“So, since you've appeared at Hogwarts, it means you are roughly among the smartest people in the current non-magical human civilization. Therefore, I must say some things upfront…”

Douglas turned around and slowly walked onto the stage. Only then did people notice what appeared to be steps behind the wooden lectern.

“The peace between the non-magical world and the magical world has lasted for over a thousand years. This delicate balance comes from the restraint and secrecy of the magical world on one hand, and the inherent mystery of magic itself on the other. If you, in your self-importance or foolishness, rashly delve into certain forbidden areas, then an unfortunate and gruesome death will be the least of your worries…”

The middle-aged goblin paused for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, finally settling on the group to the left front.

Compared to the other small groups of scholars in the hall, this group from the former Soviet Union was highly recognizable. Aside from a few women like Natasha and Arkhipovna, most of the men had a gleaming bald head that reflected wisdom.

“Regarding this, I think many of you haven't forgotten, for example, the explosion five years ago…”

A dangerous glint flashed in Douglas's eyes, and he said softly, with a meaningful tone.

“And within the magical world, things a hundred times worse than a nuclear leak are definitely more numerous than you can imagine.”

Hearing this, Arkhipovna and Natasha subconsciously turned their heads to look at the old man surrounded by other former Soviet physicists and mathematicians, Vinogradov, one of the core researchers of the Soviet nuclear program.

Most importantly, he was the one responsible for calculating the subsequent impact parameters after the Chernobyl explosion.

“Undoubtedly, as the most outstanding scholars in the non-magical human society, I believe that all of you have admirable talents in complex and profound mathematical formulas, the pursuit of world truths, and various scientific fields. However, this does not mean that you can smoothly apply these experiences directly to the mysterious world of magic.”

Douglas continued, his dark, slanted, and frighteningly bright eyes slowly scanning across the faces in the hall, which were gradually becoming serious. His voice became even softer, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“This is a completely new and yet ever-present world. Here, your ‘sight’, ‘hearing’, ‘smell’, ‘touch’, ‘taste’, and ‘intuition’, on which you rely for survival, will seem… unreliable. Oh, by the way, Mr. Vinogradov.”

He suddenly changed the subject, casually looking at the old man surrounded by the crowd.

“I heard that you refused Hogwarts' invitation because the mathematics of the magical world was too poor, is that true?”

“I didn't say that,” Vinogradov said with a gentle smile, raising an eyebrow. “It's just that, in my opinion, even Alexei's abilities are too much for simply providing mathematical enlightenment to children. Compared to teaching children to read and write numbers in the classroom, I think writing and calculating in the laboratory would be more meaningful.”

The old man calmly raised his head, his back slowly straightening, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Or perhaps, does ‘she’ have any orders to convey?”

As one of the leading figures in the field of mathematics in the former Soviet Union, Vinogradov did not care about the power of these wizards.

In his view, the wands of wizards and the firearms of the secret police were not much different. If it weren't for the irresistible potato aid, and the repeated guarantees from that old shipyard fellow, he wouldn't have come to this place.

For Vinogradov, it was merely a change of location to continue his research.

“Unfortunately—if I were you, I wouldn't be so sure, sir.”

Douglas shook his head meaningfully, the firelight reflecting in his dark, bright eyes.

The elder's contempt for the newcomer, in this regard, is the same for both long-lived and short-lived species.

Unlike these Muggles confined to a certain field, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and even all goblins, have now fully understood the wisdom of that empress, and they have paid a very heavy price to understand this.

Compared to the arrogance of humans, the arrogance of goblins is simply not worth mentioning.

Even though they are now in the same camp, Douglas did not feel obligated to remind the old man how important an opportunity he had missed. That question just now was just a little personal curiosity.

After all… the mathematics of the magical world is not just about human wizards.

Without continuing the topic, Douglas cleared his throat and continued calmly:

“In the remaining time today, I will mainly introduce some basic common sense about the magical world. This includes the social structure, the main organizations, and of course, the most basic daily life guides, such as the calculation of currency, the use and purchase of daily necessities, the attention points in daily diet, and your scope of activities and daily schedule.”

“By the way, there is only one formal bank in the magical world, Gringotts Wizarding Bank.”

Douglas suddenly grinned, nodding towards a man on the other side of the hall. “This also means that all bribery, research corruption, empty academic traps, and market economy are meaningless to us—”

In the social atmosphere of the former Soviet Union, pure scholars had difficulty surviving, but understanding bad habits does not mean condoning them.

At least in the Hogwarts academy city, Douglas did not want the "Empress" to have to spend extra energy to deal with these trivial matters. The best way to eliminate corruption is to make money lose its appeal.

And in this regard, they have been quite experienced since last winter.

Andrei Mendanlov fidgeted nervously in his chair, and only breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that no one around him was looking at him. As a remnant of the former Soviet biological community, some concepts and ways of survival still needed time to change.

If he did not want to be labeled as "class enemies" hindering the development of the Soviet Union by the Lysenkoist scholars for supporting and studying "genetics," then using money to protect himself and to sound out opinions was undoubtedly the safest way - adhering to the truth required not faith, but this was the only way to protect some surviving scientific seeds during that dark period.

Fortunately, the other party promised that as long as he cooperated well with the research in the future, they would not expose some of his past black history.

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Chapter 1! Oh my god!!