Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 85 I need dark wizards, the more the better.

Crouch Jr. was very pleased with himself.

He crawled through the iron cage like a wild beast, the chains jingling as he dragged them. His eyes, pupils dilating and contracting, were fixed on Vaughn, filled with excitement, greed, and cruelty.

"You should be glad you ran fast enough. Do you know what happened to the last wizard that old dog hired to alter my memories?"

"Hehe, I locked him up in my memory and tormented him for a very, very long time!"

"You bunch of fools have no idea how powerful my master is. I can hear him whispering in my head every day. With my great master's help, I'm no longer afraid of that bullshit memory magic!"

Vaughn replied calmly, "Is that so?"

"If you don't believe me, then you can try again...!" He laughed, his tongue nervously licking his lips.

Then he saw Vaughn smile, raise his hand, and snap his fingers!

Snapped!

Crouch, who was crawling, suddenly stiffened.

He stared in astonishment, feeling something strange emerge from the depths of his soul.

If someone were to enter his mind at this moment, they would find that the cloak of mist that Vaughn had given him and which he had corrupted suddenly disintegrated as Vaughn snapped his fingers.

It dispersed back into mist, a cloud of black sand fell out, and the pure white mist recombine to form a human-shaped outline.

The moment it took shape, an image was drawn from the void—

It was the same small building that Vaughn had seen before. The humanoid mist walked stiffly and rigidly into it, entered that memory, smashed open the door of the building, and rushed into the darkness.

A short while later, outside, Barty Crouch Jr. stared at "himself" with bloodshot eyes, as if he were a puppet on strings, and stood up.

As Vaughn opened the iron cage, "itself" walked up to him and then remained silent and motionless.

He wanted to scream, to roar, to hurl curses and unleash the most vicious curses.

But the reality is, he can't control anything.

He could only watch helplessly as Vaughn casually looked him over, smiling as he said, "To be honest, I was quite surprised by your memory before. I thought you were also a hidden master of memory magic, but it turns out you're just a pathetic wretch who was tortured by Voldemort and learned a few smatterings."

"A true wizard with memory magic would never dare to use their true personality and most important memories to meet another wizard with memory magic, much less leave behind anything discarded by someone else..."

"Crouch down!" Vaughn suddenly commanded.

Even with his eyes blazing with anger and madness, Barty Crouch Jr., unable to control himself, still squatted down stiffly.

"Raise your hand!"

He raised his hand.

Vaughn grasped his hand, shook it, and said with a smile, under his malicious gaze, "You said before that you would let me use your memories as I please, your darkness and twistedness. This is the first time I've heard such a request."

"Don't worry, I'll make good use of you. After all, you're my first dark wizard experiment subject. I'm really interested in your memories, everything about you!"

……

When Crouch woke up, it was already dark. The curtains were tightly drawn, and the distant city lights were faintly visible through the window.

He stared blankly at the hazy light and shadow, his cheek pressed against the pillow, feeling the coolness of the cloth dampened by a tear.

He had another dream, the same unrealistic dream.

He dreamt that time seemed to turn back, and his son smiled and called him "Dad," instead of... instead of frantically cursing and hurling insults at him!

Crouch's heart clenched, and he closed his eyes slightly, burying his face in the pillow.

Then, he heard a faint sound downstairs.

It's sparkly.

Her signature high-pitched voice was saying something, and you could vaguely tell that she seemed quite pleased.

Crouch's memories of what happened before he fell asleep returned. He remembered that he hadn't been asleep at all, but had been knocked unconscious by Gilgamesh, who had even said to him:

"Master, I'm sorry, but Mr. Weasley said this will help you get a good night's sleep!"

Crouch's face turned ashen as he recalled the memory.

Damn it, who is her master?

He quickly got up, threw on a coat, and went downstairs. As he moved away from the floor barrier, he finally heard Shan Shan's words.

She was speaking to Vaughn: "...Mr. Weasley, you are the smartest, wisest, and greatest person I have ever met. I am just a lowly elf and can't do much to help you, but I will do my best to serve you. Tell me whatever you like or need!"

This traitor...

Crouch's cheek twitched as he walked down the stairs and immediately saw that his living room had been transformed into a potion-making room.

An experimental table, seemingly transformed by transmutation, lay across the middle of the spacious living room, its surface gleaming with the light of all the enchanted alchemical lamps in the house.

A golden crucible was bubbling with steam. Vaughn stood in front of the pot, just dropping in the last ingredient.

Shining stood on tiptoe beside him, looking like a follower: "Sir, are you done?"

"One, two, three... Stir eight times. Yes, it's done. Once it cools, we can bottle it. Shanshan, go and call an owl for me."

"Yes, sir!"

The answer was bright and clear; Crouch had never seen her so enthusiastic in years.

He put on a stern face and glared at Shan Shan, who had turned around. Shan Shan saw him too.

But to Crouch's surprise, the wretched little elf showed no remorse for "betraying" her master; instead, she beamed with delight, her large eyes sparkling.

"Master, you're awake? That's wonderful! Mr. Weasley's potion is successfully brewed, Master is awake, and so is our little Master... Waaaaah—"

Overjoyed, she wept uncontrollably.

Crouch frowned: "Blink, what kind of trick are you playing?"

"Waaaah... Master, look, look behind you, oh—it's such a breathtaking sight! Poor little elf, how long has she longed for this scene? She remembered her master's dying instructions and tried her best to do them. She thought she would never be able to do it until the day she died—"

Hearing the shimmering, mournful cries, Crouch sensed something.

His back stiffened for a moment, and he slowly turned around.

Behind me, the restaurant was dimly lit by candlelight, and a familiar figure leaned against the restaurant entrance.

Just like many years ago, that figure wore an innocent and radiant smile.

Crouch's vision was suddenly blurred by tears, and he could no longer see clearly, only hearing the man shout:

"dad……"

The sound of weeping came from the restaurant.

In the living room, Vaughn, who was waiting for the potion to cool down, shook his head slightly.

Barty Crouch Jr. certainly couldn't recover so quickly.

He simply implanted a persona into Barty's mind.

The one who called out "Dad" was not Barty Crouch Jr., but a virtual persona.

However, it wouldn't be accurate to say it's completely false.

According to his design, the personification device is meant to be connected to the real person and real memories.

Unfortunately, Barty, who knew nothing about memory magic, had previously revealed his true personality to Vaughn.

Therefore, in a sense, the Persona can also be seen as Barty Crouch Jr., although it is just a replica of him from his memories, from a long time ago.

After a while, the crying in the restaurant gradually subsided.

Vaughn heard Crouch stagger out from behind him, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is this the persona you were talking about before?"

It seems Crouch wasn't indulging in the illusion of a reunion; he was quite clear-headed.

Vaughn, who was watching the potion's color change, nodded slightly: "Yes, what's temporarily taking over his body and memories is a virtual personality that I implanted."

"How much of it is genuine?"

"His memories and personality are taken from the real Barty Crouch Jr., of course, a long time ago, before he came into contact with dark magic and before he was brainwashed and corrupted!"

Crouch paused for a moment, then asked again, "Different from the Imperius Curse?"

"Absolutely different. The Imperius Curse is a spell caster that suppresses the soul, distorts and controls a person. The operation of the Persona Imperius is more like simulation and deduction... You can think of it as another personality that your son split off from."

Hearing this, Crouch's breathing became rapid:

"The effect of that dark magic on him..."

Vaughn shook his head: "The effects are still there, of course. What I need to do next is to observe how long the personality suit can resist before it is corrupted by dark magic."

Crouch was speechless.

"Don't be too hasty, Barty... Like I said before, it's a long-term project. I haven't even started yet. I need to study, learn, and understand dark magic in order to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which it distorts people's hearts and souls."

Crouch calmed down and asked, "What kind of help do you need?"

"Dark wizards, the more the better." Vaughn chuckled, then changed the subject, tapping the now-cooled cauldron in front of him. "But right now, I need an owl more. Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, and I still need to send my girlfriend a gift!"

"..."

……

A new day has begun; it's Valentine's Day.

This holiday is completely irrelevant to the first-year wizards.

They were the only ones in the entire Hogwarts who realized it last.

For example, Harry noticed while he was eating in the dining hall that the upperclassmen today looked like peacocks he had seen in the Muggle zoo. Many of them had unbuttoned their robes, revealing their handsome clothes underneath, and were walking around the long table.

The girls frequently looked up, gazing at the ceiling, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

"What's wrong with everyone?"

He took a sip of pumpkin juice and asked.

The roommates next to him shook their heads in disbelief.

Hermione, sitting opposite her holding a thick book, slightly raised her head, revealing half of her tousled hair: "It's Valentine's Day!"

Ron clapped his hands hard: "No wonder Percy had his hair all slicked back this morning. I bet even a fly would slip on it."

"Who is his girlfriend?" Simon asked.

"Penelope Crivette, the Ravenclaw prefect," Ron couldn't resist revealing. "Harry once saw them on a date in the Forbidden Forest."

Seamus, Dean, and Neville asked curiously for details, but Ron stammered and couldn't give a coherent answer.

They asked Harry, only to find him in a daze, lost in thought.

His eyes darted toward the Ravenclaw table, where a beautiful Asian girl had captured his attention.

Unfortunately, that girl never even glanced in his direction... unless Vaughn took a liking to Gryffindor.

The boys didn't notice anything unusual about him, assuming he hadn't recovered yet, which made Harry feel both frustrated and secretly pleased.

A group of foolish elementary school students who don't even understand what love is, while he has already secretly held a girl's hand!

Even though it was in a dream!

Soon, flocks of owls flew in, and packages rained down, landing in front of the girls. The boys, dressed in their finest clothes, also rushed to stand opposite their favorite girls, and a few even punched each other in the struggle for a spot.

The empty room in front of them was filled with first-grade students, who were watching the spectacle with wide eyes.

Then, a package fell in front of Hermione.

The package seemed to be enchanted; it was light and airy, radiating pink bubbles from the inside out, perfectly matching the festive atmosphere and preventing anyone from misinterpreting its meaning.

Harry and Ron gaped, and the nearby lion cubs were also taken aback.

Hermione calmly accepted the package amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd.

Only Harry and Ron, who knew her very well, could tell that her hands were actually trembling slightly, and that she wasn't as calm as she appeared.

Before the two could question her, Hermione had already picked up her package, grabbed a few pieces of bread, and hurriedly left the restaurant.

"Merlin!" Seamus Finnigan finally realized, exclaiming, "Someone actually sent Hermione Granger a Valentine's Day gift?"

Dean's jaw dropped. "She's the only first-year student to receive a gift! Harry, Ron, do you know who it is?"

Harry and Ron were completely bewildered.

Simo added fuel to the fire: "Aren't you good friends? She won't even let you see her!"

Simo's question stung the hearts of the two boys.

As they left the restaurant to head to class, Ron muttered, "Seamus was right, it's so unfair that she received a gift and didn't even let us see it... Harry, who do you think sent it?"

Harry analyzed, "It's definitely not a stranger. We know Hermione very well. She was excited when she received the package, but she didn't show any surprise. So, she already knew someone would be sending her a gift!"

As they were talking, the twins ran past them from behind.

"Silly Ronnie, silly Harry, and who else is close to Hermione?"

"That's right, George, of course it's only our most charming little brother, Vaughn Weasley!"

The twins ran off laughing and joking.

Ron and Harry were left staring at each other, stunned for a moment. Then Ron suddenly shouted angrily, "Vaughn gave her a gift but not me! Harry, tell me, isn't he a terrible brother?"

"?"

Harry stared in disbelief, instinctively moving away from Ron, and stammered, "I think your idea is more problematic!"

The real Hermione was always a very monotonous person. Without external interference, her day would seem very boring to outsiders—after breakfast, she would preview the day's lessons while waiting for class.

After class, she would spend 3 to 4 hours completing the assignments given by the professor as quickly as possible.

Even if the assignment isn't due until next week.

Then lunchtime was one of the few social moments she had left in the day, which basically consisted of listening to Harry and Ron complain or boast at the long table in the restaurant and in the common room.

Because the content is too boring, she usually brings a reference book that she hasn't finished reading.

During lunch break, while everyone else goes to rest, the library is where Hermione often goes. It's where she reads extracurricular books and learns about the complexities of the magical world and new spells.

As for why there's no lunch break...

Hermione's love of learning was only one reason; another important reason was that no one in her dorm talked to her...

Spending a lot of time with Vaughn, Hermione gradually learned some of his thought patterns, such as in interpersonal relationships.

Vaughn often departs from a subjective perspective and examines changes in interpersonal relationships from a relatively objective standpoint.

Hermione tried using this model to analyze her own situation.

It started as just a minor conflict.

Back at the beginning of the semester, Lavender Brown, who was quite spoiled, complained about everything about Hogwarts in the dorm, and she was always very outspoken:

"If you're always complaining, then you shouldn't come to school."

Hermione thought it was just normal advice at the time.

But his roommates, Lavender and Parvati Petil, clearly didn't see it that way.

Hermione didn't realize at the time why they had suddenly stopped talking.

Looking back now, they were probably just scared of her.

From someone else's perspective, with her messy hair and her energetic and decisive work style, she must be a person with a bad temper and a strong sense of aggression!

Having realized the problem, Hermione didn't know how to improve her situation.

That's how people are. Self-reflection and introspection are things that anyone can do, but few people can figure out how to specifically turn around an unfavorable situation.

Most people are rather passive in managing their own environment.

Sometimes I try to comfort myself by saying, "If no one talks to me, won't I have more time to read?"

But the truth is, even the most focused study fanatic is still human. They need rest, social interaction to relax, and they need to chat with their best friends about girly topics.

Lying in bed each night, hearing her roommates chatting casually, even though they weren't particularly close, a faint sense of loneliness would creep into Hermione's heart.

She had considered taking the initiative to communicate and ease the misunderstanding from when the semester started, but she was afraid they would reject her.

Sometimes, Hermione thinks that people are like porcupines, wanting to huddle together for warmth in the cold winter, yet afraid of being hurt by the quills of others!

So, in the end, she gave up—as long as I run away, no one can hurt me…

This is truly an ostrich mentality!

Hermione originally thought that life at Hogwarts would continue as it was, and that perhaps as they grew older, one day everyone would realize that their childhood tantrums and stubbornness were both naive and ridiculous, and then they would put aside their past grievances and return to being ordinary friends as roommates.

What she cares about most right now is another, completely different relationship.

On Valentine's Day morning, as soon as she woke up, she wondered what gift Vaughn would give her.

She actually knew the day she gave him the chocolates that Vaughn had definitely forgotten about Valentine's Day—he was very good at hiding his emotions, and Hermione didn't notice anything amiss in his expression. Rather, she knew that if Vaughn had prepared a gift in advance, he would have been unable to resist teasing her.

She had heard Ron complain about it countless times; at least when it came to his wicked sense of humor, Vaughn never disappointed!

Logically speaking, it's normal to forget Valentine's Day. After all, Vaughn has a ton of things to do and occasionally has to catch up on lessons, so he's probably too busy to remember the time.

But as it was her first Valentine's Day, Hermione didn't want to watch it go in the wrong direction again, just like she had with her roommates.

That's why, after discovering Vaughn that day, she left the unconscious Harry and secretly went back to her dormitory to bring back some chocolate.

She wanted to remind Vaughn not to forget her.

Vaughn, reminded of the gift, did not forget. Hermione was delighted to receive the gift, but she did not open it immediately.

She continued as usual, previewing her lessons and doing her homework, only avoiding Harry and Ron at noon—to avoid those two big mouths catching her and asking her questions—to preview her afternoon lessons and do her homework.

It wasn't until nightfall, when everyone was asleep, that she secretly took the gift box and went to the common room.

The Gryffindor Tower is very tall, though not as tall as the observatory, but tall enough to overlook the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest. Tonight, the moonlight is just as bright and clear as it was that night. Sitting in front of the bay window, looking at the view through the glass, Hermione felt as if time had turned back to that night.

This was a time she deliberately chose, so that no one would disturb her and she could quietly enjoy her "alone" time with Vaughn.

Hermione slowed her breathing and gently opened the gift box.

The enchanted box sprayed out a string of pink bubbles the moment it was opened. When the bubbles dissipated, Hermione saw several bottles of clear, crystalline potions lying quietly at the bottom of the box.

There was also a sticky note on it, written in Warn's beautiful cursive script:

"These are for my beloved girl. I hope she can use them to have a complete Hogwarts life—little girl, you already have friendship and love, now you're missing a best friend!"

Below the words, there is a funny smiley face.

Hermione burst out laughing.

But as she laughed, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Somewhat inexplicably, she was clearly very happy, happy about Vaughn's thoughtfulness.

At least, Harry and Ron never noticed that she never appeared with any girls.

Hermione sniffed, wiped away her tears, and looked at the bottles of potions.

She picked up a bottle, uncorked it, and took a gentle sniff.

Strangely, she could smell the scent of parchment stained with ink, and... the smell of Vaughn's hair!

The girl blushed, wondering if she was imagining things.

She looked at the bottle; there was no name on it, and the label simply read: "Pour into a perfume bottle, spray sparingly, lasts 24 hours."

There was also a line of smaller print: "Side effects are currently unclear."

It's a bit scary.

Hermione chuckled. This was the Vaughn she knew—always teasing people with a mischievous, wicked sense of humor.

But... that's just how the person she likes is, what can you do?

With a smile on her lips, the girl returned to her dormitory and carefully placed the gift box in the storage box on the bedside table.

She forbade the use of them, for the favor gained through potions was far less meaningful than what they represented!

(End of this chapter)