Becoming a representative of the Wizards' Union turned out to be even more troublesome than Tver had imagined.
In fact, the Union's representatives not only had to push their own Ministries of Magic to deal with cases of wizards exposing secrets, they also had to help investigate whether emergencies in other countries might lead to even more serious consequences.
That was especially true in the United States, where Tver was currently staying.
So before he had even finished dealing with matters in America, Zhou Ya dragged him over.
"I already said it. This is just a minor issue caused by the descendants of the Scourers. The Obliviators have already dealt with every No-Maj who saw that footage!"
A burly official from MACUSA loudly stressed the point to his own President, all while pointing at the Union members around Tver in obvious dissatisfaction.
"There was no need to call this group over. You know perfectly well that ever since Grindelwald made a mess of New York, they have always been biased against us!"
"Cruz Theron, the newly appointed head of the American Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Since he was promoted from the Auror Department, a lot of people are unhappy with his weak administrative skills," Zhou Ya explained lightly into Tver's ear.
As for the Scourers Cruz mentioned, they were a group from before a wizarding government had been established in America. They were mercenaries who would sell out fellow wizards in exchange for bounties from religious witch hunters.
After MACUSA was established, those people were either put on trial or went into hiding among ordinary people under false identities.
Their descendants were often raised on anti wizard beliefs, and most of them devoted themselves to exposing the wizarding world.
That was exactly why America had the strictest control in the world over relations between wizards and No-Majs. Even though Rappaport's Law, which had forbidden contact between the two, had been repealed in 1965, the hostility between both sides remained the strongest here.
And the matter Tver was attending today was one of the increasingly rare anti wizard incidents involving descendants of the Scourers in America.
Ever since his teacher had rampaged through New York last time, the city's largest No-Maj extremist group, the New Salem Philanthropic Society, had been destroyed in name.
Still, unexpectedly, a small faction that had gone underground back then had started moving again after seventy years.
According to the evasive Director Cruz, someone seemed to have used a camera to capture a short scene of a wizard using magic, then copied it onto videotapes and distributed them widely.
Absurdly enough, the No-Majs who watched it all thought it was a trailer for some fun movie...
"But the problem is, Cruz." His superior, the President of MACUSA, looked up from the case file. "We still have not found this No-Maj you claim is a descendant of the Scourers."
"And we have no idea how many more copies of those videotapes may still be circulating outside."
"Uh..."
Cruz gripped a videotape in his thick hand and waved it twice, apparently with no idea how to answer.
"Give us a little more time. We will find a lead in this annoying No-Maj technology soon enough!"
"There is no way the videotape itself contains any clues," Tver suddenly said, his voice standing out sharply among the low discussion in the Union delegation.
"You are interested in this case?" Zhou Ya gave Tver a surprised look.
The frequency was not high, but incidents like this still happened now and then around the world.
It was only because this case in America supposedly involved descendants of the Scourers that the Wizards' Union had urgently convened a meeting.
But judging from Zhou Ya's casual attitude, they had clearly grown used to this sort of thing long ago.
"Do you not think this looks a lot like the kind of problems wizards will face in the future? You could even say we will run into more and more cases like this later on." Tver explained with a smile as he rose from his seat.
Then, under everyone's gaze, he walked over to Cruz and took the videotape from his hand.
"I assume you do not know that, for the sake of easy returns, some rental tapes have the store's address on them."
Cruz sized Tver up with a contemptuous smile.
"This young representative, there are more than forty tapes here, coming from three video rental stores. At least a hundred No-Majs must have passed through during that time. How exactly are we supposed to find this person?"
Tver ignored the provocative look in his eyes and gently placed the tape on top of the neatly stacked pile.
"We do not need to track down every muggle who appeared there. We only need to find the one person who showed up at all three stores during that period..."
Cruz froze for a moment. "But how are we supposed to know who went in and out of those three stores? I mean, even if we searched the memories of the owners and clerks, we still might not find anyone who fits."
"A reminder. Magic will not help here, but technology will." Tver patted the videotape. "Muggle stores have surveillance footage. Just go through it. It is very simple."
Cruz blinked blankly. "What is surveillance footage?"
But the President of MACUSA, Agilbert Fontaine, had already understood Tver's idea.
"Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Fawley. But may I ask you to give Cruz some guidance while he investigates this case?"
"At the very least, he needs to know how to use surveillance footage to find someone."
The Union's wizards had no obligation to participate in the operations of any country's Ministry of Magic, so Agilbert could only ask Tver in the form of a request.
As for Tver, he had just happened to become interested in this descendant of the Scourers who had been hiding himself away.
"Of course. But I want command of the operation. Otherwise, I will not tolerate some stupid wizard who knows nothing about muggle technology barking orders in front of me."
Cruz's eyes widened with anger at once, but what infuriated him even more was Agilbert's immediate agreement.
"I agree. Dumbledore has praised your remarkable ability to me, and to a number of old friends, more than once, Tver."
Agilbert wore a kindly smile, as though Tver were the son of some younger generation among their circle of elders.
In terms of age, that was not far from the truth.
"Cruz, Tver will take the lead in this investigation, and you will assist him. Remember this. I do not want to hear again that Congress's workload has skyrocketed because of your reckless actions!"
Cruz instantly fell silent, then kicked at the floor in resentment.
"Blowing up the Statue of Liberty's torch last time was just an accident..." he muttered, lowering his head.