Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 70 My Pen, My Knife
The Black Lake at night is dark and deep.

Looking out of the dormitory window, all she could see was endless darkness, just like Rita Skeeter's heart at the moment.

The strange magic consumed her body, preventing her from transforming back into human form. She could only watch as a slender white hand grabbed the glass jar containing her and placed it on the table.

"How on earth did he know my secret? He was deliberately ambiguous, hoping that I would transform into an Animagus and find him later so that he could arrest me. Damn it, damn it, why was I so careless and so optimistic? What was I thinking at the time?"

Beetle Rita paddled her legs helplessly and angrily, but the smooth glass made all her actions in vain.

Then, a pair of eyes came close to her.

"Ms. Skeeter, please look me in the eyes."

Rita subconsciously looked over and stared at them through the glass. She saw the huge eyeballs from the beetle's perspective, with a faint light blooming in them.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy. When she regained consciousness, she was surprised to find...

I actually regained my human form!
leave here!

I need to find my wand and cast a Memory Charm on him!
The secret must never be revealed!

Screaming inwardly, Rita quickly rushed to the door.

It was only two or three steps away, but she was destined not to be able to run away. A voice behind her asked softly: "Madam, do you need me to open the door for you?"

"certainly--"

Rita suddenly stopped, both because of the voice behind her and because of what she saw before her eyes——

Starting from the door engraved with the snake shield emblem, the world suddenly began to collapse, like rotten wood that had been weathered and corroded for thousands of years, or a sand sculpture blown by a strong wind.

Handles, door frames, stone walls, murals... everything turned into fine powder and fell into darkness. Soon, the collapse spread to Rita's feet.

But she couldn't move at all. Some force restrained her, forcing her to watch helplessly as the world around her disappeared into nothingness, swallowing her into the dead darkness.

"This is not the real world..."

She thought, and soon, her thoughts echoed all around.

Someone chuckled, "Very perceptive, Ms. Skeeter. Yes, this is your spiritual world!"

As the words fell, the dark space was lit up again. Rita looked down and saw that she was floating in the air. There was a sofa floating beside her, and Vaughn was sitting on it.

He is flipping through a book.

Armando Dippet: Master or Idiot?

That was a name Rita was very familiar with, and it was her first work that made her mark in the magical world.

Vaughn flipped through the pages and said affectionately, "Rita, this book must be your most proud work, right? You must have read it many times, and every word is imprinted in your memory, so that when I broke into your mind, this was the first thing I saw... Well, the writing style is really sharp--"

He threw the book away and said, "What a shame it's a piece of rubbish. There's not a single true word in it!"

Rita, still in a running posture but unable to move, tried to open her eyes wide. Although she could not speak, her inner voice was like a noisy alarm clock, echoing throughout the space.

"He dared to throw away my book, my favorite book!"

"I want revenge for ruining his reputation!"

"Why can I hear my thoughts everywhere? Stop thinking, don't-"

"Someone come and save me—will begging for mercy be of any use?"

Snapped!
Vaughn snapped his fingers, and the noisy sounds around him stopped abruptly. He looked at Rita, whose eyes gradually changed from fierce anger to fear, and smiled slightly: "Beg for mercy worked... Is this good news for you?"

Rita found that she could move and nodded quickly: "Of course, Mr. Weasley, please let me go!"

"Give me a reason." Vaughn leaned back on the sofa, his posture lazy.

"Wha...what?"

"Give me a reason to let you go!"

Rita forced a smile. "Sir, you hold my secret. If you report me to the Ministry of Magic, I will be imprisoned in Azkaban. Even if I come out later, I will be a cripple..."

"No, no!" Vaughn shook his head. "That's not a reason. You could have just registered as an Animagus right after leaving. What could I do to you?"

Rita rolled her eyes and suddenly remembered what Vaughan had just said about her book, "The writing style is really sharp."

What is the purpose of a person who knows her secret, lures her out and captures her, but doesn't kill her?
The answer is obvious!

Rita opened her eyes wide and stammered, "You...you...you want me to be your mouthpiece?"

Clap clap clap!

Vaughn applauded, still with that gentle and kind expression: "So, Rita, are you willing?"

"..."

Only a fool would agree to such a thing.

Rita's eyes flickered.

As if he had seen her answer, Vaughn didn't care. He raised his hand and reached out to the surrounding darkness. In a flash, a series of misty pictures were strung together and dragged out from the dark space by him, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Rita's eyes darkened. She saw that those scenes were all her memories.

They stacked in a ring, rotating around the two people.

Vaughn beckoned his finger, and a picture flew in front of him. He observed it for a moment, then smiled at Rita:
"This is my memory of what you wore today. If I do this—"

He reached into the picture and clenched his hand into a fist.

The picture shattered silently, and the colors quickly faded from the broken picture. At the same time, Rita suddenly couldn't remember what she was wearing today?
A hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

Vaughn's demonstration wasn't over yet. He looked at the images above, in front of him, and below him—they seemed to be everywhere—and whispered, "Rita, in reality, you're still a beetle. What if I made you forget you're a wizard, and forget about the Animagus? What would you do?"

Rita's face turned completely pale.

She would truly think of herself as a beetle, flying out of Hogwarts and into the Forbidden Forest, circling among flowers and animal feces every day, barely maintaining her humble life. Even because she was essentially a human, her lifespan was much longer than that of a beetle. This kind of life would last for decades until her human life was completely exhausted...

That is something more terrifying than death!

Rita's lips trembled as she considered the pros and cons in a flash. She tried to force a flattering smile, "Mr. Weasley, I am willing to write for you, speak for you, and be the knife in your hand that kills without bloodshed!"

It's humiliating, but realistic.

And Rita Skeeter has always been a person who knows the times!

Then, she saw Vaughn smile with satisfaction, stretched out a finger, and tapped her forehead:
"Then, dear Rita, let me cast a spell on your memory!"

Dumbledore has recently fallen in love with night walks, not because he really likes it, but because the savior needs his care.

Harry had snuck up to the fifth floor again last night.

This time he brought Ron with him, and the two of them stared at the Mirror of Erised until most of the night.

Children are full of energy and it’s no big deal for them to stay up for several nights in a row, but for a man over a hundred years old, Old Deng felt that he couldn’t take it anymore.

When he got up this morning, Headmaster Weasley was still worried about him: "Albus, you are in very poor condition. If you continue like this, you will die suddenly!"

Principal Black, standing nearby, clapped his hands and laughed, "Die! Die! If you die, I'll be free!"

So it was another fighting event for the elderly.

Dumbledore had no time to rest.

He has to guide the love and kindness in Harry's heart, ensure that it is not washed away by time, and protect him from being attacked by Quirrell.

On the other hand, the Joint Investigation Team of the Ministry of Magic is still staying in Hogwarts and needs him to come forward to entertain them.

Looking in the mirror, I saw the deep eye bags and dark circles on my face.

Dumbledore sighed and drank another bottle of joy potion.

Then he began to sing in front of the mirror.

The singing was high and clear, and the rhythm was passionate - this was the side effect of drinking too much euphoria!
When Professor McGonagall came to report the itinerary, she just happened to hear the headmaster ending with a long and lingering bel canto coloratura.

"Albus, you..."

"Ah~~~~~Minerva~~~~"

Professor McGonagall's face darkened as she glanced at the empty bottle of euphoria on the sink. She knew what had happened and said angrily, "You're using euphoria to stay awake again? One day you're going to drink yourself to death."

Across the room, Principal Black, who was still struggling with the teacher, yelled, "Die! Die!"

"Ahem, finally stopped." After singing for over twenty minutes, Old Deng was panting and his voice was hoarse, but the joy potion made him look happy. "What's the investigation team's itinerary today?"

Professor McGonagall handed him the parchment.

Dumbledore took a few glances and saw that the other members of the investigation team were still visiting their alma mater.

This group of guys who have been away from school for decades are openly slacking off in the name of reminiscing about their youth.

Fudge wanted to find a "quiet, deserted, and private" place to connect with Vaughn, the son of his best friend and close junior.

Seeing this, Dumbledore smiled. He certainly noticed Fudge's subtle wariness and rejection of him. The so-called emotional connection was probably Fudge's attempt to bypass him and continue trying to get Vaughan to hand over the formula to the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore didn't care much, Fudge was indeed a seasoned politician.

But from the moment he first met Vaughn and treated him like a 12-year-old child, he had already lost the initiative. The parchment ended with the Daily Prophet's interview plan.

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Minerva, has the interview begun?"

"Yes, Ms. Skeeter is in the Slytherin common room now. No one knows when she went in..." Thinking of Rita's usual writing style, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. She really couldn't like this student she taught.

Even when she was a student, Rita was very talented in Transfiguration.

Dumbledore thought for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look. Ms. Skeeter's writing is fascinating, but she tends to focus too much on storytelling and lacks truth."

If Rita goes too far, he will continue to use his connections to find another reporter.

Using newspapers to promote his reputation was part of the deal between him and Vaughan. If a reporter's fabricated story led to a flaw in the collaboration, that would not be a good thing. But to Dumbledore's surprise, when he arrived at Slytherin, he saw a happy scene.

In the dormitory, the background is a black lake with fish swimming leisurely and water plants swaying. The magical incense burning in the room makes people feel as if they are in the sun. On the small table between the two people, a blue flame is scorching the teapot.

Rita and Vaughn sat opposite each other, each holding a cup of steaming milk tea, and Vaughn was introducing this drink to Rita.

"I don't really like the weird drinks of wizards. On the contrary, Muggle inventions are more in line with my taste and hobbies..."

Noticing someone at the door, Vaughn turned around with a surprised expression: "Principal, why are you here?"

Rita also turned around. Her face was calm, as if she was intoxicated by the rich aroma of milk tea. She stood up slightly and greeted:
"Good morning, Headmaster Dumbledore."

Dumbledore smiled, "Oh, hello to you too, Rita. I was just passing by and stopped by to see. Did the interview go well?"

He walked behind Rita and glanced at the parchment floating beside her.

I found that there was nothing unusual in the content recorded above.

Only the shorthand quill seemed listless for some reason.

Maybe it's a little frustrated that it can't use its storytelling skills?
Dumbledore thought.

After confirming that there were no accidents, Lao Deng exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two of them, then turned and left. When his figure disappeared, Guo Guocha came back from outside the door and called out to confirm that he had indeed left.

Vaughn waved his hand, and the dormitory door closed automatically. Rita's expression quickly drooped, becoming depressed, gloomy, and frightened.

Vaughn took a sip of the milk tea and advised with a smile, "Rita, be happy. You should be glad that I still have use for you. Otherwise, you would have flown to the Forbidden Forest by now."

Rita just put on a flattering expression and didn't even dare to think about resisting.

Or rather, it was not that she hadn't thought about it. When Vaughn let her out of the glass jar a few hours ago, she thought that when she had the chance, she would definitely cast a forgetfulness spell on the boy.

But Vaughn didn't know what kind of spell he had planted in her memory. As soon as she had this thought, a severe headache made her scream out, as if an invisible knife had stabbed into her brain and was stirring it wildly.

Rita had never experienced pain like that.

However, that was not the end. When she recovered from the pain, she found herself sealed in the wall again by the Transfiguration. Feeling the air getting less and less, the fear of death approaching step by step immediately woke her up.

She knew that Vaughn could not kill her. After all, she had visited Hogwarts through official channels. Once she disappeared, Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic would definitely launch an investigation.

However, she was afraid that some things were more terrifying than death, just like her mind after she woke up and recalled what Vaughn said last night.

Make her forget that she is a wizard and completely turn into a bug...

Imagining that ending, Rita felt at that moment that the current situation was actually pretty good.

At least she is still a human being, not a confused and stupid insect!

I'm just being someone's lackey. Although I've never done it before, everyone has a first time.

Thinking of this, Rita's expression relaxed a little.

Vaughn, noticing her change, smiled easily, "Look, working with me doesn't affect you at all..."

He stretched out his hand, and the parchment floating beside Rita fell into his hand. He saw the words written on the parchment -

"Mr. Weasley, who is of pure-blood origin, like his family, shows great interest in Muggles. He likes Muggle books, food, and technology. He is even more radical than his father. He told me that wizarding society has long been backward..."

Vaughn shrugged. "You like to make up stories. Isn't it because you think interviews that are too realistic aren't eye-catching enough? As long as you can make sure they're 8% true and 2% fake, I can cooperate with you like I'm doing now, providing topics that are enough to spark discussion without affecting me too much."

Rita was silent for a moment and took a long breath.

She surrendered.

She forced a smile, trying to regain her composure.

Although she decided to be a lackey, Kelita still wanted to maintain her dignity.

But the threat posed by the boy in front of her really made her uneasy. As soon as she spoke, she unconsciously lowered her voice and said, "So, do you think the current content of the interview is appropriate? Your topic about the wizarding society lagging behind Muggles may make some pure-bloods hostile to you..."

Vaughn laughed. "What pure-blood family doesn't hate Weasley? It doesn't matter. Just write it as we agreed!"

Next, Vaughan gave her some instructions.

For example, you can fabricate his bias against Muggles, but don't involve his family or friends. You can also report his views on some of the backward systems in the wizarding world, and these are his true thoughts, so Rita can use more intense words.

Vaughan deliberately sought to portray himself as radical and pro-Muggle.

Finally, he instructed Rita, "But you must pay attention. The recent reports must focus on the disposal of the Wolfsbane Potion. You must write about the plight of werewolves and what problems will arise if the Wolfsbane Potion is handed over to the Ministry of Magic."

Hearing this, Rita's gloomy spirit perked up.

She was smart and immediately understood what Vaughn meant.

"You suspect the Ministry of Magic will use Wolfsbane Potion?"

Vaughan didn't answer.

But Rita's excellent storytelling ability allowed her to conceive a political drama in a flash, which made her hands tremble with excitement.

However, she hesitated again, a cunning look flashing across her heavily made-up face. "But if I target the Ministry of Magic, I'm afraid my manuscript will have a hard time passing the censorship of the Daily Prophet. You should know that the number one financial backer behind the newspaper is the Ministry of Magic."

Vaughn said calmly: "It will pass!"

Rita acted as if she was surprised and delighted.

She knew that Vaughn had the support of a powerful figure behind him, and her words just now were just a test. Now that she saw Vaughn so calm, she inexplicably felt much more at ease.

She had already witnessed Vaughn's intelligence, skills, and strength. Considering how he had discovered her Animagus identity and his influence on the Daily Prophet...

If her surrender before was forced, now she was somewhat moved!

If you are submitting and hugging someone’s thigh, the thicker the thigh, the better.

The two chatted for a while until the agreed interview time was over, and then Rita Skeeter said goodbye and left.

After sending her out of the Slytherin common room, Vaughn returned to the dormitory, picked up the glass jar used to hold Rita last night, and laughed.

what is this?
An unexpected surprise?

In fact, he hadn't initially thought of forcing Rita Skeeter.

As long as the other party follows the interview process honestly and doesn't make up nonsense, he won't bother to pay attention to her.

But dear Ms. Skeeter is arrogant and always wants to cause trouble, so he deliberately said yesterday that he knew her secret.

If Rita had been alert enough, or not so vengeful, and had not turned into a beetle to spy on his privacy, Vaughan would still not have done anything to her - he couldn't attack Rita at Hogwarts just because she spread rumors, as that would destroy the relationship he had worked so hard to build with Dumbledore.

However, since the other party bumped into him himself, you can't blame him.

"Actually, this woman does have some good qualities. She knows the times, knows when to advance and when to retreat, and is quite ruthless, both towards others and herself. Not everyone can accept reality so quickly, and not everyone can learn Animagus..."

Animagus is the most advanced technique of Transfiguration.

It involves a fundamental change in the human body; in other words, once a wizard transforms into his animagus form, he becomes indistinguishable from the animal that corresponds to that form, both inside and out.

Vaughn studied Rita carefully last night and found that in her beetle form, her body structure was exactly the same as that of a beetle, and even the magic power belonging to the wizard had disappeared.

The only thing that remains may be the soul as a human being.

Corresponding to its magical effects, the training conditions for Animagus are very harsh. First, one must hold a mandrake leaf in the mouth for a month, and it must be from a full moon to the next full moon.

During this period, the leaves of the mandrake must not be damaged in any way. If the moon does not appear at the next full moon due to weather or other reasons, you have to start over.

If the moon appears, the next step is to expose the leaf to moonlight and then place it in a crystal bottle filled with saliva, adding hair, dew from places that have not been exposed to sunlight or contact with humans, and the pupa of the ghost-faced hawk moth.

Next, bury the crystal bottle, let time and mysterious rituals transform it into a "magic potion," and wait until the storm arrives...

The entire practice process involves four disciplines: transfiguration, spells, potions, and occult rituals. It also requires luck—who knows what the weather will be like under the next full moon, or how long it will take before a storm occurs.

As far as Vaughn knew, there were very few Animagus in the wizarding world at present, because the harsh conditions eliminated most of them.

Throwing away the glass jar, Vaughan thought:

"I wonder if I can rely on the system to add points and directly let me learn Animagus?"

"It's okay even if it doesn't work. I doubt there's a simplified method for this thing. Otherwise, it's ridiculous that James, Sirius, and Peter all became Animagus just to spend a full moon night with Remus Lupin..."

In fact, Vaughn had no need for Animagus. Even if he had mastered it, he would not use it. Because of the change in the nature of the body, when a wizard transforms into Animagus, it means that he gives up his ability to cast spells during the transformation.

This seemed very insecure to Vaughan.

Unless one day he understands the essence of magic or magical power and can transform himself into a magical creature.

　There's one more chapter during the day!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)