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Chapter 689: The Letter
Chapter 689: The Letter
The day after, the day following the exposure of the magical world, at the Ministry of Magic.
Felix, Amelia Bones, and Sirius Black entered a small conference room. They had just finished a meeting with high-ranking officials of the Ministry and were now here. The room was occupied by former members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Where's Kingsley Shacklebolt?" Heather Jones, with her black hair and rosy cheeks, asked cheerfully.
"He's been assigned to protect the Prime Minister's safety", said Amelia Bones. "We can't guarantee that Grindelwald or the Saints won't take advantage of the situation. His role in the coming days will be crucial."
"Oh, so Kingsley Shacklebolt is back to being the Prime Minister's secretary?" Heather Jones said, surprised. Her remark was based on a previous incident. When Voldemort's threat was at its peak, the Ministry of Magic feared the Muggle Prime Minister might fall under the Imperius Curse, especially after the Prime Minister's assistant had already been partially Imperiused. Kingsley Shacklebolt was sent to perform this task, and the Prime Minister, unaware of the situation, was highly satisfied with his efficiency, which was equivalent to having two secretaries.
Of course, the Prime Minister was quite surprised when he learned the truth.
"So, the Muggle Prime Minister is on our side?" Mad-Eye Moody asked gruffly.
Amelia Bones responded cautiously, "He has promised to do his best to secure a peaceful outcome, but we cannot be complacent. One person cannot control the situation. Gentlemen and ladies, starting a war is easy—any fool can do it. But peace is hard-won and requires careful planning."
"Well said", Sirius Black clapped his hands twice.
Felix, however, was thinking about something else. No one knew Grindelwald's whereabouts. Most people, including Albus Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, believed Grindelwald was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the situation to become chaotic so he could make his move and seize control of the magical world.
Felix hadn't seen Grindelwald either, but he had met Rozier, who was again using the alias Nearly Headless Nick. Vita Rozier refused to reveal Grindelwald's location, and it was possible she didn't know herself.
As the second-in-command of the Saints, her missions were twofold: to act as a hub for gathering intelligence from various sources and to teach Felix how to flawlessly impersonate Grindelwald.
"Since you've all temporarily joined the Ministry of Magic", Amelia Bones looked around the room, "I won't be overly formal. I am indeed in dire need of manpower—first, the Pan-Magical Alliance. Felix has agreed to have 'Future World' Corporation cooperate, with Remus Lupin coordinating the effort."
Lupin nodded, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "I'll take care of it."
"Bill Weasley will join you; he knows a lot about goblins", Amelia Bones continued. Bill Weasley, seated, added, "And Fleur has been eager to join the Order of the Phoenix." "That's fine, you can arrange it yourselves. The second task is an external mission. Before the negotiation results are in, the Ministry will adopt a defensive strategy, advising ordinary citizens to stay home. The Ministry will send specialists to check the defensive measures of each household—"
"Do we have to do this? It seems a bit overkill", Mundungus asked, still looking half-asleep.
"No", Amelia Bones said sternly. "You have another task: to monitor and patrol the various gray areas within the country, and to issue warnings. I want all hidden smuggling, theft, and black market activities to cease. Of course, you only need to guide the operation; this shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
"Um, um..." Mundungus suddenly perked up, his face twisted in a grimace. "You can't take away my livelihood."
"Is your livelihood smuggling, theft, and black market activities?" Moody barked at him.
Mundungus shrank back, avoiding Moody's gaze, and mumbled, "You know what I do—how many times did you catch me before you retired? This is bad; even if the ban is lifted, no one will want to do business with me anymore..."
"A second-class Order of Merlin", Amelia Bones said coldly.
Mundungus's eyes lit up. During the last war, he hadn't gained anything. His contributions were minimal, and what little he had done couldn't be publicly acknowledged. Unlike the others in the room, who had mostly received awards after the war.
"If that's the case..." His attitude softened, and he looked quite interested. Sirius chuckled, and Bones glared at him. "You can continue to be my secretary."
"I refuse", Sirius said casually. "I want to go on field missions."
Bones ignored him. "The third thing, I need some people to investigate the situation abroad, including the opinions of the local wizard community and the attitudes of the non-magical world towards wizards."
"Are you worried about conflicts coming from abroad?" Lupin asked astutely.
"Exactly. Our representatives in the Confederation are constantly sending back reports", Bones said with a serious expression. "But unfortunately, as far as I know, most of them have adopted a conservative strategy." She glanced at Felix. If she hadn't been mentally prepared for the crisis of the wizarding world being exposed, having already been through a series of ideological shocks, she might have made the same choice as those Ministers of Magic—withdraw proactively and leave the rest to fate.
The phrase "leave the rest to fate" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but apart from them, no other Ministry of Magic had actively embraced change. The most radical thing they had done was to dig up the proposal she had submitted earlier, and then hold meetings to discuss it. By the time the results came out, it would probably be two or three months later.
"The living conditions of wizards vary in different regions", Bones explained. "Wizards in America have a strained relationship with the local government, and there is a lack of mutual trust. The situation in Africa is even more complex due to differences in language and customs. There are multiple wizard self-governing organizations that function similarly to Ministries of Magic, but on a much smaller scale. We can't expect them to reach a consensus in the short term..."
After finishing her serious business, Bones relaxed, and the group started chatting in small clusters.
"What about Harry and the others?" Lupin asked Felix. "I saw you take them into a meeting room when I arrived."
"Right", Sirius straightened up, his eyes darting. "Why don't you assign Harry to me? We can go on a mission together. This kid is almost as strong as me, except for a bit of experience."
Felix gave him a sidelong glance. Harry was already far stronger than Sirius, and Sirius was just trying to save face. He said slowly, "Forget it, they have a lot of homework to do."
"Homework?" Sirius widened his eyes, looking confused.
"Yes, they have the important task of breaking down the barriers between wizards and non-wizards", Felix said. He exchanged a glance with Bones, recalling the conversation they had last night in Rita Skeeter's rented apartment.
After the tornado incident in front of the parliament building, Rita Skeeter had taken a half-day leave, citing shock. The Sun was very accommodating to the first journalist to publicly interview a wizard (whether or not it was true, they would make it so), treating it as a historic event comparable to a third-kind contact and preparing a series of hot news stories around her.
However, Rita Skeeter was indeed shocked, but not because she had been hit by a wizard's spell as her superiors thought. She was terrified by the complete exposure of the wizarding world. After much inquiry, she barely understood what had happened.
"You should stay, Rita", Felix said with a smile when he heard her bizarre experience. "You will have many opportunities to access crucial information, not just what's written on paper. You have a keen insight into people's hearts, knowing what they want. I hope you continue to use your talents to uncover the true thoughts of people from all walks of life. And in the upcoming reports involving wizards, remain neutral and unbiased."
"I can't influence the decisions of the upper management", Rita Skeeter's face showed a mix of hope and discomfort. She scratched her chin with her long nails and said slyly, "Unless—well, you allow me to use magic."
"We won't do that", Bones said sternly.
Rita Skeeter rolled her eyes and turned to Felix. Felix considered his words carefully. "Using magic to change people's minds is too risky. This isn't an isolated incident. In modern society, people are interconnected in various ways. A sudden change in someone's attitude would raise suspicions, especially now. We'd rather take the longer route; the situation isn't critical enough yet."
"But what if the situation becomes urgent and can't wait?" Rita Skeeter pressed.
"You need to understand one thing: who holds the power?" Felix looked at her meaningfully. "Do your job well, and you will become a legend among journalists."
Rita Skeeter fell into deep thought. She wasn't angry; she knew what she wanted.
"How do you plan to influence the attitudes of the upper management at the newspaper?" Skeeter asked shrewdly. "I need to know so I can cooperate with you, right?"
"You've gained some fame from your series on the gun ban. Use it to your advantage. And that Ilvermorny wizard who Petrified you with the Petrification Charm—though you may want to tear him apart, he's actually created a perfect opportunity for you. So, hold back your resentment for now... We initially planned to send the newspaper some basic information. Understanding is the first step to dispelling suspicion. But I've had a better idea. I have some enthusiastic students who are eager to help."
"Fine, I'll see how it goes..." Rita Skeeter said, her lips pursing in dissatisfaction. "What about my safety?"
"The Ministry of Magic will provide Auror protection", Amelia Bones said.
...
"This is worse than I thought. I figured I'd just be making tea, running errands, or writing a bunch of pointless reports like Percy", Ron grumbled. "But who can tell me why we're writing essays in the Ministry of Magic?"
"Ron, what we're doing is important!" Hermione said sternly.
Harry remained silent, staring listlessly at the blank parchment in front of him. He had seen the experiences of thousands of wizards in the Pensieve, but none of them could help him—none of them had the skill of writing for a Muggle newspaper.
He and Ron, along with Sirius, had spent the night at the school, while Hermione was taken home by a professor. But they ended up meeting in the Ministry of Magic's main hall early the next morning. Instead of assigning them menial tasks, the professor led them to an empty meeting room, provided them with quills and ink bottles, and asked them to write letters. They were to introduce their lives as Hogwarts students, but Professor Hup warned them against revealing their names, addresses, or any confidential information.
Harry looked around. At first, it was just the three of them, but after Professor Hup left and returned, he brought in more students, all of whom were his classmates.
These students could be roughly divided into two groups. The first group was associated with the Order of the Phoenix, such as Neville and Ginny, as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The second group consisted of children of Ministry of Magic employees, including Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan, Cormac Mclaggen, Zacharias Smith (whom Harry and Ron both disliked), Draco Malfoy, and Cho Chang, who brought a friend whose name Harry couldn't recall—something like Mary.
However—
Harry turned his head and stared at Luna's fluffy, pale yellow hair, wondering why she was here as well. Perhaps it was because her father, Mr. Lovegood, had a partnership with Professor Hup? He knew that the magazine "Who Decides the Ancient Runes" was printed alongside "The Quibbler", and he had once found an extra page of "The Quibbler" content in one of the articles he was reading. Ron had kept that issue.
Luna looked at Harry with her pale eyes.
"Father and I stayed in Hogsmeade last night. He wanted to thank Professor Hup in person."
"Oh", Harry blinked. "I heard the Three Broomsticks was full?" He actually wanted to ask why they were thanking Professor Hup, but he suddenly remembered that the professor had lent Luna the Resurrection Stone. Understanding dawned on him, and he changed the subject.
"Yes, so we stayed at the Hog's Head", Luna said happily. "We were lucky; there was only one room left when we asked. Even luckier, Father got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw Felix from the window. They chatted for a bit, and Professor Hup mentioned he needed some student helpers, so here I am."
"Pretty lucky", Harry said, knowing all too well how bad the conditions at the Hog's Head were. But he couldn't help wondering about Professor Hup's purpose for being in Hogsmeade. Was he meeting someone?
"Is Aberforth doing okay?" Hermione asked.
"He's probably never seen so many guests. I don't know if that's a good thing", Ron said, frowning.
"He's fine", Luna said earnestly. "But he's planning to sell the bar."
"What?" Harry looked surprised.
Luna slowly shook her head. "He didn't say why. I think he has something more important on his mind."
Harry turned his attention back to the parchment. He glanced around and saw that Hermione had already filled a third of hers, her lips pursed in concentration as she carefully chose her words. Ron, on the other hand, had only managed to write two lines. Harry stared at the freckles on Ron's nose, hoping for inspiration, but instead, he noticed Ron's sudden look of surprise. Ron then seemed to be struck by a wave of inspiration and began writing furiously.
Curiosity got the better of Harry, and he leaned over to read what Ron had written.
The first sentence was, "I have a friend." Harry was taken aback and continued reading. "He was abused by his Muggle relatives from a young age. Oh, Muggles are non-magical people. He was often underfed and once almost starved to death when his uncle locked him up. Luckily, I noticed something was wrong and rescued him with a flying car. Don't be alarmed; although we were only in our first year at the time, it wasn't our first adventure..."
"Ron", Harry protested.
"What? I didn't mention your name", Ron said with a grin.
Harry sat back, sulking. He wondered if he should write about his Muggle relatives as well. If both of their essays were chosen, they could vouch for each other. But he didn't want to make it too easy for Ron. After some thought, he decided to start with "I have a friend" as well.
"I have a friend whose entire family are wizards. This friend's parents have seven children, so they aren't very well-off (though things have improved). But that's not important because they are the kindest people I've ever met, especially compared to my relatives."
Harry paused, tempted to add a subtle jab at the Dursleys. He felt a bit petty but couldn't resist.
"I met this friend on the train. His twin brothers helped me with my trunk, and he was the first person my age I met in the wizarding world—" Harry realized this wasn't entirely accurate. The first person he had spoken to in the magical world was actually Draco Malfoy. He crossed out the sentence and rewrote it: "He was the first person my age I met on the train and the first friend I made in the wizarding world. But I soon made more friends..."
"There's an elective course called Muggle Studies, but the textbook is outdated and doesn't reflect current times. However, my friend from a Muggle family finds it fascinating from a wizard's perspective. I read her essay on why Muggles need electricity. My first friend was very curious about it, even though he didn't take the course. I think that's a shame..."
As noon approached, Felix came over and read through the essays one by one.
"Mclaggen, you don't need to mention your father's connections in the Ministry of Magic so many times",
"Smith, your writing is too condescending. I can't guarantee the reader won't want to punch you..."
"Luna, your unique perspective and detailed observations are great, but mentioning unverified magical creatures might be a bit much. But it fits your style, so it's fine."
"Granger, yours is too formal. You're analyzing the differences between Muggles and wizards like an expert. I want something written by a teenager. Maybe you should submit it to the Daily Prophet."
"Bones, your perspective on your Aunt, the Minister of Magic, is interesting. Write more about it, but keep it balanced."
"Weasley, you're pretty upfront about your rule-breaking, especially the psychological descriptions. It's clear you're the mastermind—don't change it, it's quite amusing. But I suggest you remove the part where you suspect I'm the Heir of Slytherin."
"Potter, I'm not sure how you know Mr. Weasley snores. Oh, Ron told you... Well, it turns out Arthur has a lot of interesting things in his garage. Does Molly know about them?"
Felix supervised them as they revised their essays, then crafted a targeted opening for each one. He selected a few and handed them to an Auror.
"Send them to the Sun's office."
...
That afternoon, the press conference in the Ministry of Magic's meeting room went ahead as planned. Wizarding families across the country tuned in to their radios, and Felix's calm and confident voice resonated in homes everywhere:
"...We are caught in an unprecedented tide of history, and each of us is part of it. I hope that when we look back on this era in the years to come, we can all point to the world around us and say with pride, 'This is the world we created.'"
At the same time, the Sun's reception area received several letters from "enthusiastic young wizards."
(End of Chapter)
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