Chapter 278

"Does the Statute of Secrecy allow it?" Harry questioned dissatisfiedly.

"The Statute of Secrecy allows wizards to survive in the Muggle world, and have their own Muggle occupations and Muggle identities." Lupin explained. "The Minister of Magic can naturally do this, but his Muggle occupation happens to be the national leader."

"This naturally has benefits, wizards' lives can be easily improved, this is very obvious." Sirius Black sipped lemonade. "The only problem is, doing so will inevitably cause the Statute of Secrecy to collapse."

"But what has the Statute of Secrecy brought to wizards?" Harry said. "I don't feel this has any use."

"The Statute of Secrecy protects wizards." Sirius Black raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly.

"However, I don't feel wizards are weaker than Muggles." Harry raised his own point of view suspiciously. "Wizards can learn and apply those Muggle knowledge, but Muggles will never learn magic."

"You are very right, but there are many Muggles." Sirius Black revealed a serious expression rarely seen in front of Harry. "They can't learn magic, so they will fear wizards, persecute wizards, just like in the Middle Ages."

"But wizards have many ways to ensure they are not killed by Muggles." Harry remembered some descriptions in the textbook. "And some people are happy to go to the stake."

"Of course, wizards can deal with Muggle searches and pursuits countless times, but can you guarantee that you will never make a mistake?" Sirius Black put down his knife and fork and looked at Harry very seriously. "And taking a step back, even if you think you can deal with all hostility with a high level of magic, are you really willing to live that kind of life?"

But I can hide, not let Muggles find me, Harry was just about to say this sentence, and suddenly realized: this is what wizards are doing.

"Coincidentally, in the eyes of Muggles, the Statute of Secrecy protects them." Lupin said. "If wizards start slaughtering Muggles without a bottom line, using the Imperius Curse to control national leaders, and provoking wars, this is also unacceptable to them."

"Saying so is also right, so, in fact, between wizards and Muggles formed a kind of—" Harry didn't know how to describe it.

"Deterrence peace." Lupin prompted.

"Yes, it's this." Harry nodded. He knew that because the United States and the Soviet Union each mastered nuclear weapons, they also reached this kind of deterrence peace.

"And the Statute of Secrecy is a great invention." Lupin concluded. "It fairly and cleverly divides the interests of wizards and Muggles, letting us each get what we need. If it weren't for it, the Wizarding World and the Muggle World might also have started a cold war."

"This is why we oppose Voldemort, or the story from earlier, people oppose Grindelwald." Tonks added. "This world cannot afford a war between wizards and Muggles."

"However, from this perspective, sharing a leader is not a bad thing." Harry said. "Wizards and Muggles will be more united instead."

"That's because they are still in the honeymoon period of cooperation. Once the honeymoon period is over, who knows what will happen?" Sirius Black said worriedly.

This was also a headache-inducing topic, so they started talking about school life. Coincidentally, Harry really had a lot to say on this topic.

After lunch, Sirius Black took Harry and walked toward the outside of the house. With the continuous advancement of the wall-building plan, the range covered by the anti-Apparition ward became wider and wider, and inadvertently, this provided him and Harry with a quite long period of time alone.

"Lupin said so because Aliya intends to use werewolves as a minority ethnic group in Albania and let werewolves support him in the Muggle political arena." Sirius Black said with some worry. "The canned food order is a transaction."

"This is not bad either, anyway, they don't have any demands in the Muggle world." Harry didn't realize the problem.

"Yes, of course it is, but if every leader who tries to engage in a multi-party system starts to invite wizards to stand for him." Sirius Black shook his head. "Then the collapse of the Statute of Secrecy is only a matter of time."

"Perhaps the Statute of Secrecy should make some changes, not allowing wizards to have political identities in the Muggle world." Harry suggested.

"Do you think this is an easy thing to achieve?" Sirius Black sighed. "Forget it, let's handle the things at hand first, prepare to drink medicine."

They apparated to Sirius Black's office, Harry drank the Polyjuice Potion, then checked his attire again, and then went to Malfoy Manor through the fireplace there.

When Harry walked toward the long table as Hoffa, he saw an unexpected figure: it was that White House agent named William.

"Welcome, Hoffa." Lu Xiusi said. "You don't come often, Regulus said you were busy looking for Horcruxes."

"Yes, I encountered some bottlenecks." Harry said vaguely. "Coincidentally came here to find some inspiration."

"Please sit down." Lu Xiusi showed an elegant smile, and then moved his gaze away just right.

"Why have I never seen this person?" William said to Lu Xiusi, seemingly in a low voice, but in fact his volume was enough for everyone to hear clearly. "Can anyone sit at this table?"

"Hoffa holds a Horcrux, which is enough to show the Dark Lord's trust in him." Lu Xiusi explained.

"But how can you be sure that he really has a Horcrux?" William questioned with bad intentions. "I can also say I have a Horcrux."

"He should be carrying the Horcrux on his body." Lu Xiusi looked directly at Harry and said slowly. "My Dark Mark can sense it."

Harry nodded secretly. He just noticed that the Dark Mark had this function. Unfortunately, Sirius Black didn't go to plant this mark, and Snape was too busy to explore the private property of the Lestrange family one by one.

"Well, that counts as good news: Hoffa indeed has a Horcrux." William rounded off his words. "Then the biggest problem is left with the ring in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Will the White House support us in going to war?" Bellatrix asked in an expectant tone.

"Please forgive me, it is impossible for us to send Aurors from the Magical Congress to do these things, and a few agents may not play any decisive role." William said after deliberation. "But you have to believe that the White House is quite hoping to help you collect Horcruxes and resurrect the Dark Lord."

Harry looked at William with suspicious eyes. He felt that this person might have bad intentions. But thinking seriously, helping Britain rebuild deterrence and maintaining the European balance, doing so is in the interest of the White House. Moreover, it is easy for interested people to know that Harry has a considerable pro-Soviet tendency, so the Magical Congress making this decision is reasonable.

"Then, what is the plan?" Lu Xiusi asked.

"We originally intended to buy off some members of the Order of the Phoenix, but failed." William said. "They claim to be an army of justice, so they are very firm."

"So, my assumption is, first of all, to smear Deng Buliduo and dissolve his justice." William showed an evil smile. "If Deng Buliduo is not fighting against the Dark Lord for so-called justice, but simply, two powerful wizards are fighting for the leadership of Britain, then the Order of the Phoenix is no longer a noble organization, they are simply acting as Deng Buliduo's subordinates and thugs. In this way, wanting to buy off the people in it will be easier."

"Great assumption, but according to your statement, is it pre-set that we are unjust?" Sirius Black questioned seriously.

"Come on, Regulus." Lu Xiusi sneered. "Cheat the subordinates, don't cheat yourself."

"I just feel that since everyone at the table is our own people, there is no need to emphasize those hypocritical lies." William shrugged. "What we need to do first now is to find Deng Buliduo's weakness, the places where he is immoral in doing things, and then publish articles in newspapers."

"This is difficult." Snape opened his mouth. "Even if we all feel he is a hypocrite, we have to admit that his disguise is perfect."

"As far as I know, Deng Buliduo never married a wife in his life, right?" Antonin suddenly said.

"This is very normal, a wizard puts his energy into studying magic, so he has no time to develop feelings." Snape's tone was full of oppression. "Do you think there is anything worth questioning about this point?"

"I mean, we can seize this point to spread rumors about him." Antonin's tone was a bit unnatural. "For example, he, yes, he is so keen on the position of headmaster of Hogwarts, perhaps he is a pedophile?"

"You better be talking about Deng Buliduo." Snape drew his wand.

"Antonin, get out." Lu Xiusi said coldly. "Those without Horcruxes are not qualified to listen to the content behind."

This order seemed to be an expulsion, but judging from Snape's face, perhaps Lu Xiusi was saving his life.

"My original assumption was that we could direct a farce." William hurriedly turned the topic to other aspects. "Find a bunch of strippers, all of whom claim to have Deng Buliduo's illegitimate children. We all know that Deng Buliduo was also a quite wealthy person before he died, so doing this won't arouse everyone's suspicion."

"Great assumption, although it can be clarified in the end that they are all liars." Lu Xiusi showed a very interested expression. "But the public will definitely think that at least they have had a relationship with Deng Buliduo—then Deng Buliduo's image as a gentleman might collapse."

"In fact, we have another assumption." William tapped the table. "You may not know, in a top-secret file of the Magical Congress, I found such a name: Aurelius Deng Buliduo."