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Chapter 701: Back on Track
Chapter 701: Back on Track
The last Saturday of July.
In a spacious courtyard within the Parliament Building, the Prime Minister and several ministers stood at a distance on the colonnade, silently watching a short, slender man suspended in mid-air. The man held a long-handled hammer, and everyone's gaze was fixed on the black hammerhead as it inched closer to the crystal vase.
Scientists had tried various methods over the past few days to study the internal structure of the vase without damaging it. They eventually found that visual observation was the most reliable, as the more precise the measuring instruments, the more significant the errors.
Today was the final deadline for releasing the landscape within the vase. The staff member responsible for the daily maintenance of the building bravely took on the task of breaking the vase.
A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and into his neck. The short man stared intently at the ground, estimating the distance. "Stop!" he suddenly shouted, and the ropes holding him tautened, causing his body to sway slightly. But his eyes remained fixed on the crystal vase.
He swallowed hard, quietly encouraging himself. The crystal vase was mounted on a metal base designed to keep it steady, ensuring it wouldn't fall over or cause any accidents. His job was to follow the rehearsed routine and shatter the outer wall of the vase.
The metal hammerhead fell, and a sharp cracking sound echoed through the courtyard, bringing a moment of silence.
"Pull me away!" the man called out. He was the closest, and at that moment, he had the clearest view—aside from the cameras scattered around. In his line of sight, the crystal vase first developed a web of fine cracks, and then each crack began to emit a white light.
The workers at the edge of the courtyard reacted, quickly tightening the ropes. The short man was pulled back, but his eyes remained glued to the center of the courtyard. The crystal fragments turned to light, and in his pupils, a miniature, seemingly living garden began to unfurl. The garden's body stretched out, with soft, tender green grass spreading outward like a rising tide, faster than he was being pulled back. In the blink of an eye, the green had passed over his dangling feet, and when he landed, his feet were already on the soft grass.
Tree saplings sprouted from the ground, growing from far to near. Time seemed to lose its meaning, and within a dozen seconds, the trees were lush and green. A branch drooped, and the man, in a daze, plucked a leaf and stuffed it into his mouth. The fresh sap and bitterness assaulted his taste buds, and he widened his eyes.
Half a minute later, everything was still.
The Prime Minister and the ministers approached, and a few workers also mustered the courage to come closer. No one stopped them, and everyone stared in fascination at the golden fountain before them. The gentle sound of flowing water seemed to fill their ears, and in the center of the fountain stood several ice sculptures, or perhaps crystal sculptures? They couldn't be sure, but as they neared, they felt a faint coolness, and their breaths seemed to become moist. Birds flew into the azure sky.
Silent and speechless, they gazed at the courtyard for a moment. Finally, the Prime Minister said, "We should hold a press conference."
The next morning, Amelia Bones led a dozen representatives from various magical factions into the Parliament Building. As expected, the group included a few humanoid magical creatures. The guards at the entrance made every effort not to show their surprise, as if a knee-high goblin and a centaur with four legs were perfectly normal and not worth a second glance (thankfully, there were no trolls). Felix watched them enter as the massive doors slowly closed. Meanwhile, a dozen Muggles who had been lurking nearby suddenly remembered urgent matters and hurriedly drove home with banners, shotguns, and other paraphernalia, causing no disturbance.
A quarter of an hour later, Felix passed through the iron gate, pausing briefly at the magical fountain before continuing down the corridor to the left. A flag fluttered high atop Victoria Tower, where important documents of the Parliament were stored. As he ascended the stone steps, he heard voices resonating in his ears.
"Welcome to the joint meeting of the British Branch of the Pan-Magical Alliance and the Ministry of Magic, represented by Amelia Bones..."
Felix smiled. The Pan-Magical Alliance was listed first, and the term "British Branch" was particularly significant. Although there was currently only one branch, with no sign of a central office, that didn't matter. What mattered was that wizards had a reason to maintain relative independence from non-magical governments.
With more than one species involved, why should wizards follow the orders of a Muggle government? The goblins' arrogance and obstinacy had come in handy again, this time from the wizards' perspective.
Why go through all this trouble? Why promote integration between wizards and non-wizards while maintaining wizards' relative independence?
The reasons were numerous, but the most significant was that wizards would not tolerate a powerful government above them. Preparing thoroughly before negotiations was better than spending months arguing during talks. For wizards, even the loosest Muggle government had more control over its population than the wizarding society. Felix had seen part of the former high-ranking official Umbridge's proposals at the Ministry of Magic, and it seemed she had drawn inspiration from the non-magical world, with her goals aligning surprisingly well with the outside world.
In other words, for the Wizard community with its simple social structure, every Muggle government official is practically an Umbridge.
The understanding and requirements of rulers between Wizards and non-Wizards are so vastly different that forcing them together inevitably leads to problems. The current situation, which has developed in less than a month, is already quite smooth. But what appears to be a smooth sail is actually due to Felix actively avoiding most of the problematic options.
Most potential issues start small. Felix detected them early and made the necessary arrangements. When the right people, willing to solve problems, came along, he gave them a nudge. The rest was just a matter of observing, ensuring things stayed on track. Who did the work was a minor detail; this wasn’t Felix’s personal issue but a crisis for the entire magical community.
During the First Wizarding War, did Dumbledore publicly do anything? No, he stayed at the school. But behind the scenes, he secretly founded the Order of the Phoenix to counter Voldemort’s attempts to storm the Ministry of Magic and wreak havoc. That was enough. Should he have been expected to stand guard like an ordinary Auror?
Just like how Felix recently prevented a disruption of peace talks, he wouldn’t publicize it. He had more important things to do.
As time passed, Felix emerged from a stone chamber, his expression thoughtful.
Yesterday afternoon, the Prime Minister held a press conference, where he announced two important pieces of information. One was the public disclosure of the negotiation timeline, and the other was a response to the rumors about ancient ruins discovered by Wizards on the moon, which were confirmed to be true.
The latter had been the subject of much speculation.
The idea of Wizards landing on the moon was incredibly miraculous to those without magic, like something out of a fairy tale. Even for regular Wizards, it was hard to believe. When the news was announced, representatives from various countries gathered at the Ministry of Magic, trying to verify the truth, but they were fobbed off by Amelia Bones. It wasn’t until Felix successfully returned from the moon that the news was confirmed and relayed back to the Ministries of Magic in other countries.
The first to be affected were the British magical newspapers. Journalists spoke of the event with a sense of awe, and even Rita Skeeter took a half-day off to publish an enthusiastic article in the Daily Prophet, which felt strange to Felix but delighted Amelia Bones. “Public confidence has greatly increased; they believe we can get through this.”
Felix pursed his lips but said nothing. However, he soon put his Slytherin graduate skills to full use, summoning the members of the Pureblood Families who were nominally under his protection. He had almost forgotten about them.
In the early days after the war, these individuals were anxious, unsure how far the purges would go. Amelia Bones seemed intent on uprooting some of the more stubborn Pureblood Families (though she never truly intended to do so). At this time, Lucius, unwilling to be relegated to a minor family, and Selwyn, who had escaped punishment by betraying his Death Eater comrades (rumors had it he was now called ‘the despicable Selwyn’), rallied a group of fallen Pureblood Families and approached Felix, offering their loyalty. In return, Felix promised not to implicate the innocent or punish families, thus stabilizing the volatile situation.
Now was the time to use them.
At Malfoy Manor, Felix met with these individuals. The scene was somewhat awkward, as Snape was also present. In the living room where Death Eater meetings were once held, Felix sat in the chair that Voldemort had occupied, the room dimly lit with a roaring fireplace, giving the impression that Voldemort had returned. Some late arrivals were so taken aback that they almost greeted the Dark Lord.
Snape sat to Felix’s right, close enough for Mind Chamber communication, which led to some furtive glances. Felix learned of Snape’s status as a Death Eater and couldn’t help but think that Voldemort must have deeply regretted his misjudgment.
In any case, the meeting didn’t go well. Snape kept glancing at him, seemingly worried that his next words would be an order to storm the Ministry of Magic. Fortunately, the outcome was positive. These Pureblood Families demonstrated their family’s depth, hesitantly producing contracts signed with other magical races.
These contracts date back several centuries and remain in effect to this day, playing a significant role in persuading non-Wizard magical races within Britain to join the Pan-Magical Alliance.
During the meeting, an unexpected incident occurred. A Pureblood Wizard, trembling with fear, addressed him as "Sir" and inquired about his lunar landing. Upon receiving a positive response, the Wizard's face lit up, and he excitedly suggested that Felix establish a Wizard base on the moon.
"Then our cause will be unshakable!" he exclaimed, and many others echoed his sentiment.
Cause? What cause? Felix was puzzled but still seriously considered the proposal. Although the relationship between Wizards and Muggles hadn't deteriorated to the point where a retreat to the moon was necessary, the idea of a lunar base appealed to him. For instance, the Chamber deep beneath the school's castle, extending several kilometers underground, would serve as an excellent shelter. Additionally, the magic required didn't seem overly complex.
It really wasn't, Felix thought. Creating dozens of extendable spaces similar to Mr. Scamander's basement, combined with Professor Burbage's research on planting magic, would be sufficient to sustain two to three thousand Wizards for years in the vastness of space.
The only requirement was regular maintenance.
However, for the same reason—things hadn't reached that point—Felix hoped it would never come to that.
...
Regarding the lunar landing, British Wizarding society had Lady Bones spreading the news through radio, and those close to Felix could ask him directly. However, Wizards abroad were left stunned by the news.
Even though Felix had already demonstrated numerous incredible feats, Ministries of Magic around the world remained skeptical. Felix's approach was similar to Dumbledore's in his youth, using letters, academic articles, and hosting Wizards from all over who came to exchange ideas to turn doubt into firm belief. However, Felix didn't have the luxury of time.
It was clear that Felix's focus would soon shift to international matters, where the challenges would be more complex. Dealing with prime ministers, government officials, the public, media, military threats, and economic incentives—many Ministries of Magic had yet to solve these issues. The International Confederation of Wizards was on the brink of collapse.
The only commendable aspect was that these Ministers of Magic, long constrained by the Secrecy Act, instinctively ensured that the Wizarding population remained hidden. From Vita Rosier, Felix gained valuable insights—information not publicly disclosed by the Ministry. Some situations were more severe than they appeared on the surface.
Although Wizards chose to remain hidden, small conflicts occurred daily.
Different environments required different strategies. Once the negotiations here concluded, if they went smoothly, Ministers from various Ministries of Magic would rush to gather details. That would be the time to move on to the next step.
Felix wandered through the sea of documents in Victoria Tower, mentally reviewing the key issues of the negotiations: Wizard autonomy, joint law enforcement between Wizards and Muggles, cooperation between magic and science, trade, and exchanges between civilian organizations.
One file caught his attention.
It was covered with newspaper clippings and analysis reports, including letters from Hogwarts students and recent magical events worldwide, such as Grindelwald's activities. Felix blinked in surprise, recognizing two familiar faces—
The girl who had guided him at the University of Paris; the pianist with damaged fingers. According to the analysis, they seemed to have recognized him and mentioned it to those around them, drawing the attention of government agents.
Felix noted down their addresses—surprisingly, they were all in Britain. Perhaps they were here to get closer to magic? Or just for a vacation? Things had indeed been lively lately... but this also reminded Felix that he had some non-Wizard friends, like Jim and Rebecca. He should consult them, and if he didn't want his identity traced, he could use magic to keep the secret.
(End of Chapter)
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