June.
Not long after Charles received the letter, the N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. exams for the seventh and fifth years finally came to an end.
The weather was growing warmer day by day.
Now, all of Hogwarts was completely engulfed in the excitement for the upcoming Pokémon Tournament!In the days following the exams, students who had been too busy studying earlier were now throwing themselves into training battles with almost frantic enthusiasm, desperate to make up for lost time.
Their passion rose alongside the summer heat, rivaling even the energy during a Quidditch match.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had complained more than once that none of the young witches and wizards seemed capable of focusing on their final reviews anymore. Even Snape was visibly irritated—his expression darker than usual during class, which meant Harry found himself suffering the consequences of "collateral damage" more than a few times.
The American Ministry of Magic's attempt to intervene and investigate the incident hadn't caused any real disruption to the tournament. After all, they had yet to find any concrete evidence. Even if they intended to put Charles on trial, that would have to wait until after the competition concluded.
Dumbledore had expressed a certain degree of concern over the matter, though his usual partiality was evident—he'd already promised to act as Charles's defender when the time came.
Still, he couldn't deny that Charles's actions might have broken the Statute of Secrecy, and that was a matter of grave concern.Once that statute was breached, the consequences for the wizarding world could be catastrophic. Dumbledore, unlike some of his peers, never looked down on Muggles simply because he was a wizard. He understood all too well that from the very beginning, the Statute of Secrecy had been designed to protect wizards, not oppress Muggles.
Before the Statute was enacted—in truth, back in the fifteenth century—Muggles had persecuted witches and wizards relentlessly.
In that era, many adult wizards were not afraid of Muggles; some even took a perverse delight in surviving a good burning at the stake. But for wizard children, things were different.
Those who had not yet learned to properly control their magic were defenseless before Muggles. And at that time, there wasn't a single school in the world to teach them how to harness their powers.
Even adult wizards in those days often knew only a handful of spells.
Yet the witch hunts conducted by Muggles were organized—dozens, even hundreds at a time.
Now, though the collective strength of the wizarding world had grown considerably, the power of Muggles had grown far more.Thanks to his old lover, Dumbledore knew something about the devastating weapons Muggles possessed. If the Statute of Secrecy were ever broken, and conflict between Muggles and wizards erupted again, it would be disastrous for the magical community.
At that moment, Dumbledore stood at the school gates with Charles and the other professors, waiting to welcome their guests from afar. Taking the opportunity, he began speaking quietly with Charles.
"When I was young, I once despised Muggles," Dumbledore said calmly. His expression betrayed no hint of pain—just weary remembrance. "You probably already know part of this story, but I hope you won't mind an old man reminiscing."
Charles nodded. Dumbledore continued, having discreetly sealed their conversation with magic so that the other professors could not overhear.
He rarely spoke of those old wounds—it was like sprinkling salt into an open scar.
"You know about my sister," he began. "When she was little, she was caught performing magic by a few Muggle boys. They treated her cruelly for it. She became an Obscurial as a result. My father, in his rage, attacked those boys in revenge."
"Of course, he used magic to do it—and for breaking the Statute of Secrecy, he was sentenced to Azkaban."
"At the time, I hadn't yet grown to hate Muggles. That came later, after I met Gellert." He skipped lightly over the part of his story that was hardest to tell and pressed on.
"He was brilliant—extraordinarily so. His ideas opened my eyes to many things. Under his influence, I began to despise Muggles. Though I soon realized my mistake, by then I had already helped Gellert draft many of his plans."
"Later, when I broke away from him, he followed those same blueprints we once devised—and unleashed chaos upon the world."
"Gellert saw Muggles and wizards as two different species. He wanted to overthrow the International Statute of Secrecy and establish a benevolent new world order led by wise and powerful witches and wizards. Of course, his methods were anything but benevolent."
Dumbledore sighed heavily.
"A new order led by wizards—sounds like something that would benefit our kind. Why would so many oppose him?" Charles asked curiously.
"That," said Dumbledore with a faint, wistful smile, "is precisely why so many supported him—'for the greater good.'"
"But therein lay the problem. Muggles had ruled this world for far too long. What do you think would happen if a group calling themselves wizards suddenly emerged, claiming authority? The Muggles would never tolerate such a thing."
"And, to speak frankly," he continued, "Muggles may lack magic, but they are far more skilled at war."
It was true.
For centuries, wizards had lived scattered and hidden across the globe—small enclaves clinging together in isolation, seeking only peace and safety, protecting themselves from destruction.
If the Statute of Secrecy were ever repealed, if the wizarding world were laid bare to the Muggles, what then?Especially under someone as radical as Grindelwald, a war between Muggles and wizards would be inevitable.
"I believe contact with Muggles must be approached with great caution," Dumbledore said. "If the Statute of Secrecy were to fall, the resulting consequences might be more than we could bear."
That statement reflected his position clearly. But Charles didn't agree.
Avoiding Muggles was only a temporary escape. As Muggle technology advanced, the wizarding world would one day be exposed regardless—and when that happened, wizards would have lost all initiative.
Still, while those were his private thoughts, Charles didn't intend to trouble himself over such matters. What did the future of the magical world have to do with him? What would happen decades from now—why should he care?
"Dumbledore," Charles said at last, "I don't care about the conflict between Muggles and wizards. And truthfully, I've never revealed magic to any Muggle."
"Spreading Pokémon and exposing wizards are two completely different things."
"Pokémon aren't synonymous with the wizarding world. I brought Pokémon into it—but it's not as if Pokémon exposure made wizards known to Muggles. That's the difference."
At that, Dumbledore only nodded, saying nothing further.
Just then, a small black dot appeared in the distant sky.
"It seems someone's arrived," Dumbledore said, ending their conversation.
(End of Chapter)