Shameless 18: Chapter 18: Tricking a Kid?
Shameless “Most Muggles never learn the real cause.
They blame these incidents on witches and wizards, and that fear of magic creates even more Obscurials.” “That is precisely why Hogwarts was founded.” “We teach young witches and wizards how to control and use their magic, preventing even greater conflict between the magical and Muggle worlds.” “If that’s the case…” Witt raised a hand and asked quietly, “why did Mr Slytherin leave?” Logically, if the four founders of Hogwarts had been willing to teach together in the first place, then they must all have agreed with that ideal to some extent.
They might have had differences of opinion, but surely not enough to reject the entire purpose of the school.
If Hogwarts had been founded to ease the conflict between witches, wizards, and Muggles, why had Slytherin suddenly decided to leave?
It didn’t make sense.
Gryffindor sighed regretfully.
“Slytherin agreed that the conflict with Muggles needed to be kept under control.” “At first, he wasn’t opposed to accepting Muggle-born students.
But in his view, the only reason to admit them was to prevent the creation of Obscurials.” “He believed that only pure-blood families could produce truly exceptional witches and wizards.” “But reality proved otherwise.
Muggle-borns can be every bit as exceptional as pure-bloods.
Magical ability has very little to do with blood.” Originally, Slytherin had viewed Muggle-born students as little more than a backdrop against which pure-blood students could shine.
Then reality slapped him in the face.
There wasn’t much difference between the two at all.
The reason Muggle-born witches and wizards had historically seemed weaker was simple.
Nobody had taught them.
Pure-blood families had practised magic for generations, so naturally their children received far better magical education from an early age.
Muggle-borns, by contrast, had been forced to figure everything out by themselves.
Of course a completely self taught Muggle-born wizard couldn’t usually compete with a pure-blood raised with elite magical instruction.
That was perfectly normal.
True geniuses were rare, after all.
Slytherin, however, had mistaken the difference in education for proof that pure-bloods were inherently superior.
Then Hogwarts was founded.
Once Muggle-borns began receiving the same instruction as pure-bloods, Slytherin discovered that pure-blood students weren’t actually much stronger at all.
The supposed superiority he’d believed in had largely been an educational advantage.
He couldn’t accept the discrepancy.
Slytherin’s theory of pure-blood superiority had died before he’d even had the chance to properly establish it.
Unable to accept reality, he wanted Hogwarts to become a school exclusively for pure-blood witches and wizards so they could maintain their advantage.
Naturally, the other three founders could never agree.
They had established Hogwarts specifically to address the conflict between the magical and Muggle worlds.
To prevent the birth of Obscurials.
And Obscurials were most commonly created in Muggle households.
Now Slytherin wanted to stop admitting Muggle-borns altogether?
Then what had been the point of founding Hogwarts in the first place?
The arguments between them became increasingly bitter.
A rift gradually formed.
Little by little, Slytherin went from merely looking down on Muggle-borns to openly resenting them.
Eventually, he left behind a secret chamber, spread rumours surrounding it, and departed Hogwarts alone.
“So basically, Mr Slytherin couldn’t handle reality proving him wrong, so he ran away from home?” Witt suddenly realised that these legendary historical figures weren’t quite as lofty and untouchable as he’d imagined.
How was Slytherin’s behaviour any different from a child storming out after suffering a setback?
“If you insist on putting it that way…
you’re not entirely wrong.” Gryffindor thought for a moment before asking, “What is Hogwarts like in the future?” “In the future, two great wizards named Grindelwald and Dumbledore join forces and conquer the world.
They wipe out most of the Muggles.” “They keep only a small number alive as slaves.” Witt delivered the answer casually.
There was no chance he was going to tell Gryffindor about the real world.
He might as well use the background from his first dungeon and fool him with that instead.
“What?!” Gryffindor shot to his feet.
Clearly, this particular future didn’t match his expectations at all.
“Oh, right.” Witt ignored Gryffindor’s reaction and continued, “Dumbledore came from Gryffindor House at Hogwarts.
He’s our Headmaster now.” “Are you telling the truth?” Gryffindor clearly didn’t want to believe that one of his own House’s future students would become a butcher who slaughtered Muggles indiscriminately.
Witt looked utterly sincere.
“Why would I lie to you?
It doesn’t benefit me.” For one brief moment— Gryffindor genuinely felt the urge to shut Hogwarts down altogether.
Then he noticed the slight curl at the corner of Witt’s mouth.
Without hesitation, he punched him.
“Enough.
Tell me the truth.” “I did tell you the truth.
I really have been to a time and place where wizards ruled the world and Muggles were kept as slaves.” “I want to know what your world is like.” Gryffindor raised his fist.
If Witt tried joking with him again, he was going to turn the brat himself into the joke.
Faced with Gryffindor’s fist, which looked about the size of a sandbag, Witt immediately surrendered.
“Wizards hide among Muggles.
The two sides mostly keep apart, and most Muggles don’t even know magic exists.” That answer wasn’t exactly ideal either, but it clearly fit Gryffindor’s expectations much better.
“Get up.
You’re coming with me to recruit students.” “I never said I was going to recruit students with you—” ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Three days later.
Late at night, Witt quietly crept towards Gryffindor, moving with painstaking care as he attempted to steal the sword.
Gryffindor had made him a deal.
Neither of them would use magic.
If Witt could steal the Sword of Gryffindor from him and get more than a hundred metres away, Gryffindor would let him take it and complete his Quest.
Trying during the day was obviously impossible.
So Witt could only steal it at night.
“Heh heh…” Witt stared at the deeply sleeping Gryffindor and slowly reached out.
With exquisite care, he lifted Gryffindor’s hand away from the sword.
Gryffindor had only said that magic wasn’t allowed.
He’d never said anything about drugs.
Witt had used enough sleeping draught to knock out a dragon for three days.
He quietly picked up the sword, slipped out through the door, and immediately broke into a run.
Got it.
Master-level Forging Techniques.
My helmet, here I come!
Witt swung himself onto a horse and, following his map, raced in the direction of the goblin kingdom.
He rode for half the night.
When he finally stopped to rest, he sat down— and discovered Gryffindor sitting right beside him.
“Brat, where exactly do you think you’re going?” “You cheated!” Witt’s expression changed instantly.
He hugged the sword tightly and refused to let go.
“How did I cheat?” Gryffindor looked at him in amusement and held out a hand, indicating that Witt should return the sword.
Witt clutched it harder and turned his head away.
“I came here on horseback.
If you didn’t use magic, there’s no way you could’ve outrun me.” “And what if I can outrun a horse?” “…” Gryffindor looked far too confident.
Witt suddenly became uncertain.
Don’t tell me he really can outrun a horse.
He thought of Hagrid.
That giant he’d met on the first day of term.
No normal human being could possibly grow that enormous.
Maybe Gryffindor was the same sort of freak.
After thinking it over several times, Witt reluctantly handed the sword back.
Gryffindor accepted it and slid it back into the sheath at his waist.
Then he smiled.
“Want to learn how?” ?
“You did cheat!
Give me the sword back!” Witt immediately exploded.
“You tricked a child!
Shameless!” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Hidden_Quill Thank you so much for reading!