Convincing Takamura went considerably smoother than Maverick had initially expected, though on second thought, it made perfect sense. As the saying goes, where there is profit, there will always be interest, and the greater the profit, the greater the interest, even the willingness to take risks. And if that interest is strong enough, there will no longer be any need for much convincing. Takamura was no different. Take away his labels, and he was still fundamentally a human being whose nature was all the same. That said, the massive potential profits and interests were still not the core reason he agreed to board so quickly. In the past, the two of them had once found themselves at odds over a conflict of interest of that particular sort, arising at the height of the period when Maverick's reputation was spreading through the upper echelons of the magical world, and it was only natural that certain established figures would take notice, and not always favourably. Takamura was one of them, though fortunately for him it did not escalate beyond that into anything resembling a real conflict. He was wise enough to recognise, before things went any further, that he was not dealing with someone who could be quietly edged out or simply waited out. There were considerable forces behind Maverick, and the gap between them was not what Takamura had initially assumed it to be. And so, with the pragmatism that tends to come with age and a long memory for how these things end, he had chosen to compromise rather than press the matter further. The point was that the episode had given Maverick a fairly clear picture of what kind of man Takamura was at his core, and more importantly, what it would actually take to move him. A Legacy. Above interests and profits, what Takamura valued above all else was leaving a meaningful mark on history. And what Maverick was proposing was precisely that, a whole cake full of profitable potential, certainly, but beyond that, the chance to be part of something that would change the course of world history as a whole. It also helped considerably that Dumbledore was present, and when he learned that both Edward Garling and Olympe Maxime were also committed to that very cause, whatever reservations he had pretty much all but resolved themselves without much further persuasion. "Grandmaster, I extend the same invitation to you as well. I sincerely hope you will be joining us." Maverick, of course, did not forget the old alchemist who was standing quietly in the same chamber, listening to the entire exchange with Takamura without offering so much as a word of input. Nicolas Flamel was only a Great Magus in terms of rank, yes, but his reputation and the weight of his name was no less than that of any Archmages, perhaps even greater. People listened to him, and he was respected across magical communities the world over, not to mention his standing within the International Association of Alchemists. Just as the Muggle world held scientists in the highest regard, the magical world afforded its alchemists a place of comparable reverence, second only to the most respected witches and wizards, if not even greater than them entirely. And Nicolas Flamel was not simply any alchemist, he was the only Grandmaster. Having him on board would be like having the entire alchemical community on board at once, the wisest and most intellectually formidable group in the magical world lending their collective weight to a single cause. Which was precisely why Maverick had not made the exchange with Takamura a discreet one to begin with. Since Flamel was here, Maverick had every intention of trying whether he could move the old man just as much as he had wanted Takamura on board. "So everything that unfolded last night was staged?" Flamel asked, and then turned toward Dumbledore with an inquiring look. "Albus?" Although he sounded interrogative, his expression was easy, and there was even the faint suggestion of a knowing smile at the corners of his lips. Dumbledore met his gaze and smiled back, somewhat admittedly. "Not everything," he said, and then looked toward Maverick. Maverick gave a nod, smiling. "Although, how did you guess it was all staged?" "I didn't." The old alchemist smiled back, walking closer with his hands clasped behind his back. "Call it a whim." Dumbledore let out a soft chuckle at that, as though he had expected nothing less from his old mentor. "But now you have me curious." Flamel went on, his knowing smile remaining where it was. "Before I declare my stance, I would like to hear how it all came to be. As well as the sacrifices you were willing to... indulge." Maverick looked at the man for a moment, then smiled confidently. It was a reasonable assumption on Flamel's part, given that anyone looking at last night's events from the outside, without knowledge of the preparations involved, would naturally presume that something of that scale could not have unfolded without cost. "First of all," Maverick began to explain, "as the Headmaster said, only some of what happened last night was orchestrated by us..." He went on from there, laying it out in measured, unhurried terms, starting with Voldemort, how he had come to be alive, and then how he had ultimately served as a convenient scapegoat for the much larger purpose. The only thing he left out was any mention of Merlin and the founders' involvement. And finally, on the matter of the sacrifices Flamel had assumed, Maverick addressed those as well, or rather, explained their lack of, and the considerable measures that had been quietly put in place long beforehand to ensure it stayed that way. "...Grindelwald's sudden appearance, we were just as taken aback as anyone else. But thankfully, we were able to put a permanent stop to him." The old alchemist briefly turned his gaze toward Dumbledore when Maverick said that, a knowing gleam in his eyes. He was well aware, of course, of the complicated history between the two men, and he looked for what he expected to find in Dumbledore's expression, regret perhaps, or anger, or at the very least sadness. But he found none, only a calm facade, quiet and unreadable, and perhaps the absence of that ever so unique twinkle that usually lived in the eyes of his once student and now dear friend. That said, he was not so bored as to inquire further. "Albus Dumbledore." The remark, when it came, was from Takamura rather than Flamel, as it was also the first time he was hearing the full picture of the arrangements that had led to this point, given that what Maverick had discussed with him earlier concerned only what was yet to come. "To think that you, of all people, would be behind a scheme to deceive the entire world." Dumbledore did not rise to the remark, maintaining his unreadable expression while Takamura went on, something approaching grudging respect settling into his voice as he turned back to Maverick. "I will give it to you, boy. Had I not been told all of this just now, I would very well have been in the dark along with everyone else." "Then I hope it isn't cause for you to reconsider," Maverick said, his smile remaining where it was, though his brows furrowed ever so slightly as he looked at him. Takamura huffed. "Do not lump me in with those old fools. I have never once stood against change in our world, even when that change amounted to very little compared to what the non-magical world... and I am not alone in that. There are many like me who have long grown tired of this status quo, only they never acted on it because they did not know what kind of pressure would come down on them if they did." "Indeed," Flamel agreed, a quiet amusement in his voice. "To think that all it would take was a scapegoat. Had I thought the answer was that simple, I might very well have attempted to orchestrate something like this myself.""You make it sound simple, Grandmaster," Maverick said. "Which it is not. We achieved it with zero casualties, and that is what matters most." He paused, an amused smile curling at his lips. "Besides, where does one find a convenient thug quite like Voldemort to take the fall." The three of them smiled at that, and even Takamura could not quite help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. Maverick turned his attention back to Flamel. "Grandmaster, has your mind been made up?" The old alchemist however still did not give a definitive answer, asking instead, "I presume there is a great deal more left unsaid about this grand operation of yours?" "There is," Maverick said. "The Queen of England is involved, and it is through careful preparation on her part as much as ours that we were able to accomplish everything until now without the sacrifices you first assumed." He paused, sighing lightly. "However, there is not enough time to go through all of it in detail before the congress, Grandmaster. Afterwards though, I would be more than happy to accompany you to supper." Flamel regarded him for a quiet moment, then turned to Dumbledore one last time. "Albus. Are you certain you support this wholeheartedly?" "I have every trust in Maverick to navigate us through whatever turbulence follows." Dumbledore said without hesitation, turning slightly toward Maverick and offering him a sincere smile as he did. Maverick returned the smile, though his brow twitched ever so slightly at the bare bluntness of it. "Very well then." Nicolas Flamel finally extended his hand, and the gesture needed no further elaboration. "Here is to a new beginning." He paused, "I shall be speaking with Perenelle about all of this though, before attending the congress tonight. I trust that will not be a problem?" "Of course not, Grandmaster," said Maverick. Flamel nodded, a quiet chuckle following. "Though I have a feeling she will welcome all of it rather enthusiastically..." "I will be heading back to speak with my people as well," said Takamura. "Not to worry. They will follow my orders without question." "That is fine." Maverick nodded, then his expression settle into something slightly more deliberate. "On the matter of the investigation into Volkov, I would like to be informed of anything you uncover. It is too much of a coincidence that Grindelwald's breakout happened on precisely that night of all nights. It may not matter now that both of them are dead, but I would still like to know." "I will keep that in mind." Takamura gave a single, expressionless nod. The time had passed four o'clock, and without any of them quite noticing, over an hour had slipped by in conversation, the three of them just standing all the while in that same chamber behind the runic iron bars that had once held Grindelwald. Maverick glanced at his watch, then lowered his wrist and made the decision that it was time to leave. "Then, gentlemen," he said, looking across the small gathering, "I shall see you all in Vienna." --- A mild breeze drifted through the early evening air, carrying with it the particular freshness that tends to follow an afternoon shower, the cobblestones still faintly damp beneath the feet of the crowd moving through the street. On a bustling thoroughfare, two figures appeared out of thin air mid-stride, falling into step together with their arms comfortably linked, drawing precisely no attention from the people around them before seamlessly blending into the flow of walking pedestrians. "I hear the food here is excellent." The man spoke with the kind of easy, unhurried warmth that tended to make whatever he said sound like a perfectly reasonable observation. "You say that about every single country we visit," the woman replied with a smile, tilting her head to rest it against his shoulder. Maverick smiled at Isabella's remark and did not bother offering a retort, mostly because she was not wrong. Though in his defence, regardless of which country he happened to take her to, he never took her to eat at just anywhere. The sun was well into the latter stretch of its descent, and dusk would not be long in coming. After leaving Nurmengard he had gone straight to collect Isabella, wanting both to give his mind a moment to breathe and to give her a proper break, which she had more than earned. Since the previous night she had not stopped working for so much as an hour, when he went to find her a while back also she had been in the middle of a live broadcast, which summed the situation up rather neatly. It can't be helped, as she had put it. The viewer traffic had been completely off the charts, and with the assembly only hours away she had no intention of losing her audience, running segment after segment without pause. With everything that was unfolding, there was naturally no shortage of things to discuss. In the end, Maverick had practically dragged her out of the office. "I've actually never been to Austria's Ministry of Magic," Isabella said, her gaze drifting around with quiet curiosity. They were currently seated at a place called Figlmüller, a warm, wood-panelled restaurant tucked into a narrow cobblestone alleyway in the heart of the old city. He had been here once before, in fact, a long time ago now, before magic and everything that came with it had rearranged the shape of his life entirely, on a family holiday with just the three of them, his mother, his father, and himself. "Hmm." He considered for a moment. "From what I know, it's quite something. Built beneath the State Opera, so the architecture alone is already impressive before you factor in the magic. Vaulted ceilings, moving murals along the walls depicting Austrian magical history, and apparently there's a fountain at the centre of the main atrium that hasn't stopped running since the fifteenth century. The locals are rather proud of it, from what I've heard." Isabella looked at him sidelong, one eyebrow climbing. "Did you memorise a brochure before we left?" "Danke schön," Maverick said to the waitress as she set the drinks down on their table. Looking back at Isabella, "and that is precisely why I got an Outstanding in my N.E.W.T. history and you did not." Actually, he had visited once during the two year period he spent roaming the magical world before eventually settling at Hogwarts. Isabella did not argue, smiling and taking a sip of her drink. "Can you feel anyone yet?" "Please, never use that word. It is called magical sense, not magical feel." Maverick chuckled and set his glass down, his eyes drifting briefly toward the window. "One... hmm, two. And a number of Great Magi. Not everyone is here yet, but they are gathering." In his perception, one of the Archmages was familiar, Takamura, and the other was not. Along with them, a considerable number of Great Magi, and the numbers were steadily increasing even as he thought about it.