Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 271 Duel Club

But after looking around at the two men, Vaughn frowned: "Tom Riddle isn't here—because he's just a fragment of a soul now, not a living person, and the contract hasn't been triggered? Or has Voldemort cast a more powerful anti-tracking spell on his Horcruxes?"

Vaughn had no way of knowing.

However, this result was not entirely unexpected. If Voldemort were so easy to deal with, Dumbledore wouldn't have been unable to leave Hogwarts more than ten years ago.

Based on the Marauder's Map, showing the locations of Colin Creevey and Peeves, Vaughn sensed the notebook's location for a moment.

Unfortunately, the Persona is not a magic for location tracking. The spirit in the material world has a certain degree of drift (it does not have a definite spacetime entity), so he can only vaguely sense the general direction and range of the other party—this range is the entire castle, and it has no precise reference value.

Vaughn gave up: "Forget it, let Dumbledore handle the rest!"

He specifically obtained the Marauder's Map from Filch to fulfill his promise to Dumbledore, but he didn't want to be used as a surveillance tool.

And so, the Marauder's Map, which he had forgotten for a long time, finally came in handy!

As for his main focus, it should naturally be on his own career.

When Harry woke up, he heard some good news.

Filch's cat, that skinny Mrs. Lorris with the chilling cry of a demon, was injured last night!

At the Gryffindor long table at breakfast, Seamus declared confidently, "Justin Finley of Hufflepuff and I went to the school hospital to see that wretched cat. It was wrapped up like a mummy, and Mrs. Pomfrey said it needs at least a week to recover!"

"Very good!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

The brave and fearless Gryffindors are always eager to challenge authority and school rules, which is why they have become the house with the deepest "grudge" against Filch.

Most of the lion cubs were Filch's "accomplices." Mrs. Lorris caught them in the act, and some were punished by having to clean the trophy display room, while others were even punished by Filch's perverse sense of humor by having to clean the toilets.

Many people have disliked that cat for a long time!

The person who injured Loris quickly became a recognized "hero" among the Gryffindor lion cubs, but unfortunately no one knew the hero's name, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Harry was also happy, not because he was cruel or applauding those who injured the cat, but because Lorice's week-long recovery meant he could freely roam at night for that week—

The invisibility cloak could fool Filch, but it couldn't fool Loris; cats rely on their noses!

But his joy was short-lived, as Ron quickly dampened his spirits.

"Look, Malfoy!" Ron mumbled, his mouth full of bread, but his expression was one of astonishment as he pointed at the Slytherin table.

Harry looked in the direction of the sound and saw Malfoy looking smug, surrounded by Flint and the others from the Slytherin team.

He suddenly had a bad feeling—

In the evening, Harry's premonition came true.

It's hard to describe in words what it was like when he, Wood, and the team went to the stadium during their break to practice tactics and prepare for Saturday's training.

But then they saw Malfoy dressed in a Slytherin uniform, surrounded by his Slytherin teammates as they entered the stadium, each carrying a brand-new, high-end-looking flying broomstick.

How Harry's heart broke down.

Malfoy even came up to him and boasted, "I've heard you all think Gryffindor is guaranteed to win this year since Vaughn isn't playing Quidditch, but let me tell you, don't dream about it. Even without Vaughn, Slytherin still has me!"

"I'm a Seeker now, Scarface. I'll prove to everyone that the Savior is nothing special."

"Last semester you were able to go toe-to-toe with Vaughn because you had a good broom and took advantage of Nimbus 2000, but look at you now."

He proudly raised his head.

Flint and the others behind him raised their brand-new brooms in cooperation.

"My dad is very supportive of my ideas. He spent a lot of money to equip me and each of my teammates with Nimbus 2001, which is more powerful than Nimbus 2000. Scarface, your good days are over. Just wait to fail and then hide under the covers crying for your mom!"

Then, naturally, a physical altercation ensued between the two sides.

Then, Gryffindor suffered a crushing defeat.

Unfortunately, Gryffindor wasn't known for its physical prowess, and only Wood was tall and strong enough to put up a fight against the muscular Slytherin team.

As for the others—

Fred and George were being carried around the field like monkeys by Derian Pussé.

Despite Angela Jensen's fierce personality and the help of Katie Bell and Arya Spinnet, a burly man standing six feet tall in the Slytherin team easily grabbed their heads and tossed them around like roly-poly toys.

Wood, who was expected to be a hero, was outnumbered despite his fighting ability. One of his arms was locked by Marcus Flint, and the other arm was held by Miles Blaitch, leaving him with two men on each side.

As for Harry...

Poor Harry, he was pinned down on the lawn by a guy named Monta, and it felt like a mountain was pressing down on him, making it impossible for him to even get up.

A fight completely drained everyone's spirits.

After the "battle" ended, the Slytherin giants left amidst Malfoy's arrogant and triumphant laughter, their laughter accompanied by the painful groans of the others, and Wood's dejected figure, swallowed by the setting sun.

That evening, Ron learned of the incident and was so angry he trembled, his freckles turning red: "How dare Malfoy!"

"What's there to be afraid of? There's no one else on the court anyway," Harry said dejectedly.

"Uh, it's normal that we can't beat them—I mean, how dare he buy every member of the Slytherin team a Nimbus 2001? That's the ultimate luxury item, it costs a ton of Galleons!"

"—Ron, you're drooling, are you envious?"

Ron quickly wiped his mouth and expressed his loyalty: "No, it's anger. He bribed the Slytherin team with brooms to steal Vaughn's place. That despicable guy!"

Harry suddenly started missing Vaughn.

If Vaughn hadn't left, Wood wouldn't have been so crazy this semester. He still preferred the Wood who was always being criticized by Vaughn and would be depressed in the rain.

We wouldn't have seen Malfoy's rampant behavior, nor would we have witnessed today's brawl.

The only good thing about this fight for Harry was that Ron, worried they would clash with the Slytherin team again, accompanied him to practice this weekend.

Even Hermione was pulled over by him.

This is the first time Hermione has come to watch him play since she left in a huff last time, which "broke up" the trio.

Although it was rare last semester—Hermione usually chose to visit Vaughn—

After training, everyone walked ahead as usual, with Harry and Ron leading the way. Ron talked incessantly about the problems that had arisen during their training, even though Harry often thought he was talking nonsense.

Hermione followed behind, silently reciting something, occasionally flipping through the book.

Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the previous conflict, and Hermione barely spoke to Harry, but Harry felt that this was the beginning of a positive change.

He was pleased, but before going to bed that night, he subtly reminded Ron, "Has Hermione seen Vaughn recently?"

"Probably. I saw her having dinner with Vaughn the day before yesterday," Ron said uncertainly.

"It seems their relationship is very stable, that's great. Maybe Vaughn will marry Hermione by the time we graduate!"

"Aren't you thinking too far ahead?"

"It's not far off. We're in second grade now, and there are only 5 years left until graduation. Think about last semester; it's gone in the blink of an eye. 5 years is 5 blinks. You might even fall asleep and your nephew or niece will be born."

Ron thought Harry was just too sleepy and was starting to talk nonsense.

The two are simply not on the same wavelength.

Overall, despite unresolved conflicts and what Harry perceived as "hidden dangers," the trio reconciled.

For the next few days, they went about their business together just like last semester, even when Hermione would suddenly disappear and go nowhere, just like last semester.

In the past few days, the Slytherin team has not caused any more trouble for the Gryffindor team. The news that Malfoy brought a bunch of Nimbus 2001s to join the Slytherin Quidditch team caused a discussion for a while, but it was quickly overshadowed by new rumors.

Only the rumors related to the Duel Club have maintained considerable popularity.

Time flies.

On Friday, when Harry, dragging his broom and with heavy steps, returned to the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione, he found everyone in high spirits.

People gathered in small groups of three or five, engaging in lively discussions.

Although he was exhausted, his curiosity couldn't be contained, and Harry asked, "What are they talking about? What's been going on lately?"

Ron's eyes widened: "Tomorrow's Saturday, Harry, have you gone mad from training?"

"Saturday?"

Upon uttering this question, even Hermione, who hadn't been speaking to him, couldn't help but roll her eyes at him: "The Duel Club!"

"ah----"

Harry's words proved prophetic; it really felt like time had flown by, and the Duel Club event was starting tomorrow!

For Vaughn, this period was rather ordinary.

The second version of the wolfsbane medicine has just completed its initial toxicology testing—Mr. Lu Ping, the only experimental subject, made a huge contribution—and entered the clinical trial stage. This stage involves tracking multiple samples to screen the reactions of the second version of the medicine among different individuals.

It was a rather tedious job, involving only data statistics and not much technical skill, so Vaughn handed it over to a werewolf transferred from C who had worked in a Muggle-related position, as well as several recruited pharmacists.

Dumbledore's plan never materialized.

After injuring Mrs. Lorris last time, the notebook seems to be afraid of another accident that would attract the investigation of Dumbledore and Vaughn, and has recently gone quiet.

On the Marauder's Map, Vaughn noticed that Peeves and Colin Crevey were meeting less and less frequently, indicating that Tom's soul fragments in the notebook were currently being handled cautiously.

Without its action, Dumbledore's surveillance and guidance could not proceed, and the situation remained at a stalemate for the time being.

After several weeks of operation, the small world, serving as a practice space, was functioning exceptionally well. The abundant materials created by Vaughn and Dumbledore, along with Vaughn's "creative ideas" based on the single-player games he played in his previous life, provided Isabella Rosier with rich inspiration for the levels, both materially and spiritually.

The practical classes are now almost entirely controlled by Isabella, who puts on a weekly "torture" in various ways.

The little wizards were having a blast.

Nothing unexpected happened, and Vaughn had some free time.

It's not that there's nothing to do at all; the Duel Club's first event is steadily approaching as time goes by.

The Duel Club is a supplement to the practical classes, and its main purpose is to guide young wizards on how to deal with problems encountered in practical classes. Previously, there was no way for them to ask questions, and the Hogwarts professors had not made proper course planning and preparation because practical classes were still a new thing.

At the event, all the questions that have been building up over the past few weeks will likely be thrown at Vaughn.

So during these days of "unemployment," Vaughn didn't really have any free time. He would come to the library on time every day to "prepare lessons" for the first event.

Actually, Vaughn quite likes this job.

It's not that he likes to be a know-it-all, but rather that he wants to realize his ideal: to have more companions on the path of pursuing the truth of magic. In that case, the stronger the magical world is, the better.

Hogwarts students are the future of the wizarding world!

In a sense, his actions were the same as Voldemort's attempt to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—both aimed to influence young wizards and plan for their future.

The only difference is that the two have different perspectives.

The library under Mrs. Pince's management was quiet and intellectually stimulating, making it an ideal place for focused study and immersive thinking.

Lesson preparation involves thinking, but it usually doesn't take up much time for Vaughn. After all, given his magical level and the fact that he designs the practical lessons, he can usually answer most of the young wizards' questions without difficulty.

He spent most of his time in the library borrowing books on alchemy in preparation for his later journey to the Aether.

It must be said that Hogwarts' thousand-year history is no joke. Not only does it have a rich and comprehensive collection of books, but it also preserves a large number of notes, manuscripts, research records and other materials donated by alumni over the past thousand years.

The alumni, some from hundreds of years ago to several decades ago, were famous alchemists in the history of magic, while others were ordinary and unknown, so the quality of their donations varied.

But that's exactly what Vaughn needs.

By borrowing them and analyzing the differences, strengths, and depths in the written records, one can indirectly perceive how alchemy manifests itself in the hands of different people.

For Vaughn, who was still a novice in alchemy, reading these materials was like observing the various aspects of life. He could use a detached perspective to observe the deviations, mistakes, and errors of many people and then learn from them.

There are also successful people whose experiences can be used for mutual reference, to learn why certain difficulties are encountered and how to solve them.

This can probably be considered a disguised way of learning from the lessons of "history"!

Vaughn was fascinated and stayed in the library until late every day. Only when he was so hungry that he couldn't stand it anymore would he sneak off to the Hogwarts kitchen with a hungry stomach and a full mind to ask the house-elves who were still awake for dinner.

There's no need to worry about the house-elves at Hogwarts finding this troublesome or offensive.

Among the Pokémon-keeping community, "outliers" like Dobby who pursue freedom are very rare. Most Pokémon, having been enslaved for generations, have long been accustomed to serving their masters and guests.

In fact, the house-elves of Hogwarts really enjoyed Vaughn coming to visit them late at night.

They enjoy this feeling of being needed, even if this feeling and the habitual way of thinking they form are the result of their minds being distorted by the wizard.

Occasionally, when he wasn't busy with his studies, Hermione would come and keep him company for a while, but Vaughn never let Hermione discover the secret of the Hogwarts kitchen.

Otherwise, Miss Know-It-All would probably have to make another futile attempt to liberate house-elves.

For the next few days, Vaughn's life was like this.

Time flew by and it was Saturday afternoon.

In the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ron copied Hermione's homework at an unprecedented speed. They cheered and ran outside with Hermione in tow.

Normally, Hermione would never bother with the two of them.

But today is an exception.

"What do you think Vaughn will teach us today?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione curiously on the way to the clubroom.

"I hope he can teach you some powerful magic," Ron said, "so that next time Flint and the others bully you, I can draw my wand and teach them a lesson!"

Harry was touched. "Thank you, Ron, but you seem to have forgotten that everyone in Slytherin has signed up for the Duel Club."

"Don't worry!"

Ron said nonchalantly, "I bet most of those pure-blood guys signed up just to suck up to Vaughn. They're not going to listen to the lectures. Besides, look at those big oafs in the Slytherin team, do you think they're cut out for magic?"

Harry thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hermione, who was a step behind, pursed her lips, probably unable to imagine Marcus Flint and Monta practicing spells so seriously.

She even doubted whether those two guys, with their intellectual abilities, could graduate on time.

The Duel Club's activity room was eventually moved by the school to the fourth floor of the secondary tower. The secondary tower had more empty rooms than the main tower, including an indoor training ground that had been sealed off more than 100 years ago.

Usually, almost no one comes here, but today is different. When Harry and his two friends arrived at the activity room, the huge training ground was already almost full of people.

"Wow, so many people!"

Harry was amazed.

Although he felt that everyone was very enthusiastic about the Duel Club when he signed up last time, the actual situation still surprised him.

At this rate, I'm afraid the entire school will come!

At Hogwarts, aside from welcoming new students or holiday dinners, Harry rarely sees an occasion with so many students gathered together.

And more people are arriving one after another.

Harry spotted Percy in the crowd. He was wearing a clean, ironed robe with a prefect's badge pinned to his chest, and he was greeting everyone he knew who arrived.

"Welcome, Nikola—yes, my brother. Vaughn entrusted me to settle everyone on behalf of the Duel Club—"

"This way, Shelley, don't be shy—haha, Vaughn chose me because of my abilities, not because I'm his brother."

"Hey, Harry, Hermione, and Ron!"

Percy spotted Harry and his two companions and skipped over, patting Harry's shoulder forcefully. "When did you get here? Sorry, there were so many people at the club, and it's our first time organizing an event, so we were a bit flustered. Have you found your seats? Come this way, I'll arrange a good place for you. Don't worry, I have the authority to do so."

He continued talking to himself, enthusiastically arranging for the three of them to sit in a very nice spot, and then went off to greet the others with a beaming smile.

Harry was completely bewildered.

Ron made a face and scoffed at Percy's flamboyant back, his robes billowing like a rooster's wings, "I have that right. Tch, bootlicker, acting like he's the founder of the dueling club!"

"But at least he helped Vaughn. What about you?" Hermione glanced at him sideways.

Ron shut up in annoyance.

Ignoring his two friends' bickering, Harry curiously watched the ever-flowing crowd, which included not only students but also professors.

In a corner of the training field, Professor McGonagall was directing Hagrid and several students, probably in their sixth year, to move some dismantled mannequins.

That should be the original facility of the training ground.

On the other side, Professor Flitwick stood on a chair, chuckling as he spoke to Professor Sprout, while Professor Kettleburn stood nearby, scratching his bald head with his prosthetic leg.

In addition, there was Madam Hooch, who taught flying; Professor Bathilda Barbling, who taught ancient runes; Professor Sinestadt, who taught astronomy; and even Professor Setima Victor, who taught arithmetic and divination. Only a genius would know how insignificant a mathematics professor was at Hogwarts.

After some thought, the only one who wasn't there was probably Professor Bubbaji from the Muggle Studies class. Even the seemingly crazy Sybil Trelawney was hiding in a corner, sneaking around drinking.

Naturally, Snape came too!

When Harry noticed him, he found that the man was also looking at him, his dark eyes swallowing the surrounding light like an abyss.

"Merlin, this is terrible."

Ron, who also saw Snape, let out a groan.

Although they knew Snape wasn't a bad person after what happened last semester, unfortunately, his malice towards Harry was genuine.

Yesterday was the last Potions class of the week. Ron and Harry had just been tormented by Snape—they were learning to make a hair-standing potion, and they forgot how many rat tails to add. Ron wanted to ask Hermione from another group, but Snape caught him red-handed.

The terrifying old bat never left Harry and Ron's seats for the entire session, hovering behind them like a ghost, watching their every move intently, spitting venom from his mouth.

Harry had no idea how he managed to process the herbs and finish brewing the medicine; his mind was completely blank throughout the entire process.

Ron performed even worse than him, grinding the herbs like he had Parkinson's.

In the end, the potion failed as expected. Harry and Ron were singled out by Snape as typical examples of failure. He poured the potion they had brewed into a Moro rat, a weak magical creature that resembled a white mouse in Muggle society in appearance and function.