North American Magical Congress

On the morning of 18 November, Ivan briefly packed his bags and left Hogwarts alone through the fireplace to go to the agreed-upon location.

When they arrived at their destination, Ivan saw no sign of Piers, but Percy, Dawlish, and the Aurors guarding the place were already there.

"Where's Minister Pearce? Why isn't he here yet?" Ivan asked curiously.

Dawlish opened his mouth to reply, but Percy Weasley spoke first, speaking in an officious tone. "Mr. Minister has important confidential matters that you should not be aware of."

Ivan glanced at Percy Weasley, but didn't say anything as he waited with the others.

Dawlish, on the other hand, was quite frightened, and looked at Percy Weasley with hostility.

About a minute later, Ivan suddenly turned his head to the right, and there was a soft pattering sound, and Pierce appeared out of thin air.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Sir Harls." Pierce stepped forward, looking apologetic. "There was something important that I had to retrieve myself. I didn't think it would be so troublesome, so I was delayed…"

"Is that it?" Yvonne asked, thinking of the key Connor had told her about.

"Um… right!" Pierce mumbled, glancing vaguely at Percy, Dawlish, and the others. He had no intention of explaining himself.

Ivan nodded. He was curious, but seeing Pierce's cautious attitude, he decided to wait until they were alone.

"Now that we're here and there's nothing else, let's get moving," Ivan suggested.

Pierce, of course, had no objections. He lowered his cap and beckoned Dawlish and the others to come with him.

Along the way, Ivan and Pierce talk about recent developments in the British wizarding community.

Despite the fact that the British Isles were considered a haven compared to the chaotic continent of Europe, Grindelwald did not immediately extend his influence to the British Isles, either out of fear or because he was otherwise occupied.

Even so, some of the Ministry's Aurors were found to be interested in Grindelwald's ideas, although they were not exactly his followers, nor had they done anything illegal, and Pierce was troubled by what to do with them.

Should they eliminate the root of the problem and nip it in the bud so that it would not lead the way in the future? Or should they just let them be and wait for the right time to arrest them?

The former was done once and for all, but it was too cruel, and the latter would take up a lot of manpower for nothing.

Ivan pondered for a moment, then suggested that Pierce could start with propaganda, such as having someone impersonate a saint and deliberately stir up trouble, angering the populace so that the bewitched wizards and witches could see Grindelwald for what he was.

You can play it that way? Pierce's eyes lit up. It was like the gateway to a new world. Ivan's shamelessness, oh no, his intelligence was simply beyond his imagination…he could always think of useful, crooked ideas.

"In troubled times, one should use extreme measures. Sometimes, in order to achieve a righteous end, one must resort to underhanded means," Ivan said with a shrug.

Due to the small population, wizards tend to be more down-to-earth than Muggles, a common tactic in Muggle politics.

Ivan didn't like these cheap tricks either, but sometimes the enemy got the better of you if you didn't use them!

Percy, who was standing nearby, was jealous when he saw Ivan chatting happily with Pierce.

He was the most talented wizard in British history and had a bright future ahead of him, so he was naturally appreciated by Minister Pearce. Percy had nothing to say about this.

However, he was extremely unhappy that Ivan did not seem to appreciate Minister Pierce's leniency towards him. Instead, he seemed to be spoiled and arrogant. He even repeatedly refuted Minister Pierce's views. To put it bluntly, he was publicly slapping his leader in the face!

Perceiving that this might be an opportunity for him, Percy boldly intervened, trying to save Pierce's face, and successfully ended the conversation.

Pierce gave Percy an extremely annoyed look. He knew that one of Ivan's friends was Ron Weasley, so he made an exception and brought the Weasley brat with him.

It was a good thing Ivan didn't get angry over such a minor incident, and Pierce didn't want to let a half-wit ruin his good mood along the way, so he didn't throw a fit and send Percy packing. However, he made up his mind that when he returned from North America, he would immediately find a reason to transfer this idiot to cleaning toilets…

Percy, on the other hand, was reveling in the fact that he had managed to save the Minister's face.

… .

Located in the bustling Woolworth Building in downtown New York, the imposing, two-hundred-meter-tall building was home to not only wizards but also well-known Muggle companies.

It was the height of the Muggles' working day when Ivan's party arrived at the front door, and they were greeted by the sight of a large group of well-dressed society's elite bustling in and out of the building, carrying briefcases.

MACUSA was quite creative in opening a separate space in this busy building and placing the entrance in such a prominent location.

Pierce took the lead and stepped into the building. With a tap of his wand, he separated himself from the Muggles surrounding him and entered a deeper and wider space.

"Welcome to North American Magical Headquarters!"

A high-pitched voice sounded in their ears. Ivan looked down and saw a goblin bowing at the foot of the stairs.

"Are you Minister Pearce and Mr. Harls?" the goblin asked, looking down at the list in his hand for confirmation, becoming more deferential at their approval. "If you will follow me, gentlemen!"

Ivan and the others followed the goblin's lead up the stairs into the Great Hall.

The British Minister had personally come to visit, and the North American Magical Congress of America had only sent one goblin to attend to him, which was undoubtedly shabby. However, considering that he had to attend to hundreds of guests, all of whom were leaders and were responsible for security, even if all the Aurors in North America came together, they would probably be overwhelmed…