Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 148 The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.

Baird chuckled twice. He glanced at Travers, Greenwell, and Ross beside him, but none of them responded to his pleading look.

Shameless Travers, taking his role as Weasley's loyal dog for granted, chuckled as he surveyed the yellowish landscape around him.

Greenwell and Ross exchanged glances, seemingly having a secret conversation.

Even Amelia did not show any resistance; her serious gaze was fixed on Vaughn Weasley's tapping of the armrest, as if assessing the power of this strange magic.

John Baird suddenly understood why, when he complained before, everyone only offered verbal advice but no one stopped him.

Because everyone in their group, including Amelia and Travers, wanted to know how far Vaughn Weasley's magical abilities had progressed.

The difference is that they are all smart, and none of them want to stand out!

Only that idiot showed it!

Thinking it over, a hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashed in John Baird's eyes. He glanced deeply at the others, and his voice, which had been trembling not long ago, suddenly became fluent because of his inner decision: "Yes, Mr. Weasley, I have some suspicions about Fudge's actions, and I was just about to say them even if you didn't ask."

"Ever since you expelled me from the Wizengamo Conference Hall, I think you know that Fudge will definitely retaliate against you. Not only do you know this, but everyone who knows about it, including Fudge himself, knows it very well."

"Of course, given Fudge's personality, he would never swallow this insult. He would only carry out his revenge plan more secretly and viciously. So, what weaknesses do you currently possess that he could exploit, yet is afraid of being discovered?"

"You possess such powerful magical abilities, are of the Weasley family, and have Dumbledore vouching for you—you are virtually invincible. However, the WAC is not!"

"This nascent organization is your greatest weakness right now. It was born amidst suspicion, and with just a slight push, it will spark countless controversies—"

"—For example, during the WAC conference, if news breaks of werewolf hordes attacking wizards or Muggle villages…"

Is it possible that what John Baird described could happen?

Have!

If Vaughn and Fudge were to switch positions, this would be the most suitable plan Vaughn could come up with—it would both disrupt the WAC meeting and entangle the enemy in public opinion.

It should be noted that, so far, the wizarding world as a whole has generally held a sympathetic attitude towards werewolves due to a series of reports by Rita Skeeter and the bias of media outlets such as The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler.

But thousands of years of prejudice cannot be eliminated immediately.

This is evident from the fact that werewolves cannot find any jobs in the magical world.

Wizards generally still harbor hostility and vigilance towards the werewolf problem, but they have shifted from simply smearing it to now paying more attention to the reliability of "wolfification" and "wolf poison".

This shift and the loss of trust are very fragile.

It is so fragile that it can be broken in just one instance of an attack that goes undetected and appears to be committed by a werewolf.

Then, the wizards' overwhelming opposition and negative public opinion will completely overwhelm Vaughn and WAC!

thump...

The knocking stopped abruptly.

As John Baird spoke, Vaughn stretched out the fingers of his right hand, and the last slow ripple spread and disappeared.

As the ripples subsided, a sense of unease suddenly vanished, like frozen waves suddenly starting to move again. In a vision devoid of color, "colorful hues" returned like the tide.

Chairs, tabletops, teacups, even people... everything that had turned a dim yellow a moment ago returned to its original color.

This change is silent yet visually striking.

John Baird was so distracted that he almost didn't hear Vaughn's question.

Vaughn, still resting his chin on his hand, asked, "Who do you think Fudge will hire to carry out his wicked plot?"

John Baird seemed not to have heard Vaughn speak with certainty about something that hadn't even happened yet and wasn't certain. He replied calmly, "He doesn't have many options. He can only go to the dark wizard, or Greyback, sir!"

"Oh……"

Vaughn chuckled, his eyes glazed over for a moment before he asked, "John...can I call you John?"

"Of course!"

"Very well, my dear friend. Now I'm giving you a task: keep an eye on Graybury and his henchmen. I need you to know their every move. Can you do it?"

"Of course." John Baird paused, then subconsciously asked, "What about the dark wizards...?"

"Dark wizards will no longer be a problem."

As Vaughn spoke, he stood up and gestured to Barty Crouch in the corner of the room, "Barty, I'm sorry I've been too busy lately with what you asked me to do last time, but I've finally found the time today to take me to see it!"

"Now?" Barty Crouch, who had been observing coldly, stood up despite his questioning expression and called Gilgamesh over.

Under Barty Crouch's serious gaze, Sparkle understood something. Without uttering a word, she simply wiped away her tears and, along with her old master and Vaughn, disappeared into thin air.

With Vaughn gone, the atmosphere in the previously somewhat heavy and stiff living room suddenly relaxed.

Henry Ross from the Ross family loosened his bow tie and sighed, "That's terrible... I mean his magical abilities, and his temper."

Aldridge Travers glanced at him with a chuckle. "Mr. Ross, are you implying that the esteemed Mr. Weasley has a terrible temper and is unpredictable?"

"I didn't say that, it's just... he doesn't seem to value us much, does he, George and John?"

George was George Greenwell, a heavy cloak obscuring his face, so his expression was not visible. Only his mocking words could be heard: "You don't need to try to provoke me. The Greenwell family knows Mr. Vaughn Weasley far better than you do."

As he spoke, he turned his hooded face toward John Baird, whose brow was furrowed: "John, if you remember our friendship, listen to me and do as he says."

John was increasingly confused: "George, what do you know?"

Perhaps remembering their past friendship, George drew his wand, pulled a strand of silver from his forehead, and tossed it to John Baird: "Weren't you just curious why he chose Greyback, given the two possibilities of a dark wizard and Fenrir Greyback? The answer is here!"

"That's why I'm here in person today. This matter has spread throughout the entire black market... Mr. Henry Ross, I especially suggest you take a good look at this and report the information to Edward so he can consider it carefully. Also, don't drink tea... That's all, I'm going back to sort out my family's relationships in America. Farewell, everyone!"

Having said that, before the others could react, George Greenwell gave them a slight nod and then Apparated away.

After a long while, the living room fell silent again, before Henry Ross muttered, "What's going on? So secretive."

Despite saying this, George Greenwell's solemn tone still made Henry Ross somewhat suspicious, and he glanced at the ceramic teacup beside him.

It remains as exquisite as ever, the red tea liquor solidified within like jewels...

and many more!

solidification?

Henry Ross's eyes widened, his fingers trembled slightly, and he slowly raised them to touch the teacup.

Then, his hand went through!

It was an indescribable sensation. He seemed to touch nothing at all; his fingers felt as if they were passing through thin air. But at the same time, the exquisite ceramic teacup shattered before his very eyes!

It was like a bubble reflecting an object, which, the instant it passed through his fingertips, burst into wisps of dust, or perhaps shattered and chaotic light and shadow—

A real object, at this moment, has vanished like a mirage!

Henry Ross was pale.

John Baird's expression wasn't much better. He recalled the scene from not long ago, when Vaughn's knuckles tapped lightly, creating ripples that swept across the teacup and their bodies.

Then, he looked into his palm at the memory that George Greenwell had sent him.

"John, give it to me. I can take everyone into my inner world and read this memory together."

Ald Travers suggested with a chuckle, noting that the old wizard had been in a good mood ever since the gathering began.

However… it must be admitted that after today’s gathering, especially after Henry’s teacup just vanished like a bubble, this wrinkled old man suddenly became mysterious and unpredictable in the eyes of Henry and John.

Crouch's mansion, basement.

In the dim light, Barty Crouch waved his wand, and with that gesture, the layers of magic on the wall dissipated, and the damp, dark bricks undulated like waves, intersecting and deforming.

Soon, a passageway appeared, leading directly to a deeper secret chamber.

"Your memory magic is getting more and more powerful."

As Barty Crouch walked into the corridor, he said to Vaughn, who was following beside him, "Mind influencing reality... I always thought only Dumbledore or... Mysterio could do that!"

Vaughn smiled enigmatically. "Isn't this great? At least you don't have to worry about me being unable to solve Little Barty's problem anymore."

Old Barty glanced at Vaughn, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "You said before that the development of the Persona was in trouble, has that trouble been resolved now?"

"Not yet, just a little bit of a guess."

"So that's why you insisted on having the party held here, and while you're at it, to study my son and verify your suspicions?"

"Yes, after all, Barty Jr. is the best readily available research material!"

Old Barty hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

At the end of the passageway was a circular, secret chamber. The walls were made of rough stone, with traces of spells cast upon them, and were imbued with many protective magic spells.

The entire secret chamber is 10 feet high, with a brazier burning with pale blue magical flames suspended high above the chamber, within reach of the ventilation openings.

There was also a spell cast there, which allowed fresh air from the ground to be brought in, sustaining breathing and the fire's burning.

Apart from that, the only other thing in the entire secret room was a restraint chair in the center, where Barty Crouch Jr. was restrained.

When the two entered, Flashy, who had arrived earlier, was snapping his fingers while washing Barty Crouch Jr.'s clothes and wiping away tears.

Upon seeing Vaughn arrive, she opened her bright eyes wide and sobbed, "Great Mr. Weasley, when will the young master be cured? I miss him terribly!"

Vaughn rubbed her bald head, about to answer, when Barty Crouch Jr., who had been sitting with her head down in the restraint chair, her hair disheveled, suddenly raised her head, her crazed eyes glaring at Vaughn, and she burst into a tirade:

"You filthy Weasley brat, do you think you and this old bastard can control me forever? One day I'll get out! I'll escape, find my master, and capture you all, one by one, and torture you, your family, and your loved ones with the most vicious curses..."

Vaughn ignored his curses and threats, his eyes gleaming with a ghostly light as he made some magical visual observations of Barty Crouch Jr., then raised his hand and silently and without a wand sealed the other's speech and hearing with a spell.

Then he drew his wand and pointed it at Barty.

Little Barty suddenly convulsed violently, the chains binding him in the restraint chair rattled, and his eyes rolled back.

As Vaughn flipped his wand, Barty the Younger began to vomit, but instead of food or stomach acid, he vomited up plumes of black mist.

Black, viscous, oily-looking mist gushed from Little Barty's mouth and nose, flowing onto the ground.

Instead of "flowing" outwards, it gradually accumulated, slowly forming a human-shaped outline similar to that of Barty Crouch Jr.

Personality in disguise!

But it has undoubtedly been corrupted, sensing the faint resistance and even the overwhelming malice emanating from the persona it had woven and placed into Little Barty's mind.

Vaughn opened his satchel, took out a crystal bottle, waved his wand, easily overwhelmed the resistance of the corrupted personality, and put it into the crystal bottle.

Only then did Barty Crouch, who had been silent until now, speak up and ask, "What's in there?"

"Little Barty's corrupted memories, emotions, and everything related to the mind," Vaughn replied. "You can think of it this way: the personification I created is like a filter cloth. It covers the surface of Little Barty's mental world, and whenever dark, evil thoughts arise in his mind, it filters them out like tea leaves."

Although Old Barty has a bit of memory magic.

Although he knew that the black magic contamination couldn't be easily resolved, after hearing Vaughn's explanation, he still asked hopefully, "Now that the dregs have been filtered out, what about my son...?"

Vaughn ruthlessly shattered his delusions: "These filtered materials are merely my research material. Dark magic contamination is not just caused by the distortion of evil thoughts; it also involves deeper things such as the birth of human consciousness and the origin of the soul."

Old Barty was disappointed, but he also sensed a glimmer of hope in Vaughn's words.

A glimmer of light appeared in his dim eyes: "You... already know how pollution is formed?"

Vaughn didn't hide anything, nodding, "I've only recently gotten a clue; it's very likely related to harming others with dark magic..."

Vaughn revealed his recent discovery to old Barty in detail, "...You taught me dark magic (Fiendfyre), you know best that I had no signs of corruption until I killed those six dark wizards."

Old Barty was not surprised at all by Vaughn's killing.

He was a man of fierce temperament. More than ten years ago, during the Wizarding Wars, he was the one who strongly advocated that the Ministry of Magic lift the ban on Aurors and allow them to use the Unforgivable Charm to attack Death Eaters.

The key point is that the means to achieve the goal are irrelevant!

After rescuing his son, in order to prevent exposure, he was even able to harden his heart and use the Soul-Stealing Curse to control his son for more than ten years. How could such a person be a pure and innocent person?

Even if Vaughn killed an innocent wizard or a Muggle, let alone a dark wizard, he wouldn't be too surprised!

Upon hearing Vaughn's conjecture, Barty Crouch's expressionless face twitched slightly. He neither agreed nor disagreed, but instead asked, "What method can prove your conjecture?"

The firelight flickered in the brazier in the sealed room. Vaughn, who had rewoven his persona, smiled and asked him, "I've heard that if the malice isn't strong enough, even using the Unforgivable Curse won't cause much damage. Is that true?"

Of all the wizards Vaughn had encountered, only Dumbledore, Snape, and Barty Crouch the Elder could be considered truly proficient in the Dark Arts, deeply immersed in them, and without losing their minds.

He had no way to consult the first two. In their hearts, Vaughn was certainly worthy of attention, but Harry Potter was equally important.

Because of Harry's existence, there are some things they can allow and tacitly accept, and there are some things they will never support under any circumstances.

Such a problem does not exist for Batistuta.

Old Barty didn't care about any savior or Voldemort.

Now, all he cares about is his son!

Whether this concern stems from paternal love or a promise to his deceased wife...

Sure enough, upon hearing Vaughn's question, Barty, who had fought alongside many Aurors on the front lines, thought for a moment. Although he didn't understand why Vaughn asked that, he slowly nodded: "It seems there is indeed such a phenomenon. More than ten years ago, when I issued the order to lift the ban on Unforgivable Curses, many Aurors performed poorly. Initially, their Unforgivable Curses were unable to cause the same damage as the Death Eaters, until the later stages of the war..."

At this point, Old Barty suddenly paused.

Vaughn, who was weaving a personification armor and whose wand tip was spewing white mist, smiled and continued, "...Until the later stages of the war, this phenomenon disappeared, and no one cared about the difference anymore. Because casting spells requires emotional involvement, it has always been the 'obvious' answer in the magical world. Wizards 'obviously' believed that the Unforgivable Curse was not powerful enough in the early stages because those dark magic novices had not yet learned to release evil thoughts."

"Has no one considered what kind of malice could cause such a large difference in the power of the Unforgivable Curse between Aurors and Death Eaters?"

"Shouldn't many Aurors have lost their homes and families back then? Wasn't the malice born from that hatred of destroying families enough?"

"Unfortunately, no one cares about such a question, or rather, no one dares to care. The rampage of Voldemort and the Death Eaters has made people extremely secretive about the study of dark magic, so no one thinks that perhaps its power is insufficient, but... they haven't killed anyone yet!"

Upon hearing this, Old Barty's lips trembled, as if he wanted to refute something, but he found himself unable to utter a word.

His past experiences told him that Vaughn's conjecture was likely correct, and he was convinced!

Of course, it was just speculation. After hesitating for a moment, Old Barty asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

Although he asked the question, he already had the answer in his heart.

Having known Vaughn for nearly a year, he was quite familiar with Vaughn's habits.

This little guy, who is more like a Muggle scientist than a wizard, would never treat something uncertain as truth. In his mind, there are no absolute answers; practice is the only standard.

Sure enough, upon hearing his question, Vaughn turned around and laughed, "Of course, I want to verify whether killing exacerbates the pollution, and whether pollution truly amplifies dark magic!"

"How..."

Old Barty's doubts came to an abrupt end, and he then noticed that Vaughn had woven two new personality suits.

One of them was clearly for Barty Jr.

So what about the other one...?

Old Barty's aged face twitched slightly as he looked helplessly at Vaughn: "Don't tell me another personality suit will be put into my head!"

"ha!"

Vaughn chuckled. "You really are my close ally, old Barty, always so perceptive of my thoughts... So, do you agree?"

He glanced at Vaughn, then at his son a few steps away, who was still under Vaughn's magical control, struggling violently but unable to utter a sound.

Old Barty sighed.

Does he really have a choice?

He nodded, but the intense sense of defeat still made him sarcastically say, "You're planning to collect information about my corrupted mind through a personification? Or is that how you put it? Aren't you afraid that the information you collect might not be accurate? For example, if a personification exists in my mental world, I might mislead and confuse it."

Busy weaving, Vaughn shrugged: "The Personality Manifestation is still being iterated, you can give it a try. If it succeeds, it'll make it easier for me to upgrade it!"

Old Barty was speechless.

He remained silent for a long time until Vaughn finished weaving the new personality kit and inserted it into his son's brain, thus regaining control of the deranged little Barty.

The other one, under Vaughn's command, flew to Old Barty.

The personification suit, shrouded in white mist and as thin as a veil, was not yet implanted into Old Barty's body, so its form was unstable and it looked like a cloud of water vapor.

But the old Batistuta, who witnessed its generation after generation and step by step strengthening, knows best just how powerful its invasion and control capabilities are.

Finally, he asked helplessly, "Who are you planning to have me kill?"

Vaughn thought for a moment, "Let's go kill the dark wizard and give Fudge something to do!"

……

On July 27, the long-peaceful English wizarding world was slightly disturbed by a few events.

One of them is that Harry Potter's birthday is coming soon!

Yes, because of the great achievement of "killing the Dark Lord," almost all wizards in the English wizarding world know the birthday of the savior Harry.

从11年前的11月1日开始（10月31日伏地魔被哈利打败），魔法界民间就新诞生了两个非正式节日。

One is "Victory Day" on November 1st, which is used to celebrate the fall of Voldemort and the return of peace to England. This festival is relatively large in scale, and wizards will drink and make merry all night long on this day.

The second is July 30th, the "Birthday of the Savior," which is a little smaller in scale, with participants limited to Harry's fanatical admirers or those who are extremely bored.

Of course, no one knows whether the existence of this festival is a genuine celebration or just an excuse for wizards to eat, drink, and have fun.

For at least 11 years, Harry had no idea that the wizarding world had such a "grand event"—the savior's worshippers certainly hoped that Harry Potter could appear in person, but unfortunately, Dumbledore had long ago imposed a strict magical blockade on Privet Drive.

Without his permission, no news from the magical world can reach here.

This is both to protect Harry and to prevent him from becoming arrogant due to people's praise.

So while pubs throughout England were filling their cellars and kitchens for the “festival” three days later, the festival’s star, Mr. Harry Potter, was still hiding in his attic, gazing up at the sky with anticipation.

He prayed anxiously to Jehovah and Merlin.

He prayed that his friends would not forget his birthday.

The second event is the WAC meeting to be held on the night of the 29th, which the Daily Prophet has been covering in detail for a week.

Strictly speaking, it was the first convention in magical history held by a non-wizard organization, and the first election convention not dominated by wizards (half of the seats in the WAC were werewolves) to decide the future fate of a magical creature race.

Prior to this, whether it was the peace agreement after the Fairy War or the "International Secrecy Law" jointly "supported" by magical creatures, the dominant force was the wizards. Whether it was fairies, centaurs, werewolves, giants, or other intelligent magical creatures, they only had the right to sign, not the right to vote.

As the conference draws near, discussions about the event are becoming increasingly heated in media publications, including The Daily Prophet.

There are those who agree, but also many who disagree.

The establishment of WAC has, in fact, split public opinion into two diametrically opposed factions several months ago.

The controversy intensified as the WAC announced its upcoming convention, which would be held publicly in the English wizarding community and the international magical society.

Supporters and opponents attacked each other in the newspapers.

"...Mr. Philbis believes that the corruption of the opposition is disgusting, and the establishment of the WAC has extraordinary positive significance. It represents the wizarding world truly stepping into 'civilization,' and the concepts of justice, equality, and democracy are finally truly and genuinely established in this society that has a history of thousands of years..."

On the evening of the 27th, the Granger family's attic was warm and cozy. The weather in the Greater London area was unusually good recently, and the setting sun shone in from the window on the other side of the attic, bathing everything in a golden hue.

In the path of light streaming through the window, Hermione held up a newspaper with great interest and read aloud: "Mrs. Sidney also supports the establishment of the WAC. She told me it was a rare step forward. She also didn't shy away from saying that her support for the WAC wasn't because she supported werewolves or had a liking for them, but because she saw in the WAC's establishment that the wizarding world was waking up from its rigid and indifferent old system, and wizards were beginning to pay attention to marginalized groups… By the way, Mrs. Sidney is a Squib living in the wizarding world!"

Hermione paused at this point, then exclaimed, "My God, she's so brave!"

Beside him, Vaughn stood with his arms outstretched in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Several measuring tapes, needles and threads, and clothes hangers hovered in mid-air, flying around him and automatically taking measurements and trimming edges.

Hearing Hermione's admiring words, Vaughn smiled but offered no comment, simply asking, "What did the opposition say?"

Hermione pouted, reluctantly saying, "I don't like people who oppose you!"

But she restrained her personal likes and dislikes, found the interview with the opposition in the report, and read aloud: "...Mr. Harrison of the opposition stated that the establishment of the WAC may indeed have its progressive significance, but it should be noted that it may very well become the death knell for the wizarding community!"

"All of this is because wizards were able to be born, and we are able to enjoy a peaceful life today. It is not because some magical creature took the initiative to give it to us or help us, but because our ancestors, the ancient wizards who began to walk in the wilderness before Christ, won their living space through war after war—the war between wizards and giants, the war between wizards and dragons, the war between elves, the war between fairies..."

"The prosperity of wizarding civilization is built on force and coercion. We drove giants to harsh mountains, forced dragons to forests and islands, enslaved elves, and forced fairies to sign unequal treaties... Aren't these things unjust and unfair?"

"Yes, but wizards have no other choice, because from the moment they are born, the world has never been fair to them. Giants grow to be over 16 feet tall and incredibly strong; dragon children are born breathing fire; and then there are fairies..."

"And what about humans? Our children take 11 years to get through their fragile infancy, and another 7 years to grow up before they can be considered true wizards... A long 18 years, how far behind those magical creatures are we?"

"Given this inherent injustice, the wizard's philosophy of survival boils down to competition, plunder, and oppression!"

"Only in this way can we maintain our peace. The werewolves are indeed pitiful, and I sympathize with them, but based on the above principles, I still believe that it is a very foolish thing to establish the WAC and give the werewolves the right to self-determination."

"The desires of intelligent beings are insatiable. This is true of humans, wizards, and intelligent magical creatures such as werewolves. Today we allow them to establish a werewolf affairs committee, and tomorrow they will want an independent state, a kingdom."

"Today we allow werewolves to make their own decisions, but what if other magical creatures demand the same treatment?"

(End of this chapter)