional disputes never involve us experts, scholars, and media professionals. Who cares who wins or loses?
In fact, if Voldemort hadn't resorted to terror and daily destruction and slaughter in the Muggle world, which severely threatened the fundamental International Statute of Secrecy of the Ministry of Magic, the Ministry wouldn't have reacted much to Voldemort's actions in the beginning.
Voldemort infiltrated various Ministries of Magic, pure-blood families, and magic schools across nations; didn't Dumbledore do the same?
And for the social elite, they were even less inclined to take sides. No one denied Dumbledore was a good person, but Merlin, that legendary wizard, was also a powerful wizard with a positive image, yet wasn't he biased towards the Muggles' stance?
Many people couldn't imagine whether, if Merlin, the legendary Grand Master, were alive today, wizards would be living in places like the South and North Poles, where Muggles found it difficult to survive.
He sought justice too much, treating wizards with powerful magical abilities as the original sin, constantly ceding living rights and not fighting for the interests of their own group.
This wasn't a wizarding supremacist view, but rather a desire to avoid binary thinking, a normal person's way of thinking.
Muggles and wizards are both human, both of the same kind; this is a widely accepted view among social elites.
Muggles and wizards need to find suitable living spaces for themselves; this is also a widely accepted view among social elites.
Otherwise, why would Dumbledore have so many opponents?
As the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, holding the greatest power in wizarding society, he couldn't effectively implement his strategies, leading to constant obstruction from various countries and factions. It wasn't simply a matter of an evil figure like Voldemort opposing him.
Such ideological currents and opposing forces had always existed.
Lockhart, living genuinely in this wizarding world, keenly sensed the existence of such a force, and its representative power was undoubtedly scattered among these very people before him.
Many wise wizards knew this; Madam Melias had even reminded Lockhart that the issue between wizards and Muggles was the future.
He knew even more that in the future, even if the so-called "side of justice triumphs over evil," the representative of justice, Harry Potter, would ultimately become nothing more than the Head Auror of a national Ministry of Magic.
How far he was from becoming the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, influencing the entire global wizarding society's progress, was unknown.
This was actually very subtle.
After Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, he naturally became the leader of the wizards.
But Harry truly defeated Voldemort, yet could only become the head of an Auror department?
The era was subtly changing; the issue of 'pro-Muggle-born wizards' simply couldn't become the mainstream of the era.
It's not that it's wrong, but it's not enough.
Not enough, far from enough!
The issues raised by Dumbledore, Voldemort, and even Grindelwald before them could not solve the problems of this era; they could not be the answers for this version of society.
This was the essence of everything.
When magic needed to blossom from life, when magic existed in every detail of the era, Lockhart had to consider such questions, to seriously observe these dimensions of life.
And so, after such contemplation, a very subtle idea popped into his head—did everything really have to wait until one side, Dumbledore or Voldemort, won before this matter could be discussed?
Of course, there were even more interesting ideas.
For example—if Dumbledore didn't stop him from writing a biography of Voldemort, what could Dumbledore say if he wrote a biography of Dumbledore?
And what about Grindelwald?
When these biographies truly generated intense discussion in society, some deeper content would naturally be unearthed and debated, forming a powerful new social ideology.
At that time...
The magical world might become more interesting.
Of course, it could also be an even more terrible war.
Who knew?
Lockhart looked at each Ravenclaw before him. Among them were experts with great authority in specific magical disciplines, reporters and editors from major newspapers and magazines, and influential figures mingling in various groups. He believed—
These people were the future, not the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters.
And he, precisely, was the most influential figure within this group, bar none!
"This is a great adventure!"
Seeing many people starting to frown and ponder over the more complex magical content in the book, unable to turn to the next page, Lockhart stood up and surveyed everyone.
Yes!
Life was the greatest adventure!
And he was already impatiently eager to embark on this adventure, starting with this book!
He raised the book in his hand. "Some believe pure-blood is the foundation of wizarding society, while others believe embracing different groups is the future of wizards..."
"But I say, the foundation and future of wizards are only magic, it can only be magic!"
"You will see, when everything delves into the exploration of magic, you will initially stop caring whether the Dark Lord has Muggle blood; you will start caring about magic."
"This is the greatest significance of this book."
He looked up at the floor-to-ceiling windows of the mansion, outside which were Muggle streets and wizarding communities. He gestured, seemingly encompassing everything. "We cannot ignore the power of pure-blood wizards' unique bloodline magic, nor can we ignore the ever-increasing population of Muggle-born and half-blood wizards, which may have long surpassed pure-blood wizards. When all discussions fall into bloodlines and power, it will only lead to war."
"I want to make my voice heard to this world, to tell some people, to tell them, magic, magic is everything."
"The wizarding world is quietly undergoing unprecedented changes. Everyone is in the thick of it."
"Every one of us is in the thick of it."
"Many people are caught in a Muggle narrative, believing that only through war, only by being in high positions, only by becoming the sole figure who can dictate the world's development, can they change this world."
"I say, no!"
"The wizarding world simply doesn't operate that way, which is why everything now seems so contradictory and awkward."
"Magic, magic is the foundation and future of wizards, and influence should rightly come from magic."
He shifted his gaze from the distance back to the people before him. "I hope this book can allow more knowledgeable wizards to escape from foolish political issues and focus on magic itself."
"And you, my friends, you knowledgeable ones in various fields, are the ones who can promote the development of magic and bring about change in the world! Let those politicians see that the wizarding world is in magic, in our hands who wield magic, not theirs!"
"I hope this book of mine is just a beginning, a beginning that can guide more people to come forward, to express their insights on magic, to promote its development."
"Magic will change the world, not power!"
"Magic will bring answers, not war!"
"..."
Everyone listened to Lockhart's narration. It was a tone that wasn't overly inflammatory or passionate, yet it struck their souls, bringing immense shock.
It was as if he had peeled back layer after layer, revealing the true face of this world.
What was that...?
That was magic!
This was a brand-new answer, never before given, telling them to stop getting bogged down in foolish topics like bloodlines or the Statute of Secrecy, to break free, and to focus on the most fundamental issue.
Magic had stagnated for far too long without proper development. It wasn't a question of whether it was powerful or not, but that it had become disconnected from the era.
This magical world deserved a new face.
And such a face, such a new world, might just blossom in their hands.
Under the guidance of the great Lockhart!
Grindelwald? Dumbledore? Voldemort?
All are gone!
"Did you..." Lockhart gazed deeply at each face in the conference room, "feel the call of the era?"
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!!!
Rita, in the corner, was so overwhelmed that she almost pulled out her magical camera to capture the moment. She clearly realized what significance this gathering would hold in wizarding history!
"Click!"
A crisp and loud sound rang out. Rita jolted, quickly glancing around, only to find that damned Xenophilius Lovegood had, once again, done exactly what she wanted to do first!
Waving his wand, he made a magical camera float in mid-air, capturing the scene!
....
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