Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 445 Tavern Outrage
"Two or three people?" Ron raised an eyebrow, half teasing and half delighted.

First to enter were Neville Longbottom, Simon Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Lavender, followed closely by Parvati and Padma Petit, along with Cho and one of her chattering roommates. Then came Luna Lovegood, alone and seemingly lost in thought, followed by Katie Bell, Arya Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Colin and Daniil Scrivenway, Ernie McMillan, Justin Finley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl whose name Harry couldn't recall, with a long braid trailing down her back. There were also three Ravenclaw boys, whose names Harry was certain were Antonin Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Tyrebault, and Ginny. Behind them was a tall, thin, blond boy with a upturned nose, whom Harry vaguely remembered as a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Bringing up the rear were Fred, George, and their friend Lee Jordan, all three carrying large paper bags filled with groceries from Zonco's Joke Shop.

“Two, two or three people?” Harry said to Hermione in a hoarse voice.

“Yes, that’s great, it seems like this idea is very popular,” Hermione said excitedly. “Ron, could you bring over a few more chairs?”

The bar owner was stunned to see a glass being wiped with a rag that looked like it had never been washed. His bar had probably never had so many people before.

“Hey,” Fred said, rushing to the bar and quickly counting his companions. “Excuse me, could you give us... twenty-six butterbeers?”

The bar owner glared at him for a moment, then angrily threw down the rag as if he had been interrupted while doing something very important. He began to pull out bottles of grimy butterbeer from under the bar.

"Thanks," Fred said, passing the beer around. "Everyone should chip in; I don't have enough money to buy this much beer."

Harry stared blankly as the chattering group took the beer from Fred and then fumbled in his robes for a coin.

Harry couldn't imagine what so many people were there for, and then a terrible thought suddenly occurred to him—

They must have come to hear him speak, so he turned angrily to Hermione.

"What did you say to others?" he asked in a low voice. "What did they want?"

“I already told you, they just want to hear you talk, you can say whatever you want,” Hermione comforted him, but Harry was still glaring at her angrily, so she quickly added, “You don’t need to do anything right now, I’ll say a few words to them first.”

“Hey, Harry,” Nathan said, beaming, and sat down opposite him.

Harry gave him a forced smile, but said nothing.

After chattering for a while, the students who had come to the Hog's Head pub gathered around Harry and found places to sit down.

"Um...cough..." Hermione said, her voice slightly higher than usual because of nervousness, "Um...um...hello everyone."

The group turned their attention to her, but their eyes still kept glancing at Harry.

“It’s like this… cough, you all know why we’re here… if anyone wants to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts… I mean… learn real skills, not the garbage that Umbridge taught us.” Hermione’s voice suddenly became much firmer and more assertive, “nobody would call that Defense Against the Dark Arts—”

“Well said, well said!” said Anthony Goldstein, and then clapped his hands.

“Yes, I think we might as well, well, solve it ourselves,” Hermione said. She paused, glanced at Harry, and continued, “I mean, learn how to effectively protect ourselves, not just the theory, but also practicing real spells—”

“But I suppose you’ll also need to pass the Defense Against the Dark Arts (OWL) exam?” Michael Corner asked.

“Of course,” Hermione said immediately, “but more importantly, I need formal training in defensive magic, because, because…”

She took a deep breath before finishing her sentence: "Because Voldemort is back."

The entire Hog's Head pub fell silent instantly. Thanks to Tyrell's machinations, during last semester's funeral, Dumbledore showed the Hogwarts faculty and students the entire process of Voldemort's resurrection, which Tyrell had recorded.

So despite the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet's constant slander of Dumbledore and Harry during the summer holidays, not many people bought it.

“With Voldemort’s resurrection, our peaceful lives will be shattered,” Hermione said, standing up. “An era of change has arrived. Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the wizarding world lies a turbulent undercurrent and a filthy mess.”

"Some might ask, what does Voldemort's resurrection have to do with us?" Hermione continued. "Some might think, what does Voldemort's resurrection have to do with me, with us?"

After saying this, Hermione paused, carefully observing the expressions of her classmates—

As Hermione expected, most of the people present had an indifferent expression, as if it were none of their business.

“Some of you may have relatives abroad and think that even if Voldemort really regains power, you can run away to a foreign country,” Hermione continued. “Some of you may be pure-blood families and think that Voldemort won’t settle accounts with you.”

“No, you’re wrong,” Hermione said firmly. “I’m very disappointed. You’ve already had four of Dumbledore’s classes, but you haven’t made any progress at all.”

“There’s a famous saying in the Muggle world—” Hermione cleared her throat and said:

"They first came to arrest Jews, but I didn't say anything because I wasn't a Jew."

They came to arrest union members again, but I didn't say anything because I'm not a union member.

When they came to arrest Catholics again, I didn't say anything because I am a Protestant.

They finally came to arrest me, but by then no one was speaking up for me.

“We are not independent, nor are we singular,” Hermione said. “We are not just individuals, but as Dumbledore said, we are a community with a shared future for mankind.”

"What is Voldemort's goal?" Hermione countered. "To eliminate all Muggles."

“And there are 5.7 billion Muggles in the world today,” Hermione said. “We all know that Voldemort’s goal is to wipe out all the Muggles in the world.”

“But think about it, that’s 5.7 billion people! Not 5.7 billion pigs!” Hermione suddenly raised her voice. “That’s 5.7 billion Muggles with hands and feet, who can move and talk, who can wield weapons, fight, and have organized armies.”

“Even Voldemort, or even Dumbledore and Voldemort working together, would have absolutely no chance against a Muggle world like this,” Hermione said seriously. “Even if the two most powerful wizards in our wizarding world joined forces, they wouldn’t pose as much of a threat to Muggle society as an epidemic.”

“That’s why we need to gain power,” Hermione said, standing on her chair. “Voldemort’s plans, or rather his actions, will inevitably lead to conflict between the wizarding world and the Muggle world.”

“We are about to face not just Voldemort,” Hermione said, raising her glass, “but a conflict between the wizarding world and the Muggles.”

"That's what's truly deadly."

"This is the real reason why we need to master power!"

(End of this chapter)