Minister McClaggen was not pleased. "So two young ladies walk in with a couple of seal rings and you expect me to believe they're representatives from the Dursleys, all ready to negotiate with wizards, six weeks after I presented you with this challenge?"

Brian and Mark nodded. "Ambassadors, yes. You'll find here the exact seal that appears on over half of your hate mail. Only the members of the Dursley family have the seal."

"Well, if they are Dursleys, they certainly aren't representatives of any others. Our tracing charms show that the majority of the Dursley clan is still in its underground abode. Would you like to see the clock?"

Dorian's face shone. "Clock? And it shows people's locations, you say?"

Petunia stepped forward. "Save it, Dorian; the Weasleys have one at home. Now about our deal…"

"Even assuming our deal, as you call it, were in any way binding, and I specifically recall telling you that it wasn't, you have not convinced the Dursley family of anything. I'll admit these women are a start, but, by and large, you are still dealing with a bunch of wackos!"

"So you admit that they aren't standard for the muggle world?" Dorian put in slyly.

"It only takes one! One wacko who knows where wizards live and how to get weapons. There are currently thousands of nutters wandering London alone who fear and despise magic because of a few bible verses taken out of context. Do you want to ruin us, Dursley?"

"If they fear us, it's because we are the unknown, sir, and if they despise us, it's because they can't tell a good wizard from a bad one, as they've never met either!" Petunia recognized Dorian's passionate tone from the speech he had been giving when she had first seen her second cousin by marriage. In this situation, also, he would not back down unless restrained by guards.

Rilla, who had remained quiet throughout the proceedings, spoke at this. "If you please, sir, it's quite true. My cousin and I had never seen a wizard, so we believed Ella when she told us how awful they were. Then we were faced with the actual people. If anything's dangerous, it's allowing this schism to continue."

"We know what it's like to hide all our lives," Courtney added, "and it's much better to be out in the light."

McClaggen calmed himself and switched gears. "They're happy not knowing, though! Why should two worlds ever need to mix?"

Petunia spoke up. "Thousands of witches and wizards are muggle-born. There families are in two different worlds. It's necessary that people belong to both worlds, but it's also very difficult. Also, the rise of a certain Dark Lord has made it difficult for muggles to hide from wizards even if they want to."

He put down his mug of coffee resignedly. "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do if you get your way? Perhaps you'll broadcast the secrets of centuries on the BBC?"

Brian gave half a smile. "Of course not, sir. We actually thought we'd start with Ireland, a place traditionally open to belief in magic. We're currently working under the Benevolence Theory."

McClaggen sighed. "You have theories with names now? Morgana preserve us."

"We decided against a large and potentially frightening benevolence. Instead we are going to start an exchange program of sorts, though it can obviously work only one way. Muggle studies students from several schools will be allowed to spend a year abroad in Ireland learning what a nonmagical secondary school is like, and Hogwarts graduates with, shall we say, less talent than average who are having difficulties finding work will be encouraged to take up an unskilled muggle trade in the land of the leprechaun.

"The plants will be instructed to perform magic discreetly in front of muggles they have grown to trust, and to explain the wizarding world to them. The students are to keep up correspondence when they leave the muggle schools. After approximately twenty years, a good portion of the people of Ireland will know of wizards. Next, we announce our presence and the presence of our supporters: we send letters instructing the wizards of Ireland and the muggle friends of our plants to gently explain our world to their neighbors, with demonstrations, if necessary. If all goes correctly, any given Irish citizen should know someone who has seen witchcraft, and all shall be instructed in our culture. If Ireland works out, we can try it on a global scale, but if not, well, everyone thinks the Irish are a bit daft anyway."

The minster cleared his throat. "Well, that's very well thought-"

But he was interrupted by Courtney's cry of "Look!"

An undersecretary had, indeed, brought the Dursleys' clock from its storage place to show an eager Dorian. Twenty-nine handles pointed towards 'mortal peril'.