Realistically speaking, in this fantasy world of wizards and magic, neither the history of the Muggle world nor the history of the magical world can be that simple.
Because the International Statute of Secrecy was signed and came into effect only in 1689, and before that time, wizards and Muggles lived together.
Since they lived together, conflicts were bound to arise.
Logically speaking, wizards with magical powers would inevitably want to enslave Muggles.
Because you can find bad people anywhere.
But the wizards were forced to seclude themselves.
From this, it is not difficult to see that in the war between wizards and muggles, the wizards were at a disadvantage.
1689... This was a time when hot weapons began to prevail. Coupled with wizards from the Muggle world and some justice-minded wizards, it is understandable that those wizards who aimed to enslave Muggles would be at a disadvantage.
Andy guessed part of the truth after a little sorting out.
Hermione's expression didn't look particularly cheerful anymore.
In the history of the Muggle world, the era in which witch hunts were carried out could be considered an extremely dark period.
During that time, fires were burning all over Europe, and both religious forces and secular judicial authorities were vigorously hunting down witches, causing many innocent people to suffer as a result.
As a witch herself, Hermione has often felt conflicted when reading about this period of history.
She had always believed that the witch hunts were the product of an ignorant age, a cruel and extreme persecution carried out by those in power to satisfy their own ambitions and desires.
But now she has heard another version of the story.
According to this version, wizards enslaved Muggles, which led to a collective uprising.
If you think about it, at that time, all social classes, both secular and religious authorities, believed that people were practising witchcraft.
That's just not normal!
How can everyone believe it if they have not witnessed it?
Historical records of the Muggles tell of a time when the social system collapsed, chaos reigned, and countless people died from famine, the Black Plague, and years of unrest and war.
Before that, the Manor System was very prosperous for a time.
The Manor System. Perhaps it was a system created by the wizards to rule over the Muggles.
The war between the two sides did not officially end until the wizards had completely secluded themselves.
"What about the alchemical runes?"
Andy asked hurriedly. "Is it a writing system invented by a certain wizard civilisation?"
Hermione was engrossed in the tragedy behind the history.
But Andy had not forgotten that the reason he and Hermione were discussing the wizard's country was because of the alchemical runes.
Andy suspected that it was the written language of a certain wizard civilisation.
"Maybe..."
Grey Lady's answer was a little ambiguous. "The origins of alchemy are very ancient. Even in my time, there were no more records of it."
"But..."
After a pause, Grey Lady continued, "The origin of alchemy should be in the era when hieroglyphic writing was prevalent. Wizards of that era may have used this script for incantations."
Andy frowned slightly. "Can the alchemical runes also be used as incantations?"
Grey Lady gave Andy a rather surprised look.
"I have some doubts about your intelligence..."
Grey Lady said, "Spells don't differentiate between languages; they have nothing to do with language... You do know about mind control magic, don't you?"
Andy's face turned red.
Indeed, mind control magic and spellcasting without a wand might be difficult, but many wizards can do silent casting.
This shows that reciting an incantation is not a prerequisite for casting a spell.
"But..."
Andy organised his thoughts and continued, "The writing we're using now can't be used in alchemy... What's so special about those runes?"
You could even go so far as to say that alchemy is a magical system developed based on runes.
Latin letters simply can't be used in alchemy.
"Many different scripts can be used in alchemy,"
Grey Lady explained. "Alchemy was once popular in many countries and regions, so the runes you're learning are just one of those languages."
"You know why the runes are called pictographic scripts, right?"
"Because this type of writing evolved from images of objects, making them inherently magical and capable of being inscribed directly onto materials."
Andy suddenly had a lightbulb moment.
So that's it!
As long as it's a pictographic script, it can be used in alchemy.
If that's the case...
Andy's eyes lit up.
Could the Chinese characters he knew from his previous life be used in alchemy?
If this were the case, Andy felt that it was only a matter of time before he could surpass even Nicolas Flamel in alchemy.
He knew Chinese!
Thinking this, Andy asked casually, "What about Chinese? They still use characters based on pictographs. Can those be used in alchemy too?"
"Yes!" Grey Lady nodded slightly.
However, before Andy could be happy, he heard Grey Lady continue, "However...not all characters have magic power; only a few of them do."
"I remember...the ancient script they used; I think they were called...oracle bone? They use those for alchemy."
Andy: "..."
How embarrassing.
Oracle bone script, not to mention learning it, Andy has only seen it a few times in books and glanced over it.
"Is modern Chinese no good?" Andy asked, a little unwillingly.
"I don't know!"
Grey Lady said, "When I was alive, I heard... I heard people mention oracle bone a few times, so that's how I know about it. As for what's going on now... well, I've been long dead to know."
"Sorry!" Andy apologised.
"But you can try."
Grey Lady continued, "Scripts that evolved from images of objects are usually magical. You just need to find them and arrange them in the correct order to use them in the alchemical magical system."
That was an idea.
But after thinking about it, Andy decided against it.
Now he is living in Europe and is used to English, and there is no one to mentor him on that language if he has doubts!
In contrast, Dumbledore is a master of alchemy, and if Andy encounters any questions he doesn't understand in alchemy, he can simply ask Dumbledore.
Not to mention Nicolas Flamel!
Although the Philosopher's Stone has been destroyed, how long Nicolas Flamel can live is something only he knows.
What if he still has the elixir of life stock for hundreds of years?
There's no point in guessing!
In addition, Andy had another idea that had just popped into his head.
Alchemy. Could it be possible to use it to create a magical version of the internet?
Upon further contemplation, it seemed not impossible.
Andy remembered that when he first explored Azkaban, he encountered a world within a painting. That world within a painting had traces of alchemy.
What's more, the characters in the painting could visit each other...
Andy suddenly had a bold idea!
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