Notes: This begins a four-chapter plotline that develops the dark hints dropped in the chapter "Failure at the Highest Level" and elsewhere. There are a couple of OCs in it, but you'll also see some familiar names.
Chapter Seventeen: Subversion, Part I: Blood Trail
Tom finished reading the papers before him and shoved them aside, his brow creasing in anger and concern. Another top secret international report from the Eastern Resistance describing another massacre of magical people. An entire wizarding family had been slaughtered in their beds. This was the fifth such report this month.
What is going on? he thought in desperation. He gazed at the cabinet beside his desk, knowing that it harbored a bottle of firewhisky. Bad idea. He knew he needed his mind to remain alert.
Now that the Magical Resistance Liaison Office answered directly to the Minister, rather than the Head of International Magical Cooperation, Tom had no bureaucracy to scramble through in summoning his security team. He did not like having to give them more bad news, but it was still news, and they needed to know. Steeling himself, he sent notes to everyone in his Ministerial security team, calling a meeting in the Grey Room—the secure office in the Ministry that was accessible only to the Minister and those he allowed inside. The Grey Room was adjacent to the Minister's office. From the outside hall, it looked no larger than a coat closet, its narrow wall sandwiched between the doors to the Minister's office and the next office.
The four security advisors arrived, three from their own offices in the Ministry of Magic and the last one through Tom's secure Floo in his office. He smiled at Hermione as she dusted herself off with her wand. He would not even think of excluding her. She wouldn't have it, for one; they had a mutual agreement that they shared everything important. Besides, her knowledge of history—including Muggle history that had not even happened—was beyond price.
A knock sounded at the office door. He flicked his wand to open it and watched the rest of his advisors shuffle inside. Vincent Rosier, his own deputy. Patrick Greengrass, Head of Ally Relations and Tom's best source of intelligence about internal politics in the International Magical Cooperation Department. And Connor Lynch, a wizard who had long been passed over in the Ministry for promotions due to his Irish background, but had come to Tom's attention for his extensive knowledge of travel and political history—and was now the Director of Magical Resistance Liaison. Tom strode to the Grey Room door, accessible only from inside his office, and pressed his open palm against a certain area of it. The door opened silently and the group walked inside.
The room was, as would be expected, grey. Even its ceiling was painted slate grey, which gave it a dark and cavernous feel. A small table and chairs stood in the middle; a quill, inkwell, and notepad lay on the table in front of each seat. As the door opened, a magical table lamp flicked on in the center of the table. Water glasses that had been turned upside down flipped and filled with ice water, also triggered by the opening of the door.
Tom took his seat in the most ornate chair and brought out all of his grim news reports. The door closed behind them with a flick of his wand. Four unhappy faces, filled with knowing dread, met his own. He breathed deeply before beginning.
"Well," he said, "I'm sure you can all guess why I've called this meeting." He shuffled the papers, bringing the most recent one to the top. "Another report from Russia today. Another family in the Resistance killed in their own home."
"Is it a magical or a Muggle killing?" Lynch asked.
"Karkaroff's report says that it's another murder of magical people by filthy Muggle bullets." Tom could not keep the venom out of his words, and in private, he did not even try.
Hermione looked down at the glass of ice water refracting the lamplight. These ugly attacks in the East were bringing out a side of him that, admittedly, had been present all along, but that he had not had much reason to show until now. She breathed in and out, collecting her thoughts. "So—the second instance of that in Russia. And the other three Russian massacres were clearly curses."
Tom nodded, shuffling through his notes. "In total… two mass murders in Russia now, both in St. Petersburg. Eight individual killings in Ukraine, all in the east. One individual killing apiece in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania. All by foul Muggle weapons."
The security advisors grunted in disgust and worry.
"By magical means… three mass slaughters in Russia. One in Ukraine. One in Poland. An information lockdown in Bulgaria ever since the killings there, which I'll be making inquiries about. There have been also scattered magical killings of individuals throughout the Eastern bloc, and it's my suspicion that they are related to—whatever is going on." He sipped his water, trying to calm the anger that simmered in his mind whenever he had to think about this horrible situation. "And the disappearances in Ukraine."
"Does Koroleva have any new information about that?" Greengrass asked. Volodymira Koroleva was the Head Witch of the Ukrainian Magical Resistance.
"I haven't asked her. This literally just came in. I summoned you lot here to tell you about this latest mass murder and to ask if you have any new theories about this situation."
Hermione spoke up. "Is there information about the type of Muggle bullets used in this most recent one? Same as before?"
Tom nodded.
She blew out her breath. "Then that confirms my worst fear. The ammunition, the number of times those poor people were shot, the fact that there were also bullet holes in their surroundings, all indicate Muggle automatic or semi-automatic weapons. These are state agents, Tom. Ordinary Muggles in the Soviet Union don't have that kind of weaponry." She met his eyes, a very grim expression in her own.
He sighed. "You know I don't like that conclusion."
"Nobody does, but it's inescapable. We should have accepted the truth of it after all the individual witches and wizards in Ukraine being killed by Muggle guns… but two massacres of magical families by Muggle weapons that only the state could have? Tom, somebody has defected. You know they have. That's the only way the state has of even knowing who the magical people are."
The wizards at the table were silent at Hermione's words, contemplating them. It made logical sense. The resistance movements in that part of the world, the shadow magical governments that mainly served to protect their constituencies, did not communicate with Muggle authorities whatsoever, not even the Soviet Premier. It was rather unlike the United Kingdom. As much as he loathed it, Tom was still legally obligated to tell the Muggle Prime Minister about any local wizarding problem that might affect Muggles.
"It does seem to be the only logical explanation," Patrick Greengrass agreed grimly, "but why? What kind of wizard would tell Muggles to kill other wizards?"
Tom looked utterly disgusted at having it spelled out like that. He was unable to even formulate an answer.
"A naïve one," Lynch declared. "Anyone can be brainwashed. It could be someone who genuinely thinks that the Muggles have a good system and that wizards ought to be forced to be part of it."
"We can't permit that," Tom said bluntly. "If the Soviet Union acquired its own force of magical operatives, they would absolutely use them against the West. And I don't even need to say what that would mean."
He did not. Everyone at the table knew what it would mean: British and American nuclear warheads would be at risk of magical sabotage from the Soviet-aligned wizards, and there would be absolutely nothing that the Muggles could do to prevent it. The Imperius Curse, Memory Charms, the Disillusionment Charm, Alohomora, magical locking charms to lock the Muggles out of their own facilities, explosion curses…. And the nuclear sites in the Soviet Union were equally vulnerable to undetectable magical attack. Wizards could start a global nuclear war if they ever took it into their heads to do so.
And it was utterly imperative that the Muggle leaders never find that out. The Muggle President in America didn't even know that wizards existed, since there was such a history of anti-magic hatred in that country. If Muggle leaders in the West knew of the danger, it could mean the forced exploitation of their entire wizarding populations to counter the presumed Soviet threat. If West and East temporarily put their differences aside and came to the accord that the danger was simply too great even for that, it could even mean the global annihilation of magical people.
The moment of potent, menacing silence passed, and Tom spoke again. "You four are my security team. Are we in agreement that the situation has reached the point of requiring Ministerial action? Unanimously?"
Every person nodded.
He shuffled his papers again, apparently as an acknowledgment. "As for the magical murders, I'm presuming that they are probably done by people who are terrorized by the news of the Muggle killings and are lashing out at other wizards who they think may be traitors. It's a bad situation all around, and—unless someone does happen to kill the turncoat—it won't get better until the problem has been dealt with. We shouldn't depend on murderous vigilantes to get it right, either." He gazed at Lynch. "I'm going to ask all our top contacts to send us everything they know—Koroleva, Karkaroff, Baginski, and the Krums." He turned to Greengrass. "Can we expect any help?"
Greengrass scowled. "Doubtful. You know how the French minister is. He seems to think that we're answerable for the Muggles' weapons, and that it's not his problem because the Muggles in his country don't have those weapons yet."
Tom snorted. "I do know about him. What about the Americans?"
"I'll ask. It's possible they might send some Aurors if we dispatch a mission—as it appears we will. I wouldn't count on them, though."
"Are you going to invoke Section Six?"
Greengrass, Rosier, and Hermione gazed up sharply at Lynch, who had spoken.
Tom stared at the table. "I'd like to, I won't lie. But I don't think the Reformists on the Wizengamot will stand for it until I've heard back from the Resistance leaders, and the consensus is that I still have to reach out to them. I'll wait." He drained his water glass and rose from the chair.
The meeting broke up, and the Grey Room emptied. Lynch, Rosier, and Greengrass returned to their offices in the Ministry building, but Hermione remained behind in Tom's main office.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked her briskly.
Hermione had been experiencing mild post-partum depression after the birth of Cynthia, their third child. Despite that, Tom's mode of speaking did not hurt her feelings. She knew that he was not great at expressing empathy for deeply personal problems in readily identifiable ways—unless he himself had experienced the same problem before—but she knew what he meant.
"I have been," she replied. "I've felt really terrible that I've had this at all—"
"It's not your fault. Always remember that."
She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "Thank you. That means a lot to me," she said with feeling.
He managed a brief smile in return. Once again, it was something of a struggle for him, but he was better about it. Gone were the days when his only way of demonstrating his concern for her was to lash out in anger against her enemies.
"I'm going to contact the Resistance right now, actually," he said. "Do you want to talk to anyone?"
Hermione chuckled darkly. "No, thank you. Grindelwald—"
Tom frowned. "Hermione, this office is secure, but do be careful."
She rolled her eyes. "I am careful. I just don't see the point in using that fake name when I'm alone with you."
"It's the name he goes by now."
"It's a bad choice of name. 'Geryk' is just the Polish version of his given name, and 'Baginski,' really? That doesn't look at all like great-auntie 'Bagshot,' certainly not," she said sarcastically.
"He's disguised his appearance well enough that nobody recognizes him. He wouldn't have become leader of the Polish resistance otherwise."
"Anyhow," Hermione said pointedly. "If you're just going to ask them to gather information, I see no reason to stick my head into your fire for that. And I'm still uncomfortable around the Krums, but I certainly can't tell them why."
He scowled briefly, not wanting to be reminded that she had kissed their son in an alternate timeline.
"And that's another reason Geryk needs to keep his past a secret. He killed Georgi Krum's father."
"He knows."
"What is his endgame, do you think?"
Tom considered, bringing his fingertips together under his chin. "Well, you say the Soviet bloc won't fall for several decades yet. That may or may not happen the same way this time… but I don't think his endgame is anything more than to remain leader of the underground magical resistance in that country. He's almost eighty years old—and while I know that's not 'old' for a wizard, it's apparent that he does regret what he did in the past and wants to make amends for it. I really do think he is doing just what he wants to do at this time of his life."
"I suppose in the other timeline, he regretted his deeds too," she mused. "I just don't know how long it took. But, all right. I just don't want him to be a problem for you, Tom."
"Oh, if he ever becomes a 'problem,' I'll take care of it," he said darkly. "And I hope you wouldn't object to that this time."
She winced but shook her head in a negative. "I don't love the idea, but I do agree."
Once she had returned by Floo to her own office, Tom used the fireplace to send secure letters to his top contacts in the East: Volodymira Koroleva of Ukraine, Igor Karkaroff in Russia, Svetla and Georgi Krum in Bulgaria, and Geryk Baginski—formerly known as Gellert Grindelwald—in Poland. He hoped that with up-to-date, cohesive, complete information about the killings and disappearances in all of their countries, they would be able to put pieces together that he couldn't know as an outsider. He returned to work, hoping to hear from at least one of them soon.
It did not take long for Tom to hear back from the Krums. He had specifically requested an update from them, having heard nothing from Bulgaria for quite a while. A young married couple, they owned a large estate in Bulgaria and used their money—which Georgi Krum had inherited quite early when Grindelwald had killed his father—to help the Bulgarian resistance movement. They had kept their ancestral home from being seized by the Communists by employing magical protection.
The mirror above Tom's fireplace flashed a message indicating that they wished to speak to him. The new Floo system did not let visitors impose themselves on someone else when using a private fireplace; the owner of the fireplace had to approve it. Tom flicked his wand at the hearth, permitting them to come through, and rose from his desk to speak to them.
"It's good to hear from you so quickly," he said smoothly as their faces appeared in the flames. "What's the word from Bulgaria?"
Svetla Krum seemed to be the spokesperson. She got straight to the point, speaking in a heavily accented but still understandable voice. "Minister Riddle, ve have to tell you, ve have no news from the outside. Ve have… it is a safe zone, I think is the term in English? Ve use the Fidelius Charm to protect our boundaries."
"You use the Fidelius Charm to protect… an area? As a safe zone for the Resistance? This is why I've heard nothing from you for so long?"
"Yes. Ven this news of the murders first reached us, and the first Resistance member was killed by guns in Bulgaria, my husband and I did this. He is Secret-Keeper. The area it protects of my husband's family estate is vast and ve offer this protection to any of our people for as long as there is crisis."
"And you have been doing this for weeks?"
"It has been so for four veeks."
"And you've been focused, then, on protecting your own people? No news to offer?"
"Most of the Resistance members known to us have accepted our protection. They do not vant to fight against the Muggles. They just vant to live in peace."
Tom thought about that. "Well," he finally said, "I commend you for that. You're doing right by your people, certainly," he got out. "I can't deny that I wish you had more news, but you're protecting your people with your own family resources, and keeping them as safe as you can in a dangerous time. Do inform me if anything changes, though."
The Krums agreed to do this, and the Floo connection closed.
Tom scowled as he retreated to his desk. That was rather useless. He couldn't fault the Krums for turning their vast estate into a safe zone for magical families in Bulgaria; if they did not have the resources to investigate the murders—and, he had to admit, probably did not trust other resistance governments with their "census," given the likelihood of a defection—then to hunker down and ride it out made sense. It just didn't make his job any easier.
He wondered what Karkaroff would have to say. Hermione had not liked the fact that Igor Karkaroff was the head of the Russian rebel government; she had said that in the alternate timeline, he was a shifty character with questionable loyalties to anyone but himself. Tom had pointed out that in his own alternate life, he apparently would have been a demented, maniacal terrorist leader. Karkaroff was clearly doing something different, something he would not have done in the other timeline. Hermione had not been able to argue against that. In any case, the Russians had chosen him as their leader, and Tom had no influence over that decision.
Still, the two mass murders of magical people by Muggles had happened in his city on his watch. Tom would have been ashamed for such a thing to have happened if he were running a resistance government. Karkaroff needed to get his security situation sorted out, and quickly. He would be facing internal mutiny otherwise, if nothing else. Perhaps, Tom mused, he just isn't a leader. Hermione says he ran Durmstrang, but apparently not very well. I imagine that central parts of someone's personality wouldn't change much.
The mirror above the fireplace flashed again, indicating that a letter from Volodymira Koroleva was arriving. Tom summoned it to his desk and opened it.
.
Minister Riddle,
I regret to hear of this recent news from Russia. There have been no new mass attacks upon my people, though with the eight slaughtered by the Muggles, we have suffered enough. I have decided no longer to share records of those under my protection, and I am sure you understand my reasons for this. If you have concluded that there is a wizard defector to the Soviet state, my secrecy needs no more defense. However, I do have a bit of news, though unrelated to the killings by Muggle forces. We have determined the killer of the Ivashko family and brought him to justice. It was a person who believed that they were responsible for the murder of one of the eight. There is no evidence that this was so.
.
"I suppose there's one good thing," Tom muttered. He made a note that the single mass murder in Ukraine, a wizard's crime, had apparently been solved.
.
What troubles me more is that my people continue to disappear, and most of the disappearances now are of children, or households with children. Several entire families in Kyiv have vanished, leaving empty houses behind. There have also been cases of children of non-magicals who disappeared, while their parents were found slaughtered. You tell me that there have been no disappearances elsewhere in our region, only my country. This is very disturbing to me. I hope that the disappearances of entire families merely indicate the voluntary departure of those families, but it is my guess that vigilantes are trying to protect children of non-magicals and view their own parents as the enemy because of the killings by the Muggles of some of our people. It is a vile, nightmarish situation and I welcome any aid that our Western allies can offer in solving it and restoring security.
.
If she's right, they're on the brink of civil war in Ukraine, Tom thought in horror. No one trusts anyone else there—and there might even be more than one Soviet magical defector in all of this. Though if they've been sharing their census lists with each other, I don't suppose it's necessarily the case. Either way, this is definitely an international emergency.
Tom decided that he had seen quite enough. He sent quick notes to Hermione, Rosier, Lynch, and Greengrass explaining what he had just learned. Then he wrote a note on a different subject to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
There was no reason for him to have to talk to the Muggle Prime Minister anymore, and in fact, he was convinced that it was a danger to the wizarding world that he had to give reports of any kind to the man. Muggle Britain was a nuclear power. Its closest ally was also a nuclear power. They were in a state of enmity with a third such.
With Wizarding Secrecy very likely breached, or almost breached—at grave risk of breach, at a minimum—in the Soviet bloc, and the fact that the American Muggle government knew nothing of its magical government, it was the height of foolishness for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to know of the wizarding world's existence. No good could possibly come of it, Tom thought. It was a pointless act, a nod to "Muggle respect" and nothing else. Perhaps the man would not expose the wizarding world to the general Muggle population, but he very well could expose it to his own security team and that of his allies. Tom knew enough about Muggle culture to be aware of the fact that Muggle entertainment was currently interested in the idea of super-enhanced humans as weapons in this "Cold War." The idea absolutely would not be impossible for Muggle governments to consider if they had credible evidence of it.
If a wizard had defected to the Soviet cause, it would have to be taken care of, but it was a wizarding affair. Tom did not want the Prime Minister to hear intelligence of a Soviet program that he would have the knowledge to identify as "magic." With the nuclear espionage and sabotage fears of Muggles, witch-hunts could begin anew, and on a scale that would make the burning times look like a child's game. Wizards in Britain could be rounded up, or worse, if this made its way to the wrong Muggle ears, and the utter secrecy in the United States would be breached, putting them at even graver risk. This situation could lead to the exposure of magic to paranoid Muggle leaders around the world, with unthinkable consequences.
"You're invoking Section Six?" Hermione asked him that night nervously after the children had gone to sleep.
Tom hovered over baby Cynthia's cradle, regarding her with an odd sort of tenderness. "I have to. This is as bad as I thought. You read my note." He touched the baby's dark hair. Unlike Madeline and Virgil, this child had Hermione's brown hair rather than Tom's black. "I can't look at her—look at the others—and risk such terrible consequences to them."
She placed her hand over his, touched by his words.
"Do you—are you all right with this?"
The question was genuine. She squeezed his hand. "This doesn't bother me. It might have bothered me when I was a schoolgirl, growing up in a world torn apart by blood-purity rhetoric, but you're quite correct that the actual law serves no purpose unless the Prime Minister chooses to act on information that the Minister for Magic relates—and any action against magical people by the Muggle government would be a disaster."
"It would be, and I won't let it happen." He gazed at her. "Would anything like this have happened—otherwise?"
Hermione shook her head. "No. I think history changed years ago. We're well off the map that I knew."
"'Here there be dragons,'" Tom quoted wryly. "And we have to slay this one."
The next day.
The entire Wizengamot was gathered. The Minister was going to make an important announcement, and very few were in the know. The Minister's wife and the rest of his security team apparently knew, though they were keeping their lips sealed before the storm of reporters gathering in the forum. Some people had speculated, but nobody else knew for sure what he was going to say. The rumor among the Daily Prophet contingent was that it had some relation to the horrific reports coming out of the East about wizards being murdered. At least the public didn't know that some of the murders were perpetrated by Muggles, and they certainly did not know that those killers were probably Soviet state agents. No one but the Minister and his security team knew that.
"The Chair recognizes the esteemed Minister for Magic."
Tom stood up and faced the court. "Members of the Wizengamot. I am informing this body that, under my authority as Minister, I am ending communication with the Prime Minister of Muggles and Obliviating him—and his living predecessors—of all knowledge of our world."
Rumblings began in the Reformist section of the court.
Tom continued without acknowledging the noise. "I am formally invoking Section Six of the Magical Security Act—"
There were audible gasps.
"—which allows the Minister to use his or her discretion to do this, and in accordance with the requirements of the Act regarding this decision, I hereby declare that a State of Emergency for Magical People exists." Tom inclined his head to indicate that he was finished speaking for now.
The Wizengamot erupted into noise. The Chief Warlock stood up again.
"Order!" he wheezed. He pointed at a single wizard who had followed protocol to be called upon to speak next. "The Chair recognizes the Honorable Septimus Weasley."
Weasley stood up and stared at Tom. "We acknowledge the authority given to the Minister to make this decision," he said, "but on behalf of the Reformist faction, I would ask the Minister to explain why he has declared a State of Emergency now. If we are in danger, we deserve to know how and why."
Tom spoke again. "As you know from reading the papers, there are reports from the Soviet Union that are very disturbing. These killings indicate that the stability of several of the rebel governments is in question. The magical populations there have lost some trust in their governments' ability to keep them safe, due to these murders." That was the line he had decided to give the public. They did not need to know anything else. The real truth was too disturbing.
Rumblings started anew, frightened ones this time. Tom held up a hand for silence.
"We are working closely with our allies to help them restore order and security, but because this crisis exists, my decision to declare a State of Emergency is justified by the existence of Muggle nuclear weapons in our own country, in the United States, and in the Soviet Union—and the state of hostility that exists between Muggle governments. With fragile wizarding governments in the East, Wizarding Secrecy itself is fragile there, and there is ample reason to believe that the Muggles would try to identify and exploit us… or worse… if their defense ministries knew of what we could do with their arsenals."
"But Minister, surely the Muggles would know that we had no desire to cause nuclear war between their countries!"
"Would they?" Tom asked darkly. "The Muggles fear spies who could steal their national secrets and give the other side an advantage in a nuclear war. Whether nuclear war is rational doesn't seem to be a factor for Muggles." He sneered in contempt. "If Muggle war strategists knew about us, they would be terrified of what we can do to their weapons, undetectable to them until it's too late—and the Muggle Prime Minister does know about us. If the Soviet Union also learns about magic in the midst of this stability crisis, it's a matter of time before intelligence reaches Muggle leaders' ears in the West, and the Muggle Prime Minister of this country would understand what he heard. It is an unacceptable risk."
"Minister, that may be, and I do take your point, but it seems to me that there is no time limit on this risk even once the resistance governments restore order. Or do you think the Muggles will disarm at some point?"
In the course of a second, Tom exchanged a private, secret look with Hermione, who shook her head almost imperceptibly.
"I doubt it, but it doesn't matter," he shot back. "The Americans have long kept their existence secret from the Muggle government, and our partners in the Magical Resistance have severed contact with Muggle authorities. The current situation in the Soviet bloc is troubling, but there is no rational reason for the Muggle Prime Minister to know about us even after it is resolved."
"In the war, Grindelwald's forces were targeting Muggles. It could happen again with anti-Muggle vigilantes. Muggles need to know when they are under magical attack," Weasley blurted out.
Tom's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Several of Weasley's allies emitted low groans. The redhaired man closed his eyes briefly as he realized his mistake.
Tom pounced, determined to expose the error explicitly to the entire Wizengamot. "Why, Mr. Weasley, that sounds as if you think the Statute of Secrecy should be repealed," he said in mock surprise. He paused to let it sink in before continuing. "Because you see, ordinary Muggles don't know when they are under magical attack. We tell their Prime Minister, but he cannot do anything—unless he decides to expose our people to his underlings and take action against us. And we're very fortunate that this hasn't happened in this country." He gazed out at the Wizengamot calmly but pointedly before continuing. "I know the origins of this law, Weasley. It was intended to please Muggle-friendly Wizengamot members, but in practical terms it does nothing for Muggles, and in the modern world, it has become exceedingly dangerous for us. It is time that we ended it—and until this body approves a law to do that, I will keep this State of Emergency in effect."
He stood aside, long robes hugging his chest closely and then billowing away at his waist elegantly as he moved. He cut a very imposing, authoritative figure and he knew it—and had not the slightest hesitation about using it to his advantage.
The Wizengamot dismissed shortly after, with no one bringing other matters to the floor. Hermione found him as he cut wordlessly through the throng of reporters demanding statements. She took his arm, prompting a grateful look on his face at the sight of her. They fled the bedlam and quickly retreated to his office as she prepared to Floo back to her own.
"I'm going to do it immediately," he said. "Obliviate the Muggles."
She stood facing him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I told you I have no objection to it. It makes sense and needs to be done for our safety. But please consider reassuring people about the non-magical families. I'm concerned that they'll be seen as a security risk in this climate."
"It is inherently a security risk to assimilate them," Tom remarked, "but they are Squibs… and they're under wizarding law concerning Seclusion… and we're trying to integrate them into our own community more. It's obviously a completely different matter to tell the Muggle Prime Minister about magic—and usually when magic is threatening Muggles, at that. It's one of the most patently idiotic policies I can think of, and I'll remind people of how different these two things are if… a problem develops."
"And it appears that there may be wizards who have violated Seclusion in the East," Hermione said with distaste. "Anyone in the wizarding world could betray us."
"So it seems."
End Notes: According to the information about Wizarding America for the Fantastic Beasts film, the US government doesn't know about its wizarding government, unlike Britain in canon. Of course, I've written that the Soviet states don't know about wizards either. I absolutely think wizards in the Cold War era would be identified and confined/exploited/eliminated if Muggle governments in the most affected nations knew of their existence, so this is an extremely volatile situation. And by the 1950s, Britain is a nuclear power in its own right, one of three—and the other two are unaware of magic. Given the possibilities of undetectable espionage, seizure, and sabotage from wizards, it's hard for me to accept that the Prime Ministers of the nuclear age could know about the wizarding world and be OK with it, and I think that "The Other Minister" chapter of HBP was a mistake. Even if the Ministry of Magic has a division to protect certain top Muggles from magical attack (and they might, since Shacklebolt was protecting the Muggle PM in that same chapter), there's just no need for the Muggles to know, in my opinion. And I don't see any evidence in the books that the Ministry has employees who protect Muggle war weapons from magical spies or rogue wizards. Maybe JKR just didn't want to hint at something that dark. I will, though.
My Minister Tom is very well-informed about Muggle geopolitical tension and technological capability, so he certainly wouldn't want nuclear-armed Muggles to know what wizards could do. And he'd seize any defensible reason to stop "reporting" to the Muggle Prime Minister anyway.