Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 89 Fanatical Werewolves
"The Wizengamot has passed a resolution to agree to form a Werewolf Affairs Committee!"

In the spacious and crowded warehouse, on a makeshift podium made of several wooden boxes, little Bannell and James were reading newspapers.

All the old people, women, children, including the strong men who came to help, hundreds of people surrounded them with eager eyes, and the warehouse was packed.

James poked the photo in the newspaper with his wand, trying to get the werewolves to see it move.

But his poor spellcasting skills made it difficult for him to do such a thing.

In the end, Lupin couldn't bear it anymore and helped to cast a spell to reinfuse the developing potion on the newspaper with magic.

The wolves finally saw what was happening. In a solemn and majestic hall, which was prominently displayed on the front page, a witch with a serious face announced something under the flashing spotlights.

Then she stepped aside and welcomed a familiar figure to the podium.

The moment that person appeared, the continuous spotlights were like lightning.

There were whispers all around:

"It's Mr. Weasley."

“Looks really impressive!”

"Mr. Weasley seems to have grown taller..."

Standing in the crowd, listening to the friendly and proud discussions around him, Lupin had a complicated expression.

Two months passed, and he almost witnessed with his own eyes that Vaughn's reputation in the werewolf group changed from a faint favor to respect, and then to unparalleled trust and intimacy.

Even though Vaughn rarely came to visit the werewolves.

This was the outcome he had been worried about all along, but the longer he lived with this group of wandering werewolves over the past two months, the more he couldn't stop them.

They could only watch passively as these people's admiration for Vaughn grew day by day.

While he was daydreaming, little Banar had already started reading the newspaper report on the podium made of wooden boxes:
"...Just yesterday, February 1992, 2, when the full moon was high in the sky (the full moon in the middle of each month is recorded in the lunar calendar, not necessarily in the solar calendar), a time when we would normally worry about whether there would be another werewolf rebellion, a memorable resolution was made in the Wizengamot Grand Council Chamber at the Ministry of Magic."

"From the moment Amelia Burns announced that the Wizengamot vote was valid, the Werewolf Affairs Committee, an organization proposed by Mr. Vaughn Weasley to help stray werewolves and curb the spread of lycanthropy, has been approved by the Wizengamot and established in England!"

Cheers suddenly broke out from the audience, everyone smiled and excitedly hugged the people around them.

This also applies to Lupin.

After a brief period of cheering and celebration, everyone stopped and listened to Little Banar continue reading:

"...The establishment of the Werewolf Affairs Committee is likely to have a profound impact on the entire wizarding world. It is the first legal organization in the global wizarding world that is primarily composed of non-wizards..."

"...According to further information disclosed by the Wizengamot, the main purpose of the Werewolf Affairs Committee is to collect all stray werewolves residing in England, re-register them, and cooperate with the Ministries of Magic of various countries to jointly alleviate the international werewolf problem and fight against evil forces like Greyback..."

"In his final speech, Mr. Vaughan Weasley proposed his plan for the committee's organizational structure. It is understood that the Werewolf Affairs Committee will have one president, four vice-presidents, and 1 members."

"According to Mr. Vaughan Weasley's plan, 27 of the 14 committee seats will be mandatory and must be elected from werewolves—returning werewolf rights to werewolves, which is also the original intention of the committee's establishment!"

"Some pure-blood families in the wizarding world who wish to remain anonymous have expressed concern about this trend..."

The rest of the text contained the reactions of the wizarding community to the incident. There was no need to read it, as it did not prevent the werewolves from being immersed in joy and discussing the whole matter - the committee, legal institutions, the werewolf committee seats...

These things are enough to cheer everyone up.

Little Banar threw away the newspaper and shouted from the podium, "Everyone, please take action and tell our brothers and sisters working outside this good news. Tell them that we are celebrating here tonight. In addition, there are some things we need to discuss!"

The crowd was silent for a moment, and soon someone asked loudly, "Banner, what do you want to discuss?"

"Of course it's the committee's business," Little Bannell replied loudly. "You heard, Mr. Weasley secured 14 seats for us, which is more than half of the 27 committee members. This is the benefit Mr. Weasley has sought for us, so we must protect it."

In the crowd, Lupin's expression changed. He had guessed what little Banar was going to say.

But looking at the people around him, he moved his lips a few times, but ultimately did not say a word to stop it!
Little Banar looked at the people below the stage, who were looking at each other in bewilderment, and shouted, "Everyone, you also heard the last report about what the wizards think of us. We need to ensure that these 14 committee members can work together to fight against the wizards and protect the interests of all of us..."

No matter what kind of group, there is always a lack of smart people. Before little Bannell could finish his words, someone in the crowd shouted, "Then elect you, James Brown, and William White... You guys were the first to follow Mr. Weasley. I believe in you!"

Soon, someone else said, "After the committee elections are completed, we'll elect the president and vice-presidents, right? Why not let Mr. Weasley be the president? I only trust him and won't approve of anyone else!"

"That's right. When we were down and out, in despair, only the gentleman was willing to help us. We only trusted him."

Some people also worriedly said, "What if the gentleman doesn't want to? After all, he still has to go to school. I heard that he is a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"With the committee members we elected to help Mr. Weasley, it won't take up much of his time. Michael, you're an adult too. You should understand that no matter where you are, it's best for you to have some power. We are Mr. Weasley's power and his strongest backing!"

"Yes, yes, everyone should know that Mr. Weasley offended the Minister of Magic for us. We can't let him continue to be an ordinary student alone!"

"Yes, brothers and sisters, remember what the newspaper said? They think we werewolves are enough to become an armed force. If it's for Mr. Weasley, I don't mind becoming a weapon in his hands!"

The crowd started talking one after another and gradually became noisy.

Lupin felt extremely complicated as he watched the expressions of those around him become fanatical and unfamiliar in the blink of an eye. This was something he had always wanted to prevent, but it still happened in the end...

The werewolves' discussion is just a discussion for now.

The most important thing at the moment is to notify other people working outside as soon as possible so that everyone can share the joy together.

Everyone was suddenly busy, except for Remus Lupin, who felt completely out of place.

Of course, he also supports the Werewolf Affairs Committee. As a werewolf, he is destined to be unable to oppose a legal organization that protects his rights.

What made him unable to adapt was the enthusiasm of the people around him and their concern about the future of the committee.

At noon, they received news that more and more werewolves were coming after get off work, so Little Banar, William and James organized people to go and purchase.

Lupin took the opportunity to leave and found an empty alley. He took out a leather glove.

The moment the glove was taken out, it automatically flew into the air and swelled up, as if an invisible hand had put it on, gestured a few times in the air, and pointed in a direction.

Lupin followed the guidance of the gloves and walked through the crisscrossing alleys.

Until I turned who knows how many corners, I came to a secluded and dim dead end.

Crack!

The space twisted a few times with a slight sound of breaking, and Dumbledore, wearing a pink nightgown, appeared in front of Lupin, with Fawkes standing on his shoulder.

The old man's blue eyes were as bright as Lupin remembered, and his smile was as crescent-shaped as his crescent-shaped glasses:

"Remus, dear, did everything go well yesterday with the full moon?"

Lupin bowed slightly. "Hello, Headmaster. With the wolfsbane potion, at least it's much better than before."

"I heard Vaughn mention that the current wolfsbane potion has some side effects that he hadn't considered before?"

Lupin nodded. "Yes, it allows us to stay awake while having to endure the pain of transformation, just like when we first try the Animagus transformation..."

When he said this, his eyes were a little dazed.

Long-lost memories suddenly emerged from the bottom of my heart, as if I could see the days at Hogwarts again, when even the cold moon that frightened werewolves was as golden as the afterglow of the sunset.

A werewolf, a black dog, a stag, and a mouse.

Such a strange combination wandered and ran wildly in the forbidden forest, and the laughter of memory floated slowly in the mist between the trees.

Not only did he think of it, but Dumbledore, who was very impressed by the mischievous group "The Marauders" (a small gang of James, Lupin, etc.), also thought of it.

He sighed, "As I recall, James's Animagus is a stag, right? I heard that he learned Animagus specifically just to accompany you through the full moon transformation... He's a very good friend and leader, Remus."

When Lupin heard the familiar name, his heart suddenly ached.

Yes, James is the best friend and leader, and the most talented wizard Lupin has ever met. James not only learned Animagus himself, but also helped the other two learn it, which is something outsiders don’t know.

But, he is already dead...betrayed by another good friend!
Lupin took a deep breath and tried to change the subject: "Dumbledore, will you join the Werewolf Affairs Committee?"

"Why do you ask?"

Dumbledore asked with a smile.

As he spoke, he waved his hand and a powerful spell enveloped him and Lupin.

The two figures disappeared into the air, and then Dumbledore led Lupin out of the dead end and onto the Muggle street.

It was already evening, the busiest time of the day in Newham.

The old buildings on both sides of the road, which were built in the 19th century, gradually lit up their lights. The lights and neon lights reflected each other. Workers from nearby factories and docks bathed in the prosperity and fireworks created by the lights, enjoying the rare tranquility of the day.

Dumbledore observed the Muggles with great interest and patience.

Lupin pondered for a long time before replying, "I don't believe you can't see Vaughn Weasley's influence on the werewolves. If you don't know, then I can tell you that just today, the werewolves are clamoring to use more than half of the committee seats to elect Vaughn Weasley as the chairman of the committee..." He recounted what had happened that morning.

At this moment, a chubby child munching on ice cream passed by. The aroma of the dessert attracted Dumbledore, who couldn't help but look back frequently, so he said perfunctorily: "So?"

Lupin, filled with sorrow and anxiety, could not help but say angrily, "So? Isn't this enough to be alarming? Those werewolves even clamored that they were willing to be weapons of Vaughn Weasley... Are you going to watch the committee become Weasley's personal tool?"

"Then what do you want me to do?"

Dumbledore finally withdrew his gaze and stared at Lupin seriously. "Will you squeeze in and become a committee member? Or become his deputy when you're old enough? Or maybe win over the werewolves and compete with Vaughn for the presidency?"

"Remus, I can't do any of these things..." Dumbledore's blue eyes were filled with gentle wisdom. "You said it yourself. The werewolves don't trust anyone except Vaughn. Unless I go back on my word and push the Wizengamot to abolish the Werewolf Affairs Committee again... Is that what you want me to do?"

Lupin was speechless.

This was also the point that had been troubling him. He hesitated for a moment, "But if you join the committee, at least you can check and balance him..."

"No, I can't check and balance anyone. My presence will only exacerbate the conflict, kid!"

While the two were talking, they unknowingly walked out of the city and came to the warehouse area where the werewolves gathered.

This place, which used to be so quiet that it seemed a bit desolate, was unexpectedly lively today. The warehouse keeper was guarding the gate in a daze. He was under a confusion spell. During the duration of the spell, he would be a diligent keeper and would not notice anything unusual.

For example, in the middle of the warehouse area, there is a huge bonfire lit by the werewolves!
Hundreds of people were crowded in the open space, all busy, and occasionally children screaming and running past the legs of adults.

A noisy yet peaceful scene.

Looking at all that from afar, Lupin suddenly didn't know what to say. He just watched from afar in silence, just like Dumbledore.

Until he heard the surprised, cracked voice of little Baner from the crowd:

"Dear brothers and sisters, look, who's here to visit us!"

The crowd paused for a moment, and soon, excited cheers rose one after another. People put down their work and surrounded a young man who suddenly appeared, shouting and screaming at him with red faces.

Some even fell to the ground and kissed his robe, as little Banel had done.

"Vaughn…Weasley!"

Looking at the boy's fiery red hair from afar, Lupin murmured his name.

Dumbledore remained silent, quietly looking at the enthusiastic crowd, and watched Vaughan suddenly release the "Illuminating Charm" with his wand.

The moment the light burst into full bloom, the crowd seemed to be silent and quickly quieted down.

This can only be done if people admire someone from the bottom of their hearts.

He was able to obey orders without any training, just like the person in his memory...

Dumbledore shook himself out of his memories and sighed.

Everything happened just as Vaughn expected.

As the inventor of wolfsbane potion and the founder who pushed for the establishment of the Werewolf Affairs Committee, even though he rarely visits werewolves, he is still the most irreplaceable in the eyes of werewolves.

At least, that will be the case for a few years!

Although human hearts are fickle, werewolves who have experienced hardships in life are currently the group that is least likely to change.

These impoverished people are most eager for stability and to maintain their newly acquired rights. So, who will help them?

The answer is self-evident!

On the other hand, was it that Vaughn single-handedly promoted the establishment of the Werewolf Affairs Committee just to hand the werewolves over to others and make things easier for them?

Of course not!
So when James spoke through the fireplace and nervously invited him to the celebratory party that night, Vaughan agreed without hesitation.

Even though he didn't really like such noisy occasions.

Vaughn came into the crowd and felt the fiery, gushing emotions of the werewolves when they faced him, their simple gratitude and trust, but there was not a trace of fluctuation in his heart.

From the very beginning, his motives in helping the werewolves were not pure.

Now I naturally won’t pretend to be moved or empathize.

In his opinion, this was a win-win deal. He helped the werewolves solve the problem of transforming during the full moon, and the werewolves became his backers, making his influence in the wizarding world more prominent and his reputation spread wider.

Therefore, at the bonfire dinner that followed, Vaughn only ate a few bites before leaving, returning the pure happy time to the werewolves.

Only the earliest group of werewolves who followed him were called into the warehouse by him to ask their opinions on serving as committee members.

Little Banar was a die-hard among die-hards. When faced with Vaughn's question, he didn't hesitate at all, "Sir, I'll do whatever you ask me to do!"

He smiled shyly, then hesitantly pulled out a brand new fountain pen from his pocket and offered it to Vaughan with both hands: "This, I bought this with my first salary in my life...Sir, I, I want to give it to you!"

Vaughn, who was thinking about something, was a little stunned. He took the pen in a daze and was speechless for a moment.

Little Banar looked a little nervous and apprehensive: "Sir, do you like it?"

Vaughn came back to his senses, retracted his scattered thoughts, and nodded, "...Thank you, Banar, I like it very much."

Seeing little Banar showing a happy and innocent smile because of his recognition, Vaughn was a little dazed. He even wanted to use Legilimency to see if little Banar had been unknowingly tricked by a white-bearded old man.

But seeing the other person's pure smile, Vaughn finally restrained his thoughts.

He glanced at the corner of the warehouse.

There was nothing there, but in his eyes, which were silently casting the Revealing Spell, there was actually a magical power lurking there.

It was both huge and extremely obscure. If Vaughn didn't have absolute faith in his own spell, he might even have thought it was an illusion.

In the corner, Lupin, who had just walked here with Dumbledore invisibly, was frightened by Vaughn's eyes.

"he……"

Dumbledore said calmly, "Yes, Remus, he discovered us. He noticed us the moment he Apparated."

Lupin was speechless and a little surprised: "Is his magic so strong?"

The invisibility magic surrounding the two was cast by Dumbledore himself.

In his mind, no one should be able to see through Dumbledore's magic.

Hearing the surprise in his tone, Dumbledore shook the little white rabbit nightcap and tossed the drooping rabbit ears behind his head: "Vaughn is indeed very strong. He is changing every day, especially in terms of spells..."

Dumbledore wiped his eyes, cast a spell silently, and looked at Vaughn who was surrounded by werewolves. In his eyes, the child radiated the light of the sun.

The magic power that has officially entered the growth and development period is like boiling magma, driving Vaughn's vitality to flourish.

Dumbledore, who had also experienced this stage, knew that in the next few years, Vaughn would enter a period of rapid growth in strength.

He paused and continued, "...Remus, I'm glad that you can keenly perceive his ambitions, but I hope you won't have any thoughts of despising or being hostile to him, and don't try to use me to contain him."

"If I had killed someone simply because he was ambitious, then I would not have taken you to Hogwarts, and Voldemort would not have appeared."

"Son, as a professor, I always think about how to guide my students, not nipping threats in the bud... That's not what a professor should do."

As he spoke, he looked at Vaughn, who calmly put the pen into his pocket, and the werewolf named Little Banar, and smiled. "You see, love is everywhere. What a person ultimately becomes depends on the environment they live in. The environment he's growing up in now is good in my opinion. There's no need to change anything."

"Remus, once you join the Werewolf Committee, just focus on fighting for werewolves. Don't try to control things you can't control. That will only make everything worse. Sometimes, keen observation and guiding the situation are the best options."

After giving the last order, Dumbledore winked at Lupin playfully: "Now, go to your meeting. After all, you were one of the first to follow Vaughan."

After saying that, he disappeared with a crackling sound.

As he left, the invisibility spell suddenly collapsed, and Lupin was exposed to the air.

Just when he was at a loss, Vaughn waved to him from the other side: "Remus, where have you been? Come here quickly, I want to hear your opinion."

"Uh... okay..."

Seeing that Vaughan showed no sign of strangeness and even covered for him, Lupin finally realized that the other party and Dumbledore had already had a tacit understanding.

He walked into the crowd in a daze.

Vaughan withdrew his gaze and continued to listen to what little Bannell, William and others had said, while his thoughts had already shifted to the whisper that Dumbledore had just conveyed to his ears before he left.

"The plan is about to begin. Return to Hogwarts soon, Vaughn!"

Yes, with the Werewolf Affairs Committee gaining legal authority, he should indeed go back to school...

(End of this chapter)