Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 98: The Crackdown Before the Exam and the Desperate Twins

Dumbledore expressed his admiration for his caution. This was what he liked most about Vaughan - his awe for things he didn't understand.

What people should fear most is not ignorance or stupidity, but arrogance.

Because ignorance will not destroy you, arrogance will.

Looking at the golden hourglass that was back in his hand, Dumbledore sighed, and he remembered what Vaughn had said before about the concept of four-dimensional creatures.

"The wizard's manipulation of time still has major flaws. Your 3.5-dimensional division does make sense."

"Oh? You actually agree with my idea. I thought you would refute my idea because such a division is derogatory to Muggles."

Dumbledore smiled. "Don't test me, child. You should know that my love for Muggles actually comes from a sense of sympathy for the weak... This is a concept that every wizard will unconsciously form, even those who are Muggle-born."

"When great power is attributed to individuals, class divisions are inevitable. To put it bluntly, it's hard to consider ants as fellow human beings."

Vaughan remained silent. When great power belonged to an individual, it was like carrying a sharp blade.

No matter how law-abiding a person is, if he carries a weapon that can easily take other people's lives, then when he encounters a problem, he will subconsciously want to use the weapon to solve the problem.

Because people instinctively understand that all problems are created by people, and if the people who create the problems are solved, the troubles will be solved.

Even Vaughn, who had mature values ​​in his previous life, no longer considered Muggles his own kind (otherwise he wouldn't use the word Muggle). This was the inevitable result of mastering great power.

This situation is very common among Muggles. Great power can be magic, wealth, or power!
Vaughan changed the subject: "Albus, do you have the manufacturing information of the Time Turner? I would like to know more about it."

"Ah, I don't have any, but Nico should have a collection. I can ask him for you next time I visit him."

"Thank you. Also, how long will it take you to complete these mechanisms?"

Dumbledore calculated for a moment and replied, "Around the end of May, just when Norberta will be able to grow up... There are still two months left. I can't wait!"

"I'm also looking forward to seeing Harry's heroic performance when he breaks through."

Two foxes, one big and one small, looked at each other and smiled.

……

"Ah!"

In the library, Harry sneezed violently.

He had a cold and had just gone to Madam Pomfrey that morning to get a bottle of refreshing potion. Now he was breathing steam from his ears, covering Ron's head next to him.

But Ron didn't care about that. He didn't even care whether Harry's sneezing might make his cold worse. He just looked at his fingers that were swollen like carrots, and he wanted to cry but had no tears.

Across from them, Hermione, who was concentrating on reviewing her lessons, happened to look up and saw Ron's expression. She couldn't help but sneer, "You told me to go find Madam Pomfrey, but you refused. You deserve it!"

Ron was too dispirited to argue with Hermione.

He muttered softly, "How could I have known that such a tiny dragon cub could be so poisonous? It swelled up like this in just one night..."

Harry blew his nose and advised, "You should go and have a look later!"

"What if Madam Pomfrey asks what the bite was? I don't think she'll even need to ask; she'll be able to tell right away."

In the eyes of the young wizards, Madam Pomfrey is the most magical person in Hogwarts. No matter what illness it is, she can cure it with medicine.

There is only one thing, the magic potion she brews is really effective, but also really hard to drink!

Harry also felt that Madam Pomfrey would probably be able to tell that the wound was caused by a dragon, but he thought, could he not just endure the pain for fear of the professors knowing?
After some more persuasion, Ron was finally persuaded. He covered his hands with a sad face and went to the school hospital.

Not long after he left, the twins suddenly appeared.

"Hi, dear Harry, dear Hermione, good afternoon!"

"Fred, you're so stiff. We've never greeted each other like this before."

"But George, we need Harry's help, and I think we should be polite to him."

"Help?" Harry suddenly remembered the canary biscuits that the twins secretly gave him on the day he participated in his first Quidditch match a few months ago.

He said warily, "You guys are trying to use me again and give Ron some weird food, right? I'm not a fool. I won't fall for the same trick a second time!"

The twins looked at each other:
"Oh my god, our tried and tested trick was actually seen through by Harry."

"What do we do now, Fred? We're done! Vaughn wants to inspect our R&D progress. If we can't provide the experimental data, he'll definitely withdraw his investment!"

"It's so pitiful and tragic. We've already spent all the 10 Galleons. Where are we going to find the money to compensate him? If we don't get the money, Vaughn will kill us."

"Maybe they'll strip us naked and hang us at the castle gates for everyone to see the Weasley twins' humiliation."

"Yes, he certainly could."

The twins exchanged pitiful glances, but Harry remained unmoved.

Ron had already told him all the evil things the twins had done, but he wouldn't believe a word they said!

But Harry didn't know that the twins' target was not him at all, but Hermione!

Hermione looked up from the pile of textbooks on her desk and shouted angrily, "Fred, George!"

What she hated most was hearing people say bad things about Vaughn!

But she also knew that the twins would not give up until they achieved their goal. She held out her hand and said, "Give it to me. I'll give it to Ron later. But I have a rule first. If I hear you slandering Vaughn again, I'll tell him what you said!"

The twins immediately smiled and agreed repeatedly: "No problem, dear Hermione."

They took out a piece of hard candy wrapped in oil paper and handed it to Hermione: "This is the fast-acting candy for skipping classes that we carefully developed. It works very quickly and works every time."

"That's right. We have fully learned from the last lesson and will no longer destroy the relationships between classmates. Instead, we will help those who deserve help."

"Yes, such as those little wizards who have been tortured in the classroom and have lost their freedom and dignity!"

Hermione frowned. How could the classroom be so toxic? How could one lose freedom and dignity? Being surrounded by a strong learning atmosphere, with professors readily available to answer questions, was bliss, wasn't it?
Hermione, unable to understand, put away the so-called candy for skipping class and buried her head again in the pile of reference books.

When Ron came back from the school hospital, she threw the candy to him.

"Merlin..." Ron was stunned. He thought he was dreaming and pinched himself. "Harry, did you see that? Hermione gave me a candy!"

"Uh, wait a minute, Ron—"

Ron was so flattered that he couldn't wait any longer. He quickly peeled off the candy wrapper and threw the candy into his mouth. This was the first time Hermione was so nice to him. She always found fault with him in the past.

"Mmm, so sweet..." Ron shook his head. "I just drank Madam Pomfrey's antidote, and my mouth is full of almonds. Thank you, Hermione..."

As Ron spoke, he suddenly felt a heat in his nostrils. Across from him, Harry, who was hesitant to speak, suddenly showed fear on his face.

Um? what happened?
As soon as this thought came to Ron's mind, he heard, "Puff—whoosh!"

Bright red blood gushed out of his nostrils like a fountain. He even shook his head due to the reaction force, and a large amount of blood spurted straight out and sprayed towards Harry.

"What a powerful column of blood!"

Ron subconsciously praised inwardly, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

He just came to his senses and realized that the strong column of blood was his own!
Vaughan didn't find out about Ron until the next morning.

While eating breakfast in the morning, Hermione said to him with guilt and annoyance, "If I had known that the quick-acting skipping candy was so terrible, I wouldn't have given it to Ron."

It is said that when Ron fainted last night and Hermione, Harry and Neville rushed him to the school hospital, he sprayed nearly two pints of blood (about one liter) from his nose.

In Harry's words: "Ron's skin turned transparent due to blood loss, and when Madam Pomfrey revived him, he didn't even remember who I was!"

However, in the wizarding world, such simple blood loss symptoms are child's play.

When Vaughn slowly finished his breakfast and followed everyone to the school hospital to visit Ron, his complexion had become rosy again and he even had an appetite to chew on a piece of pork chop.

"It's horrible. I drank blood tonics for hours before I even remembered Harry's name." Ron gnawed on the meat, his mouth oozing with oil. Even a mouthful of meat couldn't stop him from pouring out his thoughts. "In fact, that was the only thing that exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect the excessive blood loss to be so severe."

"Quick-acting skipping candy? Humph, when I put that candy in my mouth last night, I knew it must be a trick played by Fred and George. It's experience, don't you understand?"

Under the astonished gazes of Neville, Seamus and Dean, he waved his greasy hands with an expression that said, "I've seen through everything."

Harry looked puzzled and hesitated to speak.

He clearly remembered that last night, after Ron had recovered his blood and regained consciousness, he lay on the hospital bed, pulling at his pants, crying and wailing, "Harry, am I going to die? Damn Fred and George, I knew that sooner or later, I would die at their hands!"

But now, Harry could not see any trace of the look from last night on his flushed face.

Until Neville asked a question: "So... Ron, did Madam Pomfrey tell you to rest for a few days?"

Ron beamed. "Of course, of course, I lost three pints of blood... Don't interrupt Harry, two pints is just your estimate, I'm the only one who knows best... Madam Pomfrey gave me three days of sick leave. She thinks I may have lost too much blood and damaged my brain, and it will take a few days to recover!"

"Oh--"

Neville, Seamus, and Dean looked envious. Harry, who understood why Ron suddenly changed his attitude, wanted to express his desire for sick leave.

Unfortunately, Hermione, who was standing next to him with her lips tightly pursed and eyes as fierce as Norberta's, made him swallow his cry.

Hermione couldn't stay any longer. She pulled Vaughn out of the hospital wing, angrily saying, "I feel so guilty and even complain about Fred and George in front of you, but look at him, he might even be grateful!"

Before she finished speaking, she heard Ron say loudly in the ward:
"Yes, Neville, the fast-acting skipping candy is really great. I dare say that this is Fred and George's most successful creation. Even though they used me as a test subject, I still have to give a fair evaluation!"

Hermione was so angry that she was speechless.

If she still had her previous temper, she would have reported the matter to the professors by now. Even if she was now tolerant of this behavior that went against her ideas, Ron's stupid choice was still hard for her to accept - not only did he not resist the twins' mischief, he also added fuel to the fire!
Hermione could already foresee that when Neville, Seamus and Dean returned soon, the "miracle effect" of the quick-acting skipping candy would spread throughout Gryffindor.

In fact, ever since Ron fainted last night, the twins have been celebrating the success of their new invention and working hard to promote it to their classmates.

However, with the precedent of the Canary Biscuits, everyone was still waiting to see whether Ron, who ate the Quick-Acting Skip School Candy, survived or suffered any serious aftereffects.
The development of the matter did not deviate from Hermione's predictions.

Vaughn finally coaxed his girlfriend into going to the library, where they spent the entire afternoon immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

When he sent Hermione back to Gryffindor, he saw from afar that Gryffindor Tower was crowded with people. Fred and George were surrounded by the crowd and were very busy!
"The fast-acting skipping candy from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes has been personally verified by our brother, Ron Weasley. Of course, his experience is far from enough to demonstrate the greatness of our product. We plan to continue developing a series of products after the nosebleed nougat—yes, the kind Ron eats—and have already launched projects for fever candy, coma candy, and so on."

Lee Jordan in the crowd shouted, "George, I treated you to butterbeer in Hogsmeade last time, remember? Can you give me one on credit?"

George responded generously: "Fred, remember to cross out Lee Jordan's name!"

"Okay George!"

"Everyone, please come one by one and register with Fred. We are a small shop with little profit, and we do not accept credit!"

Looking at this lively and absurd scene, Hermione's face turned blue with anger.

Sharing the same expression as her was Percy on the other side of the crowd. He desperately tried to squeeze in to stop the twins, but unfortunately his classmates' enthusiasm for skipping classes made his efforts in vain.

In order to appease Hermione who was about to lose control of her temper, Vaughan had to temporarily change his plan to visit Ravenclaw and stay in Gryffindor, acting as a tree hole for the little witch and listening to her chattering.

The lively scene continued until lights out. Fred and George, who had filled a thick stack of orders, smugly ignored the furious Percy and approached Vaughn, grinning as they shook their purses full of deposits.
"Vaughn, we did it!"

"That's right. Although we experienced failure last year, that was simply due to our lack of experience. Today we proved our strength with facts!"

"Look, your initial donation wasn't wasted. This deposit is enough to pay off the 10 Galleons!"

Vaughn looked at the twins and said slowly, "Pay it off? I remember you said it was an investment in you, so I'm a shareholder, right?"

"Oh my God, Fred, did you hear that? Our proud brother wants to get a share of our profits. He sees that we've become successful and wants to buy shares!"

"Yes, George, it's incredible! Our talented brother is obviously impressed by our abilities!"

The twins looked at each other and laughed.

Vaughan smiled at their arrogance and said, "If I were you, I would be more modest and cautious."

The twins laughed and didn't pay any attention to what Vaughn said. They were just immersed in the dream of becoming rich. They patted Vaughn's shoulders hard on the left and right.

"Don't worry, little brother. Brothers Fred and George were just joking with you. How could we forget our brother who once supported us so much?"

"Of course, even brothers have to make it clear that if you want to buy skipping class candy, there is no discount!"

Tsk... these two guys are a little inflated!

Of course, Vaughan would not tell the twins that before he returned from Dumbledore yesterday, he happened to hear Professor McGonagall reporting to Dumbledore on the school situation.

Also present were the deans of three other colleges.

So actually, it was a school board meeting, and the discussion was about recent student issues.

"Every year around this time, students experience a variety of psychological changes. The pressure of professors assigning homework and upcoming exams can cause some sensitive and vulnerable students to experience stress."

"Specific manifestations include a sudden dislike for studying, desperate attempts to skip classes, a deep fear of exams, frantically flipping through books but failing to remember anything, or devious thoughts, hoping for illusory luck items and spells, and of course, the worst of all—all sorts of cheating tricks!"

"Albus, it's time to introduce temporary measures to crack down on these bad trends, just like in previous years!"

This was serious business, and by the time Vaughan left, Dumbledore had already agreed to Professor McGonagall's request.

In other words, Hogwarts is about to begin a strict crackdown before the exam.

Well, I believe Fred and George will definitely get a surprise.

The twins were naturally unaware of this. They enthusiastically threw themselves into the business of making money. More and more students came to them to buy candy for skipping classes, and even some senior students came to them.

This group of senior students, mainly fifth and seventh graders, will take OWLs this year and NEWTs respectively. NEWTs determine the fate of a wizard after graduation, while OWLs determine which subject you will advance to in the future.

Therefore, these two grades are also the hardest hit areas for mental breakdown before exams.

Vaughan witnessed an example two days later. It was a fifth-year Gryffindor student who suddenly broke into the classroom when Vaughan was waiting for the first-year students in Transfiguration class.

She held the book and breathlessly apologized to Professor McGonagall: "I'm sorry, Professor, I'm late."

Professor McGonagall, who was about to write on the blackboard, was a little surprised, but also understood. She pushed her glasses and said, "Ms. Dormer, this is a first-year class. The fifth-year class ended an hour ago. And as far as I remember, you are not late."

Miss Dormer was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into a loud cry, startling the bewildered first-grade students:
"No! I'm a first-year! Professor, I'm a first-year!"

She danced and hysterically pulled Neville up, trying desperately to prove that she was as tall as Neville and that she was 12 years old.

Neville was grabbed by the collar and lifted to the same height as her, and was almost strangled by the bow tie.

Seeing the scene becoming increasingly chaotic, Professor McGonagall had no choice but to cast a spell to knock her out. She explained to the first years, "It seems Miss Dormer has developed exam syndrome, a very peculiar disease that usually breaks out suddenly before an exam and then miraculously recovers suddenly after she gets sick leave."

"..."

The young wizards in the audience were speechless. Of course they understood what the professor meant - Miss Dormer was acting crazy in order to avoid class.

Moreover, her behavior was not an isolated case. In the days that followed, the first-year students witnessed all sorts of bizarre "symptoms," such as one day at the end of March when a seventh-year student suddenly disappeared, and the professors searched for most of the night before finding him in the Forbidden Forest.

He claimed that he was abducted by a UFO and that aliens subjected him to cruel magic experiments in an attempt to understand the Earth's magic system and prepare for invasion. He endured for 10 years before finally escaping.

As a result, he found himself back to the day when he was kidnapped 10 years ago. What was even more "unfortunate" was that the long 10 years in prison made him completely forget the knowledge he had learned.

So... he hoped that the professors would take his special situation into consideration and allow him to pass the NEWTs this year directly...

He was a Ravenclaw, so Professor Flitwick, the usually gentle and kind Head of Ravenclaw, gave him detention without hesitation.

Of course, such a genius at making up stories is still relatively rare. Most people just pretend to be crazy and stupid. Some of the more ruthless ones will even break their own hands and feet and try to stay in the school hospital and never come out.

It is in such an absurd environment that the twins' skipping school candy business is becoming more and more prosperous, with orders as thick as a foot.

On the 31st, Fred and George waited at the door of Slytherin, pretending to meet Vaughn by chance. They sighed and said that they had too many orders and were exhausted. They were almost tired of hearing the clinking of gold Galleons and silver Sickles every day.

Vaughan smiled but said nothing.

The twins thought he had nothing to say, and triumphantly high-fived him and left. Then, on April 4, April Fool's Day, when all the students and faculty gathered in the cafeteria as required, the twins heard a piece of news that struck them like thunder.

It was Professor McGonagall who read the message.

Every wrinkle on the vice-president's face expressed seriousness and absolute leniency.
"...I've noticed that the school is currently plagued by the unhealthy habit of selling fake potions and truancy tools. After careful consideration by all faculty, the following items will be confiscated: Buffy's Brain Stimulant—I'm deeply disappointed by the student who bought it. This is a top-notch potion, brewed only by Professor Snape and Mr. Vaughan Weasley. How could they possibly sell it to you for only one Sickle a bottle?"

"An automatic answering quill—this is a ridiculous lie. I thought even a first-year student could figure it out. How could Hogwarts allow you to bring such a thing into the examination room?"

The first-year students in the audience looked at each other in bewilderment. So magic cheating props are not allowed into the examination room?

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath after seeing this. To avoid getting angry to death, she quickly read the next list:
"Quick-acting candy for skipping classes..."

The twins couldn't help but stand up. "Today is April Fool's Day. You must be kidding, right?"

They looked at the podium expectantly, hoping to hear the answer they wanted.

Professor McGonagall could no longer control her temper. She glared at the twins and said sternly, "...Fred Weasley and George Weasley are examples of wasted talent and misguided behavior. They are rampantly producing and selling things that undermine school rules and classroom discipline in school. Their influence is extremely bad!"

"All professors have decided that not only will your skipping class candy products be confiscated, but you will also be forced to return the proceeds. As far as I know, you have detailed order records. I will personally supervise your execution!"

Finished!

Fred and George felt a sudden blackness in their vision.

April Fool's Day should have been a happy day, but they were shocked to find that fate had played a huge joke on them.

How can they have any money?

All the deposits I paid were used to buy raw materials...

April Fools' Day in 1992 passed slowly as Fred and George endured a torment that felt like a year. The twins, who had always been mischievous and unscrupulous at Hogwarts, experienced the reality of adulthood for the first time.

That day, their dormitory was surrounded by creditors!

"Fred, open the door quickly. I know you are in the dormitory. Give me back my deposit!" This is a rough and direct debt collection method.

"George, Professor McGonagall has told you to return the money according to the list. You don't want us to report you to the professor and say that you are going to default on your debt, right?" This was a threat.

Others took direct action: "The Alaho hole is open! Damn it, those two guys cast an anti-unlocking spell in there!"

Some people also tried to take a roundabout approach: "Lee Jordan, you've been sleeping with them for several years, hurry up and persuade them!"

Lee Jordan was in tears. He even invested 1 Galleon and was waiting outside the door, ready to ask for it to be opened to collect the debt!

All in all, Hogwarts' April Fool's Day operation was quite successful. Although there was no visible effect in the confiscation of other illegal potions and props, Fred and George had already tasted the iron fist of the school.

The next morning, the twins wrapped themselves tightly to make sure no one could tell it was them before they dared to leave the dormitory.

As soon as they went out, the twins were nauseated by the foul stench. They didn't know which wicked guy had bolted a few dung bombs on the door and cast a spell on it.

Just open the door and the dung bomb will detonate.

If the twins had not been so experienced in fighting that they had grabbed their wands early on, held their breath, and used their magic to clean themselves up, they would have probably vomited bile.

"Damn it, these bastards! They were all smiling when they were begging us to place an order a few days ago, but today they turned their backs on us!"

"Stop complaining and help me... Damn, what kind of glue is this? My shoes are stuck!"

"I'm stuck too... Oh, forget about the shoes, let's go first, so that no one will run into us if they wake up early."

"The Weasleys have never been so embarrassed!"

The two of them didn't even dare to complain loudly, just muttering a few curses. The twins finally cleared all the traps at the door and were already sweating profusely.

As a result, when he walked into the common room stealthily with a cloak on, he was frightened again.

A furry head popped out from behind the desk, glanced at them, and gloated: "Fred, George!"

The twins were so frightened that they almost ran away. Only when they saw that it was Hermione did they breathe a sigh of relief: "Damn it, how could you recognize it was us?"

Not only did they wear the hoods of their cloaks, but they also covered their heads and faces with scarves, making their appearance comparable to Professor Quirrell's.

Hermione snorted. "Who else in Gryffindor would dress like you guys?"

As she spoke, she took a few glances at their attire, raised her voice slightly, and asked suspiciously, "Are you planning to run away without paying?"

"Shhh-keep it down!"

"No one in the Weasley family is dishonest. We will definitely pay you back!"

"That's right!"

The twins answered decisively.

But Hermione didn't believe it at all: "Vaughn told me yesterday that all your money was used to buy raw materials and there is no money left to pay back!"

"So we have to go out and find a solution!"

"That's right, we're going to find Vaughn!"

"George, you don't have to say it..."

"But it's the truth, Fred."

That's right, no one in the Weasley family is untrustworthy. Even if Professor McGonagall hadn't asked them for a refund yesterday, the twins would have taken the initiative to refund when the fast-acting skipping candy series was banned by the school.

All their fears are because they have no money...

Fortunately, they have not been forced into a desperate situation, and there are people who can support them.

The twins discussed it overnight and decided to shamelessly ask their younger brother for help.

Hermione's face darkened. She had always been against the twins making props for skipping classes, and now when she heard that they still wanted to ask Vaughn for help, she became even more dissatisfied. It wasn't that she thought they shouldn't ask Vaughn for help, but she could tell that these two guys hadn't given up yet!
She pursed her lips and said, "So, you're planning to borrow some money from Vaughn, return the deposit, and keep the raw materials. So, you're planning to stay out of the spotlight and make a comeback after the exam?"

"clever!"

The twins gave her a thumbs-up. "We discussed it all night and decided it was just bad luck this time. We were preparing for the exams, so the school caught us as an example."

"That's right. Our products are actually very popular and the market demand is huge. It's impossible for the school to prohibit students from having normal needs forever..."

Hermione complained, "When did skipping classes become a normal need?"

The twins wouldn't listen. They winked at Hermione and said, "The difficulties are only temporary. After the exams, the ban will be lifted, and then we can launch our product. We've already figured it out. The name 'Quick Skip Class' is too narrow. It can actually be used to skip chores and homework... Anyway, as long as you're sick, you can do nothing. It's a must-have remedy for school and summer vacation!"

Hermione: "..."

Hermione found herself narrow-minded. She had thought that this blow would teach the twins a lesson and make them realize that evil ways could not last long...

The twins did learn a lesson, but because someone was backing them up, they were apparently fearless!
Hermione sighed. She had made a bet with Vaughan about this after the April Fool's Day dinner yesterday. At that time, she firmly believed that people would correct their mistakes after being punished.

But Vaughan remained noncommittal about her point of view: "My dear, perhaps you should read more Muggle philosophy books. There was a Muggle named Hegel who said it right: the only lesson mankind has learned from history is that it has learned no lessons from history."

It has to be said that Vaughn obviously understands his two older brothers better.

Therefore, the twins' reaction did not exceed his expectations.

Thinking of this, Hermione smiled slightly, and when Fred and George were about to leave Gryffindor Tower, she said:

"I don't think you need to waste your time, Fred, George."

The twins turned around in surprise: "What?"

They saw Hermione gloating and saying, "Vaughn had something urgent to do and has left Hogwarts. At least in the next few days, don't even think about finding him!"

The twins' lips trembled, and their faces turned visibly pale: "You...you are kidding, right?"

Hermione smiled but said nothing.

At this moment, someone yawned as they walked out of the corridor of the boys' dormitory. It was Lee Jordan, the twins' former best friend. The moment he stepped into the common room, he recognized them:
"Ha! Fred and George, are you planning to run away?"

"Damn it, how can anyone tell it's us? Li, we're good friends..."

Lee Jordan sneered through gritted teeth. He had said the same thing a few days ago, and George had ruthlessly rejected his request for credit.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the twins quickly called the fat lady who was guarding the door.

The Fat Lady, still sleepy, was about to open the door with a grumble when Lee Jordan called out, "Fat Lady, help me lock up these two guys. In exchange, I can listen to your opera all day long!"

The sleepy Fat Lady suddenly perked up, leaving the twins stunned.

What kind of hatred or grudge is this that makes it so big?

Vaughn didn't care about the dire situation Fred and George were about to face. In fact, he wasn't hiding from the twins on purpose to teach them a lesson. He just had something urgent to do.

On the evening of April Fool's Day, he received a letter.

From the Rosier family of England.

Unfortunately, it brings bad news!

"...I'm sorry, dear Mr. Weasley. Although I really want to help rescue your friend, a Rosier, the embarrassing thing is that because of an incident decades ago, the Rosier family has long lost its power in the North American wizarding world."

"A distant relative of the family, Wenda Rosier, who hails from the main French Rosier line, was once the deputy of the infamous Gattler Grindelwald... I don't intend to shirk responsibility, but it is clear that after Grindelwald's defeat and imprisonment in Nurmengard by Dumbledore, all of Grindelwald's followers were investigated and liquidated."

"Unfortunately, Wenda Rosier has received widespread attention due to his position in Grindelwald's gang, especially from MACUSA. Grindelwald brought disrepute to them—he once transformed himself into Percival Graves and infiltrated MACUSA, using the poor Auror Commander's face and name to stir up trouble in North America."

"You can imagine how humiliated and enraged MACUSA was when the truth came to light. They certainly wanted to take revenge on Grindelwald, but Dumbledore refused their request to execute him... Those Yankees didn't dare to offend Dumbledore, so they could only vent their anger on others."

"I've read Isabella's letter you sent me. I can bet my pureblood reputation that the trouble Isabella is facing is definitely caused by the Graves family. Those petty-minded fools regard Percival Graves's experience as an unwashable shame. Since they can't take revenge on Grindelwald, they are targeting the Rosier family everywhere."

"Poor Isabella! Her background is so remote. Perhaps no one ever told her that members of the Rosier family should never go to North America. This is a lesson learned in blood... Please forgive my inability to help..."

Vaughn had previously imagined that the Rozier family might not bother with such an insignificant branch.

He had thought that the other party would find an excuse to refuse.

But I didn't expect to receive such a letter that was full of secrets and seemed reasonable.

"Graves... Wenda Rosier..."

Crouch's mansion is located in the Muggle community. Vaughan silently recited these somewhat familiar names, his consciousness constantly flipping through the archives of memory.

Thanks to the organization of his own memories after learning memory magic, he soon found some fragmentary memories of his previous life.

These are some detailed impressions of the Harry Potter extension, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Crack!

The sudden green fire in the fireplace woke Vaughn from his thoughts.

Crouch is back. This high-ranking official of the Ministry of Magic, who always shows a serious face, probably only suddenly breaks down and twitches the corners of his mouth when he sees Vaughn.

He emerged from the fireplace, dusting himself off as he said dryly, "A few days ago you told me you had to prepare for the exam and didn't have time to treat little Barty. How come you have time to come today?"

Vaughn seemed not to notice his sarcasm and handed the letter over. "I need your help with something urgent."

"Ah!"

As expected!

Crouch forced a smile but didn't refuse. He took the letter, read it carefully, and nodded. "Old Rosier didn't lie to you. What he said is basically true."

"Do you also think that the trouble Isabella encountered was caused by the Graves family?"

"It's very likely." Crouch flipped through the letter from Isabella that was sent back with the package and said, "At least from what Isabella said, the trouble she encountered on Halloween was probably a conflict with the Graves family."

"You probably don't know this, but the Rosier family is actually a very large one. Originally, it was only found in France, but later it gradually spread to England and North America. Yes, there used to be branches of the Rosier family in North America, and they developed there from England."

"However, those branches are now extinct. When I was a young man, the Rosier branch in North America had already died out due to various reasons, such as the Muggle government, dark wizards, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and other 'accidents'."

"Old Rozier might be a bit mediocre and incompetent, but his assessment of the Graves family isn't wrong. That family is indeed rather petty."

Vaughn was not interested in the feud between the two families; he just felt it was a difficult situation.

If Isabella was caught in the crossfire due to official reasons, such as internal conflicts in North America, then it would not be too difficult to rescue her.

Barty Crouch is in charge of international communication affairs. With his status, as long as he helps contact North America and says hello, he can basically get Isabella back.

But the problem now is that the trouble she encountered and the fact that she was wanted were probably not crimes officially determined by the Magic Congress, but more likely stemmed from the hostility and manipulation of a native North American family.

As a result, the hope of rescuing people through official channels was shattered - no matter how closed the Magic Congress was, it still had to consider international public opinion. Anything could be discussed, but a family did not have so many concerns.

Crouch shared the same view. He handed the letter back to Vaughn, "There's nothing I can do. The most I can do is contact the Magic Congress for you and put you in touch with the Graves family... Although I'm not optimistic. To be honest, the so-called pure-blood families in North America are even more stubborn and paranoid than those in England."

"Imagine..."

Vaughn pinched his brows. When he read Isabella's letter before, he could see that the main conflict in the current turmoil in North America was actually the conflict between pure-blood wizards and half-blood and Muggle wizards.

North America has been vigorously promoting the International Statute of Secrecy, certainly not because they are highly conscious and actively respond to the instructions of the International Confederation of Wizards.

Rather, it was because the pure-blood families in power in North America wanted to maintain their own family interests and tried to use the Statute of Secrecy to completely separate wizards from No-Maj.

In a society, as long as there is no influx of fresh blood to promote class mobility, the classes will become solidified, and only old families can avoid the fate of having their interests diluted.

(End of this chapter)