Pete's display of strength made them feel uneasy and somewhat responsible for the situation at hand.
Do they really have to face him this time?
Despite the tension, Edmond and Andre remained remarkably calm as Pete and the others entered the courtroom, as if they had been expecting this moment all along.
Edmond even took a moment to glance steadily at the representatives of the various families present.
Pete, too, showed no sign of nervousness as he faced the impending confrontation.
He smiled warmly, like a gentle spring breeze, and casually took a seat in front of the rostrum.
The courtroom was always overseen by the Department of Legal Enforcement, with even the Minister watching quietly from the sidelines.
Once everyone was seated, the room was packed, yet an oppressive silence settled over the crowd.
The atmosphere was so heavy that even reporters felt hesitant to speak up.
Andre glanced around before standing leisurely in front of the trial stand and calling out, "Since everyone's here, let's get started!"
He continued, "This consultation hearing is meant to get to the bottom of the recent cruel captivity incident involving both wizards and Muggles, which happened the day before yesterday. This isn't a formal trial, so try not to be too nervous, and please don't interfere with the investigators."
Despite Andre's attempt at lightening the mood, many people in the room rolled their eyes, unimpressed by his so-called humor.
With the serious atmosphere in the courtroom, telling everyone not to be nervous felt almost like a joke.
But Andre ignored the reactions and moved straight to the point.
"Alright, I hereby declare that this public inquiry into the 'vicious imprisonment of 537 wizards and Muggles' is officially underway! Let's call the first witness: Simon Nathan!"
At Andre's cue, a door near the circular courtroom opened, and Simon Nathan stepped out, dressed formally.
As someone who had been an ordinary wizard before, Nathan was overwhelmed by the scene.
The grand hall was filled with wizards in elaborate robes sitting on a raised platform like a lecture hall, while he stood alone in the center.
The nerves were obvious.
Standing still, Nathan faced Andre, who smiled and said, "Today is just about understanding the facts, so don't be nervous. Please start by telling us your name, where you're from, and what your previous job was."
"Yes," Nathan replied, taking a deep breath.
"Director Andre!" Nathan called out, his voice a bit louder than intended from excitement.
A few people nearby glanced over, some hiding their faces to stifle chuckles.
Nathan blushed but pressed on.
"I'm Simon Nathan, from West Berlin. I graduated from Beauxbatons School of Magic and used to work at an obscure breeding park."
Andre nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, please tell me everything about your illegal imprisonment, starting from the day you realized you were being held."
Nathan took a deep breath, calmed by Andre's steady tone, and began.
"That day, I was resting in my dormitory at the park when suddenly, two silver wands broke in. From there..."
He carefully recounted every detail, being attacked, the imprisonment itself, what he saw and heard while locked up, how he resolved to escape, and how he eventually managed to get away.
He also explained how he met Andre and the others after escaping.
Though Nathan stumbled briefly at first, his nerves soon settled.
Since these events were so fresh in his mind, he spoke vividly, making everyone present feel as if they were right there with him.
As he spoke, the crowd was struck by his bravery and felt a genuine revulsion toward the silver wand.
Many had initially dismissed the newspaper's reports as exaggerated, but hearing Nathan's firsthand account revealed that the reality was even worse.
It was hard to imagine how cruel these silver wands could be.
"In the end," Nathan continued, "with Mr. Wilson's help, I returned to the prison alongside Director Andre and others. Under Andre's leadership, after a tough battle, we rescued the rest of our companions. Many are still recovering now, but thanks to Director Andre, Director Schmidt, Mr. Wilson, and the Aurors, we've regained our freedom."
Nathan then bowed deeply to Andre on the elevated platform, his humility clear.
The crowd responded with warm applause, including Pete, whose clapping was particularly enthusiastic, as if deeply moved by Nathan's story.
Andre smiled modestly.
"I was just doing my duty as director of the Department of Legal Enforcement. You should be the one thanking yourself."
"After all,"
"If it weren't for the brave actions you and Bob took, we wouldn't even have the chance to step in and help," Andre said with a warm smile, trying to put him at ease.
Then, his tone turned serious as he added, "But we still need you to clarify some details from your story. Let's start with the job you mentioned earlier.
You said you used to work at some kind of breeding park, right? Can you tell us more about that?"
At Andre's question, everyone's attention immediately shifted to Nathan, who was standing in the middle of the room.
Peter's heart skipped a beat, realizing this was more than just a simple conversation; it was almost like a performance.
Nathan hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes..."
Since no one had spoken with him before today, there was no pressure from their expectations.
He simply focused on listening carefully to Andre's questions and answering them as best as he could.
Nathan explained that the breeding park where he worked was located somewhere in West Germany, though they never knew the exact spot.
All the staff inside were from West Germany, and the park was managed by a man named Mr. Claremont.
The park housed hundreds of magical creatures, and their daily job was to care for them.
Nathan was part of the maintenance team, while there was also a medical team looking after the animals' health and a patrol team responsible for security.
He added that their work stints lasted at least six months, after which their memories of the park were erased before they were sent out to rest.
After some time away, they would return to work there again.
Nathan had been through this cycle several times over the years.
Curious, Andre asked if Nathan didn't know any details about the park at all.
He also asked how he got recruited without questioning its nature.
Nathan admitted that they did have doubts at first, but the park explained that breeding magical animals was done in secret for some big companies, and the pay was very good.
That was enough for most people to accept it.
Nathan was introduced to the park through the West German Endeavor Association, a community group that many others also used to connect with the park.
He mentioned that the patrol team mostly consisted of members from this association, and the manager, Mr. Claremont, was actually the leader of the group.
Since the West Germans had a lot of trust in such organizations, they didn't dig deeper.
Andre nodded, but then asked why Nathan said "used to" trust these groups.