Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 167 Dumbledore's Implicit Deterrence

This strategy had already begun when Vaughn said, "You don't want to die!"

This sentence is interconnected.

Essex recalled that before he fell into a coma, Vaughn said he "didn't like dead people," which, in a sense, meant that if you don't want to die, I don't want you to die either. So, we have a basis for cooperation, why can't we talk?

The itching of the wound brought Essex back to his senses. He glanced at the thigh he had separated from his body; the wound was well bandaged.

Vaughn Weasley even conjured him a cane.

Even though he understood the other party's conciliatory intentions, Essex still couldn't help but feel a little grateful at this moment, which was why he was willing to "chat".

Of course, another reason is that Vaughn Weasley seems very familiar with Muggle society!

This is quite rare among wizards. As Vaughn said, "get to know each other." He also wanted to get to know this English genius in front of him, whom he had only heard of for the past few months.

So, after answering, Essex said, "My turn. Why did you come to America?"

Through the flickering firelight, Essex couldn't see Vaughn's expression, only noticing that he seemed to smile slightly: "Would you believe me if I said I initially just wanted to rescue a friend?"

"I believe you!"

"Oh? Why?"

"You don't need to lie to a prisoner. I might be able to provide some clues about his name."

"Her, a female friend, is named Isabella Rozier."

"The Rozier family?"

"Ah, yes, but they've already split up, and the main branch isn't too keen on getting involved in her affairs... Have you heard?"

Essex thought for a moment and shook her head: "Sorry, if I had encountered this surname before, I would definitely remember it."

Vaughn wasn't disappointed. He smiled and said, "It's okay. Actually, I already have a way to find her. I was planning to hold a press conference in Boston with the Federation. If it weren't for the fact that I was there to arrest you, the news of my attendance at the press conference would probably have already been reported back to the press office. She would be able to see it in the newspaper tomorrow."

"..."

Despite their differing stances, Essex still felt a little awkward at that moment.

He saw Vaughn Weasley smile and say, "So, you want to kill me, don't you? Because my arrival might resolve Iphamoni's current predicament, preventing you from taking revenge on those purebloods?"

The forest was pitch black in the dead of night.

Vaughn chose a resting spot on a small hill, from which he could see the dark jungle stretching out like an ocean across his horizon.

Everywhere, shadows sway in the wind.

Only further away, the moon, which had somehow emerged from the clouds, cast its faint silvery light, illuminating the undulating mountains at the edge of the field of vision in a grayish-white hue.

Essex gazed up at the bright moon, lost in thought for a moment, and instead of answering Vaughn's question, said, "This month is almost halfway over again."

Crack!

A few sparks flew from the burning firewood.

Vaughn curled the corners of his lips into a smile and remained silent. He knew that when Essex said "this month," she meant not the Gregorian calendar, but the lunar phase calendar.

In a few days, the full moon will arrive again!

"You said before that your original purpose was to come to America to rescue your friends, so it must be more than that now. You deliberately chose this time to give those werewolves hope, right?"

"If there is no hope, by this date, most of those werewolves will have already begun preparing various tools to bind themselves under the full moon a few days later... Is this kind of self-awareness really something the werewolves want? It is undeniable that some werewolves are still very moral. I have met a werewolf who has never harmed a single life in his life and has instead saved many magical creatures."

"But when the size of this group expands to hundreds or thousands, it must be acknowledged that most werewolves are just like ordinary wizards and Muggles. Don't expect them to sacrifice willingly. Their willingness stems from fear—not fear of harming others or spreading werewolfism, but fear of causing trouble and being killed by the wizards!"

"A werewolf's self-awareness can be considered a form of self-preservation..."

When Essex got to this point, Vaughn interrupted, saying, "You're talking about the living conditions of werewolves in America. Different countries treat werewolves differently."

"It's all the same anyway: execution, or imprisonment followed by forced public disclosure of one's identity, and open discrimination that makes survival impossible. Is there any difference?"

Essex scoffed: "No matter what country they're in, werewolves are pathetic creatures, rats in the gutter. It's just that before, when they had no choice and no hope, they could only endure the pain. But now it's different..."

He turned his head and looked at Vaughn:

"Wolfsbane Potion and WAC—these two concepts offer hope, like a candle flame to a moth… I've been following news about you and WAC for a long time."

"Starting a few months ago, I noticed the discussions in the newspapers about the impact of the establishment of WAC. There were positive and negative opinions, and the arguments were heated. No one would give in. Perhaps the arguments gradually heated up, and both sides began to cite classics to provide theoretical support for their views. Then, I don't know when, two factions actually developed as a result: the so-called progressives and the conservatives..."

A faint smile appeared on his pale face: "How interesting. Why is the discussion surrounding a werewolf management organization so prolonged? Why has the management of werewolves gradually drawn into the 'Secrecy Act'? I have a feeling that there's a mastermind behind all this, guiding public opinion, stirring up conflict, and using that conflict to make WAC a media darling. As public opinion ferments, he, and his WAC, gradually become widely known!"

Essex's gaze was sharp.

Across from him, in the flickering firelight, Vaughn listened quietly with a faint smile on his lips, as if he were listening to a rather captivating story.

After watching for a while, perhaps because her weak body could no longer provide the strength, or perhaps because she thought of something, Essex sighed, and her sharp eyes gradually softened.

He lay back down, gazing at the sky: "The story before was originally just my idle speculation, after all, I didn't know you back then, until today... WAC was just established, and you couldn't wait to come to America, because you felt the publicity was in place and the time was right, right?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Vaughn shrugged: "That's only one aspect. Even without the WAC visit, I would still have to come to America."

He did not refute Essex's words.

This made Essex's eyes light up, but then he gave a bitter smile.

Even if your guess is proven true, so what?

It's nothing more than adding another label like "deeply thoughtful" to Vaughn Weasley's already mysterious and unpredictable image!

He knew that he was still somewhat unconvinced, resentful that he, a 38-year-old veteran wizard, had been defeated by a child.

He wanted to see Vaughn Weasley's plans exposed and his panicked reaction.

But thinking about it carefully, what's the point?

Moreover, the other party was far calmer than he had imagined, or perhaps, for Vaughn Weasley, it didn't matter whether anyone saw through his plans.

The important thing is that things are going in the direction he expected!

For months, the debate surrounding WAC has resembled a protracted propaganda campaign, especially in the United States—where some of the country's largest newspapers are controlled by the Magical Congress, which clearly does not want the media to focus on the series of violent conflicts, such as the anti-secrecy law and the anti-Rappaport Act.

The solution to prevent people from discussing things they don't want to see is not prohibition, but rather diverting their attention!

This year, several major American newspapers, including The Daily Prophet North America, have published extensive reports on the WAC (War of the Covenant) in England!

This is also the main reason why Ilfamoni was able to react so quickly and send representatives to England to make contact.

After months of publicity... even werewolves living in the Arctic Circle have probably received the news. Essex can almost imagine how excited those werewolves hiding in the American mainland must be!

They've been on the fringes for too long!

If there were no hope, that would be one thing, but now, Vaughn Weasley and WAC have set foot on American soil.

As the full moon draws ever closer, and as once-in-a-lifetime hope arrives in this land, what choices will those werewolves make?

Essex doesn't even need to think—

"If I were a werewolf, I'd crawl, I'd crawl, to Boston!"

He sighed and said, "Especially your speech on the day WAC was founded, 'Let werewolves live in the sunlight,' how tempting it was! Even I felt trembling all over... and terrified after listening to it!"

After listening silently for a long time, Vaughn finally spoke: "So, you and your organization are coming after me out of fear?"

"No!"

Essex shook his head: "Actually, neither I nor the other leaders in the organization intended to attack you. We... just wanted to find an opportunity to talk to you alone."

Upon hearing this answer, Vaughn didn't seem surprised at all, merely raising an eyebrow: "Interesting, you've also set your sights on werewolves."

Vaughn was not surprised at all.

If Iphamoni could perceive the potential of WAC, then other factions and organizations can as well.

More importantly, although WAC is an outsider, it has its necessity and monopoly function. As long as Vaughn and his delegation arrive in North America, they will definitely establish a branch in this land, and it is meaningless for anyone to oppose it.

Because werewolves and wolfification are objective and undeniable problems, the existence of "wolf poison" can naturally unite werewolves, giving them a common interest and freeing them from their scattered state.

And when werewolves band together, no force dares to ignore their opinions!

Vaughn kindly reminded him, "Since you want to see me, you don't need to be sneaky. You can just send a letter of request. You've already noticed that I'm guiding public opinion and promoting WAC. You should understand that I, eager to expand my influence, won't refuse other organizations' participation in cooperation."

Upon hearing this, Essex gave a wry smile: "I only realized that after witnessing your strength, and besides..."

He didn't continue speaking.

But Vaughn could basically guess that there are bound to be differing opinions within any organization.

Each different voice basically represents a group with vested interests.

Taking his own experience as an example, the reason he was able to leisurely attend classes and build organizations after offending Cornelius Fudge was because the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation were outwardly compliant but inwardly supportive of Fudge.

The WAC, which currently appears united, does so because Vaughn initially gave the werewolves half of the committee seats, causing others to feel they could not compete and voluntarily give up.

As for the werewolf committee members... to put it bluntly, in the current environment, they have no choice but to rely on Vaughn to preserve their hard-won achievements!

It won't be long before the werewolves' position becomes stable after 10 years of WAC development. With power in their hands, they will naturally have various ideas, which will then give rise to factions!

Such is the law of social development; this problem has existed since the moment human classes emerged.

Therefore, Vaughn asked with interest, "What were you originally planning to do with me? Kidnap? Control me?"

Essex paused for a moment, then said expressionlessly, "There's nothing to ask. Those thoughts are meaningless now."

"How could it be meaningless? If it weren't for going too far, I might even cooperate with you!"

"Oh……"

Essex scoffed. He didn't believe Vaughn's nonsense. How could someone who quietly stirred up conflict between people for months just for publicity, someone who attacked without a word when he noticed something was wrong, be so easy to talk to?

Faced with his sarcastic attitude, Vaughn remained unfazed, sensing that his guard was still up. Vaughn didn't press the matter further and smoothly changed the subject:

"Since you're unwilling to discuss this possibility or reveal your organization, you wouldn't refuse to answer some American questions, would you?"

"Excuse me," Essex said without refusing.

"Before coming here, Joshua Porter said that Iphamoni was in a dilemma; they chose to shelter the students in the conflict, while other forces wanted them to hand over the students... To be honest, I don't quite understand your insistence on this point of contention. Those were just students; why did you have to kill them?"

Vaughn looked at Essex: "From our conversation just now, I can see that you are intelligent and rational. You should understand that this behavior is unnecessary..."

"No, it's absolutely necessary!"

To Vaughn's surprise, Essex interrupted him, saying firmly, "I don't know what the purebloods think, but my organization, including myself, is determined to exterminate all purebloods, even if they are just children!"

Vaughn frowned: "Why?"

He originally thought that Iphamoni's act of sheltering the students was not likely to become the main contradiction; he originally thought it was just a lack of order and morality caused by the chaos of the battle.

But now it seems there's more to the story?

Hearing Vaughn's question, Essex didn't hide anything and said, "To survive!"

"Um?"

Essex glanced at Vaughn, then looked away, gazing at the bright moon and sparse stars in the night sky above: "You should be glad you were born in England... no, that's not right, your surname is Weasley. Although various sources say that the Weasleys are pure-blood traitors, the truth is that your father, Arthur Weasley, was an ordinary wizard who was able to become the head of the Ministry of Magic, even though that position seemed to be completely useless."

"Yes, we investigated you and your family, and don't take offense at my harsh words... You can ask yourself, did your father get into the Ministry of Magic because of exceptional talent?"

Uh……

Vaughn shrugged. Arthur was indeed just so-so. Putting aside his character, in terms of ability alone, he didn't have anything particularly outstanding.

"Because his surname is Weasley!" Essex snorted. "After all, it's a family that has existed for hundreds of years. Even if other families don't like you, with old ties, blood relations and other connections, he doesn't need to do anything to be recruited into the Ministry of Magic and supported with a position."

"This is still purebred English..."

At this point, Essex said with a mixture of envy and jealousy, "After all, you still have Albus Dumbledore. Perhaps you've gotten used to it and haven't realized how important his existence is in curbing purebloods. Everyone knows that Dumbledore opposes purebloods and is close to Muggles."

"The attitude of a legendary wizard is extremely important. It was his attitude that kept the purebloods of England from crossing the line, and we do not have such a leader!"

He turned his head, looking into Vaughn's eyes that reflected the firelight: "The influence of purebloods in this country far exceeds your understanding. They control all resources and monopolize all magic-related industries: potions, wands, medicine, magic... Yes, pureblood children and Muggle children even learn different magic when they enter Ivermony. The gap begins from the moment they enroll!"

"In 1968, after the Rappaport Act was reinstated, do you know what resolution the Ministry of Magic passed to better enforce it?"

Before Vaughn could answer, Essex sneered and gave the answer: "'Muggle Informed Tax,' a heavy tax levied on all young wizards who are unwilling to sever ties with their Muggle families. Hah, the moment I became a wizard, before I had done anything, I already owed the Ministry of Magic 200 quorums!"

"There's also the 'Wand Registration Tax,' a tax specifically for adult wizards. Wizards of Muggle origin who want to carry their wands need to pay this tax—after all, you have Muggle relatives, what if your wizarding identity is exposed because of your wand? Of course, the merciful Magisterium has also given you a choice: you can choose to deposit your wand in Woolworth Building and apply to the magisters when you need it. As for when the application will be approved, who knows..."

"Oh, right, there's also the 'Exposure Level Clause.' America is a country that strictly enforces the Secrecy Act. No wizard is allowed to reveal their identity to Muggles. But your Muggle parents must know, right? According to the rules, having your identity known by a Muggle is considered a Level 6 magical exposure incident, which incurs a fine. It's not much, though—50 dawds per Muggle per year. The gentlemen have kindly allowed the young wizard to delay payment, to be repaid in one lump sum upon reaching adulthood!"

"Don't even think about using forgetfulness or confusion spells on your parents to escape a fine. Casting spells on Muggles is a Level 3 offense, which not only incurs heavy penalties but also jail time."

"...By escalating the debt layer by layer, by the time I graduated from Ifamoni at the young age of 18, I already owed a staggering 8000 yen!"

Essex's gaze at Vaughn gradually became unfocused, as if his attention had been drawn to the campfire between the two.

It was as if the flickering flame had stirred up memories of his passionate past.

He seemed unsure what to say, his lips twitching slightly as he muttered to himself, "You absolutely can't imagine, the immense pressure is enough to crush anyone. Leaving campus doesn't mean a brilliant future, it's hell!"

"Don't even think about finding a job to slowly pay it off. The Magical Congress doesn't offer that option. The moment you step out of the school gates, the magical mark of your debt will be branded on you... There's no clearer label in the world. Every wizard knows you're an incompetent, untrustworthy mudblood!"

"Of course, there are other options. As far as I know, many students from Muggle backgrounds have already accepted some form of 'exemption agreement' stipulated by the Magical Congress as early as their second or third year. What does that mean?"

He suddenly smiled and chuckled, "The lawyers at the Magic Congress will create a directory based on the Muggle students' family circumstances, listing your Muggle relatives and friends on it, and categorizing them into different levels of fines and tax exemptions."

"Break off ties with a mugged friend and get a 20-foot pot free."

"Sever ties with a collateral relative within three generations and you'll be exempt from 100 'zhuo guo' (a unit of currency)... up to your highest direct blood relative, parents, siblings, each exempt from 500 'zhuo guo'!"

Vaughn listened intently; this was something he had never been able to access before.

Upon hearing Essex mention the "waiver agreement," Vaughn keenly sensed a problem: "How is the 'waiver agreement' implemented?"

Essex snapped out of her daze, glanced at Vaughn, and her smile gradually turned strange and twisted: "You're very clever, you've found the most crucial point... Heh heh, who in the world is most capable of avoiding reversals, and most capable of making those who sign agreements unable to turn back?"

He paused, his smile turning sinister: "Dead people, of course!"

"You foreigners probably have no idea that the Magic Congress has a very inconspicuous agency called the 'Agreement Enforcement Agency.' They are responsible for enforcing or supervising signatories' compliance with 'exemption agreements'... Isn't it hard to imagine? At the end of the 20th century, almost into the 21st century, there still exists an agency that legitimizes the killing of innocent people!"

Looking at Essex, whose jaw was clenched and a muscle on his cheek was twitching, Vaughn suddenly understood:

"You—also signed an agreement?"

"..."

Vaughn was met with silence.

Essex's gaze became unfocused again. He stared at the flames, his expression shifting between light and shadow. After a long while, he turned his head away: "...Yes!"

"At that time... I had no other choice..."

As he uttered these words, his face pale, Essex's expression grew increasingly dazed, as if he were seeing that gloomy afternoon from 20 years ago again.

He stood in front of a small building, pale and weak, just as he was now.

Heavy, gloomy clouds hung down from the sky, a cold wind rustled through the bare treetops, and a few ravens circled against the gray backdrop of the sky.

croak——

Amidst that hoarse and unpleasant cry, a male wizard in a black suit stared coldly at him, urging him to raise his wand!

"...You have signed an agreement, sworn an oath before the sacred law, and severed all ties with this Muggle..."

"Do it! Only then will your magic return to its pure form!"

Crack!

The sound of sparks flying brought Essex back to his senses, leaving only a faint, desperate scream echoing further and further away, as if reverberating in his ears and mind.

It gave him a throbbing headache!

On the other side of the campfire, a fleeting, eerie blue light flashed in Vaughn's eyes.

In his eyes, the bright moon hanging high in the sky, the bonfire burning fiercely... everything lost its color, leaving only pale outlines to delineate the general shape of the objects.

Only on the opposite side, a hazy fog clung to Essex, stretching and contracting erratically.

Personality in disguise!

Vaughn was never a conventional person, and the word "soft-hearted" was completely foreign to him. So, long before Essex fell into a coma, he implanted a personality suit deep into the other's consciousness.

At that moment, it sent him a strong signal.

That indicates that the other person's emotions are fluctuating wildly, and emotions are usually the weakest point in one's mental defenses because they are most easily influenced, manipulated by hormones, memories, and sweet or painful experiences.

Vaughn blinked, his vision returning to normal. He continued to guide Essex without changing his expression, leading him to recall: "So, your rebellion against purebloods stems from the exploitation you suffer at the hands of the Magic Council, which controls you?"

"That's not exploitation!"

Still lost in his memories, Essex was unaware of the subtle anomalies in his mind, much less that deep within his consciousness, a wisp of mist was extending its tentacles, quietly stimulating him.

This made him increasingly emotional.

His eyes were red, and the veins on his forehead bulged with emotion: "I used to think that what the purebloods did was just to exploit us, but no, they are trying to exterminate us!"

"You think the 'exemption agreement' is the end? Those damned vampires have far more tricks up their sleeves than you can imagine. Controlling our money is just the first step. When you succumb to the pressure of money and choose preferential policies like the 'exemption agreement' offered by the Magic Congress, that's when you truly fall into the trap."

"When you smear your hands with the blood of your family and friends, your character has already degenerated."

"The lords of the Magic Congress will present you with even more things that shatter your dignity and moral compass, and your choices... hahaha, you've even killed your family and friends, what choices do you have left?"

Over the past 20 years, countless unbearable memories have flooded my mind.

This made Essex increasingly agitated; his face flushed, the veins on his neck bulged, and his struggle to control himself caused him to instinctively clench his fists.

"We can only sink into the stinking ditch like a lump of mud, little by little, irretrievably, never to climb out again... Exploitation is just a byproduct; from the very beginning, their idea was to trample on our personality and dignity, sweep us down into the dust, destroy us from spirit to body, and exterminate us!"

Essex's eyes turned bloodshot, his gaze widened, and his expression became ferocious:

"So, why do you think I kill those pureblood brats? Because this is war, a war of genocide. If I don't want my children to be oppressed by the growing purebloods like I was, if I don't want my children to die a tragic death like my wife, the only thing I can do is kill all those purebloods!"

"Leave no one alive!"

When Essex shouted out those last words.

His intense hatred, humiliation, and pain seemed to have finally reached their peak.

Vaughn shifted his perspective again, and Essex's mental breakdown allowed the personality implant hidden deep within his mind to glimpse an opportunity.

A thin white mist spread out in the void, like a soft monster stretching out its dense tentacles.

Through the feedback from the personification, Vaughn saw a "cyclone".

That was a storm in the mind, a state of chaos arising from the collapse of reason in a stable mental world!

Countless fragments of memory, thought, distraction, emotion, and other mental constructs form scattered images and phantoms, swirling wildly in the world of the mind.

Only in such a violent state is it suitable for personification activities to pry open an entrance in the opponent's mental defenses!

The misty tentacles moved through countless frenzied memories, brushing past countless chaotic and hysterical thoughts.

This operation did not go smoothly.

"ah--"

A long, distant scream came, and Vaughn "saw" that a tentacle had broken off, torn to shreds by a memory that brushed past him like a shard of a mirror.

The mirror-like image showed a screaming, bloodied woman!

It is powerful; it is less a memory and more an obsession!

A thought struck Vaughn, and more tentacles wrapped around it. In a moment, the "mirror" was engulfed by mist, and the intense memories and emotions, filtered by the personality suit, were transmitted over.

It lingered in Vaughn's mind:

"Bruce, help me—"

"Let her go! Olivia!"

Vaughn's vision flickered, and in a daze, he saw "himself" being magically fixed to a wall, watching helplessly as a group of men in black suits tortured a woman to death.

He was heartbroken, but could only listen to her screams and watch her wither away...

Such "obsessions" are not uncommon, or rather, extremely common, in the chaotic mental storms of Essex.

Vaughn's "gaze" pierced through the outline of Essex's body, looking down at the storm from above, seeing images that were selected, absorbed, and filtered by the personification device from the chaotic storm.

Essex's life experiences are constantly being diluted and passed down.

Feeling the intense negative emotions still present in those fragments, even after being diluted, Vaughn was somewhat moved.

This is hatred...

Humiliated and trampled upon time and time again, with no hope in sight, only boundless resentment and hatred for oneself and for the perpetrators!

Although Vaughn knew that the conflict between purebred and non-purebred bloodlines in North America was extremely deep, what he knew was, after all, just cold words and data.

This was the first time he truly understood why a conflict that had existed for decades could, in just one year, effectively divide North America!

If Bruce Essex's experience is the common experience of wizards from Muggle origins in North America, then he can only say that the current state of division is probably far from reaching its peak!

(End of this chapter)