Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 127 Final Exams Are Coming
He didn't go in. Ravenclaw had a serious gender imbalance and too many little witches, so even as the headmaster, he had to avoid suspicion.

He knocked lightly on the door, and after a short while, the door opened from the inside. Vaughn, smelling pleasant, walked out of the Ravenclaw tower and greeted him cheerfully: "When did you get back?"

He acted as if he were the master of the castle!
Dumbledore was a little annoyed: "Darling, if I remember correctly, you should be a Slytherin, so why do you always like to go to Ravenclaw?"

"Don't be so serious!" Vaughn said with a smile, completely unconcerned. "Are there any school rules that prohibit students from different colleges from visiting each other? No, there aren't, are there?"

"Moreover, I've always felt that the practice of dividing students into colleges is unreasonable. Forcibly labeling students with college tags is very detrimental to the harmony and unity of the entire campus. Albus, you should thank me. I'm trying to help the school resolve this hidden danger!"

"...You're so shameless..."

“Thanks, you too.” Vaughn replied with a smile, but didn’t return to Ravenclaw. He knew that Dumbledore wouldn’t come looking for him unless there was something wrong.

The two strolled leisurely along the dark corridor, the faint glow of magical flames flickering above their heads, casting long shadows.

For a moment, no one spoke; they all seemed to be enjoying the tranquility of the night.

After a long pause, Dumbledore finally spoke: "I have told Nico about your request."

"Oh, what did he say?"

"In principle, Nico doesn't want to take all his knowledge to his grave either. He's willing to teach you, but before you actually get to know him and establish a master-disciple relationship, you'll have to pass his assessment!"

"The specific project being examined is still uncertain, but based on my intuition, Nico will most likely be testing your thinking and imagination."

“I told him everything about the universe hypothesis you shared with me when you entered the ether. He was very curious about your path… You are on completely opposite paths, and he may want to verify your theory.”

"..."

Early in the morning, Vaughn, who hadn't slept all night, sat on the sofa in the Slytherin common room, troubled by Dumbledore's reply from the previous day.

He didn't mind Nicolas Flamel conducting his so-called research.

After all, the knowledge belongs to the other party, and they have the right to propose conditions for teaching. He just didn't expect that Nicolas Flamel's assessment might be extremely difficult!

The Information Universe... is a novel understanding of the world and the universe proposed by Vaughn based on Muggle scientific theory combined with alchemy.

But frankly, it was just a brainstorming session and a brainstorming session!

Vaughn himself is still a novice in alchemy and currently has no ability to bridge two different knowledge systems and turn his ideas into practical theories.

Not to mention producing results based on theory.

"Sigh, I suspect he's deliberately making things difficult for me, don't you think? Fruit Tea?"

Lying sprawled out next to him, Guoguo Tea, who was snoring, opened her eyes.

Sensing the distress in its owner's sigh, it buried its large head in Vaughn's arms and rubbed against him.

"Meow~"

"So what if we don't learn it? That's fine, but it's a real pity. Once Lemaître died, the 'Golden Soul' lineage was broken. Now those useless alchemists can't even make a time-tamper, let alone a Philosopher's Stone."

"Meow?"

"Don't talk nonsense. How could I possibly curse my dear headmaster? You wicked thing."

"Meow~"

“Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time. I heard from Albus that Nicolas Flamel had originally decided to stop taking the elixir of immortality, but now he has changed his mind.”

"Meow meow?"

"Yes, he doesn't want to die anymore. He probably knows that his test is not realistic at the moment, so he didn't mention it at all and decided to wait another year. That's good, at least I still have a year!"

Vaughn was both a consolation to Guoguocha, who was worrying unnecessarily, and a consolation to himself.

There's still at least a year left, and he doesn't have to cram everything into this summer vacation; he can relax for a while longer.

Yes, the final three weeks before the final exams were a rare time of relaxation for Vaughn.

He had long since finished reviewing the written exams, not to mention the practical exams, so he was entitled to leisurely wait for the final exams to arrive.

For the other students, every day of those three weeks felt like hell.

Of course, relaxing doesn't mean ignoring everything. After waiting a while in the common room, Vaughn saw several upperclassmen who hadn't washed their faces or brushed their teeth, and were still sleepy as they carried their books into the common room.

Phil Travers was one of them.

The seventh-grader, who had openly declared his allegiance to Vaughn at the Quidditch championship dinner two weeks prior, was surprised to see Vaughn there. He managed to muster his courage and greet him, "Good morning, Mr. Weasley."

Good morning, Travers. How's your studying going?

"Sure, don't worry, I'll have no problem passing NEWTs." Phil Travers suppressed the urge to yawn, trying his best to appear presentable.

But the rumpled robe he had just thrown on after getting up, the large book tucked under his arm, and his sleepy expression were hardly convincing.

Vaughn didn't say anything, just nodded, then greeted the others and reminded them, "I've submitted your names to WAC. They'll be holding a recruitment fair at the school at the end of the month, so please make sure to promote it."

The group exchanged glances, but Phil Travers was quick-witted. Realizing that WAC's recruitment efforts might not go smoothly, he immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Weasley!"

"Thank you for your hard work," Vaughn said casually.

Phil Travers was instantly energized.

As a result, news of the job fair at the end of the month spread throughout Hogwarts in just half a day.

……

In the afternoon, Harry and Ron heard the news at the library.

“I heard several Slytherin graduates went to the WAC,” Seamus Finnigan said, a hint of fear in his expression. “Aren’t they afraid of werewolves?”

Seamus's father was a Muggle, but his mother was a witch, and he grew up listening to scary werewolf stories.

His expression made Harry frown.

But before he could speak, Ron shouted, "So what if they're werewolves? With Vaughn's wolf poison, we don't have to worry about werewolves transforming and losing their minds anymore. I don't understand what you're afraid of!"

Harry stared at Ron in astonishment.

Seamus stared wide-eyed in surprise: "Merlin, you're actually speaking up for Vaughn? Don't you hate him the most?" His eyes were as if he were looking at a giant sitting in front of him.

Ron puffed out his cheeks: "I...I'm just stating the facts, it has nothing to do with Vaughn."

Simo remained noncommittal: "Of course I'm scared. It's normal to be scared. There are so many werewolves in the WAC. If one of them goes out of control and bites you, your life will be ruined!"

Seamus's words basically represent the mainstream opinion in the current magical world.

Everyone understands the effects of wolfsbane, but people always seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. The ferocious reputation of wolfism over thousands of years cannot be reversed in a short time.

Ron's anger won't solve anything.

He didn't even have the energy to pay attention to so much.

As time went on, the news that WAC would hold a recruitment fair at the end of the month only circulated in Hogwarts for a few days before fading into obscurity again.

With exam week fast approaching, the young wizard's attention is completely focused on studying. At such a young age, no one wants to become a laughingstock for failing an exam and having to repeat a year.

Everyone was immersed in the intense and stimulating studies, and the gradually accumulating psychological pressure caused pre-exam anxiety to spread once again.

On Friday morning, Harry and Ron were awakened by Neville's frantic screams—the poor fellow, clutching the glowing red memory orb, couldn't remember what he had forgotten.

Dean Thomas also suddenly burst into tears at night, wanting to go back to his home in Muggle society, go to Muggle high school, and never return to Hogwarts.

Harry and Ron struggled to drag Dean Thomas, who was already developing and had grown tall, into the school hospital.

Then they pulled him back—the school hospital was full of fifth and seventh graders!

As the end of the semester approached, these two grades were always the hardest hit by pre-exam anxiety, and Harry and Ron even met Wood at the school hospital.

He slumped listlessly in the corner of the bed, refusing to utter a sound no matter how Harry and Ron called him.

But when faced with their worried inquiries, Mrs. Pomfrey remained calm: "He'll be fine in a couple of days."

"Why? He looks terrible."

Mrs. Pomfrey said unsurprisedly, "Kids, it's certainly bad for someone to pretend to be crazy, but I think he'll eventually realize he can't escape OWLs, and in a few days he'll obediently go back to studying!"

As it turned out, Mrs. Pomfrey was very experienced.

Two days later, Harry and Ron met Wood again in the Gryffindor common room. Like other fifth-year students busy with their studies, he was engrossed in the drowsy book, *The History of Magic*.

Harry and Ron were happy that he was leaving the hospital and getting back on his feet, but Wood frowned: "What are you talking about? I've never been to the hospital!"

The other fifth-grade students around them all agreed:
“That’s right, Wood has been with us the whole time and hasn’t been to the school hospital.”

"What a joke! You two must have gone crazy from studying too much. How could tough guys like us possibly skip studying?"

Yes, learning makes us happy!

That was the first time Harry and Ron felt fear about their upcoming fifth-year life. The pressure of the promotion exams was already immense. Just how terrifying were the OWLs to drive these seasoned veterans, who had already gone through four promotion exams, to the point of mental breakdown?
Of course, not everyone is trapped in hell.

For example, Vaughn—

Harry and Ron saw Vaughn more than once, dressed in an exquisite velvet robe, wandering around Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor.

His smile was as clear and sunny as the Scottish sky in early summer outside the window. He was surrounded by little witches who seemed to be laughing and chatting after the rain, which made him stand out from the other anxious, tense, and gloomy little wizards.

Or Hermione—

This top student's studies are equally demanding, but unlike others, she has already completed her first-year course and is now self-studying the second-year course.

"If I were you, I would use this time to have a good time. Aren't you tired of reading all these books?"

As Ron uttered those words with envy, jealousy, and resentment, he was taping his eyelids shut to prevent them from closing uncontrollably while he was reading.

Beside him, Hermione waved her wand, practicing the "Stop Curse" gesture.

“What’s so fun about Hogwarts? We should study instead,” Hermione replied, focusing intently on correcting her movements.

Ron urged her, "Go find Vaughn, silly girl. Haven't you noticed? He's been going to Ravenclaw every day to pick up girls. Aren't you worried? I noticed a girl named Cho Chang, she's really pretty!"

Nearby, Harry, who was reciting his text from memory, paused, his expression sullen.

Hermione dismissed it: "He just likes hanging out with girls, I believe him." Then, she glanced at Ron: "Ronald, don't try to sow discord between me and your brother, I'll tell him."

“Foolish little girl, I’m worried about you. You have no sense of crisis at all. You don’t appreciate my good intentions. Do you think that just because Vaughn invited you to his house for the summer, you’ll be a Weasley?”

Hermione's face flushed crimson, and she stammered, embarrassed and annoyed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who...who wants the Weasley name..."

She couldn't sit still any longer, so she hurriedly packed her schoolbag and fled.

After "driving" Hermione away, Ron was smug: "I knew she was shy."

Harry ignored his inexplicable boasting and asked instead, "Is Hermione coming to your house for summer vacation?"

“Yes, I only found out last week when I received a letter from my mother.” Ron pouted. “Mom was so excited, she practically treated Vaughn like a hero. She said that out of all his brothers, only Vaughn was the first to bring a girl home. She was so proud of him that she wouldn’t even call him by his name in her letters to me, instead calling him ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’ and stuff like that, tsk…”

Harry didn't notice the underlying sourness in Ron's dismissive tone; he was simply envious: "Vaughn is so good to Hermione. Sigh, I'll have to spend the summer at those awful Dursleys' house..."

Ron then remembered that Harry's living conditions weren't good, and he said very generously, "You can come and play too, Harry. I invite you. Mom will be very happy, and Ginny too. She's always been very curious about you!"

Harry looked somber. "I can't go, Ron."

"why?"

“The magic I have, Vaughn told me, is an ancient spell that my mother cast on me. One of the rituals that maintains it is that I must stay with my blood relatives… My only remaining relative is Aunt Petunia. Even though I don’t like her, I have to stay at the Dursleys’ house for a period of time every year.”

Ron was speechless for a moment, then suddenly became excited and patted Harry's shoulder hard: "You can't leave, but I can come to you!"

"what?"

“I can come to your house to play, Harry. I don’t want to see Vaughn and Hermione all lovey-dovey all the time; it gives me nightmares. How about I just stay at your house?” This…

Harry's heart skipped a beat. One of the main reasons he hated going back to the Dursleys was that going home meant leaving his playmates, leaving his friends Ron, Vaughn, and Hermione.

He hated being locked up alone in the storage room...

Wait, the storage room!

Harry suddenly remembered where he lived and blushed with embarrassment. That dirty, cramped place was really unsuitable for entertaining friends.

Just as he was pondering how to politely decline, two hands slapped heavily on his and Ron's shoulders, accompanied by two teasing voices:
"Where are you going to stay, little Ronnie?"

"Could it be that our dear younger brother can no longer bear the excellence of his older brothers and his own mediocrity, and is preparing to run away from home?"

Ron was furious: "Fred! George! Damn it, stop calling me by my nickname!"

The twins didn't care whether he was angry or not; they laughed and ruffled Ron's hair, making Ron furious.

After joking around for a while, they sat down next to Harry.

Harry hadn't seen the twins for a long time, and nobody knew where they were hiding all day, but it certainly wasn't to hide away and study.

They are also among the few students who don't worry about exams.

When Harry asked about their whereabouts, one of the twins raised an eyebrow: "Of course, we're busy with our own business, a business that will blow the minds of ignorant wizards!"

Ron grumbled on the other end, "Is it going to be something about generating electricity again?"

He vividly remembers being electrocuted and having to stay at the school hospital last time.

The twins chuckled and said, "Ignorant little Ronnie, we suggest you show respect to your older brothers to avoid future regrets."

"Hehe, it's too late. I heard that Little Ronnie has been bragging about fighting a fire dragon for a while now. Maybe we should let everyone see the truth?"

"Oh—bad George—but I like it, though isn't it a bit too disgusting?"

"You're too kind, Fred. We need to teach little Ronnie the price for offending us!"

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, suddenly having a bad feeling.

Harry asked cautiously, "Fred, George, what are you talking about?"

The twins winked at him: "Didn't you already guess, Harry? We told you before that we'd make a movie about you, and now it's done!"

"The title is already chosen: 'Harry Potter: The World War II of the Dark Lord'!"

"Perfect pairing with Ron Dragon's Lair!"

"yeah--"

The twins clapped and cheered.

Harry was dumbfounded, while Ron's face turned green...

Harry found Vaughn later.

"You...you placed a camera in the world of the painting?" He asked, his face flushed. "Why didn't you tell me? You...you didn't ask for my permission!"

As the evening breeze at Black Lake grew warmer, Vaughn turned a page and expertly shifted the blame: "That was Dumbledore's decision, Harry."

"Don't try to lie to me!"

"It's true. He wants to film Voldemort. You know, many people in the wizarding world think he's dead, especially the Ministry of Magic and our dear Minister Fudge. Nobody wants to believe the Dark Lord is still alive. If Dumbledore wants to convince them, he has to show them the evidence."

Harry didn't quite understand: "Why don't they want to believe it?"

Vaughn shrugged: "Because of politics, if the Dark Lord is alive, someone needs to deal with him. Who in the wizarding world is the Dark Lord's match? Of course, it's Dumbledore. If they believe the Dark Lord is alive, it means they have to make concessions in exchange for Dumbledore's force. The Minister and some people in the Ministry of Magic don't want anyone to stand in their way."

Although he still didn't understand, it sounded so reasonable that Harry immediately believed it.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Then, can you cut Ron and me out? I heard from Fred and George that you've been having them edit the film... Could you please not have us in the film?"

"no!"

Vaughn casually turned another page, offering a curt refusal.

Harry slumped his shoulders: "Why not?"

“It’s not that I disagree, Harry, it’s Dumbledore. He needs the whole story as evidence—Voldemort wanted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone to resurrect himself, and then you, Hermione, Ron, and I stopped him together. Everyone was indispensable, and everyone had their moment in the battle. This gives people confidence!”

Do not!
Only you and Hermione have the highlight moments!
I got completely thrashed, but Ron fared even worse!
Harry wanted to complain, but faced with Vaughn's reasonable explanation, he could only feel more frustrated and unable to say anything.

Nobody wants their embarrassing past to be turned into a movie and watched by everyone.

Even someone as shameless as Ron wouldn't agree.

Ron was extremely annoyed by Harry's failure: "He lied to you, you stupid Harry! I don't believe it was all Dumbledore's idea, I bet you do!"

"Just watch, he wants to see us make a fool of ourselves, no, he wants to see me make a fool of myself!"

Harry thought Ron was too extreme. That was Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Who would dare to blame him?

Ron responded with a cold laugh.

He mocked Harry for being too young and having no idea how audacious some scoundrel could be.

Harry was annoyed by his words: "Then go find him yourself, Ronald. Think about it carefully, why should I refuse? It's not like I'm serving a dragon's poop..."

Ron quickly covered his mouth.

At Ron's pleading, the two quickly put aside their feud and reconciled, then shared their worries—Vaughn implied that the so-called "Harry Potter: World War II - The Dark Lord" and "Ron's Adventures in Dragon's Lair" would probably be released soon.

Faced with the imminent collapse of their society, what should they do?
In the days that followed, many young wizards noticed that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had suddenly become strange and eccentric.

Wherever students gather, their furtive, lurking figures will appear.

"What are you watching? Is it a movie?"

Have you seen any movies recently?

This became the question the two asked most often.

That's not all. According to Neville, Ron's roommate, he heard Ron suddenly wake up crying in the middle of the night, begging everyone not to watch the movie anymore.

Everyone felt that the heavy pressure of final exams and the upcoming exam week had completely overwhelmed the savior and his followers.

This became a delightful little episode in the otherwise tedious review process.

Finally, the clock struck mid-June, and the third weekend of June arrived. The weather wasn't great that day; the Scottish Highlands, now officially in summer, were anything but cool. The sweltering heat was suffocating and made people irritable.

The dark clouds gathering on the horizon seemed to weigh heavily on the young wizards' hearts as well.

When Harry woke up early on the weekend morning, he heard a commotion outside. When he went to the dining hall with Ron and Hermione, he learned that the examination team sent by the Ministry of Magic had arrived at Hogwarts.

Over the next week, they will be hosting the OWLs (Ordinary Wizard Level Exams) and NEWTs (Ultimate Wizard Level Exams), respectively.

Harry noticed that the fifth and seventh year students sitting around the long tables of the four houses were so pale they were almost transparent, looking like rows of ghosts.

Soon, at breakfast, Harry met the team of examiners sent by the Ministry of Magic.

They were wizards dressed in purple robes, led by a thin, small old witch.

Dumbledore, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, and Vaughn, too, were dressed in purple robes and accompanied them.

Although the old witch looked thin and bony, her voice was very loud. Even from a distance, Harry could hear her exclamation: "...It all seems like it happened yesterday, Dumbledore. This Great Hall is still the same as it was when I presided over your graduation exams. Nothing has changed. You did a great job."

Harry gasped, exclaiming in surprise, "She presided over Dumbledore's graduation exams? Then she... then isn't she older than Dumbledore?"

Ron said in a low voice, "Of course, that's Mrs. Marchban. She's been in charge of the NEWTs exams for at least 120 years. My mom, dad, Bill, and Charlie all graduated from her class."

Why are they wearing purple robes?

Ron didn't need to answer this question; Hermione already knew: "That's the symbol of Wizengamot. You really should brush up on your common sense, Harry."

Harry then remembered that Vaughn and Dumbledore were also members of the Wizengamot.

The arrival of the examiners made the atmosphere around the fifth and seventh graders at the long tables in each college even more oppressive. Students in other grades were also affected and dared not play around or speak loudly as usual.

Everyone ate quietly, occasionally stealing glances at the examiners at the head of the table, then looking on with envy at Vaughn Weasley as he chatted and laughed with them.

In the afternoon, Hogwarts held a rare long lecture on the weekend. Students from each grade took turns appearing in a very spacious classroom, and all the professors were present. Professor McGonagall, who was presiding over the lecture, became increasingly serious.
"The exam will officially begin tomorrow. I'll go over the important points again now. First, cheating is absolutely forbidden. The school will provide quill pens and parchment to prevent cheating. You are not allowed to bring your own. If you are caught cheating, you will be punished accordingly..."

Sitting in the audience, listening to the strict rules, Harry finally realized that the exams were really coming, and his first year was about to end!

……

Early in the morning, Vaughn got up, washed, and changed into a brand new robe.

When I stepped outside, the Slytherin dungeon, which was usually deserted at this time of day, was bustling like a market.

The students from all grades crowded into the narrow corridors between the dormitories and the common lounge with a huge bay window, which resembled an aquarium.

Everyone was making the most of the last moments, trying their best to memorize the key points for the exam. A cacophony of whispers filled the air.

This scene wasn't unique to Slytherin; in fact, the situation inside the other three house towers today was almost identical to that in Slytherin.

Yes, final exams will begin today.

The young wizards' tense and anxious mood made the air at Hogwarts heavy, as if all joy had vanished in the face of immense pressure.

When Vaughn encountered Hermione, Harry, and Ron in the restaurant, the trio had tense faces and, like the other young wizards around them, were clutching their books, preparing for battle.

Vaughn didn't bother them, and he also disliked the stuffy atmosphere in the restaurant, so he just grabbed some food and ordered fruit tea to eat by the Black Lake.

After finishing breakfast, I wandered around for a while longer when the bell rang in the ancient castle of Hogwarts—the first exam was about to begin!
The exams were conducted in batches. Except for the fifth and seventh grades which had separate exam rooms, the other grades basically shared several large classrooms. A week earlier, Professor McGonagall had led the prefects to unlock a closed corridor on the fourth floor of the castle.

The large classrooms that serve as the examination venues are concentrated in that corridor, and Professor McGonagall had already instructed the prefects to convey its location and the examination arrangements to everyone during yesterday's pre-exam pep talk.

This morning was mainly for the first and second grade exams. When Vaughn arrived on the fourth floor, the spacious corridor was already bustling with activity. The young wizards, dressed in plain robes, were scattered and crowded in front of an open wall.

The exam room is behind that.

Several suits of armor and statues, with their weapons crossed, blocked the entrance.

Professor McGonagall was also there, and she held her wand to her throat, speaking in a loud voice: "First-year students, line up on my left, and don't mess around... Fred! George! Didn't you hear me? If you don't want me to disqualify you from the exam and make you repeat the year, you'd better behave yourselves!"

After chasing away the twins who were laughing and causing trouble in the first-year class, Professor McGonagall saw Vaughn and quickly waved to him: "Vaughn, come here."

Vaughn approached Professor McGonagall and said hastily, “Darling, I need to search these little ones for cheating devices. You and Argus will help me.”

Argus, who is Filch, the custodian of Hogwarts, is standing behind Professor McGonagall with a large burlap sack in his hand, glaring menacingly at the young wizards!
"Good professor."

Vaughn didn't seem to mind being drafted and agreed, casually asking, "Professor, are there students who cheat on exams every year?"

“Yes, it’s a persistent problem!” Professor McGonagall pursed her lips seriously and waved her wand. “Despite my repeated warnings before each exam, there are always some audacious individuals who take their chances… Oh—”

The professor's wrinkled face drooped, and Vaughn noticed that as she waved her wand, the robes of several young wizards at the front of the line began to shake violently.

Among them were Malfoy and his two henchmen.

"what!"

Filch excitedly grabbed the bag and ran over, yelling at Malfoy, "Give it to me!"

"you……"

Malfoy's face turned red, but when he saw Vaughn smilingly approaching, he didn't dare to utter a sound, or even show a disapproving look.

She simply glared at Filch, lifted her robe, and tossed the few quills and parchment, which were bouncing around under Professor McGonagall's magical influence, into Filch's open pocket.

(End of this chapter)