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 invited to alter my memories?"
"Hehe, I locked him 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 the help of my great master, I am no longer afraid of any bullshit memory magic!"
Vaughn's expression remained indifferent: "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!
Snap!
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., his eyes wide with fury, stared at "himself" as if he were a puppet on strings, and stood up.
As Vaughn opened the iron cage, "it" walked up to him and then remained quietly still.
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 and smiled, saying, "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 dare to leave behind things that others have thrown away..."
"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 and 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 from before he fell asleep returned. He remembered that he hadn't fallen 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. Just tell me what 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 illuminated by 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 the 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! The poor little elf, how long has she longed for this scene? She remembered her mistress's dying instructions and tried so hard to do them, but she thought she would never be able to do them 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 personification 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."
Hearing this, Crouch's breathing became rapid:
"The influence 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. "However, right now I need an owl more. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I still need to send a gift to my girlfriend!"
"..."
...
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 with a thick book in her hands, slightly raised her head, revealing half of her tousled hair: "Today is Valentine's Day!"
Ron clapped his hands hard: "No wonder I saw Percy with his hair all slicked back this morning. I bet even a fly would slip on it."
"Who is his girlfriend?" Simo asked.
"Penelope Crivette, a prefectural chair in Ravenclaw," Ron couldn't help but reveal. "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, filled with first-grade students, was too busy watching the spectacle to take it all in.
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.
But 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 and exclaimed, "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 send her a gift!"
As they were talking, the twins ran past them from behind.
"Silly Ronnie, silly Harry, 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 actions, she must be a person with a bad temper and a strong 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, she had just woken up and was already wondering 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 earlier, 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:
"I'm giving these to the girl I love. 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 scent 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 didn't intend to use them; the favor she gained through potions was far less meaningful than what they actually represented!
Chapter 86 The Treasure Vault and Learning Apparition
Early in the morning, Vaughn woke up from his sleep.
The kitchen downstairs was already filled with clanging and banging sounds; it was Shan Shan busy with housework. Since the day before yesterday, this little sprite had shown an astonishing level of enthusiasm.
"Mr. Weasley has healed the young master, and Madam can finally rest in peace. Shining will repay Mr. Weasley on Madam's behalf!"
This is what she has repeated most often these past two days.
After washing up in the second-floor washroom, it was just getting light.
Vaughn stepped out of the small building, breathing in the fresh morning air filled with dew and the scent of earth, and strolled around the Muggle community.
To conceal his son's existence, Crouch naturally chose a place to live that was secluded and had few people.
The community is next to a park. Warn walked along the path, over the rolling hills of the park, and even saw a relatively private golf course on the other side.
These kinds of places that cater to the wealthy are always built with a human touch, with a wide lawn shimmering in the rising morning light and lush green belts blocking the view from the outside world, just a wall away.
Vaughn nodded.
What a wonderful place!
After scouting the location, Vaughn returned to Crouch's house, where Shining had already prepared breakfast. Upon seeing him, Shining greeted him warmly, "Dear Mr. Weasley, Shining has made your favorite pie, beef gravy with peas."
"There are no potatoes, are there?"
Vaughn expressed his deep loathing for potatoes, a favorite food of the English!
Shining had clearly taken his likes and dislikes to heart, and said enthusiastically, "Of course not, Shining gave all the potatoes to the master!"
Crouch, who was tucking his napkin into his hand at the table, stared into deep thought at the small pie and enormous amount of fries on his plate.
Vaughn enjoyed the breakfast quite a bit. To be fair, Silence's cooking skills were pretty good, at least much better than Molly's and the house-elves of Hogwarts.
This made Vaughn suddenly realize that buying a Pokémon might not be so bad after all...
After lunch and a cup of English morning tea, Crouch went to work, and Vaughn also began his "work."
Sparkle led them to the basement, where Crouch sat quietly in his iron cage, motionless.
Sparkle looked at him, sobbing, and asked, "Mr. Weasley, when can our little master come out? Sparkle has already prepared a room for him. He hasn't slept in a warm bed in a long time, he must miss it so much..."
"We still need to observe, Shining."
Vaughn replied, took out his wand, and casually transformed a chair into a soft wool cushion, sitting down opposite Crouch.
Knowing that "the esteemed Mr. Weasley" was treating his young master, Flashy didn't dare to disturb him and quietly Apparated away. Vaughn also composed himself and closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, he was at Hogwarts.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s memories of Hogwarts!
A hazy white light, belonging to memories, enveloped the ancient castle. Vaughn looked around; he had appeared at the covered bridge at the back of the castle leading to the Forbidden Forest.
There was nothing else around except a thin, somewhat introverted boy sitting on the edge of the high covered bridge, his legs dangling out, looking down at the cliff and the lake below.
Vaughn walked over to him: "Barty, looking at the scenery again?"
The boy raised his head, glanced at him, then lowered his head again: "Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Indeed, in Barty's eyes at this moment, Vaughn is Dumbledore, just as he appeared here yesterday.
The boy in front of me is Barty Crouch Jr.'s personality—a memory within a memory, devoid of intelligence and unable to communicate.
So Vaughn used a personification technique to control and deceive Barty Jr.'s true personality, trapping him in his memories.
Vaughn is trying to see if this is a way to get Barty to open up.
He has no clue how to reverse a soul corrupted by dark magic. For now, he can only try to indirectly influence the personality through memories, and then trace the essence of Barty's dark side from the personality.
This idea comes from Vaughn's experience practicing the Patronus Charm.
Dumbledore believed in the "power of love," and that was not just empty talk. In the world of magic, spells such as the Patronus Charm use "love," or rather, the beautiful and positive side of a person.
Vaughn also believes that no one is truly born evil, and everyone should have a pure place within their heart.
The Pure Land is very difficult to change. Vaughn believes it is the opposite of darkness. If it could be found and its power invoked, it might be able to combat the corruption of dark magic.
However, for some people, the "pure land" in their hearts may be suppressed very weakly due to factors such as their upbringing, black magic, etc.
So faint as to be hard to find.
Barty Jr. is not like Harry, who lacked life experience. He is a middle-aged man with over 30 years of accumulated memories in his mind. Not to mention, his mind has long been twisted by dark magic.
Black magic rendered most of his memories ambiguous, bizarre, and dangerous.
This period of life at Hogwarts was a relatively stable memory that Vaughn had finally managed to find.
Vaughn sat down beside the boy and patiently talked to him: "When people are troubled and in pain, they always like to find a quiet place to think alone and lick their wounds... Buddy, what's troubling you?"
Little Barty didn't answer, but stretched out his leg from the walkway and swayed slowly in the air.
After a long pause, he asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, are we in my dream right now?"
"Hmm? Why do you think that?"
"Because I remember you never spoke to me privately, but these past two days, no matter where I went, you always appeared in front of me…"
Vaughn remained silent; by inserting Barty Crouch Jr. into this memory, he was attempting to mold it into Barty Crouch Jr.'s dream.
When people are dreaming, they are usually not rational and are most likely to let their guard down.
He smiled gently and said, "Of course, Barty, you can treat this place as a dream, a fantasy. Here, you can tell me anything you want to say or think."
Little Barty looked up at him, remained silent for a long while, and said in a low voice:
"I failed my exam and my dad was very angry… He demanded that I get 12 Os in OWLs, but I didn't do it."
OWLs are the standard wizarding level exams. Generally, you can pass if you get an A (Acceptable), then an E (Exceed Expectation), and the highest is O (Outstanding).
"But you passed 12 doors, which is already quite remarkable."
Vaughn mimicked Dumbledore's tone, looking at Barty Jr. with a dark and probing gaze, and said, "In my coaching career, only Tom Riddle has achieved better results than you!"
Upon hearing the name Tom Riddle, the dejected Barty suddenly covered his head.
Vaughn asked with concern, "Barty, what's wrong?"
"Principal... my head hurts so much..."
As Little Barty's headache worsened, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky.
Vaughn looked up at the suddenly appearing clouds, which pressed down from the horizon with flashes of lightning, and soon approached Hogwarts.
Thunder rumbled overhead.
Vaughn remained calm; this was all intentional. Little Barty's personality was merely being manipulated, not his memories being erased. Mentioning someone he had a deep and emotional connection with would trigger the awakening of his memories.
Without a doubt, Voldemort holds an extraordinary place in Barty Jr.'s heart.
Vaughn's eyes lit up slightly, and his voice softened, filled with a trustworthy warmth: "Barty, do you remember Tom Riddle?"
As he spoke, Little Barty's eyes became blank.
"...Remember..."
What is your impression of him?
"He...is more like my father than my own father..."
"Then, are you willing to open your heart to him? Tell your master where your most revered Dark Lord hides your joy and happiness?"
"I..."
Little Barty clutched his head again, groaning in pain.
Vaughn grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at him, the glint in his eyes growing stronger. "Barty, look who I am?"
Little Barty was confused for a moment, then his young and innocent face lit up with ecstasy.
He suddenly grabbed Vaughn's leg: "Headmaster? Master? Is that you, Master?"
"Yes, little Barty, answer my question, where is your joy and happiness hidden?"
"Yes, Master, I think... I think... I'll remember..."
The dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and amidst Barty's nervous murmurs, the Hogwarts of his memories was once again shrouded in a hazy light.
Vaughn took a step back, and the scene instantly changed; he appeared in front of Crouch's ancestral home.
The old building was still there, its doors wide open. The interior was no longer pitch black, but filled with a hazy light just like the Hogwarts Castle we had just left.
In the center of the house, the adult Barty Crouch Jr. stands there with his eyes closed.
His eyes rolled violently, as if he were experiencing a deep and intense dream.
A humanoid cloud of mist coiled around him, like a parasite, with wisps of mist extending from its surface and penetrating deep into Barty Crouch Jr.'s body.
As Little Barty's eyelids remained tightly closed, his eyeballs moved more and more frequently, and a thread of mist was pulled out of his body.
What followed was a memory image shrouded in black mist.
In the scene, Barty and several others were waving wands and chanting spells at a couple at their feet. The incantations were transmitted through the black mist, sounding somewhat distorted.
"Heart-piercing and bone-scraping!"
The couple screamed in agony, but Little Barty was excited, angry, and enjoying the torment: "Longbottom, tell me, where have you hidden my master?"
The couple didn't answer, or rather, Barty Jr. didn't care whether they answered or not.
He just wanted to hear their screams!
"Heart-piercing and bone-scraping!"
Vaughn watched the entire torture process expressionlessly, then stuffed the memory back into Little Barty's body.
"Failed again... This time, the guidance was more successful than yesterday's Dumbledore's concern and care. It quickly induced Barty to recall his memories, but it wasn't what I wanted."
"His mind, twisted by dark magic, has even distorted his definition of emotions... His current happiness and joy are a perverse pleasure accompanied by killing and torture, and have nothing to do with the 'pure land'..."
Despite his thoughts, Vaughn was not discouraged.
As he told Crouch, this was a long-term project, and he didn't expect to find a solution anytime soon. All the current attempts were just trial and error, accumulating experience for the future.
Vaughn glanced again at the personification device that was parasitizing Barty's real personality.
Just two days later, it has already turned gray.
Silently calculating, Vaughn withdrew from Barty's mind and returned to the basement.
Inside the enormous iron cage, Barty Crouch Jr. remained seated, seemingly oblivious to everything. Vaughn pulled out his notebook and began recording the experiment he had just conducted:
"The fourth experiment failed. It can be confirmed that the corruption of dark magic is all-encompassing, even distorting and skewing the definition of emotions... For the next experiment, we can consider choosing Mr. or Mrs. Crouch."
Vaughn paused here.
Is it inappropriate to use dead people?
However, this conscience lasted only a moment before he forgot about it.
"...Mrs. Crouch may have had a more positive impact on Barty Jr.'s life. Let's try to find memories related to Mrs. Crouch first..."
"The personality implant still needs further improvement, especially in terms of contamination prevention and filtration. In less than three days, the personality implanted in Little Barty's brain has already begun to show signs of decay. This timeframe is far too short, whether for treatment or personal use..."
In a lengthy notebook, spanning five or six pages, Warn recorded his observations and reflections from the experiment.
After resting for a while, we started again.
They didn't stop until evening.
When Crouch came home from get off work, he had just come out of the basement and was searching through Barty Crouch Jr.'s heavily polluted memories. It was a very arduous task, but it wasn't without its rewards.
For example, magic!
After dinner, Crouch, who was thinking of seeing his son, hadn't even spoken when Vaughn said, "Barty, do me a favor tonight."
"What?"
"I want to learn Apparition. Yesterday, I found his memories of practicing this magic in your son's brain, and I realized that I had completely forgotten to learn it."
Vaughn had indeed forgotten, mainly because he had been at Hogwarts all along, and Hogwarts, along with a large area around it, was shrouded in the Anti-Apparition Charm, making it impossible to study there.
Crouch was speechless for a moment, then hesitated: "Should we wait a while? This is a Muggle community, and even though I deliberately chose a secluded spot, there are still a lot of Muggles here..."
Vaughn interrupted him: "There's a golf course nearby. I checked it out this morning. It's very private, and there are no Muggles around at night, which is perfect for me to practice."
He paused, then added, "By the way, I also need to practice Fiendfyre and minor curses. Little Barty's brain is truly a treasure trove of dark magic... By the way, you know how to use the Curse of Destruction, right?"
Crouch wanted to say he couldn't.
Apparition was one thing, but to actually want to practice dark magic... He couldn't imagine what would happen if something went wrong or there were unexpected accidents.
But... he can't refuse Vaughn right now!
That night, Crouch went out again and returned with several bottles of potions.
They were packaged in dropper bottles, which were very small and contained only about a mouthful.
"This is Dictamnus dasycarpus extract, a very potent therapeutic drug..."
Crouch attempted to introduce it.
Vaughn interrupted him, saying, "I know what it is, Barty. Don't forget, I'm a pharmacist."
"Oh… I always forget… Your age always makes me… I'm sorry!" Crouch said dryly.
Vaughn picked up a bottle of white succinate and examined it under the light.
Looking at the sparse amount of essential oil soaking the leaves and roots in the small dropper bottle, he said with a hint of disdain, "Cheap workmanship, how much did you pay?"
"...10 Galleons."
"Tsk!" Vaughn hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.
He knew why Crouch had prepared the White Essence; it was to prevent the splitting of the body, which was the most dangerous accident during Apparition practice.
Specifically, the Apparition spell succeeds, but only part of the wizard's body is teleported away, while the other part remains in place or flies away to an unknown location.
Throughout history, countless wizards have proven the dangers of splitting their bodies with their blood and lives. Their bizarre methods of splitting their bodies have even been compiled into a thick book in the magical world.
Dictamnus dasycarpus extract is currently the best known option for dealing with split products. Its raw material is Dictamnus dasycarpus—unlike the Rutaceae plant of the same name that Muggles are familiar with. Dictamnus dasycarpus, from which the extract can be obtained, is a magical herb.
Its own magic endows it with super healing effects, which can help wizards heal wounds quickly when the split occurs.
The prerequisite is that the wizard can find his separated body and put it back together.
This is why Vaughn asked Crouch to help him practice Apparition. Although Vaughn thought it was unlikely that he would split into two, having someone to watch over him would at least prevent the worst-case scenario from happening.
Late at night, Vaughn took Crouch to the place he had chosen, a golf course not far away.
The stadium was pitch black as dawn approached, and the Muggles had long since finished their shifts.
However, the two cautious individuals still deliberately chose a relatively secluded, flat lawn, walked around it, and waved their wands to cast spells such as banishment charms and peace-guarding spells to protect against Muggles.
After casting the spell, the two returned to the center of the lawn. Crouch chuckled to himself, "The Ministry of Magic stipulates that to learn the Apparition Charm, a wizard must be an adult and require instruction from a licensed instructor issued by the Ministry of Magic... I've broken at least 20 laws today!"
Vaughn shrugged: "The day you brought Barty the Younger out of Azkaban, you broke every single law of the Ministry of Magic!"
Crouch shut his mouth in frustration.
After a long pause, he asked hesitantly, "Is there anything else to prepare? Shall we begin?"
"There's nothing to prepare, let's begin!"
After more than a month of testing, Vaughn gradually discovered that as the Ironclad Charm and Disarm Charm reached the maximum level of LV5, there were actually some subtle hidden effects outside of the two spells.
Casting any spell requires the manipulation of magic and emotions, and the two max-level spells gave Vaughn a lot of similar experience out of thin air.
Now, he can summon magic more quickly than before, and his emotional output is more stable than before.
Specifically, this means he is less likely to make mistakes when casting spells now.
This will greatly help him learn new spells, so there's really nothing to prepare.
Crouch nodded, walked about three meters away, and drew a circle on the grass with his wand: "The most important secret to Apparition is the three Ds. The first one is Destination."
He pointed to the circle drawn next to him and said, "Now, focus your attention on this circle. Don't waver, hesitate, or get distracted. Let it fill your vision and your mind..."
Vaughn listened attentively. Confidence and arrogance are two completely different attitudes. Even though he thought he was ready to learn spells, he still listened carefully.
This kind of content was not particularly difficult for him, as he was a master of memory magic.
Soon, following Crouch's instructions, Vaughn cleared his mind of all distractions and focused all his attention on the circle, which was about one meter in diameter, imprinting its existence firmly in his heart.
"Secondly, determination. Gather your emotions, make yourself want to occupy this circle, make yourself determined and resolute to traverse space, overwhelm your entire being, leaving no corner untouched..."
As Crouch explained, Vaughn easily mustered the appropriate emotions, suppressing all other feelings in that instant.
He only felt a surge of desire and determination welling up in his mind.
Thoughts and emotions affected the body at that moment; the heart pumped violently, pushing blood to every part of the body.
My body felt slightly warm, and my mind was both clear and slightly dizzy from excitement.
His hearing, which was gradually becoming hazy, heard Crouch say the last D: "Deliberation. Are you starting to feel your whole body getting warm? Now, release your magic, raise your wand and spin in place. During this process, pay attention to maintaining your current emotional state and the flow of magic. Note, Deliberation, don't be too tense or too relaxed, it must be calm and composed... Listen to my command, count to three, one!"
Following Crouch's instructions, Vaughn unleashed his magic and spun around in place.
Crouch had just calmly and steadily completed a full circle when he said "one".
Then, something incredible happened. In Vaughn's perception, he "saw" ripples spreading around him as he spun. The ripples were not caused by air or magic, but by something else, which might not have any form of matter or energy at all, but was a conceptual thing.
"space...?"
The thought flashed through my mind in an instant.
"two!"
With complete concentration, Vaughn tried to control himself, focusing, determined, and calm, spinning faster and faster.
The ripples around it grew stronger and stronger, so fast that they resembled water being whipped by a gale, or a transparent plastic sheet that had caught a falling iron ball, bounced back, and vibrated continuously.
"three!"
As Crouch's last utterance faded.
Vaughn's spin and the ripples around him seemed to have crossed a certain critical point in that instant.
Crackling sound—
The "space" shattered, and Vaughn felt as if he had crashed into a narrow pipe. Everything in front of him quickly became bizarre and surreal, everything was stretched and distorted, and the whole world seemed to have turned into a giant washing machine.
And he was in it, spinning wildly around a center.
Chapter 87 Magic
The squeezing sensation of the "pipe" became increasingly intense as it rotated.
Perhaps only a second passed, or perhaps a long time; time seemed to lose its meaning here, until Vaughn felt he could no longer resist the squeezing of the "pipe"—
He was sprayed out!
There was another "crackling" sound, as if something had exploded.
Vaughn fell.
He was standing on soft grass. He shook his head, his vision blurred for a few seconds, and then he realized that he was standing next to Crouch.
He looked down and saw that he was standing in the center of the circle!
"You did it...on the first try!"
Beside him, Crouch stared wide-eyed. Although his tone remained dry, the slight trembling of his mustache betrayed his shock.
Vaughn had no interest in his thoughts.
While he was overjoyed at the successful Apparition, he was more worried about potential complications. He quickly looked down at his body and asked, "Barty, do I have a clone? Or something else?"
Crouch quickly checked as well: "...All four limbs are intact, there's no obvious blood on them... Oh, one shoe is missing..."
After examining the situation for a while, the two discovered that during this Apparition, Vaughn had lost a shoe, a button, and a small piece of his fingernail.
The fingernails were found where they had been standing, but the shoes and buttons were nowhere to be found.
Crouch said in his dry, wrung-out voice, "This is quite normal. In fact, your performance has exceeded my expectations... 99% of wizards fail to Apparition on their first attempt."
"Most people failed and stood there dumbly until they spun around until they were dizzy and stumbled and fell to the ground. A few people fared even worse. I still remember when Amelia first tried, one of her arms flew straight into the crowd... At that time, I had just started working and was sent by the Ministry of Magic to Hogwarts to proctor the exams!"
He thought Vaughn was upset.
In reality, Vaughn was wondering where his shoes and buttons had gone.
Crouch said he didn't know the answer to that question.
"Perhaps no one in the entire magical world knows this, which is the most terrifying aspect of Apparition failure and splitting accidents—no one knows where your thigh or arm landed; the ideal situation is that it is still in place."
Vaughn frowned: "Has no one tried to solve this problem?"
"There's no way to fix it," Crouch explained. "There's no pattern to these things. For example, you might have just Apparated more than three meters, but your shoes and buttons could very well be thrown five or ten miles away, or even end up in the ocean…anywhere is possible!"
He shrugged: "So all along, the Ministry of Magic has been teaching Apparition at Hogwarts, where there is the most powerful anti-Apparition charm in the world, and it can also be partially canceled."
"Usually, the Ministry of Magic will select an empty classroom at Hogwarts and temporarily lift its restrictions. This way, when young wizards practice Apparition inside, even if they split into two bodies, their physical bodies will not appear outside the classroom—because the space outside the classroom is locked."
Listening to Crouch's words, Vaughn realized that he had found another area that interested him.
For example, what is the principle behind Apparition?
Or, to go even deeper, what exactly is space in this world?
The more Vaughn learned about magic, the more unknowns he encountered. To be more precise, the magic system of this world was like a giant black box.
There are no underlying principles to learning and using magic; people simply know that chanting spells and manipulating emotions and magical power can achieve this, and therefore they can do it...
"What a carefree world..."
Vaughn sighed inwardly and suppressed his curiosity for the time being; that wasn't something he should be thinking about now.
Under Crouch's supervision, Vaughn continued his studies.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Vaughn noticed his emotions fluctuating—prolonged concentration is too mentally taxing, and fluctuations are inevitable—so he decisively withdrew his magic.
It was successful at all other times, and there was not a single splitting accident throughout the entire process.
Even the things he carried on his person were no longer lost. This speed of progress deeply impressed Crouch.
This shock wasn't due to Vaughn's learning ability; he had seen countless geniuses in his life, including his son Barty Jr.
Crouch was impressed by Vaughn's self-control and temperament. In terms of spell difficulty, Apparition is not actually that difficult. Its difficulty lies in "composure"—maintaining composure and stability for a long time, which is extremely mentally taxing.
Normally, a wizard who is new to Apparition will be most efficient in the first few practice sessions.
Because this is when you are in the best mental state.
Afterwards, as mental energy is depleted, it is inevitable that attention will decrease, distraction and fatigue will occur, and efficiency will begin to drop significantly. Many unexpected events occur at this time.
But throughout the entire night, until dawn when the two finished practice and returned home, Crouch did not notice a single sign that Vaughn was about to give up.
He even makes progress with every practice session.
"monster..."
Crouch silently gave himself this assessment.
To his relief, Vaughn was not strong in every aspect. In the following days, Vaughn, who had gradually mastered Apparition, began to try Fiendfire, a spell he knew about before but had never practiced because it was too dangerous.
Then, his practice efficiency dropped rapidly.
Five days later, in the early morning, on that same secluded, flat lawn, Vaughn chanted the Fiendfyre incantation. His staff-wielding movements, magic, and emotions were all impeccable.
But as the incantation was completed, only a streak of sparks shot out from the tip of his staff...
Crouch smiled slightly, trying his best not to appear too gloating.
Vaughn flicked his wand again, but the Fiendfire, which was said to burn anything, failed to form at the tip of his wand, and the few sparks quickly dissipated.
However, he had a good attitude, and just rolled his eyes at Crouch: "Laugh if you want to!"
I stopped paying attention to him.
"system!"
Vaughn silently summoned the system panel:
[Host: Vaughn Weasley]
[Magic Scale: 463 (500 for a typical adult wizard)]
[Talents: Charms 7, Dark Magic 6, Polymorph 8, Potions 10, Herbalism 6, Divination 2 (Maximum 10)]
[Spells: Occlumency LV5 (MAX), Ironclad Charm LV5 (MAX), Disarming Charm LV5 (MAX), Fly Away Charm LV4 (11/16), Levitate Charm LV4 (10/16)... Legilimency LV3 (1/32), Illusion Charm LV2 (4/8), Divine Shield LV2 (4/12), Shatter Charm LV2 (0/8), Vanish Charm LV2 (0/12)... New: Apparition LV0 (2/3)]
[Potions: "Vorn Beauty" series, Wolfsbane Potion, etc...]
[Reputation Points: 0]
Looking at his talent section, Vaughn pondered:
"Dark magic talent 6, this value is even worse than I expected. It seems that 6 to 7 is a watershed. If a value of 7 can be considered excellent, then 6 is at most slightly above the passing grade. This is reflected in the huge difference in the learning of magic!"
Of course, Vaughn's good attitude stemmed from his agreement with Dumbledore: if Dumbledore stopped shamelessly giving Gryffindor so many points, Vaughn would likely complete the main quest and earn a talent point by the end of the term.
At that time, you can choose to allocate points to either the Spellcasting talent or the Dark Magic talent.
That's his confidence.
Moreover, from the current perspective, black magic is not urgent.
Setting aside his focus on his talent for the moment, Vaughn glanced at his spells list, a densely packed list.
For more than a month, he still did not slack off in practicing spells. Except for a few spells, he had made progress in most of them, but some had obviously started to slow down.
For example, spells like the Flying Spell and the Levitation Spell, which are at level 4, have shown no improvement whatsoever in the last two weeks.
Vaughn couldn't possibly lavish his precious reputation on them.
Fortunately, these spells are sufficient for now.
"Hmm? Magic scale... When I checked last month, my magic scale was 456. At the normal growth rate of 6 points per month, it should be 462 now. How come it's increased by 1 point..."
As he was thinking, Vaughn's gaze inadvertently swept over his sleeve, and when he saw his wrist exposed, he suddenly realized:
"I'm starting to develop..."
He had previously speculated that the growth of magic power should be related to talent and the physical development cycle, but due to the lack of samples and statistical data (others do not have a system and cannot quantify it), it is difficult to accurately calculate its growth trend.
The change in the magic scale now undoubtedly confirms Vaughn's guess.
"I'll be 12 next month, and if I think about it, I'm definitely in the rapid development stage... This is the stage of greatest change in a person's life. According to Muggle biology, various hormones such as troponin and target hormones, which are close to dormant from birth, begin to be activated in pulses from this stage onwards..."
"The growth of bones, muscles, and internal organs is just the external manifestation. The essence of puberty is the active period of internal hormones. Is the increase in magic also related to them?"
Vaughn's interest was piqued.
Although magic is unobservable, every wizard can sense it. It determines the power of a wizard's spells and the number of times a spell can be cast, and it is the energy source of the magic system.
If anyone can crack its secrets or summarize the growth patterns, then that person will have mastered the most convenient path to power.
The reason for saying this is not because the effect of increased magic power is so strong, but because it is most likely to experience explosive growth.
This involves a special phenomenon that every young wizard experiences before the age of 10—magical awakening, or magical riot!
Before this special phenomenon occurred, the young wizards had no magical abilities; at that time, they were no different from Muggles or Squibs.
It wasn't until the awakening of magic that a clear distinction was drawn between the extraordinary and the ordinary, between wizards and Muggles.
From a biological perspective, the awakening of magic is like unlocking the evolution of the essence and level of life!
Generally speaking, each young wizard will only experience one magical awakening. It is this awakening that helps them break away from their original life level. Even the subsequent growth of magical power is just the "aftereffect" of that awakening!
If... a person could experience several magical awakenings...
With this tempting idea popping into his mind, Vaughn quickly opened his bag, took out his notebook, and wrote down his thoughts.
Crouch's expression was a bit strange. He saw Vaughn stare blankly for a while (looking at the system panel), then suddenly pull out his notebook and start writing furiously, looking excited.
I couldn't help but worry that this confident and proud child might have suffered too much of a blow and developed some mental problems.
Fortunately, his fears did not come true.
Crouch only saw that after Vaughn wrote something in his notebook, his mood suddenly improved, and he remained smiling until dawn when practice ended.
And today seems to be his lucky day as well.
In the afternoon, Vaughn, who was searching through Barty Crouch Jr.'s memories in the basement, was called out by Crouch, who handed him an invitation.
"Wessengamo has initiated the voting process and decided to hold a vote on the resolution tonight. This is what Amelia Burns asked me to bring to you, and you must attend tonight."
Vaughn took it, glanced at it a few times, and then put it away, casually asking, "Did you vote for or against it?"
Crouch said sternly, "Do I have a choice?"
"Tsk, cheer up. We're partners. The establishment of the Werewolf Affairs Committee will only benefit you, not harm you. Barty, are you really content to spend the rest of your life just getting by in an International Magical Exchange and Cooperation Department?"
"Are you really willing to be dominated by an idiot like Fudge? He's not a very magnanimous person. Look, he dared to kick you to the Cooperation Department last year. Who knows, he might dare to make you retire in two years!"
Vaughn tried to pat Crouch on the shoulder, but found he couldn't reach him, so he patted his arm instead, coaxing him.
Crouch's face twitched, and he said dryly, "Life isn't so bad right now..."
"But I'm not happy about it, Barty!" Vaughn's expression turned into a half-smile. "As a partner, I think it's more in my interest for you to become Minister for Magic, don't you think?"
Crouch remained silent.
Vaughn didn't press him, and resumed his smiling demeanor: "You need to be more proactive, Barty. Today's votes were all sent by owls, right? You need to use your connections and ask your old friends. If anyone didn't vote in favor, ask them to send a new one. I don't think Amelia will mind!"
Crouch: "...You're shameless..."
"Thank you for the compliment; this is an essential political quality!"
...
Ministry of Magic, Minister's office.
When Umbridge burst in, panting, the esteemed Minister Fudge was taking a big gulp of sherry.
Seeing his expression, Umbridge quickly moved quietly to avoid the minister taking his anger out on her.
"Your Excellency, I have already learned that Wissengamo will be voting tonight. When I arrived, the owls that mail the ballots had already begun to arrive at the ministry."
Fudge downed another glass of sherry, and although the alcohol content wasn't high, he was already a little tipsy.
He sneered, "What other bad news is there? Tell me all at once!"
Umbridge paused for a moment before saying tactfully, "I heard that Dumbledore, who hasn't been seen recently, has started visiting the Wizengamot members frequently since yesterday."
"Amelia Burns wrote letters to at least 10 wizards, and... and Barty Crouch…"
She paused, and Fudge, who was drinking, immediately glared at her with his cold, yet seemingly fiery, eyes.
She quickly said, "Barty Crouch was away for a while, and just now when he came back, he publicly claimed that some of his old friends had sent the wrong tickets and asked Amelia to re-examine them... Amelia agreed..."
Bang!
A wine glass shattered at her feet, startling her so much that she quickly covered her mouth. She heard the esteemed Minister Fudge unleash a torrent of abuse: "That wretched woman! And that old dog Crouch! See Umbridge? They're so arrogant they'd practically piss on my head... Old dog! I should have finished him off last year!"
Fudge did try.
He criticized Dumbledore, Amelia, and Barty Crouch for being arrogant, and in the days following the actual questioning, he made no attempt to conceal his arrogance when frequently contacting representatives of the pure-blood families in Wizengamon.
It is widely believed that his counterattack will likely occur after the establishment of the Werewolf Affairs Committee.
In fact, those people didn't understand politics very well, and Fudge didn't want the Werewolf Affairs Committee to be established smoothly at all.
This has nothing to do with personal likes or dislikes, but rather that this institution, from its concept to its entity, is a challenge to his authority.
The best course of action is to eliminate the Werewolf Affairs Committee altogether, preventing its formation and thus preserving his reputation and position.
Unfortunately, Fudge couldn't do it.
Fudge was able to assume the high position of Minister of Magic because he was elected by Wizengamot, who granted him the legitimacy to inherit the highest power in the wizarding world.
Any Minister of Magic, including him, who dared to deny Wizengamot was essentially denying the legitimacy of their own power.
If things really develop to that point, Wizengamo won't be in any serious trouble, but it's hard to say what will happen to the minister who has lost the protection of magical laws.
Therefore, Fudge can only play the ball of yarn game within the rules.
Based on the original course of events, Fudge felt he still had some hope. No matter how powerful Dumbledore was, he could only inspire fear, not obedience.
As far as he knew, of the more than 50 seats in Wizengamot, only about a dozen wizards, including Amelia and Mrs. Marchban, were Dumbledore's staunch supporters and would unconditionally support him.
The rest of the people can only be considered neutral. Politically, they do not have a unified demand, and their positions and starting points are different. They are people that anyone can win over.
During the previous questioning sessions, Vaughn attended the entire session and patiently answered questions in an effort to win the votes of these neutral parties.
It was precisely because Fudge noticed this that he frequently visited them after the inquiry meeting, hoping to win them over to his side and turn the tide in the final decision-making stage.
His progress was initially going quite smoothly...
"The day before yesterday, Ald Travers secretly wrote me a letter. He told me that Fudge was contacting pure-blood families, trying to get them to vote against him, and quite a few families were wavering…"
In the evening, Vaughn and Crouch arrived at the Ministry of Magic to await the vote of Wizengamot.
When Amelia saw Vaughn, she spoke to him.
She was still somewhat dissatisfied: "I wanted to contact you and Dumbledore back then, but I couldn't reach either of you. I only found out today that Dumbledore secretly visited his 'old friends,' and you also have Mr. Crouch's strong support—I wouldn't have known if Barty hadn't told me you were with him!"
Her dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that neither of them had consulted her.
"I'm sorry, Amelia." Vaughn remained calm and promptly made up a story: "Actually, I've been staying at Mr. Crouch's house these past few days, constantly pestering him. I finally managed to convince him today, so I really didn't have time to tell you…"
Crouch's face twitched. He almost couldn't help but expose him—where did this pleading and cajoling come from? Vaughn clearly knew he would cooperate. He hadn't mentioned it once in days, which made him rush to write letters to the pure-blood families this afternoon.
But it was clear that Amelia believed it.
Her expression softened until Vaughn spoke ill of Dumbledore: "...Dumbledore has definitely forgotten about you. Look, he didn't even use his Patronus to send a message..."
Amelia took a deep breath and couldn't help but look to the side.
The air rippled a few times, and Dumbledore, with his full white beard, appeared, smiling at Vaughn.
This was undoubtedly an awkward situation.
But Vaughn remained unfazed, and didn't even pause in his speech: "...But I believe that as soon as Dumbledore's senile mind clears up, he will personally inform you, Albus, am I right?"
"Darling, you know me so well."
"No, no, you haven't been wandering around in the wilderness lately. The professor mentioned to me last time that you might die out there one day. Rather than not being able to find you then, he said he'd rather give you a bottle of poison now. He's been holding back his temper every day, so you have to be careful!"
"Sigh, Severus just can't let go of things. He's obsessed with some trivial matters from the past. Unlike me, if someone slanders me to my face, I just laugh it off and don't take it to heart. At most, I'll hold a grudge for a while."
When the two met, they would engage in sharp tongues and sarcastic remarks.
This unusual way of getting along surprised Amelia and Crouch.
Although everyone knew that Dumbledore supported Vaughn, they thought that the relationship between the two was more like that of an elder and a junior, or that Vaughn should be subservient to Dumbledore.
But now it seems that the two of them get along very equally!
Vaughn and Dumbledore exchanged a few words in a "friendly" manner, but it was getting late, so Amelia took her leave first, as she still had to set up the venue.
Not all members of Wizengamo will be present today; probably only a dozen or so will show up.
However, because a new agency may be established, almost every department of the Ministry of Magic will send one or two representatives to attend and observe the decision-making process.
This also includes willing wizards, residents, media reporters, and so on.
Amelia still has to count the votes and tally the results later; her job is not easy.
After she left, Crouch quickly made an excuse to leave as well, because he felt guilty and didn't dare to face Dumbledore in private.
Sure enough, as soon as Crouch's figure disappeared outside the door, Dumbledore turned his gaze to Vaughn: "Barty's support for you has exceeded many people's expectations. Everyone is wondering why he would reconnect with his old connections because of you? Before today, he had already stopped contacting some pure-blood families."
During the interrogation, Vaughn, who often visited Amelia's office, familiarly found a drink, took a sip, and said, "We had an agreement to trust each other!"
"Of course, I wasn't trying to question you," Dumbledore smiled. "I just suddenly remembered that a few years ago Barty asked me if memory magic could reverse the corruption of a person by dark magic."
"Oh, that's an interesting idea. How did you respond?"
I told him it was impossible!
Dumbledore looked at Vaughn, his deep blue eyes filled with mystery: "The effects of dark magic are irreversible; they only accumulate. Even I can only rely on memory magic to try my best to weaken the corruption caused by each use of dark magic and slow down its effects."
Vaughn remained noncommittal: "Nothing in this world is absolute, Albus!"