Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 172 "The Pragmatist" Voldemort

Lupin was particularly annoyed by that arrogant confidence and the subtle yet ever-present threat!

He knew his mindset was wrong. How arrogant others were was their business. As the vice president of the new organization WAC and Vaughn's deputy, he should view everyone and everything calmly and rationally. After all, WAC didn't have enough confidence to act recklessly.

But when he thought about how, while they were in the briefcase, the other party used various excuses to subtly coerce Vaughn into so-called "cooperation," he couldn't help but think about how, back then, the other party had used all sorts of excuses to subtly pressure Vaughn into "cooperation."

Thinking of the undisguised contempt the other person showed when talking about werewolves, he felt anger brewing in his chest!

Especially after they emerged from the suitcase space, when he led the Magic Congress to Matthew and registered him...

Will he bite?

"Why release this guy from the cage?"

"Hey, who cast a cleaning spell on him? He's all scruffy and looks absolutely awful..."

"Height...eye color...hair color...Mr. Lupin, can this werewolf talk?"

"Mr. Lupin, please tell Mr. Vaughn Weasley again that this werewolf... well, this Mr. Matthew is not on the list, so Mr. Weasley is responsible for all his actions. Please keep a close eye on his every move to avoid any undesirable consequences."

Lupin didn't know how he managed to endure it.

All he knew was that he was about to lose his mind with anger.

After seeing the people from the Magic Congress off, he realized that his clenched fists were so tight that his nails were digging into his palms.

In over 30 years, he had never encountered so many annoying people, even more so than that madman Voldemort—at least Voldemort had a flexible standard when it came to "discrimination".

Hybrids, Mudbloods, werewolves, Veela, fairies, etc., are all trash, but if you're willing to kiss my robes and hang out with me, then... it's not impossible to discuss!

It emphasizes pragmatism!

Compared to Lupin's righteous indignation, Matthew's reaction was much calmer.

"I'm used to it." Matthew, who was holding several books and hadn't let go even as the Magical Congressmen were gesturing around him like they were weighing goods, said calmly, "That's just how people treat werewolves, whether they're English or Yankees."

Only Vaughn Weasley is different!

he thought.

In Matthew's eyes, Vaughn Weasley was by no means kind; in fact, he was cold and indifferent, with a heart as hard and cold as iron. But it was precisely this kind of person who would not discriminate or treat others differently.

Because in his eyes everyone is the same, what distinguishes people is not race, but whether they are useful or not!

This is also a kind of pragmatism in a sense.

"Aren't you even a little bit angry?" Lupin found Matthew's calmness incredible.

"no."

Matthew shook his head. One of the reasons he was willing to submit and try to get closer to Vaughn to increase his own value was that he really wanted to see if the promise Vaughn made in his speech that werewolves could live in the sunlight could come true!

Apart from that, everything else is trivial.

Lupin, who had never experienced real hardship and whose social relationships had been simple since childhood, could not understand this way of thinking, just as he could not understand why Vaughn could tolerate Michael Graves.

Leaving Matthew, with whom he had a disagreement, Lupin hurriedly returned to his briefcase.

The space remained sunny, and the large-scale magical experiment suspended in mid-air continued. Only the terrified and tragic roars of the Norwegian Spinosaurus, which had been dismantled into countless parts but was still alive, gradually faded away.

When Lupin rushed back, Vaughn was recording and analyzing the phenomenon:

"...The Spinosaurus's evolution leans towards versatility. Compared to other fire dragons, it has the most magical organs in its body, which are not only distributed throughout the chest cavity, such as the lungs and spine, but also in places where other fire dragons have not evolved, especially in the skeleton..."

"The magical organs within the skeleton provide the Spinosaurus, whose muscle tissue has degenerated, with a completely different life support and energy system. Moreover, this system is strongly interconnected, and any damage or decomposition of the skeleton will cause it to decay rapidly..."

brush!

As Vaughn was recording, a system panel popped up in front of him, and the number representing the progress of the side quests subtly changed:

[5/10]

Vaughn paused for a moment, not at all surprised. Although there are many kinds of fire dragons, they are all under the same system, but their evolutionary directions are different.

Spinosaurus, a fire dragon with no particular special abilities, shares many similarities in internal structure with other fire dragons. Given that Vorn has already completely "disassembled" four fire dragons, its secrets are not too difficult to unravel.

"We're already halfway there..."

Vaughn pondered for a moment, then instructed Lupin, who had been restless beside him since entering, "Remus, contact those families again later and urge them to send the other four types of fire dragons as soon as possible, and also, add one more tree bee."

Lupin instinctively agreed.

Then he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Mr. Chairman, you...?"

Vaughn knew what Lupin was going to ask: "Still thinking about what just happened?"

Lupin opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

"Do you think my attitude was a bit weak? Faced with Graves's threat, I didn't give a strong rebuttal?" Vaughn asked with a smile.

Lupin remained silent.

"Because his threats are real, I don't yet have a way to resolve the difficulties he mentioned... a country that is unfamiliar to us, an equally unfamiliar population, the Magic Congress, a political group that cannot be ignored, and various civilian organizations, some with clear demands on the surface, others hiding underwater with unclear true purposes..."

"It's different here than in England. In England, we had Dumbledore, Amelia, and Barty Crouch. During the creation of the WAC, they gave us political protection and allowed us to speak out and gain popular support."

"And here, it's a complete mess. Until I find a way to break this deadlock... Yes, Remus, what Graves called a threat is actually true. We who have the Wolfsbane Potion are indeed like children waving around a bunch of pots and pans in the middle of the city."

Lu Ping was completely taken aback by what he heard.

"What is our purpose in coming to America?"

"Uh... developing the WAC North American chapter..."

"Yes, our purpose in coming here is to bring the WAC's system and benefits to North America, which means we will establish an institution here... So, given this purpose, can we ignore the Magic Congress? Can we ignore those civilian armed groups?"

"……cannot……"

Of course not!

WAC's mission is to change the werewolf's living environment, manage and develop the werewolf, all centered around the wolfsbane potion. Since it's about management and development, it's impossible to drag everyone to remote mountainous areas and let them play house in a desolate place, right?

What WAC needs is to help werewolves reintegrate into society, and then, by leveraging the werewolves' increased social status and influence, help WAC expand its territory.

During this process, interactions with other forces are inevitable!

So, how many forces and organizations would be willing to sit idly by and watch the werewolves rise, instead of taking advantage of their weakness to carve up their territory?

Lu Ping made a prediction and felt a chill run down his spine.

Even if he believes in the goodness of human nature, reality... usually delivers the opposite result!

Vaughn transmitted his memory of his conversation with Bruce Essex the day before to Lupin. After reading it, Lupin was horrified—in his opinion, these people in North America had gone mad!

Perhaps the Magic Congress's long-term oppressive rule, its bottomless maintenance and enforcement of the Secret Law, coupled with its recent indulgence, has completely burned away everyone's rationality.

All they can think about now is revenge and killing!

Do people like this have long-term plans? Do they understand the meaning of win-win cooperation?

Do not!

Just by putting himself in their shoes, Lupin could imagine that these people who had gone to extremes would only notice the allure of the wolfsbane potion to werewolves, and the werewolves as a marginalized group that would not be considered by everyone in normal times.

Note how much combat power can be added out of thin air once you have them!

It was only at this moment that Lupin understood why Vaughn, despite his apparent rudeness towards Michael Graves, or more precisely, towards Woolworth Building, which Graves represented, had not firmly refused, but instead, under threat, said he would "consider."

A firm refusal would mean a complete break with the Magic Council.

In that case, with wolves in front and tigers behind, WAC's possibility of entering North America would probably be nipped in the bud before it even begins!

Lupin's Adam's apple bobbed laboredly as he asked with some pain, "President, are we left with no choice but the Magic Congress?"

After thinking it over and over, it seemed that only this one possibility remained!

To his surprise, Vaughn decisively shook his head: "I would never cooperate with the Magical Congress. No one understands the Yankees better than me. Don't be fooled by their high-sounding words and generous offers. In reality, these people are masters of going back on their word and love to apply double standards—strict with others but lenient with themselves!"

This is not a stereotype.

In Vaughn's previous life, America had already shown the world what it meant to be a chaotic mess, using all sorts of shameless methods.

The culture and mindset of the Yankees have long been distorted!

Including the world at large, the same applies to the magical world of America—what other country in the world can maintain racial segregation (the Rappaport Act) for decades?

Lupin was taken aback. Who else could it be but the Magic Council?

Iphamoni?

Don't be ridiculous, that's right. Vaughn's visit to North America with the WAC delegation was indeed at the invitation of Evamoni.

However, no one within WAC felt that partnering with Iphamoni was a good option.

It's just a magic school; protecting a few thousand students is already the limit of its capabilities. You can't expect it to provide any positive assistance to WAC in establishing itself in North America.

On the contrary, WAC is here to clean up the mess for Evamoni. If WAC can really be established in North America, it will definitely have to help them solve their current predicament as a way of thanking them for bringing WAC in through official channels.

Another option is eliminated.

Thinking it over, Lupin suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He looked at Vaughn: "The Federation?"

Vaughn, still gazing up at the magical experiment in mid-air, neither denied nor answered, but often silence signifies acceptance.

Even though Vaughn didn't actually want to make this choice!

He hadn't forgotten that his purpose in coming to North America was to help WAC expand its influence and use it as leverage against future interference from the Federation!

Unfortunately, things change a bit too quickly...

The complexity of the situation in North America not only exceeded Vaughn's expectations, but also exceeded the limits of the Federation's imagination!

……

Not long after the wizards of the Magical Congress left, Lupin was still pondering the pros and cons of cooperating with the Federation while helping Vaughn conduct magical experiments.

Akinbad, unable to wait any longer, barged in.

This old African man, who usually looked menacing and ready to devour anyone, has appeared much more melancholy and gentle these past few days because he often frowns.

Upon meeting, he jokingly teased Vaughn, "Dealing with the Magical Congress must be tough, right? I heard that that weirdo Michael Graves almost put his wand to your neck and forced you to comply."

Vaughn, who was organizing documents, glanced at him upon hearing this: "So when the people from the Magic Congress came, you sent someone with them just to see us make a fool of ourselves?"

"No, no, no."

Akinbad repeatedly denied it: "I was worried that you would lose your temper and accidentally kill him... To be honest, even a good-tempered old guy like me sometimes wants to give each of those people in Woolworth Building a Killing Curse and end it all."

After venting his frustrations, he naturally turned to Lupin and said, "Remus, go and prepare some afternoon tea for me and Vaughn, in the English style, with extra sugar, I like it sweet."

"..." Lupin was speechless and looked at Vaughn.

Vaughn waved his hand at him.

After Lupin left, Akinbad couldn't wait to say, "Although I know you definitely won't compromise, I still want to remind you, never believe a single word from those bastards at Woolworth Building. They're a bunch of scoundrels and devils!"

"You'd be better off coming to me than cooperating with them. At least I don't have any particular thoughts about you or WAC right now. Even if I do, it will be after your influence has faded in the future."

Vaughn did not readily believe what he said.

Although, based on recent interactions and Dumbledore's assessment, this old African wizard is indeed a very straightforward person.

However, the other party's straightforwardness and honesty came with conditions.

Just like at the previous WAC meeting, where Akinbad promised to give Vaughn a unanimous vote in exchange for a debate, this seems to be the principle he follows.

Therefore, instead of agreeing or disagreeing, Vaughn asked, "What are your demands?"

"It's simple. I want you to join me in investigating the Purgers!"

In reality, there are many things we cannot control.

A little over a week ago, when Akinbad booked his ride on the Royal Mary, he never imagined that Dumbledore and Vaughn would shamelessly use him as a shield.

What surprised him even more was that, just over a week later, he and the federation he represented were getting closer and closer to Vaughn and the WAC delegation.

It's clear that their relationship hasn't actually improved.

The contradictions still exist, but compared to the contradictions that have not yet intensified, the threats posed by the complex situation in the United States that are currently emerging are clearly more urgent.

The situation was so dire that Akinbad had to band together for support!

"I need the WAC's help, Weasley."

Akinbad looked at Vaughn with sincerity in his eyes: "As I said before, in the United States, neither the Federation nor the WAC are outsiders. Here, we are powerless."

"Although nominally, you and I are here only for investigation and visits, you, me, and various federal forces all know that our investigation and visits will not be harmonious, but will undermine their interests... No one will sit idly by and wait to be killed. It is foreseeable that we will encounter many difficulties in the future."

"Given this external environment, the Federation and WAC continuing to operate independently, as before, not only disperses our already limited resources here but may also lead to overlapping investigation directions, greatly hindering efficiency. Therefore, I hope that both sides can unite, at least for the duration of our stay in the Federation, forming a de facto alliance to integrate resources and advance and retreat together!"

Akinbad's expression was resolute: "Especially regarding the Purgers!"

Compared to his resolute stance, Vaughn's attitude was somewhat ambiguous: "Your proposal has a significant impact, making it difficult for me to decide... While you're right that a joint effort would make it easier to concentrate our forces, our demands differ. For example, the Purifiers you mentioned don't have any conflict with the WAC..."

"Weasley!"

Before Vaughn could finish speaking, Akimbard interrupted him, the old wizard's expression growing increasingly serious: "You are a renowned potions master. In related research, you know more than I do, and more than those Muggle experts the Federation has found. You should understand that if Muggles really do possess artificial..."

He paused, calming his agitated emotions, before struggling to utter the following words: "...mastering artificial wizard technology...what a disaster that would be for us."

"How can there be a place of peace under a flood? Yes, the Purifiers have nothing to do with you now, but I think you've seen their extreme ideology in history books; they want to eliminate all magic... As a wizard, can you separate yourself from magic? And those werewolves under your command, can they sever themselves from magic?"

"If the purgers are really as we suspect, then those guys will eventually target you!"

Vaughn's eyes were lowered, and no one could see what he was thinking.

Or is this just a deliberate attempt to manipulate the situation?

Akinbad's whereabouts are unknown.

He didn't believe that Vaughn Weasley wouldn't have thought of the simple logic he was talking about. In his several encounters with Vaughn, the most profound impression he had of him was that the other man was meticulous, had a strong sense of the big picture, and had a far-sighted vision.

If Muggles can really "create wizards," Arkinbad doesn't believe Vaughn can't see the enormous disaster that might be hidden behind this intelligence!

A catastrophe large enough to sweep across the entire global magical world, from which no one can escape unscathed!

He could see the problem clearly, yet he remained ambiguous when suggesting confronting it head-on; he was either a fool or an idiot—Vaughn was clearly not a fool.

Either you have a request or you want something!

Therefore, Akinbad considered for a moment, stared into Vaughn's eyes, and said, "What conditions must I offer to gain your support?"

Across from him, Vaughn finally smiled, and for a fleeting moment, the cunning and treachery in his smile made Akinbad think he was seeing Dumbledore.

"You're being too polite. In any case, the Federation has a certain number of seats in WAC, so we can be considered brother units. Helping you solve your problems is what WAC and I should do. As for making demands... that's not my idea, it's yours, your own choice!"

The conversation took an abrupt turn at the end, nearly scrambling Akinbad's mind. His face darkened: "How about we sign an agreement to put my words in black and white?"

Vaughn smiled and shook his head: "Of course not, I trust you."

As he spoke, he seemed to have forgotten what he had said less than a minute earlier—that it was a "difficult choice"—and skillfully steered the conversation toward the issue of the purgers, asking:

"How do you want to begin?"

Akimbard took a deep breath, forcing himself to forget the frustration of being "blackmailed." "This is another reason why I'm seeking your cooperation. The think tank has basically confirmed that those Purgers are not normally awakened wizards. Several experts who study Muggles have similar conclusions to yours—they are mostly products of Muggle genetic engineering!"

"There is no doubt that an immediate investigation into the purgers should be launched, but the question now is, where should we begin?"

The old wizard frowned: "This is actually related to the current situation in the Federation. How did those Muggles in America develop the technology to create those wizards?"

Vaughn nodded, clearly having considered this question: "That's right, no technology can appear out of thin air. Their evolution inevitably leaves traces, from demonstration to preparation to experimentation, requiring a large amount of consumables... just like how I developed the wolfsbane drug!"

Besides various herbs, what other materials are needed for wolfsbane medicine?

Werewolf!

So the "consumables" for developing artificial wizards are naturally wizards themselves!

The two exchanged a glance.

Akinbad sighed: "In the United States, who has the capacity to supply a large number of wizards? Wizards are all named individuals; if they disappear, it's impossible for no one to notice. And who can single-handedly cover up the public opinion that wizards are constantly disappearing?"

The answer is obvious without even needing to think about it.

The Magic Congress!

Akinbad's mouth was full of bitterness. He had been waiting in the hotel lobby for Vaughn to return in the early hours of the morning because he hadn't slept all night and had been having a conference call with the federation.

Yes, the Federation does not reject the convenience brought by Muggle technology; they have long been using Muggle tools in their offices!

Ever since he heard on the phone that the think tank had pinpointed the Magic Congress as the suspect, Arkinbad had been feeling a headache coming on.

Vaughn understood his predicament and joked, "If it's really as we suspect, then I can only sympathize with you. Wanting to investigate a country's ruling government... haha!"

Leaving aside whether it's even possible, I'm completely lost about how to even begin!

The "missing wizard" clue is a good starting point for investigating those suspected artificial Purifiers.

Once we can find out where these missing wizards went, the rest will be easy.

The problem now is that if the "artificial wizards" project is led by the Magic Congress, the very act of investigating missing persons could very well alarm the Magic Congress!

This is determined by the nature of the Magic Congress.

It differs from organizations in the conventional sense, which typically have only a single core objective. For example, a company aims to make a profit, while the WAC aims to create werewolves. The original federation was simply to maintain and oversee the implementation of the International Secrecy Act.

Core objectives influence an organization's behavior.

The company only cares about profits; nothing else matters to it. WAC only cares about werewolves; whether vampires and fairies are alive or dead... what does that have to do with me?

Correspondingly, WAC will not detect your investigations into vampires and fairies.

Only the government is different!

It has no clear goal, or rather, maintaining its existence is its goal. It will take care of anything that might affect its existence!

If we were to describe it materially, it would be like a gigantic, boundless octopus, its tentacles penetrating every aspect of this land, with everything operating under its shadow and within the rules it has established.

In a sense, it can be viewed as a completely closed system that is difficult to understand.

There are only two ways to spy on this closed system: either infiltrate it or tear it apart and expose what it's wrapped up!

It is clearly impossible to tear the Magic Congress apart.

Vaughn thought for a moment and asked, "Why not use the spies the Federation has planted in the Magic Congress?"

Upon hearing this, Akinbad glanced at him.

Vaughn sarcastically, with a hint of dissatisfaction, said, "Don't tell me you haven't done this kind of thing before. In today's world, the Federation's only competitors are the major powers, and you dream of dismantling them."

Akinbad did not feel ashamed in the face of Vaughn's ridicule—the Federation's goal was a fact, and there was nothing wrong with admitting it.

He was just a little regretful: "Of course we tried to infiltrate, and don't laugh at me, but the Federation's attempts to plant spies have never succeeded... You still don't understand Woolworth Building."

"It's quite pure. Unlike England, where power is divided—the legislative and judicial branches are Wizengamot, and the Ministry of Magic governs—here, the Magical Parliament is the sole institution of the Federation. It's not even bicameral like Muggles; it's unicameral—there are only 12 surnames in the entire Parliament. Our spies simply can't get in!"

"If you can't get into Congress, what about the subordinate departments?" Vaughn asked.

Akinbard shook his head: "Same here. Those purebloods aren't stupid. They know very well that oppressing half-bloods and so-called Mudbloods is playing with fire. So every department of the Magic Congress prioritizes recruiting pureblood wizards, and there are anti-theft waterfalls in various places inside. They also conduct psychological checks on their staff several times a month... Sigh, it's practically an impenetrable fortress!"

He then smiled wryly and said, "If I hadn't been unable to think of any other way, I wouldn't have come to you. One reason is that I need WAC's local resources, and another reason is..."

He glanced at the experimental area in the distance, at the dragon corpses that were now fragmented and unrecognizable, sealed away by magic.

There were also several large culture tanks containing werewolves that were barely alive, surrounded by various liquids.

Akinbad withdrew his gaze: "...We need to use your research skills and ideas to see if we can find other breakthroughs."

That's what he said, but he didn't really have any hope.

Because there is currently too little information available.

Even those suspected of being man-made Purgers only knew about it from a memory; they had neither prisoners to study nor clear and effective clues.

What technology those purgers used, and whether they could crack the technology and discover anything, are all unknown.

So Akinbad's main purpose in coming here was to unite with the WAC, especially the power of the families controlled by Vaughn, to participate in the investigation.

At least, find out where the purgers came from!

But to Akinbad's surprise, after listening to his words, Vaughn pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "I have indeed noticed a possible direction. Compared to directly investigating missing persons, it might be much easier, and the Magic Congress might not even notice it!"

Ok?

Akinbad abruptly raised his head and asked urgently, "What is it?"

Ignoring his eagerness, Vaughn said slowly, "You should know that I've been experimenting on werewolves and dragons recently in order to develop the wolfsbane potion..."

When he suddenly changed the subject to research, Akinbad was so anxious that his eyes were practically spitting fire.

However, he also knew that Vaughn wouldn't speak without reason, so he had to be patient and listen to what Vaughn had to say:

"...As you have read my papers, you should know that I actually confirmed at the beginning of the year that the main cause of werewolf syndrome is the werewolf virus. It parasitizes the infected person's body and develops into a new gland. Once the full moon arrives, the gland will be activated, guiding the werewolf to transform and spread the virus."

As he spoke, Vaughn beckoned, and a stack of parchment floated over, unfolding one by one in front of the two men.

A quill pen followed, dancing across the paper, marking the key points as Vaughn spoke:

"...This is what that gland looks like, and this is the result of my recent research on fire dragons... Please see, these fire dragons that have been dissected also have magical organs, such as the Venomous Fang Dragon and the Longhorn Dragon... Although their shapes and functions are different, these creatures that can use magic all have similar organs."

Akimbad patiently examined the diagrams recorded on the papers.

He asked, somewhat puzzled, "What are you trying to say?"

Vaughn didn't answer him. Instead, he summoned several more pieces of parchment that looked rather old and slowly said, "These are anatomical diagrams of Muggles and wizards. Every time I compare them, I wonder why these things aren't in the bodies of Muggles and wizards?"

Upon hearing this, Arkinbad blurted out impatiently, "Muggles don't have magic. Wizards' magic comes from their souls. What's the big deal...?"

He suddenly stopped, and his eyes widened.

Vaughn's slow voice still rang in his ears: "Yes, a wizard's magic comes from the soul, but how exactly it works has been a mystery to any wizard for thousands of years. The only thing we can be sure of is that a wizard's body is no different from a Muggle's, which is one of the pieces of evidence that magic originates from the soul."

"A principle that no wizard has been able to understand for thousands of years, can American Muggles understand it? That's a big question mark."

"Therefore, we can assume a possibility—that those artificial wizards, their magic and power do not come from the soul and knowledge like wizards, but rather, that someone has created new magical organs in their bodies, like werewolves or fire dragons."

(End of this chapter)