Meanwhile, Andre smirked inwardly, thinking, 'I'll show you what true despair feels like soon enough.'
Claremont then entered the trial hall through a side door.
Dressed in a simple wizard's robe, he looked far less impressive than when he was running his magic supply shop.
Andre fixed his gaze on the old man in the audience and said, "Claremont, everyone here knows who you are, so there's no need for introductions. I want to ask you about the silver wand and its influence behind the scenes.
What do you know about the civil society organizations in Germany?"
Claremont, calm and collected despite the many eyes on him, replied, "I know quite a bit, Sir Andre. In fact, I'm the direct person in charge of the West German Endeavor Society.
I coordinate and manage these organizations for the club and am considered an unofficial member of the silver wand."
His candid admission shocked those present, Wizengamot councilors and Ministry of Magic officials alike.
Hearing such a straightforward confession from someone so high up was more powerful than testimonies from lower-ranking individuals.
It could spell disaster for Pete.
Yet, when everyone turned to look at Pete, they saw he remained completely unfazed, showing no sign of concern over Claremont's statement.
Andre pressed on, his face serious, "Very well. Now, please explain to us how your main duties with these organizations usually tie back to the silver wand."
"I'm sorry, Director Andre, but I can't fully recall the details," Claremont said, shaking his head without any expression.
Andre pressed on, "What about names? You've worked with the club for a long time.
Surely you know some of the key people, like those connected to the silver wand, the black market, or the West German Endeavor Association. Can you give us a list?"
Claremont remained cold and firm.
"I'm sorry. I can't reveal any names, none at all."
"Why not?" Andre asked.
"To prevent leaks, the club placed a powerful secrecy spell on my mind, and I signed a binding contract. If I even subconsciously try to share secrets, the magic stops me immediately. So, any information related to the club is impossible for me to reveal," Claremont explained in a regretful tone.
The wizards around the room frowned in disappointment.
They had hoped a real insider would spill some major secrets, but Claremont was no better than a mute.
Yet, this also gave them a clearer picture of just how tightly the club controlled its members.
No wonder the silver wand used such cruel brainwashing methods on imprisoned wizards, they had a long history of criminal activity.
It also explained why Pete remained so calm; he probably already knew Claremont couldn't reveal anything.
The Ministry officials aligned with Pete sighed with relief, fearing Claremont might accidentally expose something damaging.
But to everyone's surprise, Andre didn't show any frustration.
Instead, he calmly asked, "If you can't talk about the club itself, do you have any evidence that could she'd light on it?"
"Yes, Director Andre," Claremont said indifferently.
The entire courtroom was instantly electrified. Many people were stunned, whispering to each other in disbelief.
Once they confirmed what he said, all eyes turned to Claremont, burning with eager anticipation.
Even the reporters had their cameras and recorders aimed at him, as if they were waiting for some big scoop to break.
The wizards from the split faction nearby looked nervously at Pete.
They couldn't exactly say they weren't scared, but they were curious about what kind of proof this guy might have.
Meanwhile, Pete kept going over things in his head.
'Did Claremont really have any solid evidence? No way!'
He firmly dismissed the thought and gave a slight shake of his head to his subordinates, signaling them not to act hastily.
What Andre and Clement were doing was probably just a scare tactic, trying to push them into making a rash move.
Right now, they had to stay calm and not stir things up.
Suddenly, Andre called out softly, "The first Auror team, move in to protect the witness!"
Four Aurors quickly stepped forward from the side, positioning themselves around Claremont with serious expressions, backs turned to him to guard all directions.
But the more this happened, the more Pete felt that Claremont didn't actually have any real proof. This was likely just a bluff.
Even though Pete kept telling himself this, his hands still clenched the armrests tightly.
Once the defense was in place, Andre demanded sharply, "Claremont, what evidence are you talking about?"
"It's memory, Director Andre," Claremont replied, his nerves showing amid the tense atmosphere, but knowing there was no turning back.
"What memory?" Andre pressed.
Claremont took a deep breath.
"It's a long-term collection of memories I've gathered over more than ten years working for the silver wand. It's full of scenes where I came into contact with the silver wand."
He cast a quick glance at Pete, who suddenly felt his heart tighten but forced himself to stay calm.
'No way. Their secrecy spells have always been tight, how could Claremont have extracted those memories? Besides, he's been loyal to me for years, and this evidence was supposedly gathered long ago? This has to be a setup by Claremont and Andre, a show to intimidate me. I can't lose my head now or I'll fall right into their trap.'
After thinking all this through, Pete swallowed his urge to flee and planted himself firmly in his seat.
At that moment, Andre also noticed something unusual about Pete, and he couldn't help but admire his calm demeanor.
Changing his tone, he quickly urged, "Alright, please show us the evidence you have."
"Yes, Director Andre," Claremont replied with a soft sigh.
He then pulled out a small row of test tubes from his coat, each containing a magical fluid that glowed with a soft blue light.
Andre nodded as he saw this and turned to Pete.
"Minister Pete, what do you make of the evidence Claremont has presented?"
Andre's sudden question seemed to only strengthen Pete's belief that Claremont was bluffing.
Holding a bunch of bottles filled with someone's memories wasn't exactly intimidating.
Pete's response was cold and dismissive.
"It would be better if these memories were actually important, but the culprit, Michelle, has already surrendered. To me, this feels unnecessary."
"Is that so, Minister Pete?" Andre said with a teasing sneer.
He then looked over at Edmund.
"Mr. Schmidt, as Germany's most respected wizard, would you be willing to help us by demonstrating the memory? It would serve as a kind of verification."
"You flatter me, Director Andre. I'm happy to assist," Edmund replied with a smile.
Rising from the spectator seats, he approached Claremont and randomly selected one of the test tubes.
With a light tap of his wand, he threw it into the air.
Under Edmund's control, a thread of memory slowly began to unfold, forming an incredibly realistic 3D image above their heads.
In the projection stood two figures.