HP: The Dropout Who Saved the World

Grindelwald awoke amidst a cacophony of noise.

He was furious!

In over a century, no one had dared knock him unconscious!

Did she even comprehend who he was?

Such blatant disrespect!

Well, she truly lived up to being Albus's student.

Grindelwald, inwardly criticizing yet secretly admiring, turned his head to find himself staring at a peculiar device.

It was a white box with a rectangular screen in the middle, constantly displaying various scenes. Beside it was an even larger box with flashing indicator lights.

What was unsettling was the eerie combination of music, voices, and visuals emanating from the box, perfectly synchronized with the scenes.

This startled Grindelwald!

Could this be some new alchemical invention?

Something capable of replacing the Pensieve, storing memories and images?

But why couldn't he sense even the slightest trace of magic?

Holding his breath, he scrutinized the images on the screen, only to realize the people were dressed like Muggles.

Why were these Muggles incessantly talking about love? Was their world consumed by nothing but romance?

This man named Ross divorced his wife Carol and wanted to date Rachel...

Wait... Carol married Susan? Aren't Susan and Carol both female Muggles?

Why is this male Muggle commemorating the day he first had a physical relationship with his ex-wife after their divorce?

What's wrong with Muggles these days?

And what's wrong with this young witch? Why is she so engrossed in watching such scenes?

What kind of student did Albus train?

The world has truly gone downhill, utterly downhill!

Grindelwald's face twisted in disbelief as he turned his gaze back to the white ceiling.

Though he felt he might not have the moral high ground to criticize Muggle relationships—

He still thought this was too much.

At least in his time... he would never openly declare commemorating such days.

Choosing to close his eyes to avoid further mental pollution, Grindelwald lay peacefully on the bed. Yet, the voices of the Muggles continued to invade his ears, causing his brilliant mind to churn involuntarily.

Foolish Muggles... struck by a ball during sports... Wizards would never...

Laundry turned pink... Wizards only needed a simple cleaning spell...

Why were these Muggles constantly seeking dates?

Why did the voices stop?

Honestly, stopping halfway through watching something—what's the point?

This young witch, so adept at manipulating people's emotions at such a young age—

This was definitely revenge!

...

"I wasn't done watching—!"

Jane Yu, who was about to skip two episodes she had already seen, was startled by the sudden, aggrieved voice behind her.

Turning her head, she found the old man staring intently at her computer screen, his left hand slapping the bed frame loudly.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

No money but plenty of complaints.

"If you want to watch, buy it yourself," she said, turning the monitor away from his view. "There's a store at the town entrance... selling Muggle computers and discs."

The bedridden "Mr. Vogel" looked even more displeased, loudly ranting about "Muggle gadgets" and "stupid plots and visuals" to express his burning rage.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Convinced he was simply throwing a tantrum, Jane rolled her eyes again and put on her headphones.

But the old man on the bed persisted in making noise, his magic penetrating the headphones to buzz in her ears.

"Alright, alright, stop shouting."

Feeling that taking care of the elderly was no different from babysitting, she opened her tattered suitcase, pulled out her gaming console, and handed it to him:

"Here's a toy for you. Go play with it and stop making a fuss."

Grindelwald glared, ready to retort, but his eyes were drawn to the gaming console in his hands.

This time, he could confirm that this was a finely crafted alchemical product, with intricate layers of magical patterns and alchemical techniques displayed to perfection.

He quieted down, fully immersing himself in studying the machine.

This allowed Jane to breathe a sigh of relief.

She had guessed right—dealing with the elderly was just like babysitting; give them a novel toy, and they would stop making trouble!

Little did she know, Grindelwald's thoughts had already taken countless twists and turns.

Unlike many in the wizarding world, Grindelwald was not entirely ignorant about Muggles.

Before the final battle, he had foreseen the world wars in the Muggle realm.

It was a product of Muggle "technology," involving bombs, bombers, tanks... causing countless casualties and destruction of cities...

And the images in his prophecy gradually became reality—the outbreak and end of world wars, the collapse of the old Muggle order, and the establishment of a new one.

On a different path, they had surpassed wizards.

But today, he saw a different kind of technology.

First was a Muggle invention called a computer, which recorded Muggle thoughts and information;

Then came a gaming console, an alchemical product combining Muggle technology and wizard spells, containing vast information and thoughts from wizards...

Unable to resist, he disassembled the machine, carefully examining its secrets, and quickly deciphered the ancient magical runes. The spells, both ancient and innovative, earned his silent admiration.

But more than admiring the spells and runes, he admired the possibility—

A possibility of integration between the wizarding and non-wizarding worlds.

Four or five decades had passed, and Muggle technology had developed at an astonishing pace, while the wizarding world remained stagnant, often rejecting new creations born from Muggles.

His past thoughts and methods might have had many flaws—but one concern lingered even in defeat—

If wizards maintained the status quo while Muggles continued to advance, would there come a day when their world would be exposed to Muggles, facing their weapons?

He still hoped for a day when the Statute of Secrecy could be broken, but if that day came passively rather than actively, could the wizarding community still live peacefully?

As he touched the components in his hand, he fell into deep thought.

Perhaps she was indeed a student sent by Albus, and this was what he wanted to show him—a glimpse of hope, the curiosity of young wizards about the wider world... a possibility for progress... perhaps this was his intention... to inspire him to rise again...

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp yell.

"Either pay up or put the gaming console back together!"

Jane Yu couldn't believe—

In just a few minutes of not keeping an eye on the old child...

He had already learned to disassemble toys!

Was the next step dismantling the house?

Angry, she grabbed her wand, ready to cast a spell, but it was blocked by an invisible charm. Fine, she'd cast another—thus began the nth world war, leaving the room in utter chaos.

Amidst the mess, she heard his cheerful voice, as if fighting was merely a lighthearted pastime, his tone even carrying a hint of amusement:

"Stop—put your wand down, and I'll teach you wandless magic—bring that Horcrux over—"

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