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Chapter 245 – They Have Become History!!
"Mrs. Rozier, I understand what you're thinking.
You're not driven by some grand ideal.
You simply want to return to the old days—
a life where you stood above everyone else."
His words were sharp, completely different from the gentle boy who moments ago was begging her not to hurt herself and offering his arm instead.
Rozier's expression tightened with irritation.
"What do you know?"
"Oh, I know perfectly well.
You say it's for the 'greater good,' but honestly—when I look at you, it's absurd.
Don't glare at me.
I mean it.
It's absurd because you don't resemble the powerful, elegant figures described in those old books.
What I see standing in front of me… is a beaten dog."
"You're spouting nonsense!
Even if you are the king's chosen child, you cannot insult us like that!"
Rozier shot to her feet in anger.
She didn't point her wand at him, but the way she strode toward the exit made it clear—she had abandoned him.
Darren didn't chase after her.
Instead, his voice drifted after her, calm and cutting:
"Wizards and Muggles are born equal."
"Born equal?" Rozier spun around furiously.
"Then why are wizards forced into hiding? Why should we cower before Muggles?
My king and I share the same belief—
we should stand before Muggles in the light
and protect them!"
Darren almost sighed.
Their ideas were… hopelessly idealistic.
Yes, the Muggle Protection laws looked like they existed for Muggles.
But fighting Muggles now?
Ridiculous.
Muggles were getting stronger.
A wizard could fight dozens—maybe hundreds.
But what about firearms?
What about bombs?
What about nuclear weapons?
The magical world, for all its mystery, was geographically tiny.
Muggles could erase it with one wrong move.
The current separation protected wizards, not Muggles.
But of course Darren couldn't say that aloud.
He had to say it like the Little Holy Father he was.
He let out a cold laugh.
"What makes wizards stop hiding?
Is it because you think Muggles don't deserve protection?
If all people are born equal and you've never heard of that… then I pity you."
"You—!"
Rozier looked ready to explode.
Darren suddenly slapped his forehead lightly.
"Oh, right. Where have you been living all these years?
Among Muggles, wasn't it?
You've survived all this time by hiding in the very society you claim to despise,
under their protection—
and now you mock them?
Tell me, is that your noble wizard pride?"
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[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Modified Polyjuice Potion]
Modified Polyjuice Potion: transformation duration customizable.
One dose lasts one full day.
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Eh?
So… one drink = 24 hours?
That was basically a Death Eater's dream tool for sneaking into Hogwarts.
Darren's expression twitched.
He decided very fast he was absolutely not handing this out casually.
He accepted the recipe quietly.
Then he stood up, dusted himself off, took his wand, and started heading back toward Hogwarts.
But before leaving the secret passage, he paused, turned his head, and looked at Rozier—
who stood there, dazed and hollow.
His voice softened despite himself.
"If I were you… I'd consider opening a shop in Diagon Alley.
You're talented with Potions, aren't you?
I have a special Wolfsbane formula,
a modified Polyjuice recipe,
and an improved universal antidote.
I can give you these.
You can brew them and sell them.
You don't have to keep hiding like this.
.
Why bury yourself in fear?
Oh, and Muggles have mercenary groups too.
You could help them.
Or even take practical work from those countries at war—
their wizards fight as well."
Darren said it with quiet determination.
Then he lifted his wand and wrote the potion recipes directly into the air, sending the glowing letters drifting toward Rozier.
She stared at them, stunned.
"A modified Polyjuice… a whole day of disguise?
Why didn't you reveal this earlier?"
She sounded embarrassed more than accusatory.
For the first time, she didn't know what to make of the boy in front of her.
He had no desire to be a king,
yet his kindness—
the kindness she used to despise—
now struck her deeply.
Darren smiled.
Soft, gentle, impossibly warm.
Rozier suddenly remembered something she'd once heard from Rita Skeeter—
about a boy with green eyes and red hair,
whose smile could charm half the girls at Hogwarts.
She used to think it was an exaggeration.
Now she wasn't so sure.
"This Polyjuice recipe—I only perfected it recently.
I didn't want to share it yet because I wasn't sure how stable it was.
But…"
He looked directly at her.
It was obvious he was worried something might happen to her if he kept it to himself.
Better to give it to her—
to make things easier.
"I just hope you won't sell it carelessly.
And if you do sell it, at least make sure you know what the buyer intends.
I don't want something I invented to end up hurting people."
The concern on his face was sincere.
Once, Rozier would've laughed and said, "Of course it'll be used for bad things."
But now… she couldn't.
After a long moment, she spoke quietly:
"You don't need to worry.
Most likely, we'll only use it ourselves.
All these years… all we've wanted was a place to rest.
But then the king's summons came.
It rekindled our longing for glory.
We fell too far, so the desire to rise again burned too bright…
Still—
I understand now.
We've changed.
If we fought Muggles again,
we wouldn't stand a chance.
It's just…
I couldn't accept what we've become.
It's been miserable, realizing it.
If the king rises in this new era…
we aren't worthy to follow him anymore."
Venda's voice trembled.
For the first time, she saw clearly:
They had become history.
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