The silence in the conference room did not last long. After thinking it over for a moment, Quentin finally realized just how outrageous what he had said really was.
"No, that would violate the Statute of Secrecy!" he shouted, breaking the silence in the room and jolting everyone awake.
"That's right. We're only facing the risk of being discovered by muggles as it is. If we expose ourselves on our own, wouldn't that just prove we're completely out of options?!"
"Right now, we still have no idea what the muggles' attitude toward us really is. If we recklessly reveal our existence, it will only bring about an even greater disaster!"
"If peace between both sides could really be maintained, then of course I would not mind revealing the existence of wizards. But the reality is that this is not the right way to avoid war!"
The wizards immediately erupted.
Some refused to admit their own helplessness, yet could not come up with any good plan that would both preserve the Statute of Secrecy and prevent a conflict between muggles and wizards.
Some took a more roundabout stance, but deep down, their conservative instincts still resisted any decision that would violate the Statute of Secrecy.
As for the last group, about a quarter of the room, after a year of investigation and reflection, they had gradually begun to be influenced by Tver's thinking.
They had already realized that if the Statute of Secrecy could not protect wizards, and might even harm them instead, then such a law had no reason to continue existing.
It was just that their thinking had not yet led them to a better answer...
"Calm down, all of you." Tver looked at the scene with amused eyes. "Mr. Quentin, it seems remarks like that are better said in private from now on."
"I understand your concerns, and I also do not agree with such a dangerous idea."
"As everyone has already realized, we do not yet have the foundation or the opportunity to face muggles openly and honestly. But that does not mean we cannot communicate and interact with them in a friendly way."
A mysterious smile suddenly appeared on his face.
If you say you want to open a window, these people will object. But if you say you want to tear off the roof, then they will agree to open a window!
And now, it was time to open that window.
"In the Statute of Secrecy, there is one and only one clause that allows wizards to reveal their identity to muggles. I have not been with the Confederation for very long, so could someone recite it for me?"
"All magical governing bodies must maintain a friendly and smooth channel of communication with the non-magical leaders of the countries and regions in which they are located, so that in the event of an emergency threatening both sides, they may better resolve the issue and eliminate the aftermath."
A young man suddenly stood up and recited the clause clearly and quickly.
Tver looked at him in surprise, nearly forgetting that he was still in the middle of his speech.
Viktor Krum?
He blinked several times before realizing that the young man with pride written all over his face was actually his little brother, Viktor.
But Tver quickly hid his surprise and put his smile back on.
"Thank you, Viktor."
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, turning his gaze to the others and watching them sink into thought over this inconspicuous clause, "right now, we happen to have an emergency that may endanger both wizards and muggles..."
Quentin immediately understood.
"You mean... You-Know-Who?"
"Exactly!" Tver nodded in approval.
"Before I even came here, Babajide told me that the Confederation is currently somewhat at a loss when it comes to the possible resurrection of You-Know-Who, correct?"
Everyone immediately looked helpless.
Compared with muggle technology, someone with You-Know-Who's strength would have a far easier time causing disasters in both the wizarding world and the muggle world, disasters that would be nearly impossible to keep completely under wraps.
That was exactly why they had been so eager to choose a new President, at the very least someone who could stand in front and take the blame...
"As far as I know, although You-Know-Who's movements are difficult to trace, there is evidence that he has already left Britain and has begun moving through Europe."
At that, the delegates' expressions became even more bitter.
If he stayed in Britain, at least Dumbledore was there to stand at the front. But if he started moving through other countries, then without a top-tier force capable of opposing him, they had no idea how they were supposed to keep magic a secret!
"If we rely solely on the power of the various Ministries of Magic, especially in Europe, there is basically no way to eliminate the harmful consequences caused by You-Know-Who and his followers."
"But we can make use of the official power of the muggles!"
"All we need to do is strengthen this communication channel and work together with the muggle authorities to deal with the threat posed by You-Know-Who!"
"With official help, we would not need to erase every muggle's memory, nor would we need to clean up every single scene completely. We would only need to increase the force of our crackdown on Dark Wizards."
"This would not violate the Statute of Secrecy. It would actually do a better job of protecting both wizards and muggles!"
At that point, not even Quentin, the habitual contrarian, nor even the most loyal defenders of the Statute of Secrecy in the Confederation, could come up with anything to say in rebuttal.
Some of them had even begun seriously thinking about whether the mechanism Tver envisioned might actually be feasible.
"What exactly do you mean by strengthening the communication channel?" Quentin asked curiously.
"As far as I know, that channel is practically useless. In the three hundred years since the Statute of Secrecy came into effect, it has never really been put to proper use."
"If that is the case, then how are the Confederation and the magical authorities of various countries supposed to take part in it?"
"That is exactly why we need to strengthen it, and why the time has come when we must strengthen it." Tver looked firmly at the representatives before him.
"I have no authority to interfere in the mechanisms by which the magical authorities of each country communicate with muggle governments. But I propose that both sides jointly establish an elite department to handle crisis incidents!"
"On our side, it would be made up of Aurors and local Confederation representatives. On the muggle side, the leaders may decide the composition themselves, but it must be able to ensure normal and orderly communication between the highest leaders on both sides."
"When an emergency involves both sides, matters concerning the wizarding world would still be handled by magical people, while muggle-related matters would be handled by the muggle authorities."
"We could receive limited but practical assistance. The muggle authorities would learn the truth of what happened, and they could also help us cover up magical incidents more effectively!"
"And in that process, a small number of muggles would come to understand how magical society operates. More importantly, those people would be the ones standing at the peak of muggle power!"
"But how can you be sure those muggle officials would not start a war themselves after learning about us?" Quentin once again voiced what everyone was thinking.
"Under what pretext? To plunder our magical wealth?"
Tver laughed with confidence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are wizards who can use magic, and the finest wizards of every nation at that. We are not lambs waiting to be slaughtered!"
"In joint operations, every bit of magic we reveal by accident will serve as a deterrent to muggles."
"As long as we are willing to maintain peace, then they will have to maintain peace as well!"
What worried him was only all-out war. In small-scale clashes, muggles could never be a match for wizards.
Besides, those politicians were not fools. Without knowing the full extent of their opponent's strength, they would never take the initiative to start a war.
The wizards thought of that as well. This time, it was not arrogance but confidence that made them burst into laughter.
For a while, the conference room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.