章 44: Divided Loyalties
But no, his plans went awry, and young Tom had slipped his grasp. Framing Hagrid for murder he had committed had been unfortunate, but it could have worked to Dumbledore's advantage. But Tom hadn't wanted to mend the fractures Grindelwald's Knights of Walpurgis had made in the global magical communities. Instead, Tom had gone and poured poison into the wounds. Had he managed to take over Magical Britain, Voldemort's next look would have been to the magicals of Europe and beyond, and that wouldn't have done anyone any favors.
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. He'd tried to keep the war as lowkey as possible, preventing as many deaths as he could, but he wasn't omnipotent. Even the Death Stick he wielded had limits. Sure, Tom had been beaten when he went after the Potters, but he hadn't died that night. The sliver of soul in the young Potter's scar confirmed that to him.
The world was changing, and not in a good way. The Americas were a mess, especially Central and South America where the chaos in the muggle world was bleeding into the magical side. And that wasn't even getting into the ridiculousness that'd happened in the MaCUSA! Muggleborn overthrowing the established order and establishing a new government? It was madness!
Europe's magical communities were no better. As Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, he knew far too well how strained relationships were between the various magicals in that region.
Magical Europe could be divided into four factions. The North, aka the Nordic League, which was basically the various Germanic and Slavic speaking countries. They were more Dark leaning, with Durmstrang the main school. They believed in Blood Purity not unlike Magical Britain, and also felt that the old bloodlines should be in charge. Again, not unlike Magical Britain. They'd also driven their native non-human populations out or to the brink of extinction. Where the Nordic League differed from Dumbledore's homeland was the willingness to delve into Dark Arts like sacrificial blood rituals and the raising of the dead. They also hated the muggles, which, to be fair, given what the Communists in Russia had done to their magicals, was completely understandable.
Then there was the more Light leaning France, which even in the magical world was a superpower few individual nations could rival. It led a coalition of the lesser Central and Southern European magical communities with Beauxbatons their central school. The damage they'd suffered at the hands of Grindelwald had turned them away from Blood Purity, and they were much more open and accepting. They'd even begun integrating non-humans into their culture more freely! Giving Wand Rights to Veela and goblins? Insanity! They were as bad as the MaCUSA in that regard! At least Magical France still held that magical lineages were important and to be respected and preserved, unlike the American barbarians!
Thirdly were the Mediterranean States, who had their seat of power in the ancient magical city of Constantinople. And yes, it was still Constantinople among the magicals. Just because some boorish muggles had invaded and renamed it didn't mean wizards and witches would follow along!
Greece, Italy, Egypt and the rest of the ancient centers of civilization in that region of the world had suffered badly over the years. Their power was diminished. Their old authority waned. The last time they'd been relevant on the global stage had been during the Roman Empire! They generally followed the politics of France, favoring openness with their non-humans. But, they did agree with the Nordic League's opinion on muggles. They were to be shunned at best.
Then, last but not least, there were the Isles themselves. Magical Britain and its surroundings. Far too much like the Nordic League with their Blood Purity ideals and dislike of non-humans, but also too similar to France, what with the glut of muggleborn overwhelming the population of magicals and eroding old families' hold on power. Dumbledore despaired. If only he could have struck that delicate balance with Tom! But alas, that was not to be.
And that was just Europe! There were dozens more polities in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Large swathes of the Middle East were still ruled by the Mongol descended Golden Horde, and the Chinese, once one of the mightiest magical states, had become a joke. The Chinese magical community had suffered like the Russians when the Communists had attempted purges. Unlike the mostly unsuccessful ones in Europe and the Americas, the Communists had butchered thousands of magical folk, many of whom died due to collateral damage, or due to squibs in the Communist regimes pointing fingers towards the magicals. Mostly muggleborn and half-bloods had perished, but too many old families had been lost in the chaos.
Africa was unstable as well. The old tribal systems that had worked for generations were crumbling due to shifts in the muggle geopolitics, and too many of the muggleborn had turned their wands onto their non-magical kin, becoming petty warlords in that battle-ravaged continent.
The ICW was a powder keg holding itself together with spit and prayers, and it was primed to blow at the smallest spark. Would the old magical families and clans throw the first punch, who resented the march of time and the changes the muggleborn were bringing to their long-established order, or would it be the muggles, who seemed to be getting smarter and craftier every year? Why, Dumbledore had even heard rumors they were trying to build machines that could fly to the moon! Ridiculous, yes, but if anyone could succeed in that, it'd be the muggles. Given a century or two.
Dumbledore groaned and shook his head. Now wasn't the time to reminisce. He had work to attend to, and Minerva would scold him again if he tried to make her do his share of the paperwork. Again.
As he began to work through the stack of papers on his desk. Dumbledore's thoughts drifted back to Harry, and the boy's situation. Who should he send to pick the boy up when the time came for his Hogwarts letter to be sent? Minerva? No, the Transfiguration teacher would likely find something wrong with the way the Dursleys were treating him, and try to get him placed with someone else. Perhaps Hagrid would do? He was loyal, and he wouldn't question the boy's situation too much if Dumbledore told him not to.
Harry needed to be with the Dursleys. It was the best way to not only protect the boy, but keep him docile as well.
For the Greater Good, of course.
....
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