Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 189 Max Level Disarm Spell, One Shot Kills All!
Donald lowered his hands, his face grim.

Another important reason why he was so eager to capture Jack Graves was that he was worried that the man would fall into Vaughn Weasley's hands.

As the captain of the Auror family, Jack knows many of the family's secrets.

He couldn't imagine the consequences if those secrets were exposed to Vaughn Weasley, to the Federation...

but……

"Damn it!"

Watching Vaughn hold and play with his wand, Donald could only curse under his breath; there was nothing else he could do.

Vaughn shook his wand twice, transforming a clod of earth into a rope that bound Donald, and then turned his attention away from him, focusing instead on Jack Graves.

His pupils reflected the image of Jack struggling to hold off Oliver and the others, along with the mushroom cloud frozen behind him.

The alchemical artifact's ability to freeze time created a wondrous scene where halos of light enveloped the area, one layer enveloping another.

But in Vaughn's eyes, the true appearance there was far from as docile as visible light portrayed—waveform patterns representing electromagnetic waves oscillated slightly and intensely in that spacetime.

The freezing of time can constrain macroscopic field motion, but in the microscopic world, the motion of photons is not linear, but rather "jumps".

They jump from one "coordinate" to another, rather than engaging in a linear, continuous movement!

Therefore, in essence, photons should not have the concept of "time" and are naturally not bound by time.

The reason they appear frozen in this moment is not because they are actually frozen, but because a powerful magical force has distorted spacetime, causing photons to continuously jump back to the starting point!

Therefore, in Vaughn's view, the "light" in that space-time was actually undergoing an abstract, repetitive cycle!
"The geodesic motion of photons...or rather, curvilinear motion, Muggle physics describes the motion of photons by saying that they are affected by a gravitational field and follow geodesics, like gliding along a bubble...ha!"

Vaughn suddenly chuckled.

When he observed the movement of light after it was confined, he could almost say with certainty that Muggle scientists must have been involved in the creation of the alchemical artifact that Jack Graves used to confine nuclear explosions!

At the very least, the idea of ​​binding light must have come from Muggles!
Because only Muggles would equate gravitational fields with spacetime; wizards would never have such a concept.

"How interesting... a gamma-ray bomb with specially calculated and parameter-designed parameters, and an alchemical marvel that utilizes Muggle scientific theories... What a surprising day."

Thinking this, Vaughn raised his wand and swept it across his face. A smooth sphere appeared in front of him, and Vaughn stepped into it.

In the next instant, he had traversed nearly 100 feet of space and appeared beneath that enormous mushroom cloud.

"who?"

Beneath the mushroom cloud, Jack Graves, who was struggling to resist Oliver and Zach's attacks, immediately noticed Vaughn, the uninvited guest.

This seasoned Auror was extremely experienced in combat. The moment the surprised question left his mouth, he had already made a move—his wand flashed white light, and a fleeting Ironclad Charm deflected a flying Disarming Charm. After an instinctive adjustment of his posture, the deflected Disarming Charm shot directly towards Vaughn.

Then... he was casually flicked away by Vaughn!

He didn't even use his wand.

Jack Graves stared in astonishment at the red-haired boy who had suddenly appeared. He reached out and brushed aside the disarming spell he had just thrown back, as if brushing aside a fallen leaf.

Unlike the common Ironclad Charm, a milky white light appeared and disappeared around Vaughn as his robes billowed and his clothes fluttered, deflecting a disarming charm without even causing it to ripple.

He slightly raised his other hand, which was holding the wand, and without uttering a spell, the tip of the wand simply flicked, and a thick, astonishing beam of red light shot out!

"Fk!"

Upon seeing that familiar red light, Jack Graves instinctively cursed and held his wand to his chest, hastily casting an Iron Armor Charm as if facing a formidable enemy.

The next second, his head suddenly felt dizzy for a moment.

In the distance, Donald, mired in the quagmire and bound, witnessed firsthand how Jack, under Vaughn's disarming spell, was utterly powerless to resist.

The thick red light arrived in an instant, and his Iron Armor Curse shattered like broken glass in a flash. In the sudden burst of white light, Jack was sent flying backward.

While he was still in the air, his wand had already left his hand and "obediently" landed in Vaughn's hand.

What's even more astonishing is the subsequent change in Vaughn's disarming spell—as it knocked Jack away, it suddenly dispersed, splitting into dozens of tiny red lights that scatter and leap like snakes.

In an instant, a "net" composed of the red light of the Disarming Curse filled that space, slamming down on the Purifier array above.

This sudden change would leave even the most experienced Aurors flustered, let alone the Purifiers whose every move was rigid and inflexible.
Amidst the crackling sounds, the Purifier, struck by the red light, uncontrollably dropped his wand and was thrown off balance by the immense power of the spell.

The once-solid formation of the Purifiers suddenly opened up a large area as the net of red light swept across, causing the defense to collapse.

In the sky, wizards who were fighting the Purifiers flew back and forth, cheering as they rushed into the area where the defenses had crumbled.

The tide of battle immediately turned.

Below, after a max-level disarm spell destroyed the Purifier formation, Vaughn no longer paid attention to the results. Powerful magic surged around his body, like a wind with nowhere to rest, making his exquisite velvet robe flutter.

The red hair danced like flames.

Against the backdrop of the mushroom cloud-like halo overhead, it was bright and dazzling.

Looking at Jack Graves, who had fallen to the ground and lost his wand, Vaughn's gaze gradually shifted to his left palm.

There, the alchemical artifact, shaped like a remote control, was not shot down by the disarming spell.

"Special treatment was applied specifically to the disarming spell?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Vaughn's eyes. After thinking for a moment, he reached out to the alchemical artifact: "Fly here!"

The Spell of Summons can omit the name of the item to a certain extent, as long as the wizard casting the spell is powerful enough!

Powerful magic surged within Vaughn.

But the spell did not work.

Jack Graves, whose face was ashen from being defeated by Vaughn in one blow, finally managed a forced smile: "Hahaha, Vaughn Weasley, I've heard your name so many times these past few days that my ears are practically calloused. Genius, powerful, erudite... the rumors say you're omnipotent, but now it seems I should label you as arrogant!"

As he spoke, Jack Graves raised his hand, displaying the alchemical artifact.

His thumb was already on the button, and his smile grew increasingly wild: "Want this? Tsk tsk, the moment you knocked my wand away, you should have taken it instead of arrogantly thinking that a disarming charm could solve everything, or that a summoning charm would work on it... See? The activation button. Just a light press from me, and BOOM—"

Making an explosive gesture nervously, Jack's face gradually contorted into a ferocious expression as he roared:

"If you don't want a nuclear explosion, get out of here!"

Jack shouted loudly, venting his pent-up frustration; his feelings were complicated at that moment.

He felt a mixture of fear and a morbid, twisted pleasure. He stared intently at Vaughn, as if wanting to see how spectacular it would be to see the boy's calm face contorted with panic, fear, shame, and helplessness.

To his surprise, Vaughn Weasley simply tilted his head slightly and watched quietly.

It seemed to be waiting for him to press it.

Jack Graves was a little confused: "You...you think I wouldn't dare?"

As he spoke, his fingers twitched, and his expression grew increasingly ferocious. He, Jack Graves, was no ordinary man who only talked big.

If he were afraid of death, he wouldn't have plotted to betray the Graves family!
Looking at his expression, Vaughn shook his head slightly: "No, judging from your mental state, I believe you dare."

"...?"

But then Vaughn suddenly smiled and said, "But I'm sure you can't do it."

"you……"

Jack was increasingly stunned, but this shock quickly turned into anger. His expression changed rapidly, and he let out a few strange gasps.

Then, press down firmly with your fingers.

The next moment, his expression froze.

Because he discovered that his fingers were not moving. Not only his hands could no longer move, but also his eyes, mouth, and every muscle.

He stood frozen in place, like a machine that had lost its power.

Across from him, Vaughn Weasley's eyes gleamed with a deep blue light—

Capture the mind and seize thoughts!

when?
"When?" On the other side, Donald, who had been paying close attention to the battle, also stared in astonishment.

When Vaughn leisurely tried to steal the alchemical artifact using the Summoning Charm, he was quite annoyed, feeling that Vaughn was too arrogant and hadn't seized the right opportunity.

As a result, the other party had unknowingly used Legilimency to control Jack Graves.

This surprised Donald, and his heart sank.

He had just been thinking that even if Jack fell into Vaughn Weasley's hands, there was still a chance to get him back. As long as he could get away and return to his family today, he would have a chance to snatch Jack back later.

But now it seems my plans are going to fall through...

Donald was somewhat frustrated, both because his plans had fallen through and because he had personally witnessed what genius was all about today!

He used to think that so-called geniuses weren't much stronger than him, just like the difference in strength between him and his subordinates, the Aurors—there was a gap, but not a big one.

Until Vaughn Weasley appeared before him...

The legendary potion-making talent, the profound and powerful magic, and the exquisite, even unbelievable, magical power.

Now, the other party is displaying that silent, mysterious memory magic!

"...Is this what genius is?"

He suddenly understood why Percival Graves, who was supposed to be his great-great-grandfather by seniority, had become so despondent and died in despair after being replaced by Grindelwald.

It is not shameful for a wizard to be plotted against or controlled; no wizard would dare to claim that he can resist all the spells in the magical world.

The modern spell system has been developing for hundreds of years, with countless talented wizards investing in it. Throughout history, there have been wizards who have attempted to create a form of white magic that can protect against all spells.

But to this day, no spell has ever achieved a similar effect. Even being able to resist one percent of the damage would be remarkable, such as the Ironclad Spell!
If you also consider the potion system, it becomes even more difficult to defend against.

He used to think that his great-uncle lacked mental fortitude; he was just controlled by Grindelwald, had his identity replaced, and became a laughing stock for a time. What was there to be depressed about?

How many of those who mocked Percival Graves dare to say they wouldn't find themselves in the same predicament if they faced Grindelwald?

Only now did Donald vaguely understand that the reason Percival was so severely affected and died in despair was perhaps not because of the gossip outside.

Instead, he faced and clashed with a true genius, Gettler Grindelwald, and then his spirit was completely shattered...

At least, Donald now feels the jealousy and envy of those with extraordinary talent!
……

On the other hand, Vaughn completely disregarded the extent of his power that had dealt a severe blow to a seasoned Auror.

He simply maintained Legilimency with interest, controlling Jack Graves to hand him the alchemical artifact, while asking in a soft voice:
"What's its name?"

Don't answer!

Don't answer!

Jack's main consciousness screamed frantically.

But having little knowledge of memory magic, he was completely unaware that his inner world had changed, and that something unfamiliar had intruded.

His inner world still responded to him; under the influence of his anxiety and anger, this void space that did not exist in reality was filled with storms, lightning, and thunder.

But amidst that illusory wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, wisps of extremely fine white mist drifted through, and as they extended, their color and texture, like billowing white smoke, gradually "polluted" the thunder and rain.

Everything in this illusory world—clouds, lightning, rain, wind, mountains, and water—even fleeting thoughts like bubbles floating in the air, water, and rain.

Their original colors gradually faded, turning pale.

Go deeper!

The colorful scene seems to be transforming into an impressionistic landscape painting of the East, with bold and unconventional brushstrokes and a profound and harmonious interplay of colors.

Only in some images representing distracting thoughts and ideas can one see that the white that "pollutes" them is both fog and human-shaped outlines that are constantly breaking down and subdividing, and then constantly expanding back to form a complete whole.

Outside, the azure light in Vaughn's eyes slowly faded, and a pale mist rose like a thin film over his pupils.

Soon, a smile appeared on his lips, and a picture of a virtual world slowly unfolded in his eyes—the personality infiltration was complete, and Jack's inner world was now fully visible to him.

However, Vaughn was in no hurry. The invasion of the personification device was only the first step. A person's consciousness consists of both a conscious mind and a subconscious mind. The subconscious mind being breached does not mean that the subconscious mind has also been breached. According to the normal process, he still needs to continue to delve deeper until he enters the boundary between the target consciousness and the dream world.

According to the theory of the Golden Soul, dreams and thoughts are both part of the subconscious.

Vaughn continued to "sink" into the world of his mind.

If magic is a product of idealism, then the human mind is the idealism within idealism.

Even though all components of human consciousness originate from the mapping of reality—sensory information receiving external information becomes memory, memory generates thought, and thought forms consciousness—the inner world of each individual is different.

Not only are each individual different, but the scenes seen by observers who enter an individual's inner world are also different!
During his time away from England, Vaughn continued his research on memory magic while conducting experiments, and he no longer limited himself to perfecting his personality armor.

He also studied the Golden Soul theory in depth, which he had only a superficial understanding of before.

While the concept of the Golden Soul is a modern alchemical concept, its core theory is actually intended to interpret the wizard's understanding and perception of the world, the universe, all living things, and even the soul.

[The natural universe is one, and the physical body and soul are also one; this is a dualistic view.]

This is a summary of alchemy, or rather, the theory of the Golden Soul, that Vaughn deciphered from an introductory alchemy book a few months ago after he awakened his alchemical talent!

The Golden Soul Theory posits that the universe began as "One," a Great Reality in which there was no distinction between matter and soul (sex and spirit); everything was unified within this Great Reality.

Until one day, this creator spread out like sunlight.

His true form became matter, and His soul became ether. Therefore, the natural universe, the physical body and the soul were originally without distinction. They were all part of "one" and were perfect. It was only because of the disintegration of the great reality that dualism was caused, and thus all things became flawed!

The theory of the Golden Soul was established to fill this gap.

Therefore, the golden soul is not only used in alchemy, but also plays an important role in memory magic.

Even potion-making cannot escape the "poisoning" of the golden soul.

To some wizards who study theoretical principles, the very act of potion-making—mixing together a multitude of completely unrelated herbs to create potions—is itself strong evidence for the concept of "the unity of all things."

It is precisely because they share the same origin that they can be brewed into a magical potion with various clearly defined functions, rather than a strange liquid that poisons people.

If we continue down this line, the topic will stray a bit too far.

Vaughn pulled his wandering thoughts back, and as he "sinked," he looked at the "world" before him.

As Vaughn delves deeper, the inner world of Jack Graves that he sees is constantly changing.

As you pass through the chaotic storm and fragmented paintings representing distractions, your perspective suddenly opens up as if you've fallen out of the clouds, revealing a vast ocean "below."

The reason for using quotation marks is that, like ether, direction has no meaning in the world of the mind.

Vaughn looked down at the ocean that suddenly appeared before his eyes, watching the deep blue water calm and still, and then drifted out into the distance, where a huge island sat at the end of the arc-shaped horizon.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was already standing on the island.

"An island of humanity..."

Vaughn was still replaying the scene of seeing the giant island in his mind. He had never seen anything like it before when he entered other people's mental worlds.

Because at that time, he did not have the concept of "humanity as an island"!

Yes, the island he is standing on does not actually exist. The true mind is formless. Whether it is Jack Graves, the master of the mind world, or him, the observer, everything he sees when he enters the mind world is actually influenced by the observing subject.

Vaughn's previous understanding of the mind was that it was a mixture of memory and thought. So the mental world he entered at that time was actually the memory of the target, the target's thoughts and distractions!
This was his first attempt to use the Golden Soul Theory, an idealist philosophy that contradicted his materialist views, to observe an idealistic "world"!
It all started a little over a month ago when he and Dumbledore went to Morfin Gaunt to try and uncover Morfin Gaunt's memories, during which Dumbledore demonstrated the method of summoning souls.

But Vaughn couldn't understand it.

Dumbledore said that it was because his materialistic views "limited" his vision.

The constraints mentioned here are not meant in a negative sense.

Rather, it's more about different perspectives leading to different directions of thinking, as well as the academic aspects that influence these directions of thinking, and the level of development of related disciplines.

In short, Vaughn's ideas leaned more towards Muggle science, and Muggle science's study of the mind and soul was far inferior to that of wizards!

"The Golden Soul Theory divides the human mind into three parts. The first part is the main consciousness, the mental body that alchemists roam in the ether. Our memories and thought processes are all part of the main consciousness. If we consider a person's spirit as an island, then the main consciousness is the part that is above the sea."

Looking around at the huge island I was on, everything in my field of vision was hazy and dreamlike.

He stood on a blurry path, which stretched out from the haze ahead and disappeared into the haze behind.

There is no beginning and no end in sight.

Vaughn recalled what Dumbledore had said, as well as some insights he had gained from studying the theory of the Golden Soul over this period of time.

"The so-called three-dimensional structure of the mind in the Golden Soul Theory actually represents three different 'spaces'..."

“The memories, thoughts, and distractions that I was most familiar with in the past can be considered the first layer. Although it sometimes appears chaotic in certain goals, it is indeed realistic, material, and rational. It is the main consciousness and a manifestation of a person's wisdom.”

Vaughn looked up, trying to see the storm and countless distracting thoughts that had accompanied him.

But there was nothing in the sky, only a calm, azure sky as blue as the surrounding sea.

Vaughn knew that he had already left that rational world.

"The second part is the individual's subconscious, which represents dreams, emotions, and fantasies. It is emotional and lies buried beneath the surface..."

As he pondered this, Vaughn took a step forward—and something magical happened. As if responding to his thoughts, the island transported him from some unknown depth within the island to its edge in an instant.

Wow...

Wow...

The illusory, hazy path vanished, white waves crashed at his feet, and there lay black reefs and golden sand.

However, Vaughn did not show any surprise. He simply watched the ocean suddenly appear closer, watching the islands extend outwards with the rolling waves, gradually disappearing underwater.

Could the subconscious mind reside underwater?
Vaughn knew that wasn't it!
The Golden Soul Theory makes a clear division in this regard. If the first layer of the main consciousness space is reality, matter, and rationality.

Therefore, the second layer of the individual's subconscious, which is emotional, represents chaos, disorder, and contains countless possibilities.

Only ether can contain that infinite possibility.

Vaughn knew very well that he had not entered the ether, so the island he had come to was still not the place of the individual subconscious.

Rather, it is the deepest part of rationality, or the very edge.

The place closest to irrationality.

The Golden Soul Theory calls it the Dream Boundary!
As the name suggests, this is the place closest to dreams, the gap between rationality and irrationality, and the "deepest" place in the spiritual world that Vaughn has been able to set foot in recently since he began studying the Golden Soul.

The waves surged and crashed, brushing past Vaughn's feet and robe, wetting them.

He gazed at the deep ocean, then finally took a step back and returned to that illusory path—it is difficult to change a person's mindset, because of his past life experiences, he had already formed a mature materialist view of history, and to move forward rashly would be almost equivalent to violently changing his philosophical concepts.

That's tantamount to destruction!

Last time in Morfin Gaunt's spiritual world, Dumbledore was afraid to teach him how to communicate with the soul.

Without adequate preparation, even with Vaughn's boundless curiosity, he dared not take another step forward.

Moreover, his intrusion into Jack Graves's mental world this time was not to test his recent learning results.

Composing himself, he stopped thinking and walked forward along the illusory path beneath his feet.

Although the boundary of dreams is not yet a dream, it already possesses similar characteristics. Almost everything here is illogical, just like in a dream.

One second ago, Vaughn was in the middle of nowhere, but the next second, after he took a step, he was in a huge courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with hazy, indistinct figures. Their faces were obscured, but their height suggested they were young wizards, all dressed in robes combining blue and cranberry red.

"Is this Iphamoni?"

Vaughn recognized the robe; it was the uniform of Ilfamoni. This magic school, which Isolde Thale founded to make up for her failure to attend Hogwarts (due to her aunt Gaunt Gaunt), borrowed many designs from Hogwarts, but the details were still different.

For example, uniforms!
For example, students can freely choose their college.

"I want to go to the Longhorn Water Snake Academy."

Just as Vaughn was looking around, a childish voice rang in his ears.

Vaughn looked down and saw a dark-haired child standing beside him. He was the only person in the entire courtyard with a clear image. The child looked up at Vaughn and asked, "Will you support me?"

He is Jack Graves!
That youthful face already possessed a hint of maturity and grace.

When asked, Vaughn remained calm. Although dreams and their boundaries are illogical, they are like stories, where every character has a specific role.

Vaughn had no idea what role he was in Jack Graves's "dream" at that moment. He simply replied to the other man's question, "Of course, you can go wherever you want."

This statement did not offer any comfort.

Young Jack Graves lowered his head sadly: "But... the family doesn't agree."

"why?"

"Because the long-horned water serpent symbolizes wisdom, and the family values ​​martial prowess, all Graves should enter Thunderbird Academy..."

"Perhaps you can disregard your family's opinions and follow your own ideas. After all, Iphamoni wouldn't force a junior wizard to go to a particular academy."

Vaughn judged that Jack Graves was a man who dared to rebel—how could he have betrayed others if he didn't have the courage to rebel?

Sure enough, the boy's expression brightened upon hearing Vaughn's words.

The surrounding scenery changed accordingly because of his changing mood.

In the blink of an eye, Vaughn saw the courtyard disappear and he arrived at a manor. Just a second ago, Jack Graves was a very young and short man, but now he had grown into an adult.

In the sun-drenched manor, he drew his wand and confronted a group of illusory silhouettes.

"...I'm fed up with being manipulated by you all. I want to pursue the life I want!"

His response was a cacophony of accusations echoing around him:

"No one can defy the family's will!"

"Your destiny is Graves!"

"Those who disobey are all traitors!"

"traitor--"

Then, the massacre broke out abruptly and ended abruptly as the now-adult Jack Graves slaughtered everyone who stood in his way and criticized him in this illusory manor.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared!
Against a backdrop of dark, overcast skies and swirling silver snakes, Jack walked step by step to Vaughn's side, staring blankly at him:
"What did I...do?"

Vaughn remained unmoved, as if he hadn't seen the lightning flash behind Jack, the gruesome scene of blood and corpses scattered everywhere, and calmly said, "You did what you had to do, you are free!"

"free?"

"Yes, isn't this what you wanted? I've always supported you, supported your resistance, and supported you in fighting for your own liberation!"

"..." Jack stared blankly at Vaughn. "Yes, you've always supported me... but why?"

"Because we are best friends!"

Upon hearing this, Jack's eyes gradually brightened: "Yes...we are best friends...but why did you come into my dream?"

This abrupt question was chilling!

Thunder roared and lightning flashed, instantly illuminating the entire "world," while dark clouds gathered in the sky above the island!
Vaughn saw that as Jack asked that question, the corpses behind him opened their eyes and stared at him intently!

Vaughn remained calm, or rather, this was exactly what he had expected.

He had previously focused on the field of memory, which represents experience. On the surface, it seems to be an important factor in a person's sense of self.

In reality, memory is simply a record of information collected by the sensory organs, processed and stored by the brain.

(End of this chapter)