"We, humans," Grindelwald said, "are weak, and more importantly, lazy. We are not adept at handling complex logic and ideas, yet we want to appear less ignorant. So, we categorize and label everyone we encounter..."
"Good, bad; British, European; Hogwarts, Durmstrang; you and I are allies, he stands against me... there's always an excuse. We are so desperately seeking identity and forming groups in interpersonal relationships, fearing being left behind and isolated."
"As students of this ancient magical school, possibly the oldest, you—students of Hogwarts—have a duty to combat these flaws rooted in the physical and mental aspects, to avoid mediocrity. Mediocre people are lazy in independent thinking but heavily rely on groups, and the end result is casually surrendering their rights that they should rightfully enjoy."
"And groups are the least rational."
The classroom fell into silence. Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Professor Bashat." Grindelwald immediately changed his tone, "Earlier, Mr. Macmillan asked about the connection between Muggle thoughts and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I can now answer."
"The purpose of this class is to teach students how to resist danger. I see that you've learned how to defend against dark creatures and curses, but I've noticed a significant gap in your ability to protect yourselves. There's a type of danger you haven't considered, and it's very close to you. Once—"
"Professor Bashat," Dumbledore raised his tone, a warning tone in his voice.
Grindelwald fell silent, drew his wand, and stabbed it into the lectern like a dagger.
Suddenly, a mist filled the classroom.
Felix squinted. Grindelwald's words were: You can stop me, but you can't stop—
The students in the classroom were unaware of this; they just looked at Harry and the students in the front row in surprise, wondering why they reacted so strongly. But soon, they heard the chaotic footsteps and intense slogans, as if coming from a distant place.
Colorful flags and a joyful parade approached from behind Professor Bashat, then walked straight through them—students instinctively leaned back, but they quickly realized it was an illusion, those people—Muggles—couldn't affect them. The rightful source is Nove1Fire.net
They had experienced a similar scene in Classroom Seven.
"London New Year Parade, a quite famous festival celebration," Grindelwald casually said. "Every year, it attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from various counties in the UK and around the world. Not a big deal... after all, there are nearly sixty million people in the UK alone, and the total world population is close to six billion."
The students below exclaimed. They stared at the densely packed crowd, the sounds of laughter echoing all the way.
Harry had seen parades, but living in Surrey, where the population was only a few hundred thousand, it was nothing compared to this spectacle. The Dursleys did take him to London during the New Year, but he was always under Mrs. Figg's care at that time.
However, Hermione had obviously seen such scenes. She whispered to Harry and Ron, "The London New Year Parade has been very popular since its inception in 1987, and it's the most important festival celebration of the year. There are professional performers from around the world, covering dance, music, juggling, cheerleading, antique car exhibitions... it's truly an unparalleled audiovisual feast."
"So lively," Ron exclaimed.
Soon, the students became engrossed in the spectacle, a novel experience for them—just like the first time they watched Muggle movies in Ancient Runes class, completely captivated. Many faces were infected by the joyous crowd, showing the same joy and smiles.
"I've never seen such big balloons," a student looked up, a giant colored puppet seeming to pass through the ceiling.
"Hey! Those dancing girls are really pretty!"
Grindelwald tapped the desk with his wand, and the cheerful scene instantly froze. The mist dissipated, the parade halted, and the crowd stiffly turned their heads to the classroom, staring expressionlessly at the students. Being stared at by hundreds of people, Harry felt his heart skip a beat. He seemed to forget how to breathe, and the joy in his mind disappeared in an instant.
Finally, the fog cleared, and the stiff crowd disappeared.
Harry slumped in his seat, panting, feeling as if his limbs were no longer under control. He couldn't help but imagine what would happen if those people suddenly rushed towards them, those indifferent, emotionless eyes, like undead... He shuddered.
He looked around—Hermione was trembling, Ron and Neville were pale, as if they had contracted a serious illness. A few seats away, Malfoy's lips were tightly pressed, his eyes flickering with strange light, and several students even retched silently.
"Now you should understand: as the Muggle population increases and their so-called 'technology' rises, the pressure on the 'Secrecy Law' is growing. What I want to teach you—"
Grindelwald squinted—under the stern gaze of Professor McGonagall, Snape's scrutinizing eyes, and the serious expression of Felix, facing off with Dumbledore across the classroom—he grinned, revealing his white teeth.
"—is how to better hide yourselves."
The remaining time of the class passed without further incident, as if what happened before was just an interlude. Grindelwald continued with the lesson plan, introducing the concept of 'silent spells' to the students.
"In simple terms, silent spells are just a means of concealing spellcasting. It allows you to gain the upper hand in duels and informational advantage. Similarly, it's highly effective in hiding yourself in the Muggle society." He added.
Grindelwald demonstrated it himself, pointing his wand at himself, and his wizard robes immediately changed into Muggle clothes, and his thin cheeks turned into the face of another middle-aged man.
If it weren't for the previous shock, the students would surely have applauded for this intricate and exquisite transformation.
Grindelwald glanced at the time. "There's only ten minutes left, so please continue reading the textbook. I believe you will have a different insight." While the students were engrossed in reading, Dumbledore quietly stood up.
"Professor Bashat, we need to discuss your curriculum."
"Oh, no problem," Grindelwald said, "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore."
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