Chapter 710: A Stirring Wind - (2) |
At that time, the headquarters wasn't yet built, and the conditions were quite basic, so an open-air square was temporarily chosen for the meeting. The goblins originally wanted to attend, but they were turned away, oh, and Liechtenstein didn't participate either.
"I remember it was because of the giants?"
"Yes, precisely because of the giants," Akingbade confirmed. "The local wizards were in tense relations with some particularly fierce mountain giant tribes. They wanted to use the power of the Confederation to round up the giants, but Pierre Bonaccord refused."
Felix nodded.
Just by the name, one could tell that this wizarding organization was initially defined to promote cooperation among wizards from different countries, with no involvement from other races. The president of the Confederation generally played the role of a mediator in resolving conflicts, with very limited power. Until the end of the seventeenth century, the idea of secrecy became increasingly accepted among wizards. After weeks of intense discussions, the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy came into existence.
In practice, this important task was undertaken by the International Confederation of Wizards, which quickly expanded, establishing various departments to communicate, coordinate, and monitor the implementation of the Secrecy laws in different countries.
"In theory, this place is just an office of the Confederation," Akingbade said. "Later, people found they preferred working here rather than in a damp, deserted place. So, a certain president of the Confederation bought this place and submerged the meeting square underground completely. The staircase beneath our feet is part of that square..."
"This city has gone through several wars and turmoil. Wizards would retreat to the real headquarters, meanwhile hiding nearby country's wizards. Of course, we can't manage too much; as long as magic remains hidden, it's fine."
They walked through a circular hall, which had a distinct Roman style, luxurious, magnificent, with spacious interiors. Equally spaced rooms lined the walls of the circular hall, each door seemingly facing the center of the hall, as if invisible lines radiated outward. Tall stone pillars and decorative arches adorned both sides of the entrance.
"There are many names on the list here, but most have their own matters to attend to and only gather when needed. I don't often come here myself. The usual practice is to pick a nearby place to host meetings when there's an issue," Akingbade said somewhat despondently. "A few weeks ago, there were quite a few representatives roaming around discussing plans; earlier, the Auror team responsible for capturing Grindelwald also met here, but now the numbers have dwindled..."
Why is that?
Because the Confederation couldn't come up with practical solutions. Everyone was looking out for themselves, not responding to the call, and the Confederation quickly became a shell.
"What are your thoughts?" Akingbade asked Felix.
"The first step is definitely to re-establish the Confederation's prestige," Felix pondered. "I need to travel around the world first. Assign me a title of envoy, but I might need to stay here for a few days first, to go through the archives, to understand the history of magical departments in different countries."
Felix stood in the vast hall, looking around, seemingly full of resolve. Akingbade believed him somewhat, though he might not have been so optimistic had he known Felix's true thoughts at the moment.
"I can give you a rough idea of the black markets around the world, but if you ask about the history of these countries—had I known this day would come, I would definitely have brushed up on that knowledge."
Hmm, Felix's mind palace wasn't filled with much useful information. Even if he had seen it, he had long since discarded it as trash.
...
In mid-August, after wandering outside for half a month, Felix returned to the school. In the headmaster's office of Hogwarts Castle—"Three students have refused to enroll," Professor McGonagall said sternly.
"Is this common in previous years?" Felix asked.
"It might happen once every two or three years," Professor McGonagall hesitated before explaining. "You know, even Muggle-born wizards have ancestors who were very likely wizards to a large extent over dozens of generations. It's unlikely for these families to have a strong aversion to magic..."
Professor McGonagall huffed in annoyance, "We're not like the American Puritans."
"It might be influenced by recent news," Felix said with some headache. "Hogwarts doesn't force students to enroll. If they firmly disagree, then we should protect them in secret, to avoid the emergence of Squibs."
These times could be described as tumultuous, with many significant events happening, many of which involved Felix. Newspapers around the world—both magical and Muggle—featured his name.
For instance, the most recent
event:
A week ago, descendants of American Puritans handed over twelve magically talented children to the authorities, begging them to unravel the secrets of wizards with great malice. These children were immediately taken into heavily armed protection by three hundred formidable soldiers and modern technology.
The next day, a wizard in a black robe approached the base's entrance. He stood quietly for a while, and the door opened by itself. A squad of soldiers voluntarily handed over the children to him, and he left a card before disappearing with the children without uttering a single word.
The four soldiers guarding the entrance ignored him throughout, and the only clue left was the mysterious wizard's card, confirmed to bear the logo of the International Confederation of Wizards.
The surveillance photo was also thoroughly analyzed.
Experts soon realized that this mysterious wizard was entirely different from any known data. Hooded, silent throughout, without uttering spells, drawing a wand, or making gestures—even glancing at the camera before leaving, as if he intentionally left a side profile.
God knows how many people have been daydreaming about Felix's straight nose and sleek jawline these days.
Perhaps due to external pressure, the British Prime Minister sent an inquiry, which Amelia Bones robustly rejected. Her reply scrolled repeatedly on the TV news in text form: Wizards are willing to cooperate, willing to sign treaties to foster a new order more quickly. We have already shown goodwill, but if it comes at the cost of wizards being harmed—wizards would rather choose war.
On the same day, twenty-seven descendants of Puritans mysteriously died at twelve different locations, with police finding no evidence of intrusion. Also, on that day, the previously silent Death Eaters began converging towards Africa from all directions.
If future scholars were to study this period, they would find this event to be a critical turning point, marking a new chapter in the relationship between the two sides. As the outside world buzzed with speculation and the authorities remained silent, negotiations on both sides unexpectedly accelerated.
Issues that previously required hours or even days of debate suddenly became trivial, with both sides making concessions tacitly. An insider journalist claimed in an article that the public might see the detailed content of the negotiated treaties within a month.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, it was September 1st.
The start of the school year had arrived.
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