Chapter 10: The Statute of Secrecy
POV: Holly Potter
The morning light filtered through the high arched windows of the History of Magic classroom, casting golden rays over the dusty desks. Holly Potter took her usual seat near the middle, her emerald eyes scanning the growing crowd of students.
The air buzzed with anticipation—Professor Fawley's classes had quickly become a highlight of their schedule.
His passionate lectures and hands-on demonstrations made history feel alive, unlike the droning monotony of the ghostly Binns.
Holly glanced around. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were gossiping in hushed tones near the back, while Hermione Granger meticulously organized her quills and parchment. Ronda Weasley was engaged in a heated debate with Dean Thomas about Quidditch statistics, her fiery hair bobbing as she argued.
Stella Malfoy sat primly at the edge of the room, her eternal smirk contrasting sharply with the warm chatter of her peers.
Professor Fawley strode in, his long coat billowing dramatically. The room quieted instantly. His piercing gaze swept over the students, his presence commanding attention as effortlessly as a Lumos in the dark.
"Good morning, class," he began, his voice rich and resonant. "Today, we delve into an often-misunderstood chapter of magical history: the witch hunts." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "The non-magical—or Muggle—persecution of witches and wizards during the Middle Ages and beyond is not just a tale of fear and ignorance. It's a story of resilience, adaptation, and the fragile balance between our worlds."
He waved his wand, and the room transformed. The walls shimmered, replaced by flickering scenes of fire-lit trials and shadowy figures in hoods. Gasps filled the air as the students found themselves seemingly standing amidst a medieval village square.
Holly felt a shiver run down her spine as she took in the vivid imagery. "This is incredible," she whispered to Hermione, who nodded, her eyes wide with fascination.
Professor Fawley gestured to a scene of a young woman being accused by an angry mob. "Who can tell me the most famous misconception about the witch hunts?" he asked.
Hermione's hand shot up immediately. "Most people believe the witch hunts primarily targeted actual magical practitioners, but in reality, the vast majority of the victims were non-magical."
"Precisely," Fawley said with a nod. "And why is that significant?"
Holly raised her hand hesitantly. "Because it shows how fear and prejudice can lead to senseless violence, even against people who aren't a real threat."
"Excellent point, Miss Potter." He flicked his wand, and the scene shifted to an inquisitor's chamber. "But let's not forget: magical individuals did fall victim too, particularly those who couldn't hide their abilities. You must understand that while we talk what Miss Granger spoke about is true about the last bits of witch hunt, it's true only to this recent frenzy.
At that time, most wizarding folk had some power to fight back but that hasn't always been the case. Witch hunts is a fear that exists since ancient times in the wizarding community and at the time, except for the extremely powerful witches, most wizarding folk was defenseless.
It's easy for a powerful witch to dispatch tens or even hundreds of ennemy muggles but for someone who doesn't have such a power, the task is extremely hard, and even the powerful witches couldn't always win, imagine if someone threatens them with their husband or children, what would happen, most of the times, they couldn't do anything."
The image of a young wizard being dragged to a stake filled the space. Holly's heart clenched as she imagined herself in his place. She wasn't the only one affected; even Stella Malfoy looked visibly uncomfortable.
Most of the times, when the wizarding folk was found, they were beaten and then burned and that's the reason for our means of transportation, most of you probably know about this powder we throw in a chimney to appear in another chimney, it was invented by a witch named Albertha Bogin to save the powerless wizarding folk from the muggles, especially the disarmed witches or the children.
The children couldn't fight back but with this powder, they only had to keep it in their pocket and thus, when they were throwned in the fire they just disappeared !"
"It's not for nothing that most inventions were made, black magic was useful for powerless witches to survive against dangerous mob or to fight against powerful witches that sought to kill them."
"The forbidden spells, the Unforgivables were created to protect oneself from the Church, it has since become a powerful tool for dark wizards but at the time, it was extremely useful and it would once again be the case if the wizarding world had to fight against the muggle world."
Only silence could be heard inside the classroom, most students looked uncomfortable at this idea,
"This brings us to the pivotal question," Fawley continued. "What measures did our world take to protect itself?"
The class murmured, and Theodore Nott ventured cautiously, "The Statute of Secrecy?"
"Exactly." Professor Fawley waved his wand again, and the scene shifted to a gathering of witches and wizards in elaborate robes. "The International Statute of Secrecy, established in 1689, was our community's response to the growing threat. It marked a turning point—a retreat into the shadows to ensure our survival."
He turned to the class, his expression serious. "But was it the right decision?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with complexity. Dean Thomas frowned. "It kept us safe, but it also made us distant. Like we're hiding from the world."
Ronda snorted. "Better hidden than burned alive, don't you think?"
Fawley raised a hand to forestall the brewing argument. "Both perspectives have merit. And therein lies the eternal struggle of our kind: balancing secrecy with the desire to connect."
As the lesson continued, Professor Fawley encouraged open discussion. Holly found herself drawn into the debate, her mind racing with thoughts about the implications of secrecy. Hermione argued for cautious integration with the Muggle world, while Stella countered with a staunch defense of tradition.
"It's not just about us," Holly said finally, her voice steady despite the attention it drew. "The more we separate ourselves, the harder it is to understand each other. Fear comes from ignorance, and ignorance thrives in isolation."
Fawley's eyes gleamed with approval. "A thoughtful insight, Miss Potter. History teaches us that the lines between right and wrong are rarely clear. It's up to each generation to navigate them wisely."
"I've got another questions, what do you think would happen if the Statute of Secrecy disappeared ?"
"War." Said Ronda.
Hermione watched her, astonished.
"You're right Miss Weasley, humans fear what they don't understand and they have always sought to destroy what they fear, it has always been the case, muggles and wizardkind alike, they destroyed entire civilizations while we annihilated or gained control of different species.
The muggle world and the wizarding world have grown too different, it's possible for children to adapt but don't expect adults that have always decided the way the world work to acknowledge this new world. The only reason everything is going well is that the both governments are working together."
"Don't think we would easily win a war against muggles, there are 6 billion muggles for 1 million wizard and witches. They have powerful weapons and we have both powerful and insidious spells, they can't win against us but we also can't win against them, a war would only mutually destroy both of our world (and that's only if we use magic such as Imperio)"
The bell rang, breaking the spell of the immersive lesson. As the classroom returned to its usual form, Holly gathered her things, her mind buzzing with new questions and perspectives. She glanced at Professor Fawley, who was already engrossed in a pile of scrolls, his passion for history evident in every fiber of his being.
As Holly and her friends made their way to their next class, she couldn't shake the feeling that today's lesson had touched on something deeper—not just about the past, but about the choices they all faced in shaping the future.