Chapter 848
The Bells of New York Square
Chapter 848 The Bells of New York Square
Nicklo Hawthorne slowly put down his wine glass, his expression unchanged, but the veins on the back of his hand, which was resting on the table, were faintly visible.
Kingsley Shackleton, standing next to him, almost instinctively turned slightly to the side, his sharp eyes scanning the entire room as his wand quietly slipped into his palm.
Leila Picqueli quickly reached the panicked woman, firmly supporting her trembling shoulders with both hands, and looked into her eyes, saying:
"Calm down, miss."
Lyra's voice was remarkably calm, echoing clearly in the silent hall:
"Take a deep breath... Don't be afraid, you're safe now. Tell me, what happened?"
At the same time, she gave the Aurors a wink.
Grimm swung his wand sharply, and the red curtain instantly contracted to both sides, its hem swaying violently.
Behind the curtain, there was no one.
There were no boggats, no corpses or bloodstains, and no horrific sights.
There was only a low coffee table, two chairs, and a half-empty drink on the coffee table.
Everyone looked at the woman in the yellow dress.
She looked at Lyra, trembling all over, her pupils filled with pure, almost overflowing fear, and it took her a long time to speak:
"I...I was watching a movie, but...but the scene suddenly changed! I don't know...I don't know what happened, I just saw this..."
She threw the mirror hidden in her palm. The small, round mirror began to enlarge in the air, reaching a diameter of over two meters by the time it landed. A clear, frenzied roar rang out:
"Wizards really exist!"
The image clearly shows Times Square in New York!
Against the backdrop of flashing neon lights and a giant electronic screen, a Muggle man in a jacket and jeans stands on a platform, holding a megaphone and shouting at the top of his lungs at the noisy crowd and countless raised cell phones below:
"Ignorant lambs, you have all been kept in the dark!"
"Magic really does exist in this world! There are wizards! They were given powers by the devil, and they have existed for thousands of years!"
"Look at the man next to me! He will prove you right!"
The camera suddenly shifts, revealing an extremely weak, ragged man with shackles on his hands and covered in blood, clearly showing signs of torture!
When he raised his face, many guests in the hall gasped.
The man was none other than a host who frequently appeared on the live stream, always deliberately performing various erroneous and hilarious magic tricks, bringing a lot of joy to the audience in front of the screen.
Immediately, guests in the banquet hall exclaimed in surprise:
"My God, it's Mr. Giuseppe Fischer!"
The Muggle man commanded sternly, "Prove it to them! Show me proof that you are a wizard!"
"Oh no! Stop him! Why isn't anyone stopping him?!"
Chaotic shouts erupted in the hall, but the manor was protected by anti-apparition spells, so no matter how anxious they were, they couldn't stop Fisher from afar.
The host was probably terrified from the torture. He trembled as he raised his hand and waved his wand!
boom!
The aluminum cans and beer bottles that were carelessly thrown on the ground instantly twisted and deformed, and in a dazzling burst of light, they transformed into a flock of white doves, fluttering and flying into the night sky!
wow——
The screen erupted in deafening screams and gasps, and the crowded throng erupted into a frenzy, their shouts mingling together.
Mr. Fisher did not stop his demonstration.
"boom!"
He waved his wand again, and a bouquet of flowers held by a young girl suddenly swelled up, growing as tall as a banyan tree in an instant, its rich fragrance almost palpable even through the screen.
"boom!"
This time, a dozen or so people in the square suddenly exclaimed and started tap dancing uncontrollably, even jumping into the middle of the road!
"boom!"
The man holding the megaphone suddenly changed his attire, now wearing an expensive-looking suit and carrying a large gemstone.
In the deathly silent banquet hall, the Muggle man's roar tolled like a death knell:
"See that? That's the evidence!"
“Wizards are hiding among us! They can conjure gold and jewels! They can also manipulate our thoughts, making us do things we can’t control, and hurting our families and friends!”
"Awaken, lamb! Awaken, humankind!" "We must purge the wizards and restore peace and justice to the world!"
The man's crazed face was reflected in the mirror; outside the mirror, there was only deathly silence.
The most terrifying scene unfolded so abruptly that it left no time for anyone to react.
Everyone was so shocked that their hands and feet went cold, and their blood seemed to stop flowing.
After the deathly silence came an uncontrollable commotion.
The wine glass slipped from its glass, and cries and screams erupted!
Some people were in a panic trying to get home, but forgot that they couldn't use Apparition here, and ended up falling down.
Some immediately rushed towards the Aurors and even the president of the Magic Congress, crying out in fear:
"Is another witch hunt coming? Are Muggles going to hunt us down again?"
"Don't panic! Panicking won't help now!"
A chilling glint flashed in Leila Picqueli's eyes as she stood directly on a table and shouted clearly:
"Everyone, please remain calm! This is clearly a conspiracy against the magical world, and we need to deal with it with all our might! We need to..."
"Laila!"
Suddenly, a heavier, more authoritative voice interrupted her.
Chairman Nicolo Hawthorne slowly stood up. As soon as he stood up, he seemed to bring an invisible pressure that caused the commotion in the banquet hall to subside somewhat.
His face showed no panic, only a deep, unfathomable solemnity and a calm before a storm.
Instead of calming everyone down, Hawthorne immediately began assigning tasks:
"Mr. Hughes, please take all your men and head to New York Square immediately to control the situation. Don't let a single Muggle leave!"
"Yes!"
Ezra Hughes stood up with a serious expression and strode out.
"Miss Goldstein, please confirm whether Muggles broadcast the square incident live, and confirm the extent of their dissemination!"
"Yes!"
Salina Goldstein kicked off her high heels and stormed out.
“Mr. Grimm, please go to England immediately and ask Mr. Newt Scamander about the whereabouts of the Winged Demon. We need the venom of this creature.”
"Yes!"
Rex Grimm responded in kind.
"Ms. Piqueli".
Hawthorne turned to Lyra, his instructions remaining concise and clear:
"Activate the highest level of the Wizard's Silence Protocol. Notify all department heads to assemble in the War Room in ten minutes!"
"Yes!" Leila replied decisively.
She jumped off the table and quickly began contacting people.
Each official who was named carried out the order swiftly without any questions or delays, like a finely tuned machine running smoothly.
Faced with such efficient and professional collective action, everyone's panic was briefly suppressed, replaced by a tense solemnity.
Then, Hawthorne's gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and everyone who met his eyes felt a chill.
"Everyone!"
Hawthorne's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight, clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"The moment we have been fearing and desperately guarding against has arrived!"
In the banquet hall, a suppressed sob could be heard from some corner.
(End of this chapter)