Chapter 164: The Attack
Chapter 164: The Attack
In the evening, Wizards dressed in peculiar attire appeared in various corners of the hotel. Felix stood in the hotel garden, watching a few Wizards climbing a small hill.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maxwell conversing with a stern-faced woman, looking rather impatient.
"This is France, Celeste! Not the United States. You can't use your position in the legislative council to command me!"
The woman called Celeste had a refined and serious appearance, her attire impeccable and faultless. She looked like a competent government official who had just rushed from a government office building tens of kilometers away to participate in a poverty alleviation event.
Especially with a few Wizards standing beside her, dressed in pleated skirts and wearing iris caps, pointing and nodding seriously at the automatic sprinklers, which added to her authoritative image.
At that moment, her gray eyes seemed to spark with fire. She pressed her lips together, restraining herself from saying anything hurtful, but her response was still firm: "The law is a line that cannot be crossed. We must take action."
"We will handle it", Maxwell said stiffly, emphasizing the word "we", as if to remind the woman that their understanding of the term was entirely different.
The two soon parted ways on bad terms.
Felix strolled over, the French Auror's face still flushed with anger.
"She's too arrogant, acting like I'm her subordinate!"
"Who is she?" Felix asked.
"A troublesome woman, Noelle Celeste, the top figure in the American Congress of Magic's legislative council."
"What does she want?"
"To send Aurors from the U.S. over, claiming it's to assist in combating potential criminals", Maxwell said with a frown.
Felix whistled in amazement; such a request was indeed over the top, almost as if she were pointing a finger at the French Ministry of Magic and saying, "You're incompetent. I don't trust you, so I'll send my own people."
"If she doesn't trust us, why didn't she just hold the meeting in the U.S. to begin with?" Felix asked, recalling a similar question he had posed earlier.
"Political infighting? Hidden agendas? From what I understand, there are quite a few people who oppose her..."
Felix probed, "Who opposes her?"
"Uh... I can't remember", Maxwell said with an embarrassed look, muttering, "The department provided me with some materials, including clippings and such, which are in my room, but I didn't read them in detail... Do you want to take a look?"
"If it's convenient, thank you, Maxwell."
"Ha, we've become acquaintances despite our initial friction, and we share a taste for food. I especially like the beef stewed in red wine", Maxwell joked.
The previous tension dissipated with that.
The next day, the day before the conference officially began, even more Wizards arrived, numbering well over a hundred.
One consequence was that the hotel staff looked at them with even more peculiar expressions.
"Tell me, are you part of some strange organization, like a 'fashion fetish' group?" the hotel receptionist asked Felix. Among them, only a few were dressed normally, and Felix was the youngest and most handsome.
"You can think of it that way", he said, to avoid giving her a forgetfulness charm if she really tried to figure it out.
Soon, he spotted Professor Burbage's figure and went to greet her, taking the small box from her hand. "You arrived later than I expected."
Burbage sighed, "I revised my presentation essay for the conference. I've been struggling with it these past few days."
Felix escorted Professor Burbage to her room, and they chatted along the way—
"You advocate for Wizards to marry werewolves?" Felix asked, surprised.
"Not just werewolves", Burbage corrected, "I see the advantages of Halfbloods. I suggest that Purebloods marry Halfbloods, Muggles, and even some humanoid beings."
Felix's expression was stiff as he leaned against the door, taking a long moment before speaking. "Do you have any theoretical basis for this?"
Professor Burbage said, "This was inspired by a Muggle book, though the Muggle named Mendel used peas for his experiments. However, I have also reviewed many Wizarding sources, and it is true that over the past century, Half-blood Wizards have achieved more."
Felix felt a headache coming on. He wasn't sure how to persuade his colleague.
Her theory, once presented, was like a nuclear bomb going off.
Moreover, whether the theory was correct was still debatable, but it would undoubtedly face fierce opposition from Pureblood Families worldwide.
"Professor Burbage", Felix said gently, "given the current climate in the Wizarding world, most Wizards are not yet prepared to accept this theory. Perhaps we could modify the topic slightly, approaching it from a safer angle."
Professor Burbage looked at him and said softly, "Your suggestion is?"
"Focusing on the current self-imposed isolation of the Wizarding world, we could call for the Ministries of Magic in various countries to pay more attention to the outside world—Muggle technology, new theories, and even limited cooperation with Muggle governments. Or, from the perspective of ordinary Wizards, we could encourage young graduates to engage in social practice in the Muggle world, at least to gain some work experience."
"Most Wizards are already out of touch with the world."
Felix also cited the example of Calami. "After graduation, he entered a Muggle university. In a few years, he might become an authority on Muggle issues in the French Wizarding world."
Professor Burbage pondered this.
Felix continued, "This aligns with the theme of the conference, and once the momentum builds, even the most stubborn Pureblood Families will be swept along by the tide of the times."
"But..." Professor Burbage was not entirely satisfied with this idea. Although she was a Muggle Studies professor, she did not believe that the two worlds could or should cooperate.
She simply saw the irrationality of Pureblood ideology in the wizarding world and proposed her own solution.
...
The next day, July 20th, the conference officially began.
Noelle Celeste, representing the International Confederation of Wizards and as the conference initiator, presided over the entire event, but she seemed distracted.
She kept looking in one direction, toward a tall, weathered man who would leave the room every few minutes and return, giving her a gesture.
Representatives from various countries took turns speaking, and Felix found himself dozing off.
It was hard to believe that these outdated ideas came from the most renowned group of Muggle experts.
The only entertainment was when a Wizard, proposing a "Muggle threat theory", was angrily called a "Grindelwald's remnant" by a German Wizard, who then threw a shoe at him.
Perhaps Professor Burbage's views would be drowned out by these endless, watered-down speeches, Felix thought.
"Professor Burbage, what is your speaking order?"
"There are two Wizards ahead of me."
Soon, Professor Burbage stood on the stage, cleared her throat, and wore a somber expression. Felix knew she hadn't heeded his advice.
But at that moment, the weathered man rushed in, shouting, "There's an attack!!!"
"Boom!"
A massive explosion echoed behind him.
(End of Chapter)
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