Chapter 691: The New Generation
Chapter 691: The New Generation
When Kingsley Shacklebolt relayed the news, everyone was surprised.
"A single fireplace ended a war?" Sirius Black leaned against the doorframe, the cat toy in his hand drooping as Crookshanks seized the opportunity to pounce and cling on.
Amelia Bones felt a weight lift from her shoulders but still maintained her stern expression. "It was a million fireplaces, and the actual number is likely even higher."
"Oh, come on", Sirius lifted Crookshanks, ignoring the cat's fierce face, and said playfully, "Cats don't worry about whether they'll have food tomorrow, right? Living like that would be too tiring." He continued to shake the ginger cat.
Crookshanks, indignant, swiped at Sirius's face with his paw. A hint of a smile flickered in Amelia Bones's eyes.
"What do we do next?" Remus Lupin asked from the sofa.
Felix thought for a moment and said a single word, "Wait."
"In this crisis, the Ministry of Magic has an information advantage over the Muggle government. To mitigate the war threat, we were more proactive in the early stages, but we must be cautious. We've awakened a massive machine with nearly sixty million people."
"Kingsley is monitoring the government, and Skeeter is at the Sun. Next, we need to listen to the public—oh, I'm not sure if the special Floo Network line is set up yet?"
"The Floo Network administrators are working overtime", Amelia Bones said. "But it will take time to establish a network that covers all the counties nationwide."
Felix nodded, acknowledging her words.
This was an extension of the suggestions he had made at Hogwarts: there could be hundreds of newspapers across Britain, and countless local papers, but they undoubtedly reflect public opinion. Wizards are few in number, and using these newspapers to gather information is the best approach.
However, using the Floo Network to purchase newspapers presents two challenges.
First, how to collect and compile newspapers from all over the country. Felix's solution was the Floo Network. Theoretically, the Floo Network is used for transporting people, allowing Wizards to travel via fire and internal lines, but the destination must be spoken by a Wizard. Felix wanted to establish a dedicated Floo Network, like a spider web with only radial threads, with the Ministry of Magic at the center and the other ends set up in various counties.
The advantage of this is the efficiency it offers; a dozen people could quickly travel across the country. For safety, Wizards assigned to this task would wear special passes and be separated from the Floo Network Administration, forming a new department under the Department of Magical Transportation.
Notably, as interactions with the non-magical world increase, Amelia Bones plans to establish a new department, building on the 'Prohibition of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office' within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and drawing staff from the Obliviator Corps, Muggle Issues Mediation Commission, and Muggle Liaison Office.
Due to the unexpected exposure of the Wizarding world, this plan is only in its initial stages, with the majority of the work still on her desk.
The second challenge is manpower. Simply collecting the newspapers isn't enough; they need to be analyzed article by article. The people doing this must have a basic understanding of both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds to avoid confusion over obscure terms. However, the number of Muggle-born Wizards in the Ministry of Magic is limited.
"Aren't you collecting a list of students willing to help?" Felix asked Harry. "Why not bring them in to give it a try?" He harbored a faint hope that Grindelwald had been teaching his students diligently last year.
To some extent, Grindelwald's Dark Magic Defense could be renamed 'Muggle Community Concealment and Defense.'
It turned out they did a good job.
By the next day, the Ministry of Magic was bustling with over a dozen young faces, and the number quickly surpassed a hundred.
The Ministry of Magic suddenly became crowded.
"At first, we only called people we were close to", Hermione said, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Harry had the contact information for all the lookout station members, and I could reach the Runic Script Club... then the news spread."
"Fred and George Weasley also helped a lot", Ron said. "They secretly set up a radio station some time ago, even before the Wizarding world was exposed. But they didn’t think that far ahead. They originally planned to use the station to promote their magic trick shop products, and the code was boldly written on the promotional flyers."
"You’ve done a great job", Felix encouraged. "But there are too many people, even younger students are involved."
He was referring to the Creevey brothers. The older brother, Colin Creevey, was in the same year as Ginny, both in fifth year, and could be of some use. However, his younger brother, Dennis Creevey, was only in third year and would probably take half an hour to read a newspaper.
"I’ve already talked Colin into sending his brother back", Harry quickly said, giving Ron and Hermione a warning look. Ron seemed to have thought of something amusing and was trying hard not to laugh.
Harry didn’t dare tell the professor that the Creevey brothers were highly enthusiastic and not working alone. The two of them ran the 'Harry Potter Fan Club' together, and Colin had confidently assured him they could recruit fifty more people. It took a lot of persuasion to get Colin to drop that idea.
When the number of participants approached two hundred, keeping them at the Ministry of Magic became impractical.
When Professor Mcgonagall learned of their dilemma, she invited them to Hogwarts. "It’s summer, so the school is quiet. And a large gathering of wizards could be risky."
As the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and a senior member of the Order of the Phoenix, she had been having a tough few days, but not because of fieldwork. On one hand, she and the other professors were busy upgrading the castle’s defense systems. On the other hand, she found a magical photo album in the Headmaster’s Office that functioned like a contact list. It contained photos of Dumbledore’s close friends and personal contacts, as well as high-ranking officials from foreign Ministries of Magic. Some of the people on the list were no longer reachable due to their age.
For her, the most important photos were those of the heads of the world’s eleven renowned magical schools. Normally, she would spend several years after becoming Headmistress visiting each of these schools. But now, all formalities were waived, and all issues and information were conveyed through the photos.
In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Professor Mcgonagall and a few other professors welcomed the students warmly.
"Thank you for stepping up at this critical moment. You are not just students of Hogwarts; you are part of the wizarding community, representing its future..." She was so moved that she had to take out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
The students felt a heavy weight in their hearts, as something began to take root and grow.
"Perhaps I should make Muggle Studies a mandatory course for wizards from wizarding families... This subject may become increasingly important. Even Alastair Maddock has publicly stated his fondness for Muggle sports. Who knows what else might happen?"
"Who is Alastair Maddock?" Ron whispered.
"He’s an excellent Chaser", Ginny, who was also a Chaser, explained. "The papers say he’s expected to join the legendary Montrose Magpies team next year."
"Professor Mcgonagall is a fan of the Montrose Magpies", Harry added.
That night, the castle was unusually quiet, not as lively as usual. Seamus stared blankly out the window. Harry knew he was a half-blood, with a witch mother and a Muggle father. He had once joked about it to them—
"Mom didn’t tell Dad she was a witch until after they got married. It scared him half to death."
When Harry approached, Seamus whispered, "My parents had a fight. It was because Dad’s colleague said bad things about wizards when he came over." Harry paused, then patted his shoulder.
"It’ll get better."
"Will it?"
"It will."
The next morning, everyone gathered in the Great Hall, and a small team from the Ministry of Magic arrived to assign tasks. Harry was surprised to see Percy among them.
"Shut up, no talking." When Percy passed by Ron, Ron opened his mouth, but Percy immediately warned him, "I won’t give you any special treatment." With that, he slammed a stack of Muggle newspapers down on the table.
Ron made a face at him and, once Percy was gone, picked up the newspaper.
"Hey, we got Devon", he whispered to Harry. The Burrow was situated in Devon.
"I'll keep an eye out for news from Ottery St. Catchpole if there's any", Harry whispered back. At that moment, Percy and a few Ministry of Magic staff members stood in front of the students, explaining what they needed to do.
The students' task was significant, but when it came down to individual actions, it was straightforward. First, they divided into groups to identify articles in the newspaper containing the words 'Wizard' or 'magic,' then cut them out and roughly categorized them (currently, only positive and negative). The categorized clippings were then passed to another group of students from Muggle families, who were responsible for selecting more urgent news, typically from influential media outlets, or articles with extreme viewpoints or statistical data.
"In any group controversy, the primary consideration should be the base rate, proportion, and probability of different scenarios", Hermione told Harry and Ron.
"Whose opinion is that?" Harry asked.
"Professor Hup mentioned it in a report", Hermione replied without hesitation.
"Sounds too formal, not like him at all", Ron said, stroking his chin.
"That's because you never read serious articles!"
"She's making it up", Ron said to Harry once Hermione turned away. "There's nothing more serious and boring than the History of Magic, and I've studied it for five years! Add Professor Binns' lectures, and it's twice as bad..."
"It's time to show your talent in this area", Harry said dryly, his eyes fixed on an obituary in the newspaper:
David, who passed away on June 23, 1997, at the age of fifty-one, was a lover of mysticism and magic. "Actually, I'm a vampire", he told a reporter during an interview. In the background, three children were crying in fear. He considered this an honor, but his wife was unconvinced and asked the reporter if vampires could suffer from cardiovascular diseases—since wizards really existed, the reporter noted this question and published it to seek answers.
Harry scratched his head. Should he cut this out? But which category should it go into? It should probably be positive.
After nearly two hours, they finally finished. Harry rubbed his sore neck. He had collected over thirty pieces of information, some positive and some negative, but all within acceptable limits. Ron had a similar amount.
Harry looked up and was surprised to see a wall in the center of the Great Hall. Percy and a few staff members stood in front of it, occasionally hanging clippings on it. A circle of students surrounded them, their expressions solemn. Harry moved closer and saw a large map of Britain on the wall, with lines and special symbols, reminiscent of a tactics board in a player's lounge.
"The more remote the countryside, the more they reject wizards", he heard Percy say quietly.
"It might be related to religion", another person said.
Harry felt a weight in his chest, remembering what Seamus had told him the night before. His breathing quickened, and he exhaled onto the back of the neck of the student in front of him. The person turned around—Draco Malfoy looked at him with a strange expression, a mix of anger and something else.
He moved aside to make room. Harry glanced at him in surprise and then stepped forward.
Harry could see more clearly now. A bloody headline took up a third of the page, reading 'All Wizards Should Go to Hell.' He frowned.
"Oh, don't worry about that, it's just a third-rate local paper", Hermione squeezed through the crowd, holding a stack of clippings. She said irritably, "I bet it has fewer than a thousand readers—the real challenge is this." She waved a clipping in front of Harry and Draco.
'Counting the Suspected Wizard Involvement in Historical Atrocities.'
"Is that true?" Harry asked, surprised.
"It doesn't matter if it's true or not; he used the word 'suspected'", Hermione said disdainfully. "But by linking wizards to atrocities, he clearly has an agenda." She handed the clipping to Percy.
"Oh, right, Harry—I forgot to mention, your letter was published in the newspaper."
...
In the following days, information continued to pour in.
Amelia Bones compiled their recent efforts into a booklet and submitted it to the International Confederation of Wizards. According to the representative stationed there, over two hundred people were arguing in the hall of the Confederation's headquarters, with African representatives making up a quarter of the crowd.
"Before this, African self-governing bodies gained international support by banding together, and that's how Akinbade came to power. Of course, it's also fair to acknowledge that he had always shown great capability and was trusted by many before the crisis", the representative said straightforwardly.
"But with the Wizarding world fully exposed, their thoughts have changed, and some of their demands are truly surprising—like a place I can't even name, which isn't even as large as a British county and has only a hundred or so Wizards. They have a good relationship with the local Muggle military regime, maintaining a nearly semi-public alliance. However, that Muggle military regime is trying to conquer a tribe, which also has a few Wizards, though only a handful, they still pose a significant obstacle."
This news shocked many.
"Doesn't the International Confederation of Wizards do anything about it?" Sirius Black asked, surprised. "What about the Statute of Secrecy? Isn't it strictly forbidden for Wizards to get involved in Muggle disputes?"
Amelia Bones sighed.
"The Statute of Secrecy isn't all-powerful; it varies from person to person and place to place. Africa has always had unique conditions, and it hasn't been given much attention. In short, the International Confederation of Wizards has always had very low expectations for them, as long as they don't cause major trouble."
Remus Lupin raised an eyebrow gently.
"If I understand correctly—before the Statute of Secrecy became a dead letter, Wizards with different stances still exercised some restraint, but now..." He paused, "The Muggle military regime isn't openly recruiting Wizards as enforcers, is it?"
"There's already a trend in that direction", Amelia Bones said. "The Confederation sent representatives to warn both groups of Wizards, but how effective that will be is still unknown—various Ministries of Magic have recalled their Aurors, as they are already struggling with their own issues. The united Wizarding forces against Grindelwald were a fleeting phenomenon. The Confederation is now just a shell, with greatly diminished authority."
After submitting a copy of their previous actions to the International Confederation of Wizards, she could only watch helplessly.
"Let's talk about something more cheerful", Amelia Bones suddenly smiled. "Kingsley Shacklebolt brought back some good news—the Prime Minister has finally concluded the lengthy meetings and passed a resolution to extend an invitation to the Wizarding community."
Lupin was slightly surprised and then smiled. Moody's magical eye swiveled, and his hand, gripping his cane, kept clenching and unclenching. Bill Weasley and Fleur hugged each other excitedly, and in the midst of the joyful gazes, Sirius Black gave Amelia Bones a hearty kiss.
The continuous week of tension had left everyone breathless, and now with a glimmer of hope, everyone was elated. During dinner, Amelia Bones sat next to Felix and spoke to him in a low voice.
"The news will be announced tomorrow. The Prime Minister sent a message through a portrait, stating that they will extend an invitation in the Queen's name, similar to a private gathering or afternoon tea. Do you have any thoughts?"
Felix thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "They don't want it to be too formal?"
"Yes, the Prime Minister said there are still a considerable number of people in Parliament who have doubts", Amelia Bones explained. "He suggested that the selected delegation should not be too serious, and both sides will not immediately enter into substantive negotiations. This event is essentially the Wizards' first public appearance—well, technically the second, although Grindelwald's Saints didn't leave a good impression."
"To form a stark contrast with the Saints..." Felix mused, his gaze sweeping over the Great Hall, landing on students like Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny. His eyes lit up.
"What if we select a few students to form the delegation?" Before Amelia could object, Felix continued, "I'll lead the group myself."
Amelia was taken aback, then quickly thought it over. It seemed feasible...
With Felix there, there would be no safety concerns, and she trusted his on-the-spot decision-making. Felix was nominally a professor at the school, so it made sense for a teacher to lead students, and it wouldn't carry obvious political connotations. Her previous concerns, such as potential harassment from Muggle government officials, would be resolved with the Prime Minister's warning.
It would be a good way to showcase strength appropriately...
"Let's do it!" Amelia Bones said, then hesitated slightly. "Choosing the students—"
"From among the hundred or so students, we can select those who volunteer and get their parents' consent", Felix said immediately. "We need to make it clear to them what's at stake, as not everyone will be willing to appear in public..."
A new day had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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