The attention of the world had quietly gathered around a single stage, where the next few moments promised to become history. In the magical world, families were sitting before Magic Vision screens while pubs overflowed with witches and wizards eager to witness the broadcast together.
The non-magical world was no different. From the busiest cities to the smallest villages, televisions flickered in homes and cafés and bars while radios crackled with live coverage, and billions of people waited together for an announcement that everyone, in their own way and for their own reasons, believed was about to change everything.
"They're finally gonna admit it!" A red-faced drunk slammed his mug onto the bar, nearly spilling half its contents as he pointed at the television. "Aliens are real! I keep tellin' you lot. Just watch! And if I'm wrong, every drink's on me!"
His declaration was met with a chorus of cheers and laughter from everyone packed inside the bar. Glasses shot into the air, a few patrons whistled loudly, while others pounded their fists against the tables in approval.
It was as though they were waiting for the opening whistle of a World Cup final rather than a news conference, and despite the lively banter filling the place, their eyes never stayed away from the television mounted above the counter for long.
Of course, not everyone saw the situation as something worth celebrating. For most people around the world, the situation was becoming increasingly unsettling. With little information coming from anyone in authority, people were left relying on rumours, and the increasingly outrageous conspiracy stories spreading over the previous two days only made matters worse.
That said, there were also those who knew exactly what was happening.
Inside the Caesar residence in London, Ariel and Sarah were sitting side by side on the living room sofa with bowls of snacks balanced on their laps, looking for all the world like a mother and daughter enjoying a quiet afternoon in, the only indication that this particular afternoon was anything other than ordinary being the way both pairs of eyes stayed fixed on the screen with a degree of attention that went somewhat beyond casual interest.
In another part of the city, the atmosphere was just as relaxed, although this gathering had a few more people. Howard, Maria, Bucky, and a certain alien who had somehow become a regular member of their little circle were gathered around the television, watching the same broadcast.
The Stark couple and Bucky were aware that Maverick intended to reveal magic to the world, but that was about as much.
Like everyone else, they were also caught off guard upon learning the news. In fact, they were "off-planet" when everything happened over the city three nights earlier, and it was only after someone made a trip to Mars the following day that they learned something major had happened.
Back on Earth, as soon as they saw the news replaying some of the scenes captured that night, particularly those showing Maverick using magic without a care in the world, they were fairly certain that none of it was an accident or the result of some situation getting out of control.
And then taking everything they knew into account, they had a pretty good idea where things were heading, what this so-called grand meeting was about, and the reason behind the news that had just announced the UN was holding a press conference to address the entire world.
"Why's the kid keeping us on the sidelines again?" Howard grumbled. "Aren't we like, part of his cult too? First it was the alien invasion, and now this…"
"Really." Maria looked at him with a deadpan expression that suggested she had a number of things she could say in response and was choosing, charitably, to limit herself to one. "I didn't realise you'd run out of things to do."
Howard opened his mouth, found nothing particularly useful waiting there, and closed it again.
She wasn't wrong. Ever since getting his hands on alien technology, he had been completely absorbed in it, barely even coming back to Earth and, of course, giving even less time to his wife.
Bucky, sitting nearby, chuckled looking at howards expression.
"What could we even have done if we'd known?" he offered, reasonably. "At least we have a general idea of what's going on."
Maria didn't laugh, still looking at her husband before letting out a huff. Talos, meanwhile, simply sat there and observed the strange human interactions, caring even less about the news. The only reason he was there was because Howard had dragged him along.
Over at Hogwarts, the Great Hall was once again being turned into something resembling a theatre during mealtime. The students had become so accustomed to it by now that few of them even glanced twice at the large screens positioned on either side of the House tables as they entered.
Similar scenes were unfolding all around the world. Some were excited by the mystery, many were worried about what was coming, and a few remained completely indifferent, though they still watched to see what happened.
Traffic ran thin, even along the busiest roads, wherever one happened to look, for people had gathered, whether at home or elsewhere, in front of whatever screen they could find.
Outside the UN building, the crowd had thinned considerably from earlier, with the announcement of an upcoming press conference sending many people back to their homes to watch it on television.
Those who still remained outside did not miss it either, as massive projections suddenly appeared in the sky above them, seemingly out of nowhere. The crowd reacted with a mixture of gasps and startled murmurs, but before they could wonder too much about what was happening, their attention was quickly drawn to the scene unfolding across the projection.
It showed the inside of the United Nations building, and there, already gathered, were all the world leaders they had come here to see. And at the podium stood the Queen of England, who was clearly about to address the world.
"Good afternoon… good morning, or good evening to all of you watching, wherever you may be in the world. There is a great deal that I must address today, and therefore I shall endeavour to be as precise and concise as possible."
The world, in whatever corner of it people happened to be sitting, seemed to draw a collective breath.
"Three nights ago, on the evening of June the twenty-fourth, London was the scene of an attack carried out by two dangerous individuals. Much has been reported since, and I have no doubt that many of you have already seen the extraordinary events captured that night. There is, understandably, much uncertainty surrounding what occurred, and so I shall begin by putting that uncertainty to rest."
She looked directly into the cameras, "what you witnessed that night was not a fabrication, nor a trick of the light. It was real."
"The two terrorists in question were not mutants, as I wish to make perfectly clear. Nor were they, as some have suggested, aliens. They possessed extraordinary power, nonetheless, power enough to threaten entire nations. Fortunately, we were not without those capable of standing against them, for among our allies are individuals whose abilities proved sufficient to stop them."
She paused, allowing the room and the world beyond it a moment to absorb that.
"The reason we have gathered here today is to address three matters of considerable importance. First, to confirm that the events witnessed three nights ago were entirely real. Second, to assure the public that those responsible have been dealt with and shall pose no further threat. I trust I have dispensed with any uncertainty on those two points."
She took a moment before continuing, "with that said, we now turn to the third matter, formally recognising those who came to our aid when their help was most desperately needed."
"Before I elaborate any further, I must remind those watching that the presence of extraordinary individuals is not something entirely new to us. Half a century ago, an extraordinary man sacrificed his life to bring an end to a war that had already claimed millions and threatened to claim millions more. His name was Steve Rogers. I am certain there is hardly a person in the world who does not recognise that name, or the identity by which he became known. Captain America."
"He was a super soldier, and the description was well earned. He possessed strength and capabilities far beyond those of an ordinary human being, and he chose to place those gifts entirely in the service of others. His sacrifice helped bring an end to one of the darkest chapters in our collective history, and his name has endured as a symbol of courage ever since."
"And of course, that was hardly the first time the world had encountered individuals with extraordinary abilities. Both then and now, there have been those among us who exist beyond the limits of what we consider ordinary. The media has, by and large, come to refer to such individuals as mutants. Their existence is neither new nor particularly concealed. What must be understood, however, is that these individuals are human. Whether their abilities originate from a super soldier programme or from whatever the press has taken to calling mutation, they remain human, just as you and I are."
She waited a moment, allowing the words to be absorbed.
"This brings me to the individuals I referred to at the outset, our allies of long standing, those who came to our aid three nights ago. They are, first and foremost, human beings. Their abilities are extraordinary, without question, but they do not fall into the category the media describes as mutation. While those known as mutants generally possess abilities unique to themselves alone, the individuals I am speaking of share the same remarkable capabilities among their entire community."
"Until today, their existence and their involvement have remained concealed from the wider public. They stood alongside us during the Second World War, but at their own request their contribution was kept confidential and consequently found no place in our history books. Now that we are speaking of them openly, I can tell you that their assistance in bringing that conflict to an end was no less significant than that of Steve Rogers himself."
The speech was obviously no spur-of-the-moment affair. Each point in turn was building an understanding that would make the revelation to come easier for the world to accept, covering the very matters Maverick had told her needed to be understood before the truth about magic could finally be revealed.
She took another moment before continuing, "And whilst we are upon the subject of matters long kept from public knowledge, there is one further occasion for which the world owes these individuals a considerable debt. They helped prevent a threat to humanity on a scale we had never before encountered, stopping it before it could develop into something far more catastrophic. Their efforts, alongside those of the extraordinary humans known publicly as mutants, quite possibly spared our world a disaster of unimaginable proportions."
"Many of you will remember that two years ago, the world was told of a joint military exercise taking place in the Chinese desert. What was reported at the time was not, I must now acknowledge, the truth. The exercise was a cover for what had actually occurred. The decision to conceal it was made for two reasons. The events had caught everyone by surprise, including our own governments and the extraordinary communities I have mentioned, and it was necessary to maintain confidentiality under the terms of our long-standing alliance with them."
"The truth is this. An extraterrestrial civilisation arrived at our planet with the intention of invading it, bringing with them an armada of highly advanced spacecraft. An alien invasion, to use the plainest possible language."
The assembly remained largely unmoved, after all, it was hardly news to them. Around the world, however, the Queen's address was already sending shockwaves through millions of homes, especially after that final revelation.
"…Nevertheless," she went on without so much as a change in her composed demeanour, her voice carrying the same calm dignity it had from the start.
"The Earth was not without defenders then, nor is it now. Though our technological capabilities were far behind theirs, there were individuals among us whose abilities proved more than capable of not only matching, but completely overcoming, that advantage…"
She paused briefly, "However, were I to recount every detail of what occurred, I fear I might be here well beyond sunset. In the meantime, the records concerning that day are now being declassified by governments around the world as I speak, and will soon be made available to the media in full. I shall therefore leave the matter there for the present."
"As I said at the outset, this assembly of the world's leaders has not been convened without purpose. Today marks a rather significant occasion. An ally who has, for many years, chosen to remain concealed from the wider public has decided that the time has come to make themselves known..."
"Prior to the beginning of my address, representatives of their people," she gestured towards the long table before her, "met with the leaders assembled here. We discussed at length the wisdom and practicalities of such a revelation, and after careful consideration, we reached a unanimous agreement. If they are to make themselves known to the world, it is best that they do so openly, honestly, and without concealment of any kind."
"I have deliberately refrained throughout this address from saying more than is necessary, because I believe it is only right that they speak for themselves. One of their representatives will address the world directly after I have finished, speaking of their community, its history, and what makes it distinct. The floor will then be opened to the press, who will have the opportunity to put forward any questions they may have."
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore… I should add, a dear friend of mine. Please..."
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Author's Note:
Damn. That was difficult. So damn difficult. I really hope I didn't screw it up.
Let me know what you think, please leave your feedback. I'd really like to know how this chapter felt from your side.
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