Two days after the scandalous courtroom incident that shook the marble halls of the French Ministry of Magic, the magical world awoke to a storm of headlines.
"White Heir Humiliated in France — Britain Responds with Fury"
"Diplomatic Protocol Shattered: British Ministry Condemns French Noble Assembly"
"Trade Tensions Rise Between UK and France After White Family Ordeal"
"The Witch Who Dared to Stand Alone: Eira White Defies Tyranny"
Copies of the Daily Prophet, The Wizarding Times, La Gazette Magique, and Magischer Spiegel flew through fireplaces, fluttered onto breakfast tables, and were slapped open in train compartments and tearooms from London to Madrid.
The hearing—an unofficial assembly led by the Twelve Houses of France, where Eira White was declared banished and her family's holdings nearly seized—had ignited a firestorm.
This wasn't just gossip. This was a diplomatic crisis.
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The British Response
In a rare display of unity, the British Ministry of Magic convened an emergency press conference at the top of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Minister Fudge himself stood at the podium, flanked by members of the Wizengamot and representatives from ancient pure-blood families—Greengrass, Shafiq, Malfoy, Yaxley, and Nott among them.
He did not mince words.
"The Ministry of Magic expresses its deepest outrage over the unlawful, undiplomatic, and wholly disgraceful treatment of Lady Eira White, Head of House White, during the recent proceedings held in France.
There was no formal protocol observed. No neutral officials present. No right of defense provided. It was not a hearing—it was a mock trial, orchestrated by a private alliance of noble houses, under the guise of justice."
Gasps and mutters erupted in the press room. One reporter asked whether the British Ministry would recognize the ruling issued by the French noble court.
Fudge leaned in.
"Recognize it? We categorically reject it. The Ministry will not acknowledge any judgment passed without due process or international oversight. The hearing violated every core principle of the International Magical Convention on Diplomatic Sovereignty."
The Minister raised a folded document for the cameras—an official statement addressed to the French Ministry.
"Furthermore, the British Ministry of Magic formally demands a public apology to the White family and the magical community of Great Britain. Should France's noble class continue to act outside governmental authority, we will have no choice but to suspend all magical trade agreements and cross-border initiatives between the two nations."
The room erupted into chaos.
"Will that include portkey access and joint school exchanges?"
"What of existing joint ventures in potion research?"
"Is the British Ministry willing to escalate this to the ICW?"
Fudge's answers were swift, unapologetic.
"Every agreement is now under review. The White family, one of our oldest and most prestigious bloodlines, was targeted in an unlawful attempt at financial seizure and public shaming. We will not tolerate such disrespect."
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Public and Pure-Blood Support
By noon, dozens of British pure-blood families had issued official letters of solidarity.
The Fawley family denounced the French court as "a farce wrapped in aristocratic arrogance."
The Rosiers, despite their French roots, declared their "utter disgust" at the treatment of a fellow house-head and called on the French Ministry to "disempower the Twelve before the entire nation becomes a laughingstock."
Even Lord Montague of the old Scottish Montagues—rarely known for public comment—sent a message directly to Eira White's estate:
"You stood alone, but you did not shamed the British pure bloods. Those who understand true legacy, stand with you."
Witch Weekly published an op-ed that afternoon, penned by the popular columnist Callidora Flint:
"Eira White is not merely a young witch in fancy robes—she is a symbol. Of sovereignty, of bloodline duty, and of modern resistance to archaic tyranny. France tried to make a spectacle out of her. Instead, she lit a match under their whole system."
By nightfall, a majority of British wizarding houses had signed a declaration of protest, which was then sent directly to the French Minister of Magic, Isabella Voclain.
And although Isabella had already spoken out in Eira's defense during the hearing—shocking many—her continued silence after the international backlash only fanned the flames.
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The ICW Weighs In
A brief but pointed statement came from the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW):
"We are currently reviewing evidence regarding the recent proceedings in France to determine if violations of international legal standards have occurred. If so, disciplinary action may be taken."
This was diplomatic language—but the meaning behind it was clear. France was under scrutiny.
A rogue faction of noble houses had tried to act as judge, jury, and executioner—on an international figure—and now they risked dragging the entire French magical community into political isolation.
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Meanwhile, in France
The magical cafés of Paris, which once whispered with gossip about the Voclain-Trévér feud, now buzzed with a different tone.
Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbâtons, was reportedly "furious" over the damage done to the school's reputation. Parents threatened to withdraw their children. Professors quietly passed around foreign papers in the staffroom, noting how other countries were now referring to Beauxbâtons as "a school run by nobles, not educators."
Even within France, voices rose.
An anonymous member of the Department of Magical Trade told La Gazette Magique:
"This wasn't justice—it was political revenge. And now our economy is at risk. If Britain pulls out, France loses over half of its magical trade partners overnight."
In the noble circles of Lyon and Marseille, a new kind of fear had begun to settle in—not of Eira White, but of consequences.
And among the nobility, blame began to shift. Some accused Maximilian Voclain of "overreaching." Others whispered that the Trévér family had orchestrated the entire spectacle for their own gain. What had once been a united push to shame the White family was now devolving into internal fractures.