A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

“Of course I do,” Ron said, “but that doesn’t stop me from having personal hobbies.”

“Our brother is very interested in putting his voice into other people’s ears,” Fred told Cedric. The two families moved to a neighborhood to look after each other because of Voldemort’s brief threat. After the war, the Diggory family did not move back, but rather thought it was good and often visited each other.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like it,” Ron pointed out.

“Yeah, we’re just giving you a heads-up,” George said in a threatening tone, “If you’re planning to share some funny family stories, you’d better not include us, for your own health.”

“You mean Mr. Weasley’s interview?” Hermione asked the twins.

They did not respond directly. “The Daily Prophet quoted some of the Muggle reports, and now I feel like I’m standing naked in the freezing cold,” Fred said dejectedly.

“Parents are terrifying creatures; they remember every embarrassing moment you’ve ever made since you were born,” George said with deep feeling.

"And they are also very willing to share."

"I originally thought it was my mother's hobby!"

"Who knew that it would be Dad who delivered the fatal blow from behind?"

"I don't even dare to go out and see anyone."

The two men spoke in unison, and Harry didn't see much embarrassment on their faces, nor did Mr. Weasley mention anything bad. However, Harry did find the answer to his question: the Weasleys distinguished twins by marking their bottoms.

“Hey, I see a bunch of goblins looking this way,” Cho Chang said through the window.

“That’s strange,” Ron said, puzzled. “They usually show up after a day or two; they need time to muster the courage.”

“I know why,” Ginny said. “Dad thought that everyone in the family should share in the joy, so he secretly took some candy and gave it to the goblins.”

“Every family member? Goblins?” Ron stared in disbelief, then after a moment of stunned silence, a look of realization dawned on his face. “So that’s why Dad decided to give the ghoul in the attic new clothes. I thought he caught it from Mom… right, Harry?”

“Stop talking,” Harry said painfully, having accidentally popped several boils while grabbing the ghoul’s arm; the stench was enough to make anyone faint. Hermione, Ginny, and Cho Chang giggled, while Cedric turned his head away, equally struggling to hold it in.

Just then, a little girl with silver, cascading hair appeared at the door. "Hello! They want you to come over! Guests are arriving!"

“Okay, Gabrielle,” Hermione said gently, as if she hadn’t been the one laughing so happily just moments before. “Let’s go.”

As they came out, they ran into a group of people coming out of the Burrow. Mr. Weasley handed the seating chart to Fred and George, saying, "Help me, kids." Then he turned to Ginny with a stern face and said, "If you don't want to hear your mother calling your name with the Amplifying Charm, you'd better go back and change your clothes."

Ginny cried out "Oh dear!" and hurriedly ran back. Gabrielle followed lightly behind.

"Where are Amelia and Tonks?" Felix asked Sirius, who had just appeared, as he walked alongside Lupin at the back of the crowd.

Sirius glanced at his watch.

"There's still an hour before the wedding starts. She arrived about fifteen minutes early, so she's probably inspecting Diagon Alley now in preparation for hosting Muggles soon. Tonks is with her. They asked me to come over first to explain the situation. Apparently, the narrator is a tour guide from a travel agency. I wonder who came up with this terrible idea."

“It’s me,” Felix said absentmindedly. “I just mentioned it offhand.”

“Very insightful.” Sirius grinned. “I don’t know that wizard, but back in school, this travel agency seemed to have a mission to ‘disappear’ more wizards.”

“There will be Aurors watching from the shadows,” Felix said. “But when will the people from the International Wizarding Federation arrive?”

“We’ve arrived,” Sirius said. “Amelia has them rest at the Ministry of Magic before coming over. Arkinbad is feeling a bit unwell.”

At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George stood outside the huge, cream-colored tent in the orchard, holding a seating chart and awaiting the arrival of their guests. A purple carpet stretched from their feet to the far end of the tent, and rows of gold chairs stood neatly arranged. Flowers that Fred and George had traded from town were carefully placed on the pillars and tables. Hermione and Penelope patiently placed various small gifts in the center of the table.

Mr. Weasley disappeared for a while, then reappeared with a group of waiters and a band. They each did their part, and gradually, the tent filled up with people.

Gropp couldn't get into the tent; he could easily take down the flag stuck in the roof just by standing there. As the only pure-blooded giant in Britain, though perhaps unrelated to this, Gropp was also assigned a task: carrying a handful of balloons and handing one to each passing guest. His only purpose, however, was to terrify them.

However, there are always daring people who are willing to try.

With nothing to do, Felix kept glancing at the guests who had come from afar.

After observing for a while, Felix took out a magic camera and handed it to Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley was overjoyed and left with the camera. When Felix looked outside again, he saw Percy standing in front of the giant, holding a camera and taking pictures of the eager guests who were trying to show their courage.

When a group of girls who had come from France and seemed to have the same Meira bloodline bravely posed for photos, the event seemed to turn into a special wedding activity. The successful ones seemed to have returned victorious, and even their posture became more upright.

Finally, the person Felix was waiting for arrived.

The moment Felix saw Babajid Akinbad, he knew that Sirius's previous assessment of him had been far too understated. Akinbad's condition wasn't just a little bad; he was terribly haggard. In just over a month, he looked like he had aged more than ten years.

---Aside---

Chapter 706 Akinbad's Worries

“We meet again, Mr. Hyp,” Akinbad said wearily, extending his hand to shake Felix’s. “Can we find a place to talk? I spoke briefly with Amelia before coming here, and I told her you’ve done a great job.”

Felix was about to nod when a steady voice interrupted, "Excuse me, could I join you?"

“Then let’s go together, Horace,” Akinbad said, seeing that Felix didn’t object. “Horace is the president of the Magical Congress of the United States, and he’s been in office for less than a year.” He added, and Felix sensed a hint of sympathy in his words.

Both of them encountered an unprecedented historical crisis shortly after taking office, and both faced the most difficult situation in the crisis. The former, Akimbad, suddenly realized that the rules that had been in operation for hundreds of years were no longer effective. Like a box full of Kree Wizard Cookies falling to the ground, it fell apart, and each piece was different in shape. It was almost impossible to put it back together.

The latter represents the most thoroughly broken piece in the cookie box, which may have even been stepped on and crushed.

“Hello, Mr. Hyp,” the president of the Magical Congress of the United States introduced himself, “Horace Greenstinch.”

“Hello, Mr. Greenstinch,” Felix said, using a surname that was well-known in the American wizarding world. Unsurprisingly, this man was also a descendant of the Twelve Aurors. “Please come with me.”

As he turned, he glanced past the two men at Amelia Bornes. She was congratulating Mr. Weasley, and a short distance away stood two familiar yet unfamiliar faces. Felix couldn't immediately place them—not Tonks, who was with Lupin—but as the leader passed through the gap in the golden chairs, he suddenly remembered their identities: they were the French and Bulgarian Ministers of Magic.

Behind a huge pillar, three people stood at the front of the tent.

Felix observed the two men discreetly, just as the other two did.

Arkinbad, needless to say, had deep wrinkles on his face, his dark skin unable to conceal them, and a stubble beard suggesting he hadn't slept well for some time. Ms. Burns mentioned that he sent someone daily to request a copy of the negotiation minutes, presumably spending most of his time studying the feasibility of these strategies. In contrast, Horace Greenstinch wore a purple wizard's robe with gold trim, perfectly suited to the wedding occasion, and seemed well-prepared. This president of the Magical Congress of America was around fifty or sixty years old, but his actual age was likely older. His small eyes were surrounded by fine lines, his gaze rigid, his features harsh, giving him a serious and old-fashioned air.

With just a cursory glance, Felix sketched a simple outline of his character in his mind. When facing Horace Greensteen, an image came to mind: Barty Crouch the Elder.

Felix had no doubt that even after what happened with Crouch Jr., if Voldemort were to openly announce his return, Crouch Sr. would immediately become Amelia Burns's strongest rival on the path to Minister of Magic. In times of war, the people always yearn for a strong government, and Fudge's image of weakness was completely useless; this was why he went to great lengths to avoid acknowledging that Voldemort was still alive.

But the problems that everyone is facing right now cannot be solved by sheer willpower alone.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Mr. Hyp. The situation is dire, and the wizarding world needs your wisdom. I imagine you've been thinking the same thing, haven't you? You're an expert in this area, and you foresaw early on that the wizarding world's exposure was inevitable. The recent actions of the British Ministry of Magic have all been influenced by you."

“I do have that idea,” Felix said, looking directly into Akinbad’s face. “I believe you have all seen that report.”

"To be precise, it was studied more than once. At the beginning of this month, it was the only professional proposal that seemed to predict the future course of events," Akinbad said. As for the second half of the month, the British Ministry of Magic's series of dazzling actions naturally attracted the world's attention.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting the result.

Unlike Arkinbard, the immense pressure and sudden responsibility overwhelmed him, making it difficult for him to make any hasty decisions. He could only vaguely order the various national ministries of magic to go into hiding and to try to contact the local governments to reach a new agreement. He himself had his assistant find all of Felix's previous works, and finally concluded that Felix did indeed have genuine talent in this field.

"...Some of the conclusions mentioned above have been verified. We have overlooked the speed of progress of Muggles, and it has become increasingly difficult to conceal the existence of magic, as can be seen from past data. Compared with a hundred years ago, the world's population has tripled, and they occupy vast tracts of land, which has severely limited the scope of wizards' activities."

“The changes brought about by population don’t stop there,” Felix said. “The number of wizards has also increased, which makes all the problems mentioned earlier more acute and prominent. Of course, it has also brought some benefits. Wizards have completely dominated the magical world. From a higher perspective, this result can be seen as a silent cooperation between wizards and non-wizards.”

Horace Greenstinch, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth slightly. He had never thought of it that way before, but after careful consideration, it did make some sense.

That's how fairies declined. They didn't do anything wrong, yet their influence dwindled.

A hundred years might be a short timeframe, but if we broaden the timescale to two hundred, five hundred, or even a thousand years, this trend becomes extremely noticeable. He felt it necessary to go back and review past statistics to see if the number of wizards from Muggle origins was increasing year by year.

Arkinbad had recently reviewed a lot of materials and, after only a brief recollection, intuitively accepted this statement. He concluded, "So the more Muggles develop, the larger their population becomes; the larger the population, the more land they occupy. At the same time, the number of wizards is also constantly increasing, all of which leads to one result: contact between the two sides is inevitable."

“It’s just a matter of sooner or later.” Felix nodded.

“Excellent vision,” Akinbad praised, then asked, “You intend to replicate and promote the practices of the British Ministry of Magic? The Pan-Magical Alliance, joint law enforcement, exclusive wands, the Squirrel Group, magical trade, and some plans that are still on paper; I also discovered from recent negotiations that you have absorbed some of the enemy’s ideas, modified them, and made them less jarring… It’s bold and amazing, but from my perspective, these countries are not isolated entities, and there could be some terrible chain reaction, affecting everything.”

This is Arkinbad's biggest worry. If Bones and Felix mess things up, the worst impact will only affect one country. But if he messes up, it will affect all wizards.

“No need for that, the first step is always the hardest,” Felix said.

“But the situation is different in other regions than in Britain, for example,” Akinbad glanced at Horace Greenstinch, not citing the Americas, where the situation was worst, “for example, well, Africa. The problem in Africa is the lack of a strong law enforcement agency. With the secret law unexpectedly failing, the long-standing repression has led wizards in that land to tend to go in the opposite direction, and wizarding phenomena are becoming more and more common.”

“Our problem is exactly the opposite,” Horace Greenstinch said seriously.

The living conditions of wizards in Africa, the Americas, and Britain (or Europe) are worth comparing. The British Ministry of Magic has largely implemented secrecy laws, while the Americas are even stricter, maintaining no contact with local governments, possibly due to several serious leaks in history. The result is a highly charged atmosphere between the two sides, with public opinion completely against them, watching helplessly as the situation deteriorates. Africa has the most relaxed environment of the three, with many wizards secretly engaging in 'side jobs' such as fortune-telling and mediumship. Felix thought of the girl Rafidine, disguised as a Gypsy witch.

But don't assume that African shamans are happy.

Wizards, as a group possessing exceptional individual strength and diverse methods, leave behind only ambiguous, colorful bubbles when they deliberately submerge underwater. However, their emergence from the surface inevitably stirs up a storm, creating ripples and waves. They will no longer face the ordinary people, who are generally tolerant of mystical powers, but rather those in power who seek to control these powers. Dramas of appeasement and division, attack and alliance will unfold in turn, only escalating the chaos further.

“The authority of the International Federation of Wizards must be re-established,” Felix said.

Akinbad shook his head sadly.

"The authority of the International Wizarding Federation was gradually built up with the consensus of the hidden magical world back then, but now the foundation for the organization's existence has disappeared."

“Then let’s find new meaning.” Felix repeated what he had said to Ms. Burns.

Akinbad was tempted. The International Wizarding Federation was on the verge of collapse under his leadership, and he wanted to restore everything to its former state more than anyone else, no matter the cost. But he also knew that everything had changed. He was still in his position because of the unbreakable oath he had made with Grindelwald, which to some extent prevented the already chaotic wizarding world from falling into an unpredictable abyss.

“Oh, right,” Akinbad seemed to remember something, “there is another huge hidden danger in Africa.”

"What is it?"

“Grindelwald!” Akinbad said in a deep voice.

Felix seemed somewhat surprised and quickly asked, "What's going on? He hasn't made any moves in the past two weeks, has he?"

“That’s the problem,” Akinbad said. “I’ve seen through his cunning. He won’t sit idly by and wait for defeat. I was worried he would interfere in the British peace talks, but that would mean standing against the vast majority of wizards. I’ve thought it over and over again, and since he’s not in Britain or America, the most likely place for him is Africa.”

"...Where's the evidence?"

"He appeared in the Americas only a handful of times, at least in public, but he appeared in Africa far more often. His pretext was to provide shelter for wizards in crisis, and he did indeed save many wizards, including a group of Vagado students, gaining him great prestige in the region. Not to mention, it was in Africa that he first proposed the Ten Laws of Wizardry."

Felix blinked and asked tentatively, "Perhaps it's because Africa was indeed quite chaotic at that time?"

Akinbad categorically rejected it.

“He is a true demon, drawing power from chaos.” He looked at Felix with a somber expression. “Some speculate that he wants to make Africa a new source of saints.”

Felix looked at the two of them somewhat blankly and muttered, "Yes, it makes perfect sense. If anyone has a chance to unify the magical regime there in a short time, it's only Grindelwald. Plus, he's too busy to take care of other things, so it's a good stronghold, provided he really intends to return to his old ways."

Horace Greenstinch interjected, “I’ve heard similar things before, in Muggle newspapers.” The other two stared at him, and he looked back in surprise. “With something like this happening, we certainly can’t pretend we don’t know anymore.”

“What did they say?” Felix asked.

He was missing something in this area. Burns sent some Aurors abroad to gather information, but the results were limited, only giving them a general overview; Felix really relied on Vita Rozier's intelligence.

“Those damn politicians think,” Horace Greenstinch said with disgust in his eyes, “that the exposure of the wizarding world has thrown wizards around in different countries into disarray, and this is the perfect opportunity to make them obey them.” And some of their more inflammatory remarks…

“I mean, their assessment of Grindelwald,” Felix rephrased.

"Grindelwald destroyed an underground experimental factory, making such a huge fuss that it had a very bad impact at the time. Many people clamored for the reinstatement of the death penalty or for him to be burned at the stake, but we all know that the possibility of that happening is extremely slim. More rigorous media reports are similar to Mr. Akinbad's analysis, except that they also mentioned you."

"I?"

“Yes,” Horace Greenstinch said with a strange expression, “they believe that the two of you are bound to fight, and may ask you for help if necessary.”

"Me...can I?" Felix himself was unsure.

“You will,” Akinbad said. “If Grindelwald intends to assassinate a few politicians, nobody cares, the crime will fall on his head anyway; but if he wants to destroy a city, we must stop him at all costs, he will kill the future of wizarding. Especially since we are still in negotiations.”