Tver relaxed a little in his seat and gave an answer that caught Burbage completely off guard.
"I don't know, Burbage. That's why I came to Hogwarts—to seek answers from you, from Dumbledore, from everyone."
"Exactly!" Burbage's eyes lit up. "And Headmaster Dumbledore! He's brilliant. He's bound to have a solution!"
Tver let out a disappointed sigh.
"I'm sorry to say we haven't come up with anything viable yet. Muggle technological progress moves on many fronts. They're destined to explore every inch of the earth—its land, its oceans, its skies."
"No. They've already taken their first steps into outer space."
"As long as we continue living alongside them, being discovered is inevitable."
In truth, he hadn't discussed anything remotely this deep with Dumbledore.
"Then… what are we supposed to do?"
Her inner support collapsing, Burbage grew increasingly anxious about the future of the wizarding world.
Tver, however, gave her a small, reassuring smile.
"That's exactly why I was eager to talk to you, Burbage. You're the wizarding world's leading expert on muggles."
"When it comes to muggle matters, no one is more authoritative than you."
"So I want you—"
He suddenly lowered his voice.
"To tell the wizarding community about this."
Burbage jolted in shock, her whole body trembling slightly.
After so many years studying muggles, the thing she'd encountered most was the arrogance wizards showed toward them—arrogance toward anything non-magical.
Her lips trembled. "But from what I know… most wizards won't believe it."
"Then convince them little by little. Just like the books I gave you. Show them muggle technology step by step."
"Show everyone that on the other side of the world, muggles are catching up."
Determination finally flickered in Burbage's eyes, growing stronger by the second.
Yes. If she could recognize this problem, there was no reason the rest of the wizarding world couldn't.
"Of course, you can't portray muggles as a threat. Otherwise wizards will lash out at them, and I'm sure that's not something you want to see."
Burbage nodded firmly.
"Exactly. We need wizards to take this seriously. Only by thinking together, sharing ideas, can we find the best answer."
"You're right," Burbage said, cheeks slightly flushed. "But I'm hardly a renowned expert. Plenty of people argue with me in the papers…"
"You absolutely are."
Tver cut off her doubts without hesitation. "Look at me."
Burbage met his clear, determined gaze, and a strange surge of courage rose in her chest.
"What I see is Professor Charity Burbage, the woman who dared to proclaim the equality of muggles and wizards in the Daily Prophet."
She nodded before she even realized it.
"And Rita Skeeter will help you push back."
"Rita?" Burbage blinked, baffled. She had never imagined someone like Rita would help her—much less how.
"That's right," Tver said quickly, unwilling to linger on the topic. "You just focus on your work."
"Charity, the future of the wizarding world rests on your shoulders."
Burbage's face had hardened into resolve.
She suddenly shot to her feet, startling Tver so badly he nearly spilled his pumpkin juice.
"I'll definitely give it my all! No time to waste—I need to have an article written before Christmas!"
Without waiting for a response, she charged toward the door.
Caught off guard by her sudden determination, Tver's voice wavered a little.
"Uh… if you need anything, you can come to me anytime. I still have—what is it?"
Burbage stopped abruptly. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly turned back.
"Actually… this is just a thought, but what if we integrated with muggles?"
"I mean really lived and worked alongside them. Wouldn't that ease the divide between us and help us understand each other better?"
"You understand what I'm saying, right? That muggles and wizards are equal…"
Tver nodded, stunned. For the first time, he felt his usually sharp mind wasn't keeping up.
Burbage misunderstood his expression, assuming her idea was too outrageous.
After all, it implied overturning the Statute of Secrecy—an idea only the Dark Lord had ever dared entertain.
She hurried to explain. "Of course, it's just a theory. I know it would be difficult—no, impossible—to achieve."
"So just take it as a joke—"
"No, no," Tver said, striding over to her in a few quick steps. He patted her shoulder with deliberate emphasis. "Whatever the possibility, it needs to be discussed publicly."
"Only by trying every option can we face the future with confidence, don't you think?"
"And your idea…" He paused. "It's fresh. Yes, fresh. I think it's wonderful—bold, even."
"It'll be difficult, but if it succeeds, the outcome could be extraordinary."
"That's why many people will attack you, even insult you. But you must hold on. I—and many others with vision—will support you."
Encouraged, Burbage thought of the years she'd quietly endured on her own. Now that someone finally understood her, she felt as though she'd found a true kindred spirit.
Her eyes reddened. She pressed her lips together, afraid to speak for fear her tears would spill, and nodded again with determination.
Then, like a warrior, she walked out of the office without looking back.
Leaving Tver behind, still a little dazed.
He scratched his head, downed several cups of pumpkin juice, and still couldn't figure out how Burbage had come up with a thought like that.
Wait—had she been thinking along these lines all along?
Honestly, it wasn't impossible.
After all, Tver had chosen Burbage after observing her for two years. He knew she was a professor who cared about muggles and held boldly progressive views.
One could even imagine that quite a few people in the wizarding world shared similar ideas.
Especially after the big move the teacher had made back then—his thinking had probably influenced many.
And those people took that way of thinking, interpreted it for themselves, and passed it on.
It simply never spread widely because it clashed with mainstream wizarding beliefs.
Not everyone has the courage to spread the Dark Lord's ideology, after all.
So, beneath the river the teacher once crossed, there are still many stones left for him to feel his way through…