Chapter 718: A Congress Destined for the History Books
Chapter 718: A Congress Destined for the History Books
At three in the afternoon, the meeting convened at the headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizards.
This was a spacious room, comparable in size to a standard basketball court. However, with over four hundred chairs arranged, it felt somewhat cramped, especially with a clear space in the center covered in a purple carpet with gold trim, designated for impromptu speeches. At the front of the room, a long table was elevated, reserved for the President of the International Confederation of Wizards. Near the presidential chair were several fixed seats for the Vice President, Secretary, and unassigned seats, which varied depending on the meeting's theme. Today, Amelia Bones was one of the invited guests.
Some attendees followed Bones' gaze to the young man above her. Unlike her serious expression, he wore a smile and fiddled with a peculiar hat, engaging in a quiet conversation. Felix Heap—how many people silently invoked his name with a mix of awe and reverence. The influence of Arumbad alone could not have gathered this many people; Felix had almost single-handedly orchestrated this scene.
Beside Felix sat Arumbad, who seemed to have shed some of the pressure and appeared in good spirits. He was dressed in a multi-layered, intricately designed robe, sitting high on the dais. The representatives in attendance felt a ripple of anticipation; the Vice President's seat remained unoccupied, seemingly reserved for Felix—history had seen instances where the Vice President wielded more power than the President.
Indeed, the previous President, Dumbledore, had done exactly that, albeit by willingly ceding power.
"You dyed your hair?" Felix asked with interest.
Bones, who was reviewing her documents, shot him a glare and huffed, "Hmph." "—And you look much better. Did you use a beauty potion?" Bones froze. Felix whispered, "Take a closer look, your hair—""What about it?!" "—It seems longer. Let me check my memory—" After a few seconds, he opened his eyes with certainty, "Yes, it's definitely longer."
Bones seemed slightly embarrassed and whispered, "Felix, this is a serious occasion!" Yet, she was clearly flustered, flipping through her papers incessantly.
"When?"
"What—"
"Good news!" Felix said solemnly, "At Bill and Fleur's wedding, I saw Sirius Black arrange chicken legs into a little Cupid shape. Or perhaps I was mistaken; it looked more like—"
"Ugh, shut up."
...
As the current President of the International Confederation of Wizards, Barbeged Arumbad tapped his small wooden gavel, and the crowd gradually quieted down.
"Three centuries ago, we enacted the Statute of Secrecy, which functioned well until the magical world was fully exposed. Therefore, I hope you will approach this task with the same historical responsibility, crafting a law that is both guiding and forward-looking."
"I am honored to invite Amelia Bones, who was involved in the negotiations with Muggle governments and successfully reached a consensus. The details are outlined in the book 'Assisting the Publicization of Magic,' which is in your hands. Felix Heap, a key negotiator, has described the intricacies of this book. No sentence was written hastily; every line was carefully chosen to align with the moral principles of both parties. You will find that the second and third sections are frequently referenced. Felix will be responsible for maintaining order and arbitrating contentious issues during this congress."
Arumbad paused, seeing no objections, and looked to his right, "Felix?"
Felix nodded and said briefly, "Amelia, you can begin."
Bones' composed voice echoed through the spacious meeting room. She wore her familiar monocle, her face half-hidden in the shadows.
"…The second part primarily documents the progress and outcomes of negotiations between the Ministry of Magic and national governments, as well as some unresolved debates. The final part outlines plans already underway or soon to be implemented to promote cooperation, such as joint law enforcement and magical shops—oh, we chose a book sale with free gifts to better open the market…"
"As you can see", she scanned the murmuring crowd, "I will do my best to provide relevant background information and detailed support to all of you." She sat down.
"Thank you, Amelia. Thank you, Barbeged", Felix said, his voice amplified by the Sonorus charm, his gaze sweeping over every face.
"We will craft a law with far-reaching impact, one that rivals the Statute of Secrecy and, in some aspects, even surpasses it."
"Not for a few years, but measured in centuries, like the Statute of Secrecy. Therefore, we will not waste time on specific details or trivial matters such as 'how much to fine a drunk wizard for blowing up a trash can or whether to imprison them'—that is the responsibility of the Ministry of Magic. You should discuss these with local governments, following local customs and adapting accordingly. Our focus will be on emotional, conceptual, and principled issues—what is acceptable and what is not."
"These will become the guiding principles of the Wizarding world, a shared understanding deep in everyone’s hearts. Once established, no individual or group, no subsidiary law, can defy them."
"Alright, now everyone is free to speak. You can share independent viewpoints or ask questions about Mrs. Bones' previous speech."
After a moment of silence, the representatives began to speak. To lighten the mood, a witch with sparse, light yellow hair asked cheerfully, "Bones, why did you choose the form of selling books? Is it because you believe Muggles desperately need to learn basic knowledge?"
A low murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd, but most people did not laugh.
"There are two reasons", Mrs. Bones said calmly, "First, Felix and I"—she glanced at Felix—"believe that magic is seen as mysterious by outsiders. Therefore, during the initial one to two years of contact, whatever we present will attract significant attention. Compared to potions, magical foods, and various special-function magical items, we prefer that people understand Wizard culture and values. This is also to prove that, apart from magic, Wizards are not fundamentally different from ordinary people."
"The second reason—also mentioned in the book Assisting the Publicization of Magic—is that the magical world should integrate into the outside world gently, minimizing impact on existing systems and social structures. So, it’s clear that having an automatic page-turning comic book at home isn’t a big deal, but an invisibility cloak could cause serious problems."
Questions grew more pointed, and Mrs. Bones found it hard to handle them alone. Felix joined in, handling the questions with ease, as if he were in a classroom—more importantly, no one dared to argue with him unreasonably.
New departments began to take shape during the discussion. For example, the International Committee for Magical Technology Cooperation, responsible for reviewing joint projects; the International Association of Magical Trade, responsible for cross-border trade and the approval of lists of first, second, and third-class items; and the Emergency Issues Investigation Group, responsible for communication and handling of tricky, high-risk sudden situations.
The quill in front of the scribe scribbled furiously.
A red-haired Wizard mentioned the Pan-Magical Alliance. "Local branches have been spontaneously established, though progress varies. But there’s not even a hint of a headquarters for the Pan-Magical Alliance."
"Perhaps it could be a subordinate department of the Confederation?" a Wizard suggested.
"Doesn’t that still place other races below Wizards?" the red-haired Wizard objected, "We need to cede some rights to gain their support. Old methods won’t work in this new era. Those races are our natural allies..."
"Do you mean the Pan-Magical Alliance should be above the Confederation?"
"I didn’t say that."
"Then what do you mean?"
"At least you’re not just dodging the issue! You cowardly Puffskein!" the red-haired Wizard spat.
"Watch your mouth, you slimy ghoul!"
Seeing the heated argument, with neither side persuading the other, Felix cleared his throat, and the crowd fell silent.
"Let’s note this issue down. We might find an unexpected solution as the meeting progresses."
At that moment, there was a commotion outside the door. The intense discussions paused, and everyone turned to look. Then came a rapid knock, and Arumbad frowned, waving his wand to dispel the layers of magical light. A man pushed the door open, looking flustered.
"What’s going on, Claude?" Arumbad called out, "Didn’t I tell you to guard the door and prevent anyone from disturbing us?"
Claude stammered for a while before saying, "G-Grindelwald—"
"Did he actually dare to come?" Arumbad’s face was one of shock. The meeting room seemed to freeze, deathly silent. Then many people jumped up from their seats, looking utterly alarmed, and the room descended into chaos.
Felix frowned, realizing he had overlooked a fact: most of the attendees were not young, and many had witnessed Grindelwald’s reign of terror and the chaos he brought to the entire magical world.
Just as everyone was at a loss, a calm and resonant voice, like a drumbeat, struck their hearts—
"Silence—"
Everyone looked at Felix, who was sitting upright on the stage. He stood up and calmly said to Claude, "Claude, finish what you were saying."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Heap." The man stammered, "Grindelwald didn’t come, but his followers did—my point is, " he was sweating profusely, "he sent a delegation, about twenty people, saying they want to attend the meeting!"
The meeting room erupted like a pot of boiling water.
"Let them in", Felix said, silencing all the chatter. The representatives from the Ministries of Magic of various countries looked at him, finding a sense of direction, and then turned their gaze to the door, their eyes filled with anticipation. After a few seconds, they heard disordered footsteps, and a group of people entered from outside.
Leading the group was a tall woman with dark skin and gray eyes. Her face was painted with several brownish-yellow stripes, and her dark, reddish-brown hair was neatly tied back with a spiked iron ring.
"Lebert?" Arumbad said, surprised, looking at the woman.
"Arumbad, it's been a long time", the woman replied, seeming relieved. The greeting indicated they knew each other. She composed herself and spoke in a hollow voice, a bit like a first-time actor reciting lines on stage: "Malawatar Lebert, Minister of Magic for Egypt, greetings to all."
"Egypt doesn't have a Ministry of Magic", Arumbad said in a muffled voice.
"It does now", the woman with the spiked ring said, looking at Arumbad and Felix. She chose her words carefully: "We are here on... orders. The person said that African Wizards make up one-tenth of the entire magical population. Since this is an international conference, they should be represented."
Arumbad hesitated. "In that case..." He seemed unsure, his expression changing rapidly as if in a complex internal struggle, momentarily frozen in place.
Felix waved his hand, and a row of chairs appeared. He gestured to Malawatar Lebert with his eyes, "Welcome—though we may share the same name, we are all part of the same world." Malawatar Lebert sniffed and walked to a seat, the people she passed exchanged various expressions and glances.
The people behind her tried to follow suit but were stopped by Felix's gaze.
"Those entering should state their names and positions", he said calmly.
Next was a clean-skinned, stocky man who abruptly stopped, introducing himself awkwardly, "Muto Tobias, Minister of Magic for Nigeria." He glanced nervously at Felix, who nodded slightly, and he quickly joined the others. Everyone noticed his clothes were drenched in sweat—
If Arumbad or Hep ordered these two dozen people to be detained, they would have no way to resist.
Some were cooperative, while others were stubborn. One such person was now a painting, held up by a clerk of the Federation and hung on the back of a chair. The only part of him left was a pair of dark, terrified eyes that darted around, oddly comical.
"Bold move", a senior Wizard muttered, "I hope he doesn't stay that way forever." As if in response, the eyes moved even more frantically. The old Wizard chuckled and folded the man's legs onto the chair as if they were clothes.
Another older witch touched the painting with a finger and quickly withdrew it, making a sound of disgust.
Felix looked at the first woman who sat down and asked, as if nothing was amiss, "Nona Lebert is your—"
"Second daughter", the woman said, somewhat flattered.
"Her performance with the Goblet of Fire was impressive", Felix said.
"Oh, thank you—"
As the group settled down, everyone was stunned. The addition of over twenty Ministries of Magic from Africa was surprising enough, but some were secretly pleased. In the past, an African delegation might have numbered over two hundred. The question was, was Grindelwald using them as puppets, or did he genuinely intend to reform and establish new systems in Africa?
Arumbad, after a moment of hesitation, accepted Felix's approach. He asked, eyes wide, "What does Grindelwald mean by this?"
Malawatar Lebert shook her head, "No one knows what he's thinking."
"Will he abide by the decisions made at the Federation meeting?" Arumbad pressed. Malawatar Lebert shook her head again, and he sighed in disappointment. Despite his expectations, he couldn't help feeling let down.
"At least he sent representatives, which means he hasn't completely cut ties with us", a Wizard said. His words were met with a murmur of agreement. "We are all Wizards, after all."
This sentiment had an effect, and the attendees no longer treated the unexpected guests as outsiders. However, the discussion then veered off course, with representatives from various countries inquiring about the lives of African Wizards in 'occupied territories.'
"Mr. Grindelwald... he has consolidated the previously loose autonomous organizations, assigning roles and responsibilities. For example, the Egyptian Ministry of Magic was forcibly merged from twelve regional autonomous organizations. He also invoked the Wizarding Code as a basis for governance and administration. I have studied its content, and it bears similarities to the books published by the British Ministry of Magic, but the language is sharper and more authoritarian on certain issues..."
"Could you elaborate on that part?" Felix interjected, "It might be helpful for the theme of this meeting."
"Oh, uh, certainly", Malawatar Lebert said.
(End of Chapter)
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