The Return to Hogwarts

"I sincerely hope that Albus Dumbledore has made a mistake."

Grevis's silence did not displease Marshall; she simply sighed and said...

"Just like you said, if that mysterious man really does return to England, it's foreseeable that the British wizarding world will be thrown into chaos. Oh, if you were in my position, Trak, you would know just how much we depend on them. Our people's Floo Powder is entirely dependent on their exports."

Flying brooms and nursing kits, sight glasses, telescopes, some patented potions, chocolate frogs—many things essential to the daily lives of the wizarding world depend on them. If anything happens to them, our lives will immediately come to a standstill. Take recently, for example—”

Marcel paused, then sighed and said,

"Because of the recent martial law, a batch of potions exported to us by the Extraordinary Pharmacists Association was delayed for two days at the border due to inspection. It almost caused a big problem. O'Brien from St. Josiah Magical Injury Hospital stormed into my office and threatened to impeach me in the council if I could not resolve the issue that day."

Marcel's purpose in coming to her was definitely not because the Security Department's border closure had caused her difficulties, nor was it because of Amosta Blaine. But she needed something to make herself feel indebted in order to facilitate the negotiations that followed.

"is it?"

Grevis paused for a moment, slowly set down his glass, and spoke with a slight ripple in his voice and a furrowed brow.

"Doesn't O'Brien know that this is a sensitive moment, that the people are deciding who will lead us and the Magical Congress of the United States in the coming years? He shouldn't let his own little difficulties affect the bigger picture, should he?"

That cunning fellow actually shifted the blame to Chairman Kouhauge and the election!

Marcel's eyelids twitched slightly, and his gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at Grevis's unchanging face, a sinister glint flashing in his green eyes.

"Yes, that's what I think too."

But Marcel quickly recovered, took a sip of her tea, and smiled as she spoke.

"However, I understand O'Brien's feelings; he's just worried about the health of the injured. Of course, I also told him about the current situation in Congress, saying that things will soon ease up, and asked him to understand and be patient for a while longer."

Grevis knew he had to make some kind of statement.

“I agree with you, Marcel.”

Grevis said,

"Our goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of the people in the magical world, and we should restore everything to normal as soon as possible."

Have you backed down?

Marcel wore an expression of joy at being recognized, but doubts arose in his heart.

She knew that the Department of Security's martial law wasn't because of the election, but because they were facing a difficult case. Even though Grevis had tried his best to suppress the New York Ghost's sensationalism about the missing magical creatures, the wizarding world was still on edge, and many people were nervous. After all, any one of those missing magical creatures could cause a huge mess if it appeared.

Before resolving this matter, Grevis had no intention of letting his Aurors open the border, especially given the recent case of another smuggling of savage leopards into the country.

But he said he would get everything back to normal as soon as possible. This prevented her from using that excuse to continue her attack in order to get the next, more important thing done.

A hint of doubt flashed in Marcel's eyes. Could it be that Grevis had already guessed why he had come to find him?

Chapter 915 is not over yet

2024-05-13

The afterglow of the setting sun draped the city in a blood-red veil, and before darkness fell, a chilling killing intent seemed to be brewing. Meanwhile, in the dining hall of the Magic Congress, the 'casual conversation' between two high-ranking members of the Congress continued.

When Trak readily agreed to lift the martial law restrictions on entry and exit as soon as possible, Marshall suddenly found herself speechless. And with that, she finally confirmed that Trak had indeed guessed her intentions.

To be honest, it's not hard to guess.

Unlike the Ministry of Security's recent string of high-profile troubles, the International Magical Cooperation Division has not suffered any major setbacks. For the Division, the only significant matter recently has been Amosta Blaine, Remus Lupin, and their learning machines.

Back when the learning machine was just gaining fame in Europe, the sharp-eared Marcel heard about it from an old friend who had returned from Europe.

More than its miraculous effects, Marcel was astonished by the price of this alchemical device: fifty thousand Galleons per unit!

It's important to understand that this wasn't created by any fairy; it's rare but has no practical use, and is only meant to be displayed in the mansions of wealthy and powerful magical families.

The market prospects for learning machines are very broad. They can be widely used in preschool education, elite education, and even the formation of private armed forces. Once they enter the American magical world, Marcel believes that this will be an industry with an annual output of millions of Galleons. The resulting tariffs would be enough to give all employees of the Magical Congress a generous bonus at the end of the year.

If she can successfully bring it in, it will undoubtedly be a very impressive political achievement.

While she was planning to visit the workshop in England that produced the learning machines, the workshop's manager, Remus Lupin, took the initiative to approach her and sought cooperation from the International Magical Cooperation Department.

This delighted Marcel.

Although Marcel hesitated after a thorough investigation into the background of the workshop's fairies and the shadow of Amosta Blaine behind them, she was still willing to facilitate the cooperation.

Unexpectedly, after submitting detailed background information on the products and workshop to the security department for joint review, Grevis encountered a problem.

The Grevis family has a deep-rooted influence in the Magic Council, with many family members holding key positions in various departments. They wield considerable power within the council, and Trak's criticism immediately made Marshall hesitant to act rashly. As a result, she hasn't had a proper conversation with Trak about the matter so far.

Is it that they hope to get a share of this political achievement, or is it that the Grevis family wants to get involved in the learning machine business, so they are waiting for the actual controller of this workshop to come and negotiate?

But this doesn't quite seem like it.

After all, everyone has seen how Grevis treated Amosta Blaine when he came to New York.

The introduction of the learning machine did not infringe on the interests of the Grevis family or Trak himself, so Trak's resistance to it puzzled many people, including Marshall, who coveted the potential benefits.

Or perhaps Trak Grevis and Amosta Blaine had a personal feud?

But I've never heard of this before; the two of them have no connection whatsoever.

Many thoughts flashed through Marcel's mind. Her gaze was serious as she looked at Trak, who was eating a sandwich. She decided to test Trak's attitude.

"Phew, I think I have to go now--"

Suddenly, Marcel sighed and said, somewhat impatiently...

"Before tonight's meeting, I need to review the materials for the review meeting the day after tomorrow. I hope that the materials Remus Lupin submitted this time can clarify the previous issues. Otherwise, I can only regretfully tell Remus Lupin and that famous Amosta Blaine that they came all this way for nothing."

coming!

Grevis felt a slight chill, but he said calmly.

"This is indeed a matter that needs to be taken seriously. After all, their products are for our people. Moreover, as far as we know, Amostra Blaine is indeed a powerful wizard, but he did not have the same reputation in alchemy as Albus Dumbledore. Remus Lupin was just a werewolf who had wandered around the British wizarding world for many years."

“You’re right, Trak—”

Marcel didn't expect Grevis to change his mind.

"Such a combination is indeed not reassuring enough. If Albus Dumbledore were in charge of the development of this alchemical device, it would be much more reassuring, wouldn't it? After all, our president of the International Federation of Wizarding Societies, like Nick Flamel, is highly skilled in alchemy."

Grevis understood that Marcel was reminding him.

Amos Stark agreed that as a professor at Hogwarts, the development of such a magical alchemical device would have been unlikely without Albus Dumbledore's help.

Albus Dumbledore's character is undoubtedly trustworthy; he wouldn't allow anything harmful to the people. Marcel pointed this out, also as a test of how he would respond if Blaine brought it up at the review meeting.

Once Marcel has confirmed his stance, he will decide whether to remind Amosta how to defend his product before the review meeting.

That was indeed hard to refute, so Grevis simply nodded silently.

This was enough to satisfy Marshall; she had grasped a bit of the key to leaving Trak speechless.

"However, I still find it hard to believe--"

Marcel's smile faded, and he shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with surprise.

"I still find it hard to believe that an alchemical device capable of interfering with a wizard's mind is entirely harmless. Even if we eventually pass the resolution, this special device will need to be inspected regularly, just like our wands, to prevent any mishaps. What do you think, Trak?"

Grevis fell silent again.

Inspection implies supervision, supervision implies power, and power can bring benefits.

Marcel was trying to test whether his difficult behavior was motivated by a special interest in the business, and at the same time, he was also trying to see if Marcel intended to give up on the business or if he was determined to shut out the learning machine altogether.

To be honest, this situation also put Grevis in a difficult position.

No one knew that what he cared about was not the learning machine at all.

Wealth and power are not things the Grevis family lacks. What he really cares about is Amosta Blaine himself. If this man comes to New York repeatedly because of the learning machine business, that would be the most troublesome thing for him.

But keeping Amostra Blaine out of the American wizarding world was also beyond his capabilities.

Trak could imagine that if he interfered with Amosta Blaine's business again, Blaine would go directly to Chairman Kouhaug next time. This would not be difficult for someone of his status, and that would be the most troublesome thing.

But Gravis's silence meant something entirely different to Marshall. She assumed Gravis was still sticking to his views and didn't want the learning machine to enter the American market. A flash of anger crossed her eyes, and just as she was about to say something—

pat!

Gravis suddenly dropped the sandwich he was holding, which was now only half full, and it landed on the tray. At the same time, Gravis, who had entered the room with a pale face, suddenly turned ashen-faced, his forehead was covered in sweat and veins were bulging, and his slightly red eyes were bloodshot. His relaxed posture suddenly became tense!

"What's going on, Trak?"

This sudden turn of events caused Marcel to swallow the words she was about to say.

"You don't seem to be feeling well?"

Marcel asked with a suspicious look, even suspecting that Trak was deliberately putting on this act to avoid the topic at hand.

"I'm sorry, Marsil—"

In a short time, Trak Grevis's voice became unusually hoarse. He pressed his large knuckles on the table to support himself as he stood up. Facing the questioning, he almost held his breath as he spoke.

"I would love to have a full discussion with you about the learning machine, but I'm sorry, I suddenly remembered something urgent that I have to deal with right now. Once I've resolved this problem, I'm willing to come and apologize in person."

"Oh, that's not necessary, but..."

Marcel frowned as she spoke, but Grevis didn't even listen to her finish. Instead, he roughly pushed away his plate, not even bothering to wipe his mouth with a napkin. Under Marcel's intense gaze, he left his seat and ran quickly towards the elevator.

Chapter 916 Escape

2024-05-14