That sharp remark made even Grindelwald, who had been quietly watching from the side, change expression.
Ariana was Dumbledore's only weakness, and that past he refused to speak of was an absolute taboo.
Even when Grindelwald had lured Dumbledore here, he had only touched on it lightly. He had never expected Tver to stab straight through it.
"Tver…"
Grindelwald tried to warn him in a low voice, but Tver was already blinded by his own anger. He had no attention to spare for his teacher, or for the shocked expressions of the people around him.
"Wake up, Albus Dumbledore!" Tver said loudly.
"Think of Ariana. Think of Tom Riddle. Think of all those innocent children who were hurt because Muggles couldn't understand them."
"You have defeated Dark Lords again and again, but in the end, you were only treating the symptoms and not the root. It did not save Ariana, and it did not solve the lack of understanding between the two sides!"
"As long as The Statute of Secrecy continues suppressing wizards, Dark Lords will keep appearing, one after another, each more brutal than the last, dragging this world into the abyss."
"When you and I both grow old and die, who in the magic world will still be able to stand up and protect the wizards?"
By the end, Tver's voice carried a trace of pleading that could move the heart.
Looking into Tver's sincere eyes, Dumbledore felt as though the ambition buried deep within him had been awakened.
Back then, Dumbledore too had once carried the desire to overturn The Statute of Secrecy and accomplish something grand in the magic world.
He had not even been as sincere or kind as Tver.
It was only because Grindelwald had tried to rule over Muggles, and because of his sister Ariana's death, that he had buried all of it away.
"Even if The Statute of Secrecy is overturned, there's no guarantee such tragedies will never happen again," Dumbledore said hesitantly. Yet it sounded more as though he was asking Tver for help, asking him to give him a reason that could convince him.
Tver let out a breath of relief. Bringing up Ariana had been a gamble. In a sense, it was even moral blackmail against Dumbledore.
Fortunately, kind people were always easier to persuade.
"If we do nothing, then this problem will never be solved." He thought for a moment.
Against Dumbledore, one-sided rhetoric would only provoke resentment. Only by admitting the problems within it could he be truly convincing.
"If we try to change things, then yes, there will certainly be many problems at first. But you and I are here. We have plenty of time to solve those problems, and we have more than enough strength to protect wizards."
"To put it in the most extreme terms, even if we accidentally trigger a world war, with you, me, the Professor, and Marvolio here, wizards will still make it safely through those crises."
He cast a warning glance at the restless ambassadors, as if he did not know exactly what these people were thinking.
Once The Statute of Secrecy was abolished, these countries would absolutely not mind using any means, including war, to seize magical resources.
Of course, extreme methods would only be used in extreme circumstances. Under normal conditions, both sides could still maintain a relatively friendly relationship.
"You're right," Dumbledore said, falling into thought, almost murmuring to himself. "Now is indeed the best time."
"If we miss this chance, then when The Statute of Secrecy is overturned in the future, it certainly won't be the peaceful scene we want to see…"
Babajide: Σ(☉▽☉"a
Babajide felt that all the shock he had accumulated in the first half of his life could not compare to hearing Dumbledore say they should overturn The Statute of Secrecy.
Although he did not know what was going on with Marvolio, when he thought of Dumbledore, Tver, and Grindelwald all agreeing to overturn The Statute of Secrecy…
What was he, the President of the Wizards' Confederation, supposed to do?
Should he simply switch sides outright, or put up a symbolic resistance first and then switch sides?
"But, Albus… that is overturning The Statute of Secrecy…" he whispered timidly to Dumbledore, seeking confirmation.
Unexpectedly, those words seemed to wake Dumbledore up instead.
Dumbledore paused in faint realization. His eyes gradually regained their familiar brilliance, and even carried the sharpness of his younger days.
With just that one look, Babajide could no longer speak.
"So?"
Having untied the knot in his heart, Dumbledore's voice carried a sense of free, unrestrained ease. The corners of his mouth even held a playful smile as he looked at Babajide.
"As Tver said, the purpose of the Wizards' Confederation is to protect wizards. If The Statute of Secrecy can no longer do that, then naturally, we must consider a new path, mustn't we?"
Looking at Dumbledore, whose face was still the same familiar one, Babajide somehow seemed to see the bearing of a Dark Lord.
He swallowed and said in a trembling voice, "But there's no need to begin by abolishing The Statute of Secrecy, is there? After all, that's what Dark Lords…"
"As long as it can protect wizards, I absolutely would not mind being called…"
Dumbledore revealed a childlike, mischievous smile, yet the meaning in his words was utterly firm.
"A Dark Lord."
This time, not only Babajide, but even Grindelwald and Tver, who had been standing off to the side exchanging looks, opened their mouths in shock.
Dumbledore's authority in the magic world was Tver's greatest aid in overturning The Statute of Secrecy, which was why he had spent so much effort trying to win Dumbledore over.
Now, after five and a half years of planning, the arrangement was finally complete. But Dumbledore was already putting in this much effort right from the start?
"Excuse me, although this may be a little inappropriate, I heard that you intend to abolish The Statute of Secrecy. Is that correct?" the Secretary-General suddenly asked.
Dumbledore glanced at Babajide, who was still nominally the President of the Wizards' Confederation. Seeing that he looked ready to follow Dumbledore's lead in everything, Dumbledore nodded to the Secretary-General.
"Yes. At least, that is the plan among the four of us."
"That's wonderful… no, I mean, we respect any decision made by the wizards."
The Secretary-General beamed.
After working with the Joint Operations Office for so long, The Statute of Secrecy had always been an uncrossable chasm between the two sides.
Once The Statute of Secrecy was abolished, putting aside everything else, at the very least, the authority and scope of responsibilities of the Wizardry Administration under his jurisdiction would increase greatly.
Yes, he had long since stopped wanting to do this stifling Secretary-General work and was already looking forward to the bright future awaiting him in the Wizardry Administration.
"In that case," he said, slightly tempering the joy on his face, "should the relevant content be added to this proposal?"
After adapting to his new identity, Dumbledore very naturally took over Tver's work, and did so with practiced ease.
"There's no need to rush. Once the magic world has truly abolished The Statute of Secrecy, there will still be many things we need to discuss."
"However," he swept his gaze across the ambassadors around them, whose joy was written plainly on their faces, "before that, the Wizardry Administration will be very busy. I'm looking forward to seeing you play an important role in friendly exchanges between both sides."
The Secretary-General's smile immediately stiffened.
Compared with Tver's light, understated manner, Dumbledore's style was much more swift and forceful.
One could even say that Tver always behaved very amiably, treating himself as a partner.
This Dumbledore, on the other hand, seemed more like a strict…
Superior?