"This man - a Belarusian - had his ears removed with a knife. The process was slow, as the man was quite ambitious; he believed that each additional moment of pain represented an increase in his power. However, the amputation attracted unwanted attention. He died of fever in Siberia in 1953."
[Slide 6]
"This woman, from Estonia, has undergone an -- as you see -- very elaborate amount of tattooing. To avoid attracting attention, it has been done entirely on regions of the body that would normally be covered by a blouse. Lines were drawn with the point of a knife, and to prevent immediate healing, then had a finely ground charcoal pressed into them. I met her about twenty years after this was done; the photograph dates from 1978. She is considered one of the wisest witches on that side of the Continent."
[Slide 7]
"Although such procedures are less common among the younger generation of wizards in the East, there are still some who maintain their power. This man I met in Petersburg. As you can see, he has had his nipples surgically amputated -- without anaesthetic -- and you will easily observe the line of piercings from the sternum to the navel. Although less clear in this photograph, you may note the more radical amputation at the bottom of the photo, which will necessarily render this wizard the last of his family.
Political changes in the 1990s have made the practice of magic less dangerous than it was formerly. Also noteworthy is the growing influence of Durmstrang. I spent some time in northern Finland, where its power is strong, and where ancient traditions were less perturbed by political events."
[Slide 8: a rather dour-looking old woman, with thin and stringy grey hair]
This is Louhi, or rather the latest Louhi, a very fine old witch whose powers, I would say, are easily the equal of any you could find in Britain. She described to me some of the ways in which Durmstrang is attempting to re-collect the scattered traditions of Russia and the East; its emissaries are very wide-spread. They have met with some resistance from some of the older generation, but their organization and education of the younger ones is quite remarkable. It was also from her, incidentally, that I obtained this ivory necklace; the carving is only less remarkable than the material, claimed to be the bones of unweaned infants.
However, Durmstrang is not the only institution taking an interest in the new generation of wizards."
[Slide 9: A rectangular building nine stories in height, yellowish in colour with reddish-brown stripes separating every two storeys.]
"Already in the 1980s questions were being raised at high levels in the government as to whether a policy of continued repression was wise. At present those questions have been answered in the negative. According to well-placed confidential sources I spoke to, this intelligence organization has gone out of its way to recruit wizards in order to keep pace with the West. The possibilities are limitless: spies who can pass invisibly, walk through walls, or incapacitate a man without touching him; whose operations are protected by the government that once persecuted them.
I have no interest in going into political questions at this event, but I think it would not be surprising if some were to compare and contrast the attitudes of our respective governments with regard to what some are calling potentially the most powerful force on Earth.
I'll be happy to take any questions you may have..."