The Madness of Ravens

by AutumnSouls

Reincarnating into the wizarding world is nothing but surreal, and petty things such as shame and safety become easy to ignore. To Lyra and James the world is a stage for fun and drama. Though perhaps they should not have looked behind the curtains — for as Dumbledore says, there are far worse things than death. (Double SI, powerful magic, no bashing, Lovecraftian divergence)

9. Interlude: A Report by Albus Dumbledore

A REPORT

By Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump, I.C.W.; Order of Merlin, First Class.

On

THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL STATUTE OF SECRECY

For the International Confederation of Wizards

August 20, 1993

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Modern Challenges Facing the Statute of Secrecy

Increase in Population Disparity

The International Statute of Secrecy was legalized on August 5th, 1692. Recently the world experienced its three-hundredth anniversary of the separation between the Mundane and Magical populations of the world. Since its inception the Statute has been amended a total of six times, five of which only narrowly passed after years of petitioning. During this time, the Mundane population has increased by approximately four and a half billion while the Magical population has only increased by a little over half a million. Mundane communities are now ever-present across the globe, and with it, an incredible scrutiny on the existence of magic.

Magical communities, which in some pre-Statute areas would have existed a day's walk from the nearest Mundane communities, now mostly sit back-to-back among all of the most advanced Mundane nations. The primary Magical British commercial centre, Diagon Alley, is located in the midst of London when previously it lay well outside the borders of Roman Londinium and Lundenburg of Wessex. This had greatly increased the sightings of magic among large numbers of Mundanes, until the Ministry was forced to fully rebuild its then rather disorganized Obliviation department.

Indeed, it was the British Ministry which created the foundation of magic to detect precisely when and where a Mundane had witnessed magic. And as time drags along, and the Mundane population further increases, methods are once again questioned and revised. The Wizarding World is certainly capable of keeping the secret, but as time passes, the efforts will eventually outweigh the benefit.

Technological Advancements of the Mundane World

It is no secret to even the most traditional of pure-bloods that the Mundane world has undergone a tremendous technological upheaval in recent times. Non-magical, autonomous surveillance systems have become prevalent. These surveillance systems are combined with electronic information storage mediums. Since the development of the radio, which the Magical world should be familiar with, and the television, the Mundane world has proved it can massively distribute information in a relatively short period of time.

Recently, the Mundane world experienced the launch of the Internet; think of two-way books, but connecting not just to one other book but countless — an endless amount of users and pages, where any person who purchases one may speak to anyone, or everybody. Our own magical equivalents are already used to socialize and communicate, limited though they are. Let us imagine an expansion of what we are already familiar with: every magically-connected mirror, parchment, fireplace — now linked to any other in existence with the correct configuration.

The development of the Internet may, as its creators predict, lead to a rise of more advanced socialised media. And, were information regarding magic distributed among such virtual forums, it could rapidly circulate amongst every member. The process of Obliviation suddenly becomes far more complex and difficult.

The 1961 Nuclear Tragedy and the Future

The 1961 Nuclear Incident was one of the most devastating attacks to wizardkind, when erroneous readings from early missile detection systems resulted in the bombardment of strategically important locations in the former USSR. One nuclear weapon was launched before wizards from MACUSA and the Union of Magical Tengri Governments were able to intervene, preventing further escalation.

Nonetheless, the missile struck, killing 400,000+ civilians, including that of 257 Magicals. What followed was the largest-scale Obliviation to have ever occurred. The method used has been classified by the ICW due to its potential for misuse and abuse. All records regarding the City That Never Was, including its people, were erased from both Mundane and Magical history. Today, opinions remain split, but it is widely agreed upon that nonaction would have resulted in nuclear war.

While effective in 1961, it is uncertain if such methods will remain effective with the over thirty years of technological advancement, and moreso in the future. As technology becomes cheaper and more widespread, Obliviators will have to contend with video footage easily submitted by concerned citizens to television and, perhaps, the Internet. If wizardkind allows the Statute to stagnate further, the coming decades will prove an immense challenge for magical governments and their Obliviators. One should not neglect preparation for comfort and tradition, lest they give way to disaster.

The Future of the International Statute of Secrecy

A near-future revision of the Statute is crucial. The ICW has grown complacent during the most explosive period of technological growth the world has seen. Should magic be revealed, tension will rise between our two worlds. Violence is inevitable. Historically, some Mundane dictators have attempted to exterminate perceived Magical threats, or enslave them for their own purposes.

They have been largely unsuccessful, but future large-scale conflicts will be much deadlier. Should wizardkind achieve victory anyway, it will nonetheless be a pyrrhic victory, and certainly an end for any chance of reconciliation. The likelihood of nuclear weapons being used once more, while low, pose an unacceptable risk to both Magical and Mundane ways of life, environments, and future recovery.

Furthermore, the Mundane baselessly accused of magical heritage will suffer similarly horrific fates, usually through mob justice (which, incidentally, was cause for the creation of the Statute).

In the wake of such possibilities, the Wizarding World should make strides to integrate into the Mundane world, to blur the distinction between Mundane and Magical to reduce the possibility of being identified.

Magical schools, or their respective Ministries, should create Mundane fronts. This provides every Magical student with comprehensive and entirely legal records to be presented before Mundane bureaucracy should they decide to enter the Mundane workforce or tertiary education. Magicals should receive an opportunity to learn how to drive, for example, to limit the use of Apparition or Floo.

Ideally, Magical children will be able to socialize with their Mundane neighbors, use their technology, and navigate their bureaucratic systems; these skills would be necessary to produce Magical specialists in Mundane culture and technology, to recognize the flaws in the Statute and improve on them. It not only decreases the likelihood of detection by Mundane governments, but in the future, Magicals may be able to possess a dual-citizenship of sorts, giving them much-needed allies and representation in the Mundane world.

Finally, the Wizarding World should increase communication with other sentient species. It is highly likely that were the Magical human population targeted, then the other sentient species would be as well. Communication and cooperation between various magical species may prove crucial to future survival for all. Mundane-borns will also prove effective for this role, as they have none of the biases that Magical-raised individuals have against other species, and thus will also be valuable in providing liaison with Mundane and Magical species. The seeds of coexistence should be sown before the inevitable collapse of the Statute of Secrecy, lest it bring about the end of magic.

---

DAILY PROPHET

The Wizard World's Beguiling Broadsheet of Choice

SHOULD THE STATUTE BE ABOLISHED?

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE'S CONTROVERSIAL OPINIONS

On August 20th, an article was forwarded to all ICW representatives from Albus Dumbledore, the Supreme Mugwump. Titled 'A Report on the Future of the International Statute of Secrecy', Dumbledore advocates for the gradual deconstruction of the Statute, citing that Muggle technology has surpassed the Magical world's protections, and the costs for maintaining it are rapidly outweighing the benefits.

The paper cites some of Dumbledore's age-old controversial opinions, such as greater diplomacy with goblins, centaurs, and giants — as well as some new ones, such as suggesting the wizarding population live in Muggle settlements to 'blend in', as if he forgets notice-me-not charms existed. The current head of the Dept. of R&C of Magical Creatures, Madam Dolores Umbridge, offered her shock at the outrageous statements offered by the Hogwarts Headmaster…

Albus Dumbledore sipped his tea.

Sometimes, the Ministry could be so predictable as to be depressing. He'd expected such backlash from the very beginning, but it was disappointing to learn that nothing had changed in the years since the first war. Although the support from various Ministries around the world — United States, Germany, France, Singapore — was surprising and welcome, it didn't outweigh the indifference or even scorn expressed by other world governments. Maybe he had laid it on too thick, exaggerated a little too much.

But, it was a good first step. Even within Britain, he didn't need to convince everyone; just enough to tip the scales, deprive the next generation of Pureblood extremists from the support necessary to facilitate their movement.

Slughorn, Selwyn, Abbott, Macmillian…

Albus folded the newspaper in half and placed it on the desk, standing up from his office chair to face the world once more.

Your move, Tom.