Meanwhile, once Bodrod is going to the Punnets’ vault to perform “emergency maintenance” on it, he tries to act as if there actually is any maintenance to make, while he would plant a piece of parchment with what they feel is a plea for peace that isn’t too direct.

  When, the following day, Thaddeus, the Punnets’ head come to visit the vault to withdraw money, he gets to a note left at the top of the gold: No more sons or daughters need to die. We have a place to go if you will simply let us leave.

  “Finally, this should show the Chief Warlock the urgency of putting an end to this senseless rebellion!” Thaddeus cries as he reads the goblin-written note as he rushes to withdraw the money to pay for his living expenses for the month.

  The goblin teller sees him cry. “What happened?”

  “The goblins have finally begun to realize that so many of us, right up to the Wizengamot, personally know someone they lost to this rebellion. If you may excuse me, just note the amount of Galleons I withdrew for living expenses, and I must get to the Chief Warlock, on the double!”

  After the receipt of the goblin-written note, Thaddeus storms out of Gringotts, with the note safely tucked within this robes. When he arrives to the Chief Warlock’s office, about half an hour later, he brings the goblins’ note from the Punnets’ vault on the desk.

  “I found this note in my vault today. It’s proof, for me, that the goblins might finally give us an opening that so many of us waited for so long!” Thaddeus clamors to the Chief Warlock, brandishing the goblins’ note found in the Punnets’ vault.

  “What do you mean?” the chief warlock furrows his brows upon seeing the goblins’ plea for peace.

  “So many of us on the Wizengamot who want peace, lost loved ones or relatives to war. However, the goblin leadership was wary of any attempt on our side to do so. I hope you realize that we lost over five hundred wizards to this conflict, including one of my very own daughters, Thany! That we have an opportunity to stop this war with a negotiated peace!” Thaddeus starts crying.

  “Do you realize that time is short to hold a grand session, and that everyone and their dogs in Britain will want to watch it? That we cannot hold a grand session during full moon if we want a crowd that big to be safe while the werewolf leadership is on the floor?” the chief warlock asks Thaddeus.

  “The latest we can hold it is on October the twenty-second! That way we can show them good faith, make them trust us enough for one last attempt at peace we all want! It’s a little tight, but more than ever, the public clamors for an end to it! And the goblins apparently have secured a possible safe haven to go to, possibly as a condition for peace!”

  Albert, another Wizengamot member, and the minister under whom the rebellion began, arrives at the office. “My colleagues, including Dilys [Derwent], feel such a session is overdue!”

  “Then get the word out for the October 22 extraordinary session immediately! I expect the session to last all day…”

  When the Chief Warlock sends a memo to the Evening Prophet, Albert and the others know that others, all across Britain, will make their plans for October 22, in hopes of seeing the fate of their nation, and, unbeknownst to so many, that of wizarding New France as well, play out.

  That night, the goblin leadership receives the issue of the Evening Prophet, and the foursome starts discussing their session:

  “It’s been overdue: the ministry attempted multiple times, and for years, to get us to the negotiating table!” Bodrod exclaims, upon learning of their session date set for October 22, before the full Wizengamot.

  “But they know by now that any attempt to do so in the Wizengamot will draw a lot of public interest, and hence want to ensure that I won’t transform during the session!” Thomas points out.

  “It worked!” Urg then turns to Vargot. “We must not launch any strikes on October twenty-two; we cannot waste the good faith of the Wizengamot!”

  “Very well…” Vargot sighs.

  The main vaults in which we planted the pleas for peace were the Punnets, the Derwents and the Boots, Bodrod starts thinking of who could have taken out the plea out of the vault and on to the Chief Warlock.

  “This means we are going to negotiate on better terms than the Wizengamot ever gave us in the past! However, no one has yet to suspect that New France is key!” Bodrod exclaims.

  “Bank customers started wondering where the place we could go really is…” Urg adds some gossip before turning to Thomas. “We only have six days left, though. Maybe we could buy you some clothing fit for a special Wizengamot session, something that will give you some dignity!”

  For the days to follow, everyone in Britain only has the peace plan on their minds, or the painful consequences of what this session aims to stop. And people seem to want in on attending the session.

  As dawn has yet to rise on October 22, Courtroom 10 is being temporarily enlarged to house what they feel is a significantly larger audience than for typical Wizengamot sessions. Especially since visitors include the masses of the British wizarding population, whose interest is stoked by the hope of seeing 8 bloody and vicious years of war end today.

  The very nature of the issues on today’s agenda draws media and ICW delegates from as far away from London as Istanbul, and Beauxbatons even hastily organized a field trip, with students from New France offered a free spot on the trip.

  So when the trio of delegates arrive at the Ministry’s offices around dawn, bringing with them notes about their plan, a solemn silence sets in Courtroom 10. But at the same time, the sheer size and composition of the crowd above the 50 wizards in plum robes, wearing a silver W brooch, makes the trio shiver in place, as they get into position.

  “I wished this session would have been called under better circumstances, but the British wizarding public pressure has forced this council’s hand. On today’s agenda: the goblins’ peace plan! This session opens and you may begin your opening speeches!” the chief warlock signals the beginning of the session.

  Bodrod makes his opening speech. “Dear Wizengamot members, dear British wizards, rumors have floated in the past week regarding a possible place where goblins could go so that they will never again trouble peace. The Muggles have given us an unexpected opportunity, since Muggle New France has become British only a little over a month ago and, if today’s plan is accepted, we shall govern wizarding New France…” Bodrod then unfurls a map of New France.

  The wizards in the room gasp upon seeing the map of wizarding New France, which shows the regions south of the Great Lakes being under MACUSA control. So many could hardly contain their surprise at seeing the goblins wanting to administer such a vast territory, but also how Muggle troop movements could possibly influence wizarding affairs. Like Basilides Malfoy.

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  “New France? Why would goblins try to rule a distant land almost nobody here heard about?” Basilides asks the three delegates.

  “And, to ensure the cooperation of both werewolves and local wizards, all three species will sit on the Grand Council of New France and have the right to use wands!” Urg retorts. “We feel that, if we cannot obtain the right to use wands here, the best is to obtain wand rights elsewhere, away from London’s control!”

  Some members in the audience start booing the delegation. “We shall never give land away to monsters like you all!”

  “Silence!” the Chief Warlock hammers the gavel. “Order! Order!”

  Thomas then delivers his speech, looking like a wizard like any other, and not like a Muggle ballast heaver. “I beg the Wizengamot to accept the plan today. The wilderness of New France is, for us werewolves, better than the past eight years in Britain has been under Gore, whose administration’s refusal to rehabilitate us! So dangerous is life in the wizarding world that even Muggle cities like Portsmouth are safer to our kind! our plan is also about relocating goblins and werewolves to New France so that safety can return to Britain!”

  Hesphaestus Gore, the Minister for Magic, makes his speech in response to the offer. “Goblin and werewolf savagery have caused over five hundred wizard deaths on British soil, not to mention widespread damage to the magical economy, with milling being the hardest hit! There is no guarantee that, if this plan is adopted, that a goblin-controlled New France giving wand rights to all magic-using species will prevent breaches of the Statute, and especially Clause Seventy-three! So my counterplan would be that we abandon all wizarding claims to New France and we reject this peace plan!”

  I can’t believe it! The goblin rebels seem to have better access to Muggle intel than the Ministry does! Chroniculus muses, while present at the urging of his older brother.

  The head of the DMLE responds to the goblins’ plan. “This is ridiculous! More than risking breaches of the Statute, the goblins’ plan is a threat to the wizarding social order! Giving wand rights to non-humans is a treason towards the foundations of wizarding society! Not to mention the vastness of the territories they plan to govern, which might make New France ungovernable even for them! On top of that, their plan amounts to levying an enemy army abroad!”

  Albert then starts to talk. “You said it so yourself that over five hundred wizards died in this war. And some of these dead are people members of this assembly know personally! I implore you, goblins settling in New France alongside werewolves will ensure our security here at home and that no one else needs to die to obtain what they want!”

  “This plan is premature and ignores past revolts, such as the 1612 one or Elfric the Eager’s revolt years later!” Arcturus Black then begins a tirade. “The main risk, even in the absence of breaches of the Statute, is that goblins and werewolves might simply carry the rebellion over to New France instead! Especially if local wizards oppose them!”

  Dilys, Hogwarts’ headmistress, begins to speak. “Because Hogwarts’ security during these peace talks have priority over teaching our youth, I ordered the suspension of classes for today. Let us not waste this day off on shooting down our only chance to stop this bloodshed! From what we could make out, New France is much more sparsely populated than Britain, so goblins and werewolves can stay hidden into the woods! By giving them control over such a vast and sparsely populated territory, we can minimize the risk that, during full moons, werewolves endanger Muggles, because they will then have enough space to safely transform! This administration’s failure to consider werewolf rehabilitation programs only led to more deaths and injuries over the past eight years!”

  This back-and-forth of verbal jousting over the merits of the New France peace plan appears to be mostly seen through the lens of public security, with some passing mentions to the economic implications of goblins leaving Britain. Such as the logistical and financial nightmare of relocating hundreds of goblins and werewolves onboard Muggle merchant or supply ships. However, neither side seems to propose any compromises; some judges seem to be undecided at this point.

  The Wizengamot appears to be debating the merits of the plan for hours, and the goblins assume that local wizards in New France, First Nations or French, can work with goblins on the issue of wand rights, Mélisande, one of the students from New France extraction, reflects, while sitting next to another one, Geneviève.

  Basilides adds another argument. “Why offer a new nation to our enemies on lands that our own wizards have no plans on administering but, by right of conquest, are ours? Also, we can’t afford a relocation plan of goblins and werewolves on such a scale! How could goblins claim to govern land gained on the basis of skirmishing by wandless peasants?”

  Maximillian Crowdy, the head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, then starts speaking. “But, noble wizards, the Muggles have already captured Montréal! If we don’t act now, the Statute of Secrecy will be shattered in New France!”

  “What do quarrels of musket-armed people have to do with the law of the Wizengamot? We deal in principles, sir, not in mud and black powder!” Arcturus retorts.

  Maximilian responds to Arcturus. “This conflict lasted long enough already, and cost us far too much in Obliviators and in damage control! However, what assurances can goblins provide that, in New France, they will uphold Clause 73, if they were to govern New France?”

  ”From what I heard about it, New France’s population is very sparse. Clause 73 is much harder to breach if there are fewer Muggles around!” Bodrod answers them.

  Montréal? Is that some new French spell acting on mud or black powder? Another member of the audience is surprised by the mention of that city’s surrender, not knowing that it led to the goblins even proposing the peace plan being debated on this floor today.

  As time goes on, the crowd’s reactions vary based on their convictions and how they feel about each speech, but hours elapse until a key point is raised:

  “Up to this point, you all seemed to assume that local wizards would be cooperative on the issue of wand rights. However, did you consider for a second that werewolves or local wizards might not see property as being earned by manufacture?” the head of the DMLE asks the delegates.

  “We can barely own anything because so many among us need to live among Muggles to survive, and even then, the Muggle world pushes us to poverty!” Thomas tells the cold, hard truth of werewolf life under Gore.

  “We might be willing to compromise with local werewolves and wizards on how property is handled, if that’s the price to pay to ensure their loyalty as well as their ability to enforce the Statute of Secrecy!” Urg retorts.

  “Even if you were to compromise with local werewolves and wizards on issues of property in exchange for granting wand rights to all in New France, this plan is a complete heresy! Never will the rest of the world allow a multispecies government, nor non-humans to wield wands!” Hesphaestus slams his fist on the bar. “There’s also the risk that, if goblins in New France get both political representation and wand rights, those left behind here will also clamor for theirs at home, and worsen the conflict, so repealing Clause Three of the 1631 Code of Wand Use must be rejected!”

  From what I was told by the higher-ups in Istanbul, the British Wizengamot was, in the past, adamant on not giving non-humans wand rights, Othmane, an Ottoman ICW delegate, observes how the opinions of the members can shift depending on what speeches contain.

  But clearly fatigue sets in among the crowd as they keep fighting over various points of the peace plan.

  Fifteen hours after the session began, Thaddeus makes his closing speech. “This goblin rebellion, as well as all previous rebellions, such as the 1612 one, and Elfric the Eager’s revolt in 1631, which led to the Code of Wand Use, and its Clause Three, are the result of deep-seated Wizengamot prejudice. This peace plan will allow to resolve these injustices that caused this cycle of goblin rebellions to cease, albeit by them running a different land that so many of you will deem to be just a few acres of snow, if that! Let us not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors, and generations of wizards who, to this day, discriminate against goblins, and get rid of the goblin problem, as well as resolve the injustices at their core!”

  Hesphaestus makes a closing speech. “This absurdity of a peace plan, proposed by vicious beasts, makes a mockery of wizarding society that not even a wizarding New France, over which we would give up any claims should the peace plan be rejected, would attempt it! Agreeing to the peace plan would force everyone to acknowledge that beasts are capable of sophisticated governance, and yet, their vicious attacks that went on during the past eight years proved otherwise! And, of course, we cannot allow werewolves and goblins to be allowed to use New France as a safe haven from which they can conduct future rebellions on British soil!”

  “With that said, I call a vote on the goblin peace plan!” the chief warlock announces, while putting an end to this emotional journey that tired everyone.

  Everyone in the room crosses their fingers in silence, aware that this vote has the potential to change the history of the wizarding world forever.