A Bend in Time

Studying the delegation Idris Shafiq sees several hands go up in opposition to the proposal including that of Jack Steward. That vote in particular came as a surprise to many delegates as Jack Steward was a progressive. Yet Jack Steward felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, guilt and shame. In the end, he could not bring himself to meet the unflinching gaze of Chepi.

Seeing that no hands go further up, Idris Shafiq says, "It is duly recorded that there are 11 objections made in opposition of the motion. The majority of the Confederation has voted in favor. The motion passes," he firmly declared, before nodding in the direction of the Supreme Mugwump.

With a twinkle in his eye, the Supreme Mugwump Albus Dumbledore proudly clasps the hand of Master Marwah and welcomes him as an honorary member of the International Confederation of Wizardry. Vaibhav Marwah is slightly dazed in disbelief as he sits back down. The only one taking it in stride is Shesha, who ignores the nosey wizards and witches.

In his seat, Hagrid lets out a sigh of relief. He was getting rather nervous there for a bit. Yet as always, Professor Dumbledore knew best!

"I profusely thank the confederation for considering and passing my recommendation," Albus said, before turning to Minister Jenkins, who remains standing along with her three guests. "Thank you for your patience, Minister Jenkins, and companions."

"Minister Jenkins needs no further introduction," Albus winked at the stout witch.

The delegation returns their attention to the Minister of Magic Eugenia Jenkins and her three companions. The female appears human, a squib, no doubt. The second companion is a goblin. Yet the third is a rather large, burly male. Another squib? It was hard to tell at a distance.

"Minister Jenkins is accompanied by Ragnok Gringotts, a representative of Gringotts Bank, and the goblin nation who provide logistics as part of the alliance."

The eyes of the delegation acutely take in the form of the diminutive goblin, the heir, and grandson of Grok Gringotts (the King of Goblins). Ragnok showed no signs of nervousness at the countless stares. He cocked his pointy-eared head and flashed them a confident smile that revealed sharp goblin teeth, while unconsciously flexing longer fingers with perfectly trimmed fingernails.

 "Miss Annis Black, a representative of the Hags, and who is an active service member of the alliance."

Quite a few pointed glances are redirected at the two Black descendants serving as delegates, Sieger Black & Harfang Longbottom. Sieger remains composed and shows no trace of surprise. Then again, the main family residing in the isles had been quite clear on what was expected out of him as a member of a collateral branch.

The elderly wizard with nearly blond hair glowers at anyone who happens to catch his piercing gray eyes. The tactic of Harfang Longbottom proved effective as curious gazes were hastily averted and returned to the plain figure of Annis Black. Folding his arms, Harfang Longbottom curses in French muttering something about "noisy tossers."

"Lastly, Gerrad Troels, a talented troll contractor and trainer at Gringotts Bank, and a member of the alliance," Albus paused dramatically, "and the representative of the trolls."

There is a burst of whispers as every member of the delegation takes a closer look at the hulking figure. Upon closer observations, there are numerous indications as to Gerrad Troels parentage such as a pair of small horns that peek out between his uncut bangs. 

"Minister Jenkins and I have determined it is necessary for the delegation to be made aware of the valor, courage, and contribution the parties have made in the war," Albus purposefully paused. "There will be more than ample time to address any further inquiry from the delegation."

Albus Dumbledore ignored the darkened expressions on the faces of several members of the delegation. Not at all perturbed, he smoothly continues, "Yet in the prudence of time, we shall continue with the agenda. If the federation has no objection," Albus Dumbledore subtly indicated to the three companions of Minister Jenkins to sit down at the staff table. "I shall most readily turn over the time to the Minister of Magic, Eugenia Jenkins to address the confederation."

Albus sits down as only Annis Black joins the staff table, while Gerrad Troels and Ragnok Gringotts remain standing at the side of Minister Jenkins.

The speaker of the confederation, Idris Shafiq rose to his feet. "Are there any objections to the proposal of the Supreme Mugwump to permit Minister Jenkins to address the delegation?"

Glancing at Idris Shafiq does not see or hear any objection or protest. "It is duly recorded that no objections have been voiced by the federation," he firmly declared. Turning toward the stout witch, he nods his head at her. "Minister Jenkins, the floor is yours."

The Minister of Magic Eugenia Jenkins stiffly takes the floor. She was nervous and it showed in her stiffness. How could she not be when she stood in front of some of the most influential and powerful witches and wizards in the entire world!

Unclenching her jaw, Minister Jenkins forces her face to relax as her hands tighten into fists hidden from view in her robe sleeves. "I am beyond honored and humbled at the opportunity to address the International Confederation of Wizardry. Few outsiders in history have ever been permitted to speak and come before the Confederation and for that, I express my profound gratitude," she deeply bowed to all the delegation earning dozens of head nods and a gram of respect from even from the most stanch members.

Minister Jenkins knew she could not simply enter into battle unprepared, she needed to catch her opponent off guard. Pulling a set of items out of her pocket, Minister Jenkins quickly enlarges them one by one. She hands a rather large item to Gerrad and a small palm-sized artifact to Ragnok.

The members of the delegation curiously peer at the artifacts being held up. The first looks like a large square mirror with small musical organ-like pipes sticking out from the back of the mirror. There are various metal buttons on the mirror. A triangle pointing up and an upside triangle pointing down. There is a circle radius knob that can turn a full circle and more knobs with various unknown functions.

The other is a ball-sized foldable compact mirror with a small horn resembling that of a gramophone sticking out like an ear on top and another on the bottom. The bottom half where the makeup power would typically go instead has crystal buttons strangely arranged from zero to nine starting from the bottom with two additional symbols next to the zero. The first is a symbol that looks like a child muggle game called tick-tack-toe and the second looks like a star of sorts.

 The smaller version of the compact mirror is held in the hand of Ragnok. The last items are carefully set down by Minister Jenkins on the floor. Much like the first item, it is a mirror with a set of small musical pipes coming out of the back. Yet unlike the first item, the back of the mirror is thick and bulky like a cube which sits onto another strange bulky cube.

Attached is an odd crystal tray with three sections of crystal buttons. One section of crystal buttons is in runes, the second section in alphabet letters, and numerical symbols, and the third section is filled with archaic magic symbols. A flat-round mouse with big, crystal eyes and a pearl for a nose is connected to a copper chain that connects to the bottom square cube upon which the bulky mirror sits.

"As promised with the aid of our Mugquibs, squibs, and brilliant witches and wizards, the British Ministry of Magic is proud to present the collaborative effort and announce the successful completion of the Automatic Data Processing, Magical Brain, and Wizarding Link. They are officially online," Minister Jenkins loudly declared.

The delegation doesn't visibly react as many of the older generation simply fail to understand or comprehend the announcement. Though the younger generation of wizards and witches perk up at the news. They had been closely following the announcement of the creation of magical artifacts in the Isles.

One such figure is a fair witch with flax-colored hair, steely robes, and a confident demeanor since she wore a vest, trousers, and dragonhide boots under her robes. Cedella Reid was a half-blood raised solely by her muggle-born mother after her wizard father abandoned them for his pureblood mistress. Yet unlike most of her older and wiser counterparts, she was acutely aware of the technological advances in muggle society.

It was the primary reason Cedella Reid, a member of the delegation and representative of the Magical Congress of the United States had come to the Isles. MACUSA has come a long way since its founding day. Yet unlike much of the Western world, there was no active cooperation between the No-Maj government and MACUSA.

However, unlike her fellow American wizards and witches, Cedella Reid feared that it in the future it would be impossible to hide the existence of wizards and witches from the No-Maj. The Headquarters of MACUSA have been moved at least five times since its inception. Moreover, since then there have been several close calls.

Unfortunately, her fears were not unfounded. A childhood friend, a squib who grew up in the same neighborhood had joined the military. He often spoke of satellites which could take photographs from hundreds of miles up in the sky. He even implied the limitless future of muggle technological advances.

Cedella Reid's fears were further fueled by the scandal of Watergate. The implications of the scandal also applied to witches and wizards. Magic could confuse a No-Maj, yet it would prove useless against a machine. A signal photo taken by a No-Maj photo camera or video recorder is all that it would take for the No-Maj to begin to suspect the existence of wizardkind.

She had attempted on multiple occasions to speak of her vehement fears to fellow senate members only to be severely reprimanded and told to desist lest adverse actions be taken against her. Magic had a limit and was far from omnipotent. Something which her fellow senate members absolutely refused to admit nor conceive the idea that magic is fallible in the face of the No-Maj technology.