Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 159 Dumbledore's Betrayal

The orange part even has the texture of liquid flowing inside, as if the horn is still alive and is about to inject explosive liquid into the object it is piercing!

As for the hide, unlike the crystallized venomous horn, its color and luster are duller and its texture is softer compared to the fresh venomous horn hide.

Poisonous horned beast hide is a very rare and powerful material.

Its resistance to magic even surpasses that of dragon hide!
As for Newt's claim that they have been worshipped by a certain tribe in Africa for thousands of years, whether this has resulted in other characteristics is not visible to the naked eye and requires further experiments.

Judging from their appearance alone, these two items are already quite valuable.

Looking at the horn and leather in his hand, Vaughn shook his head and said, "Newt didn't need to do this. They've helped me a lot, and this time it's my turn to help them out. It's just returning the favor."

“Newt and Tina are both honest kids. They think your help has gone beyond the norm. They can only feel at ease if you accept it.”

"……All right!"

Vaughn stopped refusing and put them away.

Neither of them were the type to be sentimental, and they quickly moved on from this minor incident. Having completed Newt's task, Dumbledore leaned against the railing of the covered bridge, facing the oncoming wind, and squinted slightly.
"You should know that this trip to North America might be dangerous... no, it definitely will be dangerous. Are you still deciding not to have me accompany you?"

Vaughn glanced at his hand.

On those aged hands were four rings, two on each side: a simple silver band in the style of a Celtic knot and a Celtic cross. The former represented the connection of life, while the latter was a symbol of the "golden soul" theory that was first developed in medieval alchemy (the image of the golden soul is a standing person with outstretched arms).

The other two are a black onyx ring and a moonstone ring. Black onyx is a symbol of astrology, while moonstone represents magic.

Apart from that, there was nothing Vaughn wanted to see.

He withdrew his gaze and, like Dumbledore, looked out at the Black Lake: "You can't leave here. Tom has failed again, but no one can guarantee that he won't take advantage of your absence to return to England and cause trouble again... And what about Gaunt's Ring? Haven't you resolved the curse on it yet?"

Speaking of this, Dumbledore's mood visibly dropped, and he sighed, "I must say, Tom is one of the most powerful dark wizards I have ever seen. The curse on the ring is very difficult to remove, and so far the only way I have found to remove it is to wear the Gaunt Ring on my hand."

But in that case, the curse would transfer to the person wearing the ring.

Vaughn was helpless: "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry, darling."

Old Deng, who was always optimistic, quickly regained his cheerful mood. He winked at Vaughn and said with a smile, "I can't compare to Tom, but there are others who can. If you really don't need me to accompany you, I'm prepared to trouble him."

A dark wizard who could rival Voldemort?
Without even thinking, Vaughn asked, "Grindelwald?"

"..."

The air suddenly quieted down, and the sudden fluctuations in the vast magical source affected reality.

But this feeling quickly dissipated, and Dumbledore's smile turned into self-deprecation: "Sorry, child, I forgot about your amazing intelligence abilities... Yes, Gettler is the only person I know who can break this curse, and I have to disturb his peaceful retirement!"

Will he help you?

"do not know."

Old Deng shook his head. "I haven't seen him in a long time. You know, I've never been a very self-controlled person. I'm afraid I'll make a big mistake..."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, glanced at Vaughn, and suddenly asked, "Do you want to go see him?"

The wind ruffled the hair on Vaughn's forehead, and he squinted slightly. Dumbledore couldn't see his expression, only hearing him say softly:
"Why do you ask?"

"I've noticed that you think about things quite similarly in some areas, so perhaps you'll have things in common!"

"Are you testing me again?"

Vaughn turned to look at Dumbledore, his lowered eyelids revealing an unpredictable glint in his eyes, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

“No, it was just a spontaneous remark,” Old Deng said, shaking his head. “Especially when I saw you standing on the stage giving your speech the day before yesterday… for a moment, you really resembled Geitler, just as passionate and energetic, easily stirring people’s emotions, pulling them onto your chariot, and making them bow down to your charisma.”

"But that's all on the surface. I know very well that you, like Gettler, are a cold and rational person. What you say and the ideals you promote are just excuses to cover up your true intentions."

The wind swept through the covered bridge, creating a whistling sound.

Her fiery red hair fluttered in the wind, echoing the rustling of her robes.

Vaughn smiled slightly at Dumbledore's words and said, "I didn't expect that you would consider me equal to Grindelwald. Is that a compliment?"

Dumbledore gazed into the distance, remained silent for a long while, and then sighed:
"...That's right!"

"Huh? I thought you didn't agree with Grindelwald."

"Ha ha!" Dumbledore laughed, his voice becoming cheerful again. "I told you long ago, my dear, I am not as peace-loving as I appear. You should know that Gettler and I once shared the same ambitions... I restrain myself not because I feel I am wrong, but because I am selfish. I do not want to let myself be corrupted by ideals!"

Godric Valley, 1899.

Two teenagers, both with extraordinary wizarding talent, meet and swear a blood oath in a dark shack to destroy the Law of Secrecy, so that wizards can truly gain the power and dignity commensurate with their strength, and make those ignorant and disgusting Muggles pay the price for their ignorance and persecution!
But in the end, they did not keep their promise.

Because one of them betrayed them!

Dumbledore's deep blue eyes became misty. He gazed at the distant, dark mountains, but his gaze was unfocused, as if he were looking not at the current scenery, but at his memories from 100 years ago.

It took him a long time to come to his senses:

"Ah—sorry, darling, I've been daydreaming again."

As he spoke, he pulled a piece of parchment from his wide robe sleeve and handed it to Vaughn: "Ilfamoni has upgraded the level of the invitation. Now, you are visiting America as a member of Wizengamot and president of the WAC. According to foreign affairs practice, Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic should upgrade the size of the delegation and the corresponding treatment accordingly."

Vaughn took the parchment and unfolded it.

This is a document jointly signed by Albus Dumbledore, the First Wizard of Wizengamor, and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.

The document formally responded to Ilfamoni's invitation in writing, granting Vaughn Weasley the status of an official envoy, defining the size of the delegation, and bestowing upon it the same official status.

The delegation was mainly composed of WAC members, including one vice president, three executive committee members, and twelve committee members.

However, a Ministry of Magic official also accompanied them.

According to diplomatic practice, for such official envoys, the Ministry of Magic needs to dispatch a squad of up to five Aurors to protect them.

Ministry of Magic officials are responsible for managing the Auror squads, accompanying envoys on foreign affairs activities as ministerial representatives, and so on.

Vaughn looked up: "Who are the Ministry of Magic officials?"

Dumbledore chuckled and said, "Dolores Umbridge!"

“…No wonder Mr. Fudge signed it!” Vaughn scoffed. Umbridge was Fudge’s confidant, and given Fudge’s terrible character of being greedy and ungrateful, he would never sign this document without some benefit in return.

"What was he trying to do by putting Umbridge in the delegation?"

“I don’t know, you’ll have to deal with that yourself. Of course, to avoid any accidents, Amelia will put Kingsley in the Auror squad. I heard he and you get along well.” Dumbledore shrugged.

Vaughn rubbed his temples and continued browsing the documents.

Aside from the unpleasant news about Umbridge, everything that follows is mostly good news.

First, the Ministry of Magic provided transportation—a Muggle cruise ship, of course, a normally operating Muggle cruise ship. The delegation would travel together with other Muggle tourists on the same ship, departing from England, crossing the North Atlantic, and arriving in New York on the east coast of the United States.

Seeing Vaughn notice the mode of transportation, Dumbledore said, "Traveling with Muggles may cause some inconvenience, but it is a method we have deliberately chosen."

Vaughn's mind raced: "To guard against an attack?"

“Yes.” Dumbledore nodded. “This visit is very dangerous. We can say with certainty that many powers in North America do not want to see Ilfamoni’s predicament resolved… We cannot do anything about the dangers you will encounter after you arrive in America, but on your way there, we can at least try to help you evade possible attacks.”

"Your solution is to leave a bunch of Muggles with me, this ticking time bomb?"

Dumbledore didn't know what a time bomb was, but he could tell from Vaughn's tone that it wasn't a good word.

The old wizard didn't take it seriously: "My dear, don't worry about those Muggles getting hurt, because our old friend Babajid will be in the same boat."

"Ok?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, attending the WAC conference was only part of Babajid's itinerary. He originally planned to take that cruise ship to America to carry out the Federation's investigative mission—to investigate the current implementation of the Secret Service Act in North America and the rumored resurgence of the Purgers."

Upon hearing this, Vaughn was momentarily speechless.

He sighed, "So, you just took the opportunity to use the Federation's name as a shield? Does Akinbad know about this?"

Dumbledore blinked:

"I haven't told him yet, but I believe he'll be pleasantly surprised when you meet him on the ship!"

It's more like feeling frustrated and terrified!
Vaughn pursed his lips; he even felt a little sorry for Akinbad.

As for Dumbledore's plan, it was nothing more than using the lives of a ship full of Muggles and the Federation delegation to force North America to hesitate and ensure that they would not dare to attack Vaughn en route.

After all, attacking Vaughn was a minor matter; it would only offend Dumbledore and the WAC.

But attacking a ship full of Muggles and the Federation delegation was an unforgivable crime.

Deliberately creating a magic leak incident, attacking the delegation, violating the Secrecy Law...

The Federation, that behemoth, will likely use these charges to plow through the entire North America!
That's an outcome that no power in North America wants to see!

So, after thinking it over, Vaughn didn't raise any objections. Although he didn't care about the attack or not, he certainly wouldn't torture himself by making trouble for himself if he could arrive in America safely.

Keep reading, the next part is the return trip itinerary.

Unlike the departure, the document outlines a relatively intensive schedule for the return trip of the delegation led by Vaughn.

The targets include the Ministries of Magic of several major countries in East and West Asia, then cross the Arabian Sea into the Red Sea, and visit Egypt via the Suez Canal. The main targets are the magical forces in the Middle East and Africa, represented by Egypt!

Next up are the Balkans and France.

The visit seemed like a busy one, but Vaughn had no objection to it, since he was the one who originally proposed the trip.

The newly formed WAC urgently needs recognition and for countries to acknowledge the existence of an organization that can solve the werewolf problem.

Therefore, taking advantage of the visit to tour various countries is undoubtedly the simplest and most effective way.

His only concern was: "Have you calculated how long it will take to complete the entire trip?"

"About two months, if all goes well!" Dumbledore said.

"Schools had already started by then."

"But I think missing a month shouldn't have any impact on you."

Vaughn shrugged: "You said it... I have no objection."

Dumbledore clapped his hands happily: "The annoying business is done, my dear. Would you like to come to my office and enjoy some sweets to relieve your worries and lift your spirits?"

Vaughn politely declined and quickly took his leave.

As Vaughn stepped out of the area protected by the Anti-Apparition Charm and looked back, he frowned slightly at the still brightly lit bridge under the night sky.

He then recalled that not long ago, Dumbledore had mentioned Grindelwald to him.

Perhaps Old Deng was indeed sentimental and eccentric at times, but Vaughn never underestimated the wisdom and will of this White Devil.

The other party mentioning Grindelwald in front of him was probably not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a test or a reflection on something!
To gauge his attitude towards the "Secrecy Law"?

To determine if he shares the same aspirations as Grindelwald.
Want to stop him the way you stopped Grindelwald?
Vaughn is unsure!
Old Dumbledore is a very complex person. He is undoubtedly a wizard who is close to Muggles, but at the same time... he is also a wizard who hates Muggles extremely.

The aftermath of the witch hunt and the bullying by Muggles led to his sister Arianna becoming an Obscurial, and his father died in Azkaban in revenge for the Muggles who had bullied his daughter.

The witch hunt may have many causes and should not be entirely blamed on Muggles.

But judging solely from the results, a clear conclusion can be drawn—

Dumbledore's lifelong suffering was all caused by Muggles!
Dumbledore once chose to betray his and Grindelwald's ideals in order to restrain himself. So, decades later, does he still have the same thoughts?

Will it change?
Suppressing his inner turmoil and doubts, Vaughn turned and walked into the night...

Time flies, and August 4th is the day to set off!
"Get up, get up! Today is an important day for your brother, how can you sleep?"

"Fred! George! Clean up that junk in front of your door. If I see it again later, throw it all into the garden!"

“Ron, wake up! Help me pack your brother’s clothes…” “Oh, Ginny, my sweetheart, Hermione, you can sleep a little longer. Yes, no rush.”

“Percy! I remember your dad gave you a Muggle pen two years ago? I heard Lupin say Vaughn didn’t like quill pens, Merlin—oh dear, I never knew that!”

"Mom, that's my pen!"

The chaos at the Weasleys' house that morning officially began with Percy's final, frustrated, and broken cry.

Today is the day Vaughn departs for North America.

Molly’s loud voice woke the entire Burrow as she busily prepared a change of clothes for Vaughn, along with various other things that might be useful but were unlikely to be.

When Vaughn was the last to get up, changed into his robe, and came downstairs, his suitcase was already in the living room. His brothers, still sleepy-eyed and looking dejected, were glaring at him with resentment.

Vaughn ignored them and went up to hug Molly: "Thank you for your hard work, Mom."

"Oh—" Molly wiped her eyes, her heart melting. She kissed her son's head tightly, hugging him tightly, unwilling to let go. "My poor darling, he has to go to such a far and dangerous place... Can't you let someone else go? Dumbledore? Amelia?"

Vaughn said helplessly, "Mom, I am the president of WAC, this is my duty!"

"Uuuuuu——"

In the living room, Arthur tried to shrink into a corner, using a newspaper to cover himself, and then raised the newspaper a little higher to make sure he wouldn't be taken out on by some middle-aged woman who was caught up in her grief.

Molly's mood finally improved after Hermione came down. Suddenly, she was no longer sad and grabbed Hermione, excitedly talking about how much the other witches envied her.

"Their sons may never achieve what Vaughn has. My God, on a diplomatic visit representing England, you didn't see it, darling, the way they looked at me was like they wanted to eat me alive!"

"There are also a few witches' children who want Vaughn's autograph, but I don't plan to grant them... And some people want to ask me how I raised a child like Vaughn, ha, how could I possibly tell them!"

“Of course, they envy Vaughn even more for having you, darling. I really should take you out for a drive…”

Throughout breakfast, Molly did most of the talking, while Hermione listened attentively.

After finishing her meal, Molly picked up Vaughn's suitcase and went off to do something else.

Fred, George, Ron, and Percy, who had been woken up early in the morning by the bombardment, also ran away quickly, afraid that their mother would conscript them again. They also took Ginny with them.

Arthur, using the excuse of preparing the car, had already slipped away.

Only Vaughn and Hermione remained in the restaurant.

"Mom is a bit nagging, but she just doesn't want you to worry or be scared, so she's deliberately trying to distract you."

"I know."

Hermione whispered, "And Fred, George, Ron, Percy, and the others—they all left on purpose, wanting to leave the two of us alone for a while."

Vaughn smiled.

As always, he has keen observation skills.

Are you worried?

“Of course!” Hermione said, “But I also understand that you have reasons to go, just like the analyses in those newspapers…”

Even so, her delicate eyebrows still furrowed.

Her lips twitched a few times, as if she wanted to say something, but perhaps feeling it was unlucky, she ultimately didn't say anything. The knowledgeable Miss Know-It-All knew that there was such a taboo as "ominous" in the magical world. Although she didn't believe it, at a moment like this, she suddenly felt that it wouldn't hurt to believe it for a moment.

Vaughn didn't say anything more, and the two quietly enjoyed this time before parting.

But no matter how reluctant she was, Hermione had to part ways with Vaughn as noon approached.

As Vaughn got into Arthur's enchanted car and drove away, the girl's eyes gradually reddened.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the vast reed beds outside the humble dwelling rippled like ocean waves.

In the wind, noticing Hermione's reddened eyes, Molly sighed and put her arm around her shoulder.

Ginny was sobbing quietly beside him. Ron looked at Hermione, then at Molly, feeling confused... Ginny was just sad that she hadn't seen her brother for a long time, but as for Ron, he was more curious about when he could go play with Harry again.

They were unaware of the danger Vaughn was facing!
……

The departure point is Southampton Port.

About an hour's drive from London, Arthur, contrary to his usual talkative nature, barely uttered a word the entire way.

It wasn't until he dropped Vaughn off near the port and they got out of the car that he suddenly hugged his son tightly.

"Be careful in North America, son. Your safety is the most important thing to your mother, to our family, and to Hermione!"

"I will, Dad."

“You…” Arthur, who had placed his hands on Vaughn’s shoulders and was about to say something more, suddenly choked up. He quickly blinked hard to keep from losing his composure in front of his son: “…You’ve grown up. I believe you know how to weigh the pros and cons. We’re waiting for you to come back!”

"Ok!"

"Oh, Lupin and the others are here. You should go quickly!"

Vaughn turned around and saw a large group of people in Muggle suits (purchased by William at Vaughn's request) walking towards him in the distance, led by Lupin.

Vaughn said goodbye to his father and went to greet him.

Under the slightly hot sea breeze at midday, Arthur looked at his son, who wasn't very tall yet, and walked step by step toward the group of men in black.

They bowed their heads respectfully, and the son's back stood out so much against the backdrop of those bowing heads that it gave the illusion that he suddenly became very tall.

They surrounded him as he walked toward the cruise ship amidst the astonished gazes of the Muggles.

Arthur realized this intensely once again.

My son has really grown up!
He is breaking away from himself and Molly, embarking on his own path...

Vaughn was unaware of his father's inner feelings behind him.

After saying goodbye to his father, he had already put aside any feelings of affection for his children.

Upon rejoining the team, Lu Ping, who was at the head, greeted them, "Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman."

“You too, Remus.” Vaughn said, glancing at the briefcase he was carrying.

Lu Ping understood immediately and whispered, "Those unregistered werewolves are all included. The only people handling it are me, Barnald Jr., and James."

"..."

The other party's furtive behavior left Vaughn speechless.

In fact, given how things have developed, it's practically an open secret that Vaughn is capturing werewolves for human experimentation, especially within the WAC.

This is also due to profit-driven motives.

Warn developed the wolfsbane drug, and the WAC he founded was officially established.

With so much "success" as a backdrop, his behavior is inevitably filtered through a lens by the public.

The same "human experimentation," if it had occurred before the establishment of the WAC, might have become a stain on Vaughn's reputation.

However, after the establishment of WAC, especially after the series of speeches and remarks at the conference were disseminated through the media and public opinion gradually fermented.

The original stain suddenly seemed to have a deeper meaning and a "necessary choice"!
There's no need for Vaughn to step forward; those who agree with his ideas, are captivated by his charisma, and want to follow him will readily defend him and find plausible excuses for his actions.

Humans have always been like this.

If you succeed, society will be incredibly tolerant of you; conversely, if you fail, even breathing air will be wrong!

Although he felt there was no need to be so secretive, Vaughn didn't say anything. He was more pleased to see Lupin's change than to those trivial details.

If it had been two months ago, Lupin would have been very negative about his experiments with werewolves, even if he hadn't explicitly opposed them.

But now he can calmly help with the transfer of experimental subjects.

Vaughn guessed that his change might also be related to the conference a few days ago, or even just Lupin. Vaughn looked at the werewolf committee members in the welcoming party, and their spirits were completely different from before.

There was no longer any trace of sorrow or hesitation; the person's expression was positive and full of energy.

This struck a chord with Vaughn. WAC had been around for months, yet it had never been able to calm people's hearts. But the conference a few days ago, which was just a formality, acted like a stabilizing force, completely dispelling the restlessness and negativity.

This is perhaps the reason for the existence and appeal of politics!

“Take the suitcase with you and take good care of them. Hopefully, this group can hold out until the second version of the wolfsbane medicine is successfully developed,” Vaughn said to Lupin.

These somewhat cruel words made Lupin feel a little reluctant, but he still nodded: "Yes!"

Vaughn was right; Lupin's change of heart was due to the conference and the vision Vaughn painted at it.

Even though Vaughn had said similar things to them in private, the meaning and the occasion were different. In the simple mindset of many people, including Lupin, private words were more like idle talk and empty promises, while only public speeches were true commitments.

If he had any hesitation before, Lupin has now decided to follow Mundungus's advice and try to get close to Vaughn since the conference!

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Lupin, having finished greeting Vaughn and the other members of the delegation and starting to settle into his place, leaned close to Vaughn and said, "The people from the Ministry of Magic might be a little late."

"reason?"

"They didn't say anything over there, maybe they just wanted to put on airs."

"Boring!" Vaughn scoffed. Without a second thought, he knew it must be Umbridge's idea. That stupid witch and her master Fudge were both worthless!

"Ignore them, let's board the ship first!"

"Yes, President."

So a group of people surrounded Vaughn and walked toward the cruise ship.

Unlike other countries in the world, the English Ministry of Magic, while strictly adhering to the Statute of Secrets, has never severed its ties with the Muggle government, and in fact, has maintained quite close contact with it.

The two sides will not only exchange information on political matters (for example, in the event of a magical leak, the Ministry of Magic will send the Reversal of Accidents team to handle the situation, and at the same time, inform the Muggle government so that they can find excuses such as strange celestial phenomena, natural gas explosions, or mass hallucinations to help cover it up).

Limited cooperation will also take place.

Regularly arranging for Aurors to protect the Prime Minister and ministers is only part of the cooperation; other areas include climate forecasting, criminal intelligence sharing, and more.

In the economic and industrial spheres, even without Muggle currency, the Ministry of Magic has invested in numerous industries within Muggle society, doing so solely to maintain their "friendship."

One of them is the building that Wisconsin-Germain leased to WAC.

The cruise ship that Vaughn will be traveling on, the "Royal Mary," is also a product of the collaboration between the two parties.

On the way to the cruise ship, an executive member from Wizengamor who had previously worked in other departments of the Ministry of Magic approached Vaughn and introduced him:

"...This cruise ship is a testament to the 'friendship' between the wizarding world and the Muggle government. Sixty years ago, to commemorate years of cooperation and to commend the Muggle royal family for their contribution in helping to enforce the Act of Secrecy, the Ministry of Magic decided to build a ship and present it to King George V of Muggle at the time."

The executive committee member, with his white hair, enthusiastically revealed the secrets.

Vaughn didn't speak, but just gazed at the enormous vessel moored in the deep-water berth.

The fact that it can be called "Royal" gives you an idea of ​​the cruise ship's luxury. It is 200 feet tall and probably more than 1200 feet long. The black and red painted hull looks solemn and dignified, while the deck and superstructure are bright silver-white, clean and simple.

Seeing that Vaughn remained silent, Lupin continued, "There are many ways to witness friendship, why give a Muggle king a ship?"

At least there wasn't an awkward silence.

The executive committee member breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said with a smile, "This brings us to the inherent flaws of Muggles. They are very fond of enjoyment and like to pursue things that seem meaningless to us. Sixty years ago, during the last glorious period of the English Muggle government, the entire upper class was obsessed with these super-sized ships. The trend of comparison was rampant. They not only compared whose ship was bigger and more luxurious, but also whose speed. They even established a Blue Ribbon Award for this purpose!"

"That frenzied state made it hard for the Ministry of Magic not to be influenced when choosing gifts, since they were for Muggles. And indeed, the Muggles were delighted. When the Muggle King learned about the shipbuilding project, he immediately decided to name the ship after his beloved wife, Queen Mary!"

Lupin didn't quite understand.

In his mind, a ship was just an inefficient means of transportation for Muggles, far inferior to the magical world's Apparition, Floonet, Portkey, etc., and even less than a magic carpet or flying broom.

Even in Muggle society, as far as he knew, there was something called an airplane that was faster than a ship.

What speed can be compared to this?
(End of this chapter)