Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 161 Value Adoption and New Life

This explanation suggests that the only hope for Umbridge to have the Transfiguration Curse removed is simply to wait.

Hopefully, Kingsley won't get so worked up about this answer.

Lupin left with his reply, while Vaughn was still organizing his experimental notes from the beginning of the year.

He didn't care about Umbridge at all.

He's just an ignorant fool!

"The werewolf virus is mainly divided into two parts. One part is the curse, which is the root cause of werewolf transformation. The wizard who created this virus cleverly combined the power of the curse, the human spirit, and the full moon into a mysterious ritual."

"Transformation is the final result of the ritual, but the power of the curse does not stop there. It also provides the transformed werewolf with a portion of energy to maintain its superhuman resilience and athleticism. At the same time, it is also the key to activating the other side of the werewolf virus—the virus carrier's ability to multiply and spread!"

"...How exactly did it do that?"

Looking at his notes from a few months ago, Vaughn pondered.

Of course, this won't get you an answer.

Vaughn quickly suppressed his doubts, packed up his utensils, and hurriedly finished his meal.

Snap your fingers and make everything float up and surround you.

The suitcase opened automatically, and he went inside.

The suitcase has a small 18-inch opening, but the inside and outside are completely different worlds.

Stepping through the open suitcase, you feel the texture of the wooden stairs beneath your feet. As you descend, the luxurious suite gradually disappears from view, and another beautiful grassland landscape comes into view.

A simulated sun source releases light and heat directly above this space, a few clouds drift and swirl, a breeze blows across the fields from who-knows-where, and the distant pond ripples with light.

The view stretched out across the open plain for about a mile until the horizon suddenly curved upwards.

One after another, “mountains” rise abruptly from the ground, with waterfalls cascading down their slopes, lush trees providing shade, and clouds and mist swirling around them.

Vaughn squinted to admire it for a moment, then turned around. Behind him was a ladder connecting to the outside world, standing next to a sturdy oak tree. The tree's dense shade hung down, and through the swaying branches, one could vaguely see a treehouse hidden within.

That was Newt's former residence in this space, but Vaughn never used it.

Outside the shade of the trees, more than twenty iron cages were placed on the grassland.

Vaughn walked over with the things floating around him. Each iron cage contained a disheveled person whose wands had been broken and whose hands and feet were bound by heavy shackles and chains, forced to huddle in a cramped space.

Upon hearing footsteps, the previously deathly silence suddenly lifted.

Wow!
The chains dragged them as they got up.

The next moment, there were roars, curses, howls, and cries...

It was like a chaotic dance of demons!

"Silence!"

Vaughn glanced at them indifferently, snapped his fingers, and a Silence spell instantly descended around him, silencing all the noise.

The whole world seemed to have turned into a silent film, with the werewolves in the cage cursing wildly, pounding and banging on the bars, but the magic had deprived them of the right to make a sound.

"It's finally quiet."

Vaughn, the only one with the right to speak, muttered something to himself and then ignored them, getting busy with his business.

Set up a "laboratory"!
Several experimental tables, chairs, shelves, and other items that had been shrunk by a spell floating around Vaughn fell down and were placed in their proper positions as the spell was lifted.

Next came various magically modified tools.

Microscopes, petri dishes, and incubators for various functions were among the items Vaughn brought in. He also brought a generator, its internal components and wiring modified by the twins using a new formula of mithril mercury, enhancing its resistance to magical interference and providing sufficient power to meet Vaughn's needs for the time being.

He needs Muggle equipment to isolate and observe the werewolf virus. No matter how magical the dominant curse may be, some changes will still have to rely on the viral vector to be completed.

For example, its contagiousness!
While Vaughn was busy, Matthew woke up groggily in the Iron Cage area.

It was the same low, unreal sky I'd seen before falling asleep.

Matthew moved his numb hands and feet, and a sharp pain shot through him. The heavy chains and shackles had chafed his flesh, and blood was seeping from the wounds.

He didn't pay attention to it, and he was no longer able to treat it.

Losing his wand, and even to prevent him from casting spells without a wand, WAC gave him a lot of potions. Potions can't restrict magic, but they can suppress the mind. For a wizard, being unable to control emotions is just as terrible as having no magic.

Matthew now feels his head is ice-cold, and the only emotions he has left are enough to keep his thinking functioning normally.

Perhaps this is the price of being relatively strong!

He thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile that those brain-dead idiots next to him, who hadn't been given the WAC potion, were all shouting and yelling all day long, driving everyone crazy with energy.

Huh?
Matthew suddenly noticed something was wrong; why was it so quiet around him?

He looked up and saw a bizarre scene unfolding before him: people in the iron cages around him were shouting and banging on the cages with ferocious expressions, yet there was not a sound.

Matthew paused for a moment, then saw the busy figure of a young man not far away.

“Vaughn Weasley…”

Matthew recognized him; Graybury had shown him a picture of the young wizard, which made him remember it well, and he had also seen the boy in the Daily Prophet more than once.

Wolfsbane Potion, WAC...

The other person's name and photo always appeared alongside those two words, gradually imprinting themselves in Matthew's mind and making him remember them deeply!

Then a slight ripple stirred within him.

Before he was transferred into this space, the werewolf who had captured him, named Remus Lupin, had given him a newspaper with news about the WAC convention.

That was the first time Matthew clearly realized the unease within himself.

"Let the werewolves walk in the sunlight!"

The line in the report was branded into his memory like a mark, constantly appearing before his eyes, making him toss and turn, restless and uneasy.

As his thoughts raced, on the other side, Vaughn Weasley had also set up his equipment and walked to the area where the iron cages were placed, his gaze sweeping over each werewolf.

Matthew knew what the other party wanted to do.

After he was arrested, a short, fat guy who looked rather sleazy gloated and called them "guinea pigs."

During his graduation trip, Matthew spent some time in Muggle society, learned some Muggle knowledge, and knew what a lab rat meant.

We also know what the ultimate fate of the lab rats will be!
He let out a long sigh, lay calmly in the cage, and stopped looking at Vaughn Weasley, who was walking past the iron cages like he was picking through goods.

He continued to drift off into thought.

Until one moment, the wind blowing in his face suddenly made a sound again. Matthew looked up, and Vaughn Weasley was already standing in front of him. He glanced at the other werewolves beside him, who were still acting like they were performing a silent play, and then at Vaughn:
"Is something wrong?"

Vaughn observed the thin, middle-aged man with tangled, dirty hair like a mop in the cage in front of him with great interest. He lifted the man's silence spell and asked, "Why aren't you making a fuss?"

"..."

There was no answer.

Vaughn didn't seem to care: "What's your name?"

"Matthew."

"Last name?"

"...No surname..."

Matthew said numbly.

The words seemed disjointed, but Vaughn already understood the reason: among werewolves, the absence of a surname usually signified a rather desperate story—

During their first transformation, they killed their own family members, and out of remorse, escapism, and other reasons, they abandoned their surnames or names.

For example, Barnald Jr. is a case in point!

This situation is not uncommon among other werewolves.

“Your performance is different from everyone else’s,” Vaughn said with a smile. Under the bright sunlight emanating from the simulated sun, his red hair was as vibrant as fire, and his smile was as gentle as light.

Matthew's pupils trembled slightly, then he closed his eyes, not wanting to say anything more.

Vaughn did not cast the Silence Spell on Matthew again.

The two didn't communicate for the rest of the time. After inspecting the "guinea pigs," Vaughn deliberately chose a relatively thin and mentally unstable individual as the first lucky one.

Soon, the werewolves who had been howling silently, including the withdrawn Matthew, witnessed a horrifying scene—

The chosen werewolf floated in the air, and with each wave of Vaughn Weasley's wand, something was "pulled" out of him.

Let's start with the skin.

The epidermis, like a semi-transparent film, detached from the werewolf's body.

Next comes the dermis, which is tender like meat and has a textured, net-like structure.

Vaughn Weasley's superb magic ensured that even when they were peeled off, there was no bleeding or damage to their tissue structure.

Transformation magic reverses the properties of tissues such as sweat glands, arteries and veins, capillaries, tactile corpuscles, and nerve fibers, allowing them to stretch very long like rubber bands, exhibiting excellent "elasticity".

The same steps and techniques were also applied to the subsequent dissection of loose connective tissue (celluloid), dense connective tissue (muscle, etc.), and periosteum.

So, the werewolf practically watched as he was dismembered without shedding a drop of blood.

A living person has been transformed into layers upon layers of thin, grotesque tissue, floating in the air...

And he's still alive!

This scene also frightened the werewolves.

Having lost its dense connective tissue, the werewolf, now just bones, couldn't even move. Only its deformed, still-connected nerves and blood vessels twitched incessantly from the stimulation of the surrounding air.

Everyone could see the pain and despair in his eyes!
But Vaughn Weasley, the mastermind behind it all, didn't care. After completing the preliminary "dissection" step, he finally began his series of experiments.

In the distance, Matthew withdrew his gaze.

He silently looked around. The creatures in the cages around him, who had been struggling just a moment before, were now behaving themselves, their eyes fixed on Vaughn Weasley and his experiments.

Fear gradually emerged in those eyes that used to be filled with indifference and madness.

"Ah……"

Letting out a laugh that even he didn't understand, Matthew curled up again, his closed eyes reflecting the scene he had just witnessed, his past experiences with Greyback, and memories of a long, long time ago when he was a carefree Hogwarts student.

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, he fell into a deep sleep.

……

The passage of time cannot be accurately perceived within the confines of a small suitcase.

It can only be judged from daily meals.

For the next two to three days, a similar “show” would take place regularly in this space – Vaughn Weasley would “dissect” a werewolf about every half day.

Of course, he did his best to protect their lives with magic and potions.

But no one believed it was out of goodwill.

Matthew and the other werewolves noticed that every time a werewolf was completely dissected, Vaughn Weasley would make various attempts with the body parts that had been separated from them.

Sometimes it involves casting spells.

Sometimes it involves applying magic potions.

Or a combination of both.

He was like a patient barbecue chef, carefully applying the "sauce"-like potion to every part of the tissue, with different ingredients for different tissues.

Once everything is complete, he will "reassemble" the separated tissues, then put the werewolf into a special incubation tank and use the potion inside to sustain their lives!

After a few days, the other werewolves who hadn't been chosen yet were terrified.

They pleaded, cursed, struggled, and cried... but Vaughn Weasley was like a ruthless Muggle machine, meticulously preparing for his experiments.

All those actions could not shake his resolve.

Only Matthew remained completely still. Vaughn was quite curious about him, and would come over and say a few words to him after dealing with each werewolf.

Matthew would also talk to him back then.

There were no restrictions on the scope of their conversations; they talked about whatever came to mind. For example, yesterday, Matthew asked them where they were, and Vaughn said they were on a ship, preparing to make a visit to America.

“America…” The name made Matthew somewhat lost in thought. “I’ve always wanted to go there… My graduation trip’s last stop is America.”

"Unfortunately, you weren't very lucky; you ran into Graybury on your first stop, Ireland."

Vaughn shrugged.

This was told to him by Matthew himself.

Matthew was momentarily dazed, then became withdrawn again.

This wasn't the first time this had happened; Matthew would often suddenly drift off into a daze, which usually marked the end of their conversations.

Besides, in Vaughn's opinion, Matthew was a decent conversationalist.

On this day, after completing another round of preparations for the experiment, Vaughn put the reassembled lucky baby into the culture tank and sat down in front of Matthew.

Before he could speak, Matthew had already asked, "Where is the ship?"

"Iceland."

"Didn't you get off the boat to take a look? I heard the scenery is nice."

"That would require going deeper inland; we'll talk about it another time."

“I heard you say last time that WAC is eager to expand its reputation, but this ship passes through several Nordic countries along the way. Why don’t you contact them?” Matthew’s long, tangled hair piled up on his forehead, and Vaughn couldn’t see his expression. He could only detect a hint of curiosity in his indifferent tone.

This amused Vaughn, who replied, "Because they have no value."

What are the values?

“It has no value whatsoever!” Vaughn said. “Population, wizards, international influence… those countries are like Iceland. They have ice and snow if they want people, and ice and snow if they want wizards. Their magical power cannot develop, werewolves don’t want to go there, and even the International Federation can’t be bothered with them. Visiting them would only be a waste of time.”

"Right……"

Matthew started spacing out again.

But this time, his daze didn't last long. Just as Vaughn was about to end their conversation, he spoke again: "What you said in the newspaper, is it true?"

Vaughn glanced at him curiously: "What did you say?"

"Let werewolves walk in the sunlight!"

"Of course!"

"call--"

Matthew let out a long sigh and said softly, "You're a proud man, and I believe you'll do what you say..."

Vaughn guessed what was going on, a slight smile playing on his lips. He sat down again and asked directly, "Are you asking this because you're planning to side with me?"

"Yes!"

Vaughn became even more interested: "Why?"

Yeah, why?

Behind his disheveled long hair, Matthew's eyes were momentarily lost. He said these words and made this decision, clearly not out of fear of death.

The real Matthew died 20 years ago, on the morning he woke up after his first transformation. Now he is just a walking corpse, a body whose soul has sunk into hell.

He thought he would never be able to climb out of the abyss that Graybuck had created for him.

until……

Matthew's eyes flickered slightly as he looked up at Vaughn: "You mentioned value before... I want to find my value with you..."

Matthew felt himself sinking.

All around was endless, boundless darkness.

My head was spinning, my consciousness was hazy like I was in a dream, yet my senses felt like they were still in reality.

At one point, he "fell" out of the darkness and saw himself standing in a village—yes, he saw himself.

The self that becomes a werewolf.

He ran frantically along the village's stone-paved streets, through one dark house after another, towards the only lit hut at the other end of the village.

Above, the full moon shone brightly!
Matthew stared wide-eyed at the little house. It was a place he knew very well, a place that had been with him throughout his childhood!
Do not!
No!

He anxiously and fearfully reached out, trying to stop "himself" from turning into a werewolf, but "himself," now a beast, did not stop at all, leaping high against the backdrop of the full moon and rushing into the hut.

Blood splattered all over the window frames.

Intense pain overwhelmed him instantly; Matthew opened his mouth wide, but couldn't utter a sound.

Then, the village "shattered" before his eyes like a cracked mirror.

Darkness enveloped them once more.

Before his inner pain could be relieved, his perspective shifted to another scene.

Matthew's hazy consciousness began to clear—he was no longer in the real world, but in his own memories, and someone was going through them!
enough!

Stop watching!
Once he came to his senses, he wanted to shout, but the person who had invaded his mind clearly didn't care about his feelings. The new scenes that appeared, like a Muggle movie, repeated his experiences according to a predetermined linear narrative.

That was 20 years ago, when he had just transformed into a werewolf and had not yet completely despaired!
At that time, he was also trying to rebel against Greyback. He came to London hoping to find the Ministry of Magic to help him.

But all the world gave him was despair!
"Sign the bill, only then can we help you!"

“You’re nothing but a damned beast, a filthy animal. Your only option is to sign the bill and then obediently go back to your place of settlement, Greyback? Ha! Good reason. If I ever kill my family, I can say the same thing, since Greyback can’t testify anyway… Ah—my eyes!”

"Grab him! Where did he go?"

Then came the battle.

An endless battle.

Many powerful Aurors got involved, including the famous Alastor Moody, and nobody wanted to hear his explanation... The case unfolded very clearly: the victim was a staff member of the Werewolf Management Office, and the killer was a werewolf.

That's reasonable and logical!

Matthew was seriously injured during his night on the run and only survived by crawling into the silt in the sewers.

Then came homelessness, exposure of his identity, and continued escape...

The rekindled memories and pain clouded Matthew's mind once again.

He watched his past "life" in a daze, fast-forwarding through the scenes, seeing himself severely injured and dying, groveling for a bite of food, and being chased like a dog.

And finally, on the banks of the Thames, he knelt at Graybuck's feet like a walking corpse...

Greyback succeeded; he used his real-life experiences and his hatred for him to create a mentally twisted walking corpse.

But Graybuck also failed because his method only worked when the reality was truly hopeless.

Matthew's eyes finally regained their clarity. He raised his head, looking up at the sky above, a surreal space of indescribable color, a sky that seemed infinitely profound, and whispered:

"Is that you? Vaughn Weasley?"

With that murmur, Matthew felt himself suddenly sink.

London, the village... all the scenes quickly faded away from him.

When he regained consciousness, he opened his eyes and saw the familiar iron cage before him. Outside the cage, the red-haired boy smiled at him, his eyes, originally brown with a hint of gold, now shimmering with a deep blue light.

Sure enough it was him!

Matthew was somewhat surprised. He tried hard to recall when Vaughn Weasley had invaded his mind.

But there was no answer.

"That's his strength..."

Matthew remained silent, giving Vaughn a deep look.

But he wasn't going to dwell on it any longer. He struggled to his feet in the cramped cage, knelt before the red-haired boy, and bowed his head, just as he had long ago knelt at Graybury's feet:
"As you can see, I hope to rediscover the meaning of my existence, the value of my life... Please allow me to follow you!"

Matthew said, his voice trembling.

The potion that was given to him some time ago to suppress his emotions is now almost useless.

He sensed the hope and fear within him as he uttered those words.

The hope and fear were so complex, not just the fear of Vaughn's rejection, but also the fear of the possibility that the only hope he had found so far would be shattered once again!
In his confused state of mind, he caught a glimpse of Vaughn's hand reaching in.

Press it onto his messy hair.

He heard the other person say:

"Okay!"

"..."

It was a very simple response, but for some reason, Matthew suddenly felt a strong urge, and his thin body trembled violently.

It was a mixture of joy and pain assaulting his reason.

A hot tear slid down his cheek. Matthew's vision was already blurred as he watched it fall, through the bars of the iron cage, and onto the grass, where it shattered into countless glistening pieces.

This was the first time he had cried in 20 years...

……

“Remus, Kingsley Shackleton came again. He seemed to be under a lot of pressure from the Aurors. I heard that this morning, due to the carelessness of the guards, Umbridge ran out of her room and was almost killed by a Muggle—it was so cruel, she sprayed a whole bottle of insecticide on Umbridge!”

As Lupin came out of the kitchen carrying his tray, Oliver Yaxley, who had been waiting at the door, hurried over and said something to him.

Lupin, without looking to the side, asked: "So, is Umbridge dead?"

"Oh, no, the Auror used a potion he carried with him to save her."

"If she's not dead, then there's no problem. Letting her go is the Auror's responsibility, so what does it have to do with us?"

“We can certainly think that way, but the Aurors won’t accept it. In their view, this wouldn’t have happened if Umbridge hadn’t been turned into a toad… I have to say, the situation is indeed a bit bad. He’s been transformed for several days now, and Umbridge may have already forgotten that he’s a human!”

Lupin glanced at Oliver and then said nothing more.

He had never really liked this guy; in fact, he wasn't particularly fond of any of the pure-blood families that had sided with Vaughn.

These guys are all driven by self-interest; today they might side with Vaughn and WAC because of their strength, but tomorrow they might bet on someone else.

There is absolutely no trust involved.

But he also understands.

Vaughn understood this principle as well. He once heard Vaughn say something like, "Politics is about making as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible."

It is said to be a quote from a Muggle, and it is quite meaningful!
So when Oliver Yaxley showed interest in getting closer, Vaughn immediately accepted him.

Lupin knew that Vaughn was dismantling the pure-blood family, and Oliver Yaxley's acceptance would be a rather clear signal.

This signal is that Vaughn Weasley is not averse to purebloods!

With the cruise ship setting sail, the news should have already reached England, causing quite a stir!
Yes, although the cruise ship has been sailing calmly these days and life on board seems bland and uneventful, in reality, countless people are paying attention to this ship.

England, America.

This even includes countries in Central and Southern Europe.

With the conclusion of the first WAC conference, a series of policies proposed by Vaughn have been disseminated and have begun to be implemented. Their existence will inevitably affect the situation in the surrounding areas and even the world.

Everyone watching is eager to see what the outcome of WAC's first foreign visit since its establishment will be.

Of course, what many people want to see is how the United States will react!
Oliver didn't mind not getting a response from Lupin, and continued, "And as for the Federation, dear Mr. Akinbad, after pretending we don't exist for three days, has invited Mr. Weasley to the Federation's banquet tomorrow..."

"What party?"

“Oh, we’ll arrive in the Americas in two days. They’re preparing a celebration for a safe voyage,” Oliver replied with a smile.

Lupin curled his lip; Babajid Akinbad had ill intentions.

The various banquets were alluding to Vaughn and the WAC, subtly accusing them of using the lives of a ship full of Muggles and the Federation delegation to "intimidate" America!

"The chairman has recently reached a critical juncture in his research, and he instructed me not to disturb him in any way."

He refused.

“Okay, research is the most important thing.” Oliver shrugged, then suggested, “But since we’ve already been invited, we should at least give some positive response. How about the two of us attend?”

"...You decide what to do!"

"Ha, then I'll reply to them like that. You get back to work, Remus!"

Oliver Yaxley left in high spirits.

It seems he waited here just to get that answer.

Lupin shook his head. No need for "seems," that's exactly what that guy planned. Ever since being accepted by Vaughn, he's been actively involved in WAC affairs, and often he's even dissatisfied with his status as an "executive committee member."

Lupin was somewhat worried!

Was Vaughn's decision to accept purebloods really the right one?
After thinking for a moment, he went to Vaughn's door, knocked politely, and then went in with the tray in his hand.

The suite was naturally empty except for an open suitcase on a desk set up by the window.

Normally, Lupin would leave the food on the bar and leave, but today was different. He had just put down the tray when he heard Vaughn's voice coming from the briefcase:
"Remus, come down here!"

"Uh, okay."

Lupin picked up the tray again and stepped through the entrance of the suitcase. It wasn't his first time there, but the magnificent scenery inside still left him somewhat mesmerized.

It would be even better if that horrific scene hadn't happened ahead—

A werewolf hovered in mid-air, almost completely stripped bare of his bones, with various body parts radiating outwards in pieces and strands like ribbons.

The bones were cut into pieces by a strange magic, with the remaining marrow gleaming a tender reddish color.

Vaughn wore a pair of glasses that seemed to have a magnifying effect, allowing him to precisely manipulate the quill pen and dragon blood ink, drawing something on the bones.

Beside them were many automatically operating beakers, vessels, brushes, and so on. The vessels were filled with potions, and the brushes, after being soaked in the potions, began to apply them to the floating body tissues.

Noticing Lupin enter, Vaughn, still engrossed in his drawing, instructed, "My dear Remus, take Mr. Matthew out to wash up and rest!"

Lupin then noticed.

Below the floating, "dismembered" werewolf stood a disheveled middle-aged wizard.

The other person looked up at the werewolf above them, whose head was now gone, its skull even torn open, and whose pink brain matter trembled in the wind, and wondered what it was thinking.

Lupin certainly remembered Matthew.

This was an illegal werewolf he had personally captured, and someone he felt quite sorry for; he never expected...

"President, he..."

“From today onwards, he is a member of WAC.” Vaughn paused his pen, examining the lines he had written, and said, “The upcoming experiments are not suitable for him to stay here any longer. He will stay with you for the next few days, is that alright?”

(End of this chapter)