The news that wizards were to be interviewed had hit the newspaper headlines early and had been looped on television for two days in advance. When the appointed time came, countless people waited in front of their televisions for the live broadcast to begin.
The three guests sat in sequence, with Slughorn occupying a wide chair by himself, dressed in a luxurious emerald wizard's robe. Mr. Weasley and Hermione sat close to him, the former in a gray-brown suit with his sparse red hair sticking to his forehead, and the latter appearing like a student who had just come from the neighboring middle school, her body language revealing a hint of restraint.
The host, tasked with today's interview, sat diagonally across at a curved table, looking professional and energetic, continuously gesturing and communicating with the audience below. The audience, selected from thousands of applicants and proven to be free of extremist thoughts, whispered curiously, eyeing the three guests.
After the usual introductions, the interview officially began.
"Thank you for the introductions of our special guests, who come from different age groups and play different roles in society—there's a school teacher, a government worker, and a student. What thoughts will they bring to our audience? Let's start with Mr. Slughorn..."
"Hello, Mr. Slughorn, what subject do you teach at school?"
"Potions," Slughorn said. He effortlessly introduced the basic concepts of potions, something quite easy for him after decades of teaching. The conversation unfolded in a pleasant atmosphere, despite the occasional mention of names that confused the audience, who listened with keen interest. Slughorn talked at length, casually mentioning some potion names, such as remedies for boils, cold remedies, Euphoria Elixirs, and invigoration draughts, and then, at the audience's request, he mentioned a few more complex potions.
"Potions that can bring luck, a Skele-Gro potion that regrows bones overnight, a Baruffio's Brain Elixir that clarifies thoughts, and a beauty potion..." The host said, somewhat distracted, but his professionalism allowed him to quickly recover, "Um, I think everyone now has a question in mind, can these potions be mass-produced?"
"I'm afraid not," Slughorn frowned slightly, "Many potions require magical participation. This includes taking the potions as well."
The host's expression immediately turned as disappointed as the audience's.
"However—cough cough, my student, Severus Snape," Slughorn continued, "he was assigned by the Ministry of Magic to work on simplifying potions, so that some could be used on non-wizards. I heard that the Future World Company did some preliminary work, but such matters should definitely be left to professionals..."
He confidently steered the conversation towards his area of expertise.
"...The effects might be slightly reduced, but the most magical properties are retained. Severus has the capability; he recently received the Order of Merlin, First Class. Do you know what that is? Only the most outstanding wizards receive this honor, and I had the privilege of teaching a few," he proudly muttered a few names, eagerly looking at the host, seemingly waiting for him to ask who exactly, before continuing after a while.
"Of course, I also provide guidance, limited to theoretical and directional discussions—after all, time spares no one, I'm already over a hundred years old, not as energetic as the young ones."
This remark gave the impression that if he were twenty years younger, he could solve all problems himself. The audience's eyes sparkled.
"You've lived over a hundred years?" the host asked in surprise, "You don't look it at all."
"I pay quite attention to maintenance," Slughorn said. "I have many secrets in this area, even Dumbledore has sought advice from me..." he sighed, "The downside of living too long is that the people you know become fewer and fewer, a common problem in old age."
"Sorry—I'm curious, do wizards generally live longer? Dumbledore, for example, was said to have lived over a hundred ten years..."
"One hundred sixteen years," Slughorn corrected, "Wizards of his caliber usually live longer, and I suspect that he and Nick cough cough—" he coughed violently, "I mean—I suspect he might have lived to two hundred if not for the severe injuries sustained in battles against two Dark Lords. Just like Felix, he is destined to live a long life, which is fortunate, both for wizards and Muggles."
Slughorn dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.
He had nearly revealed Nicolas Flamel's name, the secret of the Philosopher's Stone being a legend even in the wizarding world. Realizing this, he suddenly understood that Felix Harp had inherited all of Nicolas Flamel's alchemical knowledge. Even if Felix started from scratch, his talent could potentially allow him to create a new Philosopher's Stone before his life ended,
not to mention he's already a top alchemist—though Felix himself doesn't care much for the title.
"You're referring to Mr. Felix Harp?"
"Obviously, isn't it?"
The host sensed a secret worth exploring, but he had been warned beforehand; today's guests were not some third-rate celebrities, and he was not there to dig up scandals, so he decisively shifted the topic towards Mr. Weasley.
"We know Mr. Weasley has recently participated in cabinet meetings as the deputy to Minister Bones. Do you have anything to share with us?"
Mr. Weasley's mouth opened wide, his ears reddening, a sign of feeling pressured.
Merlin's beard, two years ago he was stuck in a department of two, dealing with biting teapots, talking posters that startle people, packaging, and clay statues that made their way into Muggle society. However, with Minister Bones' rise, his department's status significantly improved, and due to his experience in drafting laws, he was involved in the negotiations as an expert.
"Um... I must say, those things called technology truly opened my eyes, yes, quite an eye-opener," Mr. Weasley said seriously. "So intricate, so mysterious, I'm still unsure about how card machines work, hard to imagine a combination of plastic and metal could perform such miraculous functions..."
The host had to remind him, "I think it's because they use computers."
"Computers?" Mr. Weasley blinked, "Are there people inside counting?"
"Oh, no, not at all," the host laughed, repeating the pronunciation. "It's a device. Some say the computer is the greatest invention of the century. Though it can be used for calculations, we've managed to make it perform more complex operations, like controlling machine tools, used in personal computers, mobile phones..."
Mr. Weasley listened with a smile, and once the host finished, he candidly responded, "Impressive, I've only encountered mobile phones. One of your ministers kindly demonstrated it to me."
The rest of the time, the host seemed very interested in Mr. Weasley's family, engaging in constant back-and-forth. Initially, Mr. Weasley worried about misspeaking, but realizing the questions were about trivial matters, he became more talkative. Unbeknownst to him, what he considered ordinary was exactly what the ordinary audience found interesting, leading to a rise in ratings.
Then, a TV station worker handed the host a stack of cards filled with handwriting. The host flipped through them and said:
"Many viewers watching the program have called our hotline, and our recorders have selected some messages. Mr. Weasley, would you like to answer a few questions?" Mr. Weasley cautiously replied, "I suppose I could. But—" "Excellent," the host sifted through the cards, picking one and asking, "Duncan from Surrey asks, why does wizard life seem so primitive?"
The host cleared his throat, "I believe the viewer is referring to wizards still using owls to send letters and parcels—indeed, this is surprising. Have wizards considered introducing advanced technological products, like mobile phones?"
"That's a common misconception," Mr. Weasley said seriously. "Wizard life is not primitive, just two different attitudes towards life. Indeed, we use owls for mail, but we also communicate in other ways, such as the Floo Network, Apparition, the Knight Bus, and so on. Moreover, in recent years, items similar to mobile phones have appeared, called 'Muggle mirrors.'"
Thanks to Hogwarts students tirelessly writing letters to Muggle newspapers, an unspoken understanding existed; coupled with occasional public revelations from government spokespeople, the audience could roughly understand Mr. Weasley's explanations. Many were impressed by the Knight Bus that travels nationwide, automatically avoiding all obstacles, wishing to experience it themselves, though some were skeptical, doubting the existence of a transport that could leap tens of kilometers at a time like a frog.
"Mirrorphones," the host repeated in astonishment, "You mean they function similarly to mobile phones?"
Mr. Weasley nodded.
"Invented by my two sons, Fred and George, quite convenient to use."
"Uh, your two sons? Named—" the host furrowed his brows, "Fred and—"
"George," Mr. Weasley patiently explained, "They're twins."
The host looked at him incredulously, asking a question that intrigued everyone, "How old are they?"
"Just turned nineteen three months ago," Mr. Weasley proudly stated, "They are my fourth and fifth sons."
"Incredible," the host addressed the audience, "It seems magic and technology operate on entirely different principles. Hard to imagine such things happening in reality. I wonder if everyone looks forward to seeing the actual item... Let's listen to the next viewer's message: Mrs. Beverly asks, why does magic seem all-powerful, yet wizards have the same troubles as ordinary people?"
Mr. Weasley seriously stated, "Magic isn't all-powerful. We also need extensive learning to master specific spells. From what I've observed and understood, wizards and Muggles live similarly—aside from magic. We all need to learn and work, have families and friends, and worry about money and various mundane issues. There's no fundamental difference." He emphasized again, "Except for magic."
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