Chapter 500 - 316: Hogwarts Public Open Day (Part 2)

Chapter 500: Chapter 316: Hogwarts Public Open Day (Part 2)

"I understand. We can definitely make it."

The production cycle for a Shadow of Evil could vary greatly. A slow one could take a year and a half to shoot, while a fast one could be wrapped up in just two weeks.

"There’s one more thing. I have some suggestions for your script, if you’d like to hear them."

When Zog had just finished reading the script, it reminded him of a movie from Earth, Little Shoes, also known as Child of Heaven, a film from Iran.

It was about a brother and sister who had only one good pair of shoes between them, which they had to take turns wearing to school.

It was very similar to Lavin’s script.

However, the screenplay for Little Shoes was better because of its ending.

The older brother enters a long-distance race where the third-place prize is a new pair of shoes—something the siblings desperately need. But the race is too competitive for him to control his ranking, and he accidentally pushes himself to first place. The prize isn’t shoes, and when he’s on the podium, he looks as dejected as if he’d lost.

Because of its powerful dramatic irony, this part of the story later became more famous than the movie itself.

Zog planned to have Lavin adjust the script in this direction, which would make the film much more effective at stirring the audience’s emotions.

"My suggestion is that instead of having a kind person just show up and give them clothes at the end, you should add a plot point about an academic competition where one of the prizes is clothing..."

Zog gave Lavin a rough summary of Little Shoes, with a few modifications.

"In short, with a Shadow of Evil, you have to pay attention to the narrative’s highs and lows. Like a mountain, it must have peaks and valleys. That’s the only way to keep the audience captivated."

Lavin hesitated for less than a second before deciding to take Zog’s advice.

The revised ending was indeed far more clever than the original design.

He was open to advice.

"One last question."

Zog asked suddenly, just as Lavin was about to leave.

"Why did you want to film a story on this particular subject?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I mean, given your experiences, or rather, the extent of your hatred for the war, why didn’t you choose a subject that could better depict the atrocities of Villain, instead of something so... ordinary?"

Hearing Zog’s question, Lavin laughed. "Because I’m not good with heavy subjects. Some people must reflect the cruel realities, but others must express what is beautiful. I believe my compatriots need heartwarming works just as much right now."

"Alright. Well, I wish you success with your film in advance."

"Thank you again, Mr. Zog. I’ll see you at the Demon Shadow Festival."

Lavin then rushed back to Augustine without delay to prepare for the shoot.

He had found a cause more meaningful than being a mere mascot. Perhaps one day, he could truly be worthy of his people’s support.

In the days before the Demon Shadow Festival, another piece of major news broke in Deepwater City.

Hogwarts School was about to officially open.

The first day of operation was a public open house. Anyone who had made a reservation could enter Hogwarts for a tour.

Thanks to the novel’s popularity, the number of reservations quickly hit the maximum limit. Many who couldn’t get a spot came to join in on the fun anyway, attending the ceremony celebrating the school’s opening.

Because of this, Zog had no choice but to move the ceremony, originally planned for the great hall inside the school, to an outdoor location.

It would be held on a wide lawn across the lake from Hogwarts castle.

Besides accommodating more people, moving the ceremony here also added a special experience for those who had the chance to tour the school.

They would travel to Hogwarts in small boats.

It was the traditional way for new students to arrive at the school in the original book.

This was done to pay homage to the four Mages who founded the school, as they had originally found the site by boat.

To those who hadn’t read the book, it seemed like an unnecessary step. ’Wouldn’t it be easier to just teleport?’

But for those who had read the book, this was about sentiment—a kind of spiritual fulfillment that teleportation couldn’t provide.

Dean was looking forward to the boat ride, though it was a shame it wasn’t at night, so it wouldn’t be exactly like Harry Potter’s experience.

He was now staying in Deepwater City. With Soron’s guarantee, his parents had returned to their hometown.

The two of them had gone from being deeply skeptical of Hogwarts to wholeheartedly supporting Dean’s decision.

It wasn’t that they were convinced of Hogwarts’s strength, but a guarantee from a Legendary Mage was far more prestigious than the path they had originally planned for Dean’s future.

Dean didn’t disappoint, successfully passing the second round of entrance exams for Deepwater City Middle School.

He ranked 18th out of all the candidates in the second round.

’This is the power of a big-city test-taking prodigy who’s been forced to compete since the age of six!’

Thinking of this, Dean couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

While his test-taking abilities had grown, his carefree childhood had vanished.

There were plenty of kids like him back in Twin Tower City, caught up in the same rat race.

Many of them were under even more pressure than he was.

Their daily lives consisted of facing one private tutor after another for different subjects.

They were paying a lot of money to suffer, and it was a lot of money indeed.

’Looked at that way, the schools in Deepwater City were actually giving more people the opportunity to join the rat race.’

Private tutors weren’t something most families could afford.

Dean was beginning to understand that educational resources were a type of resource in their own right.

The ceremony officially began, and Zog appeared on a platform before the crowd.

On the stage were banners representing the four houses of Hogwarts.

A lion, a snake, a badger, and an eagle.

Dean’s target house was Lion House, also known as Gryffindor.

He felt that someone as righteous and adventurous as him definitely belonged in Gryffindor.

’Slytherin would be fine too,’ he thought. ’At least it would prove I have talent.’

As for the other two houses, to be honest, they didn’t have much of a role in the novel, so there weren’t many fans of Badger House or Eagle House.

It would take some time before readers discovered the charm of those two slightly neglected houses.

Dean’s hopes were high, but he didn’t know that at Zog’s Hogwarts, the houses were divided by academic specialization.

On the platform, Zog began a short speech.

"Hogwarts will provide every capable person in need of an education—Dwarves, Elves, and all intelligent life on the Feilin Continent—an equal opportunity. Regardless of your birth, regardless of your status, as long as you can pass the exam, you can come here to learn...

"I, Zog, built this school for three things: fairness, fairness, and still, fairness!"

Of course, this was only relative fairness. Where in the world could one find absolute fairness?

Hogwarts’s admission channels also included guaranteed placements. For instance, someone who had already achieved results in a certain academic field might receive an offer of guaranteed admission.

For children from commoner families, no matter how talented, it was impossible to have been exposed to experimental research from a young age.

Zog was simply doing his best to provide as fair a school as possible under the current circumstances.

When the speech ended, countless fireworks rose from the surface of the lake.

Unlike ordinary fireworks, these were more like colored smoke, creating a vibrant curtain wall over the lake, producing a different kind of spectacle from a typical nighttime display.

The crowd erupted in cheer after cheer, jostling the short Dean until his feet were lifted off the ground. He hadn’t expected so many people to show up.

"Mister, are you a fan of Harry Potter, too?"

In front of him was a burly middle-aged man who looked just like a blacksmith from a storybook.

Dean had thought only people his age would like Harry Potter.

"Harry who? Don’t know him!" the man boomed.

"You don’t know him? You haven’t read Harry Potter? Then why did you come here?"

As soon as he said it, Dean realized it sounded rude and quickly tried to backtrack. "I don’t mean you can’t be here! It’s just, I thought only fans of the book would be interested in Hogwarts. After all, it’s a school from a novel."

"A school from a novel? I wouldn’t know about that. All I know is that a school is a good place, and a better school is a better place. So I had to come see the best school in Deepwater City."

"Just to... have a look?"

"Yeah. I used to be a fisherman in Deep Water Village. Then I went to a school in the city and learned how to operate an excavator. Now my income has tripled! Ah, knowledge is a wonderful thing. I’m too old for a chance to study here, but you’re still young. You have that chance. You’ve got to study hard," the man said earnestly.

"I’ll do my best."

The man’s answer surprised Dean. The people here really respected knowledge.

Just then, an angry voice rose from the crowd nearby. "You stepped on my Light Creation God! Do you have any idea how much this card costs? What do you mean, I’m talking nonsense? I’m Craig!"