Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 874 245: The Origin of the Ministry of Magic

Vid's gaze once again fell on the Golden Teapot, its body shimmering with a mysterious light under the candlelight.

He tentatively reached out, gently touching the teapot's body, and felt a strange warmth.

"Professor, do you mean... this teapot comes from another country?" Vid asked.

Dumbledore put his glasses back on and walked to the window, gazing at the campus bathed in sunlight, remaining silent for a moment.

"Vid..." Dumbledore's voice suddenly became deep: "Do you know how wizards came into being?"

Vid suddenly felt an inexplicable tension, his fingers unconsciously smoothing the creases on his robe as he recalled the things he once read in books:

"Magic Origin Theory says a wizard's magic ability is an innate talent... I also read a book called Ancient Bloodline..."

He paused here, glancing at Dumbledore.

Ancient Bloodline is part of the Black Family's collection of books, specifically a Dark Magic book that propagates Pure-Blood ideology, with pages made of human skin and ink made of blood. It also mentioned several ways to detect bloodlines and use blood magic spells.

Dumbledore's glasses reflected the sunlight from the window, with no change in expression.

Vid continued: "The book says that wizards are actually descendants of ancient gods; and some... are born after ancient magical creatures combined with humans."

In that book, the former are "Pure-Blood Wizards," and the latter are the so-called origin of "Mudbloods."

Dumbledore gently shook his head, his silvery long beard swaying. He brushed his hand over the silverware on the table, and some emitted clouds of white mist.

"Humans..."

The old man's sigh carried a sense of helplessness and amusement: "Always eager to weave noble origins for themselves... Regarding the origin of wizards, there is actually another version recorded on ancient scrolls... And many historians believe this might be the truth..."

Dumbledore's magic wand lightly tapped the tabletop, and rolls of parchment automatically flew from the bookshelves, unfolding mid-air like flowing scrolls, as they passed in sequence before the two.

Dumbledore's voice became deep and distant, as if coming from the other end of a river of time.

He waved his wand, and the room's light instantly dimmed, the illustrations on the parchment emerging in the air, transforming into a misty illusion.

"In ancient times, before human civilization had yet to flourish, there were some... special regions scattered across the world. They were like the wounds of the universe, or like the eyes of the world."

The illusion showed several enigmatic scenes:

In the center of a desert, golden sand grains erupted, surrounding cacti that grew and withered at a visibly rapid pace, expanding rapidly once more;

At the entrance of a dark cave, several birds passing by suddenly froze in mid-air, losing their vitality and dropping. Where they landed were animal and human bones, without any signs of gnawing;

In a forest, there was a small tranquil lake, without any birds, beasts, insects, or fish, and what was reflected in the lake water wasn't the sky and vegetation, but illusory images of people waging war.

Dumbledore softly said:

"Some of these regions would erupt with peculiar sand grains capable of accelerating, stalling, or reversing time in the vicinity; some could instantly kill life approaching them; some could predict the future; and some could influence the thoughts of living beings..."

"The vast majority who came into contact with these regions would perish, yet there were a few who survived, their bloodlines infected by the power within, thus gaining miraculous powers, revered as divine beings by those around them... These were the first wizards."

The illusions changed.

Wizards, dressed in luxurious clothing, adorned with many gold and silver jeweled decorations on their heads and bodies, stood in elevated places, commanding a group of raggedly dressed people to transport massive stones and wood, constructing towering and grand buildings around regions where they gained power.

"To study the mysterious powers of these regions and to avoid having their 'Divine Power' coveted, the early wizards built Mage Towers or Temples around these mystical regions, seeking ways to conceal them."

As the illusions continued to evolve, Vid saw people waging wars around the high towers; some towers turned into ruins, plunging into darkness; some towers gradually expanded, with more and more robed wizards congregating around them, and various emblems began to appear around the towers.

"Knowledge and power will always foster order and give birth to authority."

A flicker of complex emotion crossed Dumbledore's eyes as he said:

"Apart from a few regions ultimately transforming into schools, most became the earliest Ministries of Magic, where wizards wielding these mysterious powers stepped down from their divine pedestal, yet became the local rulers."

The high towers rapidly changed, one among them enlarging within view, becoming particularly noticeable. Over time, its height increased, but the tower's body began to sink gradually, as if the earth was devouring the structure's once-exposed surface.

Time flew by swiftly, as new tall buildings, carriages, and crowds emerged where the tower originally stood. And underground, wizards clad in black robes bustled back and forth, appearing quite busy.

Eventually, Vid saw a familiar scene—

Within the underground tower, the old observatory had turned into a circular hall, fountains, and golden sculptures rising from the ground. The once-mysterious region was hidden in layers of spatial concealment spells, tucked away in rooms with black wooden doors.

Meanwhile, on the surface, skyscrapers stood tall, traffic flowed incessantly, people walked under black umbrellas on rain-soaked streets, paying no mind to the dilapidated red phone booth on the street corner.

"This is the British Ministry of Magic." Vid couldn't help but say.

"Indeed." Dumbledore replied: "Vid, the Magic World is far broader than what you can perceive. In the Ministries of Magic across various countries, there exists an agency similar to the Department of Mysteries."

"These agencies study the world's most dangerous magic. Among them, the exploration of time is the most prioritized and deeply investigated domain."

Dumbledore picked up the Golden Teapot, tilting his wrist slightly, allowing the dazzling golden sand grains to flow slowly from the spout.

Under the principal's control, they didn't disperse but were guided by an invisible force, all gathering into a transparent glass jar.

Vid immediately recognized it as the same kind of jar that the principal previously used to store honey candies. Yet at this moment, this ordinary glass jar exuded a few magical hues—

The grains of sand clustered together, forming a swirling, sparkling stream, emanating a diamond-like brilliance.

Dumbledore softly said: "I suppose you have recognized it, these sands are the same as those contained within the Time Turner's Hourglass. However, their functions... are not entirely identical."