Chapter 1275: Magic Spell Study Group Activity Room 4_2

“Unconsciously, you might become a lawbreaker! The Ministry of Magic has the right to confiscate your Magic Wand, expel you from school, and make your parents lose their jobs!”

“And all of this could be just because of an unintentional conversation!”

“Who can guarantee they will never say the wrong thing?”

A slight commotion erupted in the classroom.

Vid paid no attention, he continued to speak:

“The so-called communication registration means that the letters your parents write to you, the things they send you, can be opened and inspected by the Security Envoy.”

“Initially, it might be voluntary. But if you refuse inspection and registration—think back to the first rule, friends—when you refuse, you are suspected of leaking secrets!”

“And what they call abnormal behavior monitoring… what is abnormal?”

“When you feel down because you miss your parents, when you argue with your friends and say things without thinking, when you collapse because of exam stress, can all this be defined as ‘abnormal’ by Mr. Envoy?”

“He might not understand your pain, but he has the right to punish you for feeling pain!”

“If an abnormal behavior monitoring mechanism is really established, then Hogwarts would have no normal students, only students whose abnormalities haven’t been discovered yet!”

The meeting room fell completely silent.

In the stillness, it seemed something invisible was brewing.

That “Safety Regulations” made many feel uncomfortable. But these feelings were vague, uncertain, as if as long as one followed the rules, they had nothing to do with oneself.

But through Vid’s analysis, everyone was horrified to realize—those traps hidden between the words could easily drag them into the abyss!

Vid stood straight on the stage, slightly lowering his head, looking at those eyes reflecting the firelight, and said:

“And the prefect reporting system.”

“Originally, the prefects in each house were among the most outstanding students, with excellent grades, reliable character, and a sense of responsibility, which is why they became prefects.”

“But if they truly follow this system, what do prefects become? They become individuals who surveil, backstab their classmates—they become the lackeys of the Security Envoy!”

“Do you dare to trust your prefects anymore? Do you dare to joke in front of them? Will your classmates still respect them?”

Vid paused for a moment and then shifted the focus:

“But is it really the prefects who are wrong?”

“No! It’s the ones forcing them to write these reports!”

In the darkness, Hermione, Anthony, and others showed an excited expression, wanting to shout loudly—yes, that’s right!

Since those regulations were posted, even someone as well-liked as Cedric distinctly felt the distance and caution from his classmates.

No one wants to become someone “written into the report.”

But prefects feel wronged too—did they volunteer to do such things?

And even though the regulations were just put up, not a single “House Student Behavior Abnormal Report” has been written yet! Prefects already seem to have become the enemies of all classmates.

“Coupled with the need for registration when contacting professors,” Vid continued: “You encounter difficulties, you are in pain, you want to seek help from a professor—no, every word you say might be recorded, made public!”

“And when a professor finds their student in trouble and wants to understand deeper—no! Their concern, falling into the files, might be interpreted as a harmful influence on the student!”

“Or let’s think a bit more sinister—”

“When a professor dislikes a student, he can, after a conversation, designate the student as ‘abnormal behavior, dangerous thoughts.'”

“Or if a student wants to incriminate a professor, they can quietly add to the files, for example… ‘The professor dislikes me only because I have Muggle blood.'”

“And those designated as ‘problematic’ or ‘high-risk’ will never be able to shake off this stigmatizing label!”

In the crowd, Harry’s face went pale then paler.

He was certain that given the chance, Professor Snape would surely define him as the most dangerous student needing behavioral correction by the Ministry of Magic.

But if he were to turn around and implicate Professor Snape instead…

Despairing, Harry thought, if he really did that, Professor Snape would definitely pry open his skull and extract those despicable thoughts to show everyone.

In the darkness, Malfoy’s expression was somber, his brow furrowing.

Although Frank Longbottom hadn’t done anything to him to date and always treated him like a regular student, Malfoy felt he just hadn’t found the right opportunity for revenge.

He never believed anyone could truly be foolish enough… or genuinely selfless enough to forgive an enemy who harmed their family.

Even if Lucius hadn’t been involved at the time, who could blame Bellatrix Lestrange for being Draco’s direct aunt?

“Prefects must write reports, and dialogues with professors need file reviews… are they protecting students, or are they making those willing to help dare not to approach?”

“The most precious trust between us will vanish completely! And not even requiring anything to happen, merely realizing one might be under surveillance is enough to kill all sincerity!”

Vid slightly raised his voice and continued:

“And item control—”

“Prohibiting harmful items, this sounds reasonable.”

“Prohibiting insult, defamation, and discrimination, this also makes sense, but the definitions start to blur—what kind of behavior counts as discrimination? Does a Slytherin rolling their eyes at a Gryffindor count as discrimination?”

“And ‘items that might seriously disrupt normal teaching order, affecting others’ study and rest’—this has started becoming dangerous!”

“You think it’s merely referring to Dungbombs, Nosebleed Nougat, or automatic answering Quills of this sort?”

“Yes, the first two regulations would lead you to this misconception.”

“But classmates—when you laugh out loud because Energizing Potion makes your ears smoke, isn’t that affecting others’ rest?”

As everyone shuddered, Vid said in a solemn voice:

“As for ‘other items deemed inappropriate for students by the Ministry of Magic Department of Education’—this is the most dangerous!”

“What is ‘inappropriate to possess’? It can be a magazine like The Quibbler mocking the Ministry of Magic, a popular comic series Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle’s Adventures, a Friendship Book to keep in touch with your parents, or a Poppet Pet that wakes you up every day!”

“Finally… is ‘behavior correction’!”

“Translated, it means—whether a prefect or an ordinary student, if you don’t obey, the Security Envoy can legitimately prevent you from playing Quidditch, going to Hogsmeade, or participating in anything you like!”

“Until you are willing to submit and obey their orders, until they confirm you have changed!”

“Only then will they pretend to be generous and bestow upon you the rights that were yours to begin with!”

Vid finished speaking in one go, his words echoing powerfully.

Every word struck heavily on everyone’s hearts.

The meeting room was incredibly quiet, only the sound of the candle wick crackling could be heard.

Vid paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and spoke again:

“The ‘Safety Regulations’ are not truly safety regulations, they are the blueprint for a cage.”

“It tells you: do not trust professors.”

“Do not trust classmates.”

“Do not speak the truth to anyone.”

“Do not write down your thoughts.”

“Obey all rules, do not do anything out of the ordinary.”

“Do not question authority, the Ministry of Magic’s decision is everything.”

“And… do not be yourself.”

“But true safety should not be built on mutual surveillance; true protection should not come at the cost of sacrificing freedom!”

“But do you know what the scariest thing is if these safety regulations are carried out?”

Vid paused for a long time this time.

He seemed to gaze at everyone’s eyes glowing in the dark, as though staring at the darkness itself.

He said:

“The scariest thing is—someone will voluntarily register, report, suspect, and frame their classmates and professors, either to protect themselves or to deal with people they dislike.”

“Once this trend establishes, even when Percy leaves and the safety regulations are abolished, people will still use these means as weapons to attack anything they don’t like.”

“When people become accustomed to being controlled, they turn into their own guards, becoming wardens who deprive others of the space to breathe freely.”

“That is the scariest future!”