A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 721: Expected Conflict

After returning to the school, Felix spent some time tracking down Valen, who was happily wandering around—Felix had left him at the school due to the serious atmosphere of the previous meeting. Valen had become even more wild during their time apart.

"With a tone of probing for insider information, Felix asked, "I heard there's a flying Niffler roaming near the Forbidden Forest?"

Valen shook its head vigorously, indicating it had no idea about this. "Really?" It patted its chest, suggesting earnestly that they could ask Hagrid, who might know.

"…The Forbidden Forest is full of dangerous creatures," Felix warned it.

Valen dismissed the concern with a wave of its hand.

Felix followed its gaze to a small bell tied to its scarf and quickly snatched it— "Confiscated—this is for your safety, not for adventuring." Valen could only watch despondently as Felix flicked his fingers, and the charming silver bell transformed into a silver bird.

This was a protective charm Felix had set up. The Patronus wasn't the point; the key was it contained a magical circuit part of Mandrake—facing real danger, the Patronus could let out a cry that could stun a few unprepared wizards. This trick also worked on creatures near the Forbidden Forest.

They headed towards the castle.

"Do you like the Forbidden Forest? I know some especially delicious spices… Professor Sprout has hidden them well."

The next day, Felix woke up to an enticing aroma of roasted pumpkin. Standing at the window, he felt as if in a different world. The distant mountains were covered in snow, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the Black Lake below, just waiting for a heavy snowfall.

He had spent Halloween at the school and took the time to get to know his students again. It was strange that no one could distinguish him from a memory, making Felix feel he had to be more serious and strict in class.

He even attended a party hosted by Slughorn, where Snape maintained his usual standoffish demeanor. However, he subtly mentioned his 'minor progress' in potion-making—Felix resisted asking for details, preventing him from bragging. Emmeline Vance wasn't interested in the food at the party but was captivated by the classical music played. She inquired about the record's name, and Slughorn casually mentioned, "It's not available elsewhere, sourced from a Muggle shop… yes, it underwent special treatment, I have some connections with the Muggle government… I can give you a set…"

After Halloween, Felix realized he still held the title of deputy headmaster, so he went to Professor McGonagall to fulfill his duties—also to chat with the Sorting Hat, which unfortunately, was uncooperative and loud, promptly adding Felix to its 'refuse to communicate' list. Felix was somewhat miffed. The calm days didn't last long; with critical times ahead, Felix returned to the Confederation headquarters after a week. Like a giant receiver, he continuously received and sent out all sorts of information. For a time, the headquarters' hall was filled with numerous Patronuses of different forms.

The continuous work led to very positive progress; some countries in advanced negotiation stages were already finalizing their agreements, invigorating everyone at the headquarters. One morning, Babajide Akingbade returned from America with bad news.

"The situation is a bit grim," he succinctly handed over a newspaper. Felix took it and saw the headline in bright red letters, "Tragedy befalls the Order of the Phoenix."

After putting down the newspaper, Akingbade briefly explained the incident. A three-member Auror team, while investigating the local government's secret control over young wizards, met with an accident, leaving no survivors.

"Was the military involved?" Felix asked, shocked.

"It was spellcasters, another group of them," Akingbade said. "The incident happened last night. Other teams received the last signal, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. Journalists stationed at the Congress witnessed it…"

Half an hour later, Felix was at the MACUSA—Woolworth Building.

Three bodies lay before him. MACUSA President Seraphina Picquery, the headmaster of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Director of Magical Security, his deputy Uriah, and several high-ranking officials were present, all with grave expressions.

"Any leads so far?"

"There might be involvement from other wizarding organizations," Seraphina Picquery said darkly. "I suspect descendants of the Purifiers. I dispatched a large number of agents around Halloween to monitor suspicious individuals—theoretically feasible, as many wizards have shopping plans during the holidays, and I expected someone might take advantage of the situation to blend in…"

This was the plan Picquery had mentioned to Felix. The plan was partially successful; the Aurors did indeed detect anomalies 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

but didn't live to report back.

Felix was noncommittal about the 'Purifiers' theory. Historically, Purifiers played the disgraceful role of traitorous wizards, akin to mercenaries paid to betray their own. American wizards once feared and despised them. After the establishment of MACUSA, an immediate purge was conducted, with only a small fraction escaping punishment and blending into the population.

They were too weak to retaliate against Congress and dared not use magic, even abandoning their magically gifted children. Over time, these individuals chose not to cooperate with the authorities—having once betrayed their kin for money to the Puritans and radical government groups, they knew too well the torture that awaited them, and their fear and hatred for MACUSA were passed down through generations.

Thus, the recent incident involving twelve magically gifted children was truly an accident. No, perhaps not an accident. Felix suddenly considered if the previous incident was a probe by some individuals—testing wizards and public opinion. Assuming those children were under the watch of a few people, waiting for the right moment to be transported to an uncharted sea base as part of an 'annual quota,' only this year, used for another purpose…

Felix meticulously examined the bodies of the three victims, and after a moment, looked up.

"I believe these Aurors encountered the individuals we've been searching for, only those children have now grown up and become our enemies."

This was almost the worst-case scenario.

"Could this secret operation have been ongoing for decades… But even so, they couldn't possibly stand against trained Aurors. Those people haven't even received a complete magical education," a bearded wizard at the scene—the Director of Magical Security—exclaimed.

"They haven't received a 'school education'," Felix corrected. "It's true they would struggle to receive conventional magical instruction, but that doesn't mean they had to start from scratch. The simplest way… just by gaining the trust of any wizard, they could freely enter the wizarding world, easily purchasing published magical books, potion ingredients, and second-hand wands from magic shops…"

"As for whether their true level surpasses that of Aurors… I can't tell yet. There are many possibilities for what actually happened. Perhaps these Aurors were careless, deceived, or indeed outmatched. But one thing is certain… their opponents aren't ordinary civilians but rigorously trained professionals nurtured with care."

Felix's fingertips conjured a vague silhouette. He leaned in to examine the faceless face closely, whispering:

"No magical school was founded with the purpose of training spies, assassins, or killers. We learn magic to better control magical power, and it's also a manifestation of the wizarding community's subconscious desire to grow and at least avoid decline. Thus, wizards moved from early home and apprenticeship education to school education, establishing communities and deriving many professions that seem superfluous to me. All of this was to better facilitate interaction among people. However, our hidden opponents don't think this way; they only wish to extract as much talent as possible in a short time."

"Try to imagine the upbringing of these individuals. Excluding those who died in various accidents, they typically leave their parents before the age of eleven, drifting at sea for years, undergoing experiments, brainwashing, training… As they grow a bit older, they start carrying out missions. So, what were those missions?"

Seraphina Picquery felt a chill, her mind racing. Suddenly, she turned to someone urgently, "Uriah, go immediately to the usual magic shops and ask those shopkeepers if they have served young wizards who have repeatedly made bulk purchases of various magical materials. Also—" she said with some difficulty, "investigate solitary wizards to see if anyone has disappeared mysteriously in recent years."

Uriah left hastily with a solemn expression.

The others in the room looked at each other, silent for a long while until the headmaster of Ilvermorny spoke up to break the silence, "Mr. Harp, based on this speculation, is it possible that the opposing side has already cultivated sufficiently powerful spellcasters?"

After pondering for a moment, Felix negated the possibility.

"Their overall quality might reach the level of an exceptionally good Auror at best, and even then, only in certain aspects. There's no further potential, let alone exploring the essence of magic… As for evidence, judging from the wounds left behind, their casting of regular spells always showed clear signs of dark magic, not indicating their profound magical proficiency but rather a manifestation of magical imbalance."

"This also leads to a conclusion: no matter who the opposition is, the duration of their operation couldn't have been very long, definitely not exceeding thirty years."

"Why do you say that?"

"—Any longer, and they would have suffered backlash themselves. Remember, a wizard's magic is directly connected to their soul, and it would reflect in their personality…"

After a prolonged silence.

"What's our next move?"

"Negotiations will proceed as usual. I sense that the

upcoming negotiations won't go smoothly; a deeply hidden force will do everything in its power to prevent the contract from being finalized… However, it's more convenient for us to unravel the mystery and find key figures if someone takes the initiative to step forward. Additionally, I need to create a map."

...

The entire month of November passed in an uneasy atmosphere. Although contracts recognizing the "Charter of the Confederation and Alliance" were signed by over a dozen magical departments and local governments worldwide, many publicly questioned the law's efficacy. They argued that an organization like the International Confederation of Wizards, which supersedes the will of individual countries' wizards and even governments, is illegal and should be abolished.

Especially some of the charter's clauses were unbearable for certain countries' corporations and governments.

The MACUSA delegation had three rounds of negotiations with the local government, but as talks progressed, fundamental issues became insurmountable barriers, leading to a deadlock. Hardline voices appeared in the media: an obscure legislator from a remote state proposed the government fund special schools to build and take control of an American wizarding world. This statement immediately gained support from pharmaceutical and arms corporations, all willing to donate to this great cause.

But the next day, the legislator tearfully confessed his "evil deeds" to reporters, almost instantly becoming evidence of wizards bewitching people. Subsequently, a series of malicious events were 'indirectly' proven to be related to wizards. After negotiating for half a month, the MACUSA delegation found the external opinion environment had completely changed.

The cold reception faced by the MACUSA delegation, resistance against the International Confederation of Wizards, and the spreading public opinion worldwide all pointed to one outcome—an outcome many government think tanks concluded—a direct conflict was inevitable.

To some extent, this was a result everyone secretly hoped for—provided the conflict didn't erupt in their own country. For many, the delay before this conclusion was astonishing, leading some to speculate magic was at play.

A hidden community of over two million people, at odds with the world order and possessing abilities only found in literature and fairy tales… Yet, until now, not a single conflict of significant scale had erupted, as if everything was pre-designed, which was incredibly strange.

The shadow of war never strayed far, initially hovering over Britain. As the situation in Britain stabilized, attention shifted to the most chaotic Africa. Though Africa was tumultuous with frequent small conflicts, it never truly spiraled out of control. Some waited and waited, only to see the introduction of the "Charter of the Confederation and Alliance," followed by sweeping negotiations across dozens of countries… The developments were miraculous.

But some things were unavoidable. Other measures only served to delay and deter, limited to theoretical exercises on paper. Only a head-to-head confrontation could truly reflect the strength between two distinct groups. Whether wizards would crumble easily or modern weapons were ineffective against magic could only be determined through actual combat, calming those increasingly restless dark thoughts and acknowledging the birth of a new order.

What caused divisions among various countries' think tanks was when and where the conflict would erupt, who would initiate it, and—how many would die or be injured, and whether it could be contained within a certain range.

The bad weather of November continued into early December. As people waited with bated breath, looking forward to the last month of 1997, finally, the president of the International Confederation of Wizards, Babajide Akingbade, and the first president of the International Pan-Magical Alliance, Felix Harp, issued a solemn warning to all wizards.

A ripple effect ensued!

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