Chapter 21

Adalbert.

"Well, did you see for yourself?" I asked, glancing at Weaver with interest as we walked back to the dorm with Luvia.

"Unfortunately…" Weaver muttered, still visibly shaken by what he had just witnessed, nearly tripping on the stairs. "You're not hiding anything, and you're being honest, but… they said they wouldn't negotiate with the pure-bloods, and they talked about so much more… and now… now they just bartered so simply and casually for your silence, even though, again, they said they wouldn't… Ugh." He shook his head, his words stumbling over each other.

"You're not the first, and you won't be the last to fall for their loud proclamations. Populism. We all remember Grindelwald, even better than the Brits or the French. He was a master of using grandiose words, along with his Muggle puppet… what was his name again? Oh, Hitler, I think," I began, with a topic everyone was familiar with. For wizards, that war was essentially the only truly global one — on a scale we had never seen before. Wizards from nearly every corner of the world had gotten involved because it nearly led to the irreversible breach of the International Statute of Secrecy.

On Grindelwald's side were all those who had, over the centuries, built up resentment, unwilling to hide or cower from the non-magical world. To be fair, they had some chances before the nuclear bombs, since as far as I know, wizards have rituals capable of destruction on par with that of Muggle weapons. But back then, only wizards had such power. Now, however… guaranteed mutual destruction awaits us all, and even the most discontented know this well."

"In reality, it's simpler than that. They're fighting for influence and power, backed by the Ministry. Muggle-lovers are using Muggle methods," I shrugged. I was telling the truth — many pure-bloods still turned their noses up at modern political tactics used by non-magical people. I knew that firsthand from my mother. "They don't want their reputation to suffer among the half-bloods and more liberal pure-bloods — no offense to you — if this information got out. Fewer recruits, fewer supporters, you see."

"And why do you think Durmstrang's leadership hasn't thrown them out, given how many people would be happy to see them gone?" Luvia jumped in, picking up the conversation. "At Durmstrang, we're taught not only magic, but also about political dynamics. If the Unjoined were removed, the Ministry of Magic would step in — nothing else would change in adult life. There, too, you'll have... what did you call it?" she glanced in my direction.

"The system of checks and balances," I said, barely suppressing a smirk. Wizards aren't fools, of course, and we have something similar, though it seems no one ever formalized it into a tidy phrase like the Muggles did. After all, magical states aren't the same as Muggle ones, and political traditions are practically nonexistent.

What kind of "states" could we even talk about when the population is only a few hundred thousand, maybe a bit more, and magic means they don't need any development in most areas? And how could you control people who can literally teleport? Apparition outpaces any kind of surveillance, even magical, since it allows instant travel across vast distances.

And don't even get me started on Portkeys — there are basically no limits to the distances they can cover.

Law enforcement is also a joke. Wands aren't firearms; you can't ban them. Not really. Only for children, and even that comes with significant loopholes.

So when I arrived, with my knowledge of many things that most lacked due to inexperience, I was quickly seen as something of a genius in this area. That's just how things are.

"Yes, that's the one!" the Finnish girl snapped her fingers, a look of superiority on her face. "That's why Kriemhild tolerates those idiots doing what they do. How long do you think Karakoff will last if he tries to throw them out, like the bears say?" Edelfelt scoffed disdainfully.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already," Weaver waved her off.

I'd brought him into this conversation for a reason. He wasn't dumb, and to understand what was going on, he didn't need a direct confession from those he quietly sympathized with. The indirect actions of his so-called allies were enough, and he'd draw the right conclusions on his own.

They might not be entirely accurate, but I didn't need any splintering or internal divisions right now. Let them keep bickering among themselves; the Unjoined made themselves my enemies through their own initiative. I have different plans for life, and none of them include the obligatory enmity or elimination of every "too-clever" half-blood or Muggle-born.

Besides, an external enemy helps keep the pure-bloods from tearing each other apart. So, no matter how you look at it, this progressive crowd brings a lot of benefits, which almost outweigh the drawbacks. It's just a pity the school let things slide so much that they've become this bold in the last decade. Do the adult wizards see no real threat from a bunch of reactionary kids, based on their experience from quieter decades when the Unjoined weren't so active?

Probably, very likely.

Conservatism and inertia play tricks on the old families, even though those traits can be useful in other places.

But enough heavy thoughts for today.

I still need to start tracking down the primary culprits behind the theft. I refuse to believe that the wards the upperclassmen put on the locker room door were breached by a bunch of talentless first-years. But who among the Unjoined has advanced so far in magic, despite all our surveillance of their progress? That's definitely worth finding out.

What a busy, troublesome day. After all this, I just want to collapse into a pillow and sleep until morning...

Ha-a-a... Yes, I think I'll do just that.