Intelligence from the Muggle World

Night had fallen, but Lin An's laboratory was brightly lit.

Heavy curtains shut out the chill from outside, while only the blue glow of the alchemical array illuminated the entire room.

His fingertips glided across the magic circle, and several runes lit up in sequence, forming a screen of light.

It was a device that combined Muggle technology and magic—the "Cross-Boundary Communication Array."

Several months ago, he had forcibly fused satellite signals with magical frequencies during his experiments.

Now, this device could already receive real-time internet data from the real world.

Points of light flickered continuously across the screen.

"London—temperature ten degrees Celsius, partly cloudy."

"Tokyo, Japan—observation records of unusual energy fluctuations."

"United States—anomalies in a new particle acceleration experiment..."

Lin An's gaze shifted as he pulled up the report.

The report was extremely brief, yet it greatly interested him.

"During the experiment, nonlinear interference was observed in the energy flow.

"A set of self-stabilizing magical circuits formed within the sample."

"Magical circuits..." Lin An murmured.

"It seems the Muggle world has also inadvertently touched the edge of magic."

He knew full well that this so-called "energy interference" was actually the result of resonance between magical energy and physical energy.

At the right frequency, magic could naturally "invade" the material plane, creating an effect akin to magic.

That meant Muggle science was approaching the essence of "magic."

He lightly tapped the desk and murmured, "Perhaps I should find some time to visit the real world."

Just then, new data appeared on the screen of light—

"Tokyo, Japan. An unknown energy explosion occurred in Shibuya, causing dozens of casualties. The government has declared it an industrial accident."

Lin An frowned.

"An energy explosion... This isn't on the scale Muggle technology would cause."

He fed the data into the analysis array, and the energy spectrum soon appeared.

The result made him narrow his eyes—it was an extremely concentrated magical fluctuation.

"This frequency... is actually similar to the ancient ruins I detected beneath Hogwarts?"

He took out his notes and quickly compared them.

Sure enough, they matched.

"It seems someone from the Wizarding World has infiltrated reality."

"And they have mastered an ancient rune system," he said quietly.

Lin An slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the bookshelf.

He pulled a volume titled <Research on Energy Resonance Between Magic and Technology> from a row of dust-covered scrolls.

It was a manuscript he had written many years ago.

"I once thought magic and technology could not coexist. Now it seems—there simply wasn't a proper medium."

He gently closed the book.

Since magical phenomena had already begun appearing spontaneously in the real world,

then the time for the "fusion of worlds" might come earlier than he had imagined.

The following morning, Hogwarts' Great Hall was as lively as ever.

Yet the students were not discussing lessons, but a recent piece of news that had been spreading around.

"Have you heard? Muggle scientists in London claim they've discovered a device that can control gravity!"

"Really? Muggles can use magic too?"

"Professor Bones said it before—magic and science are both energy at their core; they just take different forms."

Several students discussed it excitedly, their voices carrying a strange sense of reverence.

To them, Lin An was not merely a professor, but more like a legendary figure who could travel between two worlds.

At the other end of the Great Hall, Dumbledore watched everything quietly.

A meaningful gleam flickered through his blue eyes.

He had long noticed that Lin An's research was far more than simple alchemy.

It seemed Lin An was attempting to rebuild the bridge between magic and reality.

If such an endeavor went out of control, no one could bear the consequences.

That afternoon, Lin An returned to his office.

A letter from the Ministry of Magic sat on his desk. It was signed by Amelia Bones—Susan's aunt and the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The letter was brief and direct:

"The Ministry of Magic is investigating the recent anomalous phenomena in the Muggle world. Immediately cease all experiments involving cross-boundary research.

"Any violation of this order will be treated as treasonous research. You will bear the consequences yourself."

After reading it, Lin An merely smiled faintly.

"As expected, they've already noticed."

He gently folded the letter and tossed it into the flames.

The fire devoured the words, leaving behind only fleeting ashes.

"You fear the unknown, yet you have forgotten—magic has always been an exploration of the unknown."

He turned and looked out the window.

The sky over Hogwarts was shrouded in a thin mist, while the distant world was quietly changing.

Night fell once more.

The door to the Room of Requirement slowly opened, and blue light spilled from the crack.

Lin An walked inside, and the room automatically transformed into the shape of a laboratory.

He took out Phoenix blood and an energy crystal, placing them side by side at the center of the rune array.

"If this world truly is merging..." he said quietly,

"then I must master the new rules in advance."

The light array began to operate, and energy resonated through the air.

The blue light turned gold, spreading throughout the entire room.

At that moment, atop one of Hogwarts' towers, a sleeping Phoenix suddenly opened its eyes.