Chapter 28: The Meaning of Magic is to Create Miracles

Roger believed that conflicts between students were best resolved by the students themselves. When a teacher, as an authority figure, intervened, it often amounted to nothing more than suppression—a superficial fix that failed to truly resolve the underlying issue.

Trouble would likely follow. That was why he had stopped Professor McGonagall.

However, if Roger remembered correctly, the friction between Ron and Hermione was supposed to occur after another practice session of the Levitation Charm, right around Halloween. Learning magic was a dangerous business; incorrect spellcasting could have grave consequences. Therefore, students were typically taught the wand movements first, followed by the incantations, and finally, they would combine the two to practice casting.

And yet, Halloween was still some time away.

The conflict had erupted ahead of schedule. Why? Roger realized that the butterfly effect had manifested once again, right under his nose.

With a hint of bewilderment, Roger walked between Hermione and Ron. Harry, worried about his friend, set down his broomstick and hurried over to Ron's side.

Seeing Roger approach, Ron, who had been furious after being poked where it hurt and losing face, lowered his head to stare at the ground, not daring to look at him. He was still angry, but not bold enough to vent that anger on Roger.

Hermione, meanwhile, held her head high—not out of arrogance, but because if she looked up, the tears in her eyes wouldn't fall. Crying in front of Roger was something she considered deeply humiliating.

Watching the two classmates—one looking at the sky, the other at the ground, both nursing their grievances—Roger sighed. "Tell me, what happened?"

"…She was bothering me," Ron muttered.

"I was not," Hermione replied, her voice low and choked with sobs.

Seeing them like this, Roger knew that while fate had shifted, the central theme remained unchanged; the root of their conflict was exactly what he was familiar with. This, however, was tricky. To put it plainly, it was a messy situation involving a young girl who craved validation and lacked an understanding of human nature, cautiously offering kindness only to be stung by those who did not appreciate it, and a sensitive boy whose fragile self-esteem was constantly shredded, leading to an explosive counterattack.

Hurt kindness, a stinging retaliation—no one truly had malicious intent, yet this was the result. In such a situation, siding with either was difficult. Usually, one would either use their strength and knowledge of fate to exert pressure, forcing Ron—who had spoken the harsh words first—to apologize, or explain the complexities of human nature to Hermione, helping her understand that not everyone appreciated boundary-less kindness, and making her realize her own rashness. Or, perhaps, one could do both, punishing each to show fairness.

But Roger didn't want to choose that path.

Her kindness should not be spurned, and his dignity should not be trampled.

"Do you trust me?"

Drawn by his steady voice, Hermione and Ron looked up. Seeing the serious, sincere expression on Roger's face and recalling the protection and help he had provided to his classmates since arriving at school, they both nodded.

"Good." Roger reached out his hands. He took Hermione’s hand in his left and Ron’s in his right.

Although he hadn't been at the school for very long, with the help of his precognitive abilities regarding danger, the progress of Roger's magical experiments had advanced at a speed unimaginable to ordinary wizards. He had mastered neural modification technology and, having read "The Connection Between Soul and Brain" from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, possessed a deep understanding of the brain. Even while preparing documentation on experimental ideas for Professor McGonagall, his own magical experiments had never ceased.

Technically, he was still far from being able to perform magical brain modifications on himself, but he was capable of other operations.

For instance...

Ron and Hermione suddenly widened their eyes. "This... this is..."

Using his hands as connection points, Roger linked his own neural pathways to theirs. With mental power far exceeding the sum of the two, he pressed forward into their minds.

A certain memory in their minds was extracted by a force akin to Legilimency, and then, using Roger as a bridge, they were exchanged!

The events that had just transpired played out again in their minds, but this time, they witnessed everything from the other person's perspective. These memories were more vivid than even Dumbledore’s Pensieve. They could feel every subtle thought the other person had harbored at that moment.

The embarrassment, the anger, the loneliness, the grievance...

The kindness of wanting the other to be better, the longing for a friend, the desire to chase after a close companion, the fear of being left behind... and the pain of being hurt.

In that moment, under Roger's magic, true mutual understanding was achieved.

Hermione was at a loss; she had never known that her help had caused Ron such pain. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

Recovering from the memory, Ron glanced at Harry, who had been standing by his side all along, and shook his head. "No." Ron lowered his head again, but this time it was a deep bow. "…I should be the one saying sorry. I was the one who went too far."

Seeing that the two had not only reached a true reconciliation but that their spirits seemed to have undergone a transformation, a smile bloomed on Roger’s previously stern face.

Roger was happy for them, and happy for himself.

In his past life, Roger had encountered many things—some good, some bad. Just as Professor McGonagall had her regrets, so did Roger. Life is long; who doesn't have some lingering grievances? The Roger of the past was an ordinary mortal; there were things he lacked the power to turn around, and things where, no matter what he did, someone would inevitably get hurt.

But now, it was different.

Muggle methods could never satisfy everyone, but with magic, he could. Muggles could not gather spilled water, but with magic, he could reverse time. The meaning of magic lay in creating miracles!

Every impossible thing, when multiplied by endless time through magic, could become possible!

After the flying lesson ended, Hermione and Ron wanted to ask him to stay so they could express their gratitude, but Roger waved them off and left without saying much. For Roger, this incident with Ron and the others was no different from the times he had helped other students. He did it simply because he preferred to see smiles rather than conflict—that was all. It wasn't for any reward; or rather, seeing the people around him living happily, instead of having faces filled with numbness, unhappiness, and hostility, was reward enough for him.

Who doesn't like living in a joyful and cozy environment?

"Roger." Just as Roger was contemplating how to continue his experiments in his lab tomorrow, striving to resolve the side effects of his pain-amplifying modifications within two days, an aged voice rang out.

He turned back to see Headmaster Albus Dumbledore standing behind him, though he didn't know how long he had been there.

"I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What is it, Headmaster?" It had been a while since they last met at the crossroads outside the courthouse, and Roger looked at Dumbledore with some confusion.

"It is about the Sorcerer's Stone," Dumbledore said with a serious expression. "I... may I entrust the Sorcerer's Stone to you?"

"Huh?" The little prophet was momentarily stunned.

How could the trajectory of fate suddenly undergo such a massive change? He hadn't done anything too outrageous since arriving at school, had he?