For several months, Grindelwald and Voldemort had made no further moves.
The international situation, which had been on edge with every rustle of the wind and every shadow seeming like an enemy, began to gradually stabilize.
The internet has no memory; it means human attention is limited. It's hard for a topic to stay popular, and eventually, it will be abandoned in a corner with few people mentioning it.
Unless it's an issue like unethical real estate, the American ambulance system, or Japan's declining birthrate, which continuously impact and harm the public.
The same applies to the international wizarding community. When people realize the "knife" of fear hasn't actually cut them, panic naturally subsides, replaced by the routines of daily life. Only a very small number of survivors who suffered profound harm, along with relevant personnel in political departments, continue to pay attention.
But undercurrents were still surging.
The wizarding world and the Muggle world were not disconnected; on the contrary, they were quite closely linked.
The world of 1992 was still turbulent.
Dumbledore's advice was that traveling abroad was fine, but it would be best to avoid the other four "great philanthropists" of Earth and their core spheres of influence.
The small European countries around Britain and the African continent were acceptable, but it was best to avoid other places if possible.
"I see," Roger thought, having grasped the general situation.
...
Time flies when you're having fun. After a week of unrestrained enjoyment, Hogwarts' final report cards were released.
Roger and Hermione tied for first place in the entire grade... The first-year curriculum wasn't extensive, and the ceiling was too low. It would be like a Ph.D. student taking a first-grade exam; they couldn't possibly score higher than all the elementary students.
Harry, who didn't pursue a well-rounded education and instead focused deeply on the fields he needed, lost a few points in certain subjects and came in second for the year.
Ron managed to answer many questions correctly and did well in practical exams, passing smoothly. Hannah studied diligently after enrolling and achieved good grades. Neville, who also worked hard, didn't perform as well, but he had exceptionally high scores in Herbology.
Witchcraft and wizardry wasn't a system that pursued all-around excellence; one standout skill was enough to last a lifetime. Roger was quite optimistic about Neville's future magical development.
However, not everyone achieved a good enough grade to "satisfy the requirements." Some students performed poorly and looked as if they had lost their parents, likely facing a mixed-gender beating from their parents upon returning home next week.
The younger wizards had their own joys and worries, and the seventh-year wizards attending the farewell feast were no different.
Some wizards were heading towards their bright futures, while others had no idea how they would make a living after graduation, gazing at the lavish banquet with lost expressions.
Roger initially initiated the campus recruitment with the intention of alleviating some of Hogwarts' employment pressure and ensuring that students not yet corrupted by society would be safer to work with. However, the applicants were different from what he had anticipated.
Roger's hourly wage was more than three times the market rate for ordinary part-time jobs, with a 48-hour workday, but this was all within Virtual Reality. In reality, if someone earned 3,000 a month in the real world, those under Roger could earn 54,000 a month. With an 18-fold salary difference, his sincerity was evident.
This didn't even include performance bonuses or year-end bonuses.
But alas...
It could only be said that if one enjoyed slacking off, Roger couldn't save them.
"Speaking of which, it's Slytherin's House Cup again this year. This is the eighth year, isn't it?" Beside Roger, George and Fred, the Weasley twins, sitting at the Gryffindor table, wore equally grim expressions, but theirs was due to the giant banners depicting the Slytherin serpent that adorned the Great Hall.
"That's not necessarily true," Roger said, looking at the scores for each house.
Fourth place: Hufflepuff, 450 points. Third place: Ravenclaw, 472 points. Second place: Gryffindor, 490 points.
Slytherin held the top spot by a narrow margin with 496 points.
Under Roger's iron-fisted suppression throughout the year, Gryffindor and Slytherin rarely engaged in large-scale conflicts, and even private skirmishes between them had significantly decreased. This saved both houses from losing many points that could have resulted from such incidents.
Furthermore, Roger's consistent habit of reading had influenced many, leading students from all houses to generally start frequenting the library. The average academic performance across Hogwarts had improved due to the fostered learning atmosphere, and everyone's scores increased.
Even with Snape's blatant favoritism, the now-less-disruptive Gryffindor and the more cautious Slytherin kept the scores incredibly tight.
Once everyone was seated for the feast, Dumbledore took the stage at the front of the hall to deliver his speech, encouraging studies and emphasizing holiday safety, the usual spiel.
But when he reached the House Cup scores, and the Slytherin students began to cheer, Dumbledore added a "however."
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore said.
"However, a few recent events must also be taken into account."
The hall fell into a profound silence, and the Slytherins' smiles faltered slightly as they sensed something was amiss.
"Ahem, uh," Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"I've noticed that one student has done several things that have benefited everyone, yet they haven't received any extra points from the professors. I've decided to personally award these points."
"First, Mr. Roger Virgil, he developed virtual reality technology to create a virtual grand library that accelerates thinking, allowing students to gain more study time. I will award him... 5 points."
"Second, still Mr. Roger Virgil, he established Subspace Magic Technology Co., Ltd., and persuaded the Board of Directors to conduct direct campus hiring. Students who are hired will continue their advanced studies at Hogwarts for a period after graduation, providing students with excellent employment opportunities."
"I will award him another 5 points."
With this, Gryffindor's score reached 500, surpassing Slytherin's 496 points.
The reason Roger's actions hadn't received points before was simple: the professors felt that such groundbreaking achievements shouldn't be evaluated by the House Cup; adding ten thousand points wouldn't be excessive. It was like a graduate student participating in a primary school science competition – it was unfair.
Regarding matters related to the Board of Directors, the professors preferred not to take a public stance.
As the words fell, the hall became even more silent. Dumbledore turned and looked at the Head of Slytherin, Severus Snape, with a half-smile.
Dumbledore had witnessed Snape's past actions, his blatant favoritism towards his own house and his targeting of Gryffindor, which had skewed the House point system.
Initially, Dumbledore didn't bother with him, after all, Snape had defected from Voldemort's side at a critical moment.
But if it never ended, who could stand it? It had been 7 years, and Dumbledore was a Gryffindor himself.
If judged by the house point standards, Roger had achieved far too much to have his points maxed out, but Dumbledore only added a trivial symbolic few points, just enough to edge out Slytherin, and the House Cup changed hands.
This was a form of reprimand and warning.
'Snape, if you continue playing your old games, I'll do this every year too.'
Under Dumbledore's gaze, Severus Snape understood the Headmaster's meaning.
After a moment of thought.
Snap, snap... As the Head of Slytherin, he led the applause, breaking the silence.
After Snape started, the applause gradually spread. The Gryffindor students' hands were almost red from clapping, while Ravenclaw clapped symbolically, their gazes shifting between Dumbledore and Snape, looking like they wanted to spectate.
Hufflepuff, on the other hand, showed genuine smiles while clapping. Honestly, Slytherin winning the House Cup for seven consecutive years had also made them a bit discontent.
The Slytherin students were very reluctant, but seeing Roger sitting quietly, they joined in.
They had nothing to say about Dumbledore's reasons for awarding points. Even Slytherin understood that if points were to be awarded, Roger's achievements meant the current score was pitifully low.
This was giving them Slytherins a way to save face.
The Slytherin students, mostly from elite families, naturally wouldn't make a scene and embarrass themselves further at this moment.
Having already lost the substance, they wouldn't lose face as well.
Amidst everyone's applause, Dumbledore waved his hand.
The green hanging streamers turned bright red, the silver turned gold, the giant Slytherin snake disappeared, replaced by a majestic Gryffindor lion.
At this moment, George and Fred Weasley stared at Roger with wide eyes.
They didn't understand, but they were deeply impressed.
Speak of the devil, is this what a Seer is like?
...
"No magic during the summer holidays?!"
The day after enjoying a magnificent feast, the Hogwarts Express arrived, and students and teachers would be returning to London together.
Students emptied their wardrobes, packed their belongings into their luggage, and school notices with specific summer guidelines were distributed to them.
It was at this moment that Harry, who had never been exposed to the wizarding world before, discovered that the wizarding society had such a rule.
"To be precise, it's not that you can't use magic, but that you can't use it around Muggles. Making Muggles aware of magic's existence is a violation of the International Statute of Secrecy," Roger said, dragging his suitcase and walking beside Harry, having also finished packing.
They were heading to board the train.
"Your wand has a Trace from the Ministry of Magic. If you cast magic, the Ministry will have a record," Roger added.
"So, I can't use it at my aunt's house either?"
"At least not in a way that makes them aware you've used magic, and not in a way that allows your wand to record you casting spells on them."
Unlike the journey there, where he couldn't find a seat and had to share a compartment with Neville, Roger didn't have to worry about that when boarding this train again.
After settling his luggage, the train started moving.
Glancing at the scenery outside the window, Roger asked Harry a question he had brought up before but hadn't received an answer to yet.
"By the way, have you given it any more thought?"
"Do you want to go traveling with me during the summer holidays?"
"...Have you decided where you're going?" Harry asked back after a moment of silence.
"Yes, besides a trip to space, I'm going to tour around Europe."
"If casting magic in near-Earth orbit goes smoothly, I plan to head towards the moon... You know, I used to have a dream of going to the moon."
From the moment humans looked up at the stars and pondered the world, they set themselves apart from other Earth creatures. Most children yearn for the universe, and Roger was no different.
Recalling the past, he subconsciously thought of a jelly advertisement from his previous life that said, 'I want to be an astronaut, and my grandparents gave me my favorite big slaps,' causing a smile to unconsciously curve Roger's lips.
"So, what do you say? Coming or not?" Roger asked Harry with a sincere invitation, a smile on his face.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------