A few days had passed since there were new residents at he Wickham household. For the new residents, it was mainly a time of getting situated I their new home, and for Beth, catching back up with her parents. For Robert, all he was really accomplishing, was reading more and more books in his grandparents' library.
While he was learning a lot of new information, he was limited from expounding on his knowledge, by both by himself and by the books themselves. Books are just a repository of information, created by the person who wrote the book. This lead to them being what the author wanted the reader to learn. If the author only wanted to introduce a subject, abstract information was not needed. If the author instead wanted the book to be an in depth diatribe, key and specific information was needed.
With Robert only just know learning about magic, much as he wanted to, he could, and should, only read the basic. The time was not right for him to start delving further into the intricate details for the reasons behind his questions. He had not the knowledge on what parts were important to ask about. At this point, he was to ignorant to ask the questions that he wanted answered. Regrettably, he admitted to himself that he needed more information at this point in time.
"You're here again Robbie. Why aren't you playing with some toys, or running outside like some bedlamite?" Robert's grandmother mockingly scolded him. "You're going to be a piece of furniture in no time if you only stay here."
"But I want to learn about magic, Granny. And all you adults are busy. I don't want to be annoying by always asking you questions." Robert's face took on the face of a kicked puppy.
If someone knew that he was an adult trying to pull off the poor pitiful me routine, especially in this non-threatening situation, they would almost assuredly laugh at this attempt. He was purposefully using guilt to not have to answer questions about why he spent all his time in the library. Yes, he wanted to learn about magic, and no one could blame him, but the main reason he was spending his time here, was that he did not find much enjoyment in childish things.
"We're not that busy that we can't be bothered by your questions, my Dear. Just ask Everett or me if you have any questions."
"Then, Granny, if you have magic, why are you still using mundane lights instead of magical lights? I mean, magic can do anything, and you can do magic, so...why not magical lights?"
Robert how no idea how he pulled off such an immature way of asking his question. He did not really care on why his grandparents were using regular light bulbs, instead of using a magically created light source. For him, it was a roundabout way to question why he was not seeing more magic used in the household.
"Well, there is a reason for that. While yes, there are magical items for creating light, but the main reason we don't use them, is that we host guests from the muggle world at times. Magic isn't meant to be learned about from outside the wizarding world."
Confused on why magic was meant to be a secret by muggles, Robert asked, again in a childish way, "But, why?"
"The simplest answer, it is the law. The law was created to protect all the wizards and witches."
"If wizards are able to use magic, and magic is so powerful, why are normal people dangerous to us?"
"For the most part, they aren't. But there are always a few people that would want to harm people that are different from them. And there are a lot more muggles then there are witches and wizards. And in one point in history, that's what a few people did to our community. It was a devastating day in our world."
The logic did make some sense to Robert, but it was lacking. The people that created the law found a problem, and found the first fix that would work. It helped the wizarding society, but it left a wound that had not been treated. The mundane society was growing at a much faster rate than that of the magical one, both numerically, but also technologically. Eventually, magic would not be able to be hidden from the world outside of the wizarding community.
Provided that society grew the same way that it did in Robert's previous life, the trade of information between two parties, no matter how far away, would be essentially instantaneous. Devices for recording audio, photographic, and video, would be created smaller and smaller, cheaper and cheaper. He remembered that at the end of his life, cellphones were in the hands of pretty much all of modern, mundane, society. With all these common and everyday technologies becoming commonplace, there would be next to no way to hide their society in the future. And when that information got released, the fear and panic would be detrimental, to say the least.
With a world population nearing 8 billion, as of the time that Robert died, unless that the number of people in the wizarding community was larger than 10%, there would be next to way to protection if the mobs rioted against them. The secrecy cause by the magical community wanting to remained hidden, was becoming an ever increasing threat, looming ever closer.
Robert understood the problem, but as a child, without giving himself away of being reborn, there was not a feasible way to explain the logical conundrum the he was seeing. Let alone normal civilians, if the government were to become adversaries, the world of his living family would be almost certainly doomed.
"Don't worry Robbie, more people know about magical than those in our sphere of influence. The family members of those that are born into magic, from muggles, learn of us. When a witch or wizard marry a muggle, they learn of it, and so do their children. From there, it the knowledge grows. Also, important people in government learn about the magical world too. In fact our Prime Minister, she also knows about our world. So, too, does the whole of the royal family, at least when they are mature enough."
Mary Wickham explained, to her young grandson, in a simplistic manner, on why being found out by the rest of society would not doom their own society. It was as if she was responding directly to the worries in Robert's mind as soon as he started to contemplate the state of secrecy demanded by the wizarding world. The bleakness of his, and his family, was not as dire as he first assumed.
"I think I understand, Granny."
"I guess this topic of conversation seems to segue into what I came to talk to you about, somewhat at least. You've been here a few days, but it's time for you to make a decision. It's entirely up to you, but I will give you a set of options for you choose from. Do you understand?"
"Uhh, I think so," he was in the body of a 5 year old, and as of yet, he had not had to worry about formal education, and so he never really thought about it. "What's the first choice?"
"You can go to a muggle school school for your primary education, but you would have to tell none of your friends about magic."
"Ok," Robert said quizzically. He understood what she said, but he was thinking about the implications of having to hide his knowledge of magic from inadvertently slipping.
"Next, you could decide a wizarding primary school. You would learn the same things you would in a muggle educational facility, but it would lean more towards what would be practical for our situation."
This second suggestion sounded to be a better suggestion than the first one that his grandmother promoted. He would not have to worry about blurting out something he found commonplace in his household, from those not in the know. And he would be able to observe how children, in his situation, acted.
"Is there any other choice?"
"Of course, you could be home taught, by your mother or me. Most of the wizarding elites choose this choice for their children. Though, personally I don't recommend that for you. We are completely capable of teaching you adequately, but professional educators, would do a better job."
The final choice should be the choice that Robert chose for himself, but, it did not sit right with him. While, yes, he was in the body of a 5 year old, while actually having lived well over 40 years between his past life, and this one, but, it would not be right. He could not explain, even to himself, why he thought that, but that is what he was thinking after listening to third option given by his grandmother.
"Can I think about it Granny?"
"I would expect nothing less. This is a big choice for you."
"Thank you…" He wanted to say more, but he needed to think about his question.
"Now, before you think to hard on this, your grandfather wants you to see him in his workshop."
"I don't know where it is. Can you take me there?"
"Follow me."
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Robert followed his grandmother down into the kitchen, down towards the door that led to the basement. Of course, in his exploration after he arrived here, he had tried to enter the door, but it was locked. And he had not even seen anything on the door, or the door knob itself, that locked or unlocked the door. It had to be magically locked, that was the only idea that Robert had. And he was correct.
Mary showed him how to unlock the door, in the cases where his grandfather had not added extras, when he did not want to be interrupted. She grabbed the door knob, and turned it all the way to the left, knocked twice on the door, and finally she turned the knob all the way to right, thus unlocking the door and allowing it to open. It was a ridiculously simple "key", but some times the most simple things are the most effective.
"Now, go down the stairs, and you'll see his room if you travel down the hallway towards the right. Just make sure you knock on the door, even if it is open, when you get there. You don't want to interrupt his toying down there."
"All right. And, thank you."
"You don't have to thank me. We are family."
"No, I meant about letting me have the choice on my education."
"As I said, we are family."
The stairs led him down about 20 feet, or as the measurement system of Britain, about 6 meters. He was definitely going to have to get used the metric system. In front of him was a large open space, lit, like in the rest of the house, by mundane lights. Multiple shelves of various items, lined the walls. The housed all sorts of odds and ends, that for Robert, had no idea of most of their uses. The only shelves that he could determine what they housed, were the large number of wine racks.
Towards his left, Robert viewed one hallway, there was not a single light fixture leading that direction. And, towards the right, which was the direction that Robert was told to go, lights lit about the hallway. From each direction, he was able to notice several doors, presumably leading to their own room. Though, they could be doors to the same rooms, but with multiple entrances.
While further looking around at the cellar, Robert headed down the way he was told. While not a long walk, it gave him time to contemplate the question given by his grandmother, about his education. Ignoring home schooling, should he go to a mundane school, or a magical one. The mundane one would be closer to being familiar what he was used to, while the magical one would introduce him to his new world, and some of the peers that he would interact with when he reached the age of adulthood. Would he become disillusioned with his new world by going to that school? Go with the familiar, or the novel?
Before he became engrossed in this internal debate, he came to his grandfather's room, or should he say workshop. It was a brightly lit room, that smelled of freshly cut wood and paint. Different types, and cuts of wood were stored in an orderly manner, at least from what Robert could tell. Each set of wood was label with four numbers, that did not make sense, in at least a cursory glance. In other areas, there were numerous similar tools, that from what Robert understood, were for wood working. It was a workshop, dedicated to wood work.
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