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Chapter 169: Perspective and Decision
Chapter 169: Perspective and Decision
Daniel continued his explanation—
"At this point, Celeste started making mistakes."
"Her first mistake was not anticipating that the French Ministry of Magic would refuse to send additional personnel to assist in the defense. As a result, the seven of us, American Aurors, couldn't openly appear. Despite the French side sending more people, her own resources and information channels had gaps."
"But she did have a contingency plan. First, she sent Cecil—whom you call her lackey—to contact us seven. Second, she had us hide and take turns monitoring the hotel, especially during the meeting, which is today."
"But then came her second mistake." Daniel smiled. "She didn't realize that Abek and I existed, which gave us the opportunity to manipulate things."
"We only did three things, and fortunately, all of them succeeded. First, we found out where Matt was being held, in the hotel's basement. Second, we contacted Uriel, but we faced the same communication issues as Celeste, and even worse."
He glanced at Uriel, "Otherwise, I would have advised you to cancel the second attack and find another opportunity."
"But fortunately, we managed to pass on the crucial information to you: that we would be on duty from 2 PM to 5 PM today, and the location where Matt was being held!"
"The third thing we did was to lie about discovering your trail at the agreed time, and take the others away, giving you a window to act. It was only five minutes, but those five minutes were key."
"As for Celeste's third mistake", Daniel's expression grew serious, "it's also your mistake, Uriel! As the student leader, you should have been more composed, but you underestimated your recklessness."
"She never imagined you would organize a rescue team of over fifty people. Uriel, this is something you need to deeply reflect on. Most of those following you are still in school. Did you think about how irrational your actions were?"
"Did you think about what would happen if there were casualties?" he said sternly.
Uriel lowered his head in shame. As the student leader of the Reform Society, he indeed should have considered more.
Byers, standing beside him, stubbornly said, "We were prepared! They would erase our parents' memories anyway, right?"
Daniel looked at the tears welling up in Byers' eyes and hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Uriel tugged at his arm, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have involved you, and I shouldn't have acted without thorough investigation. If it weren't for that gentleman's restraint, we would have been wiped out."
Daniel asked curiously, "Is there an expert among the French Aurors?"
Uriel said bitterly, "No, it was a Muggle research expert. He... I can't even describe how powerful he is."
Daniel was intrigued by this Muggle research expert. Could there be experts in that profession? But he knew it wasn't the right time to ask.
The others listened to the entire story in a daze, realizing it was far more complex than they had imagined.
"Big Brother Daniel, did you come straight to us?" Uriel asked.
"You gave me three hidden addresses. I've already checked the other two. Matt is fine. He told me he didn't reveal a single word", Daniel said with a smile.
"Good job, Matt!"
"Great work!"
The young students praised their comrade's bravery with heartfelt enthusiasm.
"Big Brother Daniel", Uriel asked worriedly, "Now that Matt has been exposed, will Celeste take action against him?"
Daniel thought for a moment, "I don't think so, but she will definitely keep a close eye on him. You won't be able to contact him for a while."
The group fell silent, their earlier excitement turning somber.
Uriel remained quiet, deep in thought. This series of events had made him grow a lot.
After a long pause, he suddenly looked up and said to the group, "I'm going to turn myself in."
"What!"
"No, Uriel!"
"Think about why we're doing this!"
They all protested, and a tall wizard angrily shouted, "We should gather everyone and fight back head-on."
The two adult Wizards exchanged glances, and Daniel cautiously said, "If you want to confirm Bethany's condition, there's no need to rush. There's no point in getting yourself into trouble..."
"No, Daniel", Uriel said calmly. His eyes swept over the group, waiting until everyone fell silent before speaking. "Comrades, this might be an opportunity."
Uriel raised his voice, "Think about it. Celeste went to great lengths to keep a lid on things. When she saw our Reform Society growing, she tried to secretly capture us and get our membership list. But the two traps she set up failed because of the early warnings from Big Brother Daniel. She's starting to panic! This time, she made preparations, and in a sense, she succeeded."
"She captured Matt!"
The others' gazes fell on him, following his restless movements.
"But she also failed, as Daniel said. She might have anticipated that we would attempt a rescue, but she didn't expect so many of us to come, and she didn't expect that one of the Aurors assigned to her would be one of our own!"
Uriel continued to organize his thoughts, looking sincerely at everyone, "So, this is an opportunity, a chance to make a big splash!"
"You write to the French Magic Daily and the Sphinx Observer. I'll turn myself in."
"If I'm guilty, let the law judge me. Let my crimes be remembered by the world!"
In the end, everyone was convinced. They left their hiding place and began acting according to the plan.
In a sheltered mountain hollow, Felix's figure gradually materialized. He clapped his hands in admiration, "A bold and imaginative plan, Uriel. You've left a deep impression on me."
The meeting had brought him more than just the acquaintance of some Muggle research experts; it had introduced him to a group of vibrant young people. He liked their fearless dedication to their ideals, as if they were radiating light from within.
Though their paths differed, Felix respected Uriel's choice.
He whispered, "If this lands you in prison, I'll rescue you once."
In the next instant, his figure vanished, leaving no trace behind.
...
Felix was in his room, organizing his manuscript. He estimated that the conference was over—some of the Muggle research experts had fled the moment the attack began, while the unfortunate ones were either in the hospital or demanding answers upon waking up. The French Ministry of Magic was in a state of chaos, still reeling from the incident.
Moreover, half of the hotel had collapsed. How could the conference continue? Fortunately, no one had died.
Celeste's troubles were even greater. Though she had avoided the worst outcome—the death of the girl named Bethany—this incident couldn't be covered up. She was likely to face accountability from the public, the French Ministry of Magic, the American Congress of Magic, and the International Wizarding Federation.
Felix picked up a stack of clippings from his bedside table, given to him by Maxwell. Most of them were about Celeste herself, from her political views to her public speeches and the laws she had enacted, a comprehensive collection...
Especially one front-page headline where she held her wand high, delivering a passionate speech. The title was her famous quote: "The law is the foundation of order, and we are the foundation of the law."
Felix tossed the clippings into the air, watching them turn to ash, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside: panicked shouts and the sound of hurried footsteps were clearly audible.
Felix wore a look of anticipation. He walked out of his room and down to the first-floor lobby, where the officials from the French Ministry of Magic looked utterly bewildered.
Felix grabbed the arm of a young Auror, "What's happening?"
"H-H-Herr Heap", he stammered, "Something big has happened!"
"Reporters are here, and Muggle research experts from various countries are watching..."
"Watching who?"
"The attackers! Or rather, two Ilvermorny students!"
"Ha! Interesting."
(End of Chapter)
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