There is no such thing as hatred without cause, just as there's no such thing as free fortune. If someone suddenly threw a pile of money in front of you, would you dare pick it up?
Of course I would. Hell, I'd pick it up until they go bankrupt.
Unfortunately, Comrade Ivan wasn't a shiny stack of Galleons, nor was he a bundle of pounds or dollars that could be exchanged for wizarding currency, he was just an ordinary young man. If he had any unique quality at all, it was simply this: he was a wizard.
The main reason Allen went through so much trouble to get him to sign the agreement was because, at the time, Allen had no idea what was truly going on.
Wizards belonged to the world of wizards. Muggles belonged to the world of Muggles.
Wizards didn't casually get involved in Muggle affairs. To them, the Muggle world was a separate society altogether. Its influence on the wizarding world was subtle and slow. Even if the Muggles were tearing each other apart in a bloody war, wizards wouldn't suffer so much as a scratch, after all, their settlements were protected by repelling charms and powerful wards. For the Muggle world to truly affect them, it would take something as cataclysmic as nuclear annihilation.
On the other hand, whenever wizards went to war, it was usually the Muggles who paid the price. Inferi were easy to make, fairly powerful, and their raw materials were disturbingly abundant. So if a war broke out between wizards, you could often catch early signs of it by observing the chaos in the Muggle world.
And right now, it was harder than ever for Allen to return to Hogwarts. He already knew just how terrifying the changes in the Muggle world would be this year, so the scale of the conflict among wizards was likely just as immense.
Crossing borders during wartime wasn't like sneaking around during peacetime. Allen had no intention of stumbling around like a headless chicken and getting himself caught.
Disguising himself as a Muggle civilian? That was a joke. He'd heard enough rumors to know how chaotic things were here, trying to reach the border was like accepting an SSS-rank mission.
Fortunately, the situation had now changed. With the help of a fellow wizard who had merged into this world, everything became easier. With a local to guide him, sneaking back into Britain was no longer a problem. After all, it's not really cheating if it's an inside job, right?
Although he had been teleported here the first time, Allen wasn't about to take that kind of risk again. The last time he had altered the Portkey's destination was out of sheer necessity. If he tried again, who knows where he'd end up?
Landing on solid ground would be lucky. But what if he got sent to the middle of the ocean? That would really turn him into a salted fish...
If he were traveling alone, he could cast Apparate to Castle and probably still make it to Hogwarts in time for breakfast. But he wasn't alone, he couldn't just abandon Annie here.
Using what little magic he had recovered, Allen quickly healed Annie. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be vampire who had taken on his trial returned with plenty of dry firewood, and a couple of lively rabbits.
Ah, the convenience of being a wizard. Even though most of his combat spells were locked, utility magic still worked just fine.
With a crackle, the fire was lit again. The rabbits were skewered and roasted over the flames, seasoned with Allen's travel spices. The scent wafted through the night.
What a crime. Those poor, adorable rabbits... But damn if they didn't taste good, especially with a bit of spice.
After that late dinner, Allen began to miss Hualuo, his loyal owl. It was probably off somewhere fighting with other owls over their food again. But since they were so far apart, all he could do now was send a signal and hope Hualuo would hurry over.
Why miss Hualuo now, of all times? Simple, Allen had a serious problem: night watch.
Sure, it might sound like animal abuse, but without Hualuo to keep watch, Allen couldn't sleep soundly at all. There was no way he'd entrust his safety to that useless local guide. Sure, the contract ensured loyalty, but it didn't guarantee competence.
There were far too many ways to silently kill a wizard, especially a weak one.
In the end, Allen reached an agreement with Tibbers. He'd take the first half of the night; Tibbers would cover the second. As for Annie, she was already exhausted. Let the girl rest.
As for the useless guide... well, whatever. Let him do whatever.
But Ivan had a different idea. While Allen sat recovering his magic and keeping watch, Ivan came over to chat. He was adapting to his new identity faster than Allen had expected.
As a small favor in return, Allen shared a few pointers with him. Though he didn't think much of the Slytherin heir's old experimental notebook, even the scraps he casually mentioned were like sacred tomes to an average wizard.
In return, even without being asked, Ivan spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.
This wizard war, at its core, had been set in motion when Gellert Grindelwald's power was at its peak, arguably the most terrifying dark wizard in history.
Before he was defeated by Dumbledore, Grindelwald had never moved against Britain. As the most feared dark wizard in Germany, he chose the most efficient way to spread his terror, by aligning with the Muggle government. In that setting, he had endless materials for dark magic experiments.
To fend him off, their Ministry of Magic adopted similar strategies. But halfway through the war, Grindelwald was finally defeated by the most powerful white wizard in history.
Cooperation ceased on the Muggle side, but on the wizard side, things had already spiraled out of control.
Afterward, the Ministry began experimenting with things that most decent wizards could never accept, especially those who weren't from noble wizarding families. In this case, "normal wizards" referred to Muggle-borns or half-bloods without prestigious bloodlines.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. As the purebloods lived lavishly, the struggling masses finally rose up from every corner.
At its peak, the resistance even spilled into the Muggle world. But eventually, the purebloods struck back with overwhelming force.
Ivan recounted all this with a calm tone, even as he spoke of the oppression they'd faced:
"No quality supplies. No potions. No decent spellbooks, nothing.
We weren't even allowed to ride proper broomsticks. All we got were their old, broken castoffs.
They lived off wealth and luxury while we survived on scraps.
We got the lowest wages. They did nothing and had vaults full of Galleons...
The fire still crackled. The night was far from over...••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
150 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon! Patreon.com/Veltoria