Chapter 28:

Draco Malfoy asked for a meeting with Sirius Black at Gringotts. "Hello Sirius."

Sirius replied evenly, "Hello Draco, hello Narcissa. What is on your mind?"

Draco said, "I have some ideas. I want to make sure that you think that they are acceptable."

Sirius raised his eyebrows and said, "Go on."

Draco said, "While most of the world is rushing into some sort of wizard-muggle hybrid, I think we could have one little corner of the world, where wizarding keeps to its traditions."

When Draco stopped talking, Sirius realized that he was expecting a reply and said, "I haven't yet decided on what side of that issue I am on. Have you thought through the non-magical side of Britain. What happens if the global Statute of Secrecy ends. I do not think it could be kept in just one nation."

Draco replied, "My family had a good relationship with muggles before the Statute. They pay us rent, we look after them. They respect us as their betters, we have noblesse oblige. If we do not improve their machinery in Britain, using magic, we provide for them in exchange."

Sirius said, "Let's leave aside the non-magicals for the moment. How would you see Wizarding Britain develop?"

Draco answered, "Back to tradition. We explore family magics. Families continue traditions. Newcomers to magic find better opportunities outside Britain and we heartily wish them the best of fortune in their endeavors."

Sirius said, "I have no objection to you advocating these views, and voting that way, as long as bribery is not part of that campaign. Like I said, I am still trying to understand the possible futures in Britain that can occur.

I will say this, in the case that Britain goes traditional, I do not want to see any hostility or attempts to push first generation magicals, or half-bloods out of Britain, or Hogwarts, or businesses or the Ministry. I do however support better education in wizarding culture."

Draco said, "I think there is room to find a solution that both our factions can agree to. There will also be, as you said once, good business opportunities no matter how this is decided."

Sirius agreed, "We can do business together. You understand why I had to remove you and Narcissa from the house Black. I think you are understanding how to be a Malfoy, not like the ones recently, but the ones a thousand years ago, that put aside that wine that is worth so much now. I would offer the same wishes to you, that you have the best of fortune in your endeavors."

Later Sirius met with Albus Dumbledore and agreed that at the end of the upcoming Wizengamot meeting, that Dumbledore would resign his position of Chief Warlock. Sirius said, "You ARE Starfleet. Since so many of our decisions involve how Britain interacts with Starfleet, you are not helping by having the role of Chief Warlock."

Dumbledore answered, "I agree, and was coming to that conclusion myself. I had to remove myself from important Starfleet business to come to this session of the Wizengamot."

The Wizengamot meeting winded up kicking the can down the road again, in major decisions, but the traditional faction made some gains. Among the new laws passed were:

Most restrictions on dark magic and anything that would restrict family magic, were removed.

Misuse of muggle artifacts restrictions were reduced to only include use of items that had the possibility of fooling muggles.

The initial contacts of muggleborns were now under the authority of a new Ministry committee. The expectation was that they and their families would be contacted before their Hogwarts invitation and visit. They would be given a more thorough background of the wizarding world, and about their educational choices.

Educational recommendations would be given to Hogwarts. There is no force of law to these recommendations, but it would be widely publicized when these recommendations are not followed. All future recommendations would be passed by the Wizengamot, not decided by a committee. In this session the recommendations were to add electives for all types of magic that was taught in Hogwarts since 1730, but was no longer taught now. Wizarding culture classes to be mandatory for all first year students. For later years, those who can pass a test would no longer need to take it. Career counseling to be added, starting second year, so they can be helped to decide which third year electives to take. Career counseling to be informing students of opportunities both in Britain and elsewhere.

For Luna and I, this period of British politics was a vacation for us. We were staying with Xenophilius Lovegood. I handed him a package, saying "These are for you, from Director Morozov"

Xenophilius read the letter out load, "Dear Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood,

I am enclosing information about Silk Road legends, and an invitation to explore them in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and with even more hidden legends of the Silk Road, Tajikistan."

I interrupted his reading to add, "Director Morozov quietly took over Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. He also has influence in the Caucasus region, cooperating with Russia in diffusing some conflicts there."

He continued reading, "Your discoveries and publications will help increase tourism in this region, and help the visibility of companies that market a link to the Silk Road.

Enclosed is a prototype from Kazakh-PC, a handheld device that lets you read the ancient texts, and their English translations. It is both magic and non-magic. You can switch its functions, and use it in both environments. The data storage will work in both."

I said, "Normally we would like to go with you. However, Luna and I have to follow security protocols. We might be in more danger now, than during the fight with Death Eaters."

Luna added, "We can operate from shadows, but being in known places at known times away from help, isn't wise."

I added, "I wonder what motivated Morozov. To have us in his debt? Or only about the Quibbler?"

Luna said, "He likes to ingratiate himself, but he knows our mission isn't sway-able."

Xenophilius added, "It is however a good offer. I would like to investigate the Silk Road. And I have not been and will not be publishing articles to favor or oppose Starfleet or any of its directors, or whatever official titles my Luna and Tom have."

As our unplanned vacation was winding down, we had some preparation for our next trips. Starfleet Security division visited us to go over our protection detail. We always had some security people following us, as did our parents. There were also drones following us, completely silent and undetectable by non-magical technology. Then there were the emergency port-keys, and charmed device with emergency medical spells. Finally, there were the redundant checks that the personnel and the controllers of the drones were loyal.

However, the Security division told us that there were no known plots against us, and that all the directorates actually supported our mission. Even if the Dakar directorate was resentful and suspicious towards us, they weren't plotting against us.

The first trip was to Germany. On the way there, Dumbledore explained about his giving up his Chief Warlock of Britain position. He also explained that he would follow all of the Wizengamot recommendations for Hogwarts, except he planned to conspicuously defy one small part of it, in a way where it would easily be seen, that what he was doing was better. He said, it wasn't because it was better per-se, but that he wanted to establish the precedent of Hogwart's independence.

Our meeting was mostly about relations between Starfleet Germany and the various magical ministries it was affiliated with, including Britain, and also their relations to non-magicals.

Deputy Director for Ministry Relations Marlijn Giesen, from the Netherlands, addressed us, "Our region contains a patchwork from those that are fully combining magic and technology, such as Germany and the Netherlands, to those who do not allow it, such as Denmark, Norway, Hungary, to those still deciding, like your own Britain and Ireland. The best way to describe Europe, is a patchwork. Even the affiliations to the Starfleet regions are a patchwork, with most affiliating with Germany, some with Kazakhstan, and some with Russia.

Among the non-magical governments, most of the western part of Europe are in somewhere between a free trade area and federated government, called the European Union. Recently, Sweden, Finland, and Austria joined it.

Our greatest challenges are how to deal with these patchworks. Suppose non-magical Germany and Netherlands have magically enhanced technology products. How would British companies compete? Perhaps the free trade areas of the non-magical nations need to be split in exactly the same way as their magic integration choices have been split."

Deputy Director for Space Operations, Fabien Poulin, from France, presented, "Despite the difficulties presented about our patchwork of nations, we are on schedule with our space launch abilities. The Ariane 5 launch from the Centre spatial guyanais, launched 1.2 tons into space. Future launches of the same rocket will reach 16 tons to low Earth orbit.

The design for the Ariene 5 was already complete when Starfleet Germany was started. However we did assist, and corrected a flaw in their software that could have jeopardized the entire mission."

The next trip was to Russia. Starfleet Russia was based in Novgorod. Their presentation was mostly about relations between directorates. "Director Dumbledore, we cannot help but notice that four of your individually tutored students are working for the Kazakhstan directorate. How can you be impartial between our directorates?"

Luna answered, "Our directorate, looks after the future of Earth and all of humanity. The specific resolution of issues of contention is not our purview. The fact that they are resolved is.

The greatest danger to Earth at this phase, would be fighting in the magical realm, fighting in the non-magical realm, or fighting between magicals and non-magicals. After that, our emphasis is on being prepared for eventual alien contact.

Who rules Nagorno-Karabakh, while important to the people living there, and to their allies, is not important to us, one way or the other. Only that some solution is found that does not involve fighting. We are not the ones who will suggest solutions, only to martial intervention in the unlikely circumstance that responsible parties cannot keep it peaceful."

Dumbledore and myself nodded in agreement.

After that was Japan. We had already worked out that the way an internship works there, there wouldn't be an opportunity to visit Colin Creevey. Extremely long hours were expected of him, and being foreign meant that he had to not stand out in expecting extra privileges.

Starfleet Japan gave an extremely impressive display of their technological progress. "This Toshiba portable computer contains both magical and non-magical computing engines. It switches automatically based upon the magical field in its presence. You can continue the running the same programs as it switches.

Kyocera has an early prototype of a camera phone. It has the same built-in prevention of recording magic that the Kazakh-PC camera sensor has, but manufactured in Japan, and following the standard agreed to by the ICWSO. Kyocera-Magic has an early prototype that will work in both the magical and non-magical environments, using a principal similar to the magic communications mirror for magical communications."

"While we have an active space launch program, and can currently lift 10 tons to low Earth orbit, our main research emphasis is on the electronics to be used in space, and the design of self assembling structures in space."

After the meeting we visited two magical shopping districts in Japan. The one in Edo was very charming, and looked ancient, while the one in Tokyo was a frenetic collection of stores and stalls selling interesting devices that combine technology and magic.

Next was Starfleet China. Their presentation tried to impress on us the ancient magics to be found in China, which included Tibet. They also discussed their research into purely magical space travel, with no need for rockets or spaceships.

They also discussed how their non-magical government was very interested in learning how to develop as fast as Kazakhstan. When the Magical Ministry told them about how it was done, they demanded the same be done in China, and that the economy of China should overtake that of its neighbors.

Our last visit was to Starfleet India. They described how they calmed non-magical conflicts in their region. For economic development, in consultation with their non-magical governments, they concentrated on helping them with infrastructure. With magical help, they were providing good mobile phone networks and internet connectivity. Another area was energy production, which was supposedly using Soviet fusion reactors, but were actually powered by magic. They developed locally made electrical motor scooters and three wheeled vehicles.

For Starfleet research, Starfleet India was concentrating on magical combat in space. They were finding esoteric magics that could provide methods of overcoming alien technologies. They took the list that I gave Starfleet of future technologies, and looked for ways to counter all of those that might be used in combat, using magic.

They presentation showed an enemy with phasers and photon torpedoes with no way to aim at Starfleet ships, who then wore down the enemies shields with hit and run attacks. They then showed the enemy trying wide area attacks, and still not being able to hit the Starfleet ships.