"HP: Too Late, System!"Chapter 325: Magical Discs
Albus Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, a glimmer of insight flickering in his eyes as he began, "After delving into this for some time, I believe I have a reasonable grasp of how Muggle films operate. It's essentially a rapid succession of images, creating an effect known as visual... visual..."
"It's called persistence of vision, sir!" piped up Dobby, his eyes shining with eagerness to show off his knowledge.
Dumbledore gave Dobby a warm, approving nod before continuing at his gentle, unhurried pace. "But memories, strictly speaking, are the mind's own moving pictures—a seamless blend of sound and image. If we were to break them down into scattered frames and then affix those to film, not only would we lose the essence, but we'd also make the process far more laborious for the creators.
"Moreover, from what I know of magical materials, any film capable of holding memory substance would require rare ingredients—dragon hide fibers, unicorn hair, and the like—which would drive costs up enormously.
"Instead, perhaps we should consider the crystal ball. Though commonly used for Divination, a crystal ball actually has great potential for memory storage, if suitably modified.
"By using a Memory Infusion Charm, we could inject memory substance into a specially treated crystal ball. The interior would be filled with a magical solution—perhaps a careful blend of Veela tears and potion ingredients. This mixture interacts with memory substance in a unique way, allowing the memory to be displayed visually and audibly within the crystal ball.
"Of course, it isn't perfect. The main flaw is that the memory can only be viewed inside or on the surface of the crystal ball, and only by one person at a time. Most importantly, it's costly and rather cumbersome to use."
With that, Dumbledore picked up a disc from the table and continued, "Actually, I see great promise in these discs. They can store a tremendous amount of information—both images and sound.
"Since they use light to record data, why not use them as our base medium? That would save us a great deal on basic production costs.
"If we magically enhance the disc, then seal the edited memory substance into its recording layer, we could play it back using the right device—just as Douglas does when he watches Muggle films."
Sirius nodded thoughtfully, then added, "From what I've seen, among all the ways Muggles store information, discs are the only medium unaffected by magnetic interference. That means, even at Hogwarts—where magic and magnetic fields are everywhere—there won't be any data loss."
Douglas turned, surprised, to look at Sirius. Honestly, he'd half expected Sirius to take inspiration from the Marauder's Map and try inventing a parchment-based, ink-screen tablet.
If that were possible, the magical world could keep pace with Muggle advances in communication tech. (After all, the first handheld computer was invented in 1993.)
Catching Douglas's look, Sirius frowned. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Douglas shook his head with a smile. "No—your thinking just took a different route than I expected, that's all. But you're absolutely right; discs really are uniquely stable.
"We just need to figure out how to make memory storage on discs more efficient and durable. After all, memory substance is far more complicated than ordinary data."
Dumbledore folded his hands, pondering for a moment. "Perhaps we should approach this from the angle of magical arrays—engraving specific runic circles onto the disc to boost its capacity to hold and preserve memory substance. Much like the ancient magical artifacts, which relied on arrays to enhance their power and stability."
Douglas glanced at the nearby Pensieve. "Professor, didn't you say last time that you weren't much good with magical arrays?"
In modern magic, arrays had nearly vanished—alchemy still used a few basic ones, but most enchantments relied on arranging ancient runes. That was why Dumbledore had been so astonished by Douglas's teleportation array.
Dumbledore shrugged, smiling slyly. "I can't, but that's what I have you for, isn't it? Here's my plan: you design a magical array to protect the memory substance, then we use a Muggle... what do they call it, a laser?—to etch the array onto the disc's recording layer. Then we use magic to store the memory itself. It should also make it much harder for anyone to reverse-engineer our technique."
Dobby, who'd been blinking his enormous eyes nearby, suddenly piped up, "Sir, could house-elf magic help too? We're very good at delicate magical work—maybe we could assist with enchanting the discs.
"And Dobby thinks that if Muggle lasers can't properly engrave magical runes, house-elf magic could do the job instead. It would be an extra layer of security—after all, hardly anyone pays attention to house-elf magic."
Sirius stroked his chin, considering. "That's actually a brilliant idea. But first, we'd need to test how house-elf magic interacts with wizard magic. The last thing we want is a magical conflict that ruins the disc or the memory inside.
"Heh, who would ever guess a single disc could contain the craft of wizards, house-elves, and Muggles all at once?"
—
As the last traces of holiday leisure drifted away on the summer breeze, a new term began at Hogwarts, ushered in by the first rays of sunlight glimmering over the Black Lake.
Students, caught between excitement and reluctance, shook off the laziness of vacation and returned to their familiar, mysterious school—quickly settling in for the new term.
At dawn, before the first sunlight had fully burned away the mist, the grounds before the castle rang with the sound of marching feet.
Professor Lupin stood tall at the side of the field, like an ancient pine—weathered by storms, yet unbowed. Since the trip and the Heroes' Memorial, something subtle had changed in his bearing.
His face was lean, but there was a quiet elegance about him. Stray locks of hair danced in the breeze, lending him an air of easy grace.
His deep-set eyes, gentle yet resolute, watched the running students as if he could see straight through to their hearts, offering silent encouragement.
He wore a slightly worn but immaculate robe, the hem swaying gently with his movements—every gesture calm and composed.
On weekends, the Defence Against the Dark Arts practice classroom remained one of the busiest corners of Hogwarts.
In the evenings, students from every year, driven by a hunger for magical skill, flocked to the study room. The once-spacious classroom was now packed and buzzing with energy.
First-years, wide-eyed and nervous, gripped their wands tightly as they tried basic defensive spells under the guidance of older students. Their magic might have been feeble, but their earnestness was moving.
Older students, meanwhile, practiced with ease and confidence—gathering in small groups to duel and trade techniques. Brilliant spellfire flashed across the room, mingling with shouted incantations and the occasional startled cry, creating a heady, competitive atmosphere.
Elsewhere on campus, the seventh-years continued their special challenge: a gauntlet course built from the old Chamber of Secrets. Not a single student had yet managed to clear a subject entirely.
As a result, the professors had raised the bar for the entire seventh year. What used to be a relatively free term was now filled with extra tutorials and advanced coursework.
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