Chapter 25:

I had another advisory meeting. Draco asked if he could help at this stage. I and Khan accepted to have Draco's group discuss strategy for the next steps.

Draco, his betrothed Daphne, Harry Potter and everyone assumes his eventual fiance Hermione, Tracy Davis, and Jonathan Pike met with me and Khan. I noted that Pike, in Draco's year in Slytherin, was in a Harry Potter movie, but not books, and was never given a first name. His main appearance, besides being seen in Draco's classes, was being in Draco's group in Hogsmeade when Harry Potter attacked Draco while wearing his invisibility cloak. He was also there when Hermione effectively using a muggle punching attack against Draco. Rather than holding these alternative timeline actions against them, they impressed me with their resourcefulness and initiative.

Before the meeting, I privately greeted Draco and Daphne. She joked, "Ice Princess or executed as an enemy of the state."

I answered, "I see you found a title for yourself. Very well. As Khan would say, it is a title to be earned, to be seized, not to be bestowed upon you."

Daphne answered, "The other possibility also exists. If that should happen I want to earn it, not just stand by and watch if you bollix things up."

Draco was trying to keep from laughing. He knew that Daphne was allowed to be disrespectful, but only in private.

When we started our meeting, Hermione showed an image of a piece of paper so we could all see and said, "First I want to assure everyone that information security protocols have been followed. I prepared this document on the secure computer at Malfoy manor. It has no network connection, and no information leaves it, only printed paper, which is itself handled securely.

I wrote out an analysis of the overlapping systems that we face.

1. The only important objective is the USA. Changing the allegiance of allies will not end the Cold War.

2. These are the aspects of winning over the USA: its non-magical people, its non-magical government, its magical ministry called MACUSA, and its population of witches and wizards.

3. Force and mind control are off the table. That leaves persuasion, bargaining, and bribery."

Draco interrupted and said in a joking tone, "I am shocked, shocked I say, to hear Lady Dagworth-Granger advocating lawless actions."

Hermione grinned and continued, "Persuasion can be aimed at the top level of leadership, or can be aimed at the population at large to create a groundswell of support.

For the non-magical population, it should be noted that President Clinton recently won re-election for a 4 year term of office, so directly influencing of the electorate would not have an immediate effect at this time."

Pike's turn was next, "We have been shown a seer's vision of a future in space. Possibly even of my own descendant being a ship's captain in that future.

That future shows that we will need a combined effort once we get to space and start meeting alien civilizations. It would not do for two different space forces to each try to conduct diplomacy.

The resolution of the present challenges should encompass a view of what we will need for the following challenges.

As for the present challenge, MACUSA should be able to see that they will not win over the TA and therefore the only path to unity is for MACUSA joining the TA."

Daphne said, "The question is on what terms and how to get there. Another part of that future shows that once wars begins between magical regions, non-magicals go on a witch hunt with atomic bombs. Due to making use of this view of the future, the conditions are already far different than the same future earlier seen.

However, the same basic risk can still occur. Once large scale war starts, it would inevitably include combined magical and non-magical forces, and that war won't stop easily. It would be beyond our control to direct where that war would go.

Another factor that must be planned for is that the discovery of the magical community by non-magicals is inevitable. I say magical community rather than magic, due to the almost certainty that once magic will be known by non-magicals, discovery of the magical community would also become known.

While our plan is to for magicals to be known as people with skills. Is that sufficient? What happens when they discover that many of their memories have been erased, and that not just knowledge of magic, but serious crimes against them have been removed from their memories?"

Tracey Davis said, "I do not think that justifying ourselves will work. They'll focus on what we did, not why. I would frequently talk about numbers and crimes of non-magical regimes during the 20th century. Show that while mistakes were made, or at least objectionable actions had occurred, they were of a far smaller scale than that of the non-magicals."

Harry Potter said, "My non-magical relatives might unfortunately be representative of some. They are unrelentingly hostile to magic. I think that what has been done already is a good idea, which is to take away their toys: their nukes and biolabs. Then direct their society in good directions.

Even if we could reason with some of their leaders today, what about tomorrow? Can we even deliver aid at the scale that we promise? What happens when they decide we did not?

However, while I sound hostile to non-magicals, I am not. I want to improve their lives and their societies, just as I want to improve magical society's. There is much to improve in both."

Draco said, "There is an implication that revealing magic will be a necessary part of dealing with MACUSA, whether on our part or on their part. We should try to determine if that will help our goals or hurt our goals, before just accepting that magic will be revealed."

Khan said, "I am most impressed by your perspectives. Draco, you have put together a most extraordinary group of advisers. I now have confidence in the next generation carrying out our mission.

We will give you a world to rule. Your generation and the ones after you will bring the people of our planet into space and ensure a glorious future for humanity there.

We rule for them, not for ourselves. Yes, we might accept a little glory here and there and accept some luxuries befitting our roles. Our mission is to raise up our people! To let them reach their potential! To push them to reach their potential. To safeguard them from danger, from internal strife.

Now, for me to add to the discussion.

It is not enough to provide inexpensive goods, magical and non-magical to various countries. We must give purpose. Make them want to join something bigger than themselves."

I replied, "Looking at it in cold economic terms, I agree that cheap imports is not going to win them over. Remunerative employment for both magicals and non-magicals is required. For countries with good technology invention abilities, only a small portion of them are involved in that field. The rest of the population also needs a purpose.

Looking at it in emotional terms. You have an extraordinary ability in inspiring people to follow you. Therefore I agree that you should use that ability to the greatest extent you can, to both populations."

Khan said, "From the fragmentary information available in Star Trek Canon about this period, it would seem that my lacking that led to my downfall was in not stopping other ambitious people from trying to take over my role. Yes, we have been careful with Gaddafi, but as you can see with Lewis, my abilities are not unique. That belief in the possibility of challenging me led to war between magically run nations."

I answered, "It could have even been Lewis that you fought against in the original Canon. While we know that the later time modified Canon where you were born and had more or less the same role decades later will not happen, I learned that Star Trek Canon seeks to establish itself. So the events in that timeline might still be relevant even if they might happen decades earlier than in that timeline."

Daphne said, "Sense of inevitable victory. That is how we achieve victory. Convince the leaders of MACUSA and the non-magical US government of that, rather than how our rule would be better than their independence."

I said, "Their independence goes back over 200 years. One of the leaders of that war to establish their independence from England, John Adams said,

I must study Politics and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematics and Philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Music, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelain.

That statement could seem to fit our own goals, although perhaps for your children's generation, since I think you also will be studying politics and war.

In a larger sense, the US feels that their independence and what they call freedom is a birth right. They also are used to being the largest economy and military in the world."

Harry Potter, "What about making them think they are the center of the world, but only in appearance? Call it an agreement. You said that we should use Star Trek terms and that the universe itself will tend to assert the Star Trek canon. Have the headquarters of United Earth be in San Francisco. Put Starfleet Academy there also.

Use your actual control over people and those who vote, to acclaim Khan Singh as the President of United Earth. Have Lucius Malfoy head Section 31 to keep everything in line."

Khan said, "Brilliant. I think we can start to put together a plan."

Going around the room, we all agreed and set another planning meeting to develop a detailed plan.