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Chapter 685: The Meeting
Chapter 685: The Meeting
The departure of the Hogwarts Express was delayed. While some parents who had come to attend the funeral were allowed to take their children directly, the rest of the students were herded back into the castle.
Due to the presence of the Weasley couple, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and others, Harry and his friends were not required to return to the Gryffindor common room. Instead, they were permitted to stay with their families, who were temporarily accommodated in the Great Hall. Harry saw many familiar faces: Ernie, Zacharias Smith, Seamus, Cormac Mclaggen, Hannah, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, Marcus Belby, Draco, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and more.
Many of these students had family or relatives who stayed behind, including the Weasleys. They were huddled in the Great Hall, speaking rapidly, occasionally pausing to glance anxiously toward the staff room, hoping someone would emerge. Akinbad had temporarily borrowed the school grounds to hold important meetings with the Ministers of Magic from various countries.
"Mrs. Bones sent in a large number of Aurors to prevent any unrest..." Percy said seriously, dressed in formal attire. He was holding a small meeting with Bill Weasley, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, the Longbottoms, and other members of the Phoenix Society. After the incident, Percy had initially planned to return to the Ministry immediately, but Mr. Weasley insisted he stay. Percy argued, "The Ministry needs me now!" Penelope retorted sarcastically, "What would you do back there? Prepare a celebration for the exposure of the wizarding world to Muggles?" Thus, Percy stayed.
The older members and children of the Phoenix Society sat together. "There's nothing to worry about!" Neville's intimidating grandmother said firmly. Mrs. Weasley responded distractedly, and Fleur, who had just bid farewell to Madame Maxime, returned to find Penelope and Mrs. Weasley sitting close together, which made her pout.
"Oh my—did you see Madame Maxime and that big man kissing? Unbelievable, isn't it?" Fleur tossed her flowing hair and squeezed between them. "Maybe it's a case of adversity bringing people closer, or perhaps it's just a formality..." Mrs. Weasley grunted without much enthusiasm.
Ginny was pushed to the side, looking unhappy. She stood up, shook her hair, and walked over to her twin brothers, Fred and George, her head held high and proud, much like Fleur.
"So, you were taught by a Dark Lord who had been in hiding for half a century for a whole year. Your school life must be quite colorful", Fred said.
"Don't act so naive", George said seriously. "After all, one of us personally defeated another Dark Lord."
Harry's expression darkened. "Thanks, George. I'd be happy to share that experience with you, if you want to learn it." He glared at Ron, who had let it slip.
Ron looked around, seemingly more interested in the content of Professor Hup's rant from the other side of the Great Hall. The old woman shouted, "Foolish! Out of their minds! I wonder when our government became so eager to deal with criminals? Dumbledore should never have stepped down. Is Akinbad going to be another Fudge?"
The real Fudge stood in a corner, awkwardly twirling his hat. He had attended the funeral but was alone, even the Malfoys were more popular than he was.
Ron averted his gaze, pretending not to notice Harry's look, and shrugged. "She's right. The world is never short of people like Fudge."
"I think", Hermione said, sticking to the facts, "it's unfair to compare Akinbad to Fudge. At least his intentions were good, to avoid war. But clearly, he underestimated Grindelwald."
"That's his biggest problem, Hermione", Fred pointed out.
At that moment, Harry saw a figure flash by the entrance of the Great Hall. He jumped up from his chair, his heart pounding, but quickly realized he was mistaken. He slumped back into his seat, seeming to lose all strength.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Nothing—" Harry opened his mouth, "Okay, I thought I saw Dumbledore, but it was probably Aberforth."
"Oh, they do look alike", Ginny said. "But I didn't see him at the funeral, did I?"
"He went to the Room of Requirement."
Nearly Headless Nick floated behind her, his head wobbling. Ginny and Neville, who were closest to him, stiffened but subtly made room for him.
"Room of Requirement?" Ron asked, intrigued. "Why? Oh—" He suddenly understood. "His family is there."
"Exactly... But he wasn't very lucky today. He almost got driven out by a few memory bodies of professors", Nearly Headless Nick said.
"What happened?" Harry asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It had to do with a new memory body. He's about the same age as Dumbledore, or rather, the Dumbledore in the Room of Requirement", Nearly Headless Nick explained. "I know a bit about Aberforth. He's been coming more frequently lately, and not just one ghost has run into him during meals... Usually, he just watches from a distance, but today, when he saw the new memory body, he suddenly jumped out, furious..."
"So it's related to the new memory body?" George mused. "Who is that person?"
"I don't know", Nearly Headless Nick said hesitantly, shaking his head. His head tilted to one side, and his entire face flipped upside down. He let out a scream and quickly adjusted his position with his hands. Harry felt a shiver and looked away.
A new memory body had appeared in the Room of Requirement, and it had made Aberforth so angry. Who could it be?
Harry's eyes lit up. He had an idea. He looked at Hermione, and from her shocked expression, it seemed she had also figured it out.
It was likely a memory body of Grindelwald. From what Nearly Headless Nick said, Grindelwald's memory was from his younger days, but when did he create it? Did Professor Hup know? If he did, why didn't he stop it? Was it because of his special relationship with Dumbledore? Had they made some secret agreement? Harry's head was spinning with questions.
"We can ask Professor Hup. The Room of Requirement is his domain, and he must know the identity of the memory body", Ron said to Nearly Headless Nick, glancing at a nondescript door in the Great Hall. "But he's going to be very busy. I thought he might have sensed it and stopped Grindelwald in advance. But then again, it's hard to imagine the extent of Grindelwald's madness." A hint of fear flashed in his eyes.
"Why do you say that?" Neville asked softly. Did the professor know something?
Ron shrugged.
"He seemed all-knowing to me. You know, piecing together clues—like a Muggle detective. I never thought he would slip up this time."
"That's not the case, Ron", Hermione shook her head and counted on her fingers, her tone serious. "Grindelwald seems to have done many things—gathering core acolytes, negotiating with the International Confederation of Wizards' president, publicly announcing Headmaster Dumbledore's death, making an Unbreakable Vow, and attending today's funeral—but these things are actually peripheral, not crucial to the bigger picture."
Harry's numb brain started to work again. Hermione's words opened a new line of thinking, and the fog in his mind began to clear.
"I get it! Grindelwald's ultimate goal from the start has been one thing: to expose the entire magical world and force the wizarding society to integrate with the Muggle world, fulfilling his and Dumbledore's initial dream", Harry said excitedly.
"Does that mean everything he did before was just a distraction? Everyone was played?" Ron looked at the two of them hesitantly.
"For now, it's just a guess", Hermione said softly. "From the power Grindelwald displayed today, he could carry out his plan alone—though he might not be able to defeat Professor Hup, at their level, he can always escape from a fight, which is why capturing Voldemort was so difficult. Regular wizards can't even get involved. I even think that once Grindelwald decides his plan isn't going well, he'll immediately abandon the details and go straight to the main goal."
"Why make things so complicated?" Ron said irritably.
"Because Grindelwald is human", Harry said slowly, drawing on the memories he and Dumbledore had shared in the Pensieve.
"He is arrogant and proud, wanting to prove himself right and announce the dawn of a new era to the world. Perhaps he also wants Dumbledore to have a dignified funeral... From the moment he escaped, he was already in an unbeatable position. Everything he did afterward was just to ensure the outcome remained the same while making the process as close to his heart's desire as possible."
"What about Professor Hup—"
"He might have guessed part of it", Hermione recalled what Felix had said. "But he probably didn't realize it much earlier than we did. It might have been because of Grindelwald's speech at the funeral, or something Grindelwald said during their brief duel at the school gates that tipped him off, connecting everything together."
“Think about it, Professor knows Grindelwald better than we do. If we can immediately sense that Grindelwald’s negotiations are a trap, how could Professor not have seen it? The same goes for publicly announcing Dumbledore’s death—Professor doesn’t believe Grindelwald’s intentions are that simple. He wanted to uncover Grindelwald’s true motives. Professor always plans carefully before acting. And indeed, Grindelwald deceived everyone. But it’s too late now.”
“But he took an Unbreakable Vow!” Ron shouted.
...
“But he took an Unbreakable Vow!” Akinbad shouted in the temporary meeting in the staff room.
The room was packed with people, each one an undisputed heavyweight in the magical world—Ministers of Magic from various countries, the President of the Alliance, and Hogwarts’ current Deputy Headmistress.
Akinbad stared blankly at his arm, the vow still in effect, showing no signs of breaking.
“Mr. Akinbad, I’ve heard about Grindelwald’s vow, but I’m not clear on the specifics,” Professor Mcgonagall asked seriously.
Akinbad licked his dry lips.
“I can assure you that the alliance process was entirely transparent, with over a dozen Ministers of Magic present as witnesses. The vow was mutual: Grindelwald promised not to kill indiscriminately unless someone attacked him first, and sparring did not count. He also pledged not to initiate a Wizarding War or plot to overthrow existing Wizarding governments. In return, I agreed to drop the charges against the Acolytes, allow him to act openly, and not issue any orders against him.”
The people in the room furrowed their brows. Then Felix said, “He did not initiate a ‘Wizarding War.’” He emphasized the last few words, and no one in the room was a fool. They quickly grasped the crucial point.
“You fool!” Professor Mcgonagall shouted fiercely. “Did you not even study his political views before the negotiations?”
Akinbad’s dark face turned a deep purple as he defended himself, “We didn’t expect it—he had never done this before. He has always sought a position of influence in the Wizarding world—”
“Something similar has happened before,” an elderly Minister of Magic said slowly. “Before being imprisoned in Nurmengard, Grindelwald reached the peak of his power twice. At that time, he was ready to declare war on Muggles, but Dumbledore thwarted him both times.”
Akinbad’s face turned pale.
“Even including Muggles, he hasn’t broken his vow. After all, he merely revealed the existence of magic to the world, not initiated a war. He’s truly covered all his bases,” Professor Mcgonagall said sharply, making everyone in the room feel uncomfortable.
“Mr. Hep,” Akinbad said urgently, his voice tinged with desperation, “I admit our work was a huge mistake. We can’t continue down this path. Only you have the ability to capture Grindelwald. I ask you to step forward, and I will have the newly formed Auror team support you.”
Felix glanced at him.
“Some things can only be said here, Mr. Akinbad—your vow includes a clause not to issue orders against him. Unless you plan to have Grindelwald break his vow first.”
Akinbad was speechless, as if he had suddenly lost the ability to speak. After a moment, he opened his mouth again, his face now completely drained of color. “I—I will resign voluntarily, so it won’t—”
“You’d better not go anywhere,” Felix said. “The vow still has some effect—while we deal with the current crisis, we can temporarily avoid Grindelwald’s influence. He is bound by the Unbreakable Vow, and as long as we don’t provoke him, he won’t interfere with what happens next.”
“You—you mean—” Akinbad’s eyes widened. “He creates chaos and then stands by?”
“I think ‘stands by and waits’ is more accurate,” Bones said. “He won’t be our enemy, but he is the root of all the turmoil. Don’t forget, the problem now is that the magical world has been exposed to the public. We need to find a solution quickly!”
The old wizard who had spoken earlier shook his head and chuckled bitterly. “This isn’t just about a few individuals or a few cities. There’s no way to keep it hidden. Alas, the Statute of Secrecy... it’s completely over.”
“What is Grindelwald waiting for?” Akinbad muttered, his pupils dilating with fear. “No need to guess... he’s waiting for chaos. Chaos is what Grindelwald wants to see. He may not need to do anything. The angry Wizarding populace, swept up in war, will naturally gravitate toward his views. Then he will step forward—because I allowed him to act openly—as the Chosen One, declaring war on Muggles.”
An unsettling silence followed. "He even anticipated this?" someone exclaimed in disbelief.
"Let's look at it positively", Felix said meaningfully. "If we handle it right, Grindelwald will be left twiddling his thumbs, maybe even without a chance to show up... Who knows!" He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. Could this be Grindelwald's true intention?
'How can a good person be more intimidating than a thoroughgoing villain?'
If the Muggle government and public realized that, in the event of a war, they would be helping a Dark Wizard who harbors hostility toward Muggles break free from his vow, and that this Dark Wizard was once unafraid to destroy an entire city with powerful magic decades ago, would they be more cautious and sincere in their actions?
Felix's thoughts raced, but he wasn't in a hurry to make a decision. It would be best to consult with some of the core Acolytes... Grindelwald had given him a way to summon the Acolytes, but it might not be necessary. Maybe someone was already waiting for him in Hogsmeade.
...
The meeting made little substantial progress. All they managed to agree on were some extremely cautious suggestions, such as carefully gathering information from the outside world and all Wizards remaining in hiding. But what to do afterward, the Ministers of Magic could not agree on. Their thinking was completely constrained by the Statute of Secrecy.
Two hours later, the Ministers of Magic from various countries hurriedly left. The situation outside was undoubtedly chaotic, with countless matters awaiting their attention. After these people left, Madame Bones stayed behind.
"We must find a way on our own", she said sternly, rubbing her forehead in pain. "Everyone has their own stance, and Akinbad's credibility has plummeted. He can't convince anyone, and in the end, it's just a lot of bickering."
"We must do something about this, and quickly. We can't just sit back and wait for the outcome. Felix, I want to hear your thoughts."
Felix shrugged.
"Grindelwald caught everyone off guard. I don't have a complete plan yet, but there are a few things that need to be prioritized."
Madame Bones and Professor Mcgonagall looked at him expectantly.
"First, the students at the school—"
"Cancel this year's Hogwarts Express", Professor Mcgonagall said decisively. "Wizards from Wizarding families can be picked up by their parents or leave through the school's Floo Network. For Muggle-born students, I will have the professors escort them home directly."
"The Ministry of Magic will fully cooperate", Madame Bones nodded.
"Second, the safety measures around the school must be reinforced. It's not yet clear if the next school year will start on schedule, but we should be prepared. And—this place is a massive sanctuary."
Both women agreed with this point.
"Third, Amelia, I suggest you start negotiations with the Muggle government as soon as possible, starting with the Prime Minister. You've always maintained a single line of communication, right? We must make him understand that this isn't just our problem. Once the crisis hits, no one will be safe."
"I'll arrange it as soon as possible", Madame Bones said. "In fact, I've met the Muggle Prime Minister twice. He seems—" She shook her head.
"Fourth, stabilize the emotions of all Wizards. Interviews with newspapers, radio broadcasts... get your message out as far as possible. The booklet we used last time to warn about Voldemort can be revised and reused."
"Fifth, public opinion and intelligence—"
"Public opinion?" Professor Mcgonagall and Madame Bones asked in unison.
"The Muggle government and their citizens are closely intertwined, influencing and constraining each other", Felix explained. "Proper public opinion guidance can make the general public more accepting of Wizards. Conversely, if they are manipulated, their attitudes could turn extreme. Of course, we are primarily focused on gathering information, but how we gather it is crucial. For example, the attitudes of ordinary people toward Wizards, their reasons for accepting or rejecting Wizards; and then the influential figures in this matter, politicians, celebrities, opinion leaders, especially those who speak out first..."
"Sixth, the safety and confidentiality of Muggle-born young Wizards after they return home..."
"Seventh, strictly prohibit any group or individual from privately contacting the Muggle government. I'm particularly concerned about the Goblins... The Pan-Magical Alliance's plan must begin."
"Eight, well, I have a suggestion. Send a few trusted Aurors to secretly assist Muggles affected by the Acolytes. Don't show your faces, don't be too obvious. We might need them in the future..."
...
While they were making plans, the outside world was already in chaos.
(End of Chapter)
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