Chapter 784: Chapter 784

"Incidentally, he did make an unbreakable vow!" Akingbade exclaimed in the faculty lounge.

The room was packed with prominent figures of the magical world, including ministers of magic from various countries, the president of the confederation, and the deputy headmasters of Hogwarts, who were also the hosts of the meeting.

Akingbade stared at his arm absentmindedly, the vow still holding strong without any sign of breaking.

"Mr. Akingbade, I've heard about Grindelwald's vow, but I'm not clear on the specifics of your vow. What exactly was agreed upon?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly.

Akingbade licked his dry lips.

"I can assure you the alliance process was entirely transparent, witnessed by over a dozen ministers present... The vow was mutual: Grindelwald pledged not to kill indiscriminately unless provoked, dueling excluded of course; he wouldn't incite wizarding wars; conspire to overthrow existing wizarding governments; and my part was to refrain from pursuing the saint's responsibilities as long as he abides by the vow, allowing him to operate openly without issuing orders against him."

The occupants of the lounge furrowed their brows. It was then Felix spoke up, "He indeed didn't incite a 'wizarding war.'" He emphasized the last few words. No one in the room was a fool; they instantly grasped the implication.

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed vehemently. "Didn't you bother to study his political aspirations before negotiating?"

Akingbade's dark complexion turned purplish as he tried to defend himself, "We didn't anticipate— he's never done this before, he has always sought a position in the wizarding world—"

Akingbade's face turned pale.

"Even if we include Muggles, he hasn't violated the vow, as he merely revealed the existence of magic to the world without actively inciting war... He's indeed a crafty one," Professor McGonagall said sharply, making everyone in the room uncomfortable.

"Mr. Akingbade," Akingbade said urgently, a hint of desperation in his tone, "I admit there have been grave errors on our part, and we can't afford to continue . Only you have the capability to apprehend Grindelwald. I implore you to step forward, and I'll have the newly formed Aurors cooperate with you."

Felix glanced at him.

"Some things are better left unsaid here, Mr. Akingbade— one of the clauses in your vow is not issuing orders against him. Unless you intend to break Grindelwald's vow first."

Akingbade was speechless, seemingly losing the ability to speak suddenly. After a moment, he spoke again, his face devoid of color, "I... I will resign voluntarily, so it wouldn't be considered—"

"You better stay put," Felix said. "This vow still holds some sway—while we deal with the imminent crisis, we can temporarily ignore Grindelwald's influence. He's also bound by the 'unbreakable vow,' as long as we don't provoke him, he can't meddle in the upcoming events."

"You mean..." Akingbade's eyes widened, "He's creating chaos but staying out of it?"

"I think 'biding his time' would be more accurate," Ms. Bonham said. "He won't be against us, but he's the source of all this turmoil. Don't forget, the current problem is the exposure of the magical world to the public eye, and we must find a solution quickly!"

The elderly wizard who spoke earlier shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's not about one or two individuals, or even a couple of cities. There's no way to conceal this anymore. Alas, the secrecy laws... are completely ineffective now."

"What is Grindelwald waiting for?" Akingbade murmured, then his pupils dilated with fear. "Of course... He's waiting for the situation to descend into chaos. Chaos is what Grindelwald hopes to see. Perhaps he doesn't need to do anything. The enraged wizarding populace, embroiled in war, will naturally lean towards his cause. Then he will step forward—because I allowed him to operate openly—posing as a savior and declaring war on Muggles."

After a disturbing silence, someone exclaimed incredulously, "He even accounted for this?"

"Think positively," Felix said meaningfully. "If handled correctly, Grindelwald will be left flustered, maybe even unable to intervene at all... Who knows!" He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling lost in thought. Could this be Grindelwald's true intention? 'How can a good person be more intimidating than a thoroughly evil one?'

With various thoughts swirling in his mind, Felix decided not to rush into a decision. It would be best to talk to some core saints... Grindelwald provided him with a way to summon the saints, but it might not be necessary. Perhaps someone at Hogwarts was already waiting for him.

The meeting hardly made any substantive progress; the most they achieved was some very conservative suggestions, like cautiously gathering external information and all wizards going into hiding on the spot. But when it came to what to do next, these Ministers of Magic couldn't reach a consensus; their thoughts were completely bound by the "Secrecy Law."

Two hours later, the magic ministers from various countries hurriedly departed. God only knows what chaos awaited them outside; there were too many things to deal with upon their return. Once these individuals left, Ms. Bonham stayed behind.

"We have to figure this out ourselves," she said solemnly, one hand rubbing her forehead in anguish. "Everyone has their own stance, and Akingbade's reputation has taken a nosedive, making it impossible to persuade everyone. In the end, it's just going to be bickering."

"On this matter, we have to do something, and quickly. We can't passively wait for results. Felix, I want to know what you think."

Felix shrugged. Read complete version only at NoveI★Fire.net

"Grindelwald caught everyone off guard. I don't have a complete plan yet, but there are indeed a few things that need to be addressed urgently."

Ms. Bonham and Professor McGonagall looked at him.

"First, the students at the school—"

"Cancel this year's Hogwarts Express," Professor McGonagall interjected decisively. "Wizarding families can have their children picked up by parents or leave through the school fireplace; for non-wizarding families' young wizards, I'll have professors directly send them home."

"The Ministry will fully cooperate," Ms. Bonham nodded.

"Second, security measures around the school must be reinforced; it's still uncertain whether the next school year will start as scheduled, but we should be prepared for the worst. And—there's a massive sanctuary here."

On this point, neither had objections.

"Third, Amelia, I suggest you start negotiations with the Muggle government as soon as possible, starting with the Prime Minister. Haven't you been maintaining direct contact all along? He must be made aware that this isn't just our unilateral affair; once the crisis erupts, no one can escape."

"I'll arrange it as soon as possible," Ms. Bonham said. "In fact, I've met with the Muggle Prime Minister twice. He seems—" She shook her head.

"Fourth, stabilize the emotions of all wizards. Newspaper interviews, magical radios... get your voice out there as much as possible. The last booklet on guarding against Voldemort can also be revised and put to use."

"Fifth, public opinion and intelligence—"

"Public opinion?" Professor McGonagall and Ms. Bonham asked in unison.

"The non-magical governments and their people have close relations, influencing and constraining each other. Proper guidance of public opinion can make ordinary people more easily accept the existence of wizards; conversely, once incited by malicious individuals, their attitudes could turn extreme. Of course, we're mainly focused on gathering information now, but how to gather information is also crucial, such as the attitudes of ordinary people towards wizards, their reasons for accepting wizards, reasons for opposing wizards; and then there are influential people in this matter, politicians, celebrities, opinion leaders, especially those who come forward first..."

"Sixth, the safety and confidentiality of Muggle-born young wizards after they return home..."

"Seventh, strictly prohibit any group or individual from privately contacting the Muggle government. I'm particularly concerned about the attitude of the house-elves regarding this... the Pan-Magic Alliance's plan must start now;"

"Eighth, um, I have a suggestion: send out a portion of trusted Aurors to secretly assist Muggles influenced by the saints, without revealing themselves or making it too obvious, it may come in handy later..."

While they were planning, chaos had already erupted outside.

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