"…I have spoken about cooperation between our governments, about opening our markets to one another, and about establishing a means for our currencies to interact. These are only the beginning, of course, but they are important beginnings. They are the first foundations upon which our two worlds can build something together, and I believe they answer the question this young lady asked regarding what comes next."
He paused briefly again. "But there is one more matter I believe is just as important as everything I have mentioned so far. Trade is not only about goods, technology or currency. There is something else also our world can offer you, something more valuable than any object we could place on a shelf… our skills."
He continued, the eyes of the world fixed upon him. "And among all the skills our people have to offer, there is one that I believe will interest everyone in particular… healing."
Across the world, people suddenly paid closer attention, many turning up the volume on their televisions, leaning closer to their screens, or simply sitting a little straighter.
"Regardless of which world we come from, those who dedicate their lives to healing others hold an important place in society, and they are among the most respected people in both our worlds. In your world, you have doctors, nurses, surgeons and many other medical professionals. In our world, we generally call those who specialise in magical medicine healers. The names may be different, and so are the methods they use, but the purpose is the same. They spend years learning about the human body, studying diseases and injuries, and learning how to treat them. The main difference between us is simply the means..."
"Before I say anything else, however, I hope no one listening will take my words the wrong way. I have no intention of diminishing the doctors, nurses, surgeons or any other medical professionals of your world, and I believe that should be made clear. In fact, there are many areas where your medical science has advanced far beyond anything our healers have achieved…"
"For instance, magic may allow us to repair a damaged organ, but when an organ has completely failed, replacing it with a healthy donor organ is something our healers have far less experience with. Your vaccines can prepare the body to fight certain diseases before they ever take hold, while your medicines can target infections and other illnesses at their source. Then there are your X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds, which allow your doctors to see what is happening inside the body without ever needing to open the patient up…"
"I admit openly here that your world has developed a far deeper understanding of cells, genetics, microorganisms and biochemistry than we have. In these areas, our magical medicine may be comparatively primitive, and that is precisely why I believe there is so much our two worlds can learn from one another."
These were all facts. In the simplest terms, magic gave the wizarding world a shortcut, while the non-magical world had to take the longer route. Both could reach the same destination, but the journey itself was very different.
"That said, the road goes both ways. Just as your world has developed methods that our healers have never needed to pursue, there are things magic allows us to do that your medical science simply cannot yet match. In some cases, the difference is not small, it is overwhelming."
"For example, in the case I mentioned earlier, a skilled healer can treat certain injuries without the need for invasive procedures at all. A deep wound that might require stitches, surgery and weeks of recovery in your world can, under the right circumstances, be sealed by a healing spell within minutes. Broken bones can be mended without casts, and certain forms of internal damage can be repaired without ever needing to open the body…"
"And that is only the beginning…"
Several seconds passed this time between his words.
"Cancer."
The reaction was immediate, the whole world seemed to hold its breath. Even inside the chamber, several people looked at him expectantly, knowing that this was the subject that could change everything.
Takamura wasn't making things up, nor was he simply throwing out whatever facts happened to come to mind on the subject. The matter of healers and making their services available to the non-magical world was one of the most discussed subjects among the seven of them over the past two days, and Takamura was simply following the agreed upon script.
And it wasn't just Maverick who thought so, all seven of them agreed that this particular matter would be one of the biggest factors in easing the transition as the two worlds began integrating.
Particularly, cancer.
Witches and wizards might not take this subject as seriously, simply because cancer was rarely considered a serious problem in the magical world. There were potions commonly available that could correct abnormalities within the body, or in more magical terms, cleanse the body of harmful growths and other unwanted things growing within them.
It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that the majority of the magical world might not even know the word cancer, at least not in the medical sense that it is understood in the non-magical world.
"In your world, this word can mean death. It can mean long-term, agonising pain, uncertainty, and the terrible knowledge that there may be nothing more your doctors can do..."
He let that settle for a moment, "however, amongst us, it is a very different matter. It is an illness, yes, and one that must be treated, but it is not something that carries the same fear or sense of finality. Our healers can, very easily I might add, identify abnormal changes within the body, then, with the appropriate potion or healing spell, remove the problem directly from its root and even treat the aftermath, restoring the body as good as new. In truth, it is no more frightening to a witch or wizard than mending a broken finger."
He paused again. "But once again, there is one important factor that comes into play here, and that is magic. Our potions and healing spells were created by witches and wizards, for witches and wizards. They work best on a body that already has magic coursing through it, because they do not always work entirely on their own. In many cases, they work together with the magic already present within the patient."
"That does not, however, mean they will not work on someone without magic…"
This wasn't something Maverick was merely taking on faith. Sarah, his Potions teacher, had already tested the theory herself for… well, details aside, but she had shared the results of her experiments with him.
Just as he had found a way to make electrical technology usable by magicals, all that was needed here was a third-party to bridge that limitation. In other words, something else simply needed to provide the magical energy that the treatment would normally draw from the patient.
"…they will. We have tested this ourselves and can confirm it. The difference is that the effects may take longer, and some treatments may require several doses where a witch or wizard might need only one."
In homes across the world, people were getting to their feet, some without even realising they had stood up. Chances were, someone had a family member or close friend suffering from cancer, and to them, this news was like a ray of sunshine finally breaking through after an ice age.
Just as Maverick expected, this was probably the most emotionally memorable part of the entire press conference. The revelation about aliens would still take the top spot for most of the world, obviously. There was no beating that.
"…I am also not standing here today and telling you that tomorrow morning every hospital in the world can be given a bottle of potion and cancer will cease to exist…"
His expression softened slightly. "But what I can promise is that we will work with the United Nations and with the medical professionals of your world to find a way forward. How these treatments will be introduced, where they will be provided and how they will be regulated are matters we will address together, and there will be further announcements regarding this in the coming days."
With that, Takamura finally ended his response, or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a speech, and sat back down.
The reaction was immediate. Reporters erupted into chaos, voices coming from every direction as some simply shouted their questions without even bothering to raise their hands until the Secretary-General had to slam the gavel several times before the chamber finally began to settle.
For the next dozen or so questions, the focus remained almost entirely on healing, with reporters asking about the establishment of "magical hospitals" around the world, what other specific treatments magical healers could offer, and, above all else, the subject of cancer. The seven speakers took turns answering, but didn't go too deeply into the matter, simply concluding that more information would be made announced soon.
Time continued to pass as the questions continued. The sun that had been high above the city of New York when the press conference began had since crossed much of the sky, with afternoon slowly giving way to evening.
During which, the world learned far more than just a little about their new neighbours, the magical world. They learned about its history, its capabilities, its people, and what its arrival would mean for the world moving forward. What had begun as an explanation for what happened over London three days ago had almost been forgotten by the time the press conference reached its end, buried beneath everything else that had been revealed through the countless questions that followed.
Many looked towards the coming days with a strange mixture of excitement and uncertainty. For some, it really did feel like the beginning of a new era, just as Dumbledore and the others had described it.
Others were still unsure what to make of everything they had heard, most probably were.
Accepting an entirely new world, magic, aliens, and everything else that had been revealed in a single afternoon was never going to happen overnight. One press conference was obviously not going to be enough to make billions of people understand, accept, or simply feel comfortable with everything.
There would be criticism. There would be negative headlines, arguments, disbelief, fear, and probably a great deal of nonsense as well.
That was simply how humanity worked. Some embraced change, some fought it, and others needed time to understand it.
However, the purpose had been achieved. Instead of humanity discovering on its own that a magical world was real and chaos breaking loose before anyone could understand what was happening, the world had been given an explanation first.
A certain shitface once said that chaos was a ladder. Perhaps he was right. But Maverick preferred a different kind of ladder, one built from understanding rather than chaos. Give people the truth before fear fills the gaps, and perhaps they wouldn't need to climb through chaos to reach the other side.
Anyways, this was only the beginning. There was still plenty of work to be done on the magical side, and the ICW was certainly going to be busy, along with the various magical governments. Of course, the non-magical world and their respective governments weren't going to have an easy time either. The coming days, weeks, months… well, nobody could really say how long it would take before things finally settled down.
And speaking of work, Maverick, Dumbledore and Maxime finally returned to Hogwarts directly after the press conference. More than a thousand witches and wizards were waiting to take their final examinations for the academic year, after all, and while Dumbledore and Maxime might not be particularly busy with the examinations themselves, Maverick, the unfortunate work slave, did not have the same luxury.
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400 chapters. ONE MILLION words. 😭😭😭
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