OLD MAGIC
Chapter 23: History Lessons
Sunlight poured through the large windows, the view a spectacular wintry scene of the lake and forest but it was ignored by the pair hunched over a laptop. They sat at a beautifully carved oak table that took up residence against one wall of the large library.
A rock fireplace on the opposite wall had been laid with applewood and pine and was burning brightly providing warmth and sweet smells to the well appointed space. The rest of the walls held built-in shelves that were filled with books, maps, magazines and all types of interesting artifacts collected from around the world. A thick blue Persian carpet covered the polished wood floor while comfortable sofa chairs had been placed about coaxing one to enter and stay awhile.
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When Severus and Draco entered it that first day after they'd arrived, escorted by Agatha, they'd stared in appreciation of the beauty and ambiance of the space.
"What an incredible library," Snape said, staring around in pleased surprise. A shock to think such a thing existed out here in the Forbidden Forest.
"Thank you. It's my favorite place in the house," Agatha beamed proudly. She went to an old fashioned roll top desk, opened it and pulled something flat and thin out. She carried it over to the table and flipped it open.
"What is that?" Draco asked staring at the strange device.
"It's called a laptop or portable computer, if you will. Darius presented it to us then one of our bright lads who had taken training in the muggle world on such technology figured out how to make it work using magic rather than electricity. Then we were all given lessons on how to use it. This has been a great boon in teaching us more about muggles and their world. Now give me a moment and I'll boot it up for ya." She pressed some buttons and a picture appeared instantly, it showed a big butterfly on a blue background.
They watched in fascination as she typed a lot of strange symbols then hit a button that changed the image to one of a man frozen, sitting at a desk with pictures displayed behind him.
"There you be. This is a one of the lessons Darius suggested yeu review. Come closer and I'll show yeu how to use this..." Agatha said. The two came closer and watched as she gave them simple basic instructions on starting, stopping, and changing the volume. "There. Now, I'll leave yeu two to yere education. If yeu have any problems, jest find me in the kitchen." With that she left them to their studies.
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That first day, they were more fascinated in just the novelty of pictures on a screen that had such clarity, color, and sound it seemed they were actually there, but now, five days later, the novelty was replaced with trying to absorb the tremendous amount of data in such a short space of time. Though they were still rather dazzled by how much information there was and how easily it was to do research on this amazing device, it was a sobering reminder of how much data muggles had at their instant disposal and how far behind their world was from such a method of data retrieval. This incentivized them, more than any other argument, to learn as much as they could as fast as they could about muggles.
This morning, like those before it, silence held sway as the pair watched the small screen intently. The light from the screen reflected off the highly polished surface of the table where they sat on high backed but comfortably padded oak chairs. As Christmas Day loomed, their heads buzzed with all they'd learned and it hadn't been an altogether pleasant experience.
Their lessons had shown them it had been the beginning of the Industrial Age that muggles embraced science and technology, leaving wizard kind still in the Dark Ages in many ways. Even their own teaching methods had failed to make any attempts to modernize. So, even though muggles didn't use magic, they did have all kinds of machines that could do nearly the same things wizards could and advances in medicine that either did the same or outshone (in some areas) anything they could do with potions.
The only true advantages wizards seem to have were: healing things that would kill a muggle, fix broken bones in hours rather than weeks, caught fewer diseases, lived longer lives, the ability to alter their form, move through time (which, actually was a significant advantage), ride a broom, move or repair things with the wave of a wand no matter how big or small, and transport themselves anywhere without the need of a vehicle of any kind.
But what good would those abilities be if the world were blown up beneath them? They certainly wouldn't know about it until too late because no one seemed to be monitoring what the muggles were doing, that is, no one in the ministry ... the old ones had been smarter. They had set up an intelligence network a century ago and been monitoring the best they could of muggle progress.
However, even with their intelligence gathering efforts, convincing wizarding kind of the dangers before it take place or be stopped from happening would take too long due to their bigotry and arrogance that nothing the muggles could do would harm them.
What was frightening to Snape, was the fact muggles had come close to total destruction on two different occasions! The only thing that had saved the world was the power they'd unleashed during World War II had frightened them enough to cease using their H-bomb but not from stockpiling them. Not only that, they foolishly began stockpiling deadly diseases as well and there was no certainty those things wouldn't be a threat to wizards too.
It was madness to constantly flirt with danger this way yet muggles blithely continued doing it without thought toward the consequences or, if they did think about it, they justified their actions by calling it a necessary evil to protect themselves from future attacks by their real or perceived enemies. And there were the power hungry that simply wanted land, resources, or expansion of their country's influence to begin a war. That didn't mean wizarding kind didn't do the same, Snape sighed, realizing the two races weren't really that different in those desires.
Draco's reaction to all this was to get angry and focus only on the threat to wizarding kind but missing the larger threat to the world.
"With all this new technology muggles have, what's to stop them from discovering and destroying us?" He demanded, jumping to his feet and beginning to pace. "Especially when the Dark Lord keeps deliberately spilling our war into their world. I'm surprised they haven't attempted to take us out by now!"
Still shaken by the threat that hung over the Earth, Snape wasn't giving his Godson his full attention. He answered with the information he'd learned when in school not thinking how it might not be applicable to the here and now.
"It won't happen, Draco," he said firmly. "And there are two reasons why..."
Draco stopped pacing and glared at him but listened.
"First, most muggles don't believe in magic and we do our best to insure they never do. That is the primary responsibility of the Ministry of Magic, to insure our world remains unseen and unknown by muggles. I know your father drummed that into you when you first began using magic. Correct?"
Draco nodded.
"Secondly, the office of the British Prime Minister does know about us though the monarchy does not. The same is true of all other countries, though in America it's their President that is aware of magic's true existence. All the Ministries of Magic work with these officials to keep our worlds separated. All have agents trained in maintaining that secret. Because of those efforts, magic has been relegated to the realm of myths and legends in muggle minds."
"Ahh, I see...I'm glad to know that...however, how good is that agreement if the Dark Lord continues to break it by intruding into the muggle world and killing them? Wouldn't that get the British government angry at us, perhaps enough to retaliate?" Draco pointed out, not completely reassured.
Snape sighed and rubbed his face. He remembered a whole village being wiped out and the mess it took for Dumbledore, the Ministry, and the British government (who weren't happy about it) to cover it up.
"Unfortunately, you are correct about that. Recently, when the Dark Lord wiped out that village, both sides did their jobs and the incident was quietly buried. The Prime Minister warned that if more muggle villages were struck during this war of ours they will be forced to take certain measures. Dumbledore told me Fudge ignored the threat as the worthless mouthing of a bureaucrat...typical and stupid. Due to what we've learned here, you and I know their threat is not something to ignore. However, there is still one thing that will stay their hands..."
Draco frowned. "What would that be?"
"The small chance the general public would learn about us and end up causing a riot of epic proportions." Snape shuddered at the thought of what mobs of muggles could do to wizards if they ever learned their myths and legends were real. The world would burn and wizards would die in a cataclysm greater than anything Voldemort could ever generate. "However, if the Dark Lord does take more muggle lives, their government may think the risk of exposure would be worth taking us on..."
"...And their agents that know about us could sweep in and use their superior technology to force peace on us," Draco interrupted him, his face tight with fear and anguish.
"Yes they would. But, fortunately for us, they're still willing to give us time to end this war ourselves but they demand it be soon. We're trying..."
"...without a lot of success," Draco grumbled, interrupting Snape again..
"Only because of that incompetent, Fudge," Snape said, tightly, holding onto his temper. It wasn't Draco's fault for being rude. Everything they'd learned this past week would test anyone's temper.
"He isn't the only thing that's a problem in the ministry. A serious house cleaning effort would have to be done to insure there's no agents of the dark buried within," the boy harshly observed.
Snape blinked and stared at his Godson in surprise. The insightful comment for one so young caught him off guard. Though he knew Draco was in the middle of this mess due to his father siding with the Dark Lord, he hadn't thought the boy had the ability yet to see the world as a whole and how it affected him. He would have to revise his beliefs. It had been his experience that most eleven year olds didn't think much about the world outside of how it affected them personally. That came with time and education. However, it was clear a few students were more aware and it was they who would change the world. It would be a matter of identifying them and insuring they got a broader education than their peers if their people were to move forward into this new world Harry Potter was envisioning.
"I'm pleased you are able to see the whole picture, Draco, but have a care who hears you. Until major changes have happened, your thoughts and ideas of how the world should be must be kept secret except around those in the know. I wouldn't want you hurt for speaking your mind where you shouldn't," he warned his Godson firmly.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course, Severus, I do realize that ... now. But it is a lot to deal with but because of Voldemort's stupidity, I and my classmates may be more involved than we want to be because of the presence of those still in the Ministry of Magic."
Snape sighed and rubbed his face. "I'm sorry, Draco. You're right. Our chances of keeping this under wraps for much longer is rapidly running out." Damn, they simply had to end this war now before the British government lost their patience and came down on them like a ton of bricks. Harry had been right all along, muggles would be a serious threat if Voldemort wasn't stopped now.
"Well that's bloody depressing," Draco groaned. "So Harry's fears are justified?"
"Very much so."
"Then we have to work harder at getting rid of our thorn in the side and his Death Eaters before the muggle government loses patience with us, now not later," Draco said, echoing Snape's own concerns.
"Just so."
"But that doesn't solve our problems completely," Draco continued, thoughtfully. "We still have to contend with the muggles ruining the world that it becomes nearly uninhabitable or blowing it up."
Snape sighed again. "According to what we just viewed, I don't think that's too likely yet. Remember, there are many muggle groups that are doing everything they can to keep their world safe. It may be we only have to give them a secret hand to make their job more successful but that is still something that will have to wait until our first problem is dealt with."
"Yes, I know." Draco relaxed and swung his arms a bit to relieve the tension that had been building in his shoulders. After a long moment of silence passed between them, Draco added, "But when that problem has been dealt with, I know Harry has a plan to solve our other problem. I can see it in his eyes!"
"Yes, he's told me about it many times, but he's still only a boy as are you. He has to grow to maturity and learn all he can about our world before he can fix what's wrong," Snape warned.
"But...by then it could be too late for us all!" Draco objected.
"Let's hope not. I understand and feel your frustration too but the Dark Lord and his minions must be our primary focus. We have no choice but to deal with that danger first before worrying about the rest. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. First our war must end, then cleaning out the enemy from their hiding places, then working on changing the beliefs of a whole race that has held onto them for generation after generation."
Draco shook his head. "If Harry has his way, it wont take long to make people listen despite all that's on his plate right now."
A wane smile lit the professor's face. "I have no doubt Harry Potter will begin teaching his peers about the dangers so that when all have reached maturity, he'll already have a willing army of helpers. He is a very charismatic young man and a very determined one."
His Godson smiled back. "Yeah, he is at that."
"However, it will still take time but now that we two know the danger, it's only a matter of trying to get those around us to believe the same way."
"The principle of starting with a grain of sand and building a pyramid, eh?" Draco said, smiling.
Snape eyed his Godson with new eyes. The boy was very perceptive. "Exactly. I'm glad you understand so well. For each one of us that converts another and that person does the same, that grain of sand will create a new mindset. One that will save us all in the end."
"It's unusual to hear you say something so positive, Severus," Draco said, pleased and surprised at this unexpected side to his Godfather.
"Am I? Perhaps a certain black-haired young man is already giving me hope that we may see peace and safety in our time."
"We'll make it happen, Severus...we'll make it happen," Draco said sincerely.
"I truly think you will."
Silence fell between them as their thoughts drifted to a certain black haired youth that fate seems to have decided would be responsible for saving their world from its own intransigence.