Chapter 23: Way Cooler Than a Wand
After leaving the Potions classroom, Harry suddenly realized just how...
Well, it was too late to say anything now.
Harry sighed. He had just been awarded ten points in class today, but that was probably the last time he would ever be awarded points in Potions. Although Snape's final glare was directed at Ezio, Harry also felt a sense of impending doom.
"What are you worried about?" Ezio smiled at Harry. "Snape won't give you a hard time. The one he hates is me. The one he despises through gritted teeth is me."
"But after what happened today, I don't think any professor would..."
"At the Leaky Cauldron, you met a lot of people who welcomed you warmly, right, Harry?" Ezio suddenly changed the subject.
"Well... yes, they were all too enthusiastic. I couldn't handle it at all," Harry nodded. Recalling the scene still gave him a headache; it had been so incredibly awkward.
"But if you had taken the time to chat with them, you would have discovered some very interesting things," Ezio said, leading Harry outside the castle. The two of them sat down on a railing.
"I did chat with them, but that was before you arrived. There are a lot of interesting people in the Leaky Cauldron. Buy them a drink, and they'll tell you many stories about the wizarding world."
"And among those people were some of your parents' former classmates."
"Really?!" Harry's head whipped around, his eyes fixed on Ezio's profile.
"Of course. There were no fewer students back then than there are now. Gryffindor had at least thirty students per year. Your parents were very prominent at Hogwarts back then. Your father was a Gryffindor Quidditch player, and your mother, she was a genius girl praised by all her professors."
"I heard a lot about them. Do you want to hear?"
"Of course, anything!" Harry said eagerly.
"Let's talk about your dad first. He was a troublemaker, a very traditional Gryffindor. He loved adventure, enjoyed wandering the castle at night, and was keen on breaking school rules while trying hard not to get caught. At the time, he was a headache for many professors. With him were three others: Sirius Black, who was like a brother to him; Remus Lupin, who was an excellent student but had poor health; and their little follower, the timid Peter Pettigrew."
"The four of them formed a prank group at school called the Marauders."
"That sounds a bit bad," Harry said with a grimace. "Why do I get the feeling my dad was a bit of a bully at school?"
"Isn't that the norm for Gryffindor? Playing pranks on others, just like how some of the fucking idiots in Slytherin like to speak with their fists. It's a house specialty."
"Alright, fair enough." Harry could only shrug. From what he knew of Hogwarts so far, that sounded about right. "What about my mum?"
"Your mum was beautiful and smart. Both professors and other students had a very high opinion of her. Your eyes are the same emerald green as hers."
"I've heard people tell me that."
"But I bet you haven't heard that Professor Snape actually knew your mother before they came to school. Before she got together with your dad, her relationship with Snape was... quite good, I should say. People saw them talking together and whatnot."
"Is... is that so?" Harry was incredulous.
"Yes. An outstanding Gryffindor girl talking with a Slytherin boy was indeed not a common sight. But the Snape back then wasn't like he is now. He was bullied terribly at school. The person who told me this also shared a juicy piece of gossip."
"Oh?" Harry's ears perked up, and he looked at Ezio with a gossipy expression.
"Snape was once hung upside down by your father, and his trousers were pulled off in front of many people. It was your mother who stopped your father's actions. But surprisingly, Snape and your mother, who used to chat together, had no contact at all after that. What's even stranger is that your mum, who had never liked your dad before, started dating him in their seventh year. They got married the year after graduation, and then they had you."
"How is that possible!" Harry almost jumped off the railing. "That makes no sense! My mum stopped it from happening, so Snape shouldn't have..."
"Perhaps because he lost face in front of the girl he liked, he did something irredeemably stupid."
So said Ezio. Harry fell silent after hearing it.
"But we don't know the specific details now; only the people involved do. But don't you be stupid and go asking about it. Snape will tear you to pieces."
"I'm not that dumb," Harry said, scratching his head. He couldn't make sense of any of it, so he decided not to think about it anymore.
"But it's clear that Snape feels guilty about your mother. Asphodel symbolizes death and eternal rest. Wormwood represents bitterness and sorrow. He was telling you that he feels grief and remorse for your mother's death. Perhaps he regrets letting go back then, or something like that."
"A bezoar represents protection and salvation; as your mother's child, he doesn't want you to get hurt. And wolfsbane represents caution and danger; he's reminding you to be careful and look after your own safety."
"At the Sorting Ceremony, he was also very concerned about you, Harry. When you were sorted into Slytherin, he almost jumped up. You might not have been looking closely, but I saw it."
"So... that's what it was?" Harry said softly, as if he was beginning to understand.
"So, even for your mother's sake, Snape won't give you a hard time. As for me, I don't care if Snape gives me a hard time, because he definitely will." Ezio grinned. "I almost slit his throat during his home visit before school started. It's only normal that he doesn't like me."
"Huh?!" Harry looked as if he had just heard something incredible.
"Check this out." Ezio reached into his pocket and pulled out a compact MP5SD suppressed submachine gun. "Want to fire a few rounds? It's a real one." He tapped the barrel with his wand and chambered a round.
"Are you sure you need to carry this thing around with you at school?" Harry's eyes widened as he cautiously took the hefty, real weapon.
"Won't it get us into trouble?" Harry asked again carefully.
"I've cast a Silencing Charm on it. This thing is now completely silent. Just shoot at the ground. Unless someone is burrowing underneath."
"Oh! Awesome!"
Instantly energized, Harry, under Ezio's guidance, learned how to aim, switch off the safety, and fire. He pulled the trigger. Muzzle flashed, and the targeted patch of ground erupted in a spray of dirt.
"This thing is way cooler than a wand, Ezio!" Harry said, reluctantly handing the empty submachine gun back.
"But if a wizard is prepared, a single Shield Charm can block all bullets. Both magic and firearms have their strengths and weaknesses. The combination of technology and magic is the correct choice to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. That's why I said those things to Snape just now, words that sounded so heretical to him."
"Wizards really need to change. They are always trying to live in the Middle Ages or some even earlier era. This is a form of regression—a cultural and civilizational regression. It's shameful."
"A single Scouring Charm could clean the carpet of mold on the floor of the Leaky Cauldron, but have you ever seen a wizard do it?"
Harry shook his head. He also had a vivid memory of the filth in the Leaky Cauldron.
"So, the vast majority of wizards in the magical world are lazybones. Unambitious lazybones, dead and buried in the past. And Hogwarts, where we are now, is the most likely place to make some changes. Whether it's Snape or the other professors, at least they have enough intelligence to think correctly about what is right."
"But what you did today was a bit over the top," Harry said matter-of-factly. "Snape is going to hate your guts."
"If I had tried to tell him these things politely, he wouldn't have even listened. I think he needed to be slapped awake by the facts. But if he doesn't plan on changing, then I'll just have to skip Potions and study on my own. Compared to Transfiguration and Charms, self-studying Potions is much less difficult. Potions are complex, but there are patterns to follow. Not like Transfiguration and Charms; those two are truly experience-based subjects. Magic can't be quantified; the idealistic stuff is just too abstract. Science can't explain everything, at least not for now."
"You're doing all this..." Harry thought for a moment with a look of realization. "It's actually so you can master the power magic can bring you more quickly and efficiently, right?"
"Clever, Harry. I'm already getting impatient. Every bit of delay means fewer clues I can find. It's already been almost two months since my father's death. He's probably already starting to rot. Damn it all to hell!" Ezio swore. This was something that truly weighed on his mind.
Harry was gradually beginning to understand Ezio's actions. While he couldn't fully grasp his intentions, he understood Ezio's ultimate goal. Even if some of the methods seemed a bit inappropriate in Harry's eyes, he could understand the feeling behind them.
"So, can we start learning scientific potion-making now?" Suddenly, Harry remembered the reason Ezio had brought him out here.
"Of course. But there's no difficulty in learning the steps. The only difficulty is learning how to infuse magic into the potion without stirring with a wand."
"You remember Transfiguration class, right, Harry?"
"Yeah, of course. That was this morning's class."
"In Transfiguration, what we need to learn and master is precisely how to make our magic come out of our bodies through our wands, isn't it?"
"It's just that we don't need this magic to envelop something, but to control it and merge it with the potion. The steps of scientific potion-making are foolproof. Once the magic problem is solved, the rest is not a problem."
"So you mean..." Harry's face lit up with surprise and realization. "When I'm practicing Transfiguration, I'm actually studying Potions?"
"Alternative practice. The relationship between them is very close. What Potions lacks is control over magic. Coincidentally, the same is true for Transfiguration."
"Shall we start now then?"
"You can start by practicing turning a stick into a needle." Ezio waved his wand, summoning a broken branch from the ground, then cut it into small, toothpick-sized sticks. "Someone's here to see me. I should go have a chat with him."
"Who?" Harry looked around, but he couldn't see anyone.
"Professor Dumbledore, your Disillusionment Charm is truly exquisite," Ezio said to an invisible person behind him.
"Actually, It's an Invisibility Cloak." Dumbledore suddenly appeared. "I heard about what happened in your Potions class. And, of course, I came to give this to Harry." Dumbledore held up a cloak that flowed like liquid. "This is the Invisibility Cloak your father lent me to study. I think it's time to return it to you, Harry."
"But how did you find me?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Ezio curiously.
"People make sounds when they walk. And they also stir up the wind." Ezio pointed to his ear. "I happened to hear a familiar footstep."
"This is my dad's Invisibility Cloak?" Harry took the light, incredibly soft and smooth silver cloak.
"Yes. It's a very precious magical treasure. As long as you are hidden beneath it, no magic can detect you."
"Unless you make footsteps, just like I did." Dumbledore nodded at Harry, then glanced to the side. Ezio stood up and walked away with him.
Passing through the outer corridors of the castle, Dumbledore led Ezio through a small secret passage that went straight to the eighth floor of the Gryffindor Tower, the same floor as the Headmaster's office.
"I didn't know Hogwarts had an elevator, even if it is magically powered."
"People will always put their minds to being lazy. Compared to taking the stairs, an elevator is indeed a great way to be lazy." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Magic has brought so much convenience to the wizarding world. In terms of daily life, it can satisfy almost all of people's needs. The world's progress comes from people's endless desires and their yearning for the unknown, doesn't it? I must admit, wizards are indeed inferior to Muggles in this regard."
He pushed open the door to the Headmaster's office and led Ezio inside.
"Because wizards already have so much. And the burden of this happiness has crushed their bodies and halted their steps forward. Laziness is also an innate part of human nature." Ezio said calmly, sitting down in the chair opposite Dumbledore.
"Indeed," Dumbledore said with a slight sigh. "Everything has two sides, or even multiple sides. We cannot look at something from just one angle; that would be narrow-minded."
"So you've chosen to support my ideas?"
"Why not? I can't find a reason to refute you, because what you are trying to do is, on the whole, a positive thing. It is beneficial to Hogwarts, to the students, and even to the professors. From the perspective of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I believe this is a good thing."
"Although from my personal point of view, your methods are a bit extreme, I cannot be overly harsh on a child who is trying hard to do something meaningful and good."
"Including what happened in the Slytherin common room?"
"Hmm..." Dumbledore pondered for a moment. "Did you know? The past headmasters of Hogwarts had an argument here last night. Especially Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. He firmly believes that kicking the idiots and fools out of Slytherin is the right thing to do, but that it shouldn't be you who does it."
"Because I'm Muggle-born?" Ezio shrugged, then turned his head to look at the portraits of the past headmasters of Hogwarts. "The Sorting Hat said you were a terrible old coot. I now fully agree."
"Silencio!"
Ezio drew his wand and gave it a swift flick. A certain headmaster who had just opened his mouth and hadn't even uttered half a syllable was silenced. He was so angry he started jumping up and down in his frame, his gestures exaggerated, his emotions intense.
"Oh, you've done it now, you've doomed this old hat," the Sorting Hat piped up from the top of a cabinet. "But I don't deny that this fellow was a terrible former headmaster. He once rudely threw me on the ground and even stepped on me! I used to be worn on Godric Gryffindor's head!"