Anne nodded. "Exactly. Wizards who are Muggle-born or half-bloods here usually grow up with these ideas of hostility or mistrust. It's hard to avoid being influenced by them from a young age."
Alex could only sigh. It seemed even magic couldn't escape the divides of the non-magical world.
Tensions have been steadily rising between wizards from East and West Germany. The long-standing division has worn down their patience over the years. It's been decades now, and no one knows if the split will ever be resolved.
Even Berlin itself has been literally divided in two by the Berlin Wall. While such a barrier means little to wizards, who can easily bypass it with magic, its presence is a heavy psychological blow to everyone, magical and non-magical alike. Frustration is growing, and more and more people are starting to wonder if Germany will truly end up as two separate countries.
Even Anne, someone who's usually confident and composed, seems uncertain this time. Deep down, she doesn't know what the future holds or which path to take.
Alex, still trying to make sense of the situation, asked with a mix of curiosity and concern, "Doesn't the International Confederation of Wizards care about this? I mean, back when the Muggle world was at war, didn't they step in right away?"
Though he had become a fairly influential figure in the UK's magical community, Alex was still new to international affairs. He had only recently graduated, and his earlier studies hadn't really focused on global politics.
Anne gave a small, helpless smile and shrugged. "We're not going to war with anyone, this is more of a split from within. It's an internal issue, not something involving other countries. So, of course, the Wizarding International doesn't see it as their place to interfere."
"And when exactly was the Floo Network split? Did no one object to the German Ministry of Magic's decision?"
Alex's voice was full of doubt. He knew the situation in Germany was complicated, and while the split itself wasn't entirely unexpected, the way it had unfolded seemed far too smooth.
That made him suspicious, something about it didn't sit right. He had a strong feeling that the radical members of the Silver Wand had played a part in the split.
According to the intelligence provided by Thunderbird, Germany was the main base of operations for the club. It was also where they had backed multiple resistance groups. In a chaotic and divided environment like that, it wouldn't be hard for them to stir things up and take advantage of the situation.
Hearing Alex's question, Anne frowned, letting out a soft sigh. "The Floo Network was split about five years ago…"
As she began to explain the situation in detail, Alex finally started to piece things together. Over the past decade, tensions within the German Ministry of Magic had only grown worse.
As the country remained divided, voices calling for the wizarding world to follow the same path grew louder. Some people began suggesting that the wizarding community should also be split along the existing Muggle borders.
However, at the time, those ideas were more of a trend than a serious political movement. The people pushing for division weren't part of the mainstream; they were just louder than everyone else. They would bring up their views at wizarding gatherings or during Ministry meetings, but rarely received any clear support, or opposition. It was all just talk, and no one really acted on it.
This kind of dynamic wasn't unique to the wizarding world. In Muggle politics, it's often the vocal minority that makes the most noise, even if most people don't actually agree with them. The majority usually remains neutral or indifferent, thinking, "As long as it doesn't affect me, I don't care."
The wizarding world, with its strong sense of individualism and self-reliant families, was even less inclined to get involved. Most wizards preferred to stay quiet and avoid taking sides.
That silence, however, created the perfect environment for more organized and determined groups, like the radicals within the Silver Wand, to step in and steer the situation in their favor.
According to Anne's memory, although there was a lot of noise back then about splitting the wizarding community in Germany, making headlines in the newspapers and stirring up heated debates, it didn't feel like a real threat in everyday life.
In regular families like his, there weren't many wizards who seriously supported the idea of dividing the country. Sure, some people were annoyed or uncomfortable with those living on the other side, but it wasn't enough to justify a full-blown split. Most folks were just mildly upset or emotional about the situation, but nothing too extreme, it was still bearable.
However, things started to shift when a new Minister of Magic, Matthias Eisenberg, took office in Germany. It's unclear whether he genuinely believed that the majority of German wizards supported separation, or if he had his own reasons, but he actually set the wheels in motion to divide the German wizarding world. To push his agenda, he began lobbying members of the German Wizengamot.
The German Ministry of Magic operates similarly to the British one. They also have a governing body called the Wizengamot, a mix between a parliament and a high court. Its members include well-known local wizards, influential wizarding family representatives, and senior Ministry officials.
In the UK, for example, Alex was recently nominated as a reserve member of the British Wizengamot, likely to become a full member in the future. This nomination was a reward from Minister Bagnold and others, acknowledging the enormous profits Alex brought to the British Ministry through a previous trade agreement.
Generally, for any new policy to be approved by the Ministry of Magic, it needs the support of more than half of the Wizengamot members. For major changes, at least 70% approval is required.
For instance, when Minister Bagnold proposed allowing the use of lethal spells against Death Eaters, it was treated as a standard policy and passed with a simple majority. But after Voldemort's fall, actions like rounding up Death Eaters and investigating old wizarding families were considered major policies and needed that higher level of support. The case of clearing Sirius Black's name was also treated as a serious matter, due to its complexity and the public interest it sparked.
So naturally, a proposal to split Germany's wizarding society in two would count as a major move. Minister Matthias Eisenberg would need at least 70% of the Wizengamot's support to get it passed. Given how extreme and unrealistic the idea was, most would assume there was no way it could actually be approved.