Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 67: Night Out with Lao Deng
It took Vaughn more than three hours to deal with all the gifts.

Collect the more meaningful ones, consider how to deal with the food as soon as possible, and reply to any signed letters.

Fortunately, there is no need to write too much. Most replies to customers or classmates can be automatically copied using a few similar templates with a spell-cast quill.

This greatly reduced his workload.

At noon, Vaughan, Ron, and Harry carried a large bag to the Owlery at Hogwarts and mailed the letters one by one.

It was already afternoon when I finished my work.

The only person in the deserted restaurant was Filch, who was hanging mistletoe on the wall.

The wreaths with rows of ginkgo nuts dotted with green branches and leaves look particularly fresh.

When the three of them entered, Hagrid came in carrying a Christmas tree.

He greeted happily, "Harry, Vaughn, Ron, Merry Christmas children, I love your presents."

Vaughan gave him a box of beard care ointment, and it seemed that he used it today. The messy beard in the past now hung softly on his chest, making Hagrid's rough face look a little handsome.

"You're happy too, Hagrid. Want to help?"

"No, no, go eat first!"

There was never a shortage of food in the Hogwarts dining hall, as long as there were plates.

Halfway through their meal, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick arrived to decorate the auditorium.

With the help of their magic, the hall was soon decorated into a colorful venue, and twelve Christmas trees that Hagrid had worked hard to carry were placed around the room.

Some of the emerald green treetops were lit with candles, some were hung with sparkling icicles, and some had lanterns hanging from them. A handful of fine snowflakes transformed into the shape of wind and mist, flying back and forth between the twelve trees. The tiny ice crystals reflected the candlelight, making it look as dreamy as an animation.

Ron and Harry watched in fascination.

After dinner, the two were still discussing on the way back.

"I've never seen such a grand Christmas party. I'm really looking forward to it!"

Ron asked curiously, "Harry, how do Muggles celebrate Christmas?"

"Of course..." Harry was about to answer when he was stunned. He just remembered that he had never attended a holiday dinner before.

His Christmas was just a cupboard and little candles.

Vaughn patted Ron on the head.

Ron said angrily, "Why did you hit me again?"

"Because you're stupid." Vaughn rolled his eyes at him.

Fortunately, Harry did not remain depressed for too long. When he followed Vaughan back to Slytherin, he remembered the invisibility cloak he had brought with him. He took it out and handed it to Vaughan, asking him to help take a look.

"I'm afraid it might be hiding some dark magic."

Harry said worriedly.

Vaughn looked at the silver-gray cloak in the box and gently lifted it up. It was so light and soft that the moment it left the box, it fell down like liquid, shining like flowing mercury.

"The Deathly Hallows..."

Whispering its real name softly in his heart, Vaughan looked curiously. He unfolded his cloak and put it on. Amidst the exclamations of Harry and Ron, his body immediately disappeared, leaving only his head visible.

After feeling it carefully, Vaughn frowned slightly.

He didn't notice anything special about the Invisibility Cloak, one of the Deathly Hallows.

After a moment, he shook his head and returned it to Harry: "Don't worry, there's no problem."

Harry, who had been frightened several times by Vaughn's use of the black robes, became very cautious. "Can you check it again?"

Vaughn pointed to the anonymous note in the box with amusement:
"That's Dumbledore's handwriting. I recognize it. You're not worried that he'll harm you, are you?"

Hearing this, Harry immediately felt relieved.

Ron quickly urged him to try it on, and the two guys soon had a lot of fun playing with the invisibility cloak. During this time, they saw Malfoy passing by the door and secretly followed him to pull his clothes and hair.

Malfoy was so scared that he ran away.

Vaughn, who was observing, sensing, and trying a few spells from the side, felt more and more that the Invisibility Cloak was not worthy of being on the same level as the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand.

Because it has absolutely no other functions except being invisible.

He could still smell lingonberry jam on Harry and Ron...

The only thing worth mentioning is that the invisibility cloak has achieved the ultimate in pure invisibility. Vaughn tried several revealing spells, but none of them worked on it.

But this does not mean that it is really related to the so-called "God".

Vaughan was not convinced that collecting the Deathly Hallows could conquer Death, and he also agreed with Dumbledore's future view - the Deathly Hallows were just alchemical items invented by the Peverell brothers.

It soon got dark, and Harry and Ron, who had not yet had enough fun, were forcibly taken back to the Great Hall by Vaughan.

As night fell, all the lanterns were lit and the auditorium was resplendent.

Lanterns fluttered in the air, and the ceiling was no longer the clear sky and moonlight of the past. It was replaced by magic with fireworks that kept blooming.

There are not many people staying in school, and it seems a bit deserted.

But when the fragrant and sumptuous food appeared on the long table, the atmosphere in the auditorium immediately became lively.

Most of the professors were seated and the dinner was about to begin when Snape hurried in.

The moment Vaughn saw him, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Severus, you're so... huh? Oh—" Professor McGonagall looked at Snape's hair in surprise: "You finally used shampoo?"

This was very obvious. The Potions Professor's hair, which was usually greasy and almost matted, now fell on his shoulders like black satin.

Snape kept a straight face and noticed that Vaughn was looking at him playfully, so he looked away.

Dumbledore arrived after him. Seeing Dumbledore's attire, Vaughn nearly spit out a mouthful of pumpkin juice, and Ron and Harry nearly choked on their potatoes.

The greatest wizard of this century wore a light pink nightgown over his robes. The curvy design, which was supposed to be ambiguous and seductive and highlight youth, made his figure look loose.

Professor McGonagall was so shocked that she spilled her wine: "Albus..."

"A little kid gave it to me. Isn't it beautiful?"

Dumbledore winked at Professor McGonagall.

Then, he pondered for a moment, reached out to take off Professor McGonagall's wide-brimmed hat decorated with flowers, and put it on his head. Then he smiled happily, clapped his hands and said, "Perfect!"

The students below were stunned.

Ron murmured, "It's over, the headmaster has gone completely crazy..."

Harry actually liked Dumbledore's crazy look. After a brief shock, he laughed happily. Seeing Vaughn speechless, he asked, "Vaughn, what's wrong with you?"

"nothing……"

Vaughn said coldly, "I'm just regretting why I gave him that nightgown!"

It can only be said that it was a misstep.

When a man over a hundred years old is faced with the choice between happiness and dignity, he will definitely be shameless...

Christmas is a day that should be joyful. Although everyone criticizes the principal's mental state, given that he has never been quite like a normal person, it seems understandable that the holidays are occasionally a little crazy.

The mood was cheerful again as Fred and George brought in a pile of Cribbage brand wizarding cheer-bag firecrackers.

The colorful firecrackers were similar to Muggle fireworks. When they were detonated, some strange little gifts would burst out from inside. Fred and George picked up one happily and detonated it towards the professor's seat.

There was a deafening bang and blue smoke exploded.

A few white mice and captain's hats exploded from the smoke.

No one blamed the twins for being naughty. Dumbledore picked up a captain's hat and put it on Professor McGonagall's head. Professor McGonagall took a sip of wine and her face turned slightly red.

Professor Flitwick happily turned the little white mice into puppets, which danced passionately around the professor's chair.

Hagrid stroked his smooth beard and chatted with Snape in a low voice. The Potions Professor, who was always sharp-tongued and indifferent, actually accepted the wine handed to him by Hagrid, although he still had a cold face and only said a word occasionally.

Vaughn also blew up a colorful firecracker, and the little white mouse that exploded made Guo Guocha extremely excited, running around at his feet.

Everyone was immersed in happiness, and Harry felt as if he had forgotten all his troubles, eating, drinking and laughing heartily.

The dinner lasted for more than an hour. It was getting late, so everyone left one after another and returned to their respective colleges.

Ron, with a stomach full of meat and juice, returned to the dormitory and started snoring as soon as he got into bed. The excited Harry couldn't fall asleep for a while.

This was the first time he had spent such a lively Christmas. It was no longer a small storage room. There were many people around him, many things happened, and he received many real gifts.

Thinking of the gift, Harry lay down for a while, feeling more and more energetic, and took out the invisibility cloak again.

The moonlight coming in from the window illuminated the falling notes.

The last line, which Vaughan said was Dumbledore's, read clearly:

Please use it well!

Please use it well...

Recalling the prank he had played on Malfoy that afternoon, Harry suddenly had an idea. He looked down at the cloak in his hand, which felt cool and smooth, and seemed lighter than light. An idea came to his mind:
From today on, I will be the king of night tours!

With this thing on, he no longer had to fear the patrolling professors, let alone Filch, nor did he have to worry about running into Mrs. Norris around a corner.

He could roam freely throughout Hogwarts! In an instant, his mind drifted to the mysterious forbidden library, the black-robed figure whose identity was still unknown, and the room on the fourth floor where the Philosopher's Stone might be hidden…

Harry's heart was beating like a drum.

……

After leaving the Great Hall and returning to the Slytherin Common Room, Vaughan suddenly realized that a translucent phoenix patronus had landed on his shoulder.

The Patronus opened its mouth and emitted Dumbledore's cheerful voice: "Vaughn, please come to my office. Password: Fudge."

After saying that, it disappeared.

Vaughn sighed and rubbed Guo Guocha's soft belly: "Well, you go back and rest first, I'll go see what that old guy wants to do."

"Meow~"

Guo Guocha turned over to expose her belly, hugged his hand with the pads of her folded paws, and called out coquettishly - Don't worry about the old man, grandpa, just keep playing!
Unfortunately, its owner was a heartless scumbag who took it back to the dormitory and left.

Arriving at the headmaster's office on the eighth floor, Vaughan discovered that Dumbledore was no longer as crazy as he had been in the auditorium. He was neatly dressed and was putting a wand with protruding knobs into his sleeve.

Vaughn glanced at him without further consideration: "Why did you call me over here? Are you going out?"

"Of course not, Vaughan." Dumbledore blinked. "I just want to talk to you about something, but staying in the office all the time is not good for the health of an elderly person. So, dear, can you accompany me to stroll around Hogwarts late at night? I heard that you are an expert at night walks."

Vaughan flatly denied the allegations: "Don't slander me. I am a good student who abides by the school rules."

Dumbledore laughed, took his hand, and whispered a few spells.

The air thickened for a moment, and an inexplicable force enveloped the two of them. Although the discomfort soon dissipated, Vaughn still noticed something strange.

The air and light around them were distorted, and a powerful magic concealed the two people's figures, completely isolating them from the outside world.

"This is an ancient magic. I heard from Filius that he gave you a book introducing ancient magic. How about it? Are you interested in learning it?"

Vaughn curiously sensed the magic cast by Dumbledore. Hearing this, he shrugged and said, "I don't know. I don't know much about ancient magic yet. I'll tell you after I get started!"

Then he asked maliciously, "Professor Flitwick gave me that book. Was it you who instructed me to do so?"

Then Dumbledore shamelessly admitted: "Yes, I said to Filius, Filius, how can I prevent a child who pursues magic from falling into the quagmire of the Dark Arts?"

"Filius replied to me, Albus, let him learn ancient magic. It is powerful and difficult to learn. I guarantee that it will consume his entire life!"

Dumbledore imitated Professor Flitwick's spy voice, and Vaughn rolled his eyes.

The old guy is testing him again!

At this time, the two had left the principal's office and walked down the deep and winding stairs. The power of magic made them disappear into the air, and even their sound and smell could not be heard.

Vaughn let Dumbledore lead him and retorted maliciously: "Albus, instead of being on guard all the time, I think you should think about it. Can you really prevent a wizard from ever coming into contact with the dark arts?"

"Impossible. Putting aside other things, as long as he waits patiently until graduation, gets good grades, and then passes the Auror exam, he will be able to learn the three Unforgivable Curses by then - Aurors don't have as many taboos as you."

This is obvious.

Aurors are a violent agency used by the Ministry of Magic to maintain its rule. Its enemy is dark wizards, not dark magic.

Just like during the last wizarding war, Barty Crouch, then Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, issued a law requiring Aurors to use any means, including the Unforgivable Curses, when facing Death Eaters.

Dumbledore was speechless for a moment, and Vaughn said nothing more.

After a long while, Dumbledore spoke again: "You should know the dangers of dark magic..."

Before he could finish, Vaughan interrupted, "Of course I know. That's why I never asked you or Professor Snape to teach me the Dark Arts, Albus. I'm more wary of it than you think. I won't touch it until I resolve the problem of its corruption of the human mind."

Dumbledore sometimes knew that his behavior was annoying.

But one Tom Riddle was enough to make him regret and worry.

Thinking back to Vaughan's analysis and decision on the effects of the wolfsbane potion that he had heard from Snape when he returned to Hogwarts in the afternoon, his mood became more complicated.

Now in his eyes, Vaughn was no longer associated with the image of Voldemort.

In the afternoon, he sat in his office, looking at the falling snow outside the window. His memories always automatically jumped to the man who had met him decades ago in Godric's Hollow, made a blood pact with him, and finally parted ways with him.

Vaughn… a lot like that guy!

Ambitious, smart, and resourceful, he pursues power and fame.

Thinking of Snape's retelling of the development process of the wolfsbane potion, Vaughan was rational and ruthless when facing Greyback's lackeys, and showed limited sympathy and gentleness when dealing with stray werewolves.

That behavior, which seems like a split personality, just illustrates the many sides of human nature.

There's no doubt that Vaughan Weasley was a complex man.

Snape told Dumbledore that Vaughan's behavior made sense and that the wolfsbane potion should not be left in the hands of the Ministry of Magic. Werewolves should be allowed to take the initiative and fight for their rights.

But Dumbledore could see that it was just Vaughan's sophistry - because there were indeed many practical difficulties in promoting the wolfsbane potion, which forced Vaughan to choose to make the formula public, but at the same time, he did not want any person or organization to dominate the formula, because that would weaken his halo as the "inventor of wolfsbane potion"!

His concern had never been about the plight of werewolves, or whether the Ministry of Magic would grow in power.

Vaughn's whole purpose is for himself!

Just like Getter Grindelwald...

However, there were some differences between the two. Dumbledore remembered that during this trip to the Balkan Peninsula, he should have left Romania long ago and rushed to Albania to continue searching for Quirrell's whereabouts.

But after hearing that the Weasleys were planning to come visit Charlie for Christmas, he stayed a little longer.

Arthur and Molly, as always, had no wariness of him at all, and when he turned the subject to Vaughan, the proud parents began to talk non-stop.

Dumbledore learned many details about Vaughn's life from them.

What he found interesting was that, as a pure-blood wizard who had never lived with Muggles, Vaughan did not discriminate against them.

In Romania, he had the opportunity to taste the food called "hot pot" made by Molly.

It is impossible for wizards who discriminate against Muggles to "restore" the dishes invented by Muggles, not to mention that hot pot originated in the Far East, thousands of miles away from England. As the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, Dumbledore has tasted food from all over the world.

Dumbledore turned his head to look at Vaughn who was walking beside him. The light on the stairs was dim and only a few braziers provided illumination. The flickering flames made his face flicker and obscure, just like Dumbledore's understanding of Vaughn. Since he met him, he had never seen through this child.

It has nothing to do with Occlumency, but rather the mature and complex humanity of this child.

"human nature……"

He murmured the word in his mind, and suddenly asked, "Vaughn, what do you think of human nature?"

Is this another test...

Vaughn curled his lips, but after a moment's thought, he replied, "I don't have any profound opinions. In my opinion, a person has both unimaginable good and unimaginable evil sides. To borrow a phrase I agree with, human nature is the sum of divine and animal nature!"

Dumbledore was somewhat moved. "Oh—that's a very clever summary. Where did you read that?"

"In a Muggle movie."

Of course, it was the previous life!

It seemed that Dumbledore liked this sentence very much. He muttered it several times and sighed: "Many times, I am amazed at the wisdom of Muggles."

Next, he did not test Vaughan again, nor did he talk about the topic of wolfsbane potion, but instead began to discuss Muggles with Vaughan.

As the wizard who is considered by the outside world to be the most pro-Muggle, Dumbledore actually did not know much about Muggles. In other words, his kindness towards Muggles was actually a kind of protective psychology towards the weak and the mentally retarded.

Vaughan noticed this during their conversation, but he did not think there was anything wrong with Dumbledore's attitude. In Vaughan's view, everyone's views on things were based on their own experiences.

Because of his past life, he was accustomed to looking at things from the Muggle perspective, but Dumbledore was different.

Many years ago, Dumbledore's sister Ariana accidentally revealed her magic in front of Muggles and was tortured and bullied by the terrified Muggles.

In order to avenge his daughter, their father cast a curse on the Muggles and eventually died in Azkaban. All this caused young Ariana to begin to hate herself. Her inner rejection and fear polluted her magic, causing it to fall into darkness and become an Obscurus.

So Dumbledore was once very hostile to Muggles. Even though the "power of love" awakened him later, because of these experiences, it was impossible for him to take the initiative to understand Muggles in depth.

The knot in the heart is difficult to untie.

Vaughn casually answered Dumbledore's various strange questions about Muggles. Originally, Vaughn was secretly wondering, was Dumbledore taking him out for a night outing just to chat?

It wasn't until the two of them arrived at the library on the second floor and saw a light floating in the air that they sneaked into the restricted books area.

Vaughn, who had just used the invisibility cloak that afternoon, of course knew who the invisible person holding the lamp was.

His face darkened. "It's fine if you're worried about Harry and secretly following him, but why do you have to drag me into this?"

Dumbledore was interested: "Don't you think it's funny?"

"No, I think it's a waste of time!"

As the two were talking, Harry opened some book in the restricted area, and magic spread a shrill, inhuman scream throughout the darkness.

Filch came running over happily, and Harry had to stumble and escape from the restricted area.

What left Vaughan speechless was that he saw Dumbledore smiling and using Transfiguration to trip Harry several times, "guiding" Harry to change his route and find a shortcut from the second floor to the fifth floor.

Then, Professor Snape, who was patrolling the castle, "happened" to arrive and "happened" to know the shortcut.

So, Harry, who was "accidentally" blocked by the professor and Filch in a corridor on the fifth floor, saw a door open beside him and hurriedly hid in it.

It was an abandoned, empty classroom with only a mirror in the center.

The Mirror of Erised!
Watching Harry "survive danger" and "escape disaster" along the way, and then he breathed a sigh of relief and began to explore the magic mirror, Vaughn said helplessly: "It's just that Harry is stupid. If it were someone else, with so many coincidences, they would have suspected it long ago."

Dumbledore smiled: "That's not necessarily true. For example, Ron..."

“…” Vaughn was speechless.

　The 30,000-word update is complete! After a long night, I'm close to sudden death. I'm going to bed soon. Thank you all for your subscription support! Thank you! Finally, I'm asking for a few monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)