Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 191 Is DeSantis Grindelwald?
Up close, Vaughn could barely make out the details inside the jars. Like before, the jars contained combinations of human bodies and parts of magical animal organs.

It has poisonous horns and poisonous sacs.

There are also fairy wings, bird and snake feathers.

Of course, these are the ones in relatively good condition; at least Warn could still discern the shape of the organs. But for the rest... it's simply indescribable!
Distorted, grotesque.

Some of them look like randomly assembled pieces of meat.

Some resembled wildly growing, tangled blood vessels.

Some were so dense that even the rough composition was indistinguishable, resembling a pool of wriggling paint-like fluid...

But in reality, they all have names.

"Ha, Lawrence, I remember this one most clearly. A poor homeless man, I personally brought him here. I remember... he was implanted with the Pu Rongrong gene? The pathetic thing, he turned into a ball of yarn, and even his head was gone."

"And this, the most bizarre product, has been implanted with the genes of the Ball Bird... This experiment was a success. It opened its eyes like a human being. After 0.1 seconds, it disintegrated because every muscle fiber and every cell in its body was constantly shifting and phantomizing."

"and this……"

Watching Jack Graves introduce each jar as if they were his own treasures, Vaughn was momentarily at a loss for words.

He never considered himself a kind person.

Sometimes it can even seem rather cruel.

But even someone like him felt that the jars flashing before his eyes were so perverted that they made him physically uncomfortable!
Therefore, Vaughn stopped Jack Graves when he summoned the 57th jar.

"You should wait a little longer; there are still many failed experiments that haven't been demonstrated to you."

The visit to the failed experimental subjects has come to an end.

Back in the elevator, Jack was still somewhat unsatisfied: "Those crazy Muggles have started many projects and research topics. It seems that in their eyes, the genes of any creature can be spliced ​​together with human genes."

"This kind of experiment has continued for more than ten years. Those Muggles don't care about failure at all. They say that failure is meaningful. Every failure is a successful attempt to map the genes of amazing creatures."

"It's hard to understand, isn't it? I find it hard to understand too... Aren't they afraid? Aren't they sad? And what do those old guys mean to Muggles and wizards?"

Jack started spacing out again.

Vaughn glanced at him, not expecting that this traitor of the Graves family was the same traitor who had not hesitated to slaughter his own blood relatives not long ago.

It's surprising to find such a soft and confused side deep inside.

However, he didn't come to the edge of the other person's dream to act as a comforting older brother. He simply followed the other person's words and continued to guide them, "So, how did they succeed in the end?"

Jack snapped out of his daze: "You mean those Muggles?"

Vaughan nodded.

Jack shook his head: "They didn't succeed."

"Ok?"

“I don’t know why, but in 89, I started representing the Graves family and was in charge of the logistics of these Muggles – that is, capturing and transporting supplies – I only vaguely heard them say that it seemed that some of the genes of magical creatures were difficult to decode.”

"The process stalled for a while... It was too long. Even though the old guys showed amazing patience, the result still drove them to the brink of collapse. Then, one day three years ago, they brought over a strange foreigner..."

Ok?
Vaughn, who had been listening silently without interrupting and seemingly lost in thought, suddenly focused his attention upon hearing this:

"Foreigner?"

“Yes, I could tell at a glance. He wasn’t a Commonwealth man. He had neither the confidence and arrogance of a New England Yankee nor the rudeness and ignorance of those old Dixie Southerners. He looked like…”

Jack looked up and thought for a moment before saying, "It's like you just came from a cultural salon, all refined and elegant, your grace practically overflowing."

His shrill voice softened when that person was mentioned.

They seemed afraid of disturbing something.

Vaughn narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to guide the conversation, "What did that foreigner do?"

“I don’t know. Michael brought him here personally. No one had ever seen him before. I only know that Michael respected him, but was also… wary? Ha, who wouldn’t be wary of a 12 pureblood? It’s perfectly normal, not worth mentioning!”

Jack chuckled strangely a few times before continuing, “My dear friend, I’m sorry I don’t know many details. I only know that a few weeks after he appeared, I can’t remember exactly… Anyway, when I delivered supplies here again, Michael told me that the experiment had made great progress.”

"The first artificial wizard has been born!"

Ding Dong
The descending elevator suddenly stopped, and the car door slowly opened, revealing a dark space outside, but it wasn't completely dark.

Because not far from the elevator door, a petite and slender human body, curled up like a baby in the womb, floated in mid-air.

It emitted a hazy glow, like a sacred object symbolizing holiness in a Muggle movie!

Numerous phantom figures emerged, cheering towards the "baby":
"This is a miracle!"

Some people dressed as wizards also appeared, their fists clenched:

"This is the hope for the revival of purebloods!"

Beside him, Jack, who had just returned to normal for a moment, also raised his hands and said with a strange smile, "Miracle! Hope! What beautiful words!"

Vaughn watched coldly from the sidelines.

Having laid the groundwork, Vaughn now understood that those phantoms were reflections of real events on the boundaries of Jack Graves's dream world.

He didn't want to analyze Jack Graves's psychological state.

He just noticed something that seemed a bit off—

“Dear Jack,” Vaughn’s gentle, ethereal voice whispered in Jack’s ear, “Where is that foreigner? Is he among the cheering crowd?”

Beside him, Jack, who had been gesticulating wildly like a madman, was stunned.

He slowly turned his head, a strange smile still lingering on his face, making him look somewhat eerie: "You're looking for him?"

Vaughn remained calm: "Yes, didn't you promise me you'd tell me the secret? It should be part of your secret too, right?"

"Well……"

Jack buried his head in his hands, lost in thought. After a moment, he murmured, "Yes...yes, it's a secret too. I should tell the secret to the person I trust most, Vaughn Weasley...but..."

Jack suddenly looked up.

His wide-open eyes were fixed on Vaughn: "Why did you come looking for me?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Vaughn was taken aback. In that instant, his vision suddenly blurred, and his consciousness seemed to have been violently struck. A hazy white mist trembled on his body, as if it had been forcibly torn out by some invisible force.

Severe pain!

But the pain also jolted Vaughn awake. He blinked, his blurred vision cleared instantly, and then he saw that his surroundings had changed—

The dark, surreal elevator and underground space have completely disappeared.

He appeared in a courtyard with a nursery, fountain, cobblestone path, and arched canopies overhead, covered with grapevines—a typical European manor.

The manor was at dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows on everything, turning the ground, grass, trees, houses, and even Vaughn, into a golden hue.

It was as if the entire courtyard, this space, including the air, was sealed inside a giant piece of amber.

You mustn't move an inch!
Only the "eyes" are still functioning!

Vaughn saw Jack Graves, who was still standing beside him, but not just beside him... one "Jack" after another emerged from the fountain, from the bushes, from the grapevines, from the cracks in the bricks, from the air.

They looked at Vaughn, smiles playing on their lips in unison, and countless voices overlapped: "Why are you looking for me, Vaughn Weasley?"

Warn's pupils dilated.

A familiar courtyard, a familiar dusk.

There are also these spirit entities that, while resembling Jack Graves, possess a familiar aura.

Everything feels so familiar!

Not long had passed since Vaughn left these familiar elements, and his feelings were still vivid and profound. So profound that he remembered the lesson from last time and didn't dare to directly read Jack Graves's memories when he entered the latter's mental world this time.

Now, he is incredibly grateful for his caution.

He stared at the countless Jack Graves figures, his expression grave, his lips moving with difficulty as he uttered a single name:
"DeSantis!"

.........

After cleaning the mud off his legs, Donald found a magic wand and looked up to see the battle raging in the sky.

Flash, impact, loud noise.

Because of Vaughn's previous attack, the Purifier's formation had collapsed. Now, the wizards of WAC and the Federation had completely broken into the formation and were engaged in close combat with the Purifiers.

Various spells flashed in the air, attacking and defending, almost creating a chaotic mess.

Just as Donald was hesitating about what to do, a wizard came flying in, shrieking and wobbling.

His broom billowed with thick smoke, and a Purifier, chasing after him, cast spells from his wand.

The wizard fought desperately, but because he lost control of the broom, he was caught off guard and fell to the ground with a painful howl.

"Shock reduction and speed stop!"

Donald chanted a spell to catch the wizard, then waved his wand, and a beam of red light shot towards "Purger"!
Caught off guard, the Purifier was blasted into the darkness. Donald seized the opportunity to pull the wizard he had caught to his side, and then, with a slight tremor, he made a soft sound.

Snapped!
The magic wand I found shattered.

Donald looked at the remaining wreckage in his hand and sighed dejectedly: "The beech wand, a symbol of loyalty. I wasn't its master, but I never expected it to self-destruct after just one use..."

Thinking about it, he looked at the wizard he had saved beside him.

The other person was a young man wearing glasses, who looked like a nerdy student: "Are you alright?"

The young man raised his hand in pain, gesturing for a moment, and poked himself a few times with his wand. A short while later, he vomited a pool of viscous liquid that he couldn't identify.

After vomiting, the young man looked much better and said gratefully, panting, "Clint McKlain, thank you, Mr. Graves, you saved my life!"

McLean...

Donald paused, then couldn't help but look at Vaughn, who was standing a few dozen feet away, under the frozen mushroom cloud, seemingly doing something.

Noticing his gaze, Clint shrugged. "Yes, I am a follower of Mr. Weasley. Judging from your expression, the Graves family has already investigated me and Oliver."

"..."

Donald paused for a moment before saying, "If it weren't for tonight's events, I would be preparing to arrest and interrogate you."

"Ha!" Clint chuckled, then scratched his face awkwardly when he saw Donald's stern expression. "We had different stances before, which was understandable... but things are different now."

As he spoke, he checked his broom and found it was completely broken, so he had to throw it away and go pick up the broom of the Purifier who had been chasing him earlier: "Uh, I have to go back to fighting, Mr. Graves, what about you?"

"I?"

Donald was somewhat confused. He didn't know what to do next. Too many unexpected things had happened tonight, and he felt completely manipulated.

Jack is manipulating him, the mastermind is manipulating him, and Vaughn Weasley is manipulating him as well.

His brain was about to shut down.

Noticing his confusion, Clint shook his head and said nothing more. Noticing the broken wand in Donald's hand, he opened his small bag, took out a wand, and handed it to him.

“This is my spare wand, made of willow. It doesn’t resist new owners much. You can use it for a while… Goodbye, Mr. Graves.” Donald stared blankly as Clint jogged over and picked up the broom left behind by the Purifier who had been blasted away earlier.

I became increasingly confused.

Stance? What is his current stance?
Donald himself didn't know.

He looked around. The presence of the Purifiers, as well as the wizards from the WAC and the Federation, completely relegated his Auror squad to a supporting role, but also relieved them of their crisis.

In the distance, Jacob is taking advantage of the broken barrier to gather people to rescue the survivors.

Tonks, Lupin, and Shackleton were also helping him.

As for the traitors who followed Jack, some have gone into hiding, some have joined the battle in mid-air, but there are still some—

Donald suddenly noticed that Evelyn was leading a small team trying to break into the mushroom cloud; she... wanted to support Jack!

He looked back at the direction of the mushroom cloud again. In that halo-like glow, Vaughn Weasley, whose eyes shimmered with azure light, seemed to be fully invading Jack's mind, paying no attention to the outside world.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Evelyn and Vaughn.

Donald looked conflicted.

To him, both were his enemies: Evelyn was a traitor, and Vaughn Weasley had used him and was trying to steal the Graves family's secrets.

From a rational perspective, given his current stance, letting the two sides fight it out seems to be in his and the Graves family's best interest.

but……

Donald looked down at the willow wand in his hand, then looked up at his surroundings—the streets were completely destroyed, with ruins everywhere, and the figures of some dead Federation Aurors were faintly visible in the darkness.

In the distance, Jacob struggled to move aside several pieces of rubble, his face smeared with sweat and blood, but he was only trying to dig out his compatriots from under the rubble with a sorrowful expression.

Lupin held up his wand and stood protectively beside him.

Above his head, Clint returned to the battlefield. The various magical halos blooming on the battlefield made his face appear soft and hazy. He stopped another Purifier. Although exhausted, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to this battle that originally had nothing to do with him.

"position……"

Recalling what Clint had said not long ago, Donald suddenly sighed.

In reality, he was no longer entitled to stick to his original stance. When Jack detonated the nuclear bomb and he was rescued by Vaughn Weasley and his men, his original stance was already gone.

His current predicament stems from his mind being consumed by family honor, clinging to an outdated and stubborn belief...

As he thought about it, the confusion in Donald's eyes faded, and his expression became firm again.

He sprang into action, running toward Vaughn, his pace quickening. In the distance, Evelyn, noticing him, let out a piercing roar.

“Donald—”

hum!
The air hummed, and a huge spherical shield was summoned by Donald, lying in front of him and protecting Vaughn behind him.

Donald, his eyes fixed on Evelyn as she sped towards him, noticed out of the corner of his eye Vaughn behind him, whose pupils were now shrouded in a milky mist, as Vaughn's gaze swept over him.

Then, she nodded at him.

"Thank you, please hold out for me for a while, I need to deal with DeSantis."

Donald had no time to respond, nor did he have time to think about who DeSantis was, because in the next second, Evelyn's furious attack still came down!
boom!
Jack Graves's inner world began to shake violently with a long, booming sound.

The dream's boundary, like a twilight courtyard sealed within a giant amber, was also affected.

DeSantis, now wearing Jack Graves's face, looked up for a moment, then turned back to Vaughn: "You know me? You've seen me in other people's memories before?"

Trapped, Vaughn remained calm and responded just as calmly, "Yes, a wizard named Essex."

"Oh... I don't recall. Perhaps it was my main self, and another 'me' that differentiated after me." He then showed interest: "How did you two get along?"

"We didn't spend much time together, so I ran away quickly."

"Tsk tsk, you should have a chat with me. You're also a master of memory magic, so you should understand that people like us aren't as scary as those idiots who don't understand memory magic make us out to be."

Vaughn's calm gaze swept over the countless "Jack Graves" surrounding them, and he chuckled: "You say you're not scared in this kind of situation?"

DeSantis shrugged: "This is just a little trick to keep you here for a while and talk to me, to satisfy my curiosity about you... because I know you'll escape this time too."

As he spoke, he reached out and made a grasping motion, and a wisp of milky white mist suddenly appeared in his hand.

The mist seemed to writhe as if it were alive, sometimes coalescing into a human-shaped outline, sometimes disintegrating, but no matter how it changed, it could not escape DeSantis's palm.

"A very interesting memory magic, a creation different from memory bodies, consciousness bodies, and spiritual bodies, woven from emotions and memories, which also strengthens the ability to invade the memories and emotions of others."

DeSantis paused thoughtfully, observing the mist in his hand, then smiled. "But your original intention in creating it was probably to make an outer garment to cover your main consciousness... Hmm, you originally wanted to use it to filter out the erosion and pollution of dark magic?"

After just a few glances, he was able to analyze the function of the personality embellishment.

Vaughn frowned slightly, but he wasn't too surprised. The other party was a memory magic master who was almost on par with Dumbledore. His magical skills were superb, and his knowledge and experience were also very rich.

His persona is merely a half-finished product that has not yet been fully developed.

"You flatter me, I am far inferior to you."

Vaughn smiled faintly and flattered, "You understood my persona after just one contact, but I had absolutely no clue about your existence. You are still stronger."

"Ha ha……"

DeSantis shifted his attention from the mist he was holding and looked at Vaughn with interest: "You want to know my background?"

"I guess so. I am indeed very interested in your existence, but I dare not study you."

"You're very candid."

"Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted to talk to me, and you even trapped me for it, so of course I can only satisfy your wishes."

DeSantis remained noncommittal to this answer. He released his grip, letting the wisp of mist break free and dissipate. Looking at the spot where the mist had vanished, he said calmly, "I know you're buying time to escape. I can sense that Jack Graves' memories and emotions are being corrupted and taken over by your...personality implant. Once you've completed control over Jack Graves' memories and emotions, and completely influenced his main consciousness, you can use him to pull your wisp of consciousness out of my control."

As he spoke, he kept an eye on Vaughn's expression.

However, Vaughn's emotions did not change at all, which seemed to please him: "You are calm, intelligent, and cautious. I like dealing with people like you. Rest assured, as I said before, I have no ill intentions towards you. I just want to talk to you."

Vaughn fell silent for a moment.

Is DeSantis's statement credible?
At least for now, he believed that the other person genuinely just wanted to talk to him.

Before coming in, even though he didn't choose to absorb Jack Graves' memories because of his previous encounter, he still didn't expect to encounter DeSantis again.

The other party exploited his curiosity, impersonating Jack Graves, and lured him into the "courtyard," which symbolized the other party's territory.

His consciousness was essentially trapped in this area.

To draw an analogy, it's like a person's consciousness being covered by their personality, leaving their life and death in the hands of others.

If he harbored malice, this wisp of his consciousness would soon be annihilated by the other party. Although the "he" here was only a part of Vaughn Weasley's main consciousness, an extension of his spirit, its demise would also affect the main consciousness.

So after thinking for a moment, Vaughn asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

“Let’s talk about how we met.” DeSantis smiled and gestured for us to go for a walk. “You probably didn’t get a good look around last time. The courtyard comes from the part of my most cherished memories, and it’s quite scenic.”

"Ha, you didn't say that last time."

"Oh?"

“The other DeSantis said this courtyard was taken from Essex’s memories.” Although his tone was somewhat sarcastic, Vaughn still walked to DeSantis’s side after noticing the bindings had disappeared.

The two strolled along the small paths of the courtyard as dusk fell.

DeSantis's smile remained unchanged: "He lied to you, probably because he didn't want to arouse your vigilance, but I assure you he has no ill intentions towards you. We were all created by the subject using his memory, and we also inherited the subject's thought patterns. To us, you are someone we can win over, not an enemy."

"Can we try to get it?"

"Yes, in fact, you came into my view from the moment Jack Graves first learned about you. Of course, I wasn't interested in the Wolfsbane Potion, but rather in the series of actions you took starting with the creation of WAC..."

At this point, DeSantis paused, staring intently at Vaughn: "And, your stance on the Secret Service Act!"

"In this world, the majority of people are mediocre. They are obsessed with power and pursue force. Their eyes, blinded by desire, ignore what truly shines."

"With the establishment of the WAC, those mediocre people can only focus on how this change will affect their power. They can only focus on how your establishment of the WAC will tear apart the authority of the Ministry of Magic in England, and how much military power a group of obedient werewolves will bring. But they can't see your true purpose!"

"I see no contempt or dissatisfaction in you regarding the Secrecy Law!"

Strolling through the courtyard frozen in the twilight, DeSantis slowly said, "Do you really care about the fate of the werewolves? No self-proclaimed mature wizard thinks so, but they are thinking in the wrong direction. They think you want to control the werewolves, and that your pursuit is power."

"But I know that's not the case. You chose werewolves just because you have a very strong talent for potions. Using potions as an entry point makes it easier for you to get started."

"If there were no werewolves and no way to establish a werewolf affairs committee, I believe you would still step forward and establish a house-elves affairs committee, a vampire affairs committee, or even trolls, giants, dragons... any non-wizard intelligent creature could become your target for support."

"What drives you to do this is not some strange idea like benevolence or equality, but your deep-seated dissatisfaction with the current state of the magical world!"

Without asking Vaughn for his opinion, DeSantis seemed quite certain of his analysis: "You hate that the magical world is isolated and unchanging, and you hate the fact that the Statute of Secrets, ostensibly for protection, actually stifles the development of the magical world."

"So you have to create something different, let these different things develop, and create competition, confrontation, and contradiction with the old order... It's like putting a catfish in a sardine tank, letting the catfish's activity force the old order to change."

"This is what you truly seek. The so-called WAC, or any other affairs committee, is merely a tool to achieve this goal!"

After DeSantis finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Near and far, countless DeSantis stood in the nursery, in the fountain, and on the flowers, gazing at Vaughn.

Vaughn remained calm:

"That's a very interesting speculation. I think you should go write a novel."

DeSantis was unconcerned by Vaughn's noncommittal and veiled rebuttal: "Whether it's conjecture or not, you know in your heart. I just feel it's a pity that you chose the longest path, one with almost no hope of success."

"..."

Vaughn did not respond.

DeSantis didn't care whether he responded or not, and continued, "Undeniably, your series of actions did seem to have the potential to succeed at first glance. The emergence of the wolfsbane potion and the establishment of the WAC did reverse the impression that werewolves were synonymous with danger, allowing them to go from being marginalized to becoming a new force in the magical world."

"This change has indeed aroused great interest in many countries and organizations, prompting them to make changes, either passively or actively."

“I heard that you have launched a strategy called the Wolfsbane Potion International Trade System, which sells ‘comprehensive services’ by bundling the sale of Wolfsbane Potion. Some small countries have already begun to contact you, trying to solve the werewolf problem that has become rampant in their countries. If nothing unexpected happens, these small countries will eventually become more and more dependent on your WAC and be forced to join your camp.”

"Everything seems to be going smoothly, but my friend, haven't you noticed the hidden dangers? Your wolfsbane medicine is not irreplaceable. If one day someone bypasses your formula and develops another wolfsbane medicine, how long can the so-called trade system you have built up last?"

"At that time, what choices will those countries that were forced to join your camp make?"

DeSantis stopped and sighed: "I once heard the Qi cultivators of the Far East say that those who associate for profit will disperse when the profit is gone. How is your behavior any different from that 'association for profit'? You fabricated a benefit to gather them around you, so when that benefit no longer exists, they will naturally disperse."

"Your so-called reforms will naturally vanish again, merging into this boring, constrained reality—because the path you've chosen still follows the rules of the old order, without ever stepping outside its framework."

"Therefore, once the old order adapts to the changes brought about by your arrival, it will naturally devour all your efforts!"

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at a corner of the courtyard.

There was a pavilion and refreshments provided. DeSantis sat down first, and Vaughn sat down opposite him.

After glancing at the tea and snacks on the table, Vaughn looked at DeSantis across from him, who had already picked up a cup of tea and was stirring it gently: "From what you've said, you seem to have a lot of experience?"

"Indeed, a long time ago, I was just like you, thinking that we could achieve some positive results by reforming the old order."

DeSantis took a sip of tea, smiled and nodded, then beckoned to the motionless Vaughn: "Won't you try some? Although this is the mental world and everything here is fake, the flavors are all taken from my own memories, absolutely authentic."

(End of this chapter)