Among the audience at the edge of the venue under the high platform, someone couldn't help but snort coldly and sneered:
"Blowing it up like this, might as well call her the Savior!"
"Shut up, Anderson!" The young Auror beside him suddenly yanked his companion's arm and hissed lowly, "Don't be impulsive, do you also want to be sent to prison?"
Suddenly, applause erupted.
The elderly speaker's lengthy speech finally came to an end, and now it was time for the new chairperson's inaugural address.
Laira Piqueley, wearing a neat dark purple robe, stepped firmly onto the high platform. Her eyes swept across the hall, carrying her usual calmness and sense of control.
"Honorable guests, fellow citizens!"
Her voice was clear and strong, each word seeming especially serious and solemn:
"Today, I stand here not representing myself alone but carrying the responsibility of leading us forward together in difficult times. We must first affirm an unwavering cornerstone — peace and stability in the Magic World is the foundation of all our prosperity and progress."
She raised her tone slightly, her gaze sharp as she said:
"Therefore, I solemnly declare here: my government will tolerate no crimes or dark deeds that threaten this peace!"
"Whether it's the Scourers remnants still lurking in the shadows or any individual or organization attempting to use magic for plunder, harm, or subversion of the 'International Confidentiality Law,' they will face the most resolute, most complete strike from the Magic Congress..."
Her speech was halfway through when a subtle crack appeared in the solemn atmosphere inside the hall.
Among the people below the platform, some wizards began flipping through the Friendship Book, some seemed to be talking to someone with their hands pressed to the side of their ears, while others openly whispered to each other.
Though only a small part of the crowd acted this way, it was as eye-catching as a few drops of ink in milk.
Laira frowned slightly, and while giving her speech, her gaze swept around the Ministry of Magic officials, some of whom intuitively stood up and walked toward the area where the commotion arose.
Laira Piqueley raised her voice, full of ambition and hope, and said:
"But we cannot let fear define our future; we must shape it with ambition!"
"Here, I promise: we will innovate the educational system to allow Magic Schools to cultivate wizards better suited to the new era;"
"Increase the supervision of Magic Tools quality, make the Floo Network safer, make cauldrons cheaper, and make magical healthcare more accessible!"
"We will establish a more transparent, more responsible, more community-focused Magic Congress..."
The officials in charge of suppression were unable to stop the unrest, and more people seemed to have received the message; they looked up, their eyes toward Laira no longer filled with listening and respect but shocked, suspicious, and even angry.
The buzzing of conversation grew louder, becoming impossible to ignore. People looked around, as if trying to confirm something from their companions.
Even the journalists turned their Flow Mirror towards the audience, as if to let all the wizards in the world see this uncontrolled scene at her inauguration ceremony.
Laira's heart sank; the feeling of losing control was extremely unsettling, yet she couldn't stop at this moment.
All of the issues could be addressed one by one only after she became Congress President.
The most important thing at this moment was to complete the ceremony.
Laira quickly skipped past the lengthy part of the speech and directly fast-forwarded to the conclusion:
"The path ahead may still hold challenges, but as long as we unite together, uphold respect for the law, cherish peace, and hold a shared belief in a better future, I have no doubt: together we will create a stronger, more just, more prosperous American Magic World, one that can enable us..."
"Do you truly respect the law, Laira Piqueley!"
At this moment, a loud voice suddenly cut through the noise like a blade from the crowd below the platform:
"Then please first tell us, who is the murderer of Selena Goldstein!"
Laira's speech was forced to a halt, and she couldn't help but gaze darkly in the direction the voice came from.
— It was Anderson, Selena's companion, one of the last two who followed her to the end.
Two Aurors swiftly lunged like fierce wolves, capturing the colleague who publicly questioned the new chairperson.
Laira spoke in a steady tone, "The murderer is undoubtedly Rex Grim; he was caught at the scene, with concrete evidence, and will soon face trial. Rest assured, Anderson, the Magic Congress will certainly urge the court to deliver a fair verdict..."
Anderson struggled to say something but had to be dragged out by other Aurors under restraint.
"We don't want to hear these empty words!"
Another middle-aged man suddenly stood up, his face flushed, temples throbbing, waving a parchment in his hand, he shouted loudly:
"I just want to know — is this true? Did you really do such a terrifying thing? Did you really sell innocent wizards like livestock to Muggles for experiments?!"
The entire atrium fell into instant silence, as if even the sound of breathing had been cut off by an invisible force.
All eyes—horrified, confused, incredulous, suddenly enlightened—all focused on the angry man, then swiftly turned to the high platform.
The two people holding Anderson also instinctively released their grip, staring at Laira in astonishment.
Anderson suddenly broke free from the person next to him, shouting loudly, "You are the murderer! You ordered someone to kill Selena! Because she was going to expose your crimes!!"
In an instant, the crowd was in an uproar!
Laira Piqueley's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, the composure and confidence on her face quickly faded, leaving only a shell of forced calm that looked exceptionally pale.
Her eyes flickered with a trace of suspicion and panic for a brief moment, but were quickly covered by a more severe authoritative expression.
Laira slightly raised her chin, her voice amplified by magic, immediately suppressing all the chaotic voices, sounding extremely calm, even with a chill of offense:
"Mr. Anderson, please control your emotions, mind your words."
"I don't know who has incited you, nor do I know where these sensational accusations came from."
"However, I want to remind you all—"
Her sharp gaze swept over everyone present:
"In such a solemn occasion, publicly slandering and defaming the Congress President and the government he leads is not only disorderly conduct, but it is also the most serious challenge to the authority of the nation and magical law! I have the right to demand the Aurors immediately arrest the two of you, on charges of endangering national security and inciting panic in the magic world!"
Her words were so powerful that it made the scene quiet for a moment, and the suspicion in people's eyes seemed to fade a bit.
Ilvermorny's Headmaster Fontana stood up from the guest seat, raising his hand to calm everyone:
"Please, everyone, remain silent! This is an important ceremony..."
His words were not yet finished when a sudden change occurred!
In different positions of the atrium, dozens of "crystals," originally mere decorations, suddenly expanded, unfolding and spinning up into the sky, turning into giant mirrors, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present!
Headmaster Fontana's face changed drastically, and without much thought, he drew his Magic Wand, a strong Shattering Spell shooting toward the nearest Flow Mirror, shouting loudly at the same time:
"Take them down!"
Laira screamed even more shrilly, "This is definitely a conspiracy by the remnants of the Scourers! Don't think you can fool us over and over with such means!"
She, too, quickly drew her Magic Wand.
The Aurors arranged around to maintain order quickly sprang into action, spells shooting rapidly toward those spinning, enlarged Flow Mirrors.
"Bang!"
Just then, in front of the nearest Flow Mirror, someone said very clearly:
"Iron Armor Protection!"
The Magic transformed into a giant transparent barrier, blocking the crowd behind it, as well as Fontana's Shattering Spell.
At the same time, a similarly swift, skilfully angled Disarming Spell flew in from an angle, shooting out like a snake and striking Fontana's wrist, "bang," knocking the Magic Wand from his hand!
The Magic Wand spun out, caught securely by a large hand.
Alastor Moody's Magic Eye rotated, staring at Fontana, and he gruffly asked, "What do you think you're doing?"
Kingsley, who had cast the Iron Armor Spell, glanced at Moody and then seriously said:
"Sorry, Mr. Fontana. But I can't let you fire an offensive spell in the direction where our Minister is present."
Behind him, Minister Sinclaire's face was unusually grim at the moment, but he kept his lips tightly sealed, not speaking a word.
"Crack!"
"Crash!"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of glass breaking, more than half of the mirrors in the air were shattered by spells, but seven or eight of them remained.
Laira's face was deathly pale.
Amid the chaotic shower of falling glass fragments, she had already discerned that most of those shattered were indeed real mirrors, an illusion let loose by the instigators behind the scenes.
The real Flow Mirrors, each seemed to have personnel arranged for their protection, were all preserved.
The next moment, Rita Skeeter's highly excited voice rang out:
"——Emergency broadcast! Major news! Special Correspondent Rita Skeeter of the Prophet Daily, risking my life to reveal to you—just sworn in as the new Congress President of the American Magic Congress, Laira Piqueley and her core associates, have long been betraying the fundamental interests of the magic world by conducting filthy human trafficking with Scourers and Muggle organizations!"