Ch 23 The 2021 ICWW
Monday morning Harry Potter ate with his wife, Ron, Hermione and Kingsley. Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Cleo were at the next table in one of the dining rooms in the palace. They had been told that all the Elves were eating together in another part of the castle.
"A good English breakfast," Ron observed, digging into his bacon and eggs. "Not one of those fluffy continental breakfasts that don't fill you up."
The others nodded in agreement as they ate. As they were finishing Ginny wondered, "How are the children going to watch the ICWW? I did not think there was room for them in the chamber."
"The chamber has been enlarged, with visitor galleries on three sides," Harry explained. "In addition there are large television monitors showing close-ups of the speakers. There is real time translation that is, I understand, some combination of magic and Muggle technology.
"The combination of magic and Muggle technology has made life much easier, and most of the people attending the sessions appreciate it, but there are a few old fashion Magi are against anything that they did not grow up with. It is really stupid. Magical trains and automobiles are fine, but not mobile phones and television, just because they grew up with trains but not with mobiles."
"What has 'always been' to people is more what they remember as children growing up than it is any real knowledge of history," Hermione proposed as she finished her breakfast. She glared at Ron, who was reaching for seconds, and touched his belly. Ron signed, obviously not happy. The others grinned. Middle age and the need to watch your diet was not easy for Ron.
Hermione continued, "Too many Magi have no idea how all-encompassing modern technology is. A mobile takes a photograph of someone Apparating and quickly sends it to a group of friends or posts it on some site with many viewers and it is impossible to undo it. New security cameras go up all the time, and if what they record is broadcasted or saved multiple places again we cannot easily undo what they saw. At one time, security cameras just recorded things locally, and you could erase or modify a tape or computer disc. More often now they are connected to the internet, or connected to some large company with the images recorded in multiple places, and finding and modifying everything is a nightmare."
"Magi in most areas have a law that you can now only Apparate to known, secure places," Harry added. "The ICWW is trying to pass a law mandating only Apparating to secure locations worldwide at the start of this session. I understand they have about four hours of horror stories of Magi captured on camera.
"They want to make sure it is not just Apparating, but any visible manifestation of magic, that may not be done where there is the possibility of Muggles seeing it.
"We are having a serious problem with drones flying over magical areas. The Burrow property, Hogwarts, dragon reserves, any large magical area, we have installed anti-drone technology. That is another law we are going to try and pass, enforcing the anti-drone spells over any large magical area."
"I know someone from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement checks all the wards surrounding the New Burrow property before we start to fly," Ginny reflected. "We also had a talk about where you could and could not fly at the start of Quidditch camp, so we do not have students practicing flying in an area where Muggles could see them. Staying secret is harder than it was when I was growing up."
Harry noted, "Over half of the International Conference is going to be taken up with issues of technology and security. We are putting off the issues surrounding Elves until the very end."
"Are any Muggles close to finding out about us, and publicizing it to the wider world?" Ginny wondered.
"So far word of our existence, as magical people or aliens, has mostly appeared in less than reputable publications," Harry explained. "I do not think it is going to stay that way. I get the feeling that there is a group of people who are very quietly amassing evidence of our existence, and if they publicize what they have found widely it will be hard not to admit our existence. I do not think we can keep the Statute of Secrecy for all that much longer."
"How do you sell things to Muggles when you make them partly by magic?" Kingsley asked Harry. "I would think that some of your customers would get suspicious."
Harry thought a minute. "The people at Dursley Potter and Weasley are very careful with what they show people, and what they do not show people. For example, in metal stamping they show people the starting strip of metal and the finished product, but have said that how the press works is proprietary. Muggle customers are just not allowed on the factory floor. I'm not sure I've met more than a couple of the company's customers. Dudley did say that when asked who the Potter was in the company name that they tell people it is a financial backer but not an operating partner, which is accurate.
"Belinda Dursley and her team handle most of the sales and customer contact work, and many of the people working for her have Muggle relatives or are Muggle born.
"The products that are sold to Muggles do not have any magic in them. They are just made with a little magic."
"You are not talking about Covid-19?" Ginny wondered, changing the subject.
"Almost all Magi have been vaccinated," Hermione explained. "We have explained to both Magi and Elf the need to be paranoid to keep from spreading the sickness to others, but we are having almost no illness because of Covid-19, and that only among a few sickly unvaccinated."
"I'm going to enjoy the last week of Quidditch camp while you are in boring meetings," Ginny grinned.
As the group arose to leave Ron reached for a couple of pieces of toast, and Hermione slapped his hand.
Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Cleo entered the area where they were going to be watching the ICWW meetings. It was at the edge of the visitors' gallery closest to the meeting floor, in the middle in a prime location. Scorpius looked to find where Jesus and Ginny were. Not seeing them, he called Jesus on the mirror phone. Albus had procured three mirrors that would act as phones just between the three instruments. They were more dependable and secure than mobiles, although they were a little more fragile.
Jesus answered, "Hello, Scorpius. I'm standing up on a chair on the left side of you. I guess you could call it stage right, but at your left."
Scorpius looked to his left and saw where Jesus and his sister Maria, along with a few other people, were sitting, so he waved back.
"Do you know where Ginny Wang is?" Scorpius asked.
"On your right, on the other side," Jesus answered. "She has just stood up to wave at us. She is with her brother Harry and her cousins, and some adult family members."
"Hello Albus, Jesus," Ginny said into her mirror mobile.
The three mirror mobiles were a little larger than a large mobile, and magically showed the face of whoever was talking. Albus and one of the employees of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had modified the mirrors so that you could use them with ear buds, and that only the people you wanted to listen and talk to could hear and see you.
"If you keep the ear buds in we can talk like we were sitting next to each other," Albus told everybody. "The only people with ear buds are Jesus, Ginny, Rose, Scorpius, Cleo and me."
"Can you leave the mirror mobile on all the time?" Ginny wondered.
"That is one of the advantages of these mobiles," Albus confirmed. "They only work between each other, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage, but Cleo, Rose and I have our own magical Muggle mobiles as well."
"The mirrors also work where there is no mobile antenna," Jesus remarked. "I know they put mobile antenna in this room and everywhere they could in Switzerland, but there are areas where they cannot get reception. Could you link mirror mobiles and regular mobiles?"
"I asked," Albus told the group. "I was told 'yes, but.' Apparently it is a harder problem that I realized."
"I know there are Magi in California working on that type of Magi No-Maj technology issues," Jesus reflected. "I do not know any of the people doing it, though."
The group kept in contact with each other as the first ICWW session started.
Albus, Rose and Scorpius each had a laptop in front of them, as the documents the ICWW was working on was modified on a big screen in the front of the room, and at the same time on the computer screens in front of them. They could not change the document, but they could scroll to other parts of the document or see other documents. There were also magical parchments that contained the document, that magically changed, but you could not scroll them or see comments that would appear on the computer screens, for those Magi unwilling or unable to use Muggle technology.
Cleo was watching people. She had her wand out, and would occasionally point it at someone and ponder.
"That person is not going to change their mind," she told the group occasionally. When she did, Scorpius would try to identify who she was talking about, and write down Cleo's observations. At other times she would say, "That person is confused," or "That person just needs someone to listen to them." Again Scorpius tried to identify the person, and write down Cleo's observations. Scorpius also listened to and did his best to recorded Albus and Rose's observations. Occasionally Jesus or Ginny added their observations.
Harry and Hermione would occasionally text Albus to ask for the group's opinion on a certain person, and after talking about that person with the others, Albus would text back.
That evening Scorpius and Rose ate dinner with Cindy Hudson and several other reporters, something they would do each even during the ICWW.
Albus and Cleo ate with Harry, Hermione, and Kingsley. "Right after the sessions are some of the busiest times for the store," Hermione explained, "so Ron is going to be working over dinner all week."
"Does he have to?" Cleo wondered.
"He doesn't really have to work as hard as he does," Hermione reflected. "He grew up poor, and as much money as the stores make, and as well off as we are, I don't think he will ever get over it. This is an ideal time for him to meet Magi from all over the world, and get good ideas for new products, or for where they might locate a new store. He even has Hugo over here, not taking money but telling people about the products and trying to listen for new ideas.
"How is it going with Rose and Scorpius?"
"It is an interesting dynamic," Albus pondered, trying to think how to say what he had observed. "They are both very bright. Rose has been doing some sketching that may appear in print. Sometimes she captures something about a person's personality better in a drawing than Scorpius can in words.
"I think the dynamics between them is changing. They are more and more acting as partners instead of rivals. Rose has always been living in your shadow, Aunt Hermione. She spent all of today trying to help Scorpius, and both of them really like it. In some way she is embarrassed that she likes helping, likes not being Scorpius's rival, but he really appreciates her help and she likes doing it."
"Rose and I have always talked," Cleo added. "She is really embarrassed that she has fallen for Scorpius, just like she thought she could never do because she is too logical. She told me last night, 'I know I should be my own person, but what if I like helping Scorpius. I don't really mind doing research for him or whatever else I can do so he can do the best job he can in his writing and reporting.'
"Rose just feels like she if failing you, Aunt Hermione, by not being the lead person, not being as ambitions as you are."
Hermione had to ponder what Albus had told her. It was easy to think that Rose would follow in her footsteps, but apparently that was not what Rose wanted. Hermione knew she should let Rose find her own path but knowing it and being comfortable with the path Rose was choosing were two different things.
Tuesday the question of why Magi needed to stay hidden, why was there this Statute of Secrecy, was debated. It was suggested that there were very few countries where they would try and burn witches at the stake. When it was pointed out that many of the hidden places where Magi lived might have to pay generations of back taxes, that healers might have to get No-Maj medical licenses, and many other things that integrating with the No-Maj world would entail, it was agreed that the magical world was not ready to reveal itself.
At the same time, it was clear that the Magi and Elves could not stay hidden forever, and that their existence would probably be revealed sooner rather than later.
Much of Wednesday was taken up with how they could relate to the No-Maj world, and make No-Maj money, and still not reveal that they were magical. Magi were still stealing from Muggles, No-Maj, and avoiding taxes. Stopping the minor stealing was not easy, and the question of taxes was complex and not easy to resolve.
Thursday they started with what the Elves had learned about their history. You would think that it would be hard to argue with facts, but that is hardly the case, and there were objections to much of the presentations that the Elves, Goblins and others were putting on. At one point there was a small riot on one section of the floor, and a staircase magically appeared where Cleopatra and the others were sitting. Cleo marched over to the offending Magi, as did Galadriel and four teams of the Magi and High Elves that were keeping the peace. Albus followed, trying to see what Cleo was seeing, and making sure her magic did not get out of control.
Eventually two surly wizards were led out of the assembly. It appeared that there was a section of the visitors' gallery that was surrounded by glass. The two wizards were allowed to watch from this guarded area, watched over by a team of Magi and High Elves.
"What was going on down there?" Scorpius wondered when Cleo and Albus came back into the visitors' gallery. Scorpius and the others watched as the staircase magically disappeared.
"The idea that magic came from the Elves and from the female does not go over well with some people," Albus explained. "Those two wizards were not particularly happy with the presentation."
"Those two wizards are abusers!" Cleo snapped. "Not nice to the mothers that bore them and nursed them, and not nice to their wives and female children. Not nice to their Elves either. We told them to go sit in the glassed in area until they could act like civilized beings."
"I think the technical term for those two wizards is Male Chauvinist Pigs," Albus suggested. "Mother Cleo basically sent the two wizards to sit in a time out chair until they could behave."
"And she got away with it?" Scorpius wondered.
Albus pointed to where the two unhappy wizards were glaring at the assembly behind a glassed in wall.
Rose looked at Scorpius with an expression between a smirk and a giggle, and whispered, "Cleo is acting like she is grandmother Weasley to the whole assembly, and you do not get grandmother Weasley mad!"
Friday morning the debate began to become contentious again. Again the staircase appeared, and Cleo marched to the front of the assembly, put her hands on her hips, and stared out at the assembled group of Magi. She took her wand out and waved it over the crowd, eventually pointing it at a couple of the most argumentative groups, just staring at them. No one dared speak.
Cleo finally put her wand down, shook her head 'no,' and marched back to her seat.
No one was quite sure what had just happened, but no one was eager to find out what would happen if Cleo became upset. Cleo was displaying extremely powerful magic, and no one could tell you why or how she could so thoroughly intimidate the Magi. It was also obvious that Galadriel had the same command over the Elves. It was strange.
The discussions then continued, but the volume and anger had lessened.
Friday night Ginny appeared just in time for dinner. As she walked into the dining room she noticed Rose and Scorpius in a separate dining room with Cindy Hudson and a number of other reporters. She was directed to a different room, where Harry was standing up waiting for her. They hugged and kissed, a long lover's kiss.
"Quidditch camp was good, but I've missed you," Ginny sighed. She wiggled her body into Harry's, and kissed him again.
"I think we have had ten years' worth of things to cover instead of two years' worth," Harry responded. "It has been an eventful International Conference of Witches and Wizards."
Harry led Ginny over to a dining room table, where Hermione, Kingsley, Albus, Rose, and Cleo were sitting. "Did you enjoy watching the ICWW?" Ginny asked the children.
"Some of the Magi were acting like spoiled children!" Cleo snarled.
"And mother Cleo bawled them out and kept the peace," Albus laughed.
Ginny looked at the other people at the table.
Hermione volunteered, "When I first started at the Ministry, Kingsley and I tried to understand the formal and the informal lines of power. At times the person with the title is not the most powerful. For example, right after the war Harry was officially just a trainee Auror, but unofficially he was one of the most powerful Magi in the Ministry."
"You quickly became more powerful than your title too, because of what you knew and who you knew, plus how hard you worked," Kingsley added.
"Cleo glares at the assembly, and it is like your mother glaring at your brothers," Harry suggested.
Cleo folded her arms and looked at everyone at the table. "Well, some of them were acting like spoiled children."
"How come you are the one who can bawl them out, control them?" Ginny wondered.
Cleo looked at Albus, trying to come up with an answer. She shook her head, her plaits flying, her face looking like it did when she was struggling to find an answer. Finally, looking like she was admitting defeat, she asked Albus, "Al, can you explain it?"
"No," Albus replied.
Cleo glared at Albus.
"Cleo is supremely at home in this Valley," Albus suggested. "She is a powerful Magi, and that power is magnified here. I wish I could explain it better, but when she stands in front of all those people and glares, you know that you need to listen."
"Why did you want to do that, stare down those people?" Ginny wondered.
Cleo quietly admitted, "I did not want to. It is just, I looked at Galadriel, and Albus, and something told me that it was my job to."
"It must have been Cleo's job to keep the peace, because she could," Albus suggested.
"How was Quidditch camp?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
Dinner arrived, and most of the people at the table started to eat. Ginny told the group about Quidditch camp before starting to eat herself, and then Harry, with help from the others, filled Ginny in on what had happened the past week.
Hermione plopped down into the one comfortable chair in the two room suite that she and Ron occupied in the Castle. Most of the room was set up as a conference room, although with magic it was easy to change the furniture so it was more like a living room. It was almost nine in the evening, and as usual even after dinner she had a meeting or something she needed to do.
Hermione had to admit that she was tired.
There was a knock on the door, and Rose asked to come in. Hermione waved her in.
"How has your week been, mum," Rose started in.
"Come on in and sit down," Hermione answered as she waved Rose in. Rose sat in a chair, somewhat at the edge of the seat. She was nervous.
"The sessions were productive. I think we have made more progress in Elf rights the last two years than in the proceeding twenty. How has your week been?"
Rose shyly smiled. "Different."
She paused, and Hermione waited.
"Different, but good," Rose finally repeated.
"It is like I always felt that Scorpius and I had to be rivals, and that I could never quite measure up to him. He is just a better Magi, learns spells a little easier. As your daughter I had to be smarter and better than everybody. And I'm not, although I am really smart.
"And I had to take the lead, be the strong leader, and unless it is something I am really good at, like fashion and how things should look, which seems so trivial compared to you … Mum, I'm just not so much a natural leader. I'm not comfortable when there are so many good leaders around me.
"I've concentrated on helping Scorpius this week. He is a good writer, and excellent at, as Uncle Harry says, 'managing the narrative.' Telling the story we want to come out of this ICWW, about the successes and not so much the conflicts. And I am helping him. He asks me to look up things, something I'm really good at, and I usually know what he is looking for even more than just what he asks for. So we are really good partners. It is not like you and Dad, or Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, doing different things."
"I just hope I'm not a big disappointment just being a helper and not the leader."
Rose stared at her mother, her eyes downcast, still sitting on the edge of the chair.
"Rose," Hermione counseled, "I love the person you are, and the person you are becoming. If you are happy with who you are and what you are doing, that is all that I could ask for or hope for."
The door slammed open, and Hugo rushed in, followed by Ron.
"We are getting so many new ideas, mum!" Hugo shouted. "We're going to be even richer! I love it!
"Oh, hello, Rose. What have you been doing?"
"Attending the ICWW, Hugo," Rose snapped. "That is why we are here. I've been helping Scorpius with his articles."
Hugo rolled his eyes. "Your boyfriend, right," he sneered. "Figures."
Ron stared at his son, insisting, "ENOUGH!"
Hugo kept rolling his eyes up, but stayed quiet.
"Rose," Hermione told her daughter, "we will have a long private lunch sometime in the next two weeks. I am really proud of you."
Rose stood up and headed for the door, saying as she left, "Love you, mum and dad. You too, Hugo, just don't be a jerk about Scorpius."
"HEY!" Hugo shouted, but Rose was already out the door.
2021