Chapter 720: The Charter of the Confederation and Alliance
Chapter 720: The Charter of the Confederation and Alliance
A law with a long name but a short body, yet of great significance and far-reaching impact, began to circulate. It was officially titled the Charter of the International Confederation of Wizards and the International Pan-Magic Alliance.
This law, born under special circumstances, has its unique charm. It not only outlines the responsibilities, rights, and obligations of all wizards but also addresses the relationship between the magical and non-magical worlds, short- and long-term goals, and the delineation of management boundaries between the two.
This is also the first time the International Pan-Magic Alliance has been formally mentioned in legal text—its influence is profound, representing that the various regional branches of the alliance, which were previously loosely organized, are now more cohesive. It also reveals to the world that the International Pan-Magic Alliance will play a crucial role in the future.
Along with the Charter, an order was issued from the Confederation headquarters: every wizard must have a copy. Even those wizards hiding in remote corners received their copies, either through friends or local Ministry of Magic staff.
At school, Harry organized a club meeting before Halloween. They ate, drank, and discussed the contents of the Charter.
"Many Dark Wizards are in trouble", Ron said with a grin. "They've really been having a rough time, being sieved out like lice, one after another."
"Mom says they even have to study in prison", Neville said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Harry thought it was schadenfreude, but it was a rare sight on Neville.
"It's true, and the requirements are even stricter", Susan Bones added with a smile.
"Reliving the busy days of O.W.Ls exams, it's enough to make one lose all hope", Daphne Greengrass laughed, contrasting sharply with Neville.
"Dad is considering adding illustrations to each law", Luna said.
"I'll buy it to collect, Luna", Hermione said, holding the booklet and reading aloud: "Apart from the preface and conclusion, the Charter of the Confederation and Alliance is divided into seven chapters, each covering a major theme. These seven chapters are—
1. General Convention of the Magic Community
2. Principles of Interaction Between the Magic and Non-Magical Communities (Individuals and Families)
3. Rights, Responsibilities, and Obligations of the Ministry of Magic and Social Organizations
4. Regulations for Magical Creatures, Ghosts, and Magical Phenomena
5. Rights, Responsibilities, and Obligations of Humanoid Races
6. Draft Proposal for Cooperation with the Non-Magic Community
7. Methods and Necessary Measures for Resolving Disputes and Conflicts
It's concise and covers almost everything. I also noticed that the new law incorporates some clauses from the secrecy laws..."
This is natural, as the complete exposure of wizards doesn't mean that all previous laws are no longer applicable. For example, the requirement for wizard attire—wizards no longer need to disguise themselves perfectly (though most wizards never managed to do so, and inappropriate clothing has been one of the most common violations of the secrecy law). This section has been greatly shortened, retaining only two points: no public exposure of the lower body and no wearing of clothing or accessories that could cause misunderstandings.
Harry stared, unsure who suggested retaining the first point. Do wizards have a habit of exposing themselves? But he couldn't help but think of the old wizard he saw wearing a skirt during the Quidditch World Cup...
"What kind of clothing and accessories could cause misunderstandings?" Justin asked, puzzled.
Hermione was about to speak when Ernie Macmillan interjected, "Wait a minute—I remember something my uncle mentioned in a letter... last week, a wizard being interviewed on the street was asked if the pumpkin hat he was wearing was some kind of peculiar fetish. He said it was for Halloween preparation—"
"That sounds pretty normal", Justin said, confused.
"It's not over yet—" Ernie tried to stifle a laugh, "The man demonstrated it, and a bunch of live bats flew out of the pumpkin's mouth, scaring the reporter and photographer half to death." Several students burst into laughter, but Hermione kept a straight face. "The follow-up was quite complicated. The Muggle animal protection organization accused the wizards of animal cruelty."
At this point, Hannah Abbott looked at the booklet and asked, "But Chapter Two, Article Thirteen mentions that wizards can demonstrate magic to Muggles."
"Only if invited, or in special locations like New Diagon Alley. Otherwise, wizards should try not to draw attention when casting spells near Muggle communities", Hermione added, shrugging. "Actually, I've found that many wizard laws aren't strictly enforced but are judged based on the situation and the severity of the issue. If I perform magic for my parents at home, there would be no problem at all."
But the other students were drawn to another word in her statement. Luna hummed a strange tune, "New Diagon Alley, I really want to see it."
...
Amelia Bones, back in her office, stared at the mountain of papers on her desk, her eyes wide—there wasn't even a palm-sized space left. She stood frozen, and Felix thought she might suffocate. Fortunately, Mr. Weasley arrived with more documents and told her that only a small portion needed immediate attention.
"The rest are just things they thought you should know", Mr. Weasley explained.
Mrs. Bones rolled up her sleeves, pulled out a monocle from her pocket, and seemed ready to tackle the pile.
"It’s just a few hours, Amelia. Surely nothing earth-shattering has happened?" Felix glanced at Mr. Weasley, who immediately understood and said, "Not really, and the Minister even managed to come back. If there were any particularly urgent matters, we would have reported them."
"Let’s have a drink." Felix summoned a bottle of wine from the air. They sat on the guest sofa, sipping and chatting. Mr. Weasley took off his glasses and rubbed his gleaming forehead. Felix noticed that his hair was visibly thinner.
Amelia sat on the sofa, sipping her wine slowly, and swirled the glass. "Arthur, how’s the new department you’re in charge of doing?"
"Everything’s going well", Mr. Weasley perked up. "Apart from Scrimgeour’s side, we’ve already conducted several collaborations with the Muggle government. The Muggle Prime Minister specifically approved a small plot of land in the city. I spent three days with my new colleagues transforming it into a mini Diagon Alley. Tourists are flocking in. Some events, like book launches and giveaways, are held there. A few companies have responded to the Ministry’s call, such as the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, distributing thousands of newspapers and magazines to tourists for free—"
From the look of lingering fear on Mr. Weasley’s face, Felix guessed that he had interacted with more people in the past few weeks than he had in the previous half of his life.
"You mean they’re giving them away for free to tourists? No charge?" Amelia asked curiously. "I don’t know much about the Quibbler’s editor, Lovegood, but the Daily Prophet—"
"They’re unsold back issues or magazines, so it doesn’t impact them much", Mr. Weasley explained.
"Are there any businesses moving into the new Diagon Alley yet?" Felix asked.
"Not yet, but we’ve made some preparations", Mr. Weasley said. "We contacted the parents of young wizards from Muggle families to see if they’re interested in opening shops in the new Diagon Alley. Many of them are Squibs or similar. Mr. Ollivander told me that they can at least use specialized wands and, with some training, can start working."
"Has the Squib Rights Association reached out to you?" Amelia asked. "They might be interested."
Mr. Weasley nodded, then shook his head. "They have, but their interest isn’t strong." Seeing the slightly surprised looks on Felix and Amelia’s faces, he smiled for the first time. "Most people who know they are Squibs have relatives still alive, and many families are happy to reconnect with their children who are out there."
"Any other news?"
"Let me think... After the contract was signed, there were a dozen or so anti-wizard protests, but they weren’t significant. Our protective charms ensure that anyone with malicious intent can’t enter, and Muggle weapons are rendered ineffective."
"That’s good news", Amelia said with a hint of excitement.
"There were some incidents, though", Mr. Weasley said, slightly embarrassed, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. "During the event, two specialized wands were accidentally lost."
"What happened?" Amelia sat up on the sofa, her expression serious.
"The plan was to roughly estimate the number of Squibs, right? Three days ago, we organized an activity where tourists could experience specialized wands. Mr. Ollivander further improved the specialized wands. I don’t fully understand the principle, but it involves using materials from magical creatures to increase the wands’ sensitivity... In any case, we got a rough result, with a ratio of about two hundred to one."
Felix nodded slightly, rubbing his chin. "So, there are roughly three hundred thousand Squibs in the UK? No, that’s not quite accurate. Most of them probably have even less magical perception, unable to see even common magical phenomena like ghosts or Dementors."
"Exactly", Mr. Weasley agreed. "Mr. Ollivander believes that even with specialized wands, only a few can successfully cast spells. The Department of Mysteries’ Unspeakables proposed a theory: magic is like a rising tide. From the first generation of Squibs, magical abilities gradually decline, and in a certain generation, there is a turning point, becoming more pronounced."
"That’s an interesting theory", Felix said with interest.
If this theory holds, then the parents and direct relatives of Muggle-born young wizards might be able to use specialized wands. However, they are older, and the thin magic in their bodies (or souls) is almost impossible to harness, so they can only use pre-set magical pranks with the help of specialized wands.
"During the event, a Muggle suddenly rushed out and snatched two specialized wands from a staff member. The Muggle government’s law enforcement couldn’t catch up, and our people were hesitant to use powerful spells. In the end, the criminal escaped to a residential area", Mr. Weasley said. "Scrimgeour and the Muggle government are working together to investigate."
"Weren’t the specialized wands used for testing supposed to have trace magic attached?" Amelia asked.
"Not yet."
Unlike Amelia’s serious expression, Felix didn’t seem too concerned. "Let them investigate slowly. Such incidents will only increase in the future, and we just need to plug the gaps. Whether it’s trace magic or location magic, it can prevent such problems."
Amelia Bones' expression softened at this, and a knock sounded at the door. Scrimgeour pushed it open and stepped in, his thick chestnut hair streaked with gray, the lines on his face deeper, making him look much older. Amelia invited him to sit down, and indeed, he had come to report on the specialized wand incident.
“The person has been found, and it has been preliminarily confirmed as an accident. The trial will be held in two weeks, and I will attend in person,” Scrimgeour said. This was the one hundred and thirty-second case he had participated in that involved both wizards and Muggles—ranging from complaints about prank spells to flooding an entire house or setting off fireworks in an unauthorized location that ignited a tree. The outcomes were usually fines, but because it was a joint enforcement, the first verdict could set a precedent for future trials, so he always took his duty seriously.
“Rufus, you should delegate some of your work to others,” Amelia advised.
“It will be better once this period is over,” Scrimgeour said dismissively. “Amelia, I will send you a copy of every verdict, along with comments from other Wizengamot members. You should review them. According to our agreement, if there are no objections, the new laws will be approved and take effect the following year, with adjustments made annually.”
“So the documents on your desk—”
“Ah, two stacks are mine.”
“Rufus, you need rest, or some help, or your body will give out,” Amelia said softly.
“Someone has to do the work, and I can’t trust others with it,” Scrimgeour said coldly.
Amelia wanted to press further, but Felix mentioned a name: “Barty Crouch.”
All three of them turned to look at him.
“From what I know, Barty Crouch is highly skilled in legal matters. He has been out of the public eye for nearly three years. If he is willing—” Felix continued slowly, “Well, I think he might be a bit disheartened by past events, but he is a strong-willed person. If someone tells him the Ministry of Magic needs him, I believe he will agree without hesitation. The person should be someone he knows well, perhaps a former subordinate or a close friend, but they must be firm and stubborn, even a little crazy—”
Amelia's lips twitched, and she turned to look at Mr. Weasley, who was also looking at Scrimgeour. There seemed to be a suitable candidate right here.
“Barty Crouch is still in prison,” Scrimgeour said sharply, his gaze fixed on Felix.
Their eyes met, and for them, past conflicts were long buried. No one would dredge up old accounts—Felix had even killed Barty Jr., but he still recommended Barty Crouch. However, ideological differences remained. Scrimgeour was a seasoned veteran, and in a sense, he had inherited the elder Crouch's principles.
“Just two months more,” Felix said. “A change of location or a private cell… the effect would be similar. Oh, and I can recommend someone to serve him… a House-elf named Dobby, do you remember him?”
The few people in the room stared, considering the feasibility of this approach.
“…Under what pretext?” Mr. Weasley asked after a moment.
“Advisor,” Felix said without hesitation. Amelia rolled her eyes.
Finally, Scrimgeour said dryly, “I can try to convince Barty—”
“Actually, my ideal candidate is Mad-Eye Moody,” Felix said with a strange tone.
Scrimgeour's hair and beard trembled, and his knuckles cracked as he resisted the urge to strangle Felix. After a while, he said coldly, “Then it’s settled.” He stormed out of the room.
“Rufus is actually happy, I can feel it,” Amelia said. After Mr. Weasley left, she asked curiously, “Felix, you really don’t mind Barty being released early— I mean, well,” she sighed, “working from his cell?”
“It’s only a couple of months earlier. Besides, will his release affect me? Obviously not.”
...
The introduction of the Charter of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Pan-Magic Alliance was not the end but the beginning of a new round of negotiations. This time, it was no longer a minor affair. With the Charter and the successful example set by the British Ministry of Magic, negotiations would be conducted simultaneously in dozens of countries.
In the United States, over a month had passed, and the American Congress of Magic had found nothing. They had even risked accessing top-secret government documents, but to no avail. The chairman of the American Congress of Magic, Horace Greengrass, had vaguely mentioned a method during a meeting, but it would have to wait until he returned to implement it. Felix hoped there would be no complications.
For the rest of the magical community, the most popular topic was the Charter of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Pan-Magic Alliance. It was discussed in newspapers, on the radio, and even on Muggle television programs, with various experts analyzing its contents.
This basic law, akin to a Wizard constitution, was rich in content and clearly defined its boundaries. The ambitious long-term plans outlined in the second-to-last chapter—such as magical technology, joint hospitals, rapid cultivation, space travel, alien colonization, and limb regeneration—led to a single conclusion: genuine commitment.
While Felix could achieve these goals now, he preferred to stretch the timeline to thirty, fifty, or even longer years.
(End of Chapter)
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