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Chapter 152
"Voldemort was a Slytherin?" Harry asked uncertainly. Aside from Voldemort, who else could have been the most terrifying Dark Wizard of the past few decades?
"Not only was he a Slytherin," George replied meaningfully, "he was also a half-blood."
"A half-blood?" Harry and the others could no longer remain calm.
"He led a pure-blood supremacist organization, and he was a half-blood himself? Is he insane, or is the whole world insane?"
George looked calmly at the three children and shook his head.
"No one is insane. Everything is about interests. You need to understand this: every theory, every ideology, every movement, every piece of propaganda exists because of interests."
The three of them stared at him as if he had dropped a bomb.
"They murdered wizards and Muggles, spread fear and death everywhere... just for interests?" they asked in disbelief.
"What else do you think?" George said darkly. "Do you think they were trying to save the world? Or destroy it?"
"Dark Lords are crazy," Harry said hesitantly. "Maybe they just want to destroy everything."
"If you believe that, you're completely mistaken," George replied.
"Are the Dursleys insane?"
Harry's expression darkened, but he answered seriously.
"No. They're not crazy. They're just awful people. When they deal with wealthy developers or powerful bosses, they're perfectly capable of flattering and sucking up to them."
"Then what about Malfoy and Lucius? Are they insane?" George continued.
"They're jerks," Ron said after some thought. "Complete jerks. Sometimes they say ridiculous things. But no, they're not crazy. They're actually very cunning."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"So everything they do is for their own benefit? Blood purity is just an excuse?"
As someone born into a Muggle family, Hermione belonged to one of the groups most heavily discriminated against. She had always assumed such prejudice came from ignorance, bias, and irrational hatred.
She had never considered that those ideas might simply be excuses used to justify the pursuit of power and privilege.
George nodded.
"No one discriminates against blades of grass. No one discriminates against giant trees. No one discriminates against things that pose no threat."
"Whenever prejudice survives for a long time, there is usually an organized system behind it. And organized discrimination always serves someone's interests."
He spoke with unusual seriousness.
"The root of discrimination isn't hatred. It's profit."
"Discriminating against half-bloods allows people to insult and exploit them."
"Discriminating against Muggles allows people to rob and kill them without guilt."
"Discriminating against the poor makes it easier to oppress them."
"Discriminating against landowners makes it easier to seize their land."
"Discriminating against outsiders gives people social and economic advantages."
"Behind every large-scale conflict lies a struggle over interests. Hatred rarely appears without a reason."
George leaned back slightly.
"Political slogans, grand ideals, and propaganda are simply tools."
"When people rally others to a cause, they are usually asking them to fight, seize resources, or defend existing advantages."
"The slogans change depending on who is being persuaded."
"If you're rallying common people, you'll speak of justice, equality, and overthrowing oppression."
"If you're rallying scholars and officials, you'll talk about preserving culture and governing wisely."
"If you're rallying soldiers, you'll speak of power, conquest, and glory."
"When you're weak, you'll tell people that even a spark can start a wildfire."
"When you're strong, you'll tell them that those who follow will prosper while those who resist will perish."
"When growth is needed, you'll preach peace and patience."
"When power is secure, you'll preach strength and dominance."
He paused.
"By themselves, slogans mean very little."
"Just as fish-flavored shredded pork contains no fish, most political slogans contain neither absolute truth nor pure ideals."
"The real motivations are hidden beneath them—in interests, power, and the complicated realities of the world."
"The world is too complex to be explained by a few inspirational phrases."
George's gaze grew distant.
"Voldemort led a pure-blood movement, yet he was a half-blood himself."
"Throughout history, many leaders who claimed to represent the oppressed were never truly among the oppressed."
"The people who cause the most suffering are often the ones who claim to speak on behalf of others."
"In the end, conflicts begin because of interests, and they usually end because of interests as well."
Hermione frowned.
"If that's true, what did Voldemort gain from spreading fear?"
"He already had everything. People were terrified even to speak his name."
George smiled faintly.
"Let me put it this way."
"You should be afraid of me too. I'm extremely wealthy."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately nodded—then shook their heads frantically.
They all knew George was probably richer than Lucius Malfoy.
As for Draco, he practically had to borrow pocket money from George.
George shrugged.
"In the wizarding world, there are very few things I can't afford."
"The real problem is that the most valuable things aren't for sale."
He sounded almost annoyed.
"The magical economy is primitive. Wizards still trade favors and influence. Money alone can't buy true power."
Understanding dawned on Ron's face.
"So Voldemort chose to take what he couldn't buy."
"He became a Dark Lord because it let him seize whatever he wanted. The Malfoy family practically belonged to him."
"Exactly," George said.
Hermione looked suspiciously between George and Ron.
"You two figured that out awfully quickly."
"No!" Ron said immediately, shaking his head with all his might.
"Absolutely not!"
George merely raised an eyebrow.
Personally, he had never been interested in that path.
For him, it wasn't a question of possibility, but of choice.
He continued,
"I prefer business and negotiation to having people hunt me down."
"Lately I've been doing quite a lot of business with ghosts, and it's been surprisingly profitable."
Then his expression turned serious once more.
"That's the truth of it."
"Plunder brings wealth quickly—but it disappears just as quickly."
"Violence is the most powerful force in the world."
"But it is also the most addictive, the most dangerous, and the hardest to control."
He looked toward the window.
"Even if Voldemort hadn't fallen because of Harry, he would eventually have been destroyed by someone else."
"Perhaps by Dumbledore."
"Or perhaps by one of his own followers."
(To be continued.)