It turns out, the Silver Wands are playing a much bigger game than he initially thought. They're no longer just smugglers; they're trying to destabilize the entire government from behind the scenes. If their plans succeed, Germany might end up divided and plunged into chaos.
"Mr. Wilson, here is your visa and wand permit," said an official from the Department of Magical Transportation, handing the documents to Alex along with two separate scrolls of parchment.
"This is the Floo Network guide. It includes a list of public fireplaces in both East and West Germany. But please keep in mind, the two networks aren't compatible, so you can't travel directly between them. Are you aware of that?"
"Yes, I looked into it beforehand. Thank you," Alex replied calmly. He tucked the documents into his coat, took the two Floo Network lists with a hint of reluctance, and left the Portkey Office.
Although he had already completed the visa process at the German Ministry of Magic, seeing the two separate Floo lists in his hands still felt surreal. It was strange, this was still the same country, yet even something as simple and magical as the Floo Network was divided by the political split between East and West Germany. It was bizarre. You couldn't travel from one side to the other using the network, which just highlighted how deep the division ran.
While handling the paperwork, Alex had also taken the chance to quietly observe the Department of Magical Transportation. The entire department operated with a strange duality.
Every office seemed to have two versions, one for East Germany and one for West. The Floo Network Administration he had just visited belonged to the East German side. Earlier, while wandering around with Anne, he'd noticed the West German office too, it was just as busy and chaotic.
From what he could see, even though the German Ministry of Magic was technically still unified, there were already clear signs of internal division. The split wasn't just political, it was creeping into every corner of the magical world too.
"I don't know enough yet, and the situation is still unclear. I need to gather more information," Alex thought to himself as he left the Department of Magical Transportation.
Back in the main hall of the German Ministry of Magic, Alex didn't head out immediately. Instead, he walked straight to the large public fireplace. First things first, he needed to find a place to stay.
"Duden Tower!" he called out clearly.
In a flash of green flame, Alex vanished into the fireplace.
Duden Building, also known as Duden Tower, was Germany's most important magical commercial center. It had seven floors, each spanning thousands of square meters.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a modest building, easily overlooked. But once inside, the space opened up in a way only magic could explain.
Shops of every kind filled the tower, offering goods and services that rivaled even Diagon Alley back in the UK. Whether it was potion ingredients, magical creatures, rare books, or enchanted items, if it existed, you could probably find it here.
When Alex stepped inside, the place reminded him of the large shopping malls he'd visited before, spacious and bustling. But unlike those malls, this one had a strange, jarring feature: a wall that cut straight through the middle of the building, dividing it in half.
Despite this obvious separation, there were doors on every floor built directly into the wall. These doors were always open, and there was no one guarding them. If anything, it looked like anyone could walk through freely. Curious, Alex decided to test it for himself.
As he stepped through one of the doors, he felt a faint magical pulse sweep over him, subtle but unmistakable. At that moment, the region displayed on his magical visa changed from "Germany (East Germany)" to "Germany (West Germany)." When he stepped back through, it switched once again.
This made it clear: the wall wasn't meant to physically block wizards from crossing, it was more symbolic, a way to divide East and West Germany within the magical world. To a wizard, a wall like this means little; magic makes barriers easy to bypass. But Alex, ever observant and sensitive to such things, understood the deeper implications.
The wall didn't just split space, it was shaping identity. It also cut off the Floo Network between the two sides, further limiting magical communication and travel, even if technically, there was nothing stopping anyone from crossing. Over time, this kind of separation would begin to influence how wizards thought of themselves.
Originally, a wizard from Germany would simply say, "I'm German." But now, they were starting to label themselves as either East German or West German.
Even young witches like Anne, whom Alex had met earlier at the Ministry of Magic, despite not fully supporting the idea of division, still introduced themselves based on which side they came from. She had described herself as an "East German," not just "German."
Alex couldn't help but reflect on this as he stood by the wall.
"So, this is a subtle way to get people used to being divided, until they fully accept it," he muttered to himself. "That Minister Eisenberg is a lot more politically clever than Anne gave him credit for."
He spent a long time near that wall, watching. There were no guards, no restrictions, yet no one crossed. It seemed the Ministry's strategy was working.
People had quietly accepted the division. Everyone lived their lives "on their own side," and the idea of unity had begun to fade, without a single spell being cast.
Alex shook his head silently, stepped back through the gate, and returned to East Germany. Without hesitation, he crossed the street and walked straight into a bar facing the gate. The moment he stepped inside, a gruff voice called out to him from a man sitting near the entrance with a drink in hand.
"Hey, kid! We don't welcome West Germans here. You'd better not cause any trouble!" the man barked, clearly drunk.
Alex glanced at him, clearly unimpressed. "And what makes you think I'm from West Germany?"
"I saw you come through the gate, didn't I? I'm not blind," the man snapped, glaring at Alex as he stood up, clearly ready to pick a fight. "If you're not from the West, then who are you?"
Alex met his gaze coolly, not backing down. "Maybe you should try washing your eyes and putting them back in properly. Or better yet, I can do it for you. I promise it won't affect your vision, aside from the pain."
There was a flash of something in Alex's eyes, an almost imperceptible shimmer of fear magic. The drunk wizard suddenly froze, as if he were being stared down by a dragon.
Instinctively, he took a couple of steps back, a chill running down his spine. But shame quickly replaced fear, and he began patting himself down, likely looking for his wand in a fit of drunken pride, determined to teach Alex a lesson.