Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 320 What should I do if Vaughn and Dumbledore have fallen out? I need help urgently!

Of course, Kettleburn had little interest in politics; he had disliked such cannibalistic things since he was young.

The reason for probing Vaughn's thoughts at this moment was merely due to some concern about the recent rumors circulating in the castle that some pure-blood families were trying to extend goodwill to Vaughn Weasley.

Thinking about it, Kettleburn's feelings became somewhat complicated.

Even though he dislikes politics, he knows that some rumors are indeed widespread, while others are actually indicators of prevailing trends.

It was deliberately released by someone with ulterior motives to test the protagonist of the rumor and even the public's reaction.

Kettleburn wasn't worried about the former, since Vaughn had been staying here these past few days recording experiments and building a database.

What worries him is the reaction of the young wizards.

About five days ago, when the rumors first appeared, apart from Slytherin, the other houses were not very convinced by the claim that "pure-blood families were showing goodwill towards Vaughn."

Everyone knows that the Weasleys are "pure-blood traitors," and Vaughn, like Dumbledore, is aligned with Muggles.

However, the vote on restoring the club's full functions reached a stalemate at the board meeting.

In particular, the day before yesterday, a rumor suddenly emerged that of the four pure-blood family members on the board of directors, only the Carlo family consistently voted against the motion, while the other three abstained in multiple rounds of voting.

The wind direction has quietly changed—

No one knows who else voted against it besides Carlo, but since the vote is deadlocked and three purebloods abstained, is it possible to temporarily cooperate with the purebloods in order to pass the vote?

Even just yesterday.

When Kettleburn went to see Minerva McGonagall, he overheard several sixth-year Gryffindor wizards asking McGonagall if the rumors were true. While McGonagall remained silent, someone directly suggested that the professors could respond to the purebloods' overtures on Vaughn's behalf.

The person who spread the message successfully broke through the young wizards' psychological bottom line by taking advantage of their concern for the club's future, their anxiety about the deadlock in the vote, and Vaughn's long absence. In order to make them subconsciously choose to compromise in order to "pass the vote".

This is terrifying!

Kettleburn is not a wizard who favors Muggles, but that doesn't mean he's unaware of the dangers of pure-bloods, nor does it mean he can stand idly by and watch his students' thinking become one of endless compromises, creating a slippery slope and a dependence on appeasement.

He hoped that Vaughn would stand up, reject the purebloods' overtures, and nip those dangerous tendencies in the bud.

But----

Watching Vaughn calmly eating his meal, he knew that Vaughn was unlikely to follow his wishes.

Because he learned from McGonagall last night that, apart from Carol, the ones who had been consistently voting against it these past few days were the members of the wizarding family councils.

"Vaughn, Dumbledore, what's going on with you two?"

Dumbledore is the leader of Hogwarts and the key figure in curbing the expansion of pure-blood factions.

As for Vaughn, it was no secret among the upper echelons of the wizarding world that he was Dumbledore's chosen successor.

But now, these two have a falling out.

If Quor existed now, Kettleburn would definitely post about it:

What should be done if the emperor and the crown prince have a falling out? Need help urgently!

"Dear Albus, what's going on between you and Vaughn Weasley? Did you have a fight?"

The distant East.

The biting wind whipped up snowflakes that danced on the summit of Laojun Mountain. The blizzard and frigid conditions had completely wiped out any Muggle tourists from this famous Taoist mountain. Without the noise of ordinary people, the whole place seemed desolate.

Of course, for Connelly Fudge, such days were both boring and unbearable.

He didn't like quiet. He began to miss his office at the Ministry of Magic, from where he could see rows of Floonet fireplaces glowing green, and employees walking out, lining up to walk around the Magic Brothers Fountain, and into the elevators.

The blend of noise and order is satisfying, a vibrant reminder of the power he wields.

On this barren mountain in the dead of winter, all of that was no longer felt. Stepping out of his lodging, all he could feel was the howling wind and the stiff, serious Eastern alchemists who were always staring at him.

His only remaining amusement each day was visiting Dumbledore, even though he hated the old man, because it was the only place where he could hear familiar accents.

However, Fudge was in a relatively good mood today because not long ago, an owl that had flown for several days and thousands of miles delivered a letter to him. His loyal subordinate, who was also the Ministry of Magic member he had placed in the Hogwarts Board of Governors, described in detail the meeting of the Board of Governors in the letter.

When Fudge first saw it, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Merlin!

The despicable old bastard and the wicked little bastard have actually fallen out?

He almost impatiently took the letter and went to Dumbledore's room, pretending to be concerned as he asked Dumbledore the question he had just asked.

But Fudge knew he didn't care at all; he could barely suppress the smile on his face!

To his disappointment, he didn't see any of the expressions he wanted to see on Dumbledore's face—no disappointment, no anger, no dissatisfaction.

The old man sat by the window, leisurely knitting, and even thanked him aloud: "Dear Cornelius, thank you for letting me know about Hogwarts. It's very timely. I forgot to bring an owl with me when I left, and I was wondering how to contact the castle!"

."

That cunning old codger!

He must be forcing a smile. Yes, the old man has been scheming and plotting for decades, so it's really unlikely that he would show his true feelings.

With his mind racing, Fudge sneered, "You're welcome, Albus. I should be thanking you. If you hadn't suddenly blocked Vaughn Weasley at the board meeting, I wouldn't have even considered that his position could actually be won over. Sigh, it's all my fault for being so narrow-minded before, thinking that you were all in cahoots, but ignoring that everyone is an independent individual and inevitably has their own thoughts and demands."

"Hey, the purebloods taught me a lesson this time. There are no eternal enemies or friends in the real world. I was out of my mind, always listening to you talk about love and stuff, and I thought that the bond of feelings could transcend interests—that was so wrong. Luckily, I woke up in time."

As he spoke, his smile turned smug, and he raised his head slightly: "It seems I need to re-understand Mr. Vaughn Weasley's needs; perhaps he is not such an inflexible person after all."

17

After saying that, he left arrogantly without waiting for Dumbledore's response.

The quaint house fell silent once more, and Dumbledore slowly crocheted, the wool sweater gradually taking shape in his hands.

After a long silence, a voice suddenly broke the stillness of the room: "Don't you want to say anything?"

"What else do I need to say? Just as Cornelius said, Vaughn and I have had a disagreement." Dumbledore wasn't surprised at all by the sudden sound coming from his room.

Or rather, the voice was there before Cornelius Fudge barged in.

A blurry human figure emerged from the shadows of the tables and chairs, as if stepping out from the dark side of the world, or as if bursting into reality from a two-dimensional plane. The reflection bulged and rose, and in an instant, it became a person.

Dumbledore looked up at him and said, "You are the master here, and Cornelius is a guest. I don't think you need to sneak around and hide from him, Lee."

That man was Li Tianshi, a legendary sorcerer from the East.

Even after emerging from his reflection, his face remained shrouded in shadow, preventing Dumbledore from seeing his expression. Dumbledore could only discern the calm in his voice: "Western politicians are fickle, and I don't want to deal with them too much, lest my personal likes and dislikes influence everyone's judgment and negotiations."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Fickle—is that why you've been dragging out the negotiations?"

Negotiations regarding the international potion exchange have been ongoing for a long time, but neither the Eastern Kingdom nor the Central Alchemy Academy has given a definite answer—neither agreeing to participate nor refusing, nor have they proposed any conditions of practical significance.

Nobody knows what these Easterners are thinking.

If it weren't for Vaughn's strong insistence, and Fudge's continued expectation of the East's integration into the international order, these negotiations should have been shelved long ago.

Today, Dumbledore invited his old friend, Master Li, over for a chat, hoping to have an open and honest conversation with him.

Negotiations cannot continue indefinitely like this.

But just as the conversation was beginning, Fudge barged in.

Looking at Old Deng, who was still knitting, Master Li remained silent for a moment, not answering directly: "I know you well, Albus. You're not as calm as you seem. You don't actually want to clash with Vaughn Weasley, but for some reason, you have to. Can you tell me why?"

"————"

Dumbledore paused in his movements. "My business with Vaughn seems to have nothing to do with you."

"No, it's very relevant," Master Li said calmly. "The initiator of the International Potions Exchange is Mr. Weasley, and the venue is Hogwarts. You are both the hosts. If the Central Qi Refining Academy decides to participate, then whether the relationship between the two of you is harmonious or not will obviously determine the quality of the event. All participating academies need to pay close attention to this."

His answer surprised Dumbledore.

Although Li Tianshi made no promises in his words, that "what if" was the first relatively positive signal that Dongfang had expressed since the two sides began to make contact.

What caused the change?

Dumbledore stopped his knitting, his deep blue eyes fixed on Li Tianshi. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "You seem to value Vaughn quite a bit?"

He wanted to see the other person's expression, but there was only an illusory shadow on that face.

Dumbledore understood that his old friend was deliberately covering his face to prevent him from catching any changes in his expression. For a memory magic master like him who was over a hundred years old, even without using memory magic such as Legilimency, he could decipher many useful things just by looking at his expression.

Master Li's voice remained calm: "Of course, he is the most talented wizard I have ever heard of, and he is also your chosen successor. We must consider the impact his existence will have on the magical world of England, Europe, and even the entire world in the future. It is normal to pay attention to him."

is it?

Dumbledore frowned slightly.

But what the other party said didn't seem to have any problems.

Yes, although Vaughn is still a second-year student, since the end of his trip to North America, and with this initiative to launch an international potion exchange activity, he has made great strides.

Vaughn's name has already entered the upper echelons of the international magical community.

His deeds have spread widely, and anyone who knows them cannot ignore the astonishing talent he displayed in the fields of potions and magic.

Such a genius, in a magical world where power resides in himself, is destined to rise and profoundly influence the world.

To be precise, Vaughn and his C are already influencing the world!

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but Dumbledore temporarily suppressed his doubts and replied, "It's just a minor disagreement, similar to what Fudge just said. He has his own ideas, which I don't quite agree with, so we had a little tiff."

"Does 'a little misunderstanding' mean that you manipulated the school board to obstruct one of his agenda items?"

Master Li asked sharply in a calm tone, "What you're doing will only exacerbate your conflict and cause the situation to spiral out of control. This is not the Dumbledore I know."

"Oh—what kind of person do you know me to be?" Dumbledore asked with a look of great interest.

Master Li gave Old Dumbledore a deep look: "The Dumbledore I know is someone who appears crazy on the surface, but is actually very rational and ruthless because he insists on the big picture. For the sake of the big picture, he can sacrifice his emotions, friends, and even himself. I can't imagine that such an inhuman guy would resort to underhanded tactics and fall out with the successor he personally supported because of a little grudge."

Hearing the barbed words in his voice, Dumbledore's playful expression softened slightly, and he sighed, "You really are still complaining about things from decades ago—"

"This is just my personal opinion," Master Li interrupted him. "From a national perspective, there's no point in dwelling on the past. Just answer me directly: is there really an irreconcilable conflict between you and Vaughn Weasley, or—is it just an act?"

"Hmm"

Ignoring the interruption, Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then asked again, "Will my answer affect our negotiations?"

"Yes!" Master Li nodded. "This event may seem like just a potion exchange among students, but we both know that Vaughn Weasley is the one who has mastered the advanced technology. In essence, he is using this event as an opportunity to spread his technology, ideas, and influence."

"I have spoken with Headmasters Beauxbatons and Castorbushers, and none of our students can rival Vaughn Weasley in the fields of potions and magic—which means that the students we send will inevitably become part of his ideology, part of his influence, or even his followers."

"What's frustrating is that this isn't even a conspiracy, but a perfectly legitimate strategy—wizards are always chasing more advanced magic, because if you don't, you'll fall behind. This means that even though we understand Vaughn Weasley's strategy, we can only watch helplessly as he most likely uses this event to become a leader of the younger generation—"

At the very least, a leader.

"Given this, if there's a possibility that your conflict with him could escalate completely, then we have to consider whether the harm of falling behind or sacrificing the ideals of a generation is less serious!"

As he spoke, Master Li paused, waved his hand, and the shadow that had been covering his face disappeared, revealing a face that, though aged, was still handsome and elegant.

He looked at Dumbledore: "Old friend, I don't know what Weasley is thinking that makes you react this way, but I hope you understand that we are getting old—someone once said something that I remember very well: 'Young people are the sun at eight or nine in the morning, and the world ultimately belongs to them—'"

This seemingly ordinary sentence deeply moved Dumbledore.

His feigned calm completely crumbled. He put down the unfinished sweater he was knitting, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "The world ultimately belongs to them—even if their ideas might bring immense disaster to this world?"

Master Li turned to look at the snow-covered sky outside the window. The next moment, a shadow returned to his face: "I cannot answer your question, old friend, because nothing has happened yet. No one can make a judgment about the future. Just like us, the future may get better or worse. There are actually endless debates within us, but the series of impacts that follow are foreseeable. The sword of Damocles seems to be hanging over our heads."

"However, good and bad are just current perspectives. What the future holds is for future generations to judge."

After those words, the atmosphere fell silent. Dumbledore also turned to look out the window, and the light seemed to pass through the swirling snowflakes, revealing the small town he had once visited.

The small town was quite dilapidated, but as he walked along the old streets and among the bustling crowds, he could clearly feel that beneath the dilapidated appearance, there was a kind of fiery vitality that was about to burst forth.

Lost in thought for who knows how long, when he came to his senses again, Master Li was gone.

Dumbledore didn't care where that elusive old fellow had gone again; he simply reached into his bosom and pulled out a stack of letters from the inner pocket, which was enchanted with the Unseen Stretching Charm.

The letter's cover was exquisite, the handwriting elegant, and the ink fragrant.

It's clearly the work of a nobleman.

The sealing wax had been removed, indicating that the letters had been read. Dumbledore stared at them silently for a long time before muttering to himself, "A pureblood letter, Fudge's sarcasm, even people from the East are coming to advise me because of my conflict with you—no wonder you're so fearless."

For a moment, Dumbledore's feelings were complicated.

Leaving Dumbledore's lodging, Li Tianshi walked along the stone path in the mountains like a non-existent reflection.

The swirling wind carrying snowflakes swept past his body, yet the two seemed like separate layers, causing no disturbance to each other.

The occasional Muggle staff members of the scenic area who passed by in a hurry, or the Qi practitioners who were responsible for receiving foreign guests, seemed not to see him at all, letting him walk out of the foreign guests' residence and come to the other side of the mountain.