Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 177 I can't convince you, but I can kill you.
In 1968, the Magical Congress reinstated the Rappaport Act. In 1971, several pioneering leaders who had forced the Magical Congress to compromise either died or fled.

The human rights movement, a pioneering movement in the American magical community, has suffered a heavy blow.

Having witnessed the "harm" of the avant-garde movement, the Magical Congress initially decided to infiltrate and observe Muggle society. Twenty years later, the several organizations created for this purpose recently compiled a 20-year observation report to verify the accuracy of the "Wilkinson prophecy."

"...From the 50s to the present, the Muggle government has conducted thousands of nuclear tests in states such as Nevada. The radioactive waste and dust produced by these explosions have affected approximately one million Muggles in several states. A disease called cancer has accumulated over decades and has appeared on a large scale in several states, all without the knowledge of the Muggle civilians..."

"The Muggle government and corporations seem to be very keen on using their fellow citizens for various experiments. Our investigators have found that they even mix radioactive materials into cookies and sell them to children to observe the effects of radiation on growth and development. Incidentally, we have obtained all the relevant research data and it is playing an important role in another project in Congress."

"...In recent years, we have observed that political divisions are brewing in Muggle countries, and the flaws of the electoral system are gradually becoming apparent. The Muggle Democratic Party is beginning to distance itself from its traditional voter base, focusing instead on previously neglected issues such as environmental protection, affirmative action, African Americans, and sexual minorities. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is further aligning itself with traditional Southern ideologies... These observations align with the 'Wilkinson prediction' and can be seen as the beginning of Muggle decline..."

Michael's expression remained unchanged as he flipped through the alarming text and data in the report.

The decline of the Muggle is something that all pure-blood families, including him, are happy to see. They will not sympathize with the tragedy, but will instead help it.

However, his focus is not on these things right now.

"Minister, Woolworth has arrived."

The Auror driving ahead gave a warning.

Even late at night, many Muggles still come and go in the Woolworth Building, with the old-fashioned revolving doors constantly sliding in and out.

Occasionally, a few oddly dressed people, who went unnoticed by any Muggles, would walk in, waving their wands and chanting spells.

As Michael got out of the car, a middle-aged wizard who had been waiting by the door, dressed in a trench coat and top hat and looking rather old-fashioned, quickly walked over.

"Minister Graves, the Chairman is waiting for you."

Michael remained unhurried: "How's the congressional meeting going?"

The middle-aged wizard smiled wryly: "They're still arguing. Some members of parliament believe that Weasley has a formal diplomatic status, and for the sake of international image, they cannot and should not take any strong measures against him. Otherwise, the reputation of the Federation and its diplomatic environment will be in a very unfavorable predicament."

Which families are the most vocal in their opposition?

"The Porter family, the Weiss family, and the Stewart family."

"Humph!"

Michael Graves gave an unpleasant snort and said nothing more. This answer was not beyond his expectations. Both the Porter and Weiss families were known as pro-Ilfamoni.

Needless to say, the Stuart family's ancestors were James Stuart and Isolt Thayer. James Stuart was nothing special, just a Muggle.

The important one is Isolde Thayer, whose mother, Leona, comes from the Gaunt family, and whose father is no ordinary man either; the Thayer family are direct descendants of the legendary witch Morrigan.

These two men founded Ephamoni in the 17th century.

Since then, the Stuart family has controlled Ilfamoni. For over 200 years, the Magic Council has considered taking control of Ilfamoni from the Stuart family.

Unfortunately, the two ancestors of this family left their descendants a rich legacy—both in terms of wealth and connections.

The Porter and Weiss families are among the legacies left by Isolt Thayer.

There is another family, the Butt, which is not listed among the 12 purebloods but is quite powerful. Their ancestors were the adopted sons of Isolde and Jaime.

Of course, even with the protection of these families, the Stuart family could not have withstood the pressure and "dominated" Iphamoni indefinitely.

The problem is that Isolde was a very kind and charismatic witch who, before founding Iphamoni, traveled throughout North America and helped many magical creatures and Native Americans.

So after Iphamoni was founded, a tribe of Pukchi moved to the vicinity to repay Isolte and vowed to help the school defend against invaders.

Meanwhile, the Wapanon and Narakan tribes, Native Americans of North America, also entered into a covenant with the Isot, stipulating that Iphamoni would open their schools to their descendants, and they swore to stand with the Stuart family forever.

The Stelter family's greatest asset is not its pure-blood lineage, nor the students that Ilfamoni has taught over the years, but rather the Native Americans of North America!
In Muggle society, Native Americans are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, but in the magical world, Native American wizards, who also possess magic, are a force to be reckoned with.

Especially after Isolde promoted wand-making techniques to them.

Thinking of the Stewart family, Michael rubbed his temples in exasperation. In fact, the biggest obstacle to the implementation of the Rappaport Act, or rather, the biggest obstacle for pure-blood families to completely dominate magic, has always been the Stewart family and their Iphamoni.

After more than 200 years of struggle, the pure-blood family can only guarantee that pure-blood children will receive more preferential treatment in terms of resources compared to Muggles and mixed-race children when they enter school.

That's it.

Michael, who remained silent, entered the building accompanied by the middle-aged wizard. With a spell, the revolving door turned, and the lobby of the building, which was originally visible through the glass and belonged to the Muggles, was transformed into a vast and magnificent plaza.

In the center of the square, the most eye-catching display is undoubtedly the tall, tower-like magic clock.

Below the magic clock, a bustling crowd of people, all employees of various agencies of Congress, gathered.

Michael glanced around casually; these were scenes he was already used to. He didn't look at them for long and let the middle-aged wizard who greeted him lead the way into an elevator.

The two arrived at the top floor—the Wizarding World's Woolworth Building has more than 100 floors. It shares a coordinate with the Muggle's Woolworth Building, but spatially they seem to be two different worlds.

He stepped out of the elevator, walked through several side passages, and arrived at a door.

The magic attached to the door scanned him and then opened automatically.

The noisy commotion inside the door immediately reached his ears.

"...Times have changed. The Federation cannot isolate itself from the world, and no country in this world has made progress by isolating itself!"

“Stuart, nobody wants to leave the world. We’re discussing how to deal with Vaughn Weasley…”

"How to handle it? You mean you want to kill him? What's the difference between that and what I said? Vaughn Weasley's diplomatic status is legitimate. It's not only his identity but also our credibility. If Congress takes a hard line against Vaughn Weasley, then tell me, gentlemen, how will you deal with international inquiries? How will you deal with public opinion? Who will dare to trust the Magical Congress's credibility in the future?"

"Don't be so unreasonable, Stuart. Congress has never recognized his diplomatic status..."

Inside the huge tiered conference hall, the seats on the steps were sparsely occupied, while the central round conference table was packed with members of Congress.

A wizard, around 50 years old, with bushy brown hair and a lion-like appearance, glared at the attack from a fat wizard opposite him and fiercely retorted:

"Ifamoni has the right to freely decide on any academic activity, including inviting scholars for academic visits. Is this a legitimate right granted to Ifamoni by Congress, or do you believe Congress is acting illegally?"

"you--"

“Stuart, you’ve gone too far!” Another fat wizard couldn’t help but stand up.

The lion-headed wizard known as Stuart wasn't without help. Beside him, a burly wizard with black hair slammed his fist on the table: "Who's really going too far? Is it wrong for us to uphold the reputation of Congress and the Union? I think you're the ones with ulterior motives, all you do is fight and kill! Kill your grandma's head!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

The fat wizard howled, raised his fist, and tried to rush over and hit someone.

The black-haired wizard was not to be outdone and rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

Seeing that the situation was not going well, the people around both sides quickly pulled each other apart and tried to persuade each other, resulting in chaos.

False politics: Everyone sits together, quoting classics and engaging in heated debates, without uttering a single vulgar word, capturing the essence of intellectual combat, sharp yet elegant.

Real politics: A fight breaks out at the drop of a hat; I can't persuade you, but I can kill you!

Michael remained expressionless and didn't even utter a word to stop it. He had seen this kind of scene far too many times. Congress wasn't all harmony either; wherever there were people, there were disputes and demands from all sides.

Let alone a large-scale meeting attended by members of different camps, even a small meeting within a faction can easily escalate into a physical fight between two members of opposing political views.

if you serious you lose.

His gaze swept past the chaotic crowd and landed on the other side of the circular conference table, where an elderly wizard, dressed in a solemn and magnificent robe, clearly held a high position.

Seemingly noticing his gaze, the old wizard, who had been watching the fight and trying to break it up, looked up at Michael and winked at him.

Michael left the meeting room without saying a word, and a short while later, the old wizard came out.

“Speaker Josiah,” Michael Graves bowed, showing his respect.

Josiah Parker.

Speaker of the Magical Congress of the United States, Chief Wizard.

His surname reveals that he does not belong to any of the 12 purebloods, which is a tradition of the American 12 purebloods.

Unlike the intermarriages and kinship among pure-blood families in England, the chances of the twelve pure-blood families in America forming kinship ties are relatively small.

Compared to intermarriage, they trust ties of mutual benefit more and are keen on maintaining a balance.

For example, none of the 12 families are allowed to participate in the election of the speaker, which ensures that each family is only responsible for the power originally allocated to them, and no one can overstep their bounds.

Typical aristocratic politics!

Therefore, apart from the first few terms, all the presidents of the Magic Council since the 18th century have come from small families outside the 12 purebloods. This was true for Serafina Picqueli decades ago, and it is true for Josiah Parker today.

“My dear Graves, I’ve finally waited for you to return.” Josiah Parker warmly shook hands and embraced Michael. “So, did you see Vaughn Weasley?”

Michael put on a polite smile again: "I met him. He's an incredibly mature little wizard... no, he's no longer a little wizard, his magical abilities are very strong."

Upon hearing this, Josiah Parker's smile faded slightly: "How strong?"

"At least he's no worse than me."

"..."

Speaker Parker frowned deeply. He had no doubt about Michael's judgment; the other party was the Minister of Magical Security and a senior Auror.

They have extensive experience in judging the strength of wizards.

"He probably didn't agree to our terms, right?"

"Yes, he said he needed to consider it for a while, but I think it's mostly an excuse. A genius wizard like him would never accept our terms."

"This is a tricky situation, a real headache... Will we really have to resort to force in the end?"

Josiah Parker murmured hesitantly.

Michael's eyes were lowered, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. All that could be heard was him saying, "Hopefully Congress can determine a solution as soon as possible. When I returned today, I received an urgent intelligence report that the team sent to the Boston area to stop the werewolves had been attacked by werewolves."

"Several teams have already been wiped out. According to the survivors, some were ambushed by werewolves, and others were lured by bait. This tactic shows that the werewolves are not the disorganized mob we originally thought; someone has organized them."

"Who?"

“I suspect it’s Vaughn Weasley,” Michael said calmly. “Besides him, I don’t think any other force could easily gain the trust of a werewolf.”

As he spoke, he slightly raised his head, his humble smile vanished, and stared intently at Josiah Parker: "Mr. Speaker, there is no time for the senators to continue bickering like this. Once those werewolves break through our blockade, arrive in Boston, and successfully reunite with Vaughn Weasley, you should understand how passive our situation will be."

"Well... I don't have any good ideas either."

Josiah Parker gave a wry smile, reopened the meeting room door, and heard the commotion inside had resumed.

Around the circular conference table, two groups of people were pushing and shoving each other, hurling insults.
"You damned Ephamonis, you've been opposing Parliament's motions and protecting Weasley, what are you really up to?"

"What are our intentions? You should be the ones asking! A bunch of despicable people, don't think we don't know. It's you who condoned those grassroots organizations and let those lunatics force us to hand over our pure-blooded students. Are you waiting for us to give up so you'll have an excuse to kick the Stuart family out of the school? Let me tell you, no way!"

"So what if I'm protecting Weasley? Come and hit me then!"

"what--"

The fight eventually broke out.

Fortunately, during the meeting, no member of parliament was allowed to carry a wand or use magic, so in the short term, it was unlikely that there would be any casualties.

Speaker Parker closed the door again, shutting out the noise and screams inside. He and Michael exchanged a glance and sighed, "Can you resolve the differences between the two factions?"

Michael pursed his lips. Even if Merlin were resurrected, he couldn't solve the problem, let alone him.

Moreover, this was not within his job scope.

“My opinion is that if we’re going to target Vaughn Weasley, now is the best time, and we don’t need Congress to use its official power. I’ve already arranged a march in Third Salem in Boston to attract the attention of Weasley and Akinbad.”

“As long as Congress approves the operation, we can easily use the name of Third Salem to launch an attack on them.” Speaker Parker frowned.

This was indeed a solution, and he approved it.

but……

“I need to reconsider, and Congress must reach a consensus,” Josiah Parker said with difficulty.

Upon hearing this, Michael Graves' eyes flashed with annoyance and dissatisfaction. He knew that this was just an excuse from the Speaker.

In fact, the Iphamonids have very little power in Parliament.

Neither Porter, Weiss, nor Stewart had the power to prevent the congressional resolution from passing.

The current stalemate is entirely the result of the manipulation of the Speaker in front of us. No one knows what he is thinking. Perhaps he doesn't want to be the bad guy or offend the Stewart family.

Or perhaps they're trying to play a balancing act in Congress!
"Small families are unreliable. Why can't they just follow the lead instead of scheming around all day?"

Thinking this, Michael Graves showed no outward sign of anything amiss. His expression remained submissive, and he asked in a tone of inquiry, "What about the Third Salem?"

To this question, Josiah Parker, who had seemed indecisive just a moment ago, answered decisively: "Keep the bait, at least they can temporarily distract Weasley and Akinbad... By the way, how did you know that news about Third Salem would attract their attention?"

Michael Graves paused for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "It has nothing to do with Weasley. The Third Salem is mainly there to lure Akimbard. After all, he's here to investigate the Federation. If something happens that could lead to a magic leak, Akimbard has to investigate thoroughly. In my opinion, the Federation and the WAC are mostly in a cooperative relationship. If Akimbard wants to investigate, Weasley can't possibly not act together."

"That's it."

Josiah Parker nodded and smiled, "I thought they had found out about the Purifier rumor. By the way, do you know about the Purifier legend that's been circulating lately?"

In an instant, countless thoughts flowed through Michael Graves's mind.

He pretended to think for a moment, then confirmed, "I've heard some rumors. I've heard it's a group that hunts wizards, leaving almost no survivors, but the truth of the matter is unknown. Because of Congress's strategic retreat and the presence of various private organizations, I haven't received any definite information. Mr. Speaker, should we investigate this?"

His words and actions were flawless.

Josiah Parker stared at him for a few moments, then laughed heartily, “No, no need. Maybe it’s just a terrifying rumor spread by some civilian group, as you said… For now, the WAC is more important. Thanks for your hard work, Michael. I will reach a consensus in the Unified Council as soon as possible.”

After saying that, he patted Michael on the shoulder and returned to the conference room.

Michael was left alone outside the door, his expression gradually darkening.

……

Late at night, downtown Boston.

The crowd jumped and reveled amidst the sound waves!
A few simple camping tables were set up around the perimeter. Because the revelry had been going on for a while, the tables were a mess, with spilled drinks everywhere, and the remaining foam reflecting the flickering lights and the devilish, menacing figures.

Lu Ping walked out of the crowd, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

He ventured into the woods and walked all the way to the sea. The terrible sound waves were mostly reduced by the trees, finally relieving his ears, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's insane!"

He was referring to the dancing Muggles.

Although they have their own code name, calling themselves the Third Salem Movement Organization, based on Lupin's interactions with them today, he discovered that their identities are actually quite... complicated.

"This is absurd!" Lupin shook his groggy head. His poor brain had received so much that it shouldn't have been exposed to in just one day.

Lupin suspected it might be about to break down.

So he had to come out and calm down, to give his brain some space to rest.

He found an open space by the river, sat down, and the quiet river flowed gently past his toes in the dead of night, with a cool breeze blowing.

After enjoying the breeze for a while and staring blankly at the river reflecting the city lights, Lu Ping's dazed mind finally started working again.

"What a terrible day..." he thought, looking down at the tight leather jacket he was wearing, which looked like a torture device. He thought, "When Tonks made me put on this outfit, I should have realized something was wrong. I shouldn't have participated in today's mission."

But he couldn't explain why, every time he saw Tonks, he felt like he was in a daze.

Even... I can't think about that girl at all...

His cheeks felt hot, and his head was starting to feel foggy again. Lupin quickly shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the important matter at hand—investigating the so-called Third Salem.

"But there's been absolutely no progress!"

"A group of lesbians, transgender people, and pangender people who believe that gender is a constraint and discrimination, and anarchism, oh right, they do have some common goals in environmental protection, vegetarianism, and animal rights. They believe that people shouldn't eat meat, because eating meat requires raising livestock, and livestock farts and burps emit greenhouse gases..."

As Lupin reflected on the people he had met that day, he couldn't help but complain, "What kind of nonsense is this? How did Muggle youths become like this?"

Of course, complaining isn't off-topic, because he finds it very puzzling—

Do those Muggles who gather so many strange elements really have anything to do with magic?
Why did you come here without saying a word?

A voice came from behind me asking a question.

Lupin turned around and saw Kingsley, dressed in brightly colored clothes, walking out of the woods.

"I need to get some fresh air. If I stay there any longer, I'm afraid I'll lose control and cast a spell on them."

Lu Ping's face tightened as he spoke.

"Sigh—" Kingsley sighed, tugging at his floral shirt. "Laugh if you want to!"

Lupin held back: "None of those Muggles laughed at you, so I have to keep quiet to avoid them noticing anything amiss."

Kingsley, who was sitting by the river like him, rolled his eyes at him, too lazy to pay attention to his serious demeanor, and asked, "After a day of contact, have you obtained any valuable information?"

“No!” Lupin shook his head.

“Me neither.” Kingsley rubbed his face. The darkness of the night prevented Lupin from seeing the expression on his dark face, but he could hear the helplessness in his voice:
“I approached a lot of people—I have to say, Tonks’s persona was very accurate. People were very patient with me when they saw that I was African American, and when they heard that I came from a single-parent family and had bipolar disorder.”

As he spoke, he asked Lupin, "Do you know why they chose to celebrate here after their parade? Actually, they all share a common identity."

"what?"

Kingsley pointed to the opposite bank of the river, where a cluster of buildings could be vaguely seen behind the large shadows cast by the piled-up trees: "Over there is Harvard University for Muggles, and the nearby business school and the like. They are all students from that side."

Lupin was indeed unaware of this information.

College student?
Lupin didn't know much about Muggles, but he did know that universities were the highest level of education for Muggles, places where highly skilled professionals and elites were trained.

This made his expression somewhat strange.

Considering the various chaotic elements possessed by the group behind him, Lupin sighed, "So this is what Muggle elites are like?"

"Yes, it's really...unbelievable."

Kingsley barely managed to control himself and refrain from uttering any extreme words.

Just then, a voice broke into their conversation: "This is just the beginning; they'll get even more incredible later."

"who!"

The two reacted quickly, standing up abruptly and drawing their wands from their bodies while surveying their surroundings.

There was nothing around except a few clumps of weeds.

Only in the middle of the river not far away, beneath the flowing water, suddenly a faint, silvery-blue light appeared.

The light came against the flow of the river, and as they drew closer, the two were able to distinguish it clearly.

It was a cat that was translucent and emitted a faint silver-blue light.

Guardian Angel!
Kingsley tensed up the moment he recognized his guardian deity.

An unfamiliar wizard, especially one who knows the Patronus Charm, a spell that is quite difficult to master and has little practical value in combat, is probably not a minor character. This makes him wary—the Patronus does represent a wizard's inner sanctuary, but no one has stipulated that everyone who knows the Patronus Charm is a good person.

As long as one is not corrupted by dark magic, everyone possesses positive and constructive emotions within them.

"Lupin, you..."

Kingsley stared intently at the Patronus, about to have Lupin cover him.

Then he noticed with surprise that Lupin, who was beside him, suddenly put away his wand and bowed to the cat-shaped guardian spirit: "Master, what brings you here?"

"Mr. Weasley?"

Kingsley paused, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. He had just joined Vaughn's side and hadn't even met Vaughn's Patronus yet.

Fortunately, Vaughn didn't pay attention to his reaction.

The guardian deity, stepping on the water, slowly walked to the two of them:
"I came to see how things were going, and I happened to overhear your conversation."

Kingsley, well-versed in the ways of subordinates, immediately said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, we shouldn't be doing this while on a mission..."

He didn't care whether Vaughn had genuinely "happened" to hear it or had been following them for a long time and was deliberately coming out to give them a warning.

Just admit your mistake first!

Vaughn, seeing through his slippery nature, dismissively interrupted his apology:

“No, Kingsley, I don’t mean to accuse you. I just want to know, after all this time of dealing with those Muggles, what are your thoughts on them?”

Kingsley wasn't used to Vaughn's style yet.

Lupin, on the other hand, had been with Vaughn for a longer time and knew that his chairman often asked similar inexplicable questions.

He thought for a moment, then continued the previous topic, asking, "Mr. Chairman, you just said that the Muggles' current behavior is just the beginning. What do you mean by that?"

"Literally speaking, same-sex, transgender, pangender, environmental protection, animal protection... these are concepts that you already find incomprehensible and absurd. They will continue to deepen and expand in the future, and then spread from the small group of people you see now to the entire American society."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ping looked somewhat suspicious.

Kingsley was the same.

The two were among the few wizards who were not so arrogant towards Muggles, especially Kingsley, who had extensive experience in Muggle society. He had served as a bodyguard for the Muggle Prime Minister and handled many cases of magical exposure. Throughout his career, he had interacted with Muggles from all walks of life.

Although Lupin lacked such extensive experience, he was meticulous and adept at considering issues from other people's perspectives.

In their view, Muggles, especially the Muggle leadership, are not stupid; many of them possess wisdom far exceeding that of wizards.

So, would those wise leaders allow strange things like same-sex, transgender, environmental, and animal rights to go from niche to mainstream?

Would they allow most of their elites to be cultivated into that stupid, anti-intellectual state?

Sensing the thoughts in their hearts, Vaughn, who was attached to the guardian spirit, smiled but did not continue. He simply said, "You will understand in time."

The Muggle leadership is certainly not stupid, especially the United States.

They certainly know the dangers of neoliberalism and the new left, but that's exactly the trend they want to see—if they don't shift the public's conflicts to racial and gender discrimination, won't the old left, which has finally been suppressed by the right, resurface?

There's no need to delve deeper into this topic.

The reason he couldn't help but show himself after overhearing their conversation wasn't just because their casual chatter touched upon the chaotic "future" in his memory.

This is also because of the conversation taking place in the suitcase space at this moment.

……

Inside the suitcase, Vaughn, multitasking, kept an eye on the Guardian while listening to the information shared by Akinbad:
"...Around 1968, the Federation received information that the Magical Congress at the time had passed a plan called 'Wilkinson's Prophecy'."

"The core of the plan can be analyzed from the literal meaning. It originates from Wilkinson's prophecy—the Wilkinson family controls the Department of Mysteries, and all the prophets in the United States have been recruited by them."

(End of this chapter)