"Wait… you're mistaken, Captain Bruno. You don't think this brat is capable of killing Igor, do you?" the President of the Asian Association of Wizards asked, looking at Bruno in confusion.
He was even more baffled when Wilkinson, Pierce, and the others seemed to acquiesce…
Yvonne took her time responding to the crowd.
"Captain Bruno, please show some evidence before you try to frame someone else! I think you've forgotten that there was another attack on the Magical Congress of North America last night. I'm sure Director Conal had enough men patrolling the grounds at night…"
"That's right! I've got three large groups of Aurors patrolling the corridors, and I've got lots of security enchantments set up in secret places… and you're all staying in areas that are heavily guarded," Connor said solemnly, which was what made him suspicious.
He was well prepared for the possibility of another attack, as hundreds of Aurors from the Magical Congress of North America patrolled the compound day and night.
Unfortunately, none of these preparations seemed to have worked. The French Minister still died in his room without a sound. The only clue was that he was under the Imperius Curse…
Indeed, they could not even be certain of this, as this was a Minister, unlike the brash Percy, who was constantly accompanied by attendants.
It was also evident from the testimony of Bruno and the others that the Minister did not meet with any wizards alone during the meeting, which meant that Grindelwald would not have had the opportunity to cast the Imperius Curse on the French Minister, and that was what struck them as strange.
"With all these Aurors and protective enchantments, the chances of an outsider infiltrating the common room are close to nil. On the contrary, I suspect you are the ones responsible for the murder of the French Minister… . The strongest fortresses are often breached from within, are they not? We all know that Grindelwald was most active in France!" Ivan enunciated each word clearly.
The crowd turned to look at Bruno and the others with suspicion. Yvonne had a point. Only a trusted squire like Bruno could cast the Imperius Curse on the French Minister so easily.
"Nonsense, we would never do that!" a French Auror shouted angrily, his face red with anger. Ivan's words were an affront to their duty.
Bruno did not hesitate. "Each and every one of us can be tortured by Veritaserum and tested for memory to prove our innocence! However, I would also like to request that MACUSA conduct a memory search on Monsieur Harles…"
Ivan frowned, somewhat surprised. Memory was a person's most precious and most private possession, and he had not expected Bruno to go to such lengths to clear his name.
Could he have been wrong and Grindelwald had not come in disguised as a wizard from France, and Bruno and the others were safe?
But if that was the case, when had the Minister been brought under control? Not before he came to the meeting…
Yvonne had a vague idea, but before she could ponder it, Wilkinson asked, "May I? Do you agree with Mr. Bruno?"
"Of course not!" Yvonne snapped. "Everyone's memory is extremely private, as I'm sure you all know."
"If that's what you're concerned about, Mr. Harls, I can assure you that the Legilimens of the MACUSA will erase whatever they're not supposed to know with Memory Charms after they've searched their memories…" Wilkinson explained.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, but I don't trust anyone!" Yvonne interrupted him.
The atmosphere in the corridor turned chilly as the MACUSA Aurors tightened their grip on their wands, and Bruno and the others became excited, as if they had been caught red-handed.
Before they could speak again, Ivan pulled a silver raven from his sleeve and offered it to them. "To prove my sincerity, I will give you the key for safekeeping. Isn't that what Grindelwald really wants?"
Ivan's action shocked Pierce. It was not just a key, it also represented British and British authority in the International Confederation of Wizards. How could he give it up so easily?
However, when he gave Ivan a look, Ivan shook his head imperceptibly.
Although he didn't know what Ivan was up to, Pierce had to be patient and keep his mouth shut.
"So you're going to give us the key for safekeeping?" Wilkinson asked, surprised.
"It's the only way to clear my name of suspicion, other than by searching my memories, isn't it?" Yvonne said with a shrug.
Wilkinson gave Ivan a long look, then reached out and took the silver raven.
"In view of the current form of danger, this key will remain in the MACUSA for the time being. When the meeting is over, we will return it!"
As he spoke, Wilkinson summoned several Aurors from the Department of Mysteries to verify the authenticity of the key. When they received a clear answer, they kept it and turned to the President of the Asian Association of Wizards.
"The situation is clear now. Whoever has the key will be Grindelwald's next target. In case of another attack, we should concentrate the remaining keys and let the Aurors guard them."
"No, we can't keep all the keys in the same place. If Grindelwald gets his hands on them, it'll all be over." The head of the Asian Association shook his head, refusing Wilkinson's offer.
"By the way, may I be so bold as to ask why the key representing Britain is in the hands of this Mr. Harls?" the President of the Asian Association asked, slightly puzzled.
The wizards gathered in the lounge were also extremely curious about this. Pierce, on the other hand, had a plan and explained it to them with a calm expression.
"Hales is stronger than me, and he is the only one who can fight Grindelwald. I gave him the key to keep it, so as to be safe…"