Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 132 A Visit to the Granger Family

As he landed on his broomstick, Vaughn glanced at the mistletoe and heard a faint girl's voice from not far away: "Would you like to pick a few bunches?"

Turning around, Vaughn saw a girl wearing a flower wreath, who looked about the same age as Ginny, coming around from behind the Black Tower house.

Vaughn waved to her: "Hi, Luna."

Luna Lovegood, the "crazy girl" who will go to Ravenclaw, is someone Vaughn has known since she was 6 years old.

Of course, their relationship was just so-so, though Ginny often hung out with her.

Vaughn didn't come here to see her this time either.

Vaughn glanced at the exquisite orchard in the Black Tower's backyard behind Luna and asked, "Is your mother home?"

Luna stared blankly at Vaughn, lost in thought, before finally murmuring in a muffled voice, "...You have so many strange bugs on you...not gnats...I think you should choose a bunch of mistletoe and use the hooks on the nymphs inside to drive them away."

Vaughan: "..."

In fact, all the wizarding families in St. Catchpol village knew that Lovegood's youngest daughter was an oddball—strange even among wizards who were known for their eccentricities.

She forgot when it started, but she began to "see" some strange hallucinations, such as harassing ravens and horned snoring beasts. At first, her playmates thought she was telling the truth and even searched for her with great interest for a while.

Until they found nothing and there was no indication that the so-called harassing mantis and the curved-horned snore beast actually existed, she was isolated. However, in Vaughn's memory, the little girl herself didn't seem to care.

She firmly believed that those "magical creatures" really existed, and she didn't argue when others refuted her, but she would still do things her own way next time.

Therefore, Luna had already earned the nickname "Crazy Girl" in the village of Saint Cachipol several years ago.

In fact, Vaughn was initially interested in her for a while. It wasn't that he believed in things like harassment, but rather that he felt the girl had a very mysterious aura, somewhat like some legendary special bloodlines.

He suspected that she might possess some kind of prophetic or mind-reading bloodline, and that the so-called harassing beast, the curved-horned snoring beast, and so on might be some kind of manifestation of her abilities.

A prime example is that Luna is able to identify who is troubled by harassing others.

But after studying it for a while, Vaughn gave up. The reason was not only that he had not figured it out, but also that he found himself being influenced by the "crazy girl" and his mind was full of wild ideas.

From then on, I kept my distance from them.

Vaughn coughed lightly, not wanting to say anything more to her: "Thank you, Luna. I'll pick up a bunch of mistletoe when I leave... Your mother's in the orchard, right? I'll head over now. It was nice meeting you. Bye!"

After watching Vaughn's figure disappear into the orchard, a dazed Luna finally replied happily, "Bye-bye, Vaughn!"

Of course, no one could answer her, but she didn't care. She hummed a song happily and continued picking airship plums.

She wanted to make a necklace out of the airship.

On the other side, Vaughn walked into the orchard. The Lovegood family's orchard was well-maintained, with the branches carefully pruned to ensure that they would bear sweet fruit when autumn came.

There are no signs yet.

After walking for a short while among the furrows of the orchard, Vaughn saw a witch with her long hair wrapped in a handkerchief standing under a fruit tree, waving her wand.

The tree seemed to be diseased; its leaves were withered and curled. As the witch's wand danced, a faint white light seeped into the fruit tree.

Vaughn didn't interrupt, and after watching for a while, he asked, "Does it work?"

The witch stopped casting the spell, carefully observed the leaves for a moment, and then put away her wand in frustration: "It's no use... Damn it, why is it so hard to develop new spells? I've carefully studied spells like 'Quick Heal' and 'Growth Charm,' and meticulously planned the syllables and wand gestures, so why is it still not working?"

She is Luna's mother, Pandora Lovegood, a witch obsessed with developing spells.

In Vaughn's memory, in the "original history," she should have died in 90 during a magical experiment, blown to pieces by a spell she herself developed.

But the 90 years mentioned here are precisely the period when Vaughn published his paper in "Extraordinary Potions," which provoked a collective attack from traditional apothecaries.

Mr. Lovegood founded The Quibbler, which was a strong observer back then, and in a manner befitting its name, helped Vaughn argue with a group of pharmacists—he didn't care who was right or wrong, he just wanted to go against the mainstream!
Pandora, on the other hand, learned about Vaughn's research through her husband. Since their families lived not far apart, she often visited the Burrow to discuss with Vaughn how to develop the magic extraction method into a spell.

With her attention diverted, she naturally had no energy to develop other powerful spells.

Vaughn gazed at the lady under the fruit tree, whose face remained exquisite despite her frustration and annoyance, and was slightly lost in thought.

He hadn't paid attention to it before, thinking it was just a coincidence.

But after experiencing Dumbledore's demonstration and reflection on fate, Vaughn suddenly realized that there was actually a real example around him who had escaped his original destiny.

"She survived because my fate interfered with her life?"

Of course, Vaughn came to Pandora not only because of this suspicion.

There are other purposes as well.

Pandora led Vaughn to a lush oak tree where black tea had already been brewed. She asked Vaughn to sit down and, while making the tea, inquired, "The usual?"

"Hmm, no milk, no sugar."

“What a strange quirk. If I hadn’t watched you grow up, I wouldn’t believe you were English at all.” Pandora shrugged and placed what she considered tasteless pure black tea in front of Vaughn.

For her own cup, she added milk and plenty of sugar, and then took out cream, scones, and jam from a side dish box.

Creamy desserts with milk tea – that's the English way to enjoy black tea.

Heat explosion!

Anyway, Vaughn could never accept it, let alone eating these things in the morning.

Taking a sip of the sour and bitter black tea, Vaughn got down to business: "Did you receive Isabella's letter?"

"of course."

Pandora elegantly breaks open a scone, spreading cream first, then jam—a very typical Devonshire way of eating it. Another way is in Cornwall, where jam is spread first, then cream…

"I received a package from her in North America around Christmas, and learned that she was stuck there and had gotten into trouble. I heard you went to see Rozier's family?"

"Yes, but Isabella separated from the family a long time ago, and they don't want to take care of her anymore."

“I knew it.” Pandora scoffed. She and her husband were both unconventional and had always disliked large families.

She looked at Vaughn: "When are you planning to rescue her? I'm not very capable, I can only be your henchman. Remember to call me when you leave."

Pandora is a woman of action who doesn't like to waste words.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have died from the cursed accident in her original destiny.

As for his friendship with Isabella, it was also because of Vaughn, as Isabella was a staunch supporter of Vaughn's magic extraction method.

When Vaughn first proposed the method of mana extraction, the mainstream media did not recognize it. Isabella's articles supporting the paper could not be published in newspapers such as Extraordinary Potions and The Daily Prophet.

It wasn't until she submitted her article to "Singing the Dissent" that "Singing the Dissent" successfully gained popularity because of her article!
Although Mr. Lovegood had ill intentions, Isabella didn't mind and instead became friends with Pandora Lovegood, who often reviewed her articles.

Upon hearing that Pandora was willing to help, Vaughn didn't say much; all he needed was a gesture.

If all goes well, he will visit Evamoni in early August, and members of the WAC committee, including Lupin, will certainly accompany him.

But they can't really help much in saving Isabella—a pack of werewolves, no matter how carefree the Magical Congress of North America is, will keep a close watch on them—bringing Pandora along is just to have some manpower available when the time comes.

Having received the answer, Vaughn then brought up another matter:

"Pandora, I'm planning to study fire dragons during the summer vacation. Are you interested?"

"Hmm? What aspect of fire dragons do you want to study?"

"The basic principles by which they cast magic, such as the resistance of their scales to spells, why they can breathe magical flames, and what causes all of this."

"Any results so far?"

"I only have some guesses. I have studied a young dragon I have and I initially suspect that there are some tiny magical structures in the dragon's body. The high magic resistance of the dragon's breath and scales is likely caused by these magical structures, just like symbols in alchemy."

Pandora became interested: "An interesting deduction. How do you plan to do it? Just how miniature is it? What about the research materials?"

Faced with her barrage of questions, Vaughn remained calm: "Don't worry about the research materials. I have the channels to obtain ample resources. As for how miniature the magic structure is, I don't know yet. I have some affection for that fledgling dragon and couldn't bear to kill it."

"We can only confirm this once the materials arrive and we perform a live dissection. We may also need to use some Muggle tools. If you are willing to participate, I hope you can modify a batch of tools as soon as possible, such as microscopes, so that they can at least observe the workings of magic."

"Oh—that's not simple!"

Although it was no easy feat, Pandora did not back down.

This witch, who dared to blow herself up, had an innate disregard for danger and rules, which may be why she was willing to marry Lovegood.

Two "madmen," a match made in heaven!

……

He left Pandora a list of the equipment she needed and the modifications she required, along with some Muggle pounds and Galleons.

This is the only thing that needs to be arranged.

Then Vaughn returned to the Burrow.

Molly had already prepared breakfast at home, and everyone else had been woken up by her. Arthur, as always, sat at the head of the table, engrossed in reading the Daily Prophet delivered by owl in the morning, ignoring the noisy and playful children around him.

Only when he saw Vaughn did he peek out from behind the newspaper: "Honey, when are you going to pick up the Grangers?"

Upon hearing this, the whole family immediately perked up their ears, except for Ron, who curled his lip in disinterest.

“This afternoon,” Vaughn thought for a moment. “Muggles aren’t suited to the wizarding way of life. We’ll probably have to use Muggle transportation to get back, which will take a few hours. If we pick them up this afternoon, they can rest for the night and have the energy to take them sightseeing tomorrow.”

"Oh—sweetie, you're so sweet!"

Molly, holding the tray, gave Vaughn a hard kiss on the head, then yelled at the grimacing twins and the dazed Percy:
"Look at your younger brother, he found a girlfriend in his first year of school, and she's a well-behaved, academically excellent, and beautiful girl. What about you?"

The three never expected that this matter would affect them as well.

Fred and George quickly shifted the blame: "We're busy, Mom. We're starting the Weasley family business with Vaughn. Why don't you ask Percy? Hasn't he already talked to someone?"

Percy, his face drooping, said with difficulty under Molly's expectant gaze, "...We broke up..."

The Weasleys: "..."

Everyone is silent.

Ginny blinked, as if wanting to ask something, but Vaughn covered her mouth.

Then, everyone tacitly changed the subject and returned to the Granger family.

Arthur said to Vaughn with great interest, "Son, why use Muggle transportation? I can take you there in the car at home. You'd never guess, I've completely modified it, and now it can fly!"

Vaughn took a sip of his juice, unmoved: "And then you made me drive, right?"

"That happened last year, how can you remember it now? I promise, I've been learning to drive properly this past year!"

Seeing his father's expectant eyes, Vaughn couldn't bring himself to refuse outright and had to give in:

"Alright, but I'm going to test your driving skills."

He didn't want to drive for hours like he did when he was in school last year.

After breakfast, Arthur couldn't wait to grab Vaughn and take his beloved car for a spin around outside.

Ron was also excited to be among the first passengers.

This time, Arthur wasn't bragging.

After a year's absence, he had indeed honed his driving skills, and even his flying skills were quite good.

The flying car performed exaggerated flips in the air, "rolling" over a patch of reeds, leaving behind a series of shrill screams of "Ah—".

When Arthur finished his triumphant demonstration and parked the car in front of the Burrow, Ron practically crawled out of the car. Molly had just helped him up when he stumbled and rushed into the bathroom before he could even stand properly.

"vomit--"

"Ha, looks like Ron won't be able to enjoy his dad's driving skills." Arthur shrugged, then, with a tense expression, asked Vaughn, "Son, do you believe your dad's skills are up to par?"

Vaughn said expressionlessly, "I'll believe you if you don't feel like throwing up too."

"Nonsense, look, Dad's perfectly fine, isn't he?"

"Then don't hold your breath, follow me and take a deep breath—"

"Sigh—Ugh!"

Arthur immediately covered his mouth and ran wildly into the house. Soon, a loud, interactive screaming between father and son came from the direction of the bathroom:

"Get out of the way, Ron!"

"Dad, what are you doing—Merlin!"

whispering sound!
As a Quidditch Seeker who had already undergone special training, Vaughn mocked the two weaklings, then kissed Molly on the cheek: "You'll have a hard time tonight, Mom."

Molly beamed, "Mommy's not tired at all. My darlings have saved me so much trouble. This little bit of work is nothing!" As she spoke, she glared at the windows on the second and third floors and said loudly, "Unlike your brothers, they're all blockheads!" The twins and Percy, who had been secretly peeking through the curtains on the second and third floors to watch the commotion, quickly shrank back inside.

After scolding the good-for-nothings, Molly hurriedly pushed the "good-for-nothing" Vaughn into the house, rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find a dress that the Weasley family had been keeping for who knows how many years, and prepared to dress up her "darling" beautifully, hoping to stun the Granger family and establish a relationship.

Watching my mother pull out a very French-style lace dress, I wondered which generation of Weasley or Pratt it was inherited from.

Vaughn said helplessly, "Mom, I'm just going to pick Hermione and her parents up to play, not to get engaged. There's no need to make such a big deal out of it."

Molly ignored her and lectured, "Silly child, don't you understand how important first impressions are—" Then, she roared into the bathroom, "If your father hadn't been so slovenly when he met your grandfather, the Platts would never have opposed our marriage, and we would never have eloped!"

"So sloppy!"

Having held back all day, the person in the changing mirror quickly repeated the sentence, and then shut up as soon as Vaughn's dagger-like gaze fell upon them.

Arthur, still in the bathroom, dared not utter a sound.

Vaughn could only say, “But they are Muggles, Mom, they… can’t appreciate wizarding aesthetics… well, you know, Muggle families generally lack historical background, and Muggle clothes are very simple.”

"Oh--"

Upon hearing this, Molly, who only had a superficial understanding of Muggles, finally stopped bothering Vaughn.

However, at her insistence, Vaughn had no choice but to change into a suit she had never worn before, and her fiery red hair was styled with hair oil to look like an adult.

Everything was ready, and Arthur had already parked his car at the door.

He was also wearing a Muggle suit, which Vaughn had bought for him the day before Molly’s birthday two years ago. Vaughn’s reason at the time was that as the head of the “Department for the Prohibition of the Abuse of Muggle Articles”, how could he not have a Muggle suit?
Arthur, who was used to working with Vaughn, immediately realized that his son was making excuses, so he shamelessly accepted the money and was successfully scolded by Molly.

Then Vaughn showed up again on his birthday and bought his mother an outfit as well, to show that he treated his parents equally.

Although Molly verbally resisted saying it was a waste of money, she accepted her son's gift in comparison to Arthur's shamelessness, and then showed it off to several witches of the same age the next day.

Therefore, the art of eclecticism is not only prevalent in the East, but also in the West.

Of course, Molly soon realized that the father and son were putting on an act for her so that she would accept her son's birthday present.

Molly couldn't bear to scold or beat her precious child, but she wasn't so kind to Arthur.

Even after two years, seeing Arthur again in that taffeta suit still drew a harsh tone: "Arthur Weasley, you're allowed to go with Vaughn this time, so you'd better know your place and put away your inappropriate temper. If you scare the Grangers, I'll kill you!"

Arthur is very curious about Muggles and has many questions he hopes to get answers from them.

Therefore, he usually shows a great thirst for knowledge when facing Muggles.

A thirst for knowledge is a good thing, but wizards… due to their abundant emotions and lack of Muggle common sense, the types of questions they ask Muggles are somewhat like a rich man seeing a poor man who can't afford bread and asking him: "Why don't you eat cake?" (French version of "Why Don't You Eat Meat Porridge?", from Rousseau's "Confessions").
Therefore, Arthur's strong thirst for knowledge usually ends up in a mess.

Arthur gave an awkward laugh, wiping his mouth with his finger to indicate that he would shut up: "Darling, I promise I won't ask any questions this time, and I'll bring the Granger family over safely."

"It better be this way!"

After another angry roar, Molly finally let the father and son go, watched them get into the car, and then soared into the sky.

This modified Ford sedan has decent speed, but it also has many drawbacks. It's not an alchemical creation, but rather a rudimentary enchantment, so its functions are limited and unstable.

After flying for a short while, Arthur, wanting to demonstrate the car's performance, went straight into the clouds, nearly colliding with an oncoming Muggle plane.

After Arthur swerved to avoid the car, it began to wobble and eventually came to rest on the ground.

On a Muggle road, a Ford car was parked on the side of the road, billowing black smoke. Arthur, covered in sweat, tapped and banged on the car with his wand, trying to find the problem.

Vaughn muttered from the side:
"Dad, you promised Mom you'd live a peaceful and safe life!"

"Sorry, son, just wait a little longer, Dad will fix it soon..."

30 minute later.

Vaughn's expression had become blank.

"Excuse me, Dad, have you fixed it yet?"

"Um—son, I suddenly think that riding the Knight Bus might be a great experience for Muggles. What do you think?"

"Ha ha……"

Then, this father and son, dressed smartly and like gentlemen, stood by the roadside, enjoying the wind whipped up by the passing cars, and raised their magic wands...

……

"Honey, what do you think of Mommy in this outfit?"

“Very good, Mom.”

"And what about this outfit?"

“Not bad…”

"That……"

Hermione started to get a headache watching her mother float around in front of her, constantly changing clothes.

In the living room, Mr. Granger, who had already changed into a suit and was waiting for his wife, idly fiddled with his cane.

Noticing his daughter's pleading look from behind the half-open bedroom door, Mr. Granger shrugged, indicating that he was powerless to help.

After trying on several more dresses, Mrs. Granger finally found one she liked. Then, she saw Hermione's outfit and exclaimed in surprise:
“God—Jane, are you really going to go to the Weasleys’ house wearing this robe?”

Hermione looked down at herself, at her Gryffindor-style robes, which she liked very much: "Is something wrong?"

“Of course not!” Mrs. Granger’s voice was shrill. “You’re going to visit someone, young lady, and the other party is the family of your favorite boy. How can you be so sloppy? Good heavens, I really regret letting your father take you when you were little. Look at what he’s raised you to be!”

Mr. Granger, who was caught in the crossfire in the living room, looked completely bewildered.

Then I saw my wife slam the door shut, and only her stern voice could be heard coming from inside:
"This hair is absolutely unacceptable! It's as tangled as straw, it needs to be fixed!"

"How can you go without makeup? Wearing makeup is a matter of courtesy, you have to do it even if they disagree!"

"And clothes..."

After waiting for an hour, Mr. Granger, who thought he would be relieved after his wife had chosen a dress, stared blankly at the ceiling, not even wanting to play with his cane anymore.

After staring blankly for an unknown amount of time, Mrs. Granger suddenly heard a car horn outside.

This is an upscale residential area where only private cars are allowed to enter and exit. Generally, no one would honk their horn here, otherwise the disturbed residents would definitely call the police.

But Mr. Granger knew that these Muggle rules could not bind the guests who were coming today.

He quickly got up, forced a polite smile, and opened the door.

Then, a gust of wind swept past him, and his carefully combed hair was blown into disarray!
What shocked him even more was that he clearly saw that what was rushing past was a double-decker bus, which squeezed into the narrow gap between the Williams and Jackson houses across the street, like a flattened cardboard box.

They vanished in a cloud of dust!

"..."

Mr. Granger's mouth dropped open, and his mind went blank for a moment.

He didn't even notice when two people came up in front of him.

Arthur looked curiously at Mr. Granger's full set of white, even teeth and said, "...He looks terrified."

“I told you, the Knight Bus is still a bit too exciting for Muggles,” Vaughn said, shrugging.

"Poor Muggle!"

Vaughn glanced at his father, who looked sympathetic, and was somewhat speechless.

At that moment, a door opened on one side of the living room behind Mr. Granger, and Mrs. Granger, wearing a light green dress and looking very energetic, walked out.

Upon seeing Vaughn and Arthur, she paused for a moment, then flashed a generous and graceful smile: "Vaughn, darling, and... Mr. Weasley?"

Before Vaughn and Arthur could respond.

Hearing his wife's voice, Mr. Granger finally snapped out of his daze. He looked back at her, his finger trembling as he pointed across the street and stammered, "Bus farewell farewell farewell—"

Mrs. Granger's face darkened, and she quickly stepped forward and pinched his arm hard. Mr. Granger wanted to scream in pain, but under his wife's threatening gaze, he had to puff out his cheeks and forcefully hold it in, listening to his wife's forced smile as she tried to smooth things over: "Darling, you're so naughty... I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, he's always had a good sense of humor and always loves to joke around."

“Heh…” Arthur chuckled dryly, casting a look of sympathy at Mr. Granger.

Mrs. Granger, of course, didn't understand male friendship; she only knew how long her husband could endure the pain. So, without loosening her grip at all, she calmly asked Vaughn, "Vaughn, how long have you been here?"

"Just arrived, madam."

Vaughn had a calm expression, and his hair, slicked back with hair oil, was so thick that even a fly could break its leg.

But Mrs. Granger was very pleased with his appearance. She looked him up and down, her satisfied smile almost overflowing: "My goodness, what a handsome young man! You look fantastic today!"

As she spoke, she turned and called out, "Jane, baby, look who's here."

The door at the back of the living room slowly opened at Mrs. Granger's call, and a beautiful, angelic girl stepped out.

She wore a pink gradient white off-the-shoulder dress, the pure white hem trailing on the floor. Her once messy hair was now straight, tied back with several braids, and adorned with a few crystal-clear hair accessories that shimmered with pearls.

As the sunlight streamed in through the entrance hall, she gently stepped into the light, her skin glowing as white as snow, accentuated by her red lips.

She looked a little shy, with her head slightly lowered and a faint blush on her cheeks, but that did not ruin her beauty at the moment; instead, it added a touch of delicate charm.

Vaughn's eyes flickered.

Arthur was also amazed. He nudged him gently and whispered, "Good eye, son!"

Mrs. Granger took in both men's reactions. She smiled slightly, reserved yet proud, and invited them, "Mr. Weasley, please come in. I've already brewed some tea. It's not too late to rest for a while before we set off."

Arthur quickly tugged at Vaughn and replied, "Of course, thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Granger."

……

Soon, the aroma of black tea filled the Granger family's living room.

Arthur scanned every detail of the room with great interest, marveling at the bright lights, the humming refrigerator, and the huge television.

"What's causing these lights to light up? Yes, I know about electricity. I once found some batteries in the Muggle world, but they only kept the lights on for a short time before failing... No power? So, what exactly is electricity?"

"Ingenious design! A simple cabinet can actually freeze ice. How do Muggles do that?"

"Oh—a moving photo—"

He completely forgot Molly's instructions.

Vaughn didn't bother with him. After entering, he was pulled to a room on the second floor by the shy Hermione. In the sunlit bedroom, Vaughn looked at the girl who seemed to be glowing and his gaze wandered.

You look beautiful today...

The girl blushed slightly, then pouted, feigning displeasure: "Am I only pretty today?"

"of course not!"

Why haven't I heard you mention this before?

"Because I usually prefer taking action, and today is no exception."

After those low words were spoken, Hermione felt a shadow fall over her.

She immediately realized what was about to happen, her face turned red, but she did not resist. Instead, she closed her eyes and gently raised her head.

The next moment, the warmth touched her lips, dispelling her shyness and unease...

……

In the evening, a motorcycle bus roared to a stop in front of the humble dwelling.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger almost had to support each other to avoid being impolite due to their weak legs.

After dropping off the group, the enthusiastic driver greeted Vaughn, "Mr. Weasley, it's an honor to serve you. My brother is a werewolf, and thanks to you, he got a job and joined the WAC. I wish you all the best in the election at the end of the month!"

"...Thank you, and I wish you all the best."

The driver, feeling blessed, laughed heartily. He glanced at the two Muggles who had already gotten out of the car, and the beautiful little witch beside them, winked at Vaughn, and slammed on the gas pedal.

"Good night, Mr. Weasley. Have a wonderful evening. Raise your wand if needed—"

The double-decker bus suddenly started moving, its driver's long, drawn-out voice trailing off as it disappeared into the depths of the reeds.

Beside them, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had already begun to bend over and vomit...

(End of this chapter)