A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

"And then?" Neville asked curiously. "After the dragon flew away, you talked for another two hours."

Harry turned to Hermione, “Nothing else happened after that. Hermione did most of the talking, occasionally pausing to ask Mrs. Burns for her opinion or to answer questions from the goblins. They would often argue over a single word for ten minutes or even half an hour. I felt like I was back in my history of magic class.”

Everyone laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes, picked out a few valuable pieces of information, and with her explanation, everyone roughly understood the key points of the negotiation.

“We’ve avoided some thorny issues,” Hermione said. “They’re the deadlock between wizards and goblins, and they won’t be easy to untangle. Maybe the professor will have to step in in the end.”

They also mentioned what the fairy spokesperson had said.

“‘Honored guest,’” Ron said with a look of disdain, “I’ve never heard a fairy speak so beautifully.”

“If you rented Gringotts’ vault and deposited a huge sum of money in it,” Draco Malfoy said with a mocking expression, “you’d get tired of hearing it.”

“How much money do you have? Just yourself?” Ron retorted. “I have over a thousand Galleons at my disposal.”

Draco Malfoy gasped for breath.

"Where did you get so much money?" he couldn't help but ask; a thousand Galleons was a huge sum even for him.

“I’ve saved it all up,” Ron said without hesitation, “the prize money from the tournament, the licensing fees for the competition videos, the royalties from my papers—oh right,” he slapped his forehead, “I also have a large sum of money deposited with the Muggle newspaper. If the negotiations go through, I wonder if I can go and ask for it?” he said uncertainly.

"Are you obsessed with money?" Ginny said.

“That’s what I deserve,” Ron said, dissatisfied. “Have I given you fewer gifts every year?”

Ginny pouted. Draco, standing nearby, said smugly, "When we graduate, our family will give us a huge sum of money, a huge sum, you know? At least tens of thousands of Galleons..."

"What does this have to do with you having a Nate?" Harry asked, annoyed.

“Yes, Harry has a lot of money in his vault, but he never mentions it,” Ron said immediately.

“Oh, please,” Hermione said impatiently, “when did you all start comparing yourselves like this? I don’t think money can solve what we’re facing—”

“Those of us who come from humble backgrounds certainly don’t understand the benefits of money,” Draco scoffed. “My father has connections with a number of outstanding healers—and in a few years, I might become the director of the first wizard-Muggle joint hospital.”

“Is that so?” Hermione retorted sharply. “Then can the heir of the powerful Malfoy family tell me, if this business has such a bright future, why haven’t other people gotten involved? Is it because of the Malfoy family’s reputation? Or is it because of the money and power you’re so proud of? Oh, I almost forgot, the Malfoys only have money left as an option.”

Draco's face darkened. Because Hermione was telling the truth.

The Malfoy family's wealth and prestige shrank significantly after the war, and their influence was far less than before. The only reason no pure-blood family intervened in the hospital was that they all believed the United Hospital was compensation for Professor Hyp's infiltration of Lucius.

But the truth is—

Draco remembered his father's words. "He never promised it, and he probably didn't even know it existed. Protecting the Malfoy family is his reward for my undercover work," Lucius said in the study.

"That--"

"Because of you. At that time, the wizarding world hadn't been exposed yet, and among the people he came into contact with, only you showed this inclination, so he was happy to support you." Lucius calmly analyzed, "The wealth accumulated by the Malfoy family over a dozen generations, and their intricate network of connections with Muggles... all of this will make things simple, but remember, you are not the only candidate, which is why I tried to publicize this matter as much as possible, and also secretly warned some pure-blood families." He chuckled coldly as he spoke.

"A noble pure-blood family? Pure blood is worthless now; they've become crippled families."

……

Over the next few days, the negotiations got on track. With everyone's best efforts, the two sides entered into substantive negotiations, and the difficulties were overcome one by one. As Hermione had expected, only a few extremely stubborn issues remained, such as the ownership of items made by goblins and whether goblins could possess wands.

“Those are all details, and details are irrelevant to me. We're discussing whether the fairies should join the Pan-Magical Alliance—assuming most intelligent beings join.” Felix appeared during yet another round of negotiations, sitting down as he spoke.

"Fairies may wield wands, but there is always a price to pay. The day a fairy wields a wand will be the day their special methods of forging metal are revealed to the public." He turned to Hermione. "Write that in the notes to the terms and conditions."

“Oh yes, Professor!” Hermione said hastily, adding notes in the blank space of the parchment.

An awkward silence ensued. Neither the fairies nor the wizards present were entirely satisfied with the outcome, feeling that their side had been taken advantage of. However, upon closer examination, they realized that this was almost the best way to circumvent the controversy.

Fairies, in theory, possess a right they've been fighting for for centuries. This right was previously restricted by law—non-wizards were forbidden from possessing wands—but today a loophole has been opened. However, the price is staggering—

What is the special method by which fairies forge metal?

It's related to the fairies' innate talents and their unique magical system. Once all of this is deciphered, the fairies will have no more secrets.

If anyone else had said this, the goblins would likely have scoffed, perhaps even hurling insults, while looking at the wizard with disdain. Goblins were incredibly proud of their magic and would never have believed anyone could pull it off. But since these words came from the mouth of a great wizard comparable to Dumbledore, they were filled with skepticism.

In particular—this great mage has a precedent of almost independently creating (or restoring) a lost system of magical runes. He is only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, and has probably spent less than ten years researching ancient magical runes. Therefore, his words carry great weight.

The fairies exchanged glances, each seeing hesitation in the other's eyes.

Some clever wizards also considered these ideas. However, their perspective differed from that of the fairies: the swords and armor crafted by fairies were considered divine weapons, and silverware was highly sought after by wizards. If they could acquire this technology, they would be happy to trade.

Previously, wizards were unable to replicate the magic of fairies.

Several wizards stared at Felix with burning desire. Faced with such enormous profits, they were even tempted to start a war. But when they met Felix's cold gaze, their greed was instantly extinguished.

After another round of intense negotiations, the fairies agreed to join the Pan-Magic Alliance, retaining their voice internally but maintaining a consistent narrative with the wizards externally.

“We reserve the right to appeal; we signed a contract two hundred years ago,” the fairy elder said, half relieved and half unwilling.

Felix remained silent, but the idea of ​​building a magical city grew stronger in his mind. The wizarding world was intricately interconnected; pulling one thread could lead to the entire magical realm. Felix didn't want to drastically alter the wizarding environment. That might not be a good thing. He simply wanted to paint on a blank canvas, allowing for repeated erasing and repainting. The existing place couldn't withstand such disruption; the best approach was to find another way…

Meanwhile, the wizards officially contacted the Muggle government in the name of the Ministry of Magic, but still did not discuss any serious matters. This was similar to the follow-up to Felix's first visit to the Queen with his students. Neither the Muggle Prime Minister nor the Minister of Magic showed up; instead, they each sent officials and representatives, albeit at a much higher level in name.

Both sides presented their respective histories, cultures, ideas, and technologies (magic) in a lengthy and solemn manner, similar to government reports.

The high-ranking official sent by the Ministry of Magic was Mr. Weasley, whose status had risen significantly with the reorganization of the Ministry. During the meeting, Mr. Weasley showed great interest in a range of technological products. Upon learning that Mr. Weasley was the wizard father repeatedly mentioned in the currently popular 'Wizards Go to School' series of news articles, the government staff decided to give him a set of wrenches, complete with bolts and nuts of various sizes.

“Thank you so much,” Mr. Weasley said warmly. “I didn’t bring a personal gift, but when I came, Minister of Magic, Ms. Burns, asked me to present two gifts to the Muggle government—” The box was opened, revealing a simple bowl and a magnificent crystal vase.

The crystal bottle contained a miniature jungle landscape. The government representative glanced at it twice, then looked away, turning his attention to the dusty bowls and plates with their faded and broken patterns, devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

"Uh," the government representative said, somewhat bewildered, "does this bowl and plate have any special significance?"

It didn't seem to have anything to do with art. They also prepared gifts, which were carefully selected cultural relics from museums, and were quite valuable for collection, both in terms of their artistic and historical significance.

“Its appearance doesn’t matter, what matters is its origin,” Mr. Weasley said. “It came from the moon.”

The government representative stared wide-eyed.

"Moon—the moon?"

“Yes.” Mr. Weasley nodded and smiled, but at that moment, the government representative felt that his smile was unfathomable, a stark contrast to his lively expression when listening to the report earlier.

After the meeting ended, the government representatives immediately went to a conference room to be questioned by all cabinet members. The Prime Minister seemed impatient. "Well? What was their reaction?" He turned to a very inconspicuous person behind the representatives. "You're the best psychoanalyst in the country. What's your conclusion?"

The psychoanalyst was lost in thought.

“He might need some time to adjust to the psychological impact of magic… I’ll explain.” The representative opened the box, and as before, everyone was drawn to what was inside.

"A landscape in a bottle?" The Prime Minister glanced at the unremarkable bowls and plates, guessing that they were probably some kind of artifact. He then focused his attention on the exquisite crystal bottle, lowered his head to examine it carefully, and said, "Interesting. I see a bird in flight, and it can even move—is it magic?" The others also marveled at the sight.

The representative pursed his lips.

"It might be different from what you all think. This is indeed the effect of magic, but it's also mixed with something else..." He said with a strange expression, "Inside is a real forest, which was expanded using the Unseen Stretch Charm—you can think of it as a magical application of spatial expansion technology."

The meeting room seemed to be paused; the prime minister remained bent over, turning his head to glare at him.

"It's said that this technology—uh, I mean the application of this magic is quite advanced. Of course, the magic on this bottle we have will only last for a week. When they visited last time, they heard that the council was planning to break ground on a garden, so they gave us one..."

"They gave us a garden in a bottle?" a member of parliament groaned.

“The method of use is very simple,” the representative continued expressionlessly, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty. “Within a week, smash the bottle in the center of the designated area, and the magic garden will be restored to its original size, complete with trees, flowers, and a fountain. Just like in real life.”

Silence. The ministers in the room silently pondered the meaning of this magic, growing increasingly alarmed with each thought. After a long while, the Prime Minister forced himself to speak, asking, "And the other one?" He found his throat was dry.

"The other one..." the representative said hesitantly, his attitude making the others' hearts clench. Could this plate also be extraordinary, hiding some kind of magic they didn't know about?

"That dish is quite ordinary, it has no magic. The key is its origin. It's said, cough cough, I can't be sure, I can only relay what that wizard said," the representative cleared his throat, "Mr. Felix Heap landed on the moon a few days ago and luckily discovered a wizard's ruins—"

"Are you kidding me?" the Prime Minister interrupted.

"Perhaps the wizards are playing a joke on us, but that's for you all to judge," the representative said. "This matter has been widely publicized in the wizarding community. Hyp—the wizarding professor who visited last time—claimed that the first landing on the moon was not adequately prepared, and therefore only a cursory search of the surrounding area was conducted..."

Amidst the bewildered glances of the crowd, the Prime Minister suddenly jumped up:

"Summon the best scientists! Immediately! Right now! Have them drop what they're doing—and don't we have a lunar soil sample? Find it, divide it into a dozen or so portions, I need the most accurate conclusions!"

“Prime Minister, lunar soil is very precious, and we only have a little bit,” an aide whispered.

The prime minister pointed at the dirty dish and roared at him, "Precious? If that were true, lunar soil would be everywhere! What do you think that bottle means? The wizard is clearly telling us that they could hollow out the moon!"

“Where do they have enough space to pile up the extra soil?” one of the lawmakers exclaimed.

Everyone stared at him like he was an idiot.

"That is indeed a problem," the Prime Minister said somberly. "What do you think about this piled up over our heads?"

In the silence, the representative cautiously spoke: "On the bright side, it also means that space travel will become possible. Forgive my boldness, Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, but an ordinary crystal bottle can hold an entire garden, and a wizard, with all his might, could very well build a magical spaceship on his own—or it could be a meteorite crashing down on our heads, it all depends on our choice. If the wizard's magic is combined with our technology, interstellar migration could very well be realized within a few decades."

"Although I hold a humble position, I sincerely remind you ministers that only through cooperation can we have a future!"

……

“Kingsley has sent word that the Muggle government is ready to negotiate with us,” Ms. Burns told Felix.

"Our strategy appears to be correct: avoid acting impulsively, gradually reveal valuable intelligence, and let the Muggle governments weigh the consequences of war against the benefits of cooperation. They will then weigh the pros and cons themselves and come to the negotiating table. We have finally passed through the most unpredictable period."

"It's time to turn our attention overseas."

Felix looked into the distance where a lighthouse stood, and he sang softly.

"After the sudden arrival of the new era, how many people will be able to seize the opportunity and rise to the top? And who will be foolish enough to rashly develop hostility towards a group they are not familiar with and then fall into a slump? Time will give us the answer."

Chapter 699 On the Right Track

The last Saturday of July.

Inside the Parliament building, in a spacious courtyard, the Prime Minister and several ministers stood at a distance in the corridor, silently watching a short, thin man suspended in mid-air. The man held a small, long-handled hammer, and all eyes were fixed on the dark hammerhead as it slowly approached the crystal bottle.

For several days, scientists used various methods to try to study the internal structure of the bottle without damaging it. In the end, they found that visual observation was the most reliable method, because the more precise the measuring instrument, the more likely it is to produce obvious deviations.

Today was the deadline for releasing the bottled landscape, and the staff responsible for the daily maintenance of the building bravely took on the task of breaking the bottle.

A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek and into his neck. The short man stared intently at the ground, mentally estimating the distance. "Stop!" he suddenly shouted, and the ropes binding him abruptly stopped. His body swayed slightly, but the man's eyes were fixed only on the crystal bottle.

The man swallowed hard, silently encouraging himself. The crystal bottle had a specially designed metal base at its bottom for stability, preventing it from being blown over by the wind or causing any accidents. His only task was to break the outer wall of the crystal bottle as rehearsed.

The metal hammer fell, producing a crisp shattering sound, and the courtyard fell silent.

"Pull me away!" the man shouted. He was the closest and had the clearest view at that moment—if not counting the numerous cameras of all sizes around him—in his vision, the crystal bottle was first covered with spiderweb-like fine lines, and then each fine line began to emit white light.

The workers at the edge of the courtyard reacted quickly and tightened the ropes. The short man was pulled backward by the ropes, but his eyes were fixed on the center of the field. The crystal shards scattered into light, and his pupils reflected a palm-sized garden that seemed to have a life of its own. The garden began to stretch out, first with soft, tender green grass, which expanded outward like a rising tide, faster than he was moving backward. That green seemed to have passed over his levitating ankles in the blink of an eye, and when he landed, his feet were already on the soft lawn.

One by one, saplings rose from the ground, growing from afar until they were close by. Time seemed to lose its meaning, and in just a dozen seconds they were lush and green. A branch drooped down, and the man absentmindedly plucked a leaf and stuffed it haphazardly into his mouth. The fresh sap and bitterness assaulted his taste buds, and his eyes widened.

Half a minute later, everything fell silent.

The prime minister and ministers approached, and several workers, mustering their courage, followed. No one stopped them; everyone stared in rapt attention at the golden fountain before them, the gentle murmur of the water seemingly filling their ears. In the center of the fountain stood several ice sculptures, or perhaps crystal sculptures? They weren't sure, but as they drew near, they could feel a faint coolness, as if even their breath had become moist. A few birds flew into the azure sky.

Everyone remained silent, staring at the courtyard for a moment, before the Prime Minister finally said, "Let's hold a press conference."