A Child of Two Worlds, Part 1

I do not own Harry Potter. Or J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World for that matter.


Chapter 1: The Sleeping Dragon

Year: 2013

It didn't hurt as much as in the beginning. How could he have been so stupid? He had always been so heedful! It even was a bit embarrassing to him, especially since this had been his first ever injury. Well, nobody is perfect. Not even the best student of the year.

Now David's right hand was laying in a bowl which contained yellow essence of strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles. Healing the bite wound that bloody fanged geranium had given him. Luckily, professor Longbottom always had the right medicine on hand for one of the seldom occurring injuries.

And above that, their next lesson would not require wandwork.

Holding the bowl in his left hand, he and Alex were following the others to the first floor where they would have Muggle Studies. Both of them sat down in the first row, Alex sitting on his right. Like always, she was inspecting the displayed muggle artefacts very curiously. Things being nothing special for a muggle-born like David and admittedly not even for Alex, whose all-wizarding parents were the neighbours of David and his parents and even had a telephone and a television set in their house.

Professor Robinson entered. 15 years ago, in 1998, when the Second British Wizarding War had ended, it was a small revolution that a muggle-born was teaching the subject and tidied it up after Tom Riddle's regime. Headmistress McGonagall had given her a free hand to change the lessons as the new professor saw fit. Under her teaching, there was always going to be at least one muggle-born student present in her courses. Among this class there were even three. The rest was a well-balanced mixture of muggle-borns, "half-blood" and "pure-blood" witches and wizards. Those two terms were purged from the official language use after the war.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" the professor said as she put her briefcase on the table. She turned towards the blackboard and, using her hand, wrote 'The Relationship Between Wizards and Muggles' on it.

"Ok. As I told you, I read the muggle newspaper daily and have them archived in the Hogwarts library." She took out parts of three muggle newspaper editions and pinned them on the blackboard beneath the text she had written. The first showed the unmoving photo of a young man with glasses under the headline: "The Whistleblower behind the NSA Surveillance Revelations". The second showed a small novel kind of aircraft which, according to the article, could be operated from afar. The third article, which was a little older, showed masses of people from the Arab world as well as photos apparently taken via smartphone.

"It is time to discuss a subject that unfortunately doesn't attract much attention within the wizarding world and isn't deemed relevant."

She made a small pause.

"As all of you know, it is the main objective of the wizarding governments to keep their magical population hidden from muggles. Why do you think they were very much successful until now?"

Silence.

David stared at the articles. Then, one second later, his hand shot in the air. Professor Robinson waited since she wanted to give other students a chance of answering her question. Then she pointed at David: "Yes, Mr. Reed?"

"Until recently, the non-magical people didn't yet have the means to proof and capture evidence of our existence."

"Exactly! Ten points for Ravenclaw! I would like to know from the others then what means Mr. Reed is referring to."

"But should the muggles ever discover us?" asked Marcus, a "pureblood" boy, "Can't we just obliviate them and transfigure their photos?"

Arrogant idiot! David thought. He recognised that tone in his voice showing a feeling of being superior. It still existed, even with the Ministry effort to eliminate such thinking.

Professor Robinson though was a bit more forgiving with the question. After all, it was her job to enlighten the ignorant.

"That is an interesting question. And it ties in with my question: what means do the muggles now have?"

A few hands rose in the air including Alex's. The professor let them answer one by one.

"They can produce...vedias?" an answer came from one end.

"Videos.", Robinson corrected. "What else?"

"They have these little flying things, on the article."

"They have new telephones that are smart and moving."

"Mobile. More suggestions?"

"There is this interweb, no, internet!"

"Very good. Yes, Miss Brandt?"

"They can spread information around the world in a matter of seconds."

"That's it! These articles give just a tiny example of what the muggles are capable of due to their constant improvement of technology. And that is just the start."

She presented to the class a muggle book and let it be handed around the students. David recognised it immediately, as he had already read it.

Professor Robinson explained: "This book, written by one of the most recognised muggle scientist, describes the development of technology and gives possibilities on how these technologies will improve over the next 100 years and thereby change muggle society. One of the three main research fields are artificial intelligence, meaning machines that can think for themselves, biological enhancements of humans and the elimination of diseases and aging or prolonging life. Apart from that, technological improvements will affect the military among other things. And while the author couldn't possibly know, this poses a great problem for wizardkind. For instance, we don't know whether our concealment charms will work on drones or satellites. So the question of the day is what can we as wizards do against the ongoing improvements of muggle technology?"


One hour later the students were emerging from the classroom hurrying to the next lesson. David, now holding the empty bowl, asked Alex to tell him what he would miss and then made his way up to the 7th floor. Knocked on the door and entered the office of Professor Flitwick.

"Please, come in, take a seat!" the charms professor squeaked.

David sat down. Flitwick lowered his eyes down to a piece of parchment and skimmed over it.

"Mr. Reed, I can definitely say that your achievements are excellent so far! Top marks, Outstanding, in all subjects except for Astronomy in with you've received Exceeds Expectations. You've made a name for yourself. You have written several articles for The Daily Prophet and The Practical Potioneer. Your theses are, to put it mildly, interesting.

You've shown astounding kinds of magic to the professors including me and for that you've won the Barnabus Finkley price for extraordinary spell-casting. I also noticed that you already seemed to have a hand for wandless and non-verbal magic when you started at Hogwarts which is highly unusual. All in all you have very good chances of applying at a job. Do you have an idea of what you would like to do after Hogwarts?"

"Well...I..." David stammered for one moment, blinking trying to formulate his feelings into clear sentences.

"I'm not entirely sure, sir. I am torn. I was born in the non-magical world but essentially I am a child of both worlds. And...I have the feeling that I need to get to know both worlds. So that I know myself. I have a certain idea what I want to stand up for. However there isn't yet a department in the ministry that would fit in with that. I am moving into unknown territory."

"I think I understand what you mean, Mr. Reed. As Miss Brandt already told me, you two plan to go on a journey around the world which I think is the right thing to do. Maybe after you've come to know the rest of the wizarding world, you will know where your place will be."

"I hope so, sir."


This is my first ever fanfic. Please review and post ideas if you have some.