Without a Doubt, You Are a Wizard

When a charge was ambiguous—when it could be argued either way—the key to the verdict became whether Roger Virgil himself, and the precedent set by his sentencing, would harm the wizarding community.

On that point, Dumbledore chose to trust the child—and to trust his own judgment and abilities.

The hearing began to adjourn, and a figure slowly approached Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, you'll be facing some trouble next."

An elderly man in Wizengamot robes stood there, speaking in a grave tone. He did not look much younger than the centenarian Dumbledore.

"Yes, I'm prepared." Dumbledore knew exactly what this old friend of many years meant.

The American Ministry of Magic was not particularly concerned with Roger Virgil's case. Its interests did not wholly align with those of the United States. It had merely turned its attention here to see whether it could exploit an opening and gain something from the situation. In Dumbledore's eyes, it was easy enough to deal with.

The troublesome part was the Middle East. During the war, Roger had falsely claimed to be a religious prophet. That was one of his charges, but... he really was a prophet! Moreover, some people in the Middle Eastern wizarding world genuinely believed Roger was the legendary religious prophet! Wizards might appear detached from the Muggle world, but the boundaries of wizarding influence followed Muggle national borders. Every year, a considerable number of Muggles experienced magical outbursts in childhood and became young wizards.

Some Pureblood Wizard families were even nobles officially granted titles by Muggle nations.

Even with the International Statute of Secrecy, the boundary between the wizarding world and the Muggle world was not actually all that distinct.

In a world where most nations were religious states, a considerable portion of the wizarding community was influenced by religion as well. Some had Muggle parents whose family upbringing leaned toward various churches, while others came from wizarding families that knew of the Witch Hunt and were somewhat hostile toward the Church.

And in the Middle East, people on both sides believed Roger truly was that "prophet." Some wanted to help him, while others wanted to kill him without mercy.

Part of the reason the case had been moved to the United Kingdom for trial was that Roger was from the United Kingdom. The other part was that the Middle East was embroiled in fierce internal conflict over the matter. No one could convince anyone else, so they had thrown it over here.

Now, the Wizengamot's final verdict had declared Roger Virgil not guilty by a vote of thirty to twenty, with Dumbledore signaling his stance through silence. He had been acquitted in court—but this matter was far from over.

The old wizard had known Dumbledore for many years. He understood Dumbledore's nature. He knew that once this soft-hearted yet stubborn old headmaster had chosen to protect Roger, he would protect him to the end.

The British wizarding world and the Middle Eastern wizarding world would likely have a little friction ahead.

Hearing Dumbledore say that, the old wizard said nothing more. He simply nodded and left.

Since Dumbledore was prepared, there was nothing to worry about.

After all, he was the headmaster of Hogwarts, the cradle of all wizards in the United Kingdom; the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; the Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards; and the greatest wizard of the century in the United Kingdom! He believed his old friend could overcome any difficulty in the world!

At that moment.

Standing at a London intersection, with one of the Ministry of Magic headquarters' entrances disguised as a telephone booth behind him, Roger felt a profound sense of unreality.

He had already prepared himself to be sentenced to Azkaban, to struggle for survival under the Dementors' torment, to use every possible method to glean a little magical knowledge from the prisoners, to lie low for seven years, and then, when Voldemort returned and freed the Death Eaters from Azkaban, to seize the chance to escape.

...Harry Potter. He had never read the novels, and he had only watched the films up to Order of the Phoenix. He felt that the later films had such a drastically different style from the earlier ones that he had not continued watching. He had only occasionally come across a few clips on short-video platforms.

But if Death Eaters appeared later on, then Voldemort must have "granted a general amnesty," right? Roger did not know, but life always needed a little hope.

Yet who could have imagined that just when all seemed lost, a new path would appear.

He was actually innocent just like that?! "How does it feel? Do you feel completely unburdened?" a gentle voice sounded beside him.

Roger turned around. Dumbledore was standing at his side, though Roger had no idea when he had arrived.

He was still wearing the Chief Warlock's Wizengamot robes, as if he had not yet had time to change. Yet there was none of the courtroom's authority in his expression. All he had was the kindly warmth of a grandfather next door.

"Yes. The feeling of freedom is intoxicating," Roger answered honestly.

"Mr. Dumbledore, words cannot express my gratitude. I will remember everything you have done for me." Roger looked up at the tall old man, who stood just over six feet, his expression solemn.

If the Dumbledore before him truly was the Dumbledore Roger knew from the films, then lending a hand was indeed in keeping with his nature. But Roger had never taken anyone's help for granted.

He would remember this kindness.

Seeing Roger's solemn expression, Dumbledore merely smiled. He raised a hand and gently ruffled Roger's silky blond hair twice. "You're only eleven years old. You're still a child. Don't always be so serious like an adult. You're free now. You're safe now. If possible, I hope you can live like other children do. Be a child, and smile more."

Roger lowered his head and remained silent.

Like a child... ?

After experiencing so much life and death, he did not merely feel unable to be like a child. He even felt somewhat out of step with the normal people around him.

Seeing him like this, Dumbledore's hand paused before he withdrew it. He did not press the matter further, instead changing the subject.

"Roger, what are your plans for the future?"

Just as that old Wizengamot wizard had thought, since Dumbledore had chosen to save Roger, he would see it through to the end. He would not drag him out of prison only to abandon him on a crowded street.

The United Kingdom was a peaceful country, but not peaceful enough for anyone to feel at ease about a child wandering through streets and alleys all day. Homeless people, illegal immigrants, gangs, smuggled wizards, Magical Creatures... there were always unstable factors that gave cause for concern.

"First, I'll find a way to contact my relatives on my mother's side. My father was an orphan, so they're the only family I can look for. My mother's business was mainly in Kuwait. With her assets destroyed and the penalties for unfulfilled orders, the company will probably go bankrupt."

"If I choose to inherit it, I'll most likely inherit nothing but debt. I've lived in Kuwait since I was seven, and I've had almost no contact with my relatives here for four years. I don't know what their attitude toward me will be now."

As he spoke of how he had gone from a wealthy Roman noble to a penniless nobody, Roger's tone did not fluctuate in the slightest.

In his view, it was truly not worth caring about. His most precious wealth was the knowledge in his mind.

Knowing the future course of the world, he would have no shortage of opportunities to make money.

Besides...

"Even if they do not welcome me, they surely will not ignore what happened to my mother. I brought back some money from Kuwait. It isn't much, but it should be enough to take care of the funeral arrangements."

"There are many inconveniences in handling these matters as a minor, so I'll need their help. Once my parents' funerals are taken care of, I'll devote all my energy to one thing."

"What thing?" Seeing Roger deep in thought, Dumbledore sighed inwardly. It seemed making this child live like other children would be a long and difficult road.

"Confirming whether I'm really a wizard."

"If I am, I'll find a chance to learn magic."

Yes, now that he had confirmed this was a world of magic, the most important thing was naturally learning magic—not money.

Dumbledore froze for a moment. "Hm?"

Roger knew what Dumbledore was confused about, so he explained, "Although all of you say I committed many magical crimes, I'm not actually sure whether I can really use magic, or whether I'm truly a wizard."

"From what I learned from others at the detention center, a normal young wizard's magical outburst is very brief. It isn't like my situation. And aside from sensing danger related to myself, I have no other abilities."

"So sometimes, I wonder whether this 'ability' of mine is really magic. I heard that there are other beings in the world with special abilities too, such as ghosts, centaurs, vampires, trolls..."

At that, Roger's expression became uncertain.

After everything he had experienced, he already understood the importance of power, and he knew what he truly desired.

If he missed out on the power of magic, it would truly be a crushing blow to Roger.

"You child, you think too much." Dumbledore shook his head with a hint of helplessness.

"If the Ministry of Magic pinned these crimes on you, then it must have had absolutely conclusive evidence."

As he spoke, Dumbledore took out a pristine white envelope and placed it in Roger's hand.

Then he said, "The names of young wizards born in the United Kingdom and who have lived there for some time appear on the enrollment list of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry through the power of magic."

"This is your Hogwarts acceptance letter."

"Roger, without a doubt, you are a wizard!"