Franz hesitated slightly, rubbing his fingers together in a familiar gesture. "Well, the info you asked for was about his business. The black market stuff… that's more like a bonus. If you want anything beyond that, I'll have to… "
"You'll have to charge extra, right?" Alex finished for him, unfazed. He'd dealt with people like Franz before, those who worked for money were often more reliable than idealists.
Without hesitation, Alex pulled out a pouch and slid 50 Galleons across the table. Then, he added another 10 on top. "Here's the rest of your payment. The extra ten is for the information on Claremont. Will that cover it?"
Franz beamed, clearly pleased. "No wonder you're known internationally, doing business with you is easy and straightforward." He chuckled, clearly eager to please someone as generous as Alex.
After a moment of thought, Franz organized the details in his head and began to share more.
"Like I mentioned, Claremont isn't just dabbling in the black market. He's also rumored to be linked to the Silver Wand. I've heard that he's been seen speaking with a mysterious individual who always wears a faceless mask."
Franz leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "And there's more, Claremont is actually the manager and financial backer of a group called the 'West Reich Initiative.' It's a radical civilian organization that's been pushing for West Germany to completely break away from East Germany."
Alex listened carefully, his mind already analyzing the implications. This Claremont wasn't just a merchant, he was a player in something much bigger.
"They're all radical wizard groups from West Germany," Franz explained.
"They often stir up controversy by making provocative statements in newspapers and on the radio. They've also had some serious clashes with radical organizations from East Germany, fights have even broken out between them."
After saying that, Franz added, "Remember Willhem from yesterday? He got into a fight with members of one of those groups.
The West Reich Initiative Society had come to that same tavern before, trying to promote separatist ideas. Just like what happened yesterday, East German wizards didn't take it well, and things escalated into a confrontation."
"Are there really that many radical wizarding groups in Germany?" Alex asked. He already knew that the Silver Wand had been funding various local civic organizations, and the Endeavor Society seemed like one of them.
Franz nodded. "Yeah, quite a few, actually. Besides the West Reich Initiative Society, there's the East German Trade Union, the Munich Union, the East Berlin Innovation Society, the Hamburg Courage Society, and others like them. They all claim to be fighting for the rights and interests of local wizards."
"At first, these groups had good intentions," Franz continued.
"They came together to help local wizards deal with hardships. As you probably know, Germany went through a lot during the Muggle wars.
Even though wizards didn't officially take part, Muggle weapons were so destructive that many wizard homes were caught in the crossfire. These groups initially formed to help those affected rebuild their lives."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. It made sense. Even if German wizards had tried to stay out of the conflict during World War II, the country itself had been bombed heavily by the Allies.
It wasn't surprising that some civilian wizards ended up suffering. From the way it sounded, these organizations had been around for quite a while, more like grassroots community groups that came together for mutual support.
In fact, the reason German wizards kept a low profile during World War II probably went back to World War I. Grindelwald had tried to drag the wizarding world into that conflict, and a lot of wizards paid the price.
Despite their magical abilities, most wizards were ordinary civilians, not trained fighters. They weren't prepared to deal with Muggle weapons like guns and bombs. Maybe that's why Grindelwald later became obsessed with creating a true wizard army, one that could stand up to such threats.
It's a bit unfortunate, but even among wizards, there are factions and political alignments. Despite their magical powers far surpassing those of Muggles, these differences still lead to divisions, with wizards from opposing sides standing against each other.
Interestingly, in countries like Germany and France, where many Muggle-born wizards lived through the devastation of World War I, discrimination against them has become relatively rare. These wizards have seen firsthand what Muggles are capable of, especially their weapons, and because of that, they tend to be more accepting of Muggles in general.
However, this acceptance often makes them less inclined to strictly follow the International Statute of Secrecy, which has led to a noticeable increase in the number of half-blood wizards in those regions. As a result, both Muggle-born and half-blood wizards hold significant influence in the magical communities of Germany and France.
This openness to Muggle society, though, comes with its own complications. Because they're more integrated with the Muggle world, they're also more susceptible to its political and societal shifts.
For example, the division of Germany into East and West after the war didn't just affect the Muggles, it spilled over into the wizarding community as well. Half-blood and Muggle-born wizards were especially influenced, and their affiliations began to mirror the Muggle world's political lines.
In contrast, regions like Britain and Northern Europe, which weren't as directly affected by the war, tend to uphold the secrecy laws more strictly and often look down on Muggles.
After reflecting on all this for a moment, Alex nodded slightly, signaling for Franz to continue. At the same time, he quietly slid ten gold Galleons across the table. Franz's eyes lit up at the sight, and he eagerly went on.
"At first, these wizarding groups were pretty moderate," he explained. "They started out as community-based organizations, even evolving into more casual interest clubs, one of them, originally called the 'Munich Federation,' eventually rebranded itself as the 'Munich Thaumaturgy Club.'
But over time, as the Muggle side of Germany remained divided, tensions began to build within the wizarding community too, especially between East and West Germany. These local wizarding groups, which were once just clubs, started taking political stances, backing their respective sides and speaking out for local interests.
Eventually, what started as support for local wizards turned into full-blown support for the division itself. Some of them even started showing open hostility toward wizards from the other side.
Of course, these groups only represent a small part of the magical population. Most Muggle-born and half-blood wizards are influenced by the division, but they don't necessarily want to be split apart. Still, these organizations claim to speak for them, and publicly at least, they express support for the division.
As a result, their propaganda has had a real effect. There's now a growing sense of separation among German wizards. For instance, they've been actively blocking legislation that would unify the Floo Network across regions.
And lately, their actions have become more extreme, some of these groups have even resorted to violence."