A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 714 Providing Support for the Publicization of Magic

That day, Felix, wearing Grindelwald's face, delivered a victory speech that would dominate all the news in Africa for the next two weeks, and even spread to the non-magical world due to the unique chaos in Africa.

Afterwards, Felix returned to the Federation headquarters, where Akinbad excitedly told him some news.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the significant International Confederation of Wizards (ICWA) General Assembly will be held in early October. Ms. Burns will represent the IWA in recounting the achievements and significance of the series of initiatives undertaken over the past three months, as well as the results of their negotiations with the Muggle government.

Naturally, the purpose of the conference is to discuss a law with the significance of a secrecy law, to arrive at various fundamental principles, and to have the national ministries of magic implement them accordingly. It may take several weeks, but the benefits are obvious—

The wizards will reunite as one.

What gives Arkinbad the most confidence is that Felix Heap, one of only two archmages still active on the world stage, will ensure that the law is enforced.

In the afternoon, Felix went to Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry again to meet with Mrs. Maxime as a member of the board of directors. They had actually met not long ago at Bill and Fleur's wedding, but Mrs. Maxime insisted on inviting him to Beauxbatons.

"Could there be a problem with the scholarship?" Felix asked. He hadn't taken stock of Nick Lemakin's assets, but estimated they could last for another one or two hundred years.

“The Gringotts goblins transfer a sum of money to the school treasury every year,” Mrs. Maxime said, her face not looking too good. “And they’ll mail you a list.”

"I might have overlooked it," Felix said calmly. "I get so many letters every year. So that's not why?"

"Of course not."

"What is that?"

"Felix, you are a member of the Board of Trustees of Beauxbatons School, but you have missed three board meetings and haven't even shown your face at the school since the crisis began," Mrs. Maxim said in a low voice, her chest heaving.

"I haven't forgotten this identity," Felix said immediately and seriously. "I asked you before, and Nick doesn't care at all, so I'm the same as him and don't intend to get involved in the school's specific affairs."

“That’s a different matter, Felix,” Mrs. Maxime protested. “Mr. Lemaître lived for hundreds of years; his concept of time is different from ours, and we wouldn’t easily disturb him… But you’re only in your twenties. How am I supposed to tell the students that the school board has turned a blind eye to such a serious incident?”

……

"So I stayed at Beauxbatons School, wandered around, gave a few students some pointers on their studies, and finally had dinner with everyone in the cafeteria—it worked out remarkably well. The only slightly awkward thing was that they called me 'Mr. Apple,' but that was how it was." That evening in the new vice principal's office, Felix told Ms. Burns, "I can roughly guess Mrs. Maxim's thinking: to play the mascot, to reassure everyone. And probably also to have me come over to help if any problems arise."

"She's a responsible headmistress," Ms. Burns said. "It might seem like an overreaction to you, but maintaining her relationship with you is quite important to her. Otherwise, why would so many people from the Ministry of Magic send to the Federation because of you?"

Felix hesitated for a moment. He knew the reason, of course, but he joked, "I thought it was my excellent speaking skills that came into play."

Ms. Burns' lips curled up slightly, as if she was amused by the statement.

“Yes, Grindelwald dominates a third of the African wizarding world, probably partly because of his eloquence.” After a moment of joking, she said seriously, “Felix, now the Muggle Prime Minister has proposed a collaborative effort to produce an official document—something beyond just informing the public of the progress of our negotiations—and I want you involved. This will be the first document jointly undertaken and approved by both sides, making it extremely significant, and you have extensive experience in this area.”

Felix almost forgot that he also had the title of author, although it wasn't a bestseller, it was definitely a perfect fit for his profession.

He thought for a moment and asked, "What stage is the project at now?"

"The pace has accelerated significantly compared to before," Ms. Burns said. "However, we face not only a relatively stable domestic environment—there are opponents, but they are not serious; but we cannot influence international public opinion, and with all sorts of miscellaneous organizations, the factors that could affect the negotiations are countless. The tacit understanding we have reached during this period is to produce something that satisfies both sides as soon as possible, to avoid any unforeseen complications..."

"As for other issues, write them all down in the memo and refine them later. Just like the secrecy law wasn't always what it is now..."

She briefly outlined the recent progress of the negotiations, then extended the invitation again. Felix accepted.

night.

Felix sat at his desk reading the documents left by Ms. Burns. Many of the important issues in the documents were originally drafted by the two of them, but as time went on, some progress had been made while others remained controversial. He needed to be thoroughly familiar with all the details.

The small gold clock on the desk pointed to twelve, and the office light was still on. Felix looked up and saw Valen dozing off at his small desk. He smiled slightly and wrapped it in the velvet blanket.

In late September, a book exceeding two hundred pages was published. Media outlets and publishers in both societies mobilized fully, ensuring the book was immediately on countless desks, repeatedly studied. Some of its content was summarized concisely in newspapers, sparking heated debates and generating waves of public opinion with every page.

In reality, it's less of a negotiated treaty and more of a political white paper on witchcraft issued by the authorities—at least many journalists privately compare it to government reports. It represents the positions of both sides, primarily stating facts and current negotiating achievements, along with future initiatives and expectations.

Some of the important points mentioned above may very well become the basis for the actions of both parties in the future, or be expanded into targeted laws.

"The book, *Promoting the Openness of Magic*, is divided into three parts. The first part is further divided into three chapters, which respectively explain the significance of the cooperation between the two sides, briefly describe the history of wizarding, and the historical intersections between the two sides," Hermione said in one breath, her finger sweeping across the table of contents one by one. She turned to a page, read for a while, and then looked up with a complicated expression, saying, "The person in charge of the negotiations must have put in a tremendous amount of effort and racked their brains for this—"

"But it's so dry to read," Ron said. "I had the feeling of reading a textbook on the history of magic."

"That's its characteristic, isn't it? Trying to be as detached from personal feelings as possible," Hermione said. "But the real points are cleverly hidden—no, they're presented to you bluntly. And you just ignore them!"

Harry looked at her. Two months ago, he might not have understood the meaning of those words, but the frequent letters he had been writing recently had given him a new perspective.

"Wait a minute—" He took the book from Hermione, flipped to Chapter 3, quickly glanced at the subheadings, looked up thoughtfully, and said, "I think I understand what you mean. Every word here represents the result of the delegation's efforts."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked impatiently.

“Look at this,” Harry said, pointing to a page. “1917—” “That was during World War I,” Hermione interjected. “—Uh, yes,” Harry continued, “a witch named Noah Lida took refuge in her small town. Oh, and her background was a bit unusual; she was originally English, but later married a Frenchman…”

"Bill and Fleur?" Ron tried to recall a similar example, "except the relationship was reversed."

Hermione warned him not to interrupt. Harry continued, "And this, when the Ministry of Magic repelled wizards from a rival nation, including taking control of an army of dragons, hey, this mentions Mr. Scamander, who did a great job." His tone was somewhat excited.

Ron gradually realized what was going on. "It sounds like we contributed? But aren't wizards supposed to stay out of Muggle wars?"

"That's true, but the Ministry of Magic also has a responsibility to protect ordinary people in the area from magical threats," Hermione said. "Especially when some wizards and Muggles marry, they tend to protect their neighbors. This is more common during periods of large-scale social unrest, and the Ministry of Magic has quite a bit of information on it—uh, I mean, criminal records."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"You mean, some wizards spontaneously protected their neighbors during wartime, and were punished after being discovered using magic?"

Hermione looked somewhat embarrassed; at least in this matter, the Ministry of Magic hadn't played a positive role.

"At that time, the secrecy law was still in effect. However, if such a problem occurred, it would only result in a fine; there would be virtually no criminal sentence, let alone being sent to Azkaban."

"Okay," Ron said reluctantly.

"But overall," Hermione raised her voice slightly, "most of the wizards depicted here are positive... There are some who steal and play pranks on Muggles, but you'll find that these people are eventually punished by the Ministry of Magic, which speaks volumes."

"That's not all," she continued, "I think the most important part of the first part is that it fully elucidates two points, and their importance is paramount. The first point, of course, affirms the role of wizards, mentioning several magical calamities that have always been averted by wizards in the shadows. The second point—have you noticed that all the 'wizards' are preceded by a certain word?"

Harry glanced down.

"British wizards? Britain?"

"That's right, this discussion focuses on British wizards and obscures the fact that many pure-blood wizards have no nationality at all! By placing the discussion within the framework of the nation, there's no need to worry about external voices—"

"But the Pan-Magic League...?" Harry murmured.

“They’re different, Harry, they’re different,” Hermione explained patiently. “Although they’re both essentially designed to reduce constraints on wizards, they’re dealing with completely different targets. The former—the term ‘British wizard’—basically excludes interference from other countries, at least providing an excuse to avoid international discussion and wrangling about wizarding affairs; the latter, the Pan-Magical Alliance, strives to maximize wizards’ autonomy internally.”

"That sounds complicated." Ron was already feeling dizzy.

"These are all very serious political issues," Hermione said solemnly. "Even a tiny concept can have a chain reaction later on, which is why the Ministry of Magic has been putting off drafting all sorts of detailed rules all at once for a while. Think about it, wizards don't even have a profession like lawyers..."

“Hermione,” Harry said, “I know you’re right, but there’s one thing you might be overlooking, and that’s the power of wizards themselves. You know what I was just thinking about?” He didn’t wait for Hermione’s answer, but instead said the answer to himself, “Grindelwald, who’s all over Africa.”

"In early August, all we could see in the newspapers about the situation in Africa was chaos—at that time, the International Confederation of Wizards had not yet regained its prestige with Professor Hyp's help—and all of that changed with the appearance of one man."

"Harry—" Hermione said nervously.

"Many predicted that within half a month, wizards would become an uncontrollable and dangerous force involved in the regional conflicts. Now, two months have passed, and the situation there hasn't become more chaotic; on the contrary, it has completely stabilized—the most thrilling instance was when Grindelwald defeated three hundred wizards in one night, all by himself! Not a single wizard died in the process. I don't know if it's due to the restrictions of the oath… Sometimes I have the illusion that Professor Hyp and Grindelwald have reached a tacit understanding, knowing each other implicitly and not interfering with each other for a period of time…"

"Some newspapers claim they're planning an unprecedented duel, just like the legendary duel half a century ago," Hermione's voice trembled slightly. "The two strongest men in the world, if not for each other's deterrence, each could inflict terrifying destruction on the other."

Ron said awkwardly, "All wizards are eagerly anticipating this, but it's not the right time yet."

"It's not just wizards who are looking forward to it," Hermione shrieked.

Indeed, it wasn't just wizards who were looking forward to it; governments around the world had taken notice of this issue, showing extreme apprehension and curiosity towards wizards with the title of "Archmage." Gellert Grindelwald and Felix Heap were two such individuals. Gellert Grindelwald appeared to be an ambitious man, and a failed one at that, but his threat level steadily increased after he appeared in the wizarding tavern in the Egyptian capital.

As for the latter... he seems to be skilled in a kind of magic called ancient runes, and has even been to the moon. His combat talent is still shrouded in mystery, but at least his survival skills are unmatched.

This confrontation and analysis is purely instinctive; almost every regime does something similar, but that doesn't mean they intend to wage war against wizards, especially their own.

What they really can't stand are guys who carry nuclear bombs around everywhere... If they have the chance, the fewer of them the better.

During this process, they also discovered something strange.

The power gap between wizards seemed unimaginably large. Even though those wizards generally possessed abilities that made them extremely troublesome—such as apparition, traveling through flames, creating Fiendfire that was difficult to extinguish, and folding space—these seemingly powerful wizards paled in comparison to the "Archmage".

They can only attribute it to the wonder and mystery of magic. Modern weapons are fundamentally built upon the edifice of physics, branching out into many subfields, making everything seem traceable. Unfortunately, current scientific theories struggle to explain the principles of magic. Just look at those scientists who are practically working themselves bald.

Part Two and Part Three respectively elaborate on...

Similar analyses are being conducted around the world. Around the same time, Grindelwald's declaration also began to spread after two weeks of build-up.

(End of this chapter)