Chapter 19:

Starfleet continued to develop weapons systems. They were given hints that potential extra-terrestrials could be able to travel faster than light, even though that was still regarded as impossible.

The US branch, at Research Base 2, in San Francisco, found a US program that was abandoned only a few months earlier, called brilliant pebbles. The idea was to many small rockets, each with weights of between 5 and 100 pounds at high velocity directly at targets. Magic could make these undetectable to targets, and therefore prevent countermeasures. Magic could also be used to accelerate these rockets, making them even more effective.

Research and Development Director, Vadim Morozov, addressed the ICW, "Greetings. I have proposal for you to accelerate development. First I will explain context.

One of the United States technologies researched, but not developed, mostly in 1980's, is the X-Ray laser beam weapon. They call it Project Excalibur, which I think is very fitting name. It is powered by a nuclear explosion and fires many beams to destroy space objects, before mechanism itself is destroyed in the explosion. Computers aim the different beams.

Problem for us, is that nuclear weapons and nuclear explosions are monitored by non-magical governments. Even if tested under Indian Ocean, detection still possible due to measurement of resultant minor earthquake. Weapons themselves and material for such weapons closely monitored by non-magical governments.

Here is proposal. Kazakhstan become what West call Rogue State. Instead of continuing agreement for Kazakhstan to give up its nuclear weapons to Russia, it keeps them. It can even test them openly in its own territory.

In exchange, magic used to help Kazakhstan economy. Agricultural potential is immense if water could reach needed places at needed times. Other ways to help. Mineral production, especially petroleum, can be improved with magic.

We hide magic from spy satellites. We prevent human spies from working in Kazakhstan. We provide cover story always repeating phrase, Soviet Science. Story is that Soviet Science was very advanced, but held back by mismanagement of society and economy. Under enlightened rule of Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan has unleashed these abilities. Become magnet for technical personnel from rest of former Soviet Union.

With cooperation of government, areas of help can become secret. Population is used to military secrets. Western expectation that we will have investigative press and western style society does not need to come to pass.

If, some time in future, Statute of Secrecy is relaxed, we will have model society, Kazakhstan to point to as example of what can be done when magic and non-magic work together."

The debate was loud. "Muggles will expect us to solve their every problem.", many other arguments from when the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. The responses included, "Wizarding governments are already allowed to cooperate with their non-magical government." "All non-magicals in contact with magic will be magically prevented from telling others."

Surprisingly the plan was actually passed, after stringent precautions were agreed to not breach the Statute of Secrecy.

When Luna and I heard about this, we became very uneasy. This resembled a little too closely Star Trek canon. In that canon, the augments, after ruling 40 countries, eventually were defeated and killed or exiled from the planet.

At a meeting of the Advanced Study Group, Dumbledore handed out a paper and said "More events that are relevant to our plans are now appearing in the muggle press. You should especially pay attention to the new nation of Kazakhstan. Here is a copy of the Times of London."

Hermione started saying in a voice that appeared to be imitating someone else,

"The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country.

The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country.

The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country.

The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country.

The Financial Times is read by people who own the country.

The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country.

The Daily Telegraph is ready by people who think it is."

We all stared at her blankly. She looked up and said, "What? No-one here watched Yes, Prime Minister?"

Dumbledore appeared amused and said, "Be that as it may, Miss Granger, does my choice of newspaper meet with your approval?" She quietly nodded yes.

The Hogwarts library started keeping recent issues, along with a sign, "This is a muggle newspaper. Here are instruction on how to use a cleaning charm. After handling this newspaper, you'll find ink stains on your hands. You will clean them, before handling other material in the library. See the librarian for assistance, or ask an older student to help you, if needed."

I did at least skim through the paper in the months that followed. Kazakhstan seized control over the space assets in its territory, while saying they will fully cooperate with Russia's use of it for its own launches. They also announced that they would launch satellites for the world at a lower cost than others.

There was an article about how some of the nuclear bombs that were in Ukraine, went missing, but that Kazakhstan announced that they were in good hands, and nothing for anyone to worry about. Kazakhstan also publicly demonstrated a system to intercept missiles headed for Kazakhstan, using a nuclear explosion releasing laser beams.

At a later meeting of the ICW, Vadim Morozov explained, "We start defending Earth, in believable non-magic way. Kazakhstan is crazy republic with paranoia of alien invasions. It goes beyond ideas and with only 17 million people, actually builds space shield."

During winter break, the Picards and Lovegoods took turns staying at each other's places, and also went to some balls and Christmas visits. I noticed that the 10 of us who were publicly identified as being members of the Advanced Study Group were invited to more of these than our families were before that.

We were at the Lovegood house, having brunch, when Xenophilius was saying, and I'm not sure if he was joking or not, "Next time you meet Sirius Black, you can mention Stubby Boardman where he can overhear. Or perhaps, play music from the Hobgoblins, and see his reaction. You do note that their first and last names start with the same letter, and they do look alike."

I said, "You clearly aren't going to publish that. In canon you did, to try to help Sirius."

Luna added, "Of course you aren't going to publish that, while a Ravenclaw looks for knowledge, we don't just disclose it without looking at consequences. While it seems highly unlikely, even if Sirius Black did have a secret history of being a music star, that is his private business, that the public does not need to know."

Xenophilius laughed and said, "Obviously that was a joke, and I do not plan to annoy him. I am curious if it is true, though."

After the winter break, Hermione did her presentation on the World Wide Web. "I'm showing you a live demonstration of the World Wide Web, using a communications mirror. Universities, some companies, and increasing number of people, provide access to information. Our local university, has created a way to find information on the web, called JumpStation. You enter a search term, it it finds websites using that term.

Next, we'll look at a coffee pot, and that will be much more significant to our future than anything else. At the University of Cambridge, there is a coffee pot. You can see it, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is just the start of what will become much more popular. If anything happened in that live view, people all over the world would see it, before obliviators could even begin to try to figure out who saw it. This is what will endanger the Statute of Secrecy."

I remembered the coffee pot, but not JumpStation. Were there butterflies?

I added, "Within 3 years, there will be live traffic cameras, viewable on the web."

More changes happened at Hogwarts. Damocles Belby started mid-year to take over teaching years 1 through 5 in potions. He was the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion, which controls some of the symptoms of being a werewolf. His nephew, Marcus Belby was in fourth year in Ravenclaw. There was speculation that by next year, Snape might leave Hogwarts altogether.

A new procedure was setup to test out of any class, to take a more advanced class, or to take electives that normally have pre-requisites. In addition, OWL and NEWT tests could be attempted before the proper year, and could be taken again later if one was not satisfied with the result.

A new elective, taught by Andromeda Tonks was started, Wizarding Culture. It is the counterpart of the Muggle Studies class. Wizarding Culture helps non-magically raised students to learn about all aspects of Wizarding culture. It is open to all years.

Dueling club became more popular than ever, and several of the Slytherins were highly advanced, as were the members of the Advanced Study Group. Professor Flitwick was putting together a Hogwarts team to compete against other schools.

The members of the Advanced Study Group started publishing in the public Advanced Study Class. Colin Creevey invented a modern flash for magical cameras. He already did invent it for his proof of concept of the magic rifle, but this one was completely separate from that test. His flash was very different than the non-magical flashes, since magical photos continue for a couple of seconds.

Hermione started publishing a basic calculator, with segmented numbers, buttons, and the addition function to start with. She expects by next year to have a full functioning calculator working.

As the spring term started to reach its end, the question of what will happen to Remus Lupin was the school gossip. Dumbledore believed that the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was removed. Many students already thought that he was a werewolf. On the other hand, many of the students falsely believed that Snape was a vampire. After careful consultation, including with Minister Bones, it was decided to reveal that he is a werewolf.

The Daily Prophet helped with a set of educational articles about how and when werewolves were infectious, and how wolfsbane potion keeps the condition under control. It was also shown, how Lupin had a secure cage where he stayed during each full moon.

There were a few parents upset at knowing that Lupin was a werewolf. Headmaster Dumbledore told them that they can hire their own tutor for Defense Against the Dark Arts if they choose to, but Lupin stays.

The Deputy Auror program graduated its initial classes. There was a palpable sense of a public ready to handle challenges and threats, and not wait for the Ministry. Even small scale angry exchanges in public were being calmed by local bystanders. By tradition, duels were still a recourse, but bystanders made sure that they were conducted fairly, and safely towards non-participants.

The only downside, was that many reports came in of suspected possession, all of which were false. The public was not going to just stand by if Voldemort came back. Those who would agree with his purported views, were influenced by knowing that he himself was not a pureblood. That faction, actually supported Starfleet, since they hoped that the muggleborns would move to Kazakhstan and America for jobs in that program, and leave Britain to those who want a traditional pureblood society.

Harry Potter was looking forward to his official auror training that would begin just after the Hogwarts term ends. He was intensively training in advance to not let down Mad-eye Moody.