Chapter 714: Assisting the Publicization of Magic
Chapter 714: Assisting the Publicization of Magic
On that day, Felix, wearing Grindelwald's face, delivered a victorious speech that would dominate the African press for the next two weeks, even spilling over into the Muggle world due to the continent's unique chaotic situation.
Afterward, Felix returned to the headquarters of the Pan-Magical Alliance, where Akimbad, his face aglow with excitement, shared a piece of news.
If all went as planned, the highly significant International Confederation of Wizards conference would convene in early October. Madame Bones would represent the system, detailing the achievements and significance of the past three months' initiatives, as well as the outcomes of their negotiations with Muggle governments.
Naturally, the conference aimed to draft a law of the same caliber as the Statute of Secrecy, establishing guiding principles for the Ministries of Magic around the world to implement. The process might take several weeks, but the benefits were clear—
Wizards would once again be united as a whole.
What filled Akimbad with the most confidence was that Felix Hep, one of the only two active Grand Wizards still active on the world stage, would ensure the law's enforcement.
In the afternoon, Felix visited Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, meeting with Madame Maxime in his capacity as a school trustee. They had recently seen each other at Bill Weasley and Fleur's wedding, but Madame Maxime insisted on inviting him to Beauxbatons.
"Is there a problem with the scholarship fund?" Felix asked. He hadn't inventoried the contents of Nicolas Flamel's vault, but he estimated it could last another century or two.
"The goblins at Gringotts transfer a sum of money to the school's vault annually", Madame Maxime said, her expression somewhat grim. "And they send you a list of the transactions."
"Perhaps I overlooked it", Felix said without much emotion. "I receive so many letters each year. So it's not about that?"
"Of course not."
"Then what is it?"
"Felix, you are a trustee of Beauxbatons, but you've missed three board meetings and haven't been seen at the school since the crisis began", Madame Maxime said in a low voice, her chest beginning to rise and fall.
"I haven't forgotten my role", Felix said, immediately becoming serious. "I asked you before, Nearly Headless Nick doesn't get involved in the school's affairs, so I followed his example and didn't interfere with the school's day-to-day operations."
"That's different, Felix", Madame Maxime protested. "Mr. Flamel has lived for hundreds of years; his sense of time is different from ours, and we don't disturb him easily... But you are in your twenties. How can I explain to the students that the school trustee is completely uninvolved in such a major event?"
...
"So I stayed at Beauxbatons, wandered around, helped a few students with their academic challenges, and had dinner with everyone in the dining hall—the effect was surprisingly good. The only awkward part was that they called me 'Mr. Ape,' but that's how it is", Felix told Madame Bones later that evening in the new Deputy Headmaster's Office. "I can guess what Madame Maxime was thinking: she wanted me to be a mascot, to reassure people. And perhaps she also wanted someone to call if problems arose."
"She is a responsible Headmistress", Madame Bones said. "It might seem like overkill to you, but maintaining a good relationship with you is important to her. Otherwise, why would so many Ministries of Magic send representatives to the Alliance on your behalf?"
Felix hesitated for a moment. He knew the reason, but he joked, "I thought it was my excellent oratory skills."
Madame Bones's lips curled slightly, as if amused by the comment.
"Yes, Grindelwald has taken over a third of the African magical community, perhaps also due to his excellent oratory skills", she said, her tone serious after the jest. "Felix, now the Muggle Prime Minister has proposed a joint effort to produce an official document—beyond informing the public about the progress of our negotiations, there are other elements. I hope you will participate. This will be the first document jointly produced and recognized by both sides, and you have extensive experience in this area."
Felix almost forgot he had a writer's title, though his work wasn't particularly popular, it was certainly relevant.
He thought for a moment and asked, "How far have we progressed?"
"The pace has significantly accelerated", Madame Bones said. "However, we face more than just a relatively stable domestic environment—there are opponents, but they are not a major threat. Internationally, we have little influence, and various organizations can impact the peace talks in countless ways. Our recent understanding is to produce something both sides find satisfactory as quickly as possible, to avoid complications..."
"Other issues will be noted in a memorandum for future refinement. Just like the Statute of Secrecy, it wasn't always in its current form..."
She briefly outlined the recent progress of the negotiations and extended another invitation. Felix agreed.
Night fell.
Felix sat at his desk, reading through the documents Madame Bones had left behind. Many of the critical issues had initially been outlined by the two of them, but as time progressed, some had advanced while others remained contentious. He needed to be thoroughly familiar with all the details.
The golden clock on the desk pointed to midnight, and the office lights were still on. Felix looked up and saw Valen dozing off at his small desk. He smiled slightly and wrapped him in a velvet blanket.
In late September, a book over two hundred pages thick was published. The media and publishers of both societies went all out, ensuring that this work was placed on countless desks and studied repeatedly from the moment it was released. Some of its content was summarized in newspapers, sparking rounds of heated discussions, with each page igniting waves of public opinion.
However, in reality, this document was less a negotiation treaty and more a political white paper issued by the authorities regarding wizards—many journalists privately compared it to government reports. It represented the positions of both sides, mainly stating facts and the progress of negotiations, along with plans and expectations for the future.
Some of the important statements in it were likely to become the basis for future actions or be expanded into targeted laws.
"The book 'Assisting the Publicization of Magic' is divided into three parts. The first part is further divided into three chapters, each explaining the significance of cooperation between the two sides, a brief history of wizards, and the intersections in their historical interactions", Hermione said in one breath, her finger running over the table of contents, flipping to a page, and reading for a moment before looking up with a complex expression. "The people responsible for the negotiations must have spent a great deal of effort, racking their brains—"
"But it's very dry to read", Ron said, "I feel like I'm reading the 'History of Magic' textbook."
"That's the point, isn't it? To avoid personal emotional biases", Hermione said. "But the real views are cleverly hidden, no, they are openly presented to you, but you just don't see them!"
Harry looked at her. If it were two months ago, he might not have understood the meaning of her words, but recent letter writing had given him new insights.
"Wait—", he took the book from Hermione, flipped to Chapter Three, and quickly scanned the subheadings. He looked up thoughtfully and said, "I think I understand what you mean. Every word in here is the result of the delegation's efforts."
Hermione let out a long breath.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked impatiently.
"Look at this", Harry pointed to a page, "1917—", "That was during World War I", Hermione interjected. "—Uh, right", Harry continued, "a witch named Noah Lydia protected her town. Oh, her background is a bit special. She was originally British but later married into France..."
"Like Bill and Fleur?" Ron thought of a similar example, "Just the other way around."
Hermione warned him not to interrupt. Harry continued, "And this, at the time, the Ministry of Magic repelled enemy wizards, including taking control of a fire dragon army. Hey, it mentions Mr. Scamander; he made a significant contribution." His tone was somewhat excited.
Ron gradually caught on, "So it sounds like we played a part? But wizards don't usually get involved in Muggle wars, right?"
"That's true, but the Ministry of Magic has a duty to protect ordinary people in their region from magical threats", Hermione explained. "Especially when some wizards and Muggles intermarry, they tend to protect their neighbors. This is more common during large-scale social upheavals, and the Ministry of Magic has plenty of records—well, I mean, records of violations."
Ron rolled his eyes.
"You mean some wizards spontaneously protected their neighbors during the war, but were punished when they were discovered for using magic?"
Hermione's expression became a bit awkward. At least in this case, the Ministry of Magic didn't play a positive role.
"At that time, the secrecy laws were still in effect. But if something like that happened, the punishment was usually just a fine, rarely imprisonment, and certainly not a trip to Azkaban."
"Alright", Ron said reluctantly.
"But overall", Hermione raised her voice slightly, "the image of wizards presented in this book is largely positive... There are a few cases of mischief and tricking Muggles, but you'll find that these people were eventually punished by the Ministry of Magic, which is quite telling."
"And there's more", she continued, "I think the most important part of the first section is the complete articulation of two key points, which are crucial. The first point is the affirmation of the role of wizards, mentioning several magical disasters that have been quietly averted by wizards over the years. The second point—have you noticed that every 'wizard' is preceded by a word?"
Harry looked down.
"British wizards? Britain?"
"That's right. This discussion is all about British wizards, and it conveniently glosses over the fact that many pureblood wizards don't have a nationality! By framing the discussion within a national context, we don't have to worry about outside interference—"
"But what about the Pan-Magical Alliance...?" Harry murmured.
"They're different, Harry, different", Hermione explained patiently. "While both are designed to reduce constraints on wizards, they target different audiences. The term 'British wizards' largely excludes other countries from intervening, giving us a pretext to avoid international discussions and disputes. The Pan-Magical Alliance, on the other hand, aims to secure the maximum autonomy for wizards internally."
"It sounds so complicated", Ron said, looking dazed.
"These are serious political issues", Hermione said seriously. "Even a small concept can have far-reaching consequences, which is why the Ministry of Magic has been dragging its feet on formulating various regulations. Think about it—wizards don't even have lawyers as a profession..."
"Hermione", Harry said, "I know you're right, but there's one thing you might be overlooking: the wizards' own power. Do you know what I just thought of?" Without waiting for Hermione to answer, he continued, "Grindelwald in Africa."
"Back in early August, the newspapers were filled with reports of chaos in Africa—before the International Confederation of Wizards regained its prestige with Professor Hep's help. Everything changed with the appearance of one person."
"Harry—" Hermione said, sounding nervous.
"Many predicted that within half a month, wizards would become an uncontrollable and dangerous force in regional conflicts. Two months have passed, and the situation there hasn't gotten worse; in fact, it has stabilized. The most daring move was when Grindelwald single-handedly defeated three hundred wizards in one night. Not a single wizard died, I wonder if it's due to some oath... Sometimes I have the feeling that Professor Hep and Grindelwald have an unspoken understanding, not interfering with each other for a while..."
"Some newspapers claim they are preparing for an unprecedented duel, like the legendary one from half a century ago", Hermione's voice trembled slightly. "The two strongest wizards of our time—each could cause terrifying destruction to the other's camp if not for the mutual deterrence."
Ron added uneasily, "All wizards are eagerly anticipating it, but the time isn't right yet."
"Not just wizards", Hermione exclaimed sharply.
Indeed, not just wizards. Governments around the world have taken notice, showing great caution and curiosity towards wizards with the title of 'Grand Mage.' Gellert Grindelwald and Felix Hep—Grindelwald seems to be an ambitious figure, once a failed one, but his threat level has risen since he appeared in a wizarding pub in Cairo. As for Hep, he seems to specialize in a magic called Ancient Runes, has been to the moon, and his combat abilities remain shrouded in mystery, though his survival skills are unmatched.
This kind of analysis and confrontation is instinctive, and almost every regime engages in it, but it doesn't mean they intend to wage war with wizards, especially their own.
What they truly can't tolerate is someone wandering around with a nuclear bomb... If possible, they would prefer fewer such individuals.
In the process, they discovered something strange.
The power gap among wizards seems unimaginably vast, even though they generally possess abilities that make them extremely difficult to handle—such as apparition, traveling through fire, creating inextinguishable blazes, and folding space. Yet, these seemingly powerful wizards pale in comparison to the 'Grand Mages.'
They can only attribute it to the magic's mysterious and unpredictable nature. Modern weapons are largely based on the principles of physics and have many branches, making everything seem traceable. Unfortunately, current scientific theories struggle to explain the principles of magic. Just look at the scientists pulling their hair out trying to figure it out.
"The second and third parts discuss..."
Similar analyses are taking place around the world. Around the same time, Grindelwald's declaration has been spreading over the past two weeks.
(End of Chapter)
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