Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 194 Influence and Pressure

The miraculous effects of the elixir of immortality are not due to the potion itself, but rather to its main ingredient, the Philosopher's Stone.

It's more like an alchemical reagent than a magic potion.

During this time, Dumbledore did mention Vaughn's theory that "legends influence the properties of medicinal materials." Vaughn's theory suggests that Muggle legends, through the mysterious interference of nature, can affect the pharmacological properties of plants associated with those legends.

He suggested that Snape take some time to study Muggle lore.

If possible, it would be best to apply to a university in Muggle society or something, to see if you can find medicine related to the soul.

Then, Snape rejected the suggestion with a cold glare.

Compared to using potions to extend lifespan, using potions to restore magical abilities is a more feasible option, since potions include enhancers, vitality tonics, and other potions related to strengthening and restoring magical power.

However, their effects are not ideal. In the classification of potions, these kinds of recovery potions are very basic potions, not because no one has developed them, but because of the limited availability of medicinal materials.

Herbs that can affect magic are rare, and their effects are very weak, making it virtually impossible to apply them to a legendary wizard.

The two discussed until the moon rose high in the sky, but still couldn't decide on a direction for their investigation.

Dumbledore had to regretfully put the matter aside for the time being: "Thank you for your help, Severus. Let's call it a day. We'll check the books and documents later to see if there are any obscure ancient remedies. It's getting late, you should go back now... Oh!"

Suddenly remembering something, Dumbledore slapped his forehead, walked to the corner of his desk, and picked up Fawkes, who was perched on the bird stand:

“Vaughn also wrote you a letter. I don’t know what he said to Fox, but the little guy won’t let me see it and insists on giving it to you personally.”

Fox, who had been waiting for a long time, stared with fiery red eyes and stretched out his claws.

Looking at the envelope held in the phoenix's claws, Snape remained expressionless, stretched out two fingers, pinched the corner of the envelope, pulled it over, and unfolded it.

Fox stared at him expectantly: "Gah!"

"Hmm... Fox said it was being naughty before, and hopes you can keep your promise to Vaughn. It will give you some feathers next time it reborn... What's wrong, Severus?"

Dumbledore, who was translating Fawkes' words, noticed Snape frowning.

Snape glanced up at him, his expression growing even colder: "There's nothing on this letter... Albus, are you playing a prank?"

"How could it be me...?"

Before Dumbledore could explain, Fawkes, having heard Snape's words, panicked and flapped his wings, squawking, "Caw caw!"

"Uh, it's asking you if you're trying to renege on your debt..."

Snape's face scrunched up as he brandished the letter: "What do you mean by reneging on a debt? There's nothing written on it. Did you take the wrong letter?"

"quack!"

"It says it saw Vaughn write the letter, seal it in an envelope, and not pass through anyone's hands... I can testify to that, it won't even let me see it."

"Gah!"

"It's saying you want to renege on its Felix Felicis?"

"..."

It's getting more and more outrageous.

Snape snorted, tossed aside his robes, and walked away: "Nonsense, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Fox was left furious in Dumbledore's arms.

The bizarre escape of Boston residents from their homes late at night dominated American news headlines for days, but nothing like it happened again in the following days.

Moreover, federal agencies such as the Bureau of Investigation seem to be very indifferent to this matter, and the news has plummeted in popularity without any investigation being launched.

Soon, Princess Diana's scandals returned to the top of the list, and the public's attention shifted accordingly. Before long, the once sensational news was thrown into the trash heap.

But unlike Muggle society, the impact of this event on the wizarding world is only just beginning.

"Take a look, take a look, the biggest magic exposure scandal in the United States since 1930—"

"The Magic Congress has suffered a major setback, and the Auror squad of the Magic Security Department was ambushed by an unknown force, resulting in heavy casualties!"

"A nuclear bomb detonates in Boston. Muggles? Wizards? Another twist in the North American situation!"

"Sir, would you like a copy of the Daily Prophet?"

As soon as Harry stepped into Diagon Alley, he noticed that it was different from usual.

According to Ron, Diagon Alley is busiest during holidays, when young wizards on vacation come to play together.

With the new school term about to begin, many Muggle families will bring their children who are about to start school to this place to buy textbooks and school supplies.

After observing for a period of time, he found that this was indeed the case.

Since her birthday last month, when she was taken away from the Dursleys by Hermione and Ron.

Over the next two weeks, having tasted success and discovered that his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia really couldn't handle him, Harry completely let loose.

He would sneak out of the Dursleys' house every now and then to play in Diagon Alley with Ron.

Hermione was supposed to be included, but she's been in a bad mood ever since Vaughn left, and a few days ago her parents took her to France for a trip to cheer her up.

Just now at the Leaky Cauldron, Ron was complaining that Hermione was "disloyal."

"Vaughn is only going to North America, not to the moon. He's been so absent-minded all the time. I really don't understand what these girls are thinking. And school is about to start, and they're going on vacation. Merlin, doesn't she have any summer homework to do?"

Three strokes up, two strokes down, knock three times.

Harry, who remembered the order, poked the wall of the small courtyard behind the bar with his wand, and the wall slowly opened in front of the two of them like a curtain.

Harry listened to Ron's complaints, but his attention was completely drawn to the shouting "newsboys".

Diagon Alley was more crowded than usual today, and it wasn't just parents with children anymore. There were also many adult wizards, some alone and some in groups, each holding a newspaper, reading and huddled together in twos and threes, seemingly discussing something.

The air above Diagon Alley was filled with a noisy, chaotic din.

"Hey Harry, want a newspaper?"

Just as Harry was observing in astonishment, a newsboy who looked about 14 or 5 years old came over and enthusiastically tried to sell him something.

Harry felt a little awkward; the other person knew him, but he didn't know the other person.

Seemingly sensing his embarrassment, the boy smiled at him: "Andy Fletcher, two years ahead of you. We're not in the same college, and we've never taken classes together, so you probably don't know me, but that's okay, we've met today, right?"

"Uh, yes, it's nice to meet you..."

"How about a newspaper? I haven't sold many today!"

Harry, who thought he had made a new friend, suddenly cooled down. But faced with Andy's enthusiastic smile, he could only smile awkwardly and take out his money to buy a serving.

Then, Andy, who had been trying to get on his good side just a second ago, turned to Ron and asked, "Ronald, don't you want one? It has information about Vaughn Weasley on it, it's really something. I knew it at last year's entrance ceremony, you Weasleys are all people who do big things..."

Harry witnessed Ron, who had initially seemed reluctant upon hearing Vaughn's name, blush visibly after Andy's flattery, and even walked with a light step, before he unwittingly bought a newspaper.

Two minutes after Andy left, he let out a scream:
"Merlin—I spent a whole five copper knuckles! Damn it, how could I spend five knuckles on a lousy newspaper?"

"You seemed pretty happy when you were taking out your money?" Harry retorted, glancing at the newspaper.

Ron ignored his teasing and said angrily, "That despicable guy must have cast a confusion spell on me!"

Harry chuckled a few times, ignoring his grumbling, and continued reading the newspaper.

[...According to sources, the Boston incident was likely triggered by a conspiracy by the Magical Congress against the WAC and the Federation. Donald Graves, Deputy Secretary of Magical Security of the United States, personally led eight Auror squads to Boston on the night of the 18th. Sources believe they were there to raid WAC and Federation staff...]

[...The conflict between the two sides was already clear when the WAC announced its visit to North America. It is understood that, in order to deal with the hostility of various forces in North America, Mr. Vaughn Weasley, the president of the WAC, formed a temporary alliance with the vice president of the Federation. However, it is obvious that this alliance cannot reduce the hostility of the Magical Congress.]

[An unnamed source revealed that the Magical Congress has been discussing how to deal with Vaughn Weasley and his WAC for the past two weeks, but as of the night of the 18th, no consensus had been reached on whether to adopt a friendly or hostile stance… Some analysts say that the lack of consensus is the biggest consensus, and the Magical Congress's malice towards the WAC is blatantly obvious!]

Donald Graves and his Auror squad were likely sent by the opposition to Boston to capture Vaughn Weasley, but surprisingly, they suffered heavy losses upon arrival. Sources indicate that an Auror captain named Jack Graves led nearly half of his Aurors in a pre-battle betrayal of the Graves family. The battle that night was extremely fierce, with both sides even resorting to the most powerful weapon Muggles possess: nuclear weapons!

No one knows why a group of wizards would use nuclear weapons in a war. Analysts believe the situation in North America is likely far more complex than previously thought, and the factions drawn around the Secret Service Act and the Rappaport Act may not be as clear-cut as we previously believed.

Most notably, in the Boston incident, it was the WAC and the Federation that ultimately formed a joint team to rescue Donald Graves and the surviving Aurors. In the process, Vice President Babajid Akimbad was severely injured and left on the verge of death…

[Due to the North American blockade, many details remain unknown. As of press time, the Magical Congress of the United States has not released any further information regarding the Boston Marathon that meets public expectations. The WAC and the Federation appear to be under house arrest and cannot be contacted. Our reporters will continue to follow up on this story!]

On the verge of death?
House arrest?

After quickly glancing at the report, Harry gasped, his anxiety for Vaughn's safety mixed with his anger towards the Magical Congress!

There are many people as angry as Harry.

"Ungrateful Yankees!" "WAC shouldn't have helped those damn Graves. They saved people, and this is what they got in return?"

"Well, I think we should look at it more rationally, objectively, and neutrally. Newspapers only give one side of the story, and nobody really knows what happened at the time. Maybe things weren't as reported..."

"Are you even English? Didn't you see in the newspapers that the WAC, the Federation, Mr. Vaughn Weasley, and the seriously injured Mr. Akinbad are all under house arrest in Boston? Even the Daily Prophet can't contact them. How can they speak? Where can they speak?"

"Exactly! We're all on Yankee territory, and the Yankees are covering their mouths to keep us quiet. Rationality? Forget about it, you traitor!"

"How could you swear? Is this the kind of upbringing you progressives have?"

"Swearing? I'll hit you!"

Amidst the bustling streets and noisy discussions, the sudden bursts of cursing and swearing were both abrupt and natural.

Harry stared in disbelief as a young wizard suddenly leaped up and punched the middle-aged wizard opposite him, not far from him and Ron.

The middle-aged wizard screamed in agony as blood gushed from his nose like a fountain.

"You, why did you hit me?"

The middle-aged wizard's companion scolded.

Another young wizard walked up to the young male wizard who had been hitting him, waving his fist: "That's what I'm doing, you corrupt conservatives, pure-blood lackeys!"

It turns out that in a commercial street like Diagon Alley, which is highly regarded by Aurors, one cannot arbitrarily wave a wand and cast spells to attack others in public areas.

Wizards also use their most primal power—their fists!
He seemed intimidated by the young wizard's fists and muscular build.

The middle-aged wizard's companion screamed, "Help! These progressive lackeys are attacking people!"

As he shouted, one after another, middle-aged and older wizards, dressed in fine robes and looking quite distinguished, gathered in the once bustling yet harmonious Diagon Alley.

The young people on the other side were not to be outdone.

Many young wizards, who looked to be under 35 years old and whose faces still retained a youthful innocence, perhaps having graduated just two years ago, also stepped out from the crowd.

The bustling street was instantly divided in two by the two sides.

The two groups stared at each other, their eyes wide open, and confronted one another!

"Oh, here we go again."

As the crowd retreated to the entrance of Flourish and Blotts, Harry heard a wizard mutter beside him, and another person who seemed to be his companion sigh: "Yeah, ever since the WAC was founded, these two factions have made England a mess."

Harry knew what they were talking about.

Conservatives and progressives!
During the period when WAC was founded, two groups gradually formed due to the ongoing media battles in the newspapers.

Even young wizards like Harry and Ron, who don't usually pay much attention to politics, have heard of them, because they've been causing more and more trouble.

In fact, the conflict between conservatives and progressives was not too intense before, partly because the WAC model was unprecedented, making it difficult for conservatives to find practical points to attack.

On the other hand, the progressives were also unsure whether the WAC could function healthily, and were somewhat apprehensive.

During the period until Vaughn led a delegation to visit North America, his "Wolfsbane Potion International Trade System" was officially implemented under the joint efforts of the WAC Executive Committee and the International Magical Exchange and Cooperation Department.

Then, two weeks ago, the WAC Executive Committee announced the first batch of cooperation intentions for the "Wolfsbane Medicine International Trade System".

Although only three countries signed the petition—Fiji, Nauru, and Ecuador, which are virtually unknown—it was enough to change the situation.

Public opinion was completely ignited.

Progressives affirmed that Vaughn was fulfilling his promise, confirming that a new model was becoming a reality.

Conservatives, on the other hand, are terrified of a new political black hole that is growing strong—conservatives may have different positions, but they are not stupid. They are keenly aware that if Vaughn’s “trade system” is allowed to continue, it will be a disaster.

Today, three countries signed the list of potential signatories; tomorrow, it could very well be 30!
As the list grows, WAC will expand at an astonishing rate!

Worse still, their faction has virtually no influence over this new political entity.

That damned Vaughn Weasley, a traitor to the pure-blood family, blocked the channels for interference from the very beginning of the WAC by refusing funding from the Ministry of Magic and social donations!

Faced with such an unfavorable situation, conservatives will certainly spare no effort to undermine, suppress, and smear China through public opinion.

However, the progressives, having found their confidence, were not to be trifled with and resolutely fought back.

As a result, the war of words between conservatives and progressives in the newspapers has intensified over the past two weeks, and has even begun to move from "online" to "offline".

At first, it was an offline debate, but in any debate, there are winners and losers. The losing side may not be willing to accept defeat, and the winning side may not be magnanimous.

A few sarcastic remarks and ridicule, a battle lost in words, will inevitably be fought back through actions.

Like now!

As more and more people gathered on both sides, they began to shout and curse at each other, pointing and gesturing as if they wanted to poke each other in the face.

Ron tugged at Harry's sleeve, looking a little timid. "Let's go, Harry."

Another big battle is sure to follow. Although the rules prohibit the use of offensive magic in Diagon Alley, who can be sure that nothing unexpected will happen?

The wizards' wands weren't taken away. Whether they use magic or not depends entirely on whether they're still rational. If they really get into a fight, it's hard to say whether someone might take a risk!
The two men, despite their short stature, managed to walk out of the crowd. Harry still felt indignant, both for the despicable and shameless behavior of the United States and for the so-called "rational and objective" attitude of those conservatives.

“Those progressive wizards aren’t wrong. Vaughn and Mr. Arkinbad rescued the Aurors from the Department of Magical Security, but they were placed under house arrest and even reporters couldn’t contact them. Why should the conservatives speak up for America? They’re even trying to distort the facts.”

Last year, Harry was heavily criticized by the media for not showing any "savior" qualities after enrolling in school; he was all too familiar with their tactics of distorting the truth.

Hearing his words, Ron scratched his face: "Uh, actually I think they might be right..."

"Ron!"

Harry glared at him: "I know you don't like your brother, but what time is it? You should trust and support Vaughn more than some conservatives or Yankees you don't even know!"

Ron puffed out his cheeks, shut his mouth, and said nothing more.

Humph……

Yes, he didn't understand the Yankees, but he knew his own brother, who was inherently wicked, very well. He didn't believe that Vaughn would just silently allow himself to be "house arrest"!
That guy must be plotting something!

.........

boom!
The door to the principal's office opened, and a listless Fox looked up to see Snape, dressed in a wide robe, striding in with a brisk pace.

It stared with its scarlet eyes wide open, stretched out its wings and was about to scream when it felt everything go black as a black dome enveloped it.

Putting away his wand, Snape, with a long face, said to Dumbledore with dissatisfaction, "You should have someone look into this turkey's brain. I've already said I haven't owed it anything, and there's no question of me defaulting on a debt."

Behind his desk, Dumbledore, who was looking at something with a book in his hand, looked up at Fawkes, who was shrouded in a cloud of black mist: "Fawkes is rather stubborn. Once he's made up his mind, even a unicorn can't change it. I suggest you give in to him."

"dream!"

Dumbledore shrugged. "Then you should be prepared to get a good scolding from it every time you meet it."

A slight smile appeared on Snape's cold face: "I can't understand its language anyway."

"..."

Dumbledore was speechless. The old wizard took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and changed the subject to avoid making himself uncomfortable: "Did you call me here for something?"

"check it out."

A newspaper was tossed on the desk.

Dumbledore put his glasses back on, and while unfolding the newspaper, he teased, "Dear Severus, when did you start subscribing to the Daily Prophet? I remember you never liked its entertainment-oriented, flamboyant style... Oh, I think I see."

The huge headline "Vaughn Weasley" on the front page of the newspaper dispelled old Deng's doubts.

After glancing through the newspaper, the old wizard smiled and put it down, looking at Snape gently: "Severus, you rushed here because you were worried about Vaughn's situation?"

"...The way you laugh is disgusting."

Snape turned his head away; he was unwilling to admit it.

Dumbledore chuckled, not minding at all: "This is how you express your joy. I'm glad to see you so worried about your student. You know, for a long time—well, it's been 11 years since Tom died—you've locked yourself away in the basement, in Spider's End Alley, and I've always worried that your mind would gradually become corrupted in that confinement."

Snape whirled around and stared intently at Dumbledore, his eyes practically blazing with murderous intent!
But he clearly underestimated the White Demon King's shamelessness and mental fortitude.

"...Ever since Vaughn officially started the WAC, you've become more and more humane. I heard that on Harry's birthday last time, you even agreed to Vaughn's suggestion and gave Harry the photos you had treasured from back then? Oh—"

Dumbledore wiped his eyes with emotion: "I am so gratified to see that greasy-headed, silly and naive boy gradually rediscovering his true self..."

(End of this chapter)