"Zhou, how could you even ask something like that?"
An elderly Black wizard walked over. He looked slightly younger than Dumbledore and Madam Ya Zhou, and that seeming edge of vigor made him appear sharper, more alert, as he joined the discussion as its fifth participant.
"Isn't our International Confederation of Wizards working precisely to prevent such a possibility from ever happening?"
Madam Ya Zhou immediately turned her calm gaze toward him and replied in her characteristically even tone:
"That used to be the case, Babajide. But the future isn't so certain. We need to look at the laws of this world through a lens of development."
Babajide Akingbade's quick mind stalled for a moment. He couldn't quite grasp why Madam Ya Zhou would raise such a question at all.
Unless… muggles had already discovered magic?
As a candidate for the presidency of the International Confederation of Wizards, he was anything but dull when it came to sensitivities like this.
"Then it really is time to start thinking about it," he said. "But that's our responsibility. You shouldn't be using it to put the younger generation on the spot."
Madam Ya Zhou immediately smiled faintly at Tver. "All right. That was my oversight."
"Let's not stand around anymore. The meeting is about to begin. Everyone, back to your seats. I can't wait to be the first to speak."
Dumbledore said this not only to them, but to all the wizards gathered in the conference hall.
"I'm very much looking forward to your speech," Madam Ya Zhou said. Though it sounded like she was replying to Dumbledore, her eyes flicked briefly toward Tver, who nodded and smiled back at her.
"Shall we go to our seats?" Cynthia whispered to Tver, who was still lost in thought.
"Let's go." Snapping back to himself, Tver cast one last, lingering look at Dumbledore and Madam Ya Zhou.
That earlier question had clearly come from a discussion between the two of them about muggles.
Tver didn't know whether they had an answer yet, but it was obvious now that the question had been meant to probe his own stance on muggles.
As expected of the International Confederation of Wizards. Everyone here was among the finest figures in the magical world, drawn from countries across the globe.
One careless misstep, and it would be easy to earn their hostility.
And yet, a sudden thrill surged through Tver, like the excitement of infiltrating enemy territory.
To draw the enemy into his own camp. To turn the most powerful defender of the Secrecy Treaty into the one who would dismantle it with his own hands.
Just imagining it was enough to make Tver struggle to suppress a smile.
"What's got you so happy?" Cynthia asked as she led Tver to a seat in the middle-right section, right beside the aisle closest to Dumbledore's side.
Standing in that aisle was none other than Marvolio.
He gave them a subtle wink and silently shaped the word "security" with his lips.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Dumbledore, who had been presiding at the front, strode enthusiastically to the center.
"Welcome. I'm delighted to see so many energetic new faces among us." He swept his gaze across the room, never lingering on any one face for more than a second. "Fresh blood is the reason our International Confederation of Wizards remains strong, because we are facing the most urgent problems in the entire magical world."
"And it is precisely for that reason that we've gathered here today, to listen to the discoveries and questions you've likely been pondering for a long time."
"And now, without further delay, please allow me to invite Mr. Albus Dumbledore to speak."
Dumbledore gave a playful little clap, prompting a burst of laughter from the room.
The elderly wizard beside Tver, however, muttered with mild displeasure, "He was so serious just now, I thought it was a different person."
Dumbledore paid no attention to the comment and launched straight into his speech with undiminished enthusiasm.
"First things first. Yes, the Triwizard Tournament."
"I've always felt that there's far too little international exchange, especially now that transportation has become so convenient."
"That inevitably brings us to muggle technology. Not long ago, I traveled to Austria, and I took a muggle airplane."
"It's not as convenient or as fast as magic, of course, but the experience was quite pleasant. Just how pleasant, I can't really say, because I fell asleep on the plane."
"Please forgive me. An old man, after all…"
"Ahem." Madam Ya Zhou cleared her throat, gently reminding him that he'd wandered off topic.
"My apologies. Back to the Triwizard Tournament."
"Let me see. Right. There's too little international exchange. Magical progress ends up stuck on the pages of newspapers instead of being shared with every wizard."
"That's why I proposed reviving the Triwizard Tournament. I want to explore the possibilities of this kind of inter-school exchange."
"And that's also why I declined to include other schools this time. This is just a small experiment. If it goes well, it can serve as a model, and the tournament won't have to remain limited to just three schools."
Oh no.
Tver suddenly remembered that he hadn't told Dumbledore yet about Voldemort's plan to stir up trouble during the Triwizard Tournament…
Completely unaware of any of this, Dumbledore wore a radiant smile, already eager for the day when magical schools from all over the world would gather together and exchange their magic.
"To ensure the continued enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy, I will submit the specific matters to the Federation for deliberation."
"That concludes my remarks. Now, let us invite the next speaker."
Tver watched as Dumbledore returned to his seat at the head of the table. This time, it wasn't just the elderly wizard beside him. Many people in the hall clearly understood the theme behind Dumbledore's words.
Exchange.
Dumbledore had said so much that it was obviously about more than just a tournament. He had given the event a broader vision, one centered on international cooperation.
It seemed that Tver's subtle influence over the past few years hadn't been wasted after all. At the very least, Dumbledore was now using his own influence to encourage greater unity among wizards.
Unfortunately, the speeches that followed were painfully dull. Not only were they nowhere near as engaging as Dumbledore's, the topics themselves were tedious.
To Tver, even Snape's sarcasm was more entertaining than this.
Yet even after having lunch in the cafeteria at noon, he still had to return and sit through more of these mind-numbing reports.
One wizard from Japan in particular spoke for a full half hour about the threats posed by Chinese Fireball Dragons. In the end, it was Madam Ya Zhou who finally brought his speech to a close by quoting the renowned dragon researcher Quong Po.
"The benefits brought by fire dragons far outweigh your complaints. If shortsightedness is your greatest weapon, then you are the most powerful wizard in the world."
Only after that wizard left the stage in frustration did Tver finally feel his spirits lift.
At last, it was his turn.
If this had been before the conference began, he might have felt a trace of nervousness. But now, he just wanted it to arrive sooner.
"To be honest, before coming here, I thought there would only be a few dozen people in attendance."
Tver stood and walked down the aisle toward the center, speaking in a voice that wasn't loud, yet still carried clearly to every ear in the hall.
That place would be his stage alone.