After the International Statute of Secrecy was enacted, the entire wizarding world began to hide itself. Though wizards shared the same space and time as Muggles, they used all sorts of wondrous magic to keep themselves unnoticed.
The Ministries of Magic in various countries, for instance, were built either underground or out in the countryside.
To anyone without magic, Hogwarts looked like a stretch of wasteland. Even a satellite passing overhead would see nothing more than a vast bank of clouds.
Then there were wizarding commercial centers built amid bustling Muggle districts, such as Diagon Alley in England and Lionheart Street in France.
To conceal them more effectively, large quantities of complex magic were generally put in place, even forming small concealment barriers.
Anyone wishing to enter had to use a designated entrance, or repeatedly bombard a fixed point with extremely powerful magic until they reached the threshold needed to break the barrier.
The second method was naturally beyond ordinary wizards.
In the French wizarding world, the recent demonstrations had become a daily occurrence, and the economy had slumped considerably.
Today, ordinary wizards had once again marched through the streets, shouting their demands and leaving a mess behind them.
They were just preparing to demonstrate outside the Ministry of Magic before heading home.
But suddenly, a series of pounding crashes came from the sky, like someone hammering on a door at countless times the normal volume. The noise gradually became deafening.
The wizards stopped and looked up blankly at the sky, which had begun to flicker incessantly.
Amid the pounding, the normally transparent barrier became visible, resembling an enormous overturned bowl.
The sun was setting, hanging low at the edge of the sky, and its light became much grayer after passing through the barrier.
The sun itself seemed to begin