After a short distraction, Ivan took a sip from the cup on the table. The hot liquid flowed down his throat and into his stomach. The rising heat gradually dispelled the cold of the winter, and the slightly bitter taste lingered on his tongue, invigorating him.
Dumbledore, who was also sipping from his cup, suddenly asked, "What do you think of the wizarding world now, Harls?"
Ivan was taken aback by Dumbledore's words. He did not quite understand why the old professor had suddenly changed the subject, but after thinking about it carefully, he replied.
"Professor, I believe that the current political system of the British wizarding world is too rotten and backward, that some laws, which were enacted centuries ago, are no longer fit for the times, and that changes are urgently needed…"
"You may not know this, but I've come across many poor wizards and witches in Knockturn Alley. Some of them don't even make ten Galleons a month. They have trouble with basic living, which is obviously unreasonable," Ivan went on.
"The Muggles are rich and poor, as are the wizards…" Dumbledore said noncommittally.
"But wizards are different from Muggles. They have magic that can be used in more important places, and they can live a better life on their own, rather than being a handyman or a thief in a place like Knockturn Alley!" Ivan argued earnestly.
He disagreed with Dumbledore, who believed that any wizard who could do magic would be worth far more than an ordinary Muggle.
They were able to magically enlarge, shrink, float, and transform an object at their own whim… a highly skilled wizard could even create an independent space.
Such a force could play an important role in many places, and if combined with the power of Muggle technology, it would be enough to spark the next Industrial Revolution and greatly improve the living standards of all mankind.
As for the conflict between industrial goods and magic?
It did not seem impossible to Ivan; in fact, many wizards have made similar attempts, such as Sirius and Hagrid's Flying Motorcycle, the magical car modified by Arthur Weasley.
This shows that combining magic and technology is absolutely feasible…
The only problem was that these creations were powered by the driver's magic, which was unusable by Muggles and difficult to popularise, and that wizards used fireplaces and Apparition for travel rather than vehicles.
This is perhaps why, despite the brilliance of technology and magic, few would choose to delve into such research.
However, it just so happened that this was a subject that Nicolas Flamel studied in his later years, and the solution to this problem was the Magical Storage Device, or the Inferiorized Philosopher's Stone!
According to the Alchemy Note, if the Philosopher's Stone was studied further and improved to reduce costs and mass-produce it into a battery-like existence, then magic would become an entirely new source of energy, and even Muggles would be able to appreciate the joys of magic.
A whole new civilization of magic and technology would be born…
Ivan had no intention of hiding these thoughts from Dumbledore, so he spoke them openly, curious as to what the most powerful wizard in the wizarding community would think of his plan.
Dumbledore was silent for a long time, his face expressionless, then he said slowly, "So you wish to make the existence of wizards public?"
"Yes!" Ivan nodded without hesitation. He had read the Ministry's report and knew that Dumbledore was one of the greatest supporters of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, but he would not lie about it, as he was certain that he was doing the right thing.
"Have you thought about how to resolve the conflict between Muggles and wizards?" Dumbledore asked, not at all offended by Ivan's response. "Or, to put it another way, what sort of identity you would expect a wizard to live in the Muggle world."
Ivan wasn't so sure. He hadn't thought about it before, so he could only bite the bullet and answer, "Probably wizards become highly paid professions that are entirely dependent on talent, and very special."
"I'm afraid it will be very difficult…" Dumbledore shook his head with a smile, took another sip from his cup, and sighed. "They will not be content with this!"
Ivan fell silent. He knew exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. Most wizards treated Muggles with arrogance and even disdain, and they usually considered themselves superior, as evidenced by the way they addressed them.
Moreover, the difference in strength between the two sides would also magnify this mentality.
After all, a properly-educated wizard could toy with a Muggle if he or she wanted to. A bottle of love potion could make a beautiful woman or a handsome man fall madly in love with him, and magically create an accident that could easily kill the person he or she loathed.
Not to mention the fact that a few wizards could cast such bug-like spells as Memory Charms and Legilimency, which could erase and tamper with Muggle memories at will.
It can be said that Muggle laws and regulations have no binding power on a wizard, and that few people can resist the temptation to commit a crime if the other party is clever enough to do so without being seen.
"What if we registered all the wizards and regulated their spell-casting?" Ivan asked indignantly.
"No wizard will give up his or her right to cast spells freely, and the Ministry of Magic does not have the power to govern adult wizards." Dumbledore put down his teacup and looked at Ivan sternly.
"The fact that every once in a while there are wizards who can't stand the temptation to go on a rampage in the Muggle world, and that the Ministry of Magic has to go to great lengths every year to deal with these vicious events…"
"If you can't guarantee that all wizards will be in order, then making the wizarding world public will only inflame the conflict between wizards and Muggles, which will eventually lead to war!"
Dumbledore's words were sharp, as he had lived through the catastrophe decades before, and knew the minds of most wizards and witches alike, as well as the Muggles' fear of wizarding power, and their hostility towards it.
This can be likened to a migration problem between different races, but a hundred times more complicated and intense!
Whenever a small number of wizards and witches became hostile to Muggle reckless crime and caused chaos, the conflict between the two sides would intensify, and the lessons of history would most likely lead to war or mass murder… . Whether it was a Muggle or a wizard who ended up dead was not something he wanted to see.