The speech was very long. First, it revealed a series of acts by the US government, such as secretly imprisoning and controlling talented young wizards, stealing secrets, and secretly hunting down solitary wizards. Then it reviewed the increasingly fierce anti-witch thoughts and violent incidents that have been fanned by all sectors of society recently. Finally,

"... it seriously violated the Charter of the Federation and Alliance. If we do not stand up to resist, the rights and interests of wizards will not be guaranteed, and our children will face a fate more cruel than the Middle Ages."

"This country is in fact no longer suitable for ordinary wizards to engage in public activities."

"For the above reasons, the International Confederation of Wizards and the International Pan-Magic Union jointly issued an announcement to suspend all exchanges and contacts between other regions and the Americas, including but not limited to tourism, visiting friends, graduation trips, participating in international magic competitions, and hosting group activities; stop issuing cross-border door keys; cut off the Floo network; suspend negotiations and all bilateral cooperation. American wizards will go underground and hide their identities in accordance with the former "Secrecy Act"; the Federation and the Alliance reserve the right to speak out further and take necessary measures..."

The news anchor on TV was reporting diligently, there was strong wind, rain and snow outside the window, and the induction cooker in the house was sizzling. Vernon slumped on the sofa, his fat fixed into a long strip, the remote control in his hand kept changing channels. He couldn't remember how many times he had heard similar news on TV this week. If he included what he saw in the newspaper and heard from his colleagues, it might be more than two hundred times.

"...The White House spokesman said that the wizards who were brainwashed by the government did not exist, but further confirmed that the Magical Congress of the United States had infiltrated the government. According to declassified information, a very serious vicious incident occurred in the 1920s. It is reported..."

Change the channel. "The United States submitted the "Wizard Management and Control Draft" to the United Nations. The Magical Congress of the United States responded positively, "No compromise." And demanded that the other party hand over the murderer..."

Change the channel again. "The International Court of Justice speaks out"

"Wizards, wizards, and wizards."

Vernon kept muttering, and he changed the channel angrily.

"The International Court of Justice of the Federation elaborates on the provisions of Chapter 7 of the Charter of the Federation and the Alliance..."

There was a noise at the door, followed by the sound of the door being pushed open and footsteps. Penny shivered as she carried a net bag full of vegetables and food into the house. Her lips were blue and purple from the cold, her cheekbones were high, there were snowflakes in her hair, her long neck was wrapped in a collar, and her shoulders were tucked in, like a giraffe forced to spend the winter in the snow.

She walked in, glanced at the TV, and immediately pursed her lips together, but did not express any opinion. She walked quickly into the kitchen, and half an hour later, Penny shouted in the dining room: "It's time for dinner. I'll be right there." Vernon muttered as he was about to turn off the TV, "An urgent message!"

His hand was suspended in the air.

The news anchor was in a panic, and it took him more than ten seconds to barely regain his composure.

"...At 2:40 p.m. local time, a dozen wizards appeared out of nowhere in New York Harbor. The purpose of this group of people is unknown, and a large number of reporters and onlookers poured into the scene. From the pictures sent back by the drone, these wizards wore the emblems of the American Magical Congress and the International Confederation of Wizards. Are they going to do something to the largest port in the United States? But they all turned their backs to the port, with solemn expressions... There is something under the water, quickly cut the camera to it!"

Vernon stared at the TV intently, and didn't even notice Penny coming out of the kitchen.

In the afternoon, the sparkling water in front of the port suddenly rolled up a huge splash, and a huge black shadow gradually emerged from the water, like a silent and deep black fish, with its head raised, becoming clearer and clearer. It was a submarine.

A black submarine appeared in New York Harbor. "It's incredible. It seems to have appeared out of thin air. The Coast Guard and the staff on the shore did not give any warning. The submarine has been exposed for a small part. My colleagues are currently checking the submarine number... From the exposed appearance and pattern, it may be used for marine science experiments. Oh, God!"

Vernon's eyes widened. He didn't care to complain about the host's fuss. He sat back on the sofa and groaned. His mind was blank. The

front of the black submarine was abnormally tilted, like a lifeless dead fish, but its size was too large, with a strong sense of oppression. The drone camera passed over the port, and people's eyes were fixed on the water. The arc of the submarine was as big as a rocket ready to go. Its height continued to rise. The black shell rushed out of the water, rolling up a huge vortex. It completely broke away from the water and hung in the air.

With a bang, the submarine landed. A big hole was smashed on the ground of the port.

The hearts of all those who saw this scene seemed to be like the concrete floor, with spider-web-like cracks smashed out, and they couldn't help but take a deep breath. The roar of the propeller came from a distance, and the local law enforcement agencies finally reacted.

At this time, a dozen wizards guarding the shore suddenly moved. The wands in their hands were like precise scalpels. With bursts of unpleasant "squeaking" sounds, the outer shell of the submarine was peeled off, revealing the inside.

As we all know, the internal space of a submarine is relatively small, but the area near the middle is very spacious in comparison, which shows its importance. This renovated area is divided into three spaces, and the connection is separated by steel and thick glass doors, so you can vaguely see the situation inside. Only a long and narrow aisle is retained on the outside. The wizards continued to dismantle the submarine efficiently, and spells flashed one after another. Wherever they went, steel pipes and valves fell off. They tore open the walls of special materials like tearing open the wrapping paper of a bag of potato chips, presenting the internal layout in front of everyone. The first two spaces were fixed with large and small instruments. Even those who had no experience could find the corresponding prototypes from TV shows. This was a place similar to a small laboratory.

The wizards continued to wave their wands, and the amplitude of their wrists began to increase. As if they were in a hurry, their movements became rough. The iron sheets and pipes were moved aside, including those who seemed to be wrapped in amber. Six or seven of them were wearing white coats. Half a minute later, the last thick iron door was opened.

A young man with black hair and blue eyes walked out. It was Felix. Many people also recognized his identity. Thanks to the overwhelming publicity of North American news media, some people regarded him as a cult leader. Miraculously, he also gained a lot of supporters, mostly young people.

Felix's hand dragged behind him, as if he was dragging someone. Soon people near the port saw clearly that it was a child in a hospital gown. Through the drone footage, the boy's pale face can be clearly captured. It was an abnormal paleness, as if he had never been exposed to the sun since he was born.

The second one to come out was a little girl, wearing a sleeveless dress, dodging her eyes. She seemed to be unaccustomed to so many people and tried her best to hide her body behind adults. There were dense pinholes on his arms, half of his hair was bald, his eyes were narrowed, and he was obviously afraid of light.

The port was silent. At this time, six or seven helicopters flew over and circled above their heads, aiming machine guns downwards. "Warning! Warning! Put down your weapons, put down your weapons, and surrender immediately."

The voices stopped abruptly. They naturally didn't know how far the thinking hut covered, nor did they know what it meant to enter this range. Others on the shore looked up and looked at the thin paintings floating in the sky and being blown by the wind, like movie posters falling from the sky.

...

A total of four children walked out of the submarine. Afterwards, Felix held a brief press conference for the reporters who came.

"Magic and science are two excellent systems with the potential to complement each other. I noticed that some scientists have called magic the engine of the next technological revolution... or the key. They are eager to update the existing basic scientific theories... If it is true, unfortunately, some countries may miss it."

"The International Confederation of Wizards and the International Pan-Magic Union safeguard the overall interests of wizards. We respect the laws of any country as we respect our own laws. The Charter of the Confederation and Alliance emphasizes this point. We will only sit down together to negotiate when there is an intersection between the two parties, but in the past few months, we have been fooled and given a blank check... Conflict? We have tried our best to avoid conflict, but that does not mean allowing our children to be put on the laboratory table for blood tests; calm? The fact that I can still talk calmly instead of releasing Fiery Flames is enough to prove that wizards still have enough reason. But as long as this kind of thing keeps happening and the murderer continues to be at large, negotiations cannot go on... Maybe your perception is different from ours?"

"What happened today only proves the correctness of the previous warning. This land is extremely dangerous and not suitable for ordinary wizards to survive... The Wizard Federation and the Pan-Magic Alliance will do our best to help wizards in need stay away from this land that harbors evil. Although they should not be threatened with security, they established a legitimate wizard regime a century ago before the non-magical regime."

"Escape in disgrace? No, they will leave openly... The evacuation time will be about half a month later. As for the location... I think this place is good. It is spacious and can easily accommodate more than 100,000 people... Haha, it is even suitable as a battlefield."

This is undoubtedly a declaration of war.

The reporters present heard the hidden meaning. It is not that the two sides have not had conflicts before, but they were all accidental. But this time is completely different. The time and place are determined in advance, giving the government enough time to mobilize the army. This means that they are going to fight head-on.

Absolutely big news! The follow-up to this incident was that half an hour later, a group of fully armed police took over the port, but they tried their best to move the equipment in the submarine, as if it was stuck to the ground. In the end, they could only leave with white coats with crooked mouths and eyes and a few lifelike helicopter stickers.

American Magic Hospital.

Felix handed several children to the therapist, and Horace Greenstinch, who was also participating in the rescue operation, whispered: "According to the memory of the previous congressman, we followed the clues and rescued twelve groups of young wizards. Even if there are any left, they will be completely hidden underground."

Felix nodded slowly.

Horace Grinstead hesitated for a moment, then said with a look of hesitation: "Mr. Hep, I have no objection to letting American wizards go underground. It's not much different from before anyway, but in a head-on conflict... wizards may not have the advantage."

"What are you thinking? We don't need you, we're just borrowing a name."

"Is it the Federation's staff?"

"Don't worry about it. The Magical Congress of the United States is responsible for maintaining order. I know you will stay, and even more than half of the wizards will choose to stay, but there must be some who want to leave. Let them prepare in advance."

As time passed, the whole world seemed to be quiet, looking at the land of America with a quiet gaze. In half a century, this was the first time they felt the shadow of war so close. The once prosperous city seemed to have entered the Great Depression ahead of time. Countless people drove away, and the ships anchored at the port disappeared. Only a few guard ships were floating weakly.

The door of the Capitol was closed, and no one knew what kind of fierce debate was going on inside. Even the British wizarding world thousands of miles away was affected. The construction of the new Diagon Alley was forced to be suspended. Of course, the excuse given to the outside world was the impact of the blizzard.

Perhaps it was the last quiet before the war. Felix suddenly found himself with nothing to do. All negotiations were temporarily put on hold. It seemed that everyone was waiting for the outcome of this conflict. He returned to school and had a good sleep. When he woke up, he was greeted by the surprised eyes of students and professors. Professor McGonagall showed up and took him away.

In the principal's office,

"Are we really going to fight?" Professor McGonagall asked with a serious expression.

"We don't want to fight, but we have no choice." Felix said, "If we give in on such a major issue of principle, not only will the living environment of American wizards and wizards as a whole be extremely bad, but it will also cause divisions... Don't think too simply. The other party will not provoke a full-scale war, at least not against all American wizards, but winning over, spying, and sowing discord... are what they are best at. If those people really succeed, the American wizarding world will usher in the biggest division in history. And this will lead to a series of chain reactions."

"Is there no way to stop it? Once the war starts, it won't be so easy to stop."

"Don't ask me, I don't know." Felix shook his head slightly and said, "There are too many factors involved in this matter. Akinbad and I don't want things to escalate. It's best to limit it to North America, or to be more precise, the United States. From a global perspective, both the wizarding world and the non-wizarding world are looking forward to a conflict, as if human life is worthless... Before there was Grindelwald, many people might still have hope. What I mean is, in the eyes of those people, maybe I will fight with him and die in the end. But with the promulgation and implementation of the Charter of the Federation and Alliance, this possibility is already very low." "

The establishment of a new order will inevitably be accompanied by bloodshed and conflict, and face various challenges. If we get through it, the whole world will usher in a period of peaceful development, but if we don't get through it, it will definitely affect more than just the living environment of American wizards, and even the contract we signed before may be in turmoil. Fortunately, we have laid enough foundation in the previous few months..."

"So we must fight, face to face, head-on, to dispel all malicious eyes at once."

Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment, and said, "Felix, I called you here for another thing."

"What?"

"Don't you dream of talking to the Sorting Hat? It agreed."

"I don't dream of what you said, Minerva?" Felix moved his eyes away from the ceiling on the sofa and looked at her in surprise. Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat and moved her eyes along the headmaster's portrait on the wall.

"Even Dumbledore can't know all the secrets of this castle, let alone me, but I think that if the four founders really left the key to unlock the secrets, the most likely one is the Sorting Hat... I hope it will be helpful to you."

After she said that, she left, leaving Felix alone in the headmaster's office.

Felix was stunned for a moment, then looked straight at the Sorting Hat on the partition. He stood up quickly, leaned in front of the partition and carefully examined the dirty, gray hat. The hat didn't move. He picked it up and shook it, and returned to the sofa, his expression was actually a little nervous.

After sitting quietly for a few seconds, he put the Sorting Hat on his head.