Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 235 The Beginning of Snape's Misfortune

If he hadn't been petrified, Harry felt he would be breathing heavily like a bellows right now, and the image of Snape reflected in his wide eyes was frozen in place for some reason.

After a while, he suddenly closed his notebook, placed it heavily on the desk beside him, and waved his hand:

"Fubute Ubcabtaten!"

'

It is the incantation for stopping the illness.

Harry certainly wouldn't, but during the grueling training last semester, he had seen Vaughn use it many times, usually to counter his various little spells.

With the incantation, Harry felt his stiff muscles instantly soften, and then he heard Snape's impatient voice: "Get out!"

"Professor, my—"

"Get out of here!"

Harry and Ron had no idea what Snape was up to, but hearing the barely suppressed rage in his roar, they had no choice but to flee the Potions classroom in a panic.

Only after leaving the basement and returning to the surface, Ron, who had remained silent like a quail the entire time, suddenly became "tough," cursing, "That despicable old Batman! I thought he'd be a little better after two months apart over summer vacation. He may have changed, but he's just been holding back for two months, not even wanting to wait for the welcome dinner, and is eager to torment us!"

Harry was distracted.

My backpack is still in the basement. The other things inside don't matter, but the notebook—

What puzzled him was why Snape's mood had suddenly become so bad.

But he couldn't think about it for the time being, because he noticed that the Sorting Ceremony was underway in the Great Hall, and Professor McGonagall, who was in charge of maintaining order among the young wizards, was standing guard by the door.

Thanks to Ron's sudden "toughness," Professor McGonagall heard the sound and turned around.

For a moment, Harry felt like he couldn't breathe. The stern vice-principal's eyes behind her enamel glasses were practically spitting fire!

Bad luck!

Harry groaned, and Ron, who had been so defiant just a moment ago, suddenly turned pale.

The vice-principal stared intently at them without reprimanding them, but both Harry and Ron knew it was the calm before the storm.

They didn't even dare to run away, and obediently walked past under Professor McGonagall's watchful gaze.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, please return to your seats!"

The two dared not hesitate, not even daring to speak, and hurriedly entered the Great Hall with their heads down. The Sorting Ceremony, which was in progress, had not stopped. Near the professors' table, a young wizard wearing the tattered hat they had worn the previous year was awaiting his fate.

But nobody paid attention to her.

Harry felt countless eyes focused on him and Ron. Their faces flushed red, and they bent over like opossums who had stolen wheat, finding their places close to the Gryffindor table.

Right next to Vaughn and Hermione.

Tonight was absolutely terrible!

He was "framed" by Snape, his notebook was confiscated, and he was caught by Professor McGonagall for being late.

Harry felt incredibly unlucky, feeling both annoyed and anxious.

So much so that he barely paid attention to the subsequent sorting ceremony, his mind was a jumble of thoughts.

Only when the Sorting Hat called out Ginny and Gryffindor, and Fred George jumped up and shouted with joy, did he reluctantly raise his head to clap in welcome.

The rest of the time, he was filled with despair and worry about what kind of punishment he would receive for angering Professor McGonagall so early in the semester.

Also, how do we get the notebook back? Will Snape notice its strangeness? Will Snape keep it for himself?

that's terrible!

It was so bad that he even forgot about his hunger, and when he came to his senses again, it was already Dumbledore's dinner speech:

The old wizard's smiling face contrasted sharply with his dejected mood.

"————Another year begins, and I'm so glad to see you all gathered together————"

No, I'm not happy at all!

Harry thought dejectedly to himself—

The dinner has ended.

The first-grade quails, wobbling along behind their respective prefects, headed towards their respective towers.

Students in other grades, except for 5th and 7th graders who were busy with exams and didn't have the energy to focus on anything else, were all talking enthusiastically about tonight's dinner.

For example, another Weasley entered Gryffindor, which once again confirmed that Vaughn Weasley was an exception.

For example, the new Professor Isabella Rozier is so beautiful that many boys are infatuated with her. What's most special is that the girls also like her very much. During her brief self-introduction at the dinner party, Professor Rozier briefly talked about her graduation trip, and her language was witty and humorous, with a tense and exciting plot.

She's practically a model witch!

Of course, there were also the unfortunate Harry and Ron. Many people found it unbelievable that the Savior and his henchmen would dare to be late for such an occasion as the welcome dinner.

They believed that Professor McGonagall would teach the two a lesson about rules!

Some people also talked about the "werewolf class" that has been repeatedly mentioned in the Daily Prophet in the past two days.

"There's absolutely no way they'd have a werewolf class!" a Ravenclaw boy exclaimed. "Look, Dumbledore didn't mention it at all when he spoke. My mom said that if Hogwarts were to admit werewolves, she, and countless other parents, would flood Dumbledore with complaint letters!"

"Yeah, those werewolves have spent most of their lives living like savages in the mountains. Who knows if they understand human language? Not to mention they're often sick—"

"If you ask me, Vaughn Weasley is just too arrogant. How can he guarantee that the wolfsbane potion will make werewolves 100% safe? Can he guarantee that the werewolves won't bite? This so-called werewolf squad is him risking our lives!"

A few Gryffindors in the crowd were a little annoyed. Although Vaughn was a Slytherin, the little lions still liked him quite a bit because he often came to Gryffindor to play—as long as they didn't face each other in Quidditch matches.

Seeing that the Ravenclaws were getting increasingly agitated, a Gryffindor couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "Hey, Abbott, can't you smell that sour odor coming from somewhere? I actually heard someone say that Vaughn Weasley is arrogant!"

The little lion named Abbot laughed loudly: "These are just a few Ravenclaws in front of you, each one of them so arrogant. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were Potions Masters or Merlin Second Class Medal recipients."

Do you think they're just jealous?

"Of course! I've heard that all the Ravenclaw girls like Vaughn Weasley, but not the boys in their own house, probably because he's ugly and acts weird!"

"you""

Several Ravenclaw boys were enraged by the ridicule.

The two sides quickly started arguing.

From afar, Vaughn, who had already reached the 5th floor, heard an argument coming from below. He peeked out and saw that the stairwell was also noisy because of the welcome dinner. The constantly changing staircase doors prevented him from seeing anything.

He shook his head and continued climbing the steps.

Upon arriving at the principal's office, after exchanging the password, the ugly dripping stone beast turned away, and a spiral stone staircase slowly descended.

Vaughn went inside.

As soon as he pushed open the door to the headmaster's office, he heard Dumbledore's unusually stern voice: "—I told you, Severus, do not interfere with the workings of fate!"

"Then what should I do? Like you, bury my head in the sand like an ostrich, thinking that flattering fate will solve everything?"

Snape stood with his back to the door, his voice low and menacing as he retorted sharply.

Vaughn noticed that he was carrying a backpack that looked familiar; it was Harry's.

Most importantly, Warn sensed that the laptop was inside.

Considering what was discovered in the Great Hall earlier, it's clear that Snape already knew about the notebook and had "confiscated" it from Harry before the welcome dinner.

No wonder Dumbledore was unusually angry!

Vaughn knew about Harry's initial encounter with the notebook and witnessed Dumbledore Apparating into the past to try and stop it.

But the legendary wizard returned empty-handed.

Vaughn didn't know what Deng had gone through back then, but he could guess from Deng's increasing tolerance towards himself that fate's arrangements were not so easily interfered with.

It's just unknown whether Old Dumbledore's anger stemmed from his resentment at Snape's unauthorized intervention, which could potentially make the fate of the family even more unpredictable.

Or is it a concern that Snape might suffer a cruel twist of fate?

He thought about it curiously.

On the other side, noticing his arrival, the tense atmosphere between Dumbledore and Snape became somewhat strained. Dumbledore's tone softened slightly: "We'll talk about this later, Severus. You can go back now!"

"snort!"

Snape snorted heavily and strode toward the door.

Vaughn smiled and bowed to him: "Professor."

Snape ignored him and walked out, tossing his robes behind him.

Dumbledore sighed. "Severus is very unhappy that we let Harry and the notebook meet. I'm sorry, dear, you've been blamed for his anger."

Vaughn shrugged. "It's not exactly taking it out on him, since I was involved too. But, Professor, is it alright for you to take the notebook away?"

Dumbledore knew he was asking whether Snape would be maliciously targeted by fate, and sighed, "Of course there's a problem. The entanglement of fate has just begun; that merciless god hasn't had enough fun yet. To rashly disturb His interest is tantamount to antagonizing fate."

"So, how will it be expressed?" Vaughn asked curiously.

Dumbledore replied, "Misfortune!"

No sooner had they finished speaking than they heard a loud thud coming from outside the door.

A short while later, a chubby old headmaster burst into the principal's office, laughing and shouting, "That greasy-headed kid fell down the stone steps!"

Amidst the images of the former principals, cheers erupted: "Good riddance! We've disliked him for a long time!"

'

Poor professor.

Vaughn didn't go out to check. When something like this happens, it's best to pretend that neither of you knows anything. He walked over to Dumbledore, sat down, and beckoned. A tray floated over, filled with juice.

Vaughn poured himself and Deng a glass each: "How long will this so-called misfortune last? How intense will it be?"

"It will continue until the interference disappears, and its intensity—" Old Deng paused, "Severus isn't a legendary wizard, so the impact isn't that severe. Right now, it's just some minor, harmless accidents. However, if it continues—"

He didn't say anything more, but his serious expression already told the answer.

Accidents can cause people to fall, and naturally, they can also cause death!

However, compared to Snape's fate, Vaughn was more concerned about the information revealed by Dumbledore that "Severus was not a legendary wizard."

So, will legendary wizards be targeted by fate even more severely?

Vaughn and Dumbledore were both deep in thought, and the headmaster's office fell silent for a moment.

Only on the other side of the wall, several old headmasters who had always disliked Snape's arrogant manner were still gleefully discussing his heroic fall.

After a long while, Dumbledore snapped out of his reverie, looked at Vaughn, and smiled gently, "I'm sorry to have you witness two adults arguing over such a trivial matter."

This is no small matter!

Vaughn pursed his lips, unusually refraining from mocking Old Deng, and instead asked, "Do you need my help to persuade the professor?"

"No need. He's stuck in a rut right now, won't listen to anyone. We can only wait for reality and fate to tell him the real answer—" Dumbledore shook his head, then changed the subject: "You came here at this hour to talk to me about Ms. Rosier's teaching plan?"

"Yes, we're facing a problem now: in what capacity should I participate in Isabella's teaching duties without being affected by the curse?"

"I'm not sure yet, darling."

Dumbledore looked a little troubled, but still had a smile on his face: "I told you before, to this day, I still don't know what kind of curse Tom cast. Even after decades, all I can say is that it's an ancient magic that few people know about, nothing more."

T

"You might find it strange that I haven't tested its boundaries all these years. It's because I understand very little about how it affects things and the scope of its influence, so I dare not act rashly—"

He looked at Vaughn with his deep blue eyes. "Would you like to help me with an experiment? We can set up a few—what you call a control group? We can create some formal positions, like teaching assistants, associate professors, and so on, and a few informal ones, like the head of a dueling club? We can then see which concepts and names are affected by the curse."

After listening, Vaughn thought to himself, "Old fox!"

As a person with a strong scientific spirit, he certainly did not reject the experiments that Dumbledore mentioned. After all, before Quirrell, no professor had ever died because of a curse.

He was criticizing Deng for testing him again.

The old man probably wanted to use the curse as a deterrent to see if he was only interfering in Hogwarts' teaching during Isabella's year there, or if he was ambitious and wanted to continue interfering in the future!

Vaughn narrowed his eyes slightly, smiled at Old Deng, and said, "No need for that. I think the title of head of the Duel Club is quite good. On one hand, it seems to have nothing to do with the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but on the other hand, it can be linked with Isabella's teaching—defending against dark magic definitely involves fighting!"

His choice was practically an open declaration of his ambition.

But Dumbledore showed no sign of anything amiss, still smiling, and clinked his drink with Vaughn's: "That's fine then. So, what are your and Isabella's thoughts on teaching?"

Old Deng wanted to play dumb, and Vaughn was too lazy to expose him.

However, his involvement in teaching stemmed from a genuine desire to impart practical knowledge to his students. This was similar to his willingness to join the Slytherin Quidditch team last year, both aimed at accelerating the acquisition of reputation points.

Influencing students is equivalent to influencing their parents, which can indirectly extend one's reputation to the outside world.

Over the years since he obtained the Golden Finger, according to the rules that Vaughn has figured out, in order to gain reputation points, simply spreading fame is only one aspect; one must also increase the "weight" of fame, that is, its diversity and dimensions.

Vaughn's current fame is mostly due to his talent in potions. Many people only know him as the potion master who developed Wolfsbane and the political star who founded WAC. As for his own magical abilities, no one knows or cares.

Limited by his age and the peaceful environment, Vaughn lacks a stage to showcase himself!

He had made a move in North America before, but unfortunately, the 12 purebloods weren't that stupid and wouldn't make a name for him. Only those who were present at the time knew the truth about the battle in the Alabacia Mountains.

Returning to England, which had been free of war for over a decade, Vaughn lacked even more opportunities to showcase his magical abilities. It wasn't until he heard that Isabella was preparing to apply for a job at Hogwarts that Vaughn was inspired.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have supported Isabella becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, even knowing her erratic personality.

After gathering his thoughts, Vaughn answered Dumbledore's questioning gaze, "Since the curse appeared, Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts course has been in a state of decline because each professor can only teach for one year."

This is a fact.

Dumbledore nodded slightly.

Every wizard's understanding and perception of magic is quite subjective and prone to bias, especially when dealing with black magic.

Professor A has his methods, Professor B has his ideas, Professor C has his unique habits, and Professor D has his own strategies.

For wizards, all of these are normal, with no distinction of high or low status.

Even incorporating these personal understandings, perceptions, methods, and strategies into teaching is not a problem. After all, professors are human, and the transmission of knowledge inevitably involves subjective factors.

The problem is that, because of the curse, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has to be appointed every year. This means that students spend half a year or even a year getting used to a professor's teaching methods and keeping up with his thinking.

As a result, the professor ran away!

Another new professor has arrived, and everything has to start from scratch again.

Not only are the students in disarray, but new professors who take over also need a long period of adjustment—a professor is supposed to teach 7...

There are different progress levels for each grade!

This results in both professors and students wasting a lot of time getting used to each other, leaving very little time for actual teaching in the already short year.

"I want to break this vicious cycle!"

Vaughn said, "Defense Against the Dark Arts, judging from the name, seems to only deal with dark magic. In fact, dark magic includes many things. Some curses are dark magic. Poison curses, death curses, and curses are almost all considered dark magic. There are also dangerous magical plants and bizarre and terrifying magical creatures—they all fall under the category of dark magic."

"You asked me for my thoughts, and my thought is, can we encompass all these things together?"

Dumbledore, who had been listening attentively, was taken aback by what he heard.

"Imagine a place with an ancient castle, the domain of a dangerous dark wizard, filled with dark magic traps, poisons, curses, and death spells, as well as ancient magic."

"It also has dangerous jungles, swamps, and oceans, teeming with highly dangerous magical plants, such as poisonous tentacles..."

Devil's Grass, Oriental Bitter Cabbage, Parachutes, Poison Mist Umbrellas—and equally dangerous magical creatures and artifacts, such as the Shadow Corpse, the Resurrección, the Poisonous Leopard, the Witch Bird, the Venomous Horned Beast, and even the Fire Dragon!

"Scattered among ancient castles, jungles, swamps, and seas are numerous treasure locations, ancient wizarding relics, or tombs, all sealed by various rituals and spells, but those who can break them will receive a reward—"

After a brief explanation, Vaughn looked at Dumbledore and asked, "What do you think of using a place like this as a classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

""

Dumbledore was speechless.

Defense Against the Dark Arts is the most practice-oriented course, which is why its popularity has steadily declined since Voldemort's curse.

Students' progress varies greatly, and each year new professors have to spend a lot of time figuring out students' pace when teaching theoretical knowledge, let alone practical application.

It's the same reason.

Professor A designs a practical course, but Professor B may not understand its purpose and assessment rules, so he has to start all over again.

This is equivalent to going around in circles every year.

As times change, so does magic.

Defense Against the Dark Arts is a course on resisting magic, and it's truly like rowing against the current—if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

If it can't be resolved, it will become a vicious cycle.

Although Vaughn's descriptions were brief and seemingly disjointed, Dumbledore, having experienced it last semester, briefly paused before blurting out, "The world in the painting—a Muggle video game?"

In first grade, Vaughn once mocked his puzzle of hiding the Philosopher's Stone as too childish, and then together they built a "picture world".

At that time, Vaughn had introduced him to the concept of Muggle video games.

Design elements such as fighting monsters, leveling up, obtaining treasures, and defeating bosses were naturally introduced to him as well.

Thinking of this, Dumbledore's gaze towards Vaughn became meaningful: "You've been planning for this day since then?"

At the time, he wondered why the other party was making such a big fuss and creating a world within a painting.

But Vaughn brushed it off with an experiment about "time travel".

Looking back now, the "world in the painting" and "time travel" may indeed have been one of the experimental objectives, but their true purpose was probably just a creative practice and a technical accumulation, and all of that was for today.

Vaughn blinked, neither confirming nor denying: "What do you think of this idea? Building such a place can serve as a practice ground for future generations of Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Even if a different professor is assigned every year, there's no need to worry about their individual differences causing the practice to fail to continue. No matter how different the professors' personal understanding and magical levels are, there's only one practice ground, which limits their subjective interpretation."