Putting down the speaking mirror, Felix couldn't help but feel amused. Rumors always caught more eyes than facts, especially when paired with a catchy, easily spread sensational headline.
If a rumor could creatively 'explain' major historical events with complicated causes in just a few phrases, it would be even more perfect. Not only would it likely be widespread at the ti, but it would also possess enduring vitality long afterward.
To avoid the unique charm emitted by these lovely rumors, aside from tily disclosure of the truth, it was best to generously offer another topic worth talking about. Therefore—
"I'm planning to organize a Christmas bonfire party," Felix said.
"Here?" Horus Greengrass was a bit baffled when he heard the reply. He stomped his foot, turning in a circle on the spot. "Oh, uh, good idea..." he said reluctantly, but soon beca deeply fascinated by the idea.
"A Christmas at sea! Night of the bonfire! Guys—"
Greengrass bent over, leaning on the suitcase, excitedly shouting inside, which made him, usually serious and strict, seem a bit crazy. He turned his head to explain: "People need happiness." He still lay on the ground as he spoke, looking sowhat comical.
Before those outside could express their opinions, about seven or eight hands reached out from the suitcase and pulled him in without warning. After a mont, echoing sounds ca from the suitcase, like an old, poor-quality speaker working, but screams and cheers were still clearly distinguishable amidst the deafening noise.
Uriah approached Felix.
"Are we really having a bonfire party?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, but we'll wait a bit," Felix said, with the others standing at a distance. A young Auror wanted to co over but was held back by a companion who slowly and firmly shook his head, seriously looking this way as if discussing sothing profound.
"Could we be attacked?" Uriah blurted out, voicing his deepest fear.
"That's why we need to wait patiently," Felix explained. "Wait until the 'exercise' is over, then we'll move the island away—now is not the ti—so theoretically, yes," he said casually: "We could indeed be at risk of being hit by lethal weapons."
He walked to the side, choosing a dry rock to sit on, blowing the cold, piercing sea breeze, looking up at the azure sky. He could see for miles around, but he wasn't actually looking at anything, just sitting quietly. The massive magical power surging through the island felt like an extension of his limbs, with countless tiny magical symbols twinkling non-stop in the gaps between rocks. He began to slowly recall his experiences over the last six months, from initial astonishnt to calm acceptance and active diation. His role had grown increasingly significant, and now he had finally placed himself on one end of the scale, lifting the weight marked with peace on the other end high.
He stood at the forefront of all wizards, any gaze scrutinizing this group would inevitably directly confront and acknowledge his existence.
When the sun reached its highest point of the day, Babajide Akingbade appeared, worn out but bringing good news. "It's done, twenty minutes ago...the spokesperson ca out of the White House..." He was so excited he was almost incoherent, his face beaming with a smile, "I used the door key, wanted to tell you this news personally."
Even though he appeared very calm, when the dust settled and everything was concluded, Felix still quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He didn't care about the intense negotiations that took place hundreds of kiloters away in Washington during those hours, even when Babajide told him about the invitation to restart negotiations, he didn't show any unusual reaction. That was all for later, now was the ti to welco Christmas tomorrow, followed by the New Year!
Half an hour later, the floating island set off towards the deep sea.
The President in the White House breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing into his chair, drenched in cold sweat. The surrounding officials and staff also heaved sighs of relief, feeling a weight off their chests. Now, no one understood the other party's strength better than they did. Other countries could only observe and evaluate from afar with satellites. They were the ones who had experienced it firsthand, capable of doing more, as various sophisticated detection devices had been deployed around the port and surrounding areas a week ago.
Of course, now all the equipnt was rendered useless, turned into a state that the current scientific system couldn't explain.
An hour ago, they were still fiercely debating whether to use their last resort—it wasn't an easy decision to make, and other countries also conveyed their thoughts through both explicit and implicit ans. If nuclear weapons were used, the situation could completely spiral out of control, sothing all countries, including the White House, did not want to see. They had exerted all ans, dostically
and internationally, to force a direct confrontation with the wizards, not to drag themselves into the abyss of war.
The goal was to anticipate that wizards would severely damage their interests in the future, or to say, the higher the visibility of wizards, the more it threatened their global influence.
Thus, suppressing the most influential international wizarding organization seed very necessary.
Their best-case scenario was to spark a global anti-wizard wave, while dostically adopting a push-and-pull strategy towards their own wizards, using various political ans to divide and co-opt the entire wizarding community, under the guise of racial or bloodline differences... But all these plans were based on one premise—the International Confederation of Wizards must disband (the Pan-Magical Alliance, in their view, was just a shell).
They watched helplessly as the International Confederation of Wizards, which was originally on the decline, rejuvenated.
All because of one man, Felix Harp.
His writings on the non-magical world beca the authoritative textbook for reverse studying wizards; the magical script system he created was studied by countless wizards; the negotiation strategies he formulated step by step beca reality—especially this point, which made countless people sigh in regret—if not for the image foundation laid by wizards in front of the world in the past few months, the current situation where everyone is watching and observing would not have been ford, nor would the tacit consensus of 'cooperation as the main, confrontation as the auxiliary' be reached.
Needless to say, Harp himself displayed god-like abilities today.
This was the most critical point. In the eyes of the President and his staff in the White House, building a floating island was not the most terrifying part—on the contrary, it was quite in line with their imagination of magic—the truly terrifying part was the seemingly harmless, fairy-tale-like magic that enveloped the entire city, sowhat similar to a black-and-white coloring book for children to practice doodling.
The aning hidden behind this magic made them give up on escalating the conflict further, almost imdiately.
An hour ago, a small troop closest to New York quietly entered the city and detonated hundreds of small explosives. The city was unhard, as if they were not in the sa world.
What did this an?
Nuclear bombs might not work, and the probability of them not working was high. Even if detonated in front of that person, the possibility of threatening him was virtually zero. As for the feasibility of a contingency... no one dared to gamble on the outco. If they accidentally killed soone he valued, the entire country would be plunged into darkness.
In silence, the President of the White House softly recited a nickna he had read in the newspaper for another wizard, which seed like the best footnote to this conflict:
"Great wizard? Swordbearer?"
...
The floating island presented a different scene. Wizards from the suitcase ca out one after another, observing their surroundings with curiosity and timidity like newborns. Adults chatted in pairs or groups, while children played and frolicked on the uneven reefs and seabed rocks, tirelessly picking out small fish, shrimp, and seaweed from the crevices.
Felix and Babajide walked away from the crowd, strolling on relatively flat ground.
"Do you plan to make this a place where wizards and Muggles coexist peacefully? Where magic and technology rge?"
Felix nodded gently.
"And invite wizards and Muggle scientists, companies from all countries?"
He nodded again.
"That's a huge project," Babajide remarked after a while. Then he suddenly asked, stepping on the ground, "Felix, what do you think about moving the union's headquarters here?"
Felix looked at him in surprise.
Babajide smiled, wrinkles spreading across his face. "Actually, I've had this idea for a while. During the ti we successfully signed contracts with several countries and the situation was favorable, I thought... the union's headquarters can't continue to hide, but I hadn't decided on a new location, and it wasn't the right ti. But this idea kept reappearing in my mind, and Strasbourg was my first thought, where there are also so international Muggle organizations... But what place could be better than an island built by wizards themselves?"
"I have no objections," Felix replied after thinking for a mont.
At that mont, a young Auror approached, looking at Felix with awe. He said to them, "So people proposed to modify the surrounding environnt as a venue for the bonfire party, and President Greengrass sent
to ask you..."
Felix and Babajide exchanged glances, naturally having no objections.
The situation quickly escalated. More wizards erged from the suitcase, eagerly volunteering to help tidy up the venue and apply protective spells, but soon faced a shortage of materials.
This problem was partially solved when Felix lifted the magic inside the suitcase.
A camp replaced the area two kiloters in diater at the center of the island. Then he contacted the headquarters of Future World Company, originally intending
to ask Lupin to prepare so tents and materials for the bonfire party, which he would personally go back to retrieve. However, their conversation was overheard by Mrs. Bones and Sirius Black present, and Sirius suggested a wild idea that Felix found feasible. Mrs. Bones agreed to provide support, and thus, an event celebrated by countless historians in later generations and vividly depicted began.
Temporary fireplaces rose from the ground, and hundreds of wizards erged from the flas, bringing various building materials. With a wave of their wands, hundreds of uniquely designed houses appeared out of thin air. More and more wizards arrived upon hearing the news, and the scene quickly evolved into a wizarding festival comparable to the Quidditch World Cup final.
Even Sirius, who ca up with the idea, was startled by the scale. He remarked, "Hope there's enough space?"
"We can fit two or three hundred thousand people if we squeeze a bit," Felix said uncertainly, but when he saw vendors pushing carts selling goods, he suspected he had spoken too soon. In the afternoon, he spotted Fred and George sneaking around, selling Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks.
Catching Felix staring hard at them, the twins imdiately flashed sheepish smiles and then took off running.
As expected, a spectacular fireworks display lit up the sea that night.
The celebration lasted half a month, completely different from the solitary Christmas Felix had envisioned. Even New Year's was spent amid noise and chaos, with the vast ocean seemingly bringing wizards from all corners of the world closer together.
Every day, he saw familiar faces. Luna, who seed to wander here accidentally... Hermione, waving at him with Valen... Sirius, who had acquired a new motorcycle, with Harry and Ron occasionally borrowing it for a ride... Forr Ancient Runes Professor Bathsheda Babbling... Professor Sprout concerned about the island's soil... The babbling Trelawney... Lupin and Tonks, Hogwarts students, professors, Ministry officials from various countries, pen pals he had never t, and even reporters...
Their story was just beginning.
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