Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 224 Horcruxes and the Secret Chamber

Harry exclaimed in surprise, "It can talk!"

Ron started rolling his eyes: "It already said before that there's nothing special about it. Many magical creatures can talk, and some even have their own languages. This one is considered rather stupid, as it can only learn human language."

J9

Harry felt that his definition of "stupid" might be different from Ron's, or from the wizards'.

He asked curiously, "You said before that if you shake it hard and throw it far away, it won't come back. Is that true?"

Seeing Harry's persistent questions, Ron, who had been impatient, became more enthusiastic: "Of course, I'll show you."

As he spoke, he lifted the goblin above his head and began to swing his arms vigorously like a lasso, and after dozens of circles, he threw it out with a thud.

The goblin screamed and flew more than 40 feet through the air before being flung into the reeds outside the garden.

"Ronald is too weak!"

A red-haired man rode by on a broomstick; Harry could only recognize him as one of the twins. He was dragging a string of goblins in his hand, and the goblins screamed wherever he flew.

He flew dozens of feet high, used the high-speed rotation of his broom to throw the goblin hundreds of feet away, and then laughed triumphantly at Ron.

Ron rolled his eyes: "Boring!"

But he noticed Harry staring in disbelief. After a moment's thought, he rushed into the flowerbed, quickly caught another goblin, and handed it to Harry: "Would you like to try?"

"certainly!"

Harry was intrigued, but soon he understood why Ron had said the goblins were disgusting—the goblin had bitten his nose hard!

Harry had a great time all morning.

He, along with Ron, the twins, the reluctant and grumbling Percy, and Ginny, rounded up all the goblins in the garden, threw them far into the reeds, and watched them slump their shoulders in dejection, lost in a haphazard line in the reeds.

But Ron disagreed: "They'll come back."

"Then why not just get rid of them completely?" Harry asked.

At first, Harry didn't have any ill feelings towards these little creatures. Just like Muggles might find foxes annoying (there are many foxes in England), they would mostly just drive them away.

Until he was bitten on the nose, ears, and fingers by several goblins in succession, and those vicious little things wouldn't let go once they bit him.

He began to hate those bad guys.

In response to his question, Ron shrugged: "You should ask my dad. He thinks it's no trouble to keep these things in a quiet garden. They just stay in the garden and won't go anywhere else. They also liven up the house a bit. Well, most importantly, they make the Weasleys feel extra vibrant every time they're cleaned!"

By the end, Ron was practically gritting his teeth.

Yeah, anyway, Arthur Weasley doesn't need to clean the garden himself.

In short, Harry and the Weasleys cleaned up the goblins together, and also, as Molly had instructed, drove away the goblins' natural enemy, the sable—a magical animal that looks similar to a ferret but is larger, fierce, and feeds on goblins.

Molly wanted to drive them away, also at Arthur's request; he thought these creatures were too cruel.

In addition, Harry also witnessed how wizards cleaned up the pond.

Molly cast a spell on the light blue aquatic fish living in the pond, causing these legged but not very intelligent fish to temporarily obey the wizard's commands and use their long, flexible legs to clear the lush aquatic plants at the bottom of the pond.

Of course, cleaning the garden is not just about "cleaning"; there is also the work of maintenance.

The Weasleys’ garden is inhabited by a nest of fairies. These noisy little creatures are, in a general sense, pests. They love fresh, tender leaves and plants, using the former to lay their eggs and the latter as their food.

However, fairies love beauty. They will instinctively tend to the flowers, waiting for them to mature so they can be picked to adorn themselves. If you can get to know them, they will be good helpers in the flower garden.

There was also a prickly creature. The twins picked several large bunches of daisies and placed them all over the garden. They firmly believed that a prickly creature lived in the garden and were going to leave it with its favorite daisies.

They listed a whole bunch of benefits to keeping a hedgehog, the most typical being that it's very similar to a hedgehog and can catch mice.

They eat snails, slugs, and other animals and insects that harm flowers and plants.

However, Harry thought the twins might just be after the thorns and hairs on the thorns. According to Ron, a bag of thorn hairs was worth 6 silver shiks!

Unfortunately, unless you're a seasoned expert in magical creatures, it's really hard to distinguish between a hedgehog and a goblin. At least when Harry was catching goblins, he spent a long time looking at the spiky animals scurrying around the garden and still couldn't tell which of those hedgehog-like creatures was a goblin.

Around noon, Harry and Ron, led by Percy, also cleaned the house.

The main task is to clear out foxgloves and spotted gentians.

The former is a magical creature that looks very much like a fairy, but it is covered in thick black hair and is poisonous. It usually breeds in large numbers behind the curtains in wizarding homes, just like a cockroach.

The latter looks like a fungal carpet, but the difference is that it is not a fungus, but a flat animal with many eyes on its flat body. It is usually active under the floor and in the cracks of the wall.

When Harry first saw it, he was disgusted by its flat body and densely packed eyes. When he learned that this magical creature could corrode buildings, his little sympathy for it vanished instantly!

In short, Harry had a happy morning, and when everything was over at noon, he was still reluctant to leave, mainly because he hadn't seen the ghouls in the attic.

Harry had heard Ron complain several times about the nasty ghoul in the attic who loved to make noise late at night, and since the attic was right above his room, he was often woken up by the noise.

He thought Ron would be eager to destroy it today.

But in reality, Ronti didn't mention ghouls at all.

In response to Harry's questioning, Ron shrugged and said, "Vaughn is back. We don't even need to lift a finger. Either Mom or Dad, one of them will take care of him today."

Why?

"Because the attic is Vaughn's workroom, believe me, if Vaughn hadn't been away from home for almost the entire summer, Mom and Dad would have cleaned it spotless—humph!"

Upon hearing Vaughn's name, Harry's excitement subsided slightly, but a lingering worry returned to his mind.

After lunch, during his afternoon nap, while Ron was asleep, he quietly opened the notebook he had received from Malfoy the day before.

Write another line on a blank page in the notebook:

【are u there?】

Then I looked at the notebook nervously.

After a long time, a magical scene occurred: the pitch-black ink was "swallowed" by the parchment. Just as the name suggests, the ink slowly seeped into the parchment without leaving a trace, but disappeared completely.

Not long after, a line of writing appeared on the blank paper:

【I am here! 】

Harry, who had been on tenterhooks, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wrote:

Why didn't you respond to me this morning?

The writing disappeared, but the answer did not appear immediately. Only the blank parchment lay quietly open, unchanged. Everything that had happened before seemed to be just Harry's illusion.

Harry's heart was in his throat when a line of hastily written letters slowly appeared:

There is a very powerful wizard by your side. He is likely to discover my presence and become hostile towards me.

A very powerful wizard?

For some reason, when Harry saw this description, the first thing that came to mind wasn't Arthur and Molly, the two adults, nor Percy, the Gryffindor academic star.

It was Vaughn!

He didn't understand why the "notebook" was afraid of Vaughn, and why it was only afraid this morning, even though he had "chatted" with it until very late last night.

As if understanding his confusion, the writing on the parchment lingered for a moment before disappearing, and another line appeared: "[I am merely a chained gold object. I cannot actively perceive others without your intervention. Only when others probe or show hostility towards you or me can I sense anyone other than you.]"

This morning, that wizard glimpsed your magical aura!

While Harry was talking to the "notebook," Vaughn and Dumbledore were also discussing them in London.

Of course, Vaughn's trip to London this time was not because of Harry.

Instead, Dumbledore had already considered his earlier request to establish a werewolf class at Hogwarts and was making substantial progress on it: "—From yesterday afternoon to today, I've been thinking about Isabella Rozier's application. As I told you before, I contacted many old friends during the summer vacation, Neil, Moody, Slughorn, and so on. I invited them to come to Hogwarts in the new term to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Guess what they said?"

When he said this, Dumbledore and Vaughn were in a high-end Muggle French restaurant, enjoying what Dumbledore called French cuisine.

But Vaughn expressed his disdain.

He poked at the bright green escargot and the fatty foie gras with his fork, then casually pushed them aside: "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore forked a piece of foie gras and stuffed it into his mouth, his white beard swaying. "Neil cursed me viciously, saying he was 100 years old and just wanted to live out his days in peace, and that I knew the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was cursed, yet I still went to him, practically trying to kill him."

"Moody—sigh, he's been through too much trauma. When I told him my purpose, he immediately pulled out his wand, pointed it at me, and asked who I was that dared to impersonate Dumbledore to harm him."

"As for Slughorn, I couldn't find him at all. That cunning old man probably heard the news and ran away beforehand—he always does that—"

When Slughorn was mentioned, Dumbledore paused for a moment.

He glanced at Vaughn, seemingly wanting to ask something, but hesitated for a moment before not asking. Instead, he continued to sigh, "Over the years, as each year the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor inexplicably loses his teaching ability for various reasons, the reputation of Tom's curse has grown ever stronger."

"However, before this year, people weren't too afraid of the curse, after all, its impact wasn't too great, and there were still some warriors willing to accept my invitation to challenge it—until Quirinas died this year!"

"A human life—this is the first time such a terrible outcome has occurred. Quirinas's death has completely changed the nature of the curse. To be honest, I can understand the fear from the outside world. After all, even I don't know whether Quirinas's death was caused by the curse."

Dumbledore's deep blue eyes flickered with confusion for a moment: "Of course we know that Quirinus was killed by Tom, who was parasitizing him, but I always think—if I hadn't persuaded him to become a professor last year, he wouldn't have gone traveling, and without going traveling, he wouldn't have met Tom—"

Hearing Old Deng's words, which were clearly tinged with self-reproach, Vaughn didn't know what to say.

Logically speaking, Quirrell's death can indeed be traced back to Dumbledore's invitation to Quirrell to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Vaughn could not definitively say that Quirrell's death was his own fault, that his weak will and excessive greed prevented him from resisting Voldemort's coercion and temptation, which led to such a tragic end.

That's easy for someone to say when they're not in the situation—how many people can resist the brainwashing of a memory magic master like Voldemort?

Even if he was just a remnant soul!

Vaughn did not comfort Deng, nor did Deng need comfort. He was just in pain, but he had suffered too much in his life and had long since learned to adjust himself.

Sure enough, Dumbledore muttered a few words, then quickly rallied, shaking his head and saying, "It seems that only Isabella Rozier is not afraid of Tom's curse. I have no choice but to grant her request."

"So, I have no choice but to agree to your terms, Vaughn. This should be good news for you."

Dumbledore put down his knife and fork, glanced at the untouched escargot and foie gras in front of Vaughn, and winked at him with a wry smile: "Just like when we eat, the things you don't like happen to be concentrated in the appetizers."

Vaughn, too lazy to pay attention to the old rascal, asked, "When do you plan to submit the application to the Board of Governors, the Ministry of Magic, and Wizengamor to open a werewolf class?"

As the only magic school in England, Hogwarts' every move is destined to be decided by the school's administration.

In principle, Wizengamot, the Ministry of Magic, and the Board of Governors all have the right to interfere in the operation of Hogwarts.

However, under normal circumstances, the three parties would not do such a thing out of respect for the principal and other management.

However, opening a werewolf class is clearly not a "normal situation"!

Speaking of this, Dumbledore started to get a headache. He took a sip of sherry—his favorite drink.

He said with distress, "You've given me a huge problem, my dear. To be honest, I don't have the confidence to convince anyone to let a werewolf into Hogwarts—Merlin, this is arguably the craziest decision the school has made in its thousand-year history. It has nothing to do with politics or interests; the wizards' stereotypes about werewolves are enough to be the biggest obstacle. Which wizard would dare to let their child attend classes with a werewolf?"

Vaughn smiled. "If it were easy, I wouldn't have come to you. What are your plans? Which aspect do you think is the easiest to resolve?"

"It's not easy for anyone." Dumbledore shook his head. "The pure-bloods of the Board of Governors certainly don't want werewolves to enter Hogwarts. Even if I force them, they will resist for the sake of their children."

"The Ministry of Magic is similar. Cornelius Fudge will definitely be against us, and this time, we can get very little support from other departments. This is not something that can be done by just wielding a pen and engaging in verbal battles in the newspapers. The entry of werewolves into Hogwarts will have a real impact on many wizarding families."

"The only one with any hope is Wisengam. They are relatively reasonable—well, I should say they have a different perspective. If something is truly more beneficial than harmful, they are willing to try it; you just need to convince them with your reasoning!"

Vaughn wasn't surprised: "Another meeting, huh?"

"Yes, another plenary session!"

"When?"

"December 31th!"

Then the main course arrived: roasted meat, a specialty of French cuisine. Vaughn was finally able to fill his stomach. As he ate, he said, "Well then, let's leave the werewolf class matter for August 31st. Before then, can you handle Isabella's onboarding?"

"Of course." Dumbledore said with some curiosity, "Speaking of which, after what happened to Quirinus, aren't you worried about Isabella's safety?"

Vaughn shrugged. "Of course I'm worried, but it was Isabella's own choice to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship. As her friend, I should respect her decision—no one in this world has the right to decide another person's fate."

destiny----

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore's expression darkened. After a moment of silence, he asked, "I heard Harry is at the Burrow—is he alright?"

Vaughn gave a half-smile: "Which aspect are you referring to?"

Dumbledore rolled his eyes at him helplessly: "Of course it's that notebook—it's Tom's Horcrux, right?"

Vaughn knew all the Horcruxes; this was something Dumbledore had known for a long time.

The two also reached some trade agreements, with Vaughn providing information about the Horcruxes in exchange for a correspondingly equivalent reward from Dumbledore.

The last transaction involved a Gaunt ring.

Vaughn stopped teasing him and nodded: "Yes, but you can rest assured that at least before I came out, I didn't observe any influence or magic being applied to Harry."

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But he was still somewhat dissatisfied: "Darling, aren't you going to talk to me about this Horcrux?"

"What's there to talk about?"

Old Deng stared into Vaughn's golden-brown eyes: "There's a lot to it, like its origins, why it's in Lucius's hands, why Lucius put it in your sister Ginny Weasley's bag, and—wasn't all of this part of your plan?"

Vaughn fell silent for a moment.

Old Deng's ability to observe the details of fate was somewhat beyond his expectations, but this was not something that couldn't be said, so he quickly nodded: "Regarding the origin of that notebook, it has actually always been in Lucius Malfoy's possession. It is a very early work of Tom's. Do you remember when we discussed it before? Tom's mental process in creating Horcruxes has certain patterns."

"He obtained the Horcrux, this dark magic, from the school library. He must have experimented with it at first, which is why he murdered his father's family when he discovered his true identity at the Gaunt family, using the Gaunt ring as a medium to create the Horcrux."

Early on, Tom came from an orphanage and had little capital. When experimenting with Horcruxes, he could mostly only choose ordinary items, such as...

"For example, a notebook —"

"Dumbledore murmured."

Vaughn nodded: "Yes, but such things are too common. Once someone learns how to destroy them, they will almost never hesitate to destroy them. So, starting with the Gauntlet, Tom consciously chose meaningful things to make into Horcruxes."

"If Horcruxes become valuable, they become difficult to choose from—just like you!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Dumbledore's hand.

All the rings that had been there had been removed, leaving only a thin gold chain on his finger, extending into Dumbledore's wide robe sleeve.

Dumbledore instinctively pulled his hand back into his sleeve, then, under Vaughn's indifferent gaze, extended it again, forcing a wry smile: "Sorry—"

"I've told you before that the dead cannot be brought back to life. The Resurrection Stone only resurrects vengeful spirits," a well-known story in the magical world. If you can't resist your greed, then you've fallen into Tom's trap!

Dumbledore reached out and gently stroked the gold chain, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long pause, he took a breath, but instead of responding to Vaughn's words, he changed the subject: "Tom experimented with Horcrux making methods in his notebook, which definitely involved killing people. How did he—"

He suddenly stopped speaking.

As if a distant memory were resurfacing, his deep blue eyes momentarily lost in confusion before regaining their clarity. He looked at Vaughn in surprise: "Is it Mommy Myrtle?"

Vaughn nodded slightly.

"Oh!"

Old Deng chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the meaning behind the words, and shook his head: "Back then, the rumors of the opening of the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin caused widespread panic. Hagrid and his pet spider Aragog were even considered murderers because of it. Little did I know, it was all Tom's deception—"

"That's not necessarily true," Vaughn said with a smile.

Dumbledore looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. "What do you mean? You believe the Chamber of Secrets is real? What do you know?"

He had always been curious about Vaughn's sources of intelligence.

However, he always adhered to the precepts he set for himself and did not pry into the matter. After all, everyone has secrets, and if he tried to know other people's secrets, his humanity would be shrouded in darkness.

This contradicted his personality and beliefs, so he never crossed the line.

But at that moment, Dumbledore really wanted to see what Vaughn's source of information was—regarding the death of Myrtle, apart from Voldemort, probably no one else knew the truth!

A subtle ripple emanated from him.

Vaughn sensed it immediately.

He remained calm. He knew all along that the more information he revealed, the greater Dumbledore's desire to investigate him would become.

This is also why he has never revealed the secret of the Horcruxes to Dumbledore.

Because in the past, he couldn't bear the hidden price behind the leak of secrets!

But things are different now.

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