An Account to the Wizarding World

"—With the strong support of the British and German Ministries of Magic, Vice President Vip Draegen of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Mr. Bana Gerson of Gringotts Headquarters, this evil organization, which had parasitized the European wizarding world for years and committed countless crimes, has finally been destroyed. For the innocent Muggles who lost their lives, I sincerely suggest that we observe three minutes of silence to mourn their misfortune!"

Silence reigned. A mournful air descended over the reception hall of the British Ministry of Magic.

At the very front of the crowd stood the British and German Ministers for Magic whom Amosta had just mentioned, along with Vip and the old goblin Bana. They, too, remained silent. How much of their complicated, unnatural expressions was truly for the Muggles who had been brutally murdered was difficult to say.

Kingsley stood behind Amelia. Even with his head bowed, his tall frame still towered over the surrounding wizards. His gaze swept across the room, and he felt momentarily dazed. As he remembered it, the last time the reception hall had been packed with so many reporters seemed to have been the press conference after Amosta had taken down the Werewolf Greyback.

Suddenly, Kingsley's gaze narrowed and settled on Dolores Umbridge, standing to the right front in a pink business suit. The concealed chill in the Senior Undersecretary's eyes made his heart tense.

The moment the three minutes ended, the reception hall, which had been so quiet one could hear a pin drop, erupted like it had been struck by a bomb. A roar of noise exploded, and flashing camera lights instantly filled Amosta's entire field of vision.

When the reporters realized they could not break through the Hit Wizards guarding the platform, they began shouting at the top of their