The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 519, Section 528: The Eternal Gamble

Ian raised his hand.

Of course, it's not surrendering.

Rather, it was the power of the rules that resonated at his fingertips.

of course.

Muggles certainly wouldn't be able to perceive any of this.

All I saw was...

On this street.

Ian extended his right hand forward, palm flat, fingers spread. This gesture heightened the tension among the police and soldiers, and the warning over the loudspeaker became even more urgent.

"Don't move! Put your hands down!"

These people felt like they were about to open fire at any moment.

I was incredibly nervous.

The person surrounding others is more startled than the person being surrounded, which is somewhat surreal—but it's not hard to understand why this happens.

For the police.

They believe they are facing superpowered individuals. The fear of superpowered individuals in Europe and America is rooted in the film and television culture that has become popular in recent years.

Police officers watch movies and TV series too.

So when such outrageous things happen in reality, those TV and movie plots naturally pop into their minds, which naturally makes them feel nervous and scared.

After all, anyone who has watched one or two movies or TV series knows that police officers are cannon fodder in similar scenarios, used to be easily eliminated by superpowered individuals.

When a similar scenario happens to you, coupled with the innate human imagination, it's hard to say who wouldn't panic, even a police officer who is usually very bold.

Even with extensive professional experience, I've never encountered a case like this before. As for the military personnel, besides the mental stress caused by this situation...

They also know more than the police.

The truth about the troublemakers being wizards is that while they could be considered superpowered, the pressure and fear they exude are far greater than that of ordinary superpowered individuals.

Regarding this point, those who know, know. Superpowered beings are just a recent phenomenon in film and television culture, while wizards have profoundly influenced Europeans since the Middle Ages.

This has a far greater impact on people than movies and TV dramas; it's something passed down from generation to generation.

of course.

The fear of witches in Europe was not a sudden phenomenon, but rather a collective panic that developed over a long historical process, interwoven with various factors such as religion, social structure, gender power, natural disasters, political struggles, and psychological mechanisms. This fear can be understood through three stages: antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the modern era.

The witch trials are an indelible and dark chapter in European history.

From the late Middle Ages to early modern history, thousands of men and women were tried and even executed on charges of witchcraft. This historical phenomenon not only reveals the fear and prejudice of society, but also profoundly reflects the complexity of religious beliefs, legal systems, and social structures at the time.

The rise of witchcraft trials in Europe was closely linked to the religious crisis of the 14th century. At that time, European society was experiencing the Black Death, frequent wars, and economic turmoil. These social disasters led people to seek scapegoats to release their discontent and panic. Witchcraft, as a way of explaining the unknown and misfortune, became a "rational" explanation for many unfortunate events.

Furthermore, as Christianity intensified its crackdown on heresy, the Church began to focus more on and combat witchcraft practices deemed to be in league with the devil. In 1487, two German Dominican monks published a book called *The Hammer of Witches*, which detailed how to identify, try, and punish witches. This book quickly became an important reference for inquisitors and the Inquisition, greatly contributing to the proliferation of witch trials. In the following centuries, from Scotland to Spain, from Scandinavia to Italy, the entire European continent was filled with the pursuit and trial of so-called witches.

And behind this wave.

It's about humanity's fear of the unknown.

Wizards really do exist in the world.

And they have indeed caused trouble for Muggles.

therefore.

The fear accumulated over thousands of years.

It can be said that it is already deeply rooted in the genes.

How can they overcome their fear? How can they overcome their genetic instincts?

"Just do as we say!"

The officer, who looked like a superior, was shouting at Ian with all his might. He didn't understand what Ian was trying to do by raising his hand, and he was afraid that a curse would befall him at any moment.

fear.

It spread within my heart.

However, they dared not give the order to fire directly.

After all, anyone familiar with the relevant legends knows that wizards can cast curses on others after death, and these curses can be even more vicious and terrifying.

Once you make that connection...

How could he dare to order the killing of the wizard?

To hesitate to act for fear of breaking the law.

It makes everyone narrow-minded and stuck in both directions.

In the 9th century AD, the Frankish Kingdom issued the "Congregational Decree," which explicitly stated that "believing in the existence of witches" was superstition and should be corrected. This indicates that the Church at that time did not believe that witches actually existed.

However, in the 13th and 14th centuries, this view reversed. Pope Gregory XI (1374) declared, "All those who practice magic are aided by the devil," officially classifying witchcraft as heresy for the first time. From then on, witchcraft was no longer merely "harmful arts," but rather an act of betrayal of God and apostasy to Satan.

This established the European fear of wizards.

Every child has heard a few stories about wizards.

"I heard it. Why is your voice so trembling and so fierce?" Ian ignored him. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. However, a complex, ancient incantation containing powerful mental and memory interference was instantly constructed in his mind.

next moment.

No light emanated from his palm. But centered on him, an invisible, gentle, ripple-like magical field silently spread out.

The fluctuation wasn't strong, it didn't even cause ripples in the air, yet it precisely covered the entire street, covering every Muggle—police officers, soldiers, reporters, shopkeepers, pedestrians, drivers, children… A super-large, refined, group-casting version of [Obliviate] was being displayed.

This is not a simple memory erasure, but a sophisticated memory weaving and scene reconstruction.

"I'll clean up this mess."

With his immense magical power as a legendary wizard, his profound understanding of mental magic, and his control over "order," Ian gently and irresistibly "implanted" a "reasonable" memory template into the minds of all Muggles, while subtly blurring, covering, and modifying their previous experiences with magical battles.

And all the memories of the destruction and restoration of the streets, as well as the anomalies of Ian and the other two. For an ordinary wizard, this is an extremely difficult spell that they wouldn't even dare to imagine.

But with Ian.

It's just basic stuff.

There is absolutely no possibility of failure.

Therefore, the reporter who was holding up his camera to take pictures as the magical field swept by suddenly stopped, his eyes blank for a moment, then he put down his camera, scratched his head, and muttered, "Huh? What was I trying to photograph? I think a car almost hit a lamppost? Oh well, no news value."

He turned around and began packing up his equipment. Meanwhile, the young mother holding her child, who had narrowly escaped being hit by the falling slab, quickly lost her initial fear, replaced by confusion.

She looked at her unharmed but slightly frightened and sobbing child in her arms, then at the smooth ground, and muttered to herself, "Baby, don't cry... Did Mommy trip just now? Were you scared? It's okay, it's okay..." The woman gently patted the child and turned to leave.

The elderly customers, who had been slumped on the ground and witnessed the whole thing, regained their usual cloudiness in their eyes. They helped each other to their feet, looked at the undamaged shop window and store, and one of them muttered, "That was a really loud noise. Was it a tire that burst? Young people these days drive too recklessly." "Yeah, yeah, it scared me. I thought the window was going to shatter. Luckily, it's okay."

They walked shakily back into the store.

"What's going on? How did we get here?" The tense bodies of the police officers and soldiers, their fingers on the triggers, relaxed at the same time. The vigilance and disbelief in their eyes were quickly replaced by a sense of confusion and routine, as if they were on a mission but had not found anything unusual. The officer holding the megaphone frowned and spoke into the communicator: "Headquarters, this is the scene. No signs of the reported explosion or attack have been found. The streets are normal, with only minor traffic congestion, possibly caused by a vehicle malfunction. Requesting further instructions... Repeat, no abnormalities found."

obviously.

Ian altered their memories to make it appear as a misunderstanding that led to the police report.

Well, how should I put it?

Similar situations occur frequently on this land; some idle people like to do this, so it's quite reasonable. "Exercise successfully completed! Time to go home for dinner!" The soldiers put away their rifles, and the commander gestured, the troops beginning their orderly withdrawal to the troop carriers.

They seemed to have completely "forgotten" why they were urgently dispatched here, only remembering that it was a "rapid response drill to unidentified noises" or "assisting in handling a potential traffic accident hazard."

Everything was so reasonable.

The sirens stopped.

Police began directing traffic and helping the "frightened" citizens, although the citizens themselves didn't quite remember what had frightened them, but no one seemed confused.

"Coo coo coo~"

The armored personnel carrier slowly reversed and drove away. The chaos on the street evaporated and dissipated quickly, like dew under the sun. People resumed their normal walking, talking, and shopping. Occasionally, someone would glance at the three people standing in the middle of the street, but would only assume they were just passersby talking or passengers waiting for a taxi.

and so.

People quickly looked away.

In less than a minute, the entire street seemed to have been completely "reset" by an invisible hand. Sunlight shone on the spotless shop windows and neat paving stones, and vehicles began to move slowly again, while pedestrians thronged the streets.

The breathtaking magical battle, the terrifying magical pressure, the deadly aftershocks, the magnificent restoration magic, and the ensuing standoff between the military and police...

At this moment.

Everything was erased and replaced from the memories of all Muggles, leaving no trace.

"It can actually do that? A forgetting spell? Good heavens!"

silence.

Only three people remained who "remembered" the silence.

Jorkins stared dumbfounded at the "normal" scene and crowd around him, then looked at Ian, who was still calmly raising his hand. His mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a dragon egg.

"As expected! He's a terrifying wizard!"

He had heard of the Mass Oblivion Curse, but one of such scale, such precision, such effortless mastery, and such complete effectiveness… he had never heard of anything like it! What terrifying magical control and mental strength did it require? Just who was this young man before him?!

Even Johansson is like this.

The Death Eater's horror reached its peak!

He witnessed firsthand how Ian effortlessly "modified" the reality perception of the entire street of Muggles! Such extensive manipulation of memories and minds could never be performed so easily, on such a wide scale, or with such "clean" effect by his most feared master, Voldemort! This is beyond description as "powerful"!

This is almost... divine power!

"How could this be? How could he be so young and so powerful, like a god walking among men?" Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, completely gripped his heart.

He knew he had to leave immediately!

At all costs!

"Beep beep beep~"

"Selling bread!"

The clamor of the Muggle world returns to the background noise of "normal".

This only served to accentuate the deathly silence and tension between the three. Sunlight slanted across the street, casting long shadows that had returned to normal. "Who is he?!" Jorgins remained slumped on the ground, his mind blank, instinctively staring in awe at Ian's retreating figure, even his breathing trembling.

"I have to run! I have to run! He's the White Wizard! He's saving those Muggles! He'll kill me!" The Death Eater's pupils shrank to dangerous pinpoints, his adrenaline surged, and his survival instinct overwhelmed everything.

He stared intently at Ian, leaning back slightly, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the wand bulging.

"We can't beat them at all!"

The Death Eater was mad, not stupid. He knew that any words were powerless in the face of the opponent's absolute strength. His only chance was to escape! Immediately!

In his view, such a large-scale forgetting spell must have consumed a lot of energy, so he might have a moment of respite while Ian had just finished casting a large-scale spell!

Thinking of this.

Without further hesitation, the Death Eater even forgot to exchange harsh words or glances, and frantically poured the remaining magic power in his body into his wand, pointing it at his feet.

He intended to use Apparition—his target was a pre-selected, nearest safe house!

"Phantom Appearance"

however.

The incantation was only half uttered.

Ian didn't even turn to look at him; he simply raised his left index finger and, with utmost casualness, drew it downwards in the direction of the Death Eaters. The movement was as light as brushing away a spider's web.

But with this seemingly casual stroke, the space around the Death Eaters suddenly "froze"!

It was as if an invisible, indestructible layer of transparent amber had instantly formed, sealing him and the teleportation magic he was trying to activate within it. "No!"

The Death Eater felt his connection to the surrounding magic and space being forcibly severed and suppressed by a higher, more domineering will. The spatial distortion light that had just ignited at the tip of his wand went out like a candle flickering in the wind, and the surging magic within him felt as if it had crashed into an invisible wall of sighs! A violent backlash!

The shock made his internal organs churn, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat, almost vomiting blood.

He didn't even care about his injuries.

I am filled with despair!

The transfer failed!

And it was blocked so easily and so thoroughly!

Who is this?!

Dumbledore has never been this powerful in all those years!