Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 155 What a terrifying guy!

Since meeting Vaughn, Nymphadora, at Kingsley's urging, had read many reports about Vaughn and had some understanding of the turmoil surrounding WAC.

Even though she understood it, she still hated those things. Looking at Vaughn, who treated people like an adult, she sighed and said, "WAC was such a good thing, why did it have to get involved in politics?"

"Politics is a tool for managing society; as long as there are people, no one can escape it!"

"Hmph, I don't like it anyway."

Kingsley smiled helplessly. The little girl was indeed his old friend's daughter. She was exactly like Andromeda Black in his memory: lively, unrestrained, and even unconventional.

He didn't press the matter further and asked, "Would you like to go over and say hello? I remember you quite like Vaughn and that Miss Granger."

Nymphadora hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "Never mind, I'm busy right now!"

Vaughn is indeed very busy.

Although he has delegated some "trivial matters" to Barty, he also has Slytherin graduates recruited a month ago, such as Phil Travers, as well as werewolves like Remus Lupin.

But he still needs to personally handle many things.

For example, greeting guests!

He is the founder of WAC, the pioneer in solving werewolf syndrome and thoroughly addressing the werewolf problem, and he even set up the entire framework of WAC.

Even Dumbledore wasn't as qualified as him to stand at the gate; he could only serve as an accessory.

More importantly, over the past few months, the increasingly heated public opinion surrounding WAC in the newspapers has gradually evolved from initial chaos to the point where two distinct camps have emerged.

The significance of the WAC's emergence has expanded to its impact on the entire magical society, and even further to the universal law of secrecy... As truth becomes clearer through debate, the core ideas of the progressives and conservatives have gradually become clear, attracting many who were originally just bystanders to eagerly take sides.

Wizards, like Muggles, are always fixated on their own views and reject others.

So the argument remained unresolved.

Today, the WAC, at the center of the media storm, is about to hold a general meeting to elect its first management team. This organization, which has attracted much attention, will have its new management team announce its action plan, responsibilities, guiding principles, and, among other things, the most closely watched aspect—the "organizational ideology"—which will not be explicitly stated.

Whether progressive or conservative, everyone wants to know: what exactly do you, Vaughn Weasley, want to achieve by creating this organization?
When you brought a group of werewolves onto your boat, was it simply because you wanted to keep them in check, or did you have a deeper ambition?

So when the WAC publicly stated in the Daily Prophet that it was willing to receive the media and the public, wizards flocked to it.

Starting in the afternoon, Vaughn, accompanied by Dumbledore, greeted the visitors, who arrived even earlier than the Wizengamots and the Federation representatives!

Nymphadora, Kingsley, and the other Aurors patrolled the area twice more before no one else came.

Several squads gathered and waited a while longer. When no more phantoms appeared, Kingsley, the leader, nodded and ordered, "Seal it off!"

Nifadora opened her eyes wide, observing with her magical vision.

She saw Kingsley pull something like a veil from his pocket and throw it onto the barrier not far away, before he and several senior Aurors raised their wands.

Amidst the deep chanting of incantations, a semi-transparent net gradually spread along the barrier.

It soon bonded with the membrane invisible to Muggles.

The moment it took shape, Nifadora sensed that the surrounding space suddenly became much heavier, as if a strange force was binding this place.

The Apparition Charm is forbidden!
From this moment on, no one can directly enter the barrier using the Apparition Charm, and the same goes for those inside the barrier.

Anti-Apparition Charm!

A must-learn spell for Aurors. Of course, Nymphadora hasn't mastered it yet, and as far as she knows, even if an Auror can successfully cast it, it can only affect a very small area.

Therefore, when the department needs to deploy this spell on a large scale, it usually needs to rely on alchemical creations.

For example, not long ago, Kingsley threw out that tuft of scarf-like stuff.

After doing all this, Kingsley made a few gestures to the other teams, and they nodded and continued walking towards the WAC convention venue in pairs.

As ordered by Wizengamor, the Aurors are responsible for security at tonight's convention—mainly to avoid misunderstandings, as many wizards are quite wary of werewolves, and if the WAC were to take charge of security on its own, it could lead to unnecessary conflicts.

The security plan was finalized a week ago, and the Aurors present today had all rehearsed beforehand and knew exactly where they should be.

Nymphadora and Kingsley were no exception; the two of them, along with three other groups, were in charge of the hall.

When the two returned to the WAC building together, Nymphadora saw Vaughn Weasley chatting with a burly black wizard.

"Oh—it's Akinbad!"

She had seen his photo in the newspaper before.

Thinking about the revelations in the newspapers, Akinbad's remarks when he first arrived in England, and his behavior at the Pureblood Dinner.

Looking at Vaughn and Akinbad chatting and laughing happily in front of the building, Nymphadora found it incredible and exclaimed, "It's such a shame these two aren't acting in movies!"

Kingsley knew what movies were.

Unlike other wizards, he has been involved in communication between the wizarding world and Muggle society ever since he passed the Auror test, and he often stands guard by the side of the Muggle Prime Minister.

It can be said that his shift in stance towards Muggles, despite being a pureblood, is inextricably linked to his work.

He shrugged: "You have to wear a mask to live. The easier it is for others to see through your thoughts, the more dangerous you are in this world."

Nifadora pouted.

She had no interest in this kind of philosophy of life, and even felt sorry for the situation where two people had deep conflicts but had to smile at each other.

Don't they live a life of frustration?

Kingsley, who knew her very well, seemed to have guessed her thoughts: "Tonks (she didn't like being called by her name because Nympha has some rather unpleasant connotations in English), everyone's pursuits are different. In this world, you always have to give something for what you want to get. There's no such thing as having it all."

Nifadora didn't say anything more.

Her months-long internship at Auror exposed her to many aspects that she had never known before entering the workforce.

As they were talking, the two had already reached the front door. Vaughn had just finished exchanging pleasantries with Akinbad and invited him inside.

Upon seeing the two, Vaughn took a moment to greet them: "Hey, Tonks, Kingsley, you got a good night's security."

Hearing that Vaughn still remembered to call her by her last name, Nymphadora was delighted and joked, "Honorable President Weasley, what are your thoughts on winning the election?"

Kingsley sighed at the girl's unconventional personality.

Such words can easily be misunderstood as provocation.

Fortunately, Vaughn didn't mind and just joked to defuse the situation: "It's a real shame that Miss Tonks can't vote tonight, otherwise I would definitely have won by a landslide... Alright, you two, the conference is about to start, I have to go and chair the meeting, we'll talk again after the banquet."

The two politely said goodbye to Vaughn and watched him hurry into the hall.

The two of them went inside as well.

The hall, now used as a meeting place, no longer resembled the quiet and empty space of the morning. A huge circular table surrounded the center of the hall, with rows of chairs radiating outwards behind it.

Those chairs are for the WAC committee members, while the huge circular table belongs to the executive committee members who will be elected soon.

The Executive Board is the governing body of WAC, consisting of one president, three vice presidents, and ten executive committee members, all of whom are elected by the WAC General Assembly.

Beyond this area, extending into the corners of the hall, are the seats for the media and members of the public who will be observing the conference tonight.

That area is also a key patrol zone for Kingsley and other Aurors.

When Nymphadora and Kingsley entered the hall, both the committee seats and the surrounding spectator stands were already full.

The most striking group was the Visengamo, whose uniform purple robes, led by Amelia Borns, occupied a quarter of the seats.

Beside them was the delegation of the International Federation of Wizarding Societies, led by Babajid Akinbad, and Dumbledore was also there.

Besides these two groups, the remaining half of the seats are occupied by werewolves!

Nifadora glanced at them discreetly a few times.

Then I was a little disappointed.

The werewolves didn't seem special at all. They were dressed in Muggle clothes, and except for a few, they didn't have any wizarding aura. They looked like a group of Muggles who had accidentally wandered in. Faced with the wizards' curious gazes, they appeared timid and fearful...

As her gaze shifted, Nymphadora suddenly realized that someone was watching her.

Looking in that direction, there was a middle-aged werewolf wizard with a face covered in scars and a melancholy air.

Nifadora made a face at him, and the man was clearly startled for a moment before quickly looking away.

"whispering sound!"

Nifadora curled her lip in disapproval.

Kingsley, who noticed her movements, introduced her: "That's Remus Lupin. If Vaughn Weasley is the natural number one in the WAC, then he is Vaughn's handpicked number two."

"I can't tell, it seems pretty average."

"Don't underestimate him. During the last war, he was one of Dumbledore's strongest fighters. If it weren't for his wolf disease, given his contributions during the last Wizarding War, he would probably have become a big figure among the Aurors long ago."

Kingsley knew that Nymphadora Tonks loved hearing tales of heroism during the Wizarding Wars and admired the heroes who fought against the Dark Lord, so he said it on purpose.

Sure enough, Nymphadora perked up her ears and became more respectful.

While the two were talking, Vaughn had already entered the room and stood in the center of the circular table, where there was a separate podium.

That's the host's seat.

A powerful beam of light shone down from above, and the surrounding lights dimmed quietly. Enveloped in the light, Vaughn surveyed the entire hall.

The surrounding noise and whispers gradually faded under his gaze.

This includes both Nymphadora and Kingsley.

Like everyone else around them, they instinctively quieted down and watched the 12-year-old child who had already achieved remarkable success.

The center of attention.

Vaughn drew his wand, pressed the tip to his throat, and his booming voice echoed throughout the hall: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to preside over the first meeting of the Werewolf Affairs Committee..."

The dim lighting around them made it difficult for Vaughn to see the expressions on other people's faces.

However, the quiet atmosphere at this moment was enough to tell the story; they were listening to him.

This gave Vaughn a strange feeling, as if his heart was beating a little faster, but no one noticed anything unusual in his opening speech.

All that could be heard was him saying calmly:

"...Everyone should have already learned about the concept of WAC from the newspapers. Those of you here today probably know better than I do why I founded WAC!"

"Because of Fudge!"

Some people in the spectators started to jeer.

This sentence immediately awakened everyone's memory, and many people burst into laughter. Almost all the wizards and werewolves present knew this "story" by heart.

That was the first time they had heard of Vaughn Weasley, both because he invented Wolfsbane Potion and because he had tricked their dear Mr. Fudge at the medal ceremony.

Vaughn laughed too: "That's right, for Fudge, but that's just a secondary issue. The most fundamental motivation for the WAC concept actually arose when I first started researching wolfification."

"Wolfification, or as those who have followed my papers should know, I prefer to call it the werewolf virus. It comes from a Muggle pathology concept and is a very small, artificial magical life form that can parasitize a host, replicate itself, and carry cursed power!"

"Wow!"

Nifadora whistled softly.

In the dimly lit surroundings, she was not alone in her reaction.

Clearly, not many people have read Vaughn's paper, and this is the first time they've heard such a statement. They find it impressive but don't understand it!
Amidst the astonished clamor, Vaughn remained unmoved and continued, "I've heard some wizards say that werewolves are born cursed, but my research is clearly enough to refute that claim. What caused the emergence of werewolves and the rampant spread of wolfification was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one!"

"Potions are the most common discipline in the magical world. Almost all wizards have at least some basic knowledge of potion theory. And in potions, there is a core concept that everyone takes for granted but has never thought about deeply—things in nature are bound to have mutual generation and restraint!"

"This is also the basic idea behind potion concoction, because wizards, Muggles, magical plants, magical creatures... all grow up in the same nature, competing with each other over long periods of time, yet also converging with one another." "But this principle doesn't apply to the werewolf virus!"

Vaughn looked around and waved his hand to summon a cloud of smoke—the Mist Curse. Under Vaughn's control, it recreated the difficulties he faced last year when researching werewolves, constantly trying different herbs and extracting their properties.

But they failed time and time again.

Looking at the blurry outlines of the crowd in the shadows, he emphasized once again: "Wolfification is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. I'm not emphasizing this to blame those who attribute wolfification to nature, but to tell everyone that if we don't intervene in wolfification, it will be irreconcilable with this world and with nature. Maybe in 10 years, maybe in 50 years, one day, the spread of wolfification will completely tear off the fragile facade of the magical world and bring a huge disaster to the world!"

"It will also make wizards known to Muggles in a dishonorable way—they won't care who created the werewolf virus, they'll only know that wizards brought this devil into the world!"

"I've seen many people in the newspapers saying how great my invention of the wolfsbane poison was..."

Vaughn paused, then shook his head: "But I don't agree with that view, because as you can see, the wolf poison is just a product of my inability to solve the werewolf virus, and I've compromised with it by taking a different approach. I can't eliminate it, I can only try to keep its host conscious."

"But this approach is still passive. Even if the potion is invented, can its target population afford it?"

The mist floating in mid-air twisted and turned, recreating the werewolves' past life of eating raw meat and drinking blood.

Vaughn's voice continued: "I'm showing this footage not to ask for your empathy, nor to exploit our werewolf brethren for sympathy, but to illustrate a reality—if this problem isn't solved, the existence of potions is meaningless, and the solution to the werewolf problem will be a long way off!"

"Therefore, I created the Werewolf Affairs Committee."

“It’s not that no one recognized the dangers of werewolfism in the past. In the 17th century, England enacted laws to manage werewolves. However, that kind of intervention was wrong. They treated werewolves as pests and demanded that they accept them voluntarily. How could such an ideal thing exist in the world?”

"If the wolf poison was my compromise with the werewolf virus, then WAC is my attack horn sounded against this man-made devil from another level."

"Attack it from the perspectives of humanity, respect, morality, and order."

Facing the gradually brightening and rapidly flashing camera flashes, Vaughn's expression was firm: "I know many people want to hear the answer, and my answer is that this is the original intention of me creating WAC, not only for werewolves, but also for the whole world!"

"No politics, no backstabbing, no conspiracies, just a solitary potion master's naive and imaginative endeavor... Thank you everyone!"

……

The surrounding noise suddenly became loud and chaotic.

The sound of a camera shutter.

The sound of applause.

The combined heat from the whistles and cheers was so intense it could practically roast you alive!
To Nymphadora, Vaughn's opening address was so inspiring it made her blood boil; she wished she could immediately shed her Auror robes, run to Vaughn, and shout at him:

"Take me in! You're not alone; I want to fight alongside you!"

Kingsley was sweating profusely. He had to hold Nymphadora back while working with the other Aurors to create a barrier with magic to stop those in the stands who wanted to rush into the venue.

too crazy!

He couldn't help but glance at Vaughn Weasley, who had returned to his seat as a committee member, his expression calm and composed.

This speech was devoid of any naivety or fantasy... What a terrifying fellow!

Was Vaughn's purpose in creating WAC really that simple?
An attempt at naivety and fantasy by a potion maker?
I doubt most of the wizards present would believe that.

But that didn't stop them from applauding and whistling at Vaughn's speech, letting their emotions run wild like everyone else around them, and unleashing their fervor.

Since the emergence of social structures among humankind, the pursuit of order has been deeply ingrained in human nature. This order can be laws or rules, but at its core, it is actually "morality"!
Nothing in the world is perfect, and neither is human nature.

But human nature also yearns for beauty, and thus morality arises.

Rather than believing what Vaughn said, they selectively believed the appealing aspects of his speech.

The cheers and applause at this moment are truly devoid of politics and conspiracy!
Surrounded by a tidal wave of enthusiastic voices, Vaughn seemed to have detached his emotions from his body, observing everything around him, including himself, with a "cold eye."

He clearly saw the satisfied and increasingly favored smiles on the faces of the Wizengamots.

He saw Amelia clapping as she walked onto the stage, giving him a slight nod of approval.

I also saw the meaningful look in Dumbledore's eyes from his seat in the International Wizarding Federation, and Arkinbad's originally serious face was now adorned with a kind smile.

And the wizards of the Federation behind him, hiding their hostility, clapped their hands so forcefully that it was an awkward performance.

Enveloped in the fiery atmosphere are these complex and ever-changing aspects of human nature!
Vaughn returned to his seat. Next, the election would begin. Having participated in the election for president, he was no longer suitable to chair the meeting due to the principle of avoiding conflict of interest.

Amelia presided over the voting and vote counting.

This witch, whose exposure has gradually increased this year due to Vaughn's series of actions, stood on the podium for a while longer, waiting for the people to calm down before gently tapping the gavel:
"Mr. Vaughn Weasley's speech revealed his passion and sincerity, which is exactly what moved us when Wissengamo agreed to organize the WAC a few months ago..."

"...Yes, the Wesengamour have clearly realized that they can no longer naively expect werewolfism to resolve itself. Solving the werewolf problem requires organized, systematic, and proactive intervention. Fortunately, at this not-too-late opportunity, there are pioneers like Mr. Vaughn Weasley, enlightened Wesengamour wizards, and international support—"

She slightly raised her hand, her face dark, revealing nothing of the complex emotions in Akinbad's expression, and led the delegation in removing their hats in salute.

They are all mature political beings.

The relationship between people and between organizations is one of mutual support, and Amelia is adept at it.

She continued:
"...Over the past few months, there has been a fierce debate surrounding WAC, but we have still managed to get to this point because we believe in Mr. Vaughn Weasley's pure intentions and believe that we are doing the right thing."

"Hereby, in my capacity as a member of the WAC Committee, I hereby declare the First General Meeting officially open!"

……

Nymphadora was dragged out of the venue by Kingsley.

After being exposed to the increasingly chilly night wind for a while, this impulsive and unruly girl finally regained some composure, but she was still a little dissatisfied. She pouted and complained, "Uncle Shackleton, I was just excited for a moment. Why did you drag me out? I still want to see Vaughn Weasley elected president!"

"The process won't be that quick."

Kingsley, smoking a cigarette, said that after spending so much time in Muggle society, he had picked up some Muggle vices: "The general assembly first elects executive committee members, then three vice presidents, and finally the president."

Hearing him say that, Nymphadora quieted down and squatted on the steps outside the venue, her eyes filled with longing.
"So Vaughn's ideals were so wonderful. It's all the fault of those newspapers, always talking about how Vaughn and Fudge were fighting for power. I thought... Humph, now I know, those adults can associate everything with power!"

"And Wizengamor, I always thought it was full of old fogies... and the Wizarding Union..."

Kingsley: "..."

He didn't know what to say, and he didn't want to say anything.

No matter how many strange things happen around WAC and Vaughn Weasley, they have nothing to do with Nymphadora Tonks. Let's preserve the good things for the children!
After smoking two cigarettes and seeing that Nymphadora was no longer impulsive, Kingsley took her back.

After greeting their colleagues who were helping with the patrol, they took over the defense duties again before looking back at the meeting room.

Ten wizards, some familiar and some unfamiliar, were already seated around the central circular table. Some were werewolves, some were Wizengamo, and some were from an international delegation.

It seems the meeting has progressed to the election of vice presidents.

This process is quite tedious. Unlike executive committee members, vice presidents are involved in actual leadership work. Therefore, candidates must go on stage to give reports, explaining their campaign goals, personal journey, and plans for future work.

Since it's a report, it's probably not very informative.

Nifadora was getting sleepy listening to this.

Until one moment, a familiar name entered my ears:
"...The next candidate, Remus Lupin!"

Nymphadora quickly shook her head to dispel her sleepiness and opened her eyes wide to watch the middle-aged werewolf wizard, whom she had previously tricked with faces, walk onto the podium.

He looked so ordinary.

If it weren't for Kingsley, Nymphadora would never have imagined that this man had participated in the last Wizarding War and was one of the founders of Dumbledore's secret society.

Clearly, she's not the only one who judges people by their appearance.

"He seems a bit listless..."

"He seems to be the only werewolf running for vice president, right? Are there so few wizards among werewolves that they put forward someone like him?"

The surrounding spectators were buzzing with discussion.

Lupin's performance disappointed most wizards, including Nymphadora. His report was so bland that it was completely uninteresting, and his overall performance was unremarkable.

But in the subsequent vote count, he was elected as the third vice president without any suspense.

This result nearly sparked an argument among the spectators.

"Is this a despicable compromise, just because he's a werewolf?"

"There's nothing wrong with compromise. Didn't you hear Mr. Weasley's speech? He compromised too. Besides, the WAC is the organization that manages werewolves. If there isn't a werewolf as vice president, who will advocate for the overall interests of the werewolves?"

"Then we should recommend someone more reliable, this guy..."

"Why do you care how they elect their candidates internally..."

The minor argument offstage clearly wouldn't affect the final result.

As the proceedings continued, the three vice presidents, including Lupin, sat down around the table, and Amelia struck the gavel again.

dong dong dong dong!

"quiet!"

Amelia's long-standing experience presiding over the Wizengamo Conference and even presiding over trials gave her a unique aura that was enough to suppress any dissent.

The surroundings quickly quieted down.

Looking around, Amelia announced in a loud voice, "The assembly continues. Next is the speech session for the candidates for president. The candidates for president of the WAC Executive Committee (Executive Bureau) are—"

She raised her wand.

A cloud of colorful smoke billowed from the tip of her staff, drifted into the air, split to the left and right, and transformed into two names.

Babajid Akinbad
Vaughn Septimus Weasley (middle name taken from Arthur's father, Vaughn's grandfather, Septimus Weasley)

The moment has finally arrived.

Nifadora, who had been somewhat dejected because of Lupin's performance, immediately perked up, her eyes practically shining as she stared at the center of the hall.

In the dim light surrounding the venue, the few remaining whispers vanished instantly, as if everyone had focused their attention on those two names.

Thanks to the previous media hype, most of the people present today are aware that Vaughn Weasley is the most likely candidate to be the first president of the WAC.

Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if only Vaughn was announced as the candidate today.

But no one expected that there would be another person on the list of candidates, and that person was Babajid Akinbad!
In the past few days, more than one person in The Daily Prophet has reported that Babajid Akinbad clashed with Vaughn Weasley on his first day in England.

Some even claimed, with great seriousness, that Akinbad was trying to unite with the pure-blood families of England.

His conflict with Vaughn was a signal he was sending to the pure-blood families.

Later, the pureblood family indeed invited Akinbad to a banquet, and Akinbad gladly accepted.

Behind this series of news stories lies a power struggle that is sure to delight onlookers.

With so many people from the public coming to the event today, many probably came expecting to just watch the drama unfold. However, many also noticed the scene of Vaughn and Akinbad chatting enthusiastically at the entrance before the conference started.

Whether the two were genuinely having a pleasant conversation or were just being polite, their attitudes were clear.

Everyone thought they wouldn't see the scene they wanted, but unexpectedly, a major bombshell dropped at the last minute!
Will they fight? Will they fight?

Nifadora chattered excitedly.

Kingsley was exasperated by her troublemaking nature and scolded her, "Behave yourself... Look at those committee members, none of them seem surprised, which means the situation is still under control!"

The WAC was a first in the wizarding world. Not only did wizards not know whether its future effects would be good or bad, but werewolves were also uncertain.

Can it really protect werewolves?

Could it become another form of the "werewolf registration bill"?
In situations like this, WAC needs stability.

Only stability can appease the emotions of all parties.

In order to avoid causing trouble and ruining the hard-won, relatively smooth start, Amelia, who is presiding over the conference, would probably rather bear the stigma of "behind-the-scenes manipulation" than allow any situation to get out of control!
(End of this chapter)