Acacia kept an eye on the changing expressions on the faces of the crowd, committing them to memory, then went to the mahogany table and turned the oil lamp on it.
The wall shook and cracked, and a large number of stone bricks sank into the ground. A narrow passageway was soon revealed.
"Now that you've read the note, come on in!" Alicia said to the wizards and led the way into the tunnel.
On the way to the conference room, Acacia explained the principles of the Fidelius Charm and the things to take note of to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
"I can't believe there's such a thing as magic," said Grace. "No wonder I don't remember being here before…"
It was also the first time that most of the wizards present had heard of the Fidelius Charm, and they discussed its magical effects in private.
Avery, Rosier, and the others did not participate in the discussion, feeling a sense of superiority. They had long recognized this as the Fidelius Charm.
Such high-end magic could only be understood by pure-blood wizards with extraordinary knowledge…
When Alicia opened the door to the meeting room, the noise stopped.
Vaguely, a pressure was spreading throughout the meeting room…
Every wizard who entered the meeting room felt as if they were being watched by a ferocious and brutal dragon. Alarm bells went off in their heads, urging their bodies to escape.
However, no one dared to turn around and leave. Instead, they walked in an orderly line like the most docile sheep.
The meeting room was dark, lit only by a single magical lamp hanging from the ceiling, which was limited to the area around the table.
Ivan Hals, who had summoned them, was sitting at the head of the table. His face was partially hidden by the shadows, and his expression could not be seen.
He was even more terrifying than before! The thought came to everyone's mind the moment they saw Ivan.
Avery's face filled with regret. He had the impression that not even the Dark Lord was this powerful, and he wondered if he had chosen the wrong side…
The remaining wizards were also trembling with fear and did not dare to approach. The distance from the door to the conference table was less than three meters, but they managed to walk for ten seconds.
When they arrived at the table, no one dared to sit down, as there were only forty-five seats and fifty of them!
Who should stand? Who should be allowed to sit?
Because of Ivan's power, no one dared to ask questions, so they turned to Alicia for help.
However, Alicia pursed her lips and did not reply. This situation was also unexpected. Ivan had not discussed this with her beforehand, so she did not know about it.
As Isiah remained silent, the atmosphere in the room grew tense, and the silence in the room of fifty-one people was almost frightening… the only sound was that of each other's breathing.
Some were puzzled by this, while others were horrified.
Avery was one of them. Tension and panic filled his mind, and sweat beaded his forehead. His robe was soaked.
Avery, of course, understood the significance of the forty-five seats, which meant that Ivan Hals believed that five of them did not deserve to have seats there, or to live at all!
Unfortunately, he might be one of the five!
However, it was too late to escape, and Avery had to hide in the crowd with his wand in his hand, hoping to remain inconspicuous.
"Long time no see, everyone!"
In the silence that followed, Ivan finally spoke. His dark eyes scanned the room, then he nodded and continued.
"Good, no one was absent this time, and I thought some of you were afraid to come to the party … so I did not offer them seats."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ivan could clearly feel a portion of the wizarding mood swings becoming more intense.
Although none of the wizards present dared to look him in the eye, Ivan used his dragon's might to intimidate and his mystique in order to break through their defenses and inflate their emotions.
It seemed to be working. Even with her eyes closed, Ivan could clearly sense the tension, fear, and regret that were escaping from some people's minds.
After about half a minute of silence, Walker couldn't help but ask, "Sir Harls, is there something important that you need us for?" He couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere.
"There is an important matter," Ivan agreed, then changed his tone. "But before that, I must make an announcement."
"Fifteen years ago, the Dark Lord Voldemort, feared and feared by all in the wizarding world, returned!"
Perhaps because Ivan's news was so shocking, the quiet conference room became noisy.
"Sir Harls, are you sure it's true? You-Know-Who must have died over a decade ago, at the hands of Harry Potter…" Joseph quavered.
"He's not dead, Joseph. He never was!" Ivan explained pleasantly.
"That coward feared death more than any of us, so he used dark magic to keep himself alive in the face of certain death!"
Hearing this, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. It was difficult for them to imagine what kind of dark magic was powerful enough to avoid death…
Ivan saw what was on everyone's mind and sneered. "Believe me, no one can avoid death easily, not even the Dark Lord. If you could see him like that, you would never have such a deep fear of him!"
"Over the years, I have had several encounters with Lord Voldemort, when the Dark Lord lost his powers and became a pathetic ghost, unable to perform magic as well as a noisy gnome…"