While Lockhart's captivating ideas and Dumbledore's endorsement certainly held sway, they weren't enough to secure immediate declarations from everyone present, save for Rita Skeeter and a few others. Lockhart, unperturbed, simply invited them all to the adjacent banquet hall, where they gathered around a long table, awaiting TuTu and the other house-elves to present them with copies of the book.
Seeing was believing. The Ravenclaws, with their inherent sharp intellect, would be perfectly capable of discerning the true message and potential impact of the book on their own. Soon, the entire room was filled with the soft rustle of turning pages. Lockhart, with a patient smile, observed each person's expression, content to bide his time.
**"Lord Voldemort: A Pure-Blood Supremacist with a Muggle Father?"**—the very title of this book was inherently perilous. It delved into the private, scandalous gossip of a Dark Lord who delighted in terror, and it was gossip with far-reaching implications. This sensationalism, combined with the profound societal impact it hinted at, sent shivers of excitement through many of the Ravenclaws. Even Mad-Eye Moody, who usually sported a perpetual frown, stared blankly at the cover for a long moment after accepting the book from a house-elf, before impatiently tearing through its pages.
Each wizard and witch harboured their own secret thoughts, and there was nothing unusual about that. What was truly fascinating, however, was how, as they turned the pages, each person became utterly engrossed in the narrative within. Lockhart's consistent approach of using the most straightforward language to describe magic and magical tales ensured that many previously arcane and perplexing magical concepts became remarkably clear and direct.
In his previous life, there was an old saying: 'Once explained, it's worth nothing,' or, more universally, 'A single truth is worth a thousand false teachings.' The essence being that many seemingly profound concepts are, in reality, quite simple. Under Lockhart's quill, mysterious magic truly became simple. Yet, this simplicity did not diminish its mystique once the veil was lifted; instead, it imbued it with a singularly unique and wondrous beauty, almost dreamlike.
This was Lockhart's distinctive view of magic—a magic more intimately connected to life, more integrated into daily existence, a tangible and palpable wonder. Such a treatise clearly transcended the mere gossip of Voldemort having a Muggle father; it read more like Lockhart engaged in a profound dialogue with three grand masters of magic: Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald.
Consequently, many Ravenclaws felt Lockhart's self-expression emanating from the book—a raw essence stripped of social identity, political leanings, and operational methods, reaching directly for magic itself. This was precisely the philosophy that most appealed to the Ravenclaws.
I care not for Dumbledore's schemes or Voldemort's machinations. The wizarding society, the magical life I envision, is nothing like what you two purport.
Your upper-echelon squabbles over ideology never involve us, the experts, the scholars, the journalists. Who cares who wins or loses?
Indeed, had Voldemort not resorted to terrifying threats, wreaking daily havoc and bloodshed in the Muggle world, severely jeopardising the Ministry's very foundation, the International Statute of Secrecy, the Ministry might not have reacted so strongly to his initial actions. And while Voldemort permeated the Ministries of Magic, pure-blood families, and magical schools across nations, did Dumbledore not do the same?
For the social elite, the desire to take sides was even less appealing. No one denied Dumbledore was a good man, but Merlin, that legendary wizard, was also a powerful figure with a positive image, yet didn't his allegiances lean towards the Muggle side? Many could scarcely imagine what wizarding life would be like if the legendary Archmage Merlin were alive today – perhaps wizards would be forced to live in places like Antarctica and the Arctic, where Muggles could barely survive. He sought justice so intensely that he treated wizards, possessors of immense magical power, as inherently guilty, constantly ceding rights and failing to advocate for his own kind.
This was not a pure-blood supremacist ideology, but rather a desire to avoid binary thinking, a normal human way of thinking. Muggles and wizards are both people, both alike; this is a widely accepted view among the social elite. Muggles and wizards need to find their appropriate living spaces; this is also a widely accepted view among the social elite. Otherwise, why would Dumbledore have so many detractors?
As the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, wielding the greatest authority in wizarding society, he couldn't effectively implement his strategies, constantly hampered by various nations and factions. It wasn't merely the simple opposition of an evil figure like Voldemort. Such undercurrents of thought, such opposing forces, had always existed.
Lockhart, truly living in this wizarding world, keenly sensed the presence of such a force, and its representative power was undoubtedly scattered among the very people before him. Many wise wizards knew this; Madam Meliflua herself had warned Lockhart that the topic of wizards and Muggles was the future. He also knew that even if the so-called "side of good" ultimately triumphed over evil, the champion of good, Harry Potter, would ultimately become nothing more than the Head of the Auror Office in one nation's Ministry of Magic. How far that was from influencing the global wizarding society as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was anybody's guess.
It was all rather subtle. Dumbledore, after defeating Grindelwald, naturally assumed leadership of the wizarding world. But Harry, who genuinely defeated Voldemort, could only become the head of an Auror department? The times, it seemed, were quietly changing. The notion of "Muggle-born-friendly wizards" simply could not become the prevailing sentiment of the era.
It wasn't that it was wrong; it was simply not enough. Not enough, nowhere near enough! Dumbledore, Voldemort, and even Grindelwald before them—the issues they raised could not solve the problems of this era, could not provide the ultimate answers for their time. This was the fundamental truth of it all.
When magic needed to blossom from everyday life, when magic existed in every detail of the era, Lockhart was compelled to ponder such questions, to meticulously observe these dimensions of life. And so, after such contemplation, a remarkably subtle idea popped into his head—did everything truly have to wait until either Dumbledore or Voldemort won before these matters could be discussed?
Of course, even more intriguing thoughts followed. For instance, if Dumbledore didn't object to him writing a biography of Voldemort, what would Dumbledore say if he were to write a biography of Dumbledore himself? And what about Grindelwald's? When these biographies truly sparked fervent discussions in society, more profound content would naturally be unearthed and debated, giving rise to a powerful new societal wave of thought.
At that point... the wizarding world might become even more fascinating. Of course, it could also lead to an even more terrifying war. Who knew?
Lockhart looked out at the Ravenclaws before him—among them, experts of immense authority in various magical disciplines, journalists and editors from major newspapers and magazines, and highly influential figures mingling within various circles. He believed:
These were the future, not the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters. And he, Gilderoy Lockhart, was precisely the most influential figure within this group, bar none!
"This is a grand adventure!" Lockhart declared, rising to his feet and surveying everyone, noting how many had begun to furrow their brows in deep thought over the more complex magical concepts within the book, unable to turn to the next page.
Yes! Life itself was the grandest adventure! And he was already bursting with eagerness to embark on this adventure, starting with this very book! He held up his copy. "Some believe that pure-bloods are the foundation of wizarding society. Others believe that embracing diverse groups is the future for wizards..."
"But I say, the foundation and future of wizards lie solely in magic! It can only be magic!"
"You will see that once everything delves into the exploration of magic, you will initially cease to care whether the Dark Lord possessed Muggle blood. You will begin to care about magic."
"This is the greatest significance of this book."
He tilted his head, gazing out the French windows of the manor, where Muggle streets intertwined with wizarding communities. He gestured expansively, as if to encompass everything. "We cannot ignore the immense power of pure-blood wizards with their unique bloodline magic, nor can we overlook the ever-increasing population of Muggle-born and half-blood wizards, which may have long surpassed that of pure-bloods. When all discussions devolve into bloodlines and authority, it will only lead to war."
"I wish to cry out to this world, to tell some people, to tell them, that magic—magic is everything!"
"The wizarding world is quietly undergoing an unprecedented transformation, and every one of us is in the midst of it."
"Every single one of us is in the midst of it."
"Many have fallen into a Muggle narrative, believing that only through war, only through holding high positions, only by becoming the sole individual who can dictate the world's development, can one change this world."
"I say, no!"
"The wizarding world does not operate this way at all, which is why everything now appears so contradictory and awkward."
"Magic, magic is the foundation and future of wizards; it should rightfully be magic that brings about influence."
He brought his gaze back from the distant view to the faces before him. "I hope this book can lead more insightful wizards to break free from foolish political debates and turn their attention back to magic itself."
"And you, my friends, you insightful individuals from every field, you are the ones who can drive the advancement of magic, who can bring about change in the world! Let those politicians see that the wizarding world lies in magic, and in our hands, who have mastered magic, not theirs!"
"I hope this book of mine is merely a beginning, a catalyst that will inspire more people to step forward, to articulate their insights on magic, and to propel its progress."
"Magic will change the world, not power!"
"Magic will bring answers, not war!"
"..."
Everyone listened intently to Lockhart's discourse. His tone was neither overly passionate nor overtly rousing, yet it seemed to strike directly at their very souls, profoundly shaking them. It was as if he had peeled back layer after layer, revealing the true nature of their world.
What was it? It was magic!
This was a wholly new answer, one no one had ever provided before, telling them to stop getting bogged down in trivial matters like blood purity or the Statute of Secrecy, and instead, to break free and focus on the most fundamental issue. Magic, you see, had been stagnant for far, far too long; it wasn't a question of whether it was powerful enough, but rather that it had become disconnected from the current age.
This magical world deserved a new face, a fresh beginning. And such a face, such a new world, might very well blossom forth from their own hands. Under the glorious guidance of Lockhart!
Grindelwald? Dumbledore? Voldemort?
All of them, gone with the wind!
"Do you," Lockhart said, his gaze fixed deeply on each face in the meeting room, "feel the call of the era?"
Yes! Yes! YES!!!
In the corner, Rita Skeeter was so utterly swept away, she longed to instantly pull out her magical camera and capture this momentous scene. She clearly understood the profound significance this gathering would hold in wizarding history!
"Click!"
A sharp, clear sound resonated, causing Rita to jolt. Her eyes darted wildly around the room, only to realise that that wretched Xenophilius Lovegood had, once again, beaten her to what she wanted to do! He was waving his wand, his magical camera floating in mid-air, snapping a picture of this very moment!
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