Chapter 99 Iphamoni's Invitation, Test, and Training
It seemed that Vaughn had already understood.
Crouch began talking to Vaughn about North America.
He said, "I've been paying attention to the issues in North America in recent years... Don't look at me like that. In any case, I am the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and this is my job."
"The Muggle governments in North America are indeed trying to crack the wizards' powers, but as everyone in the world knows, they've actually been doing this since the 1920s and 30s, and after decades, they've made virtually no progress. Muggles..."
Crouch paused for a moment: "I still prefer to say Muggle… Muggles without magic simply cannot comprehend the power of wizards. Their so-called science does have its merits; I have studied it in detail. Yes, the power of nuclear weapons is astonishing, but that's all."
When it comes to the most terrifying technological achievement of Muggles, the nuclear bomb, Crouch has neither the ignorance and contempt of a typical wizard nor the fear of a Muggle.
Instead, it was a rather detached attitude, as if they were just talking about a novel oversized toy.
Vaughn knew that this detached attitude was precisely the true attitude of the wise people in the magical world towards Muggles and their creations.
It's all because Muggles don't know magic!
The longer Vaughn was exposed to magic, and the deeper he went into the path of magic, the more he understood how vulnerable Muggles were when facing wizards.
It must be acknowledged that, purely in terms of destructive power, Muggle technology applied to weapons is indeed unmatched by wizards.
The problem is that since ancient magic was phased out, the modern spell system developed by wizards has abandoned the idea of prioritizing power and instead developed towards diversification.
To illustrate, let's use a few of the most common spells in the magical world.
First, the Forgetting Curse and the False Memory Curse!
When combined, these two spells allow a wizard to freely alter the memories of others, especially the Forgetfulness Spell, whose effects are almost permanent.
Even wizards can only deal with these two spells by using Occlumency and counter-spells. The Oblivion Spell is less effective as it erases memories too thoroughly.
And what about the Muggles?
To wizards who have mastered memory magic, their skulls are practically like public toilets—they can enter at will, completely unguarded.
As far as Vaughn knows.
Every year, the Ministry of Magic handles at least several hundred magical incidents in which wizards used memory spells on Muggles—the Forget Charm is regulated by the Ministry of Magic, but the Dream Charm and Nightmare Charm are not prohibited.
Even though the use of the Oblivion Spell is strictly limited, it has already become widespread.
Under the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters of the Ministry of Magic, there is an organization called the "Memory Deletion Command," which serves as the office for memory deletors.
Since the implementation of the International Law on Secrecy, after hundreds of years of evolution, the once insignificant memory erasers have grown in number year by year in modern times, when Muggles frequently witness magical accidents.
Today, the Memory Deletion Command has become one of the most staffed agencies within the Ministry of Magic, second only to the Auror Office—in peacetime, the role of the Aurors has greatly diminished, while handling magical incidents and upholding the Statute of Secrecy have become the Ministry of Magic's focus.
Of course, another important reason is that the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, comes from the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, which is considered his inner circle.
The job of a memory eraser, as the name suggests, is to erase memories, making Muggles who accidentally witness or experience magical events forget everything they saw and experienced.
In recent years, this method has become the main means for the Ministry of Magic to handle magical accidents. Even though wizards know that the Oblivion Charm is a spell that is easy to get out of control, it is hard for wizards not to choose this simplest method when faced with the unguarded minds of Muggles.
Besides memory magic, there are also spells involving the soul, such as the Confusion Charm, the Muggle Expulsion Charm, and the Imperius Charm.
These spells are ones that Muggles cannot defend against.
Especially the confusion spell.
"In my past life's memories, in *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, Gettler Grindelwald used a prophetic nuclear explosion to promote the Muggle threat theory, but that was just a tactic."
Why has the wizarding world continued its leisurely life in the years since the invention of nuclear weapons, without any sense of urgency about being destroyed by Muggles? Because after the invention of nuclear weapons, wizards discovered that they were just yet another tool created by Muggles.
'To Muggles, all tools are inanimate objects, but wizards are different. Wizards see everything as imbued with spirit, so some spells are not limited to intelligent life or inanimate objects, such as the Confusion Charm!'
Vaughn's thoughts were somewhat scattered.
The Confusion Charm can not only bewitch and manipulate a person, but also bewitch and manipulate an object. In the "future," Barty Crouch Jr.'s Confusion Charm bewitched the Goblet of Fire, sending Harry into the Triwizard Tournament.
Muggle nuclear weapons are certainly terrifying, but as a tool, they are just like any other tool and can be affected by the Confusion Charm.
Imagine a wizard, maintaining a Muggle expulsion spell, walking into a Muggle nuclear weapons facility as if on a picnic, and casting a confusion spell on the nuclear bomb.
With just one spell, control of the Muggle's most powerful weapon was taken away...
Crouch, unaware of what Vaughn was pondering, said with a somber expression, "Therefore, the wizards' concessions and the advancement of the Secret Law were never due to fear of Muggles, but rather a combination of factors."
He did not elaborate on what the so-called "multiple reasons" were. The Law on the Protection of State Secrets was enacted exactly 300 years ago (in 1692, the International Law on the Protection of State Secrets was enacted), and everything from then on is now a distant past.
However, if we limit this scope to pure-blood families, then the psychology behind their cooperation in implementing the Law of Secrecy is quite easy to summarize—compared to enslaving Muggles who are "useless" and "have no magic," severing the connection between Muggle society and the magical world, and letting magic forever belong to pure-bloods, is clearly more in line with their ideals.
This is a consensus among pure-blood families worldwide; otherwise, the Secret Law would never have existed 300 years ago.
The North American magical world, which originated from England and adopted almost all of its systems, was no exception.
"So the essence of the conflict in North America is still that pure-blood families are using the Secrets Act in an attempt to make magic pure again."
Crouch said, "Muggle governments' threats and persecution of wizards are mostly orchestrated by themselves. I dare say that the masterminds behind the tragic examples Isabella mentioned in her letter are probably the pure-blood families of North America."
"On the one hand, they promote the Muggle threat theory and enforce the Secret Service Act, and on the other hand, they sell information about Muggle-born wizards to the Muggle government, create persecution, and exacerbate the conflict between them."
"...Very likely."
Vaughn nodded. With his mature mind, he was never afraid to use the utmost malice to speculate about anything involving politics.
However, what Vaughn didn't understand was why Crouch was telling him all this?
He soon got the answer.
"The reason I'm telling you this is to tell you that you don't need to try to get Isabella back through the pure-blood family or through me and Dumbledore. She's now caught in this huge vortex, and none of us who are outside the situation can do anything about it."
"Including the Watchers organization she's now joined, they're probably not clean either. These organizations that issued death threats to pure-blood families as soon as the conflict became public are either stupid or malicious. They might even be tools used by some radical families to 'persuade' other pure-blood families."
"Given her surname and the conflict with the Graves family, if we intervene rashly, it could very well backfire."
Upon hearing this, Vaughn paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.
He hadn't thought about it that way before, but when Crouch subtly mentioned it, he immediately realized it.
Humans are creatures that find it difficult to unify their goals and thoughts. Perhaps all pure-blooded people in the world want to drive out mixed-race and Muggle-born wizards, but in terms of specific actions, differences are bound to exist.
With so many pure-blood families in North America, it's impossible for all of them to want to achieve their goals using such radical methods.
Where there are radicals, there are also conservatives.
Vaughn recalled Isabella's letter about the pure-blood families who had received death threats. Connecting this to Crouch's earlier words, he looked at him and asked, "You suspect that the radicals are using organizations like the Watchmen to force the conservatives onto the war machine? Like Graves?"
Crouch nodded: "From a political perspective, there is no irreconcilable contradiction between radicalism and conservatism. The difference between the two lies only in their different views and different paces of action. This is not immutable; it just requires external pressure..."
This external pressure could come from so-called "thug groups" composed of Muggle wizards in North America, or it could come from... other countries!
Vaughn's mind suddenly cleared.
Crouch was right. Under the current circumstances, it was indeed not appropriate for him and Dumbledore to step in. In fact, any attempt by any force outside North America to intervene would immediately jeopardize the situation in North America.
Radicalism usually means a tendency to get out of control, and given the current powder keg-like state of the North American magical community, once it gets out of control, it could very well mean war!
Thinking about this gave Vaughn a headache.
He had initially thought that the chaos in North America was far removed from him. Although he had paid some attention to it before, he hadn't really felt it. Unexpectedly, the flames of chaos suddenly spread to his side.
Because he suddenly realized that Crouch's previous long speeches, explaining the essence of the situation in North America, were likely not just because of Isabella Rozier.
really.
When Vaughn asked, Crouch's serious face twitched a few times, but he still pulled a thick parchment envelope from his pocket.
He handed the envelope to Vaughn and said dryly, "Actually, I don't think you should get involved in this mess. Without Dumbledore, the influence of pure-blood families in the North American wizarding world extends to every aspect. There's only one place they can't easily interfere with, and that place has now become a gathering place for half-blood and Muggle-born wizards, and it's also the place with the most serious conflicts in the North American wizarding world..."
Vaughn looked at the envelope.
The envelope was printed with a huge coat of arms, consisting of crossed ribbons and four animal figures. For a moment, Vaughn thought he was seeing the shield of Hogwarts.
In the world, besides Hogwarts, only one other magic school—Hogwarts—uses four animal images in its emblems.
Crouch uttered the name in a dry voice: "—Ivermoni! Yesterday, the International Wizarding Federation forwarded me their invitation letter, inviting you to North America this summer for an academic exchange on potions and to discuss the possibility of establishing a branch of the Werewolf Affairs Committee in North America!"
Hearing Crouch's words and looking at the letter, Vaughn was stunned...
...
Vaughn returned to Hogwarts at night.
He had just stepped out of Professor McGonagall's office when the twins caught him red-handed.
Today, the twins are in deep trouble.
Given that Ron had previously tested the drug on himself and achieved remarkable results, earning him a three-day vacation, the twins' truancy candy business not only covered all seven grades of Gryffindor, but also expanded to other schools.
Even Slytherin, who had the worst relationship with Gryffindor, had many fifth and seventh-year students who couldn't handle the academic pressure and secretly placed orders.
When the scandal broke, Gryffindor's clients, out of consideration for being in the same college, didn't push them too far.
The Hufflepuff badgers are always honest and simple-minded; at most, they'll urge the twins a little, and then they'll just wait patiently for the twins to pay them back.
But Ravenclaw and Slytherin are not so easily fooled, especially Slytherin. Those guys always have to annoy Gryffindor, let alone now that they're acting so self-righteously.
As soon as get out of class ended, Malfoy, along with his two henchmen and several fifth-grade "victims," unfurled a banner at the entrance of the Gryffindor Tower.
The inscription reads, "Weasley owes no money, Redhead drinks blood and sweat."
Even during class, he didn't stop. He bribed several Slytherin students in the same grade as the twins to wear enchanted armbands in class and repeatedly demonstrate the phrase on the banner.
Although there was no physical attack or bullying, this humiliation, which was comparable to social death, broke the twins' defenses far more than any actual harm.
So much so that when Vaughn saw the two of them, he almost didn't recognize them—their red hair was a mess, their faces were pale and haggard, and they were no longer the lively and optimistic people they used to be.
The two men stared longingly at Vaughn.
After today's ordeal, their ambitions had long since crumbled under the pressure from their creditors and the humiliation inflicted by Slytherin.
Their oft-repeated phrase, "Weasley never goes back on his word," suddenly became a joke.
Now, all they want is to get their deposit back as soon as possible. In the afternoon, the two contacted the shop where they had previously purchased the raw materials, trying to get them to take them back.
However, this is a case of water from afar not quenching an immediate thirst. Furthermore, with raw materials coming in and going out, there's no hope of getting a full refund. Their only hope of plugging the gap now lies with Vaughn.
Unfortunately, Vaughn has no time to care about them right now.
Ignoring the twins' attempt to cling to his leg, Vaughn told them to wait at the Room of Requirement before hurrying off to the principal's office.
As usual, Dumbledore started with dessert, and then Vaughn refused without hesitation once again. Only then did he shake his head regretfully, unfold the invitation Vaughn handed him, and look at it:
"Oh—an invitation from Ilfamoni, that's quite rare. The North American magical community is very closed off; they've always disliked paying attention to other countries and magic schools, always wanting to shut themselves off and live their own little lives..."
This was common knowledge, and Vaughn, not wanting to listen to his rambling, interrupted, "What do you think Ifamoni's plans are?"
Dumbledore smiled, his azure eyes as bright as the moon outside the window: "It's clear, Vaughn, that you've shown the world the potential of werewolves, and Evamon wants to recruit werewolves through you!"
"If we consider werewolves as a kind of magical creature, then they are probably the most widely distributed species in the world... I apologize, please forgive an old man's pedantic and stubborn view, I always unconsciously exclude werewolves from humans."
"I can understand. After all, you're over a hundred years old, practically buried up to your eyebrows."
Vaughn, who was already used to Dumbledore's catchphrases, said sarcastically.
Dumbledore smiled nonchalantly and continued, "Werewolf disease—oh, I almost forgot you wrote a paper renaming it the werewolf virus… Anyway, the unique mechanism of the werewolf virus makes the expansion of the werewolf population almost unimpeded."
"Even if a place has never had werewolves before, as long as there is one in the past, he can quickly infect a group."
"The Americas are a major area where werewolves are rampant, which is related to its development history. As you know from your familiarity with Muggles, Muggles do not use normal labor to expand their colonies, but rather slaves, criminals, and death row inmates."
"The same applies to the magical world as to Muggle society. However, compared to the vast population of Muggles, the small number of wizards would be a huge waste to use for colonization. So, some people set their sights on werewolves."
"While the werewolf virus is certainly a disaster for Muggles and wizards, it is not entirely useless in the eyes of some. At least when they go berserk on the night of the full moon, they are the most efficient killing machines. They are physically strong and ruthless, and almost no weapon can harm them except magic."
"Any life before them is at their mercy. What's even more terrifying is that as long as some powerful wizards are sent to intervene and prevent them from killing all the lives, the more Muggles they scratch and bite, the more the werewolf virus spreads, and this killing machine will grow larger and larger…"
As he spoke, Dumbledore sighed: "In order to explore the Americas, the wizards at that time captured werewolves and vampires all over Europe and threw them over there. It is hard for us now to imagine how chaotic and bloody the Americas were at that time."
Vaughn was somewhat taken aback.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered a movie he had seen in his previous life, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," a bizarre film that drastically altered American history, portraying the Civil War as a war between humans and vampires.
The scene described by Dumbledore gave him the sudden illusion that he had traveled back in time.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Dumbledore shook his head: "I know you find it absurd, but in those days, everyone went mad. The New World, the New Land, trade, gold... profit drove people all over the continent to become devils."
"Since the birth of wizards, no era has been as crazy as that one. The current history of magic is vague about what happened back then, but we can tell from the details that the Statute of Secrets was not just because of the witch hunts of Muggles."
"Including the several wars waged by Muggles in the Americas, it is very likely that they were related to the werewolves and vampires eventually getting out of control in the Americas... The wizards of that time chose to bury everything, but some traces cannot be erased, such as the werewolf population in the Americas, which was much larger than in Europe."
"According to an investigation by the International Federation of Wizards, there may be tens of thousands of werewolves and thousands of vampires throughout the Americas... These are problems left over from hundreds of years ago."
At this point, Dumbledore paused and added, "This intelligence was gathered 60 years ago when Grindelwald was wreaking havoc in North America. In order to find out his whereabouts, the Federation was able to force the Magical Congress to open its borders. Since then, the Magical Congress has no longer allowed the Federation to interfere. Nobody knows what it's like now."
After saying that, he stared intently at Vaughn with his bright, azure eyes: "But it is conceivable that the werewolves in North America must be a tremendous force, so powerful that they could very well directly determine the situation in North America, and your werewolf poison and werewolf affairs committee could very well be the key to influencing the situation!"
Vaughn remained silent.
He certainly understood what Dumbledore meant. Connecting this with the intelligence Crouch had revealed, the main conflict in North America was between pure-blood families and half-blood, Muggle-born wizards.
In this conflict, Ephamoni chose to protect half-bloods and Muggles, which forced it to stand against the pure-blood families.
To fight against all the pure-blood families with a magic school is something even Hogwarts, with Dumbledore, couldn't do, let alone Ilfamani.
Therefore, Iphamoni began to try to win over magical creatures.
This wasn't the first time this magic school had done something like this. When it was first founded, it tried to win over Pukki—a magical creature with a bloodline similar to fairies, short in stature, with gray skin, and possessing powerful magic.
If that were all there was to it, then Vaughn would have no reason to hesitate. He could simply accept the invitation, go to North America, expand the Werewolf Affairs Committee, spread his fame, and perhaps even rescue Isabella.
However, if werewolves become the key to changing the course of the game, then the problem becomes more serious.
At the very least, those pure-blood families certainly won't sit idly by and watch tens of thousands of werewolves join Iphamoni's camp; it's hard to say what methods they will use.
Seeing Vaughn's unusual furrowed brow in thought, he hesitated.
Dumbledore's smiling expression returned: "My dear, there are still three months until summer vacation, you can take your time to think it over."
Vaughn rolled his eyes at him: "Are you gloating?"
"No, no, no, I just find it very interesting that as you progress faster and faster on the path of magic, it seems that nothing can trouble you anymore."
That old bastard!
Vaughn asked impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense, what's your suggestion?"
"I have no advice. If I were to speak solely from the principal's perspective, I would advise you not to go. Matters in the Americas are irrelevant to Europe, and you, as a student, should not be put in danger."
With that, Dumbledore smiled and said, "But I am not just a headmaster, and you, Vaughn, are not just a student!"
...
Vaughn had no idea what riddle Dumbledore was playing at once.
He was too lazy to ask any more questions. This old man was most enthusiastic about being a riddle teller and was used to playing the fool, so he couldn't get anything out of him.
Vaughn wasn't discouraged by not getting advice from Dumbledore. Ultimately, he had to make the decision himself. Besides, Dumbledore was right; there were still three months to consider and carefully weigh the options.
At the very least, it's worthwhile to take this time to brush up on the history and related events of the North American magical world and understand the situation there.
But that won't start until tomorrow.
Currently, Vaughn also has to deal with his two older brothers and show them some "care" as a younger brother!
The corridor outside the house is always ready to help.
As instructed by Vaughn, the twins, who had arrived early, paced back and forth anxiously.
Opposite the tapestry, Fruit Tea squatted by the wall, its large round eyes watching the twins move back and forth, while the door of the Room of Requirement had already appeared above its head.
Because of Vaughn, the two had known about this magical place for several months. However, Vaughn often came here to practice magic and read books, and the twins, not daring to disturb their younger brother, did not come very often.
Normally, they might have been curious enough to explore further, but now, with their minds preoccupied, the two of them had no time for it and were even too lazy to pay attention to the fruit tea.
After pacing back and forth for a while, the twins suddenly stopped, looking dejected.
"Fred, I think our good days are over."
Fred sighed, "Yes, George, the last person in the family who was willing to support our research may not be supporting us anymore today!"
The twins are very intelligent, with both high IQ and EQ.
Previously, the two were only focused on finding a way to balance the accounts and hadn't thought much about it. Now that they've calmed down and thought carefully about Vaughn's attitude, they have to pessimistically realize that Vaughn, who has always supported them, may also abandon them this time.
"It's all your fault, George! Why did you have to show off in front of him those few days? You knew perfectly well that our dear brother is petty!"
"Shut up! You were the one who said you wanted to show our petty little brother what we've accomplished!"
"Don't talk nonsense, I never said that."
"I don't have any either."
The twins routinely shift blame and bicker, and when something comes to mind, they furtively glance around the corridor to avoid any petty person suddenly appearing.
Then, they looked at the fruit tea.
Is it watching us?
"Um..."
"I've heard that tabby cats are very clever. What if it tells on me?"
"Are you crazy, Fred? Cats can't talk, and besides, it's a hybrid!"
"That's true!"
Guoguocha's round eyes narrowed to slits, reflecting the twins pacing back and forth, sighing.
Listen to them discussing:
"How about... we threaten him with his dating life?"
"How can I threaten you? Mom is eager for us to find girlfriends at school. She's been preparing our prom dresses since the day we enrolled!"
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"I think we should be more assertive and negotiate with him. Yes, we did make some mistakes this time, but it wasn't our fault! It was the school that was suppressing us. I firmly believe that once this storm passes, the'Skipping Class Candy' series will definitely be a huge hit!"
"Then you'd better be tough later, don't let him scare you into kneeling down."
"Heh, are you talking about yourself, George?"
The two exchanged sarcastic laughs and pointed at each other, but soon put their arms around each other's shoulders and whispered to each other about their strategy for dealing with Vaughn's arrival.
Ten minutes later, a series of crisp footsteps appeared in the darkness of the corridor.
Before long, in the dim light of the torches in the corridor, Vaughn walked over. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was immersed in some trouble. He didn't even greet the twins, but directly picked up the fruit tea that was there to greet him, opened the door of the Room of Requirement, and went inside.
His voice came only after we went inside: "Come in!"
The twins exchanged a glance, reminding each other to be firm and not to back down, before following each other into the Room of Requirement.
The room was summoned by the two of them while they were pacing back and forth outside. It was an ordinary abandoned classroom with almost no furnishings.
As the two walked in, they saw Vaughn pull out his wand, point it at the ground, and an old table turned into a chair with a backrest. The chair shuffled over to Vaughn and helped him sit down.
Vaughn picked up the fruit tea and looked at the twins.
Before he could even speak, the twins, who had been warning each other to be tough just a moment before, suddenly pounced on Vaughn, hugging his legs on either side and accusing him in unison:
"My dear brother, I'm reporting George (Fred) for calling you petty!"
The two were stunned for a moment, then glared at each other angrily:
"You despicable liar George, I knew you were up to no good with those words!"
"Aren't you the same? Trying to seduce me into belittling my dearest brother, attempting to ruin our relationship!"
Fruit Tea, perched on Vaughn's lap, tucked its front paws in, its head bobbing left and right, curiously watching the twins undermine each other, before meowing at Vaughn.
Upon hearing this, Vaughn tilted his head and looked at the two of them with a half-smile: "I heard that you two are going to be a bit tougher on me?"
The twins stared blankly at Guoguocha, who was still tucking her paws in and looking at them with curiosity, and said awkwardly, "It... no, she can talk?"
Vaughn smiled without saying a word.
Of course, Guoguocha cannot speak. In fact, he has woven a persona into Guoguocha, which can collect everything Guoguocha sees and hears, and convey some simple information to him when Vaughn approaches, and can also be read by him through mind control.
The specific effect is somewhat similar to the magical world's innate Legilimency.
However, those born with the ability to manipulate thoughts cannot control themselves and will receive the divergent thoughts of anyone. But the technique developed by Vaughn only receives the thoughts of beings whose personalities he has implanted.
This was originally a technology he developed to continuously monitor Little Barty's mental world, but he later discovered that it could be used on pets, allowing him and his pets to communicate across languages.
The twins, of course, didn't understand such advanced things. Apart from alchemy, which they were interested in, these two guys had always been mediocre in other areas.
But at the same time, their alchemy is indeed quite interesting.
Thinking it over, Vaughn opened his bag and took out a skip-class candy.
Many people think that the candies developed by the twins are magic potions, but in fact, they have little to do with magic potions; they are a form of alchemy.
A magical effect created from "nothingness" by using "ether" and potion ingredients.
Previously, Vaughn did not understand alchemy and his understanding of the twins' talents was limited to their wildly imaginative way of thinking and their enthusiasm for pranks.
It wasn't until he was finally able to understand the introductory books on alchemy that he realized the twins' seemingly unreliable alchemical skills actually contained much more potential.
It's such a waste that they used it to make prank props.
Vaughn looked at the twins, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I heard from Hermione that you want to borrow money from me to pay off your deposit?"
Fred and George nodded repeatedly.
Vaughn smiled, reopened his satchel, and while rummaging through it, asked the twins' anxious gazes, "What can you offer me in return for your help?"
"Well..."
The two looked at each other, not because they couldn't accept the "contribution," but because they didn't know how they could help Vaughn.
Vaughn didn't expect them to answer. He rummaged through his satchel for a moment, pulled out a small box, opened it, and inside lay two Muggle light bulbs—
Fred and George had seen this before; their father had removed the headlights and taillights from the car when he was fixing it.
The two looked at the light bulb, then at Vaughn, completely bewildered.
Vaughn didn't say anything, but continued rummaging through his bag, finding the lamp holder, wires, and batteries, and assembling them.
The twins watched his movements silently.
The two were no strangers to these things. Influenced by Arthur and Vaughn, they had been exposed to things from Muggle society since childhood, and had even personally modified many Muggle technological products.
Once Warn has assembled the bulb, screw it into the socket and turn on the switch.
The light bulb did not light up.
One of the twins then "kindly" reminded him: "Dear brother, Hogwarts is filled with magic, which will cause great interference to the magnetic field. Muggle technology items cannot be used here."
Vaughn nodded, thanking him for the reminder: "Thank you, but if I remember correctly, it was I who told you this, right when you first enrolled, when your radios were broken and you thought you'd been ripped off by a Muggle merchant."
"..."
The twins scratched their faces simultaneously, a little embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject: "So, dear little brother, what do you want us to do?"
Vaughn stopped mocking them and, looking at the light bulb he had assembled, stated his plan: "I hope you will temporarily put aside your prank ideas and use your alchemical knowledge to make the light bulb usable at Hogwarts, or simply abandon Muggle electricity and research how to create a magical light bulb!"
"...ah?"
The twins looked at each other in bewilderment.
For the two of them, making prank props is like their faith and soul; to give it up, even temporarily, would be very difficult for them.
But now they needed Vaughn's help, and the two didn't dare to refuse directly. After stammering for a while, one of the twins, it was unclear whether it was Fred or George, finally spoke up and argued:
"What's the point of this? Hogwarts has magical braziers and oil lamps, and we know illumination charms..."
Before he could finish speaking, Vaughn interrupted him: "More than a hundred years ago, Muggles had oil lamps and gas lamps, so why did they invent electric lights?"
The twins were somewhat bewildered; they were not yet old enough to think about such questions, so naturally they couldn't answer why.
Vaughn didn't want to lecture them or preach any grand principles, so he simply said, "In short, I only have one request. Now tell me, how much money do I need to pay back the deposit?"
Seeing that their younger brother was adamant and there was no room for negotiation, the twins finally realized the reality: this time, unlike before, they could not get away with throwing tantrums and acting spoiled.
"12 Galleons".
The two men slumped their shoulders, looking listless, but they didn't just make things up. Instead, they added, "Just give us 4 Galleons. We're dealing with the raw materials we bought earlier, and we should be able to come up with 8 to 9 Galleons."
Vaughn ignored him and pulled out a small bag of gold coins: "Here are 20 Galleons. Consider it payment for your materials and your subsequent research expenses... You know my personality. I'm very serious this time. I will not only monitor your progress regularly, but also have requirements for the time to produce results. I hope you can complete this research before the end of summer vacation, whether it is solving the problem of using electric lights at Hogwarts or creating a magic lamp."
"At that time, I will no longer restrict your research and development of prank gadgets, and I will even fund you until the 'Weasley Magic Tricks Workshop' is established... although in my opinion, by then you may no longer care about any tricks workshop!"
The twins gave two indistinct hums.
The Magic Tricks Studio is their life's work and passion; how could they possibly give it up so easily?
After receiving the money bag from Vaughn, the twins were finally able to settle their debts, but they were not happy at all, not only because of their younger brother's coercion, but also because the time Vaughn had set was too tight.
One of the twins decided to try one more time: "Vaughn, it's impossible to finish this over the summer. We've never done research in this direction before. You need to give us some more time."
The words had barely left his mouth.
They saw Vaughn pull out a rather old-fashioned radio, made entirely of wood. As Vaughn turned it on, a crackling broadcast immediately came out.
This is a magic radio!
Rare in the magical world, products that combine magic with Muggle technology include radio stations that come with a radio. These are also a fusion of magic and technology, using magic to replace electricity while still achieving the same effect, and they are not distorted by magical magnetic fields.
This kind of thing isn't uncommon; the Weasleys have one, and Molly often uses it to listen to gossip and interesting stories.
"Whether it's using alchemy to protect the electromagnetic field from being distorted by magic, or using magic to replace electricity, this radio has both applications. With such a finished product for you to disassemble and learn from, I believe that a simple problem like a light bulb shouldn't be too difficult for you!"
Seeing that their younger brother had prepared so thoroughly, and having confirmed his attitude once again, the twins reluctantly agreed.
Only after leaving the Room of Requirement did the twins whisper resentfully, "Look how well he prepared—money, finished technology, research ideas… I bet George, he's been eyeing us for a long time."
"That's right, Fred. That cunning guy, he must have deliberately avoided us this morning, just to make us suffer so he could exploit us!"
"Damn capitalists!"
"That's right, Fred! But... at least I can get a good night's sleep tonight, sigh..."
Touching the small purse, the heavy Galleons inside brought them immense peace of mind. Although they had paid the price of their freedom, the feeling of being chased by debt collectors was far worse.
The twins walked away, feeling both relieved and disappointed. Guoguocha, who had been squatting at the door watching them leave, flicked its tail, turned around and went back to the Requirement Room. It jumped onto Vaughn's lap, who was already writing something in his notebook, and meowed at him.
Vaughn tilted his ear, then smiled and ruffled Fruit Tea's hair:
"Oh, don't worry about them, Guoguocha. I just want to work on their character flaws and get them to settle down. Also, I don't want their talents to go to waste."
Meow~
"No, I respect their hobbies, but reality is not a fairy tale, and the magical world is not as safe as it seems. As wizards, they can have hobbies, but they cannot abandon the right path because of them, otherwise it will only harm them in the end."
Guoguocha didn't make a sound again, but affectionately nuzzled Vaughn's chin before jumping off him and lying down to rest.
Vaughn continued writing in his notebook.
What he said to Guoguocha was indeed his own thought. He hadn't realized it before, but after he gained his alchemical talent, he truly recognized that the twins' talent in alchemy was quite extraordinary.
In particular, their newly developed "Skipping Class Candy" series uses alchemy to achieve the effects of magic potions, taking a unique and ingenious approach.
He had always felt that the twins' overly free and wild nature was not a good thing, and now he was even less willing to see them continue to waste their talents on crooked paths.
He intends to guide them back to the right path, both to prevent them from repeating the same fate they will face in the future, and in the hope that someone can help him.
As he thought about it, Vaughn paused, his pen poised as he wrote in his notebook.
He suddenly recalled Dumbledore's ambiguous attitude towards his decision regarding whether or not he should accept the invitation to go to North America.
"...That old guy, could he also be thinking the same thing, trying to test and train me?"
Chapter 100 A Trip to the Forbidden Forest with Hermione
It's not that Vaughn is narcissistic, it's just that Deng has a history of such behavior.
This greatest white wizard of the century is respected not only for his strength, but also for his generosity in mentoring younger generations.
However, Dumbledore was known throughout his life not only for his love of mentoring younger generations, but also for his penchant for creating mystique and playing the riddle-maker, and for his mastery of feigning madness.
For the next week or so, Vaughn tried to subtly probe Dumbledore several times, but Dumbledore just smiled and refused to comment on Ilfamoni's invitation.
After a few attempts, Vaughn gave up and stopped bothering him.
Of course, the main reason is that the first-grade curriculum is becoming increasingly heavy as Easter approaches.
These courses are mainly for the exams two months later, which are crucial for college admissions. Vaughn, who usually enjoys privileges, has to go back to being a student, memorizing key points and writing papers according to the professors' plans.
As April arrives, summer suddenly seems to be just around the corner.
The young wizards discarded their fleece robes and donned summer clothes, but this still couldn't stop the torment brought by the increasingly scorching sun. The dazzling sunlight burned the earth, and the heat waves it generated raged through every classroom at Hogwarts.
If there's no sun, it's even worse. As soon as it gets a little overcast, it becomes hot and stuffy, as if you've been stuffed into a sauna. Every pore is covered by sticky air, making it hard to breathe.
With climate change, insects that had once disappeared have resurfaced, and cicadas are gradually chirping in the nursery outside the window, which is so noisy that it is irritating.
Time, amidst this pervasive "restlessness," leisurely arrives at Easter, the last holiday before summer vacation.
Easter is a very important holiday in England, and Hogwarts, which follows tradition, is no exception, with a two-week holiday for the occasion.
But any little wizard would rather not have it!
"I just can't take it anymore!"
In the library, Ron, who was staring blankly at his homework and almost drooling, tried to guess the answer by using his wand to predict the future for the tenth time, but he guessed wrong again.
Frustrated, he threw down his quill and angrily pounded his wand: "Idiot, why do you always manage to perfectly avoid all the correct answers? Not a single one of the 30 questions is correct!"
Sitting opposite him, Harry, staring blankly at a three-foot-high stack of homework, heard Ron's words and, with a forced effort, managed to turn his nearly numb mind and subconsciously reply:
"Perhaps you should try rolling dice; I've heard it works well."
Ron slumped his shoulders in despair, utterly exhausted: "I tried it yesterday, it didn't work at all. I've figured it out now, all that dice rolling and wand divination is just nonsense from those upperclassmen. I'd be a pig to believe them again!"
Harry looked sullen, clearly having learned his lesson before.
Compared to their seven years of student life, even though they were almost finished with their first year, the two were still relatively new to the field. They never imagined that the professors would become so crazy in order to prepare for the exams.
I never imagined that I would hate holidays so much one day.
Halloween and Christmas used to be so joyful, with parties, games, and celebrations... every day of the holidays was filled with laughter. In comparison, Easter is like hell!
Just a few days ago, when they were counting down the days on the calendar, eagerly awaiting Easter, they wondered why the older students looked more and more desperate as the holiday approached.
Now they understand.
Ron slumped on his desk like a lump of mud, reminiscing for the umpteenth time about the end of last month when he accidentally ate the twins' truant candy and then leisurely spent three days in the hospital with nothing to do with it.
"I've never missed Fred and George, and their pranks, as much as I do now!"
"yes..."
Harry missed it even more than he did. At least Ron had been hospitalized and rested, while he hadn't had a proper, leisurely day in a long time.
It's not just because of the endless homework, but also... Quidditch!
"Hi, Harry!"
When you think of an unfortunate event or an unfortunate person, that event or person usually comes to mind.
Hearing Wood's familiar, irritating voice call his name, Harry buried his face in his arms in anguish.
But Wood clearly wouldn't let go of Gryffindor Quidditch's biggest ace.
He dodged Mrs. Pince's sharp gaze, moved closer to Harry, and pulled him along: "Hurry up, Harry, we're going to be late for practice. I finally managed to get the right to use the field today, so we need to make the most of this time to practice a few more tactics."
After Harry lost his first match to Vaughn last year, although some team members thought Harry was overrated—yes, Arya Spinnet was one of them—Wood still believed in Harry's abilities.
He took full responsibility for the failure, believing it was all due to his tactical blunders and his failure to notice in time that Harry's broom was out of control.
This touched Harry deeply. In the subsequent battles against Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Harry finally lived up to Wood's trust and defeated these two "formidable enemies" who had been threatening the progress of the Gryffindor Quidditch Cup for the past few years.
In the match against Hufflepuff, Harry even set a record for the fastest Golden Snitch ever caught at Hogwarts.
That was a rare highlight in Harry's twelve years of life, and he personally led Gryffindor, who hadn't made it to the finals for several years since Charlie left, back to the finals.
Everything was going perfectly. Wood got the grades he'd always dreamed of, and Harry received cheers and adoration from all of Gryffindor—if Wood hadn't gone mad!
In any case, Wood, who witnessed the team's renewed glory after defeating Ravenclaw, was not satisfied and became even more "greedy".
When his team was at the bottom, he wanted to reach the finals; once he reached the finals, he wanted to win the Quidditch Cup.
The only one who suffered was Harry.
Wood learned from last year's match against Slytherin, where Harry, due to insufficient practice time and a lack of chemistry and tactics with his teammates, had to break away from the group and was subsequently surrounded and attacked by Slytherin.
This year he prepared a large number of tactics and personally supervised them.
Vaughn met Harry in the courtyard.
At that moment, he was like a helpless puppet, being dragged by the arm by the tall and burly Wood towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Wood, I still have a lot of homework to do. Can we practice tomorrow?"
"Homework can be done anytime, Harry. It's nothing compared to Quidditch. Just watch, I've come up with a few new tactics these past few days, and I'm sure I can turn you into the best Seeker..."
Then they saw Vaughn.
Wood looked very wary, while Harry looked delighted and frantically winked at Vaughn, hoping he would lend a helping hand.
Unfortunately, to his expectant gaze, Vaughn merely nodded at him before exchanging pleasantries with Wood, asking, "Ready to go to the Quidditch pitch for training?"
"Yes, Weasley."
"You can call me Vaughn, Oliver."
"…Alright, Vaughn, if you don't mind, I'll take Harry and leave now. With the match approaching, Slytherin has been vying for the right to use the pitch, so we can't afford to be delayed!"
Faced with Wood's subtle provocation, Vaughn smiled: "Ah, sorry, Marcus is too sensitive. He sees Gryffindor as a major threat. You know, you have the genius Seeker Harry Potter."
Wood proudly raised his head slightly: "You're a genius too, Vaughn, but I believe Harry is definitely stronger than you. Although he lost to you last time, I will help him surpass you!"
Harry blushed, wanting to retort but unsure how to begin.
Regardless, Wood was speaking up for him, even though he didn't think he was better than Vaughn—after months of training, he increasingly realized just how good Vaughn was, having been involved in the team's offensive system from his very first game.
Now, several months have passed, and no one knows how much progress Vaughn has made.
Only Wood was optimistic.
After saying goodbye to Vaughn, on the way to the Quidditch pitch, he continued to cheer Harry on:
"Don't be afraid of him, Harry. Vaughn Weasley hasn't been on the pitch for months. He's wasting all his time on that werewolf... what was the werewolf again?"
"The Werewolf Affairs Committee," Harry replied. "Besides, it's a very noble thing, Wood, you shouldn't…"
"Nothing is more sublime than Quidditch!"
Wood's expression was solemn, the thin sunlight filtering through the clouds illuminating his face, making him appear holy and dignified: "Quidditch is the most meaningful thing in the world. Your thoughts are dangerous, Harry. It seems I will not only have to give you special training in your skills, but also help you become stronger mentally!"
Harry: "..."
...
After saying goodbye to Wood and Harry, Vaughn went to the library, borrowed a few books, sat by the window, and leisurely flipped through them in the sunlight to pass the time.
Before long, a faint fragrance, mixed with the scent of ink from books, approached him.
Hermione rushed up to him, carrying a stack of books. "Vaughn, how's your studying going... Good heavens, what are you looking at? Alchemy? And magical plants too?"
Her voice was loud, and Mrs. Pince's sharp gaze swept over her.
Ron, all alone in the distance, also peered in this direction.
Vaughn, caught reading extracurricular books by his academically gifted girlfriend, remained unfazed. "I've finished my homework, and I finished reviewing the lessons yesterday. Now it's my free time."
Hermione puffed out her cheeks: "Why are you always so fast?"
"Hmm!" Vaughn looked up at her. "Girl, never tell a man to hurry, it's an insult to him!"
"?"
Hermione tilted her head, puzzled.
Vaughn shrugged regretfully. That's the downside of being young; no one can catch a lot of his jokes. He really wants to grow up quickly!
"Okay, these don't count as extracurricular reading. I'm going to the Forbidden Forest in a bit to review them."
"To the Forbidden Forest?" Hermione quickly straightened her face.
Vaughn casually flipped to an illustration and added leisurely, "Don't worry, Dumbledore approved it, and Hagrid is with you!"
Hermione, who was very strict about school rules, breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you going to find potion ingredients? I saw you even borrowed an alchemy book. Could it be alchemy ingredients?"
Vaughn thought for a moment and nodded: "I think so!"
Dumbledore meticulously prepared so many mechanisms for Harry over such a long period of time, involving a wide variety of things, including potions and alchemy, and there was a huge shortage of materials, so it's not entirely wrong to say that.
After flipping through a few more pages, and hearing no further questions from Hermione, Vaughn looked up and saw Hermione biting her lip, her expression hesitant.
"What's wrong with you?"
"No, it's nothing…" Hermione said, glancing at him and then at the book in front of her.
Vaughn suddenly realized: "You want to come with me?"
"…Mmm!" Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "Is it okay?"
She's been very busy with schoolwork lately, and although she's often with Vaughn, they're mostly busy with their own things, and even when they do talk, it's usually about studying.
She suddenly really wanted to go on another date with him.
Seeing the girl's expectant expression, Vaughn grinned mischievously: "Ha, did I hear that right? Our always so proper and rule-abiding Miss Granger wants to come to the Forbidden Forest with me?"
Hermione unconsciously puffed out her cheeks, "...If it doesn't work out, then so be it—"
She got up to leave, but Vaughn grabbed her hand, smiling broadly. "So, Miss Granger, may I ask you to break a school rule for me?"
...
"Merlin, his smile is so greasy."
Ron, who had been secretly watching Vaughn's situation, couldn't help but shudder.
"No, I think they have a really good relationship."
A voice said from behind.
It's Nawei.
Ron didn't even turn his head: "How long have you known Vaughn? I bet he's already trying to win Hermione over with sweet talk, the kind that's sickeningly sweet. He's always been the best at charming silly girls like this... Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ron looked at Neville, who had come close to him, with a puzzled expression.
Neville scratched his head: "Ron, I think... you seem to be jealous."
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?" Ron scoffed, shoving Neville's head away. "What is there for Hermione to be jealous of? That guy better never speak to me again, and Hermione better never come crying to me complaining that Vaughn lied to her... Jealous? You're kidding!"
Neville: "But Ron, I didn't say you were jealous of Hermione."
Ron: "...Ugh, you're so annoying!"
Only by venturing into the forest can one truly appreciate how early summer arrives in the Scottish Highlands in April.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Vaughn and Hermione looked up at the tall, straight trees before them, their canopies spreading out to block out the sky, with gnarled vines hanging down from the trunks and branches, all the way down into the dense bushes below.
Those shrubs truly embody the wildness and unbridled nature of the natural order, and the abundant vitality bestowed upon them by the sun and rain during this most suitable season for plant growth.
As far as the eye can see, the dense foliage of the bushes and the scattered flowers almost fill the spaces between the trees.
The soil and roads were obscured, with only a thin layer of mist floating above the bushes, swirling and lingering among the trees, providing a touch of color beyond the verdant green, adding a touch of dreaminess.
"it's beautiful..."
"Yes, it's a bit like when we first came to Hogwarts last year, but it's not quite the same. Back then, there weren't so many bushes on the ground and in the woods, and the light wasn't so dim. Now it truly deserves the name 'Forbidden Forest'."
Hermione always had a knack for catching what others missed: "Looks like you came here quite a few times last year?"
Just as Vaughn was about to answer, there was a rustling sound behind him, the bushes shook a few times, and a large black dog came rushing in from outside the woods, shaking its head.
Hey, Tooth!
"Woof woof!"
Toothpick dashed over to Vaughn and Hermione, its tail wagging like a fan. Behind it, the bushes shook violently a few more times, and Hagrid's enormous figure appeared before the two.
"Vaughn, sorry I was a little late... Hermione, you're here too?"
"Hey, Hagrid, long time no see."
Hagrid carried a cloth bag and an axe. With his giant height and massive size, as well as the gloomy surroundings, he inevitably gave people a great sense of oppression.
However, when he smiled across his thick, bearded face, his warmth and innocence made it hard to think anything else: "Welcome, Hermione. Harry and Ron were talking about you the other day. You're buried in books every day, you're practically brainwashed. You're here on a date with Vaughn, aren't you? Very good, kid, you should get out and see nature more often..."
Hagrid, in his rambling, inadvertently betrayed Harry and Ron, but being the usual careless man he was, he didn't notice Hermione's sudden sweet smile and clenched teeth. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, he waved to the two of them:
"Let's go, we still have a lot to do today: patrol the Forbidden Forest, and we also need to go deeper into the forest to gather some for Dumbledore..."
He suddenly stopped.
Hermione asked curiously, "What are you helping Dumbledore collect?"
"Oh...just some materials, nothing much to say, Vaughn knows." He stammered, then Hagrid yelled, "Toothie, coward, get ahead and clear the way!"
"Waaah—"
It bared its teeth, its ears and tail drooping, until Hagrid gently nudged its rump. Only then did it reluctantly walk forward and use its massive body to push aside the dense bushes.
"Toothie is a little timid, but I assure you, he's a great helper in the Forbidden Forest, very reliable... Come on, kids, keep up."
Hagrid picked up his sack and axe, and followed in the path cleared by Tooth.
Behind him were Vaughn and Hermione. Vaughn held Hermione's hand tightly, and Hermione raised an eyebrow slightly: "I thought you were gathering materials for yourself, but it turns out you're helping Dumbledore. No wonder the headmaster approved your trip to the Forbidden Forest. You two have such a good relationship..."
The girl was a little jealous.
It wasn't because Vaughn helped Dumbledore, but because she had been spending a lot of time with Vaughn lately and had keenly sensed that he and Dumbledore seemed to share some kind of little secret.
Many times, when she was reading with Vaughn, Dumbledore's iconic phoenix guardian spirit would suddenly appear, whisper a few words in Vaughn's ear, and Vaughn would put her down and go see the headmaster.
It's one thing if it happens once or twice, but if this happens almost every day recently, then any girl would probably start to have doubts.
Vaughn chuckled and teased her, "Hermione, can you smell it?"
"What?"
"There's a sour smell in the air; a little girl is jealous..."
"Ugh!" Hermione's cheeks flushed red as she punched Vaughn.
Hagrid, who was walking ahead, glanced back at the two flirting lovers, his beard scrunching up. He couldn't help but call out, "Alright, kids, stop fooling around in the Forbidden Forest! Be quiet!"
The Forbidden Forest is definitely not a place for recreation. This vast forest, besides being called the Forbidden Forest, is also known as the "Dark Forest." This name not only refers to the interior of the forest, because the towering trees' lush canopies block out the sunlight, but also signifies the danger of the place.
Many magical creatures live here, many of which are classified as "XXX" or higher in the Department of Magic's classification system (posing a certain degree of danger and lethality, requiring an experienced wizard to deal with them).
Vaughn had been here before and had accompanied Hagrid along his patrol route, observing many magical creatures. Hermione, on the other hand, was visiting the Forbidden Forest for the first time, and everything she saw was naturally new and exciting—aside from the herbs they learned about in their first year, students rarely come into contact with living magical creatures.
As her boyfriend and Potions Master, Vaughn naturally took over Hagrid's role as commentator, providing explanations for the newbie Hermione:
"...See that plant over there with small yellow flowers? That's rue, an herb whose juice can detoxify. As far as I know, Madam Pomfrey's most important detoxification method is rue extract."
"White sage, you can learn about it in the first year of potions. It is recorded in 'A Thousand Magical Herbs and Mushrooms.' You should be familiar with it. It is most often used to treat the splitting accident caused by Apparition."
"Epiphyllum, be careful not to touch it, it's highly poisonous..."
With great interest, Hermione listened to Vaughn's explanation for a few minutes, then couldn't suppress her love of learning. She opened her small handbag—the same one Vaughn had given her a few days earlier as a gift hidden inside an Easter egg—and took out her notebook to write down everything Vaughn said.
Every time this happens, she feels regretful: "I really should have brought my camera from home!"
Hagrid regretted coming out today. Vaughn and Hermione were all lovey-dovey, while he could only squat to the side, staring at Tooth in disbelief.
He's usually the one who talks nonstop, but today he had so much to say, yet he could only be like a candle, burning himself to illuminate and highlight others!
Fortunately, not long after, when they passed through a relatively open woodland, Hagrid finally had a chance to interject.
He pointed to the woodland and said to Vaughn proudly, "You have no idea what that is. I just discovered it a while ago—a unicorn's lair! It's incredible. Those arrogant little rascals hid their lair with magic. I passed by many times without noticing it. If you and Dumbledore hadn't taken them away and the magic hadn't worn off, I probably would never have known where they were hiding."
Hermione keenly grasped the key point; she looked at Vaughn beside her and gripped his arm tightly.
"Hmm—I had no idea you took the unicorn with Dumbledore?"
Vaughn covered his forehead speechlessly.
After saying that, Hagrid realized something was wrong when he saw Vaughn's speechless expression. He quickly coughed and said, "Ahem, I meant... Ah, look, a fairy!"
Poor acting skills.
This technique of changing the subject wouldn't fool even a child, but to save face for Vaughn and Hagrid, Hermione still looked over.
Then she saw several magical creatures with transparent, dragonfly-like wings fly out from a bush covered in small blue flowers not far away.
Fairy!
Magic Classification Level: XX
A creature with a body shape and appearance very similar to humans, but only 4 or 5 inches tall, circled in mid-air a few times. When they saw Vaughn and his two companions, they seemed indifferent and instead waved the small branches they were holding.
They chattered and squeaked at each other in a very fast-paced language that sounded like insect chirping.
This was the first time Hermione had ever seen a living fairy. In the past, the only things she could access were the materials she collected from them—fairy wings.
That is the main ingredient in many potions, such as the "Vorn Beauty Series" potions that Hermione knows about, which are the reason Vorn is famous.
After watching intently for a while, Hermione noticed the fairies in the air arguing more and more fiercely. She had completely forgotten about the unicorns and couldn't help but ask, "What are they doing?"
"Oh, they're arguing," Hagrid quickly replied.
Vaughn chimed in, explaining, "The fairy only looks pretty on the outside, but she actually has a very bad temper. That chirping sound, like insects, means she's arguing."
Hermione quickly opened her notebook to take notes.
And then asked for more details: "So the fairies have their own language?"
Seeing that her attention had shifted, Vaughn secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He gestured for Hagrid, who was about to speak, to shut up, and then walked over to Hermione to answer his girlfriend's questions:
"Whether the 'words' spoken by the fairies when they quarrel are their language is still inconclusive. Some wizards agree with this view, while others think that the monotonous rhythm and lack of phonetic symbols of their insect chirps may just be simple cries, just like how humans scream when they go crazy."
Hermione wrote furiously.
"So why did they start arguing?"
"have no idea."
Vaughn shrugged. "They're naturally irritable. Anything that a human might not even notice or imagine can cause them to argue, and they might even resort to violence..."
Before the words were even finished, in mid-air, one of the fairies with wings adorned with some colorful patterns cried out and suddenly waved the small branch in its hand.
"I almost forgot to mention, the small twigs they hold are somewhat like a wizard's wand, which can help them cast spells—"
Biu——
As Vaughn explained, Hermione saw a barely perceptible rainbow shoot out from a small branch and collide with another fairy.
It screamed as it was sent flying, tumbling several meters before the fairy, enraged, brandished her "magic wand" and immediately retaliated.
Soon, the air was a chaotic mess, with thin, iridescent streaks of light flashing against each other, leaving Hermione below speechless.
In the blink of an eye, the first victim appeared.
The fairy who attacked first was ganged up on by her companions. One of the fairies with completely transparent wings bit off its wing, and it fell from the sky.
It must be said that cute-looking creatures are always more likely to evoke human sympathy.
Hermione quickly forgot what Vaughn had said about these guys being naturally irritable, and hurriedly shoved the notebook into Vaughn's arms before rushing to his aid.
"Hey Hermione, stop..."
Unfortunately, Hagrid's intervention was a beat too slow. The next moment, Hermione, who had caught the fairy, screamed—the fairy's tiny mouth bit down hard on the skin of Hermione's finger.
Given her size, the injury wasn't serious, and there was no bleeding, but it was still enough to frustrate a kind little girl.
Despite the pain, Hermione looked dejectedly at the fairy still struggling against her skin in her hand, and said to Hagrid and Vaughn who ran over, "I'm sorry, I was fooled by her appearance."
"Don't be sad, child, you want to save it," Hagrid comforted him gruffly. "But as you can see, these little things have no brains. They are wild animals and can't understand your intentions."
With that, Hagrid reached out and grabbed the fairy, preparing to dispose of it in his own way—
For Hagrid, fairies were nothing special; in some ways, they could even be considered pests.
These little creatures are incredibly prolific. They like to lay their eggs on the undersides of plant leaves, sometimes as many as dozens at a time. After hatching, the larvae survive their infancy by eating leaves and sucking sap. In just six to ten days, the larvae will spin cocoons, and a month later they will emerge from the cocoons and transform into celestial beings.
Since he began guarding the Forbidden Forest, the fairy has been one of Hagrid's biggest headaches.
Hermione looked longingly at the beautiful fairy, then at Hagrid's hand. Even the slow-witted Hagrid could tell that Hermione didn't want to hurt it.
He couldn't help but look at Vaughn.
Vaughn shrugged. He knew Hermione's personality better than anyone. She was quick-tempered and might seem difficult to get along with at first glance, but she was actually kind-hearted despite her sharp tongue.
Vaughn never thought that kindness was a trait to be avoided, even though he himself was not at all like that word, but he still liked kind people.
So when Hermione saved Fairy, he wasn't surprised at all, nor did he stop her.
At this point, it's even less likely that she would be deliberately reprimanded or forced to confront cruelty—there's no need to use an adult's tendency to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune to constrain the developing personality of a 12-year-old girl.
Besides, fairies are not high-risk creatures.
He would rather teach Hermione some less common knowledge.
Vaughn gestured for Hagrid to release his grip, gently stroked the still-temperamental fairy, and smiled at Hermione, saying:
"Actually, besides being irritable and easily angered, the fairy has another very interesting personality trait."
As he spoke, he picked up a leaf and transformed it into an exquisite glass bottle with a hollowed-out pattern. Under his magic, the bottle resembled a work of art carved from crystal.
Vaughn held the glass bottle close to her hand, and then, to Hermione's surprise, the fairy who had been stubbornly biting her skin looked up at the exquisite glass bottle as if under some kind of spell.
Then, dragging her injured wing, she limped and actually climbed into the bottle by herself. She groped around and found the most comfortable position. She hummed contentedly, struck the most beautiful pose, and pressed herself completely against the inside of the bottle.
It's like an embossed design inside a bottle!
To Hermione's even greater surprise, as the fairy settled into the bottle and chirped, the other fairies still wrestling in mid-air immediately stopped fighting.
They scrambled down, circled the bottle a few times, and then, pushing and shoving each other, climbed into the bottle one after another.
Like the fairy at the beginning, find a comfortable spot, the most beautiful pose, and quietly cover yourself completely.
Hermione hesitated, "Uh..."
"Besides being irritable and easily angered, the fairies are also particularly vain. As long as there are beautiful and shiny things for them to hide in, they will be happy to disguise themselves as beautiful and luxurious ornaments."
"We didn't have good timing last year. Professor Flitwick was quite busy. In previous years, he would catch some fairies to decorate the lanterns at Hogwarts at Christmas. Bill told us this when he came back from school. Since then, our family has also caught some fairies to decorate at Christmas."
The three left the abandoned unicorn nest. Along the way, Hermione held the glass bottle containing several fairies, which now looked particularly ornate, with great affection, while listening to Vaughn's explanation.
Hagrid listened with great interest.
"Merlin, I never knew there was such a method. It's amazing that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them didn't mention it."
"Newt's purpose in writing this book is to inform the wizarding world about the magical creatures that exist and their current situation. His intention is to raise awareness of the need to protect magical creatures. Of course, he cannot specify how to capture them."
"Newt?"
Hermione immediately grasped the key point.
Hagrid, who was just as tight-lipped as Harry, answered without any suspicion: "Newt Scamander, author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a noble and great man... Vaughn, when you went to see him, did you see his basement?"
Hagrid's small, bright eyes, like those of a black beetle, sparkled.
Seeing his curious yet innocent expression, Vaughn was speechless, but under Hermione's increasingly inquisitive gaze, he could only calmly answer:
"I've seen it."
"Oh, is it really as big as the legends say? I read a report in the newspaper that it's said to be home to hundreds of magical creatures, such as bird-snakes, thunderbirds, venomous leopards, and evil-women birds... Oh, and horned camel beasts too!"
Hermione, who had only been exposed to magic for a year, didn't recognize any of the names Hagrid mentioned.
But Hermione, who knew Hagrid's personality well, knew that the animals he was interested in must be extremely rare and dangerous!
She took Vaughn's hand and shook it, her bright eyes full of curiosity.
Vaughn, who had initially intended to give a casual, perfunctory answer, sighed inwardly, "The bird-snake is an animal that can freely change its size; it can be as small as fitting into a teacup, or as large as filling the largest classroom at Hogwarts..."
"Thunderbirds can control the weather, bringing wind, rain, and lightning. You're disappointed, though. They're rare even in their native North America. Newt rescued one a long time ago, but he released it back into North America decades ago..."
"What about the horned camel?"
Listening to Vaughn's description of the characteristics and habits of those magical creatures, Hagrid's face showed envy and a strong thirst for knowledge: "I've never seen them before. Legend has it that the last pair of horned beasts in the world have been living in the Scamander family's basement. By now, they should have multiplied into a large family, right? Can you tell me what they look like?"
"Hmm—yes, there is, but I didn't see it!"
"ah?"
"I've never seen the venomous leopard or the evil bird either. These kinds of magical animals are either highly dangerous and deadly or endangered, so they're not easy to see..."
Hagrid deeply regretted it.
"Actually, I've always felt that Dumbledore completely misjudged the situation by sending you to the Forbidden Forest to find material. Fairies and vixens are all meaningless. He should have sent you to the Scamander's basement. Just imagine, if you could borrow Scamander's collection of venomous leopards and harpy birds and put them in..."
"Cough cough!"
Seeing that Hagrid was getting more and more excited, Vaughn had to cough loudly to interrupt him.
"Oh, sorry!" Hagrid, realizing he had almost revealed something again, shut his mouth dejectedly.
Hermione, who had been listening intently, pinched Vaughn's hand hard with her soft fingers and smiled: "So, the fairy we just captured was also at Dumbledore's request? Vaughn, didn't you say you were only looking for potions and alchemy materials in the Forbidden Forest?"
"...Yes, we need them all!"
"Yeah?"
Hermione smiled, a shallow dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. She looked at Vaughn, who remained expressionless, and Hagrid, whose forehead was starting to sweat, and didn't press the matter further.
Although she had already sensed that Vaughn was deliberately hiding something important from her, she forced herself not to think about it.
After nearly a year of being enrolled, the girl realized that being too perceptive and inquisitive could sometimes appear aggressive, which could be extremely damaging to a relationship.
When it comes to people and relationships that you consider important, it's best to be a little "muddled."
After nearly leaking information twice, Hagrid finally dared not say anything more, and for the rest of the time he kept his mouth shut.
Fortunately, his extensive experience did not require language. All he had to do was take Vaughn to the habitats of magical creatures he knew and watch Vaughn capture them with various forms of magic.
Throughout the afternoon, Hermione watched as Vaughn used his superb magic to capture many magical creatures she had never even heard of before.
She looks very similar to a fairy and is said to be a fox spirit, a distant relative.
Suspended in the air, they glow like light bulbs in Muggle society, and look like tiny water bubbles.
With the ability to teleport, the Ball-Escape Birds can disappear and travel to other places at will. Hermione learns for the first time that they are the "Dodos" that Muggle society claims are extinct. Wizards discover that Muggles have realized the need to protect the environment for the first time because of the extinction of the Dodos, so they begin to deliberately hide the existence of the Ball-Escape Birds.
Hermione also picked up some miscellaneous materials, such as a giant eight-eyed spider claw that had fallen off in a wooded area.
She even asked Vaughn why he didn't catch an eight-eyed giant spider.
Vaughn looked at her strangely, as if he felt sorry for her, as if she had made a terrible suggestion. Hagrid, on the other hand, was very interested and kept trying to convince Vaughn that the giant spider was only scary-looking, but actually gentle and cute.
Unfortunately, Vaughn never actually caught an eight-eyed giant spider.
As dusk fell, the Forbidden Forest adventure came to an end. In the final moments, Hermione had another new experience—Apparition.
And it's the magic of magical creatures, Dumbledore's famous phoenix Fawkes!
Vaughn summoned it by igniting a tail feather.
Hermione felt that Fawkes looked at Vaughn with great wariness, as if he was on guard against something. She remembered that last Halloween, Vaughn used Fawkes to block the Killing Curse.
Memories that had faded with time were awakened once again.
Hermione suddenly realized that she hadn't paid attention to the investigation of the Man in Black for a long time because of her busy studies, and she asked about it before parting ways with Vaughn.
Vaughn replied, "We haven't found him yet. He hasn't made any moves since Halloween. I've only identified two suspects so far, who are also the ones you suspected the most."