Dumbledore had actually drifted off for a moment.
For some reason, watching these quarreling wizards, he suddenly felt tired.
According to Grindelwald, at their age, wouldn't it be better to enjoy the last of their lives instead of entangling themselves in such matters, toiling for these wizards he actually didn't care for? Was it really worth it?
Grindelwald accused him of clinging to power, but Dumbledore didn't think so. He had little obsession with power. Looking at these wizards, what surfaced in his heart was a sense of... pity, compassion, benevolence, and care.
They were all too young, like the wizards clamoring for the annihilation of Murphy. In them, Dumbledore saw shadows of himself and Grindelwald in their youth. In the gentle opposition, he saw his middle-aged self, or in those silent, serious neutrals—their resemblance to Aberforth was striking.
From the perspective of an elder with a lifespan of over a century, he could almost see his past self in each person. He could understand them, empathize with them, hence he could tolerate them.
He could accept their mistakes because he had made his own; he could accept their ambition for power because he too had felt its fatal allure. Even towards some Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself, he harbored deep sympathy and pity.
He was acutely aware of the fragility of human nature, the insignificance of mankind, the selfishness and fickleness of the heart, and thus, he understood others' complexity and helplessness.
He saw everyone struggling on their own battlefields, wishing to extend a helping hand as much as possible, yet so much experience told him it was best to remain a bystander.
Yet, he couldn't do nothing.
As the one with the most knowledge, as an individual with greater abilities, he had to bear more responsibility than others, at least to prevent the worst outcomes.
"Yes, if you mean whether Murphy Darkholme is that powerful, indeed, he is now one of the most powerful wizards in the world."
If Gellert were here, he would surely mock him for speaking the truth again.
This truth would only bring pressure, instill fear in the wizards, making them feel threatened, and thus lead to decisions detrimental to the outcome he wished to guide them towards.
But honesty was one of the few virtues he could adhere to. He couldn't sacrifice these "small persistences" for the "greater good."
As expected, the wizards once again became agitated.
"If even you couldn't defeat him, who can?" someone asked in panic.
"Maybe we should avoid direct confrontation with Murphy; that would be walking into our graves," someone suggested, backing off.
But others sought different information, "We heard that the prisoners from Nurmengard have been released. Some even say that during the fight between you and Murphy, there were others present."
"The President is not here for your interrogation! Sir!" a U.S. Auror stood up, angrily rebuking, "Let's return to the most critical issue. President, what's your view on how to deal with Murphy Darkholme?"
"I don't believe all of Murphy's followers are absolutely loyal to him. There's no need for a complete extermination. Narrow the scope, reduce enemies, target only the principal evil, and pardon the rest," Dumbledore said.
It was an idealistic proposal, but the suggestion he would have preferred in his heart was even more idealistic. However, as the president of the Union, he couldn't act on his personal preferences; he needed to present a feasible plan to prevent further arguments on this issue.
"I second the motion!"
"Seconded!"
Soon, the moderates raised their hands in agreement.
But still, half of those present did not raise their hands.
"Those British Aurors and Watchers won't think we're innocent. If we want to stop Murphy, we'll inevitably have to fight them. Are we supposed to just say these few words and expect them to surrender?"
"When necessary, self-defense by force is certainly justified," Dumbledore said.
As he spoke, that feeling of weariness returned. He knew someone would use his words as a pretext for a full-scale war against British wizards.
There would also be those who, under the guise of striking at Murphy, would try to take over his industries.
Murphy's vast wealth and the methods he used to accumulate it stirred their greed. Every ambitious individual thought they could be the next Murphy.
Murphy had indeed set a very poor precedent.
---
The meeting ultimately charged Murphy with fifty-six crimes, making him the world's most wanted criminal with a bounty of thirty thousand Galleons.
But beyond that, no substantive decisions were made.
International pressure? The British Ministry of Magic had already withdrawn.
Using Muggle society to attack the umbrella? The Muggles weren't listening.
So, the only option left was force, but the president clearly didn't want to ignite a war in Britain.
As for attacking Murphy's Muggle factories—would real wizards attack a group of Muggles unaware of their crimes? Of course, some might think this privately, but no one would suggest it openly.
Thus, the meeting ended hastily without any effective decisions.
However, this obviously didn't satisfy some people.
After the meeting, many wizards grouped together, eventually secretly convening a smaller Union meeting in another castle, excluding Dumbledore and the moderates.
The meeting was attended by only seventeen or eighteen people, but each held a high position in their respective countries' Ministries of Magic.
"Dumbledore is truly senile!" someone criticized the president right away. "How can we think about reducing enemies at a time like this? Does anyone in Britain still listen to him?!"
"I heard some of his people are still active," a wizard said. "But it's barely alive."
"Let's not talk about that. Are you here to discuss how to protect the peace of the wizarding world?" a wizard scoffed.
The rest fell silent.
Then, a bald American wizard stood up, "Gentlemen, you are all important figures in your respective countries' wizarding communities, some of you from noble families that have existed for centuries. May I ask, how many Galleons do you have in your vaults?"
No one spoke, and the American wizard continued, "Do you know how many Galleons are in Murphy's vault?"
"Ha, he doesn't need to hoard Galleons in his vault anymore. Now Gringotts—or should I say, the Central Bank of British Wizards—is all his. He just has to say the word, and in the British wizarding world, his wish is their command."
"Right," the American wizard said. "And all this started with the Umbrella Corporation. To be honest, I don't care about the Secrecy Act and all that. I don't think selling some diluted potions to Muggles is a big deal. If there's a way to make money off Muggles bypassing the Ministry of Magic, I'd be happy to do it too. Murphy and we are clearly of the same kind."
"But he's made too big a deal of it, and now it's drawing attention. Murphy needs to be taken down, but what about his Umbrella? What do you plan to do with it?"
"You want to swallow the Umbrella?" someone scoffed. "Aren't you afraid
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