Chapter 97 The Hyperdimensional Maze and 3.5-Dimensional Creatures
Today is Saturday, but Hogwarts is completely unlike what it used to be.
In the past, the castle would become very lively every Saturday.
On this day, both the younger students who might normally be holed up in their dorm rooms or libraries, scratching their heads over homework and papers, and the older students who are busy with their studies, will step out of the castle.
Or they might gather a few friends and play with the giant squid in the Black Lake—something usually only first or second-year students would do.
Or, you could hold your lover's hand and head to Hogsmeade to browse the candy store and the Three Broomsticks. Occasionally, a circus would come to Hogsmeade to perform on weekends. Hogwarts students, who usually have silver shiko in their pockets but nowhere to spend it, would be the perfect targets.
However, such scenes gradually disappear every March, especially as Easter approaches, when classrooms and libraries once again become popular spots for students to visit.
If students were asked to choose the least popular holiday of the year, Easter would undoubtedly take first place.
It's all because of that damn exam!
Lower grade students, mainly fourth grade and below, are busy preparing for their promotion exams in June. Upper grade students, such as fifth graders, will begin taking the OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and seventh graders will take the NEWTs (Ultimate Wizarding Levels).
So, starting in March, the only ones who were truly relaxed at Hogwarts were the sixth-year students—they had already passed the OWLs and were currently studying, so theoretically, even if they slacked off, it wouldn't affect their progress to seventh year.
On his way to the fourth floor of the castle, Vaughn encountered several fifth-grade students hurrying along. The immense academic pressure made them speak very quickly, as if racing against time.
"...Merlin, I still have 26 reference books to finish reading, and there are only two months left. What should I do?"
"Me too, damn it, why can't wizards or Muggles escape exams?"
"Muggles are a bit better off, at least their exam results won't lock them out of their future, but NEWTs are different. If you want to find a decent job after graduation, your NEWTs exam score is the only indicator."
"But I really can't hold on much longer. Speaking of which, is it possible to repeat seventh grade?"
"It seems possible, but I advise you not to do that. If you pass just one of the 12 subjects, you can graduate smoothly... You can't possibly fail all 12, can you? As far as I know, no student in Hogwarts history has ever accomplished such a feat!"
Vaughn walked past them expressionlessly.
They had no idea that within two years, a student would accomplish such a feat, and unfortunately, that student was a member of Slytherin.
That's right, it's Marcus Flint.
A legendary figure who will have to repeat a year because he failed all his courses!
Before Vaughn's time travel, there was an old saying in his hometown: "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."
Just as Vaughn was thinking of Flint, he ran into him at the entrance on the fourth floor.
He seemed very enthusiastic, his monstrous face displaying a ridiculously wide grin: "Mr. Vaughn Weasley, do you have time to come back to training lately? The whole team is eagerly awaiting your return. We've also developed several new tactics to deal with Ravenclaw, guaranteed to make them suffer and give you a smooth ride!"
Well, Vaughn has to admit that there is no one in the world who is completely useless; at least Flint has some talent for flattery.
After casually dismissing the overly enthusiastic and somewhat obsequious Flint, Vaughn couldn't help but suggest before leaving, "Flint, I would appreciate your efforts even more if you could put a little more effort into your studies. For example, could you at least pass one subject?"
Flint was a little confused, his slightly parted lips revealing his buck teeth.
He didn't understand...
Vaughn had to be blunt: "What I mean is, if you don't want to one day bring shame to Slytherin by failing all your exams and then be thrown into the Forbidden Forest by the eight-eyed spider's nest, then you'd better start working on your studies now!"
After saying that, he waited patiently for a while. A full 12 seconds later, Mr. Flint finally reacted and his expression turned horrified.
Seeing that his long reaction time had finally kicked in, Vaughn politely took his leave: "Please consider my words carefully. I don't want to see you on the Quidditch team when I'm in third grade. That's all, have a good time!"
Of course, after spending a few months together, the Slytherin students who were already familiar with Vaughn's style knew this.
This Weasley anomaly, the more polite he is, the more it indicates his impatience with someone or something.
Leaving aside how anxious Flint was, his face pale.
Vaughn made his way to the fourth floor, passed through the vertically downward passageway entrance guarded by Lou Williams, and arrived at a huge and empty room.
This is the original location where the magic stone mechanism was installed.
Of course, those mechanisms have now been removed, and Dumbledore has arranged for it to serve as a transit point for the new mechanism locations.
An ordinary wooden door stands in the center of the room, and there is nothing else there.
Having visited several times before, Vaughn was unsurprised. He walked straight to the wooden door, grasped the doorknob, and recited the incantation:
"Sizzling honey candy!"
As the correct command was given, the doorknob turned automatically, the door opened, and what appeared before Vaughn was not the other half of the room that was blocked by the door, but a long corridor.
The corridor was deep and dark, seemingly without end.
Although it was not dim, a light source from who-knows-where illuminated everything.
What creates the illusion is the wall, floor, and ceiling of the corridor, which are covered with intricate geometric patterns resembling a kaleidoscope.
Dumbledore, dressed in a light pink nightgown, was the only other person in the corridor. He had his hands crossed in front of his abdomen, clearly waiting for Vaughn.
Seeing Vaughn come in, he laughed and said, "Oh, darling, how's Hagrid's dragon? You didn't dissect it, did you?"
"Don't worry, it will definitely outlive you."
"It's really gratifying. Minerva was telling me last night that she was full of praise for your Vanishing Charm. I rarely see her praise any student so highly, but since it's you, it makes perfect sense. Of course, she would never have guessed that you made a fire dragon disappear."
"Huh? Are you threatening me?"
"No, no, no, it's a compliment. I'm glad you're considerate of your friends. The truth is, even if you had let Minerva see the dragon yesterday, she wouldn't have punished you; she would have made a scene here. Your Vanishing Spell saved me a lot of trouble explaining."
Vaughn snorted: "I should have let Professor McGonagall find out, so she could see how many school rules her beloved headmaster broke in order to test the Savior."
Dumbledore coughed lightly, finally daring not to continue speaking, for any further conversation would inevitably involve some entanglements he was trying his best to avoid.
He spread his arms, looked around the corridor covered with kaleidoscope patterns, and said cheerfully, "Look, how's the new facility going?"
The patterns in the corridor are composed of countless regular and symmetrical designs. These visual illusions from Muggles give people the feeling that space is being fragmented and in motion just by looking at them.
Vaughn knew that this corridor, or rather this checkpoint, was indeed a place where movement was possible!
As Dumbledore clapped his hands, the entire corridor seemed to come alive in an instant. The floor, walls, and ceiling, along with the symmetrical geometric patterns, made the walls and floor look like moving hypercubes, constantly undulating, flipping, and changing.
In the blink of an eye, the corridor transformed from a straight line into an intersecting cross shape.
Moreover, this movement continues. The entire corridor, everything within sight, is like self-moving building blocks, sometimes stacking up to form walls and cutting off the path ahead.
Sometimes it retreats into a hexagonal or octagonal void, opening up a new path forward from a dead end.
Sometimes it flips inside out, instantly transforming into a completely new space...
Every second there is movement, and every second in the corridor gives you the illusion that it is completely different from the previous second, as if you have been transported to another space.
Dumbledore clapped his hands again, and the geometric pattern on the ceiling flipped and receded, revealing a void.
The ground beneath his and Vaughn's feet also rose simultaneously, a hexagonal platform with an ever-increasing base rising from the ground, piercing through the ceiling, growing higher and higher until the two could overlook the true face of the corridor—
A giant cube, resembling a Rubik's Cube, composed of hundreds or thousands of smaller cubes, rotates and turns in a vast, seemingly boundless space.
"It's spectacular, isn't it? Your brand-new design, the Hyperdimensional Maze..."
Looking down at the enormous cube, Dumbledore exclaimed, "Fortunately, this is Hogwarts, a castle that has existed for thousands of years. In addition to the great wisdom of the four great wizards, outstanding wizards throughout the ages have also tried to renovate and transform it."
"Over the millennia, no one knows the true size of its space, nor how many rooms it has. Even as the principal, I am far from knowing it well... What you see before you is only a very small part of it that I have accessed using my privileges."
Vaughn nodded: "Well done. The hyperdimensional maze is finally starting to look hyperdimensional."
When this came up, Dumbledore became curious: "By the way, why did you call the new facility the Hyperdimensional Maze? What does 'hyperdimensional' mean?"
Vaughn, who was gazing at the cube below, smiled and replied:
"That's what Muggle people say. The Muggle scientific community believes that the universe has many dimensions, but humans can only directly observe and measure three dimensions, which are length, width and height. Dimensions beyond this range are called hyperdimensional."
Dumbledore didn't quite understand: "Humans can only observe and measure length, width, and height? How is that defined?"
"To give an example, let me explain from a two-dimensional perspective. For instance, if I draw a square on a piece of paper, from a two-dimensional perspective, the square should be a closed space. However, as a three-dimensional being, humans can directly see the inside of the 'closed' square."
"The same concept applies here. If you were given a cube-shaped box, before it was opened, you could only measure its length, width, and height, but you could not observe or measure its interior. If a four-dimensional being existed, then it could directly see the interior of the cube, because space would be readily available to it."
"oh!"
Dumbledore made a short sound and said nothing more.
Vaughn said with a smile, "Don't you understand? It's okay. Wizards generally lack logical thinking ability. It's normal that you can't understand or imagine it."
"...I feel like you're being sarcastic."
"No, don't talk nonsense. In my opinion, wizards are barely 3.5-dimensional beings. We can observe the inside of a cube without opening it using magic. Not to mention, there are many other spells that can do this."
Having said that, he continued to observe the cube, while Dumbledore pondered.
After a moment, Dumbledore asked, "So, Vaughn, in your opinion, legendary wizards are not considered four-dimensional beings?"
"Of course not. I'll use a two-dimensional perspective as an analogy again. Suppose I draw a little person on a piece of paper, and it comes to life. For it, the blank paper is its world. It can't see outside the paper. If I put a ball on the paper at this moment, what do you think it will see?"
Dumbledore thought for a moment, then suddenly realized: "It can only see the shadow of the ball on the paper..."
"Yes." Vaughn nodded. "It can only see the projection of the sphere, a dark, round blob. The same applies to the descent of four-dimensional beings into three-dimensional beings. If there really is some kind of four-dimensional being, even if it appears in front of us, we can only see its projection."
"Like that little figure on the paper, our vision cannot extend beyond the world we live in. When we look at higher-dimensional beings, it's like the blind men and the elephant; we can only observe a part of them and not the whole picture... Actually, I have a rather crazy idea. Don't you think the description of higher-dimensional beings is very similar to the soul?"
Dumbledore is a legendary wizard, but he clearly exists in this world, not a "shadow" or a hand hanging in mid-air.
Therefore, he is definitely not a four-dimensional being.
Listening to Vaughn's last words, Dumbledore's deep blue eyes seemed to drift into a daze. Yes, it did look somewhat like him.
It is common knowledge that the soul disappears after a person dies.
That's certainly not complete annihilation—the existence of ghosts proves that at least after a wizard dies, their soul continues to exist—but the truth is, for thousands of years, no wizard has found out where a person's soul goes after death.
He had been curious about this before, but couldn't find the answer.
It was only after Vaughn's words that he suddenly realized that after death, the soul might go to a higher dimension. That is why three-dimensional Muggles and 3.5-dimensional wizards could no longer see them.
Seeing Dumbledore deep in thought, Vaughn smiled.
Vaughn felt that, apart from the system, what made him most different from other wizards was his way of thinking.
Other wizards basically grow up in a purely magical environment from a young age, even those from Muggle families. From the age of 11, the most important period of their growth is almost entirely occupied by magic.
This also led to all wizards, regardless of whether they were pure-blood or Muggle, starting to think outside the box of Muggle science after they reached adulthood.
Vaughn, however, was different. In his previous life, he had received a complete and scientific higher education, and his values had long been fixed. Even after transmigrating and absorbing the wonders of magic, his way of thinking had never changed.
This has led to his unique perspective today—using Muggle theories and magic to reference and collide with each other!
The reason he brought up the topic of dimensions was intentional. As his study of magic deepened, he began to slowly try to combine the materialist theories of Muggle technology with magic to explain many seemingly obvious yet difficult-to-understand problems.
This is something that no single individual can accomplish alone; Vaughn needs help.
There are two kinds of helpers. One is a true assistant who can understand his ideas and help him carry out his research without holding him back.
Currently, Hermione seems to be the most suitable candidate for this role. Others are not unsuitable, but they would require further training.
For example, Fred and George!
Another type of helper is more like a teacher or pioneer, who can lead him into the most profound and cutting-edge areas of magic, while also helping him to navigate through pitfalls and make mistakes...
Without a doubt, he was targeting Dumbledore.
Vaughn has never been one to suffer a loss. Last time, Dumbledore exploited his soft spot, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him, and made him a troublemaker between Harry and Tom.
Although he ultimately agreed out of personal choice, the feeling of being manipulated made him very uncomfortable.
Vaughn considered himself not petty and usually settled scores on the same day. Although Dumbledore was shrewd and the two were far from being enemies, Vaughn would not refuse the chance to kick Dumbledore into a pit if given the opportunity.
What has been Deng Xiaoping's biggest concern all along?
Death and resurrection!
He wasn't concerned for himself, but for Ariana, for Harry... Vaughn also remembered that in the original book, Dumbledore had possessed the Resurrection Stone for a long time, and he even admitted that he was "a fool," "wanted to drag the Sleeper back," and "seized the Hallows at the wrong time for the wrong reason."
Ariana was Dumbledore's lifelong nightmare; even on his deathbed, he still longed to resurrect her.
Harry represents his concern for the world, the poison he left behind out of fear that after his death no one would be able to restrain Voldemort, and the person he felt most guilty towards.
Dumbledore himself could face death with equanimity, even calling it "another great adventure," but he was clearly unwilling to impose his own ideas on Ariana and Harry.
So in the last few years of his life, he was trying to study death and resurrection, attempting to resurrect Ariana and to ensure Harry's safety.
Unfortunately, his plan ultimately failed, forcing him to arrange for Draco and Snape to kill him, which ultimately led to Snape being killed by Voldemort.
Vaughn didn't want to see that kind of ending, and he didn't like the so-called predetermined fate, so he wanted to take Old Deng with him.
Of course, it's perfectly reasonable for Lao Deng to test the waters and explore the route before takeoff!
"As a man over a hundred years old, I sense that your smile is malicious, Vaughn."
"I'm just glad that you seem to have some interest in my crazy ideas, which means that the possibilities I've put forward are not just wild speculations."
"Hmm…" Dumbledore twitched his beard and mumbled, "Don't jump to conclusions. Everything still needs to be studied and verified."
Seeing his hesitation, Vaughn did not press him further. He had plenty of time and patience to lure Old Deng into the trap.
He then said, "According to Muggle theory, four-dimensional beings have another distinct characteristic: they can manipulate time and space. In their eyes, time and space are like length, width, and height in our eyes—obvious and clear, and they can increase or decrease them at will!"
Dumbledore was taken aback. "...Isn't that probably the main reason you think wizards are 3.5-dimensional beings?"
"That's right."
In the magical world, any adult wizard who has received a formal education can use the Unseen Stretch Charm and Apparition.
Space was practically at the mercy of wizards.
As for the time...
Dumbledore maneuvered the platform down, returning to the corridor. He led Vaughn through one hexagonal opening after another in the walls, arriving at a closed complex of buildings.
That should be part of a castle. It is unknown when it was built, but it has obvious military characteristics—the structure of inner and outer walls. The outer wall is relatively narrow, mainly to prevent the enemy from breaking through. Behind the outer wall is a large open space filled with a large number of stone houses and streets.
The inner city walls feature wide walkways and circular towers, with some living fossil warriors patrolling back and forth, weapons in hand.
Excluding the living fossil warriors, the castle that Dumbledore had taken over looked perfectly normal, until Dumbledore held up two fingers and shook them.
Whoosh!
In that instant, it was like the curtain changing in a stage play or a scene transition in a movie; Vaughn only felt a blur before his eyes.
The castle was still the same castle, but everything had changed. A huge fireball flew through the sky, and flames ignited on the walls, licking the rough surface as they soared into the sky.
Some of the city walls collapsed, and rubble and flames buried the original stone guardians beneath them, blocking the streets.
Before Vaughn could discern the details, Dumbledore shook his finger again, and with another whoosh, the scene before him shifted and changed once more.
This time it was the same city wall, but the fire had been extinguished, and the ruins had been moved. Only the inner city wall walkway was flat and unobstructed.
Vaughn pointed to the straight, wide, unobstructed walkway in the city wall and said, "Two months later, when Nobeta grows up, we can stand there and let it breathe fire at the walkway."
"...You're so cruel!"
Dumbledore said with a smile, "But I must say, this is the most amazing level I've ever seen. You're a genius, Vaughn. You've scattered the challenges and puzzles across different time periods and used time travel to connect all the elements. I'm sure Harry and his friends will have an unforgettable summer!"
"You're no less impressive, Albus," Vaughn retorted. "I only came up with the idea; you were the one who implemented it. How did you do it?"
"I made some minor modifications to the Time-Turner to make it rotate between a few fixed frequencies so that Harry and the others could arrive at the correct past exactly."
"Of course, our dear Minerva also contributed. In one part, she meticulously prepared an even more perfect game than last time, and those living fossil sculptures were the game pieces."
The two, one big and one small, looked at each other and smiled.
Then Dumbledore took a necklace from his pocket, the pendant of which was a golden hourglass. He handed it to Vaughn, but did not let go of the necklace in his hand.
"You can take a look, but you can't take it away. I don't think you're psychologically prepared to face another version of yourself!"
Vaughn paused as he prepared to catch the golden hourglass.
Then, under Dumbledore's watchful eye, he slowly withdrew it.
"You're right, I really wasn't prepared."
Vaughn knew himself quite well; he had always been a rather self-centered person. To be honest, even if he was mentally prepared, he didn't know how he would react if he suddenly met another version of himself.
So, it's better not to play with time converters at all!
Chapter 98 Pre-exam Crackdown and the Desperate Twins
Dumbledore appreciated his caution, which was what he liked most about Vaughn—his awe of the unknown.
What people should fear most is never ignorance or stupidity, but arrogance.
Ignorance won't destroy you, but arrogance will.
Looking at the golden hourglass that had returned to his hand, Dumbledore sighed, recalling Vaughn's earlier mention of the concept of four-dimensional beings.
"The wizards' manipulation of time still has significant flaws, so your 3.5-dimensional division is quite reasonable."
"Oh? You actually agree with my idea. I thought you would strongly refute my idea because this division is demeaning to Muggles."
Dumbledore smiled: "Don't test me, child. You should know that my care for Muggles stems from a compassion for the weak... This is a concept that every wizard unconsciously develops, even those born into Muggle families."
"When power is concentrated in the individual, class divisions are inevitable. To put it bluntly, it's hard to consider ants as one of your own."
Vaughn remained silent; great power resides in the individual, like carrying a sharp blade.
Even the most law-abiding person, if they are carrying a weapon that could easily take someone's life, will subconsciously want to use a weapon to solve problems when they encounter them.
Because people instinctively understand that all problems are created by people, and solving the problem of those who create it will resolve the troubles.
Even Vaughn, with his mature worldview from his past life, no longer considers Muggles as his own (otherwise he wouldn't use the word Muggle), which is an inevitable result of wielding great power.
This situation is common even among Muggles; great power can be magic, or it can be wealth and authority!
Vaughn changed the subject: "Albus, do you have any information on the manufacture of the Time-Turner? I'd like to learn more about it."
"Ah, I don't have any, but Nico should have some in his collection. I can ask him next time I visit him."
"Thank you. Also, how long will it take you to complete these mechanisms?"
Dumbledore did the math for a moment and replied, "Around the end of May, just when Nobeta will be able to grow up... There are still two months left, it's really exciting!"
"I'm also really looking forward to seeing Harry's heroic performance in the challenges."
The two foxes, one big and one small, looked at each other and smiled.
...
Achoo!
In the library, Harry sneezed violently.
He had a cold and had just gone to Mrs. Pomfrey's in the morning to get a bottle of energy drink. Now, steam was billowing from his ears, completely obscuring Ron's head next to him.
But Ron didn't care about any of that. He didn't even care if Harry's sneezing might worsen his cold. He just looked at his fingers, which were swollen like carrots, and felt like crying.
Across from the two, Hermione, who was engrossed in her studies, occasionally looked up and saw Ron's expression. She couldn't help but sneer, "You didn't go when I told you to, you deserve it!"
Ron was listless and had no energy to argue with Hermione.
He muttered under his breath, "How was I supposed to know that such a small dragon cub would be so poisonous? It swelled up like this in just one night..."
Harry blew his nose and advised, "You should still go and take a look later!"
"What if Mrs. Pomfrey asks what bit her? I think she doesn't even need to ask; she can tell at a glance."
To the young wizards, Madam Pomfrey was the most magical person at Hogwarts; she could cure any ailment.
There's only one thing: the potions she brews are incredibly effective, but also incredibly awful to drink!
Harry also thought that Madam Pomfrey would likely notice that the wound was caused by a dragon, but he felt that he couldn't just endure the pain for fear of the professors finding out.
After some more persuasion, Ron was finally convinced. He covered his hands with a worried expression and went to the school hospital.
He had only been gone a short while when the twins suddenly appeared.
"Hi, dear Harry, dear Hermione, good afternoon!"
"Fred, you're too stiff. We've never greeted each other like this before."
"But George, we need Harry's help, and I think we should be polite to him."
"Help?" Harry suddenly remembered the canary cookies the twins had secretly given him a few months ago, on the day he first participated in a Quidditch match.
He said warily, "Are you trying to use me again, to feed Ron some weird stuff? I'm not stupid. I won't fall for the same trick twice!"
The twins looked at each other in bewilderment:
"Good heavens, Harry saw through our tried-and-true trick."
"What do we do now, Fred? We're doomed. Vaughn wants to check our R&D progress. If we can't provide experimental data, he'll definitely take back our investment!"
"It's so pitiful and tragic. We've spent all 10 Galleons. Where are we going to get the money to pay him back? If we don't get the money, Vaughn will kill us."
"They might even strip us naked and hang us at the castle gate so everyone can see how embarrassing the Weasley twins look."
"Yes, he absolutely could do it."
The twins tried to elicit sympathy from each other, but Harry remained unmoved.
Ron had already told him about the evil deeds the twins had committed, and he wouldn't believe a word they said!
But Harry didn't know that the twins' target wasn't him at all, but Hermione!
Hermione looked up from the tall stack of textbooks on her desk and snapped, "Fred, George!"
She can't stand anyone saying anything bad about Vaughn!
But she also knew that the twins wouldn't give up until they got what they wanted. She held out her hand: "Give me the thing, and I'll give it to Ron later. But let me make this clear: if I hear you slandering Vaughn again, I'll tell him what you said!"
The twins immediately beamed and readily agreed, "No problem, dear Hermione."
They pulled out a piece of hard candy wrapped in oil paper and handed it to Hermione: "This is our carefully crafted quick-acting skipping candy. It works extremely fast and is foolproof."
"That's right. We've learned our lesson from last time and will no longer damage relationships between classmates. Instead, we'll help those who deserve it."
"Yes, for example, those little wizards who have been poisoned by the classroom and have lost their freedom and dignity!"
Hermione frowned deeply. How could the classroom be corrupting? How could she have lost her freedom and dignity? Surrounded by a strong learning atmosphere, and with professors available to answer her questions anytime, anywhere, wasn't she happy?
Confused, Hermione put away the so-called truancy candy and buried herself back into the mountain of reference books.
When Ron returned from the school hospital, she casually tossed him the candy.
"Merlin…" Ron was stunned, thinking he was dreaming, and pinched himself: "Harry, did you see that? Hermione gave me a piece of candy!"
"Uh, wait a minute, Ron—"
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Ron couldn't wait any longer. He quickly unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth. This was the first time Hermione had ever been so kind to him; usually, she would constantly find fault with him.
"Mmm, so sweet…" Ron shook his head. "I just drank Madam Pomfrey's antidote, and my mouth feels like I've been eating almonds. Thank you, Hermione…"
As Ron was speaking, he suddenly felt a heat in his nostrils, and across from him, Harry, who had been hesitant to speak, suddenly looked terrified.
Huh? What happened?
The thought had barely crossed Ron's mind when he heard a soft "pfft!"
Bright red blood gushed from his nostrils like a fountain, and the force of the impact even made his head shake. The large amount of blood sprayed straight at Harry's face.
"What a powerful jet of blood!"
Ron subconsciously gave a silent compliment, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
He had just realized that the powerful jet of blood was his own!
Vaughn only learned about Ron's situation the next morning.
While having breakfast, Hermione said to him with guilt and regret, "If I had known that quick-acting skipping candy was so terrible, I wouldn't have given it to Ron."
It is said that when Ron collapsed last night, Hermione, Harry, and Neville rushed him to the school hospital, and nearly two pints (about a liter) of blood spurted from his nose.
In Harry's words, "Ron's skin had turned transparent from blood loss, and when Madam Pomfrey revived him, he didn't even remember who I was!"
However, in the magical world, such simple symptoms of blood loss are really trivial.
When Vaughn leisurely finished his breakfast and went with everyone to visit Ron at the school hospital, his complexion had returned to normal, and he even had an appetite to eat a pork chop.
"It was horrible. I drank blood-replenishing potions for hours before I remembered Harry's name." Ron, his mouth full of meat, couldn't stop his urge to talk: "In fact, this is the only thing that exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect the blood loss to be so serious."
"Quick-acting skip-class candy? Hmph, I knew it was Fred and George's trick the moment I put that candy in my mouth last night. It's experience, you understand?"
Under the astonished gazes of Neville, Seamus, and Dean, he waved his greasy hand, looking as if to say, "I've seen it all."
Harry looked puzzled, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
He clearly remembered that last night, after Ron recovered his health and regained consciousness, he lay on the hospital bed, clutching his pants and wailing with snot and tears streaming down his face: "Harry, am I going to die? Those damned Fred and George, I knew it, sooner or later I would die at their hands!"
But now, Harry's ruddy complexion shows no trace of what it was like last night.
It wasn't until Neville asked a question: "So... Ron, did Madam Pomfrey say you could take a few days off?"
Ron beamed, "Of course, of course, I lost a full three pints of blood... Don't interrupt, Harry, two pints is just your estimate, only I know for sure... Madam Pomfrey gave me three days of sick leave, she thinks that my excessive blood loss may have damaged my brain, and it will take a few days to recover!"
"oh--"
Neville, Seamus, and Dean looked on with envy. Harry, who understood why Ron had suddenly changed his attitude, also wanted to express his own desire for sick leave.
Unfortunately, Hermione, standing beside him with her lips tightly pursed and eyes glaring fiercely like Norbert's, made him swallow his cry.
Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She pulled Vaughn away from the school hospital, angrily saying, "And I felt so guilty, complaining to you about how Fred and George went too far, but look at him, he's probably even grateful!"
Before she could finish speaking, she heard Ron shout from inside the ward:
"Yes, Neville, the quick-acting truancy candy is fantastic. I dare say it's Fred and George's most successful creation, and even if they used me as a guinea pig, I still have to give it a fair evaluation!"
Hermione was so angry she couldn't speak.
If she were still in her old temper, she would have reported this to the professors by now. Even though she is more tolerant of this behavior that goes against her beliefs now, Ron's foolish choice is still unacceptable to her—not only did he not resist the twins' antics, but he also fueled them!
Hermione could already foresee that once Neville, Seamus, and Dean returned, the "miraculous effect" of the quick-acting truancy candy would spread throughout Gryffindor.
In fact, ever since Ron collapsed last night, the twins have been celebrating the success of their new invention and enthusiastically promoting it to their classmates.
However, given the precedent of the Canary Cookies, everyone is still waiting and seeing. For example, did Ron survive after eating the quick-acting skip-school candy? Or were there any serious side effects?
Indeed, events unfolded exactly as Hermione had predicted.
After much effort, Vaughn managed to appease his girlfriend and took her to the library to immerse themselves in the ocean of knowledge, while away the afternoon.
When he took Hermione back to Gryffindor, he could see from afar that the Gryffindor Tower was packed with people, and Fred and George were surrounded by crowds, busy with their own affairs!
"The Weasley Magic Tricks Workshop's quick-acting skip-school candy has been personally tested by our brother Ron Weasley. Of course, his experience is far from enough to demonstrate the greatness of our product. We plan to continue developing a series of products after the Nosebleed Nougat—yes, the kind Ron eats—and we have already started projects for Fever Candy, Coma Candy, and so on."
Lee Jordan, standing in the crowd, shouted, "George, remember the butterbeer I treated you guys to at Hogsmeade last time? Can I have one on credit?"
George responded generously: "Fred, remember to cross out Lee Jordan's name!"
"Okay, George!"
"Everyone, come one by one and register with Fred. Our business is small and operates on thin margins, so we do not offer credit!"
Seeing this lively yet absurd scene, Hermione turned pale with anger.
Percy, on the other side of the crowd, had the same expression as her. He tried desperately to squeeze in and stop the twins, but the students' enthusiasm for skipping class made his efforts futile time and time again.
To appease Hermione, who was about to lose her temper, Vaughn had to temporarily change his plans to visit Ravenclaw and stay in Gryffindor, acting as the little witch's confidante and listening to her endless complaints.
The lively scene continued until lights out. Fred and George, who had filled a thick stack of orders, smugly ignored the furious Percy and went to Vaughn, grinning as they shook their purses full of deposits.
"Vaughn, we did it!"
"That's right. Although we experienced failure last year, it was just because we lacked experience. Today, we proved our strength with facts!"
"Look, the money you sponsored back then didn't go to waste. The deposit here is enough to pay back that 10 Galleons!"
Vaughn looked at the twins and said slowly, "Pay it back? I remember you said it was an investment in you, that I was taking a stake, right?"
"Good heavens, Fred, did you hear that? Our proud little brother wants a share of our profits! He sees we've made it big and wants to invest!"
"Yes, George, incredible! Our genius brother has clearly succumbed to our abilities!"
The twins looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Vaughn smiled at their smugness and said, "If I were you, I would be more humble and cautious."
The twins laughed and joked, completely ignoring Vaughn's words, lost in their dreams of future riches. They patted Vaughn's shoulders hard on both sides.
"Don't worry, little brother, Fred and George are just joking with you. How could we forget our little brother who supported us so much?"
"Of course, even brothers need to be clear first: if you want to buy skip-class candy, there's no discount!"
Tsk... These two guys are getting a little too cocky!
Vaughn, of course, would not tell the twins that he had overheard Professor McGonagall reporting on the school to Dumbledore before he returned from Dumbledore's place yesterday.
The deans of the other three colleges were also present.
So in reality, it was a school affairs meeting that discussed recent student issues.
"Every year around this time, students experience various psychological changes. The pressure of assignments from professors and the upcoming exams can cause some students with sensitive and fragile minds to experience stress."
"Specifically, it manifests as a sudden aversion to studying, trying every means to skip classes, being terrified of exams, frantically flipping through books but remembering nothing, or having crooked thoughts, pinning their hopes on illusory lucky charms or spells, and of course, the worst of all—various cheating tricks!"
"Albus, it's time to introduce temporary measures to crack down on these bad signs, just like in previous years!"
This is the important matter. When Vaughn left, Dumbledore had already agreed to Professor McGonagall's request.
In other words, Hogwarts is about to begin its rigorous pre-exam crackdown.
Yes, I'm sure Fred and George will be pleasantly surprised.
The twins, of course, were unaware of all this. They enthusiastically threw themselves into their money-making venture, and more and more students came to them to buy "skip-class candy," with even some older students coming from far and wide.
This group of senior students mainly consists of fifth and seventh graders. One of them will be taking the OWLs exam this year, and the other will be taking the NEWTs exam. The NEWTs determine a wizard's fate after graduation, while the OWLs determine which subject you will advance to in the future.
Therefore, these two grades are also the hardest hit areas for students to have mental breakdowns before exams.
Two days later, Vaughn witnessed an example firsthand. A fifth-year student from Gryffindor suddenly burst into the classroom while Vaughn and the first-year students were having a Transfiguration class.
Clutching her books, she apologized to Professor McGonagall, breathless, "I'm sorry, Professor, I'm late."
Professor McGonagall, who was about to write on the blackboard, was both surprised and understanding. She pushed up her glasses and said, "Miss Dormer, this is a first-year class. The fifth-year class ended an hour ago, and I remember you were not late."
Miss Dormer paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted, startling the bewildered first-graders:
"No! I'm a first-year student! Professor, I'm a first-year student!"
She frantically and hysterically pulled Neville up, desperately trying to prove that she was as tall as Neville, and that she was 12 years old.
Neville was grabbed by the collar and lifted up to her height, almost choking on the bow tie.
Seeing the situation getting increasingly chaotic, Professor McGonagall had to cast a spell to knock her unconscious and explained to the first-years, "It seems Miss Dormer has developed test syndrome, a very peculiar condition that usually flares up suddenly before exams and then miraculously heals after being given sick leave."
"..."
The young wizards below the stage were speechless. Of course, they understood what the professor meant—Miss Dormer was pretending to be crazy to avoid class.
Moreover, her behavior is not an isolated case.
In the days that followed, the first-year students witnessed all sorts of bizarre "illnesses." For example, one day at the end of March, a seventh-year student suddenly disappeared, and the professors searched for most of the night before finding him in the Forbidden Forest.
He claimed that he was abducted by a UFO and that aliens subjected him to cruel magical experiments in an attempt to understand Earth's magical system in preparation for an invasion. He endured this for a full 10 years before finally escaping.
He found himself back in the days when he was kidnapped 10 years ago. Even more "unfortunate" was that the long 10-year prison sentence made him completely forget the knowledge he had learned.
So... he hopes the professors can make an exception for his special circumstances and allow him to pass the NEWTs exam directly this year...
It was a Ravenclaw, so Professor Flitwick, the usually gentle and kind Ravenclaw headmaster, did not hesitate to put him in solitary confinement.
Of course, such storytelling geniuses are quite rare. Most people just pretend to be crazy, and some are even more ruthless. They might even break their own arms and legs and try to stay in the school hospital and never leave.
It was in this absurd environment that the twins' truancy candy business flourished, with orders piling up to a foot thick.
On the 31st, Fred and George waited deliberately at the Slytherin gate, pretending to bump into Vaughn. They sighed and said that they had too many orders and were exhausted. They were getting tired of hearing Galleons and Silver Sherks clanging every day.
Vaughn smiled without saying a word.
The twins thought he had nothing to say, and left triumphantly with a high five. Then, on the night of April Fool's Day, when all the students and faculty gathered in the cafeteria as required, the twins heard news that struck them like a thunderbolt.
Professor McGonagall read the message.
Every wrinkle on the vice-principal's face spoke of seriousness and uncompromising attitude:
"...I have discovered that there is a bad trend of selling fake potions and truancy gadgets in the school. After discussion by all the faculty and staff, it has been decided that the following items will be included in the confiscation list: Buffet Brain Booster - I am very disappointed in the students who bought it. How could such a top-grade potion, which only Professor Snape and Mr. Vaughn Weasley can brew in the entire school, be sold to you for only 1 sisco?"
"Automatic Quill Pen for Answering Questions—a ridiculous lie. I thought even a first-year student could figure out how Hogwarts could possibly allow you to bring something like that into the exam hall?"
The first-year students below the stage looked at each other in confusion. So, magical cheating tools weren't allowed in the exam room?
Seeing this, Professor McGonagall took a deep breath. To avoid getting angry, she quickly read out the next name:
"Quick-acting skip-class candy..."
The twins couldn't help but stand up: "It's April Fool's Day, you must be joking, right?"
They looked expectantly at the podium, hoping to hear the answer they were looking for.
Professor McGonagall could no longer contain her temper. She glared at the twins and said sternly, "...Fred Weasley and George Weasley are exemplary wastes of talent and misguided paths. Their rampant production and distribution of such things that undermine school rules and classroom discipline has had a very negative impact!"
"By a decision made by all the professors, not only will your'skip-class candy' products be confiscated, but you will also be forced to return the proceeds from their sale. As far as I know, you have detailed order records, and I will personally supervise your execution!"
It's over!
Fred and George suddenly felt their vision go black.
April Fool's Day, which should have been a happy day, turned into a shocking discovery for them... that fate had played a cruel joke on them.
Where would they get any money?
All those deposits were used to buy raw materials...
April Fool's Day 1992 passed slowly, a day that felt like an eternity for Fred and George. The twins, always mischievous and unruly at Hogwarts, experienced the harsh realities of adulthood for the first time.
That day, their dormitory was surrounded by creditors!
"Fred, open the door right now! I know you're in the dorm. Give me back my deposit!" This was a rude, direct demand for repayment.
"George, Professor McGonagall said you have to refund the money according to the list. You don't want us to report you to the professor and say you're planning to renege on your debts, do you?" This was a threat.
Some even went so far as to say, "Alahora is open! Damn it, those two guys cast a reverse-opening charm inside!"
Some people wanted to take a roundabout approach: "Lee Jordan, you've shared a dorm room with them for years, why don't you try to persuade them!"
Lee Jordan was devastated; he had already lost 1 Galleon and was standing outside the door, ready to call for the money back!
In short, Hogwarts' April Fool's Day operation was quite successful. The confiscation of other illegal potions and props has not yet yielded any results, but Fred and George have already tasted the iron fist of the school.
The next morning, the twins wrapped themselves up tightly to make sure no one could recognize them before daring to leave their dormitory.
As soon as they stepped outside, the twins were nauseated by a stench. Some despicable person had tied several dung bombs to the door and cast a spell on it.
The dung bomb will detonate as soon as the door is opened.
If the twins hadn't been so experienced in their battles, grabbing their wands early on, holding their breath, and using Cleanse immediately, they probably would have vomited bile.
"Damn it, these bastards! A few days ago they were all all smiles, begging us to put their orders on their plate, but today they've turned their backs on us!"
"Stop complaining, help me... Damn it, what kind of glue is this? My shoes are stuck!"
"I'm stuck too... Sigh, let's forget about the shoes and go, so no one gets up early and runs into us."
"The Weasleys have never been this disheveled!"
The two didn't even dare to complain loudly, muttering curses under their breath. The twins were exhausted and covered in sweat after finally clearing all the traps at the entrance.
When he sneaked into the common room wearing a cloak, he was startled again.
A hairy head popped out from behind the desk, glanced at them, and said gloatingly, "Fred, George!"
The twins nearly fled in terror, only breathing a sigh of relief after recognizing Hermione: "Damn, how did you recognize us?"
The two not only wore hooded capes, but also covered their heads and faces with scarves, making them look just like Professor Quirrell.
Hermione snorted: "Who in all of Gryffindor would dress like this now?"
As she spoke, she glanced at their attire, raised her voice slightly, and asked suspiciously, "You two aren't planning to renege on your debt and run away, are you?"
"Shhh-keep it down!"
"No one in the Weasley family is untrustworthy; we will definitely pay you back!"
"That's right!"
The twins answered with absolute certainty.
Hermione didn't believe it at all: "Vaughn told me yesterday that all your money was used to buy raw materials, and you have no money left to pay back!"
"So we need to go out and find a solution!"
"That's right, we're going to find Vaughn!"
"George, you really didn't have to say it…"
"But it's true, Fred."
That's right, no one in the Weasley family is untrustworthy. Even if Professor McGonagall hadn't asked them for a refund yesterday, the twins would have voluntarily refunded the money when the Quick Skip Candy series was banned by the school.
All their fear stemmed from a lack of money...
Fortunately, they are not yet in dire straits, and there are still people who can support them.
The twins discussed it all night and decided to swallow their pride and ask their younger brother for help.
Hermione's face darkened. She was already against the twins making truancy props, and now that she heard they were going to ask Vaughn for help, she was even more dissatisfied. It wasn't that she thought they shouldn't ask Vaughn for help, but rather that she could tell these two guys hadn't given up!
She pursed her thin lips: "So, you're planning to borrow money from Vaughn, return the deposit, keep the raw materials in your hands, lay low for a while, and make a comeback after the exam?"
"clever!"
The twins gave her a thumbs up. "We talked it over all night and realized that this was just bad luck. It happened to be during the exam preparation period, and the school made an example of us."
"That's right, our products are actually very popular, and the market demand is very broad. Schools can't keep prohibiting students' normal needs indefinitely..."
Hermione complained, "When did skipping class become a normal need?"
The twins wouldn't listen to that. They winked at Hermione and said, "The difficulties are only temporary. After the exams, when the ban is lifted, our product can go live again. We've already thought of something. The name 'Quick Skip to Class' is too narrow. In reality, it can also be used to skip chores, skip homework... Anyway, as long as you're sick, you can do nothing. It's practically the perfect medicine for school and summer vacation!"
Hermione: "..."
Hermione realized she had been narrow-minded; she had thought this setback would teach the twins a lesson, showing them that crooked paths couldn't last...
The twins did learn their lesson, but because someone was backing them up, they were clearly emboldened!
Hermione sighed. After the April Fool's Day dinner yesterday, she had made a bet with Vaughn about it. At that time, she firmly believed that people would correct their mistakes after being punished.
But Vaughn remained noncommittal about her point of view: "Darling, perhaps you should read more Muggle philosophy books. There was a Muggle named Hegel who was right: the only lesson mankind has learned from history is that it has learned nothing from history."
It must be said that Vaughn clearly knows his two older brothers better.
Therefore, the twins' reaction was not beyond his expectations.
Thinking this, Hermione smiled slightly, and as Fred and George prepared to emerge from the Gryffindor tower, she spoke:
"I don't think you need to waste your time, Fred, George."
The twins turned around in astonishment: "What?"
They saw Hermione say gleefully, "Vaughn has had some urgent business and has left Hogwarts. You won't be able to find him for at least the next few days!"
The twins' lips trembled, and their faces turned visibly pale: "You...you're joking, right?"
Hermione smiled without saying a word.
Just then, someone yawned as they walked out of the boys' dormitory corridor. It was Lee Jordan, the twins' "former friend," who recognized them the moment he stepped into the common room.
"Ha! Fred and George, are you planning to run away?"
"Damn it, how did everyone know it was us? Li, we're good friends..."
Lee Jordan sneered through gritted teeth. He had said the same thing a few days earlier, only to have George ruthlessly reject his request for credit.
Seeing that things were going badly, the twins quickly called for the fat lady guarding the gate.
The plump lady, still grumbling and about to open the door, was interrupted by Lee Jordan's shout: "Plump lady, lock these two guys up for me. In exchange, I can listen to your opera all day!"
The sleepy, plump lady suddenly perked up, leaving the twins dumbfounded.
What grudge could lead to such a serious escalation?
Vaughn didn't care about the impending ordeal Fred and George were about to face. In fact, he wasn't deliberately hiding the twins to teach them a lesson; he simply had something come up.
On April Fool's Day, he received a letter.
The Rozier family from England.
Unfortunately, it brought bad news!
"...I regret to inform you, dear Mr. Weasley, that although I would very much like to help rescue your friend, to rescue a Rozier, it is embarrassing that the Rozier family has long lost its power in the North American wizarding world because of an incident that happened decades ago."
"A distant relative of the family, Vinda Rozier, from the main branch of the French Rozier line, was once the second-in-command of the famous Gethler Grindelwald… I don't mean to deny anything, but it is clear that when Grindelwald failed and was imprisoned in Nurmengard by Dumbledore, all of Grindelwald's followers were investigated and purged."
"Unfortunately, Vinda Rozier gained widespread attention because of his position in Grindelwald's gang, especially in the Magical Congress of North America, where Grindelwald had disgraced them—he had infiltrated the Magical Congress disguised as Percival Graves and used that poor Auror commander's face and name to cause trouble in North America."
"You can imagine how ashamed and furious the Magical Congress of North America was when the truth came out. They certainly wanted to take revenge on Grindelwald, but Dumbledore refused their request to execute Grindelwald... Those Yankees didn't dare to offend Dumbledore, so they could only vent their anger on others."
"I read the letter from Isabella that you sent. I can bet you with my pure-blood honor that the trouble Isabella is in is definitely the work of the Graves family. Those petty fools consider what Percival Graves suffered back then an indelible shame. Since they can't take revenge on Grindelwald, they're targeting the Rozier family at every turn."
"Poor Isabella, her background is too remote. Perhaps no one told her that members of the Rozier family should never go to North America. This is a lesson learned in blood... Please forgive my powerlessness..."
Vaughn had previously considered that the Rozier family might not bother with such a minor branch.
He had assumed the other party would simply make up an excuse to refuse.
Unexpectedly, I received a letter full of secrets that seemed perfectly reasonable.
"Graves…Vendor Rozier…"
Crouch's mansion in the Muggle community—Vaughn silently recited these somewhat familiar names, his consciousness constantly rummaging through the archives of his memories.
Thanks to learning memory magic and organizing his own memories, he quickly found some fragmented memories from his past life.
These are some impressions of details from the Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Crack!
The sudden green flames from the fireplace startled Vaughn from his reverie.
Crouch is back. This high-ranking official from the Ministry of Magic, who always presents a serious face, probably only breaks down when he sees Vaughn, his lips twitching.
He crawled out of the fireplace, brushing the dust off his clothes, and said dryly, "Just a few days ago you told me you were preparing for exams and didn't have time to treat Little Barty. How come you have time to come today?"
Vaughn seemed oblivious to his sarcasm and handed over the letter, saying, "Something came up and I need your help."
"Oh!"
As expected!
Crouch gave a forced smile, but didn't refuse. He took the letter, read it carefully, and nodded: "Old Rozier didn't lie to you; what he said is basically true."
"You also believe that the trouble Isabella is in is the work of the Graves family?"
"Very likely." Crouch flipped through the letter from Isabella that had been sent back with the letter and said, "At least according to Isabella, the trouble she encountered on Halloween was likely a conflict with the Graves family."
"You probably don't know this, but the Rozier family is actually a very large family. It was originally only distributed in France, but later it gradually spread to England and North America. That's right, there used to be a branch of the Rozier in North America, which developed from England."
"However, those branches are now extinct. When I was a young man, the Rozier branch in North America had already been wiped out by various reasons, such as Muggle governments, dark wizards, natural disasters and man-made calamities."
"Old Rozier may be a bit mediocre and incompetent, but his assessment of the Graves family is not wrong; that family is indeed rather petty."
Vaughn had little interest in the feud between the two families; he only felt that things were getting complicated.
If Isabella was caught in the crossfire due to official reasons, such as internal conflicts in North America, then rescuing her wouldn't be too difficult.
Barty Crouch was in charge of international relations. Given his position, all he had to do was make a call to North America and put in a good word, and he could basically get Isabella back.
But the problem now is that the trouble she's in and the fact that she's wanted may not be due to any crime officially determined by the Magical Congress, but rather stems from the hostility and manipulation of a North American family.
This dashed any hopes of getting the person out through official channels—even if the Magic Congress is closed off, it still has to consider international opinion, and everything can be discussed, but a family doesn't have so many concerns.
Crouch shared the same view, handing the letter back to Vaughn: "I can't do anything about it either. At most, I can help you contact the Magical Congress so you have a way to get in touch with the Graves family... Although I don't have a high opinion of them. To be honest, the so-called pure-blood families in North America are even more stubborn and obstinate than the pure-blood families in England."
"One can imagine..."
Vaughn rubbed his temples. When he read Isabella's letter earlier, he could tell that the main conflict in the current turmoil in North America was actually the conflict between pure-blood wizards and half-blood/Muggle wizards.
North America has been vigorously promoting the International Secrecy Act, not because they are particularly enlightened or actively responding to the instructions of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Rather, it's because the pure-blood families in power in North America want to maintain their respective family interests and are attempting to use the Secrets Act to completely sever the ties between wizards and Muggles.
In a society, as long as there is no influx of fresh blood to promote social mobility, social classes will become entrenched, and only established families can avoid the fate of having their interests diluted.