The helplessness in Griselda Marchbanks's tone went largely unnoticed by the Muggle officials, whose emotions were far too complicated at the moment.
Without realizing it, their thoughts had drifted back to the time when they had first learned of the Paris Region Incident.
Unlike the Muggle leaders who dealt directly with the Ministry of Magic, most of them had known absolutely nothing about the existence of magic at the time.
Even when the Muggle leaders ordered them to use absurd explanations to cover up bizarre accidents, magic had never once occurred to them as a possibility.
Thus, when they learned that wizards could use so-called magic to transfer a nuclear bomb to the moon and render it harmless, the shock had been almost world-shattering.
Especially once they discovered that the person who had accomplished such a feat was actually a young man, their shock became utterly indescribable.
Mixed in with that shock was even a trace of fear.
To them, nuclear bombs were undoubtedly the most destructive weapons in existence, yet magic had neutralized one so easily?
Later, after they had gradually deepened their understanding of magic through various channels, the turbulent waves in their hearts slowly subsided.
At the very least, that knowledge allowed them to reassure themselves that transferring a nuclear bomb to the moon or rendering it harmless must surely require an immensely heavy price.
It was precisely because of that assumption that some things had seemed explainable.
For instance, why had Dumbledore, hailed as "the greatest wizard of the age," never publicly displayed such power again?
After all, only miracles that could not be easily replicated matched their understanding of such mysterious forces.
Now that they were witnessing Wizet undertake "additional question b)," that old shock and fear seemed faintly poised to return.
All they could