Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 135 The Aftermath of the Trial and Azkaban

There are questions about why the witness who was previously cursed with the Oblivion Curse was cured.

At the time, everyone assumed that Dumbledore had intervened.

After all, everyone knows that Dumbledore is a master of memory magic and the one who supports Vaughn Weasley the most.

But the answer Vaughn gave at this moment clearly shocked them. A 12-year-old wizard not only had a deep understanding of potions, but also had a background in memory magic.

This……

However, Fudge's focus was not on that. Ever since Vaughn tricked him once, he no longer regarded him as an ordinary person.

He stared intently at Vaughn: "So, you accuse Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart of abusing the Oblivion Charm, while at the same time using memory magic to heal the victims and get them to testify in court... Then, Mr. Vaughn Weasley, who can prove that you haven't tampered with the brains of those poor souls?"

Before Vaughn could speak, he turned to Amelia and asked, "Ms. Borns, I would like to ask if there is any law in Wisengamo that would allow a prosecutor to do such a thing?"

Amelia's expression was blank as she shook her head: "No!"

But she immediately added, "There is also no law that prohibits this behavior."

Snapped!
Fudge clapped his hands loudly, his expression growing even more delighted: "Very good, Ms. Burns, I greatly appreciate your candor. Now, the question is, is it really appropriate for Mr. Vaughn Weasley to be both the prosecutor and the witness doctor?"

"No one can prove that he did not tamper with the minds of those witnesses, and similarly, the veracity of those witnesses' testimonies is questionable."

"Since there is no law that can support or prohibit Mr. Weasley's actions, can I then conclude that the laws of our wizarding world are still flawed, and is it inappropriate to use flawed laws to judge an internationally renowned figure and a famous author?"

Amelia Borns frowned: "Minister Fudge, what exactly are you trying to do?"

“It’s not what I want to do.” Fudge spread his hands innocently, pouting, his chin bulging with several layers of fat. “I’m trying to protect the international image of the English wizarding community. You don’t want this case to be publicized internationally because of legal flaws, making the English wizarding community a laughing stock worldwide, do you?”

"Therefore, I propose that the trial of Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart be postponed until Wissengamo has discussed and formulated appropriate legal provisions to clarify whether Mr. Vaughn Weasley's actions have violated the law, before Mr. Lockhart is put on trial."

"Fellow fair-minded members of Wizengamo, what do you think?"

This is sophistry!

In the corner, watching Fudge, who was heavily pregnant, spout nonsense that sounded surprisingly reasonable at first glance, Hermione was so angry that her hair almost stood on end.

In fact, as far as Hermione knows, there are similar provisions in the wizarding world.

When evidence submitted by the prosecution may have been magically altered or destroyed, the law allows a third party to examine the evidence to determine its applicability.

But Fudge didn't mention that at all. Instead, he focused on whether Vaughn's actions were legal, expanding the issue of the trial to the existence of loopholes in the law.

Even though everyone knows that Fudge is sophistry.

However, the issues he raised do exist, and as Minister for Magic, he has the duty and the right to offer opinions and suggestions on problems that do exist in Wisengamour, and Wisengamour is obligated to accept them.

It's not because of the minister's authority, but because of the inevitable checks and balances of power stipulated by law.

Hermione could clearly see that many of the purple-robed figures had wavered in their expressions. Wizengamot was not an institution belonging to any one person; it did not belong to the Minister of Magic, nor to Amelia or Dumbledore.

Wisengam has its own independence, which is closely related to each member.

They previously supported Lockhart's trial because Vaughn presented enough evidence. Now that the evidence is questionable, they naturally hesitate rather than completely siding with Vaughn.

Seeing Fudge's smug look and Lockhart's annoying smile, Hermione couldn't help but exclaim:
"Why not give him truth serum? Once he takes it, the truth will be clear."

“Ah—” Fudge glanced sideways, “A…little wizard? Ms. Burns, if I remember correctly, speaking is not allowed in the audience, is it?”

Hermione knew she had acted impulsively, but she was always quick-witted and immediately apologized: "Ms. Burns, it was wrong of me to speak rashly, but as a member of the wizarding world, I simply cannot tolerate a criminal escaping trial so easily... Minister Fudge, even a child like me knows Lockhart is guilty and absolutely cannot be let off the hook. As noble as you are, why..."

"Tsk tsk——"

Fudge interrupted Hermione with a sigh, saying maliciously, "Have some people's privileges in Wizengamor reached this point? The men he brings dare to openly defy the rules of the Inquisition?"

"Alright, I won't stoop to your level. And to answer your ignorant question, Wizengamor can only use Veritaserum with the approval and supervision of the Ministry of Magic. And I, the Minister of Magic, believe that poor Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart is innocent and am not prepared to approve the use of Veritaserum. Do you understand?"

He raised his head smugly and looked around: "Where are the Aurors? Why aren't you taking this little wizard who's disrupting the courtroom's order away?"

Fudge is having a great time right now.

He's had enough of this frustration since the beginning of the year.

Young Vaughn Weasley, with Dumbledore's support, played him like a fool, making him a laughingstock throughout the wizarding world.

For months, he had been thinking about revenge and getting his revenge every single moment.

Unfortunately, that damn redhead was as cunning as a rabbit despite his young age, and he never managed to catch him red-handed.

until today!

In fact, Fudge had noticed Gilderoy Lockhart's case a month ago. After all, Wizengamo had no subordinate agencies, and Amelia needed to rely on the Magical Law Enforcement Division to investigate and collect evidence.

For the past two years since Fouché took office, he has been quietly infiltrating various departments.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement, in particular, is the most powerful agency in the Ministry of Magic. Any minister would feel uneasy facing it, especially if the head of the agency has a strained relationship with them.

Although Amelia held immense authority, Fudge was, after all, a minister, and over the course of two years, he successfully won over a few lackeys.

The news about the Gilderoy Lockhart case was passed on to Fudge by them.

But Fudge took no action whatsoever, not even informing Lockhart—

This is only natural. What is a mere bestselling author? Does he even deserve to tip off a minister?

Mr. Fudge never cared whether Lockhart lived or died; he just needed a tool like this to humiliate Vaughn Weasley and get revenge for how the other man had toyed with him six months ago!

Now, the revenge has been successful!

Weasley hated Lockhart so much that he wanted to kill him, but Fudge successfully thwarted Weasley's "plot" and saved Lockhart from ruining his life.

Will that red-haired kid feel nauseous and want to throw up?
Just thinking about it makes Fudge feel refreshed all over!

Political struggles rarely involve life-or-death battles; that requires strength, luck, and so on. Most of the time, the so-called struggle is actually about making your opponent so angry that they can't eat or sleep.

That's even better!
Fudge called out, "Where did the Aurors go?" while glancing at Vaughn.

That damn redhead must be furious!
but……

No!

Vaughn's calm face appeared in Fudge's view, without anger or resentment, as if he had already anticipated what Vaughn had done.

For some reason, Fudge suddenly felt uneasy.

Then he saw Vaughn speak.

The first thing he said was an apology.

Vaughn bowed slightly to Amelia and the other Wizengamo members: "I apologize, everyone. It was all my oversight. I was too eager to convict Lohart and neglected the necessity of procedure."

Seeing that he was so agreeable, the others didn't feel comfortable criticizing him.

They all said:

"This was also our oversight; the law is still not perfect enough."

"Yes, if there were clear laws, this would never have happened."

"You meant well!"

Nodding to everyone, Vaughn then looked at Hermione: "Darling, why don't you go outside and wait for me, okay?"

"Ok!"

Hermione had no objection; she knew she had indeed violated the rules of the courthouse. This was Wizengamor, not the Slytherin common room.

Vaughn also needs to take into account the opinions of his other colleagues.

Not wanting to put Vaughn in a difficult position, she agreed and then got up to leave.

But as soon as she reached the side door, she realized that Vaughn was never one to suffer a loss.

"Mr. Cornelius Fudge, please also leave!"

“…What?” Fudge was stunned.

Sitting high on the judge's bench, Vaughn looked down at him expressionlessly: "Although you are the Minister of Magic, you are not a member of Wizengamor, nor have you been invited by Wizengamor to testify. According to the rules, you have no right to speak. Now, please leave!"

"you--"

Fudge, who had never been driven away like this before, was furious and pointed his finger as if to say something.

He then saw Vaughn draw his wand!

boom!
Under the Silent Spell, the surging magical power blasted the dear Minister out of the courtroom. The remaining magical effects of the Flight Spell pressed him firmly against the corridor wall opposite the door, like a fat frog!

After "asking" the Minister of Magic, Vaughn calmly put away his wand amidst the astonished gazes of many wizards.

"I apologize, but I have to do this in order to uphold the rules of the court. However, everyone need not worry. The Flyaway Spell is a very gentle magic and will not cause any harm to the Minister. I guarantee that not a single hair on his head will be lost."

"..."

Is this the point?

Who cares if your magic is lethal or not? The point is that you threw the minister out with a spell right in front of everyone!

Not only Wizengamo, but also the staff of the Magic Law Enforcement Division outside.

Everyone could see how the minister's authority had been completely shattered!
The wizards looked at each other, finding it hard to imagine what kind of rumors would circulate in the Ministry of Magic today. They only knew one thing—Fudge had lost even more face!
An awkward silence fell over the entire courtroom.

Amelia couldn't help but cough a few times and said, "According to the rules, Wesleyan members are obligated to use non-harmful magic to expel any observers who disrupt the order of the courtroom... But Mr. Weasley, I hope there won't be a next time!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Vaughn answered modestly.

Seeing that Amelia had no further instructions, he stood up again and looked around at everyone: "Let's continue with the previous topic. Although Minister Fudge disrupted the order of the courtroom, we still need to listen to his opinions. I suggest that Wisengamour continue to improve the law in light of the Minister's opinions in the coming days."

When he started talking about serious matters, the others finally came to their senses.

An old wizard asked, "Then what about Gilderoy Lockhart's case?"

Vaughn said seriously, "It is indeed inappropriate to conduct a trial before the law is perfected. Since Mr. Fudge has asked us to act in accordance with the law, I suggest that the suspect, Gilderoy Lockhart, be put in a detention center in accordance with the relevant laws!"

As soon as these words came out.

Not only did the Wizengamots gasp in shock, but Lockhart himself rolled his eyes and fainted.

As is widely known, there is only one prison in the entire English wizarding world.

It is both a detention center and the only prison.

Azkaban!

Amelia glanced at the unconscious Mr. Lockhart and couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Vaughn originally only wanted you to be brought to justice, but Fudge's outburst was practically an attempt to kill you...

In his heart, Vaughn didn't care whether Lockhart was tried.

His initial thought was simply to strip the other person of the Merlin Medal and get rid of this fraudster from his sight.

A trial is simply a convenient consequence of discovering the other party's crimes. As for the outcome, under normal procedures, it shouldn't be too severe. After all, in the mainstream understanding of the magical world, the Oblivion Curse is not an irreversible curse or dark magic; it is at most classified as an evil curse. Even if it is abused for profit, the worst that can happen is exile, and the usual treatment is confiscation of illegal gains and a fine.

With established rules in place, Vaughn didn't necessarily want to kill a conman.

Unfortunately, Lockhart was unlucky and inexplicably became a tool in the struggle. Fudge used him to annoy Vaughn, so Vaughn had no choice but to throw him to Azkaban.

Some members of Wizengamo had some concerns about this: "The detention center system has been abandoned for a long time. It hasn't been used since the Wizarding War more than ten years ago. Is it an overreaction to suddenly imprison Gilderoy Lockhart in Azkaban and detain only him?"

Here's a brief explanation of the difference between a detention center and a prison. In the English wizarding world, detention centers are used to hold unconvicted criminals (suspects who have not yet been convicted) and are under the jurisdiction of Wizengamot.

Prisons are used to hold convicted criminals and are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic.

The reason why the detention center has not been put back into use is simple—to save money!
The First Wizarding War was a huge quagmire, and Voldemort's "ideology" dictated that only villains who thrived on chaos would gather around him.

Socket Man perfectly played the role of a villainous siphon, and by the end of the First Wizarding War, these gangs of villains and social destabilizing factors were immediately purged.

In other words, Old Fu single-handedly swindled all the criminals and potential criminals out of their money. After the war, those who were guilty of heinous crimes were arrested, those who could escape fled, and those who couldn't escape were busy whitewashing their crimes and becoming honest people.

The English wizarding world was peaceful and tranquil for a time. While it wasn't quite to the point of leaving doors unlocked at night, the security situation had indeed improved significantly.

Seeing this situation, Wisengamor simply closed the detention center, claiming that the magical world had been greatly pacified.

This reason is similar to the Ministry of Magic's later excuse that the Death Eaters were too difficult to manage, and thus "outsourced" Azkaban's authority entirely to the Dementors!
Vaughn understood the opponents' meaning: they felt that reopening the detention center would cost money. He smiled slightly and said, "Just entrust it to the Dementors. One more won't make a difference."

Therefore, the first type of opponents stopped talking.

The second group of opponents is concerned about public opinion: "Gidero Lockhart is just a fraudster, and his crimes don't warrant being imprisoned on Azkaban. Will the public think we're being too harsh?"

Vaughn was quite surprised by this: "We did not convict him. We just put him in Azkaban because the detention center happened to be there. It does not mean that we have convicted him. We can explain this in the newspapers, and I believe the public will understand."

The second group of opponents nodded and said no more.

Third... there is no third category. Gilderoy Lockhart's despicable methods would hardly elicit any sympathy from any normal person.

Even disregarding moral issues, the Oblivion Curse is still harmful; it has aftereffects, usually causing mental lethargy, confusion, and an inability to live a normal life.

If Vaughn hadn't investigated and intervened to save those poor wizards who had been cursed with the Oblivion Curse, who knows if some of them might have died in an accident one day due to the aftereffects?
Therefore, the relevant decision was quickly implemented.

Not long after, the Daily Prophet, which had already been delivered to its customers that day, suddenly had a news item inserted:
Bestselling author Gilderoy Lockhart has been accused by Wesengard member Vaughn Weasley of crimes including misuse of the Oblivion Charm, fraud, and illegal profiteering. Several victims have testified, and Wesengardard has announced the stripping of Lockhart's Order of Merlin, Class 3…

The crowd erupted in uproar.

It should be said that Lockhart is very good at self-promotion and packaging. Perhaps his behavior will disgust many people, but at least his reputation has spread.

Of the tens of thousands of wizards in England, at least two-thirds knew of this great author.

That day, tens of thousands of readers saw the news clipping, and letters poured in from all over England, delivered to the newspaper office by owls.

But the newspaper, well-versed in sensationalism, remained silent, allowing various opinions to fester until the next morning when the new Daily Prophet published the details of the incident.

Written by renowned journalist Rita Skeeter:

[...For years, Gilderoy Lockhart has used deception and forgetting spells to claim the experiences of other wizards as his own. This is shocking, as all of Lockhart's bestselling books, except for *Wandering with the Werewolf*, have been involved in such activities. *Wandering with the Werewolf* is also said to be a complete fabrication; it is said that Mr. Vaughn Weasley became suspicious of Lockhart because of its contents...]

According to Wizengamo, there were as many as seven victims in the Lockhart case. Their experiences were stolen and used by Lockhart to write seven of his most popular series of stories. The earliest victim had been plagued by the Oblivion Curse for eight years. The poor, unnamed wizard William even contracted dragonpox as a side effect of the Oblivion Curse, and he had no idea how he contracted it...

[...Mr. Vaughn Weasley said in an interview that Gilderoy Lockhart had originally been convicted, but our dear Minister for Magic, Mr. Cornelius Fudge, believed that the evidence gathering and trial were not in accordance with procedure, and demanded that Wizengamor must first improve the laws before trying the innocent Mr. Lockhart... Ha, innocent! It seems our dear Minister has never experienced being forgotten by a Forgetfulness Charm...]

There is no doubt that The Daily Prophet sold very well.

There are just too many fascinating elements in the Lockhart case.

A well-known writer's career has collapsed.

Wissengamo is suspected of manipulating things behind the scenes and framing innocent people.

Then there was another twist: it turned out that the Minister of Magic had intervened. According to Rita Skeeter's article, Minister Fudge had always been at odds with Vaughn Weasley, so he used the Lockhart case to put Weasley in a bad light.

Whether in the magical world or Muggle society, what the lower classes love to see most is always this kind of high-level "secrets" and entertainment gossip.

Therefore, the ability to watch and enjoy the spectacle is a universal human trait, regardless of whether one is a Muggle or a wizard.

Of course, as a bestselling author for many years, Lockhart still has a group of die-hard fans who are very dissatisfied with Wizengamot throwing Lockhart to Azkaban without trial.

Many people also attacked Vaughn.

But who cares about them?

Wisengamour issued a perfunctory announcement, explaining the difference between a detention center and a prison, and then moved on.

And Vaughn didn't even give a single response.

He still has so many things to do!

The Lockhart case has remained a hot topic for several days without waning.

Wizards from all walks of life brandished their quills, exchanging opinions on various newspapers and magazines. Some supported, some opposed, some were clueless, and some were just spouting nonsense.

For a time, it was like a chaotic dance of demons, dazzling the vast number of wizards and the general public, who were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

But none of this had anything to do with Vaughn.

On July 16th, the Granger family, having spent half a month in the Burrow, experiencing the real wizarding society and having a great time, left. Hermione didn't want to leave, but Mr. Granger, whom Mrs. Granger considered old-fashioned and conservative like a Yankee, was unusually firm.

My daughter is only 13 years old, and she already wants to live in a boy's house all the time. Is that reasonable? Absolutely not!

If we don't address this now, what will happen when they grow up?

So, under his insistence, Hermione had no choice but to reluctantly go home with her parents. Then, on July 17, Vaughn appeared at Granger's door.

He politely greeted Mr. Granger, who opened the door with surprise, but upon seeing him, his mouth dropped open in astonishment. Then, his face darkened as if he were changing expressions, and he said, "Sir, I have some business to attend to in London recently. May I ask if I could stay here for a while?"

Mr. Granger wanted to say no.

But his tough stance on the 16th caused his family status to plummet in the past two days, almost hitting rock bottom. In the past, when he was "bullied" by his wife, his daughter was still his little darling.

Now even his daughter isn't on his side, so his opinion is invalid.

Mrs. Granger warmly welcomed Vaughn: "Darling, stay as long as you like. Just stay in the guest room next to Hermione's. In fact, I was just about to have Hermione contact you in a couple of days. I bought some cosmetics for your mother..."

After spending half a month together, Mrs. Granger and Molly had become friends.

Molly was very sad when the Granger family left.

They were also discussing with Vaughn when to invite them to stay for a while longer.

Hermione was happy to see Vaughn, but also a little resentful: "Why didn't you tell me when you left? You made me sad at home!"

"This is a surprise."

"I don't want this kind of surprise," the girl said, but her face was full of joy, showing no sign of dislike.

From that day on, Vaughn stayed at the Granger's house.

Mr. Granger's fears that Vaughn would cling to his daughter all day did not come true, because Vaughn did have business to attend to in London.

And there are quite a few.

On the very night he stayed at Granger's house, he was spotted in Diagon Alley, accompanied by William White and James Brown.

"Sir, the shops in Diagon Alley are very popular, especially the straight road from the Leaky Cauldron to Gringotts, which is the only way for all wizards to enter Diagon Alley. The flow of people is extremely large, and the owners of those shops are not worried about not being able to rent them out. I have talked to several wizards, but they are not even willing to talk."

As Vaughn entered the Leaky Cauldron, he listened to James's report while scanning the wide, straight road and the crooked buildings on both sides.

Vaughn frowned: "Is there absolutely no possibility?"

James shook his head: "No, I suspect they're colluding behind the scenes to monopolize business in prime locations!"

Vaughn's gaze remained fixed on the end of the straight, where Gringotts stood. It was Gringotts' existence that made this straight a prime location in Diagon Alley.

The alleyway that splits in two from the front of Gringotts and extends to the left and right is much worse; the right alleyway eventually leads to Ollivander.

There, apart from the 2000-year-old Ollivander, other shops had almost no business, since all the food, drinks and entertainment options were already available in the prime location.

As for the alley on the left, it's even worse. Not only does it lack a time-honored shop like Ollivander, it also branches off into a side street leading to Knockout Alley... What ordinary wizard would go to such a godforsaken place!
"Tsk!"

At this moment, Vaughn suddenly missed the alchemical artifact that Fudge had borrowed from the Ministry of Magic at the beginning of the year when he was being awarded his medal, before he had fallen out with Fudge!
At the time, the Ministry of Magic simply used the Unseen Stretch Charm to create an open space between Gringotts and Madam Malkin's Robes Shop, placed the alchemical artifact on the ground, and a luxurious, Baroque-style Great Hall stood in Diagon Alley.

Unfortunately, only the Ministry of Magic has the authority to use such methods temporarily.

Even so, it is said that the goblins caused a great deal of trouble afterward—the Great Hall caused Gringotts to shift by 10 feet, forcing the goblins to temporarily halt their underground vault operations.

Seeing that Vaughn didn't look too happy, William White asked, "Sir, what do you want to do with the shop?"

William White was brought in at the last minute; he originally had other business with Vaughn, but ended up being conscripted.

"Of course, it's about doing business. I plan to use alchemy to transform some Muggle technological products into magical artifacts and sell them in the magical world..."

Vaughn said, "Of course, that's still a long way off. Right now, all I have is the magical projector my brothers modified. I was thinking of buying a shop and turning it into a movie theater to popularize movies as a form of entertainment among wizards, but unfortunately..."

He sighed, feeling he had miscalculated; he never imagined there would be a day when even Galleons couldn't buy a house...

After listening to Vaughn's words, William White thought for a moment: "Are you not considering the other two alleys because you're worried about insufficient foot traffic, which would affect the efficiency of the promotion?"

“Yes,” Vaughn nodded.

William White chuckled, “Sir, I don’t understand the business rules of the magical world, but in Muggle society, when we encounter difficulties promoting our products and are unable to enter the local market, we usually choose to cooperate with the locals. Shared interests can easily overcome any obstacles!”

In both his past and present lives, Vaughn had never done business. There were some things he hadn't thought of yet simply because of habitual thinking, but now, after William's prompting, he immediately understood:
"You mean, you want wizards who own shops to become shareholders in my company by leasing out their shops in exchange for their consent to lease?"

"Yes, sir. Anyway, your current need is to promote the film as soon as possible, not to make a profit. Sharing some of the profits won't make a difference. Besides, from what you're saying, the bulk of the film's revenue in the future will likely come from the sale of projection equipment and videotapes, right?"

"That's right, I plan to establish an equipment manufacturing company once the technology is mature."

“Then there’s no problem. You can first set up a cinema company, take out half or more of the shares, and dismantle the collusion of those shop owners. As for the future, once the Weasley brand becomes well-known, we will naturally no longer need them.”

Vaughn nodded repeatedly: "Thank you for your advice, William."

“You flatter me, sir. You are thinking of important matters; this little bit of cleverness was just something I didn’t think of at the moment,” William White said modestly.

Vaughn remained noncommittal. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and he never expected to excel at anything he did.

He prefers to leave professional tasks to professionals.

"William, then I'll leave this matter to you. Before the conference at the end of the month, I hope to see movies and cinemas become a popular topic of discussion among wizards!"

Theoretically speaking, William White was not Vaughn's personal subordinate, and Vaughn had no right to order him to do anything outside of WAC.

But in this world, theoretical rules are generally just theories.

William White readily agreed, "Yes, sir!"

Vaughn had little interest in money.

This is not pretense or hypocrisy, but rather a matter of having power and wealth readily available, so there's no need to value it.

Therefore, his desire to do business is more for his own other purposes.

For example, it could stimulate a consumer revolution in the magical world.

While the increased productivity brought by magic made wizards wealthy, it also inevitably diminished their motivation.

A prime example is the Weasleys!
(End of this chapter)