At the center, several chairs for the presiding councilors of the International Confederation of Wizards stood on a square dais.
Dumbledore, Babajide Akingbade, and the other officials of the Confederation sat there.
They had changed into white robes with green trim and deep V-necks, wore tall pointed hats, and had Orders of Merlin on green ribbons pinned to their chests.
In all fairness, green was a color rich with symbolism of honor in the wizarding world.
Earning an Order of Merlin of the Second Class or higher and mastering the Patronus Charm were the basic requirements for becoming a senior councilor of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Ten minutes earlier.
Staff members politely guided the national delegates to their seats.
The delegations already seated wore varying expressions.
Some were frantic, such as the people from Russia and America, who had gathered around their respective female ministers and cast Muffliato.
They argued nervously, seemingly unable to settle on a sound strategy.
Even more anxious than they were was the French Minister, who kept moving among the other ministers, trying to persuade them to pressure the Confederation and lodge a protest against England.
Judging by appearances, however, he had little success.
Others remained perfectly composed, such as the delegates from certain Eastern European and Northern European countries, who looked as though they were merely there on vacation.
Even more Ministry of Magic delegations simply glanced around, looking indifferent and ready to follow the crowd.
On the dais, the Old Beekeeper was his usual self. He could never get enough sweets and kept fishing all sorts of candy out of his robes.
His smiling eyes remained fixed on the Polish delegation, where an old man was twisting a Rubik's Cube with a troubled expression.
The Rubik's Cube was clearly an advanced alchemical creation,