After Madam Bones left, Felix and Professor McGonagall talked for a while before coming out of the staff room.
All students were instructed to come down with their luggage.
"...This is how it's arranged for now," Professor McGonagall said. "Muggle-born young wizards need to wait for a while, there will be professors to escort you home. The Ministry will also send commissioners to provide safety guidance to wizarding families living in Muggle communities."
The students sat on the benches with their luggage, looking dispirited. Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff stood up at the Hufflepuff table and shouted, "Professor, have wizards really been exposed?"
Professor McGonagall glanced at him and pursed her lips. "Yes, Mr. Finch-Fletchley."
A gloomy atmosphere pervaded the hall. These students couldn't yet grasp the implications of the wizarding world being exposed; they only knew it was a terrible thing, or perhaps deep down they understood—Grindelwald spent a year lecturing on how to guard against Muggles and conceal oneself.
Felix cleared his throat.
"The Ministry has plans in place to address this, so you don't need to worry too much. But in the coming days, you'll likely hear various rumors. I urge you not to engage in any activities over the break that could expose your wizarding identity, and to pay attention to announcements from the Ministry, and listen to the radio..."
He outlined a series of specific measures, and the students gradually snapped out of it.
"What about you?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"I'll stay," Sirius said without hesitation, glancing at Lupin, Moody, and the others. "We need to talk to Felix, see if we can help or reorganize the Order of the Phoenix... Anyway, I'll probably temporarily join the Ministry."
"Then I'll stay too," Harry said. Sirius widened his eyes, and Harry quickly added, "I'll be of age in a month, and besides, this concerns the entire wizarding world. If there's a war, it won't matter where I hide, will it? The flames of war will eventually reach me. I don't want to be dragged out like a goblin."
Sirius hesitated, looking at him.
Harry's tone grew more urgent. "Even if Dumbledore were still here, he wouldn't refuse me to contribute. He wants me to do this! I've been following him to class during his final days, I know a lot about Grindelwald..." He rambled somewhat incoherently.
"Alright, I agree," Sirius suddenly said, seeing Harry's shocked expression. He smiled, "I knew you wouldn't hide in the background. I just discussed it with Remus, and he told me to ask for your opinion. But after school starts, you must come back to class." He ended on a serious note.
"We'll see when the time comes," Harry said vaguely. "It's uncertain if the school will even reopen after something happens." He had only been looking for an excuse, but Sirius sighed with concern. "You're right. If the situation can't stabilize before school starts, Hogwarts really risks closure."
In turbulent times, people naturally prefer to be with their families.
"I'll stay too," Hermione, who had been listening nearby for a while, said. "I don't want to go home and do nothing, just sit in front of the TV waiting for news of whether wizards and Muggles are going to war! But I need to go home first, my parents must be waiting for me, they must be terribly worried."
"And us," Fred and George said in unison.
"I also want to do something," Neville said seriously, glancing back at his parents who had retired but had stayed without hesitation.
Ginny was about to speak when Mrs. Weasley approached, her eyes suspiciously scanning them. "What are you discussing?" she asked with a doubtful glare.
"Nothing!" Ron, Fred, and George reflexively responded, with Ron quickly adding, "Mom, Ginny's terrified, she wants to get back to the Burrow as soon as possible."
Ginny emitted an angry cat-like growl as Mrs. Weasley reluctantly dragged her away.
Soon, Ministry staff appeared because they needed to transport both young wizards and parents simultaneously. The Ministry had sent two flying management teams specifically to modify and maintain the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office to prevent accidents.
The students lined up, with Professor Sprout leading them through the fireplace while Flitwick waited at the school gates, receiving wizard parents who had rushed to the school upon hearing the news. Other teachers were responsible for maintaining order, and everything proceeded smoothly.
Felix sat in the corner of the Great Hall, carefully examining the live map.
Due to the accidental exposure of the wizarding world, a series of chain reactions had flooded Hogsmeade, the only all-wizard village in Britain, with a large number of people. Some were foreigners who had attended the funeral and were stranded in England, some were seeking refuge upon hearing the news, or were just trying to gather information. There were also Ministry patrol officers maintaining law and order, resulting in a multitude of dots scattered across the map. Felix couldn't find any useful information amidst the densely packed dots.
Sirius arrived with a large group of people, and upon hearing their thoughts, Felix almost immediately agreed.
"I have a feeling that the next few months are crucial, and the Ministry will be severely understaffed. Since you have this idea, temporary positions in the Ministry shouldn't be a problem. Several students can handle tasks like organizing documents and relaying messages... In fact, most people do these tasks. If a battle really breaks out, the situation must be extremely dire," he said, sighing with relief as he thought the professors wouldn't agree.
"The Order of the Phoenix—" Sirius began.
"I suggest you temporarily merge with the Ministry," Felix interrupted. "It's different now from dealing with Voldemort. Don't worry about the Ministry leaking information like a sieve. You can form several teams to suppress domestic dark wizards and prevent them from causing trouble. Also, you can establish the Pan-Magic Alliance—"
"The Pan-Magic Alliance?" Hermione and Sirius asked in unison.
"Yes," Felix explained briefly, "Miss Greengrass, you shouldn't be unfamiliar with this term. A similar concept first appeared in one of your papers, which I later passed on to Amelia."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!" Hermione said indignantly. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⁂fire.net
Harry and Ron grinned.
"That's it," Felix said. "The wizarding world's intelligent races aren't just wizards; there are other magical beings classified as humans due to their civilization and intelligence. We need to win them over."
"Why?" Sirius asked puzzledly.
"For two reasons. First, if it's just wizards, the target is too singular. We're worried that the Muggle government will see wizards as residents living on their own land and demand dominion over wizards, which most wizards wouldn't agree to."
"Let Muggles rule over wizards?" Lucius Malfoy's expression soured. He said coldly and arrogantly, "Do I need to change 'Merlin is our king' to 'the queen is our queen'?"
Moody scoffed bluntly, "Your ancestors have shouted that before."
Lucius Malfoy glared at him fiercely.
Felix continued as if he hadn't heard, "Besides, I personally believe that there are significant differences in lifestyle between wizards and ordinary people in all aspects. It's impossible to bridge the gap in a short time. If restrictions are suddenly lifted and both sides are allowed to permeate each other's lives, it will inevitably lead to endless conflicts and contradictions. Therefore, until the negotiation results come out, there can only be one external communication channel for both sides."
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