Chapter 143: The Ring And The Showdown
It’s a pity that due to a heavy workload, there hasn’t been much time to focus on it.
He originally planned to wait until after his academic visit to North America in August, rescue Isabella, and then take time to specifically research spells.
Now that he has the “Slytherin Gift Package,” it can save a lot of time.
For the next few hours, Vaughn concentrated all his energy on those minor spells, gradually mastering them by repeatedly watching Morfin Gaunt’s learning process—
In Memory Magic, there are spells that directly absorb others’ memories and plunder others’ knowledge, but in reality, very few wizards who study Memory Magic do so.
A person’s memory contains emotions, and emotions have power!
It is both one of the raw materials for casting spells and a component of consciousness. Absorbing too many of others’ emotions is like pulling others’ consciousness into one’s own mind.
In the end, it will only lead to a state of usurpation and personality split!
The night in the North Sea gradually fell, and oil lamps were lit in the common room. After an unknown amount of time, Vaughn, immersed in observation, heard Dumbledore’s breathing suddenly become erratic.
He knew Old Dumbledore was back!
Looking up, Dumbledore happened to open his eyes, which still held faint traces of black and gray wisps. He looked somewhat lost, as if still adrift in Morfin Gaunt’s vast memories.
After a while, he regained his senses, looked at the Pensieve beside Vaughn, and smiled knowingly, “Hey, dear, are you satisfied with the magic I gave you? How was your learning?”
“It was okay.”
Vaughn’s expression was indifferent.
But Dumbledore, who knew him well, understood that he was very satisfied; otherwise, he wouldn’t have summoned Fawkes and brought his Pensieve.
The magic Dumbledore gave Vaughn was carefully selected.
Since last year, Vaughn had been wanting to learn Dark Arts, and Dumbledore understood that he couldn’t stop Vaughn from learning forever.
So when Vaughn made his request today, he readily agreed.
However, he also worried that the other party might get lost in the darkness if he rashly encountered things that were too profound, so he made a careful selection.
Parseltongue, of course, is the most famous mark of Slytherin and the Gaunt family. All wizards who know of these two are compelled to learn it if they have the chance—including Dumbledore himself!
When he was young, he paid a great price to learn Serpentese from a member of the Gaunt family, purely out of curiosity.
Necromancy was specifically chosen based on Vaughn’s personality.
Perhaps Vaughn himself didn’t realize it, but he was quite a fastidious person; he disliked Floo Powder because it created a lot of soot.
Although he lived alone in a dormitory, he always kept his room clean and tidy, standing in stark contrast to other messy young wizards, like Ron and Harry.
Ron & Harry: ?
All of this was noted by the cunning Headmaster.
Necromancy was indeed powerful and insidious, not only capable of creating armies of Inferi and Boggarts, but also containing two powerful curses.
However, Dumbledore believed that Vaughn would absolutely not use them frequently, because that series of magic was very “dirty” to use, involving corpses and decay…
“Soul Steal” was a choice Dumbledore made without ulterior motives; he simply wanted to prevent Vaughn from going astray, not to turn a genius into a failure.
Regardless, the Soul Domain is something a wizard must eventually encounter, sooner or later.
Through the demonstration in Morfin Gaunt’s Mind World, Dumbledore believed that Vaughn could control his curiosity about souls and forge his own path.
As for the final Slytherin Blood Transfusion Gift Package…
That was his ultimate means of “tempting” Vaughn!
Dumbledore smiled and said, “Stop pretending, dear. When I saw the Slytherin Blood Transfusion spell in Morfin’s memory, I knew it was most suitable for you. Haven’t you always wanted to research dragons? There are so many spells for researching magical creatures in there!”
Vaughn didn’t appreciate it at all, rolling his eyes, “Yes, it’s very rich, but esteemed Headmaster, what about the dragon you promised me?”
“Uh, that will take some time.”
“How much time? Thanks to you, I’m almost done with the preliminary preparations for dragon research. I want to start officially in August. Can you give me an accurate timeframe?”
Vaughn’s question made Dumbledore’s beard tremble, and he suddenly regretted his choice. After stammering for a moment, he had to change the subject:
“Alright, we’ll talk about the dragon later. Let’s look at the memories I found together, the truth about Tom’s patricide.”
Saying this, he drew his wand, extracted a wisp of silver from his temple, approached the Pensieve, and dropped the silver wisp into it.
Their minds extended into the Pensieve.
Countless black and silver mists, like ink, sank down, constructing the village of Little Hangleton from decades ago.
The moonlit, winding path, the crooked old Gaunt house, the young Voldemort carrying an oil lamp.
But unlike Morfin’s altered memory, in the newly found memory, the young, handsome Tom Riddle already showed glimpses of his cruel, venomous, and ruthless nature.
Tom did not knock Morfin Gaunt unconscious but controlled him with the Imperius Curse.
He pressed for answers about his origins, and Morfin, controlled by the Imperius Curse, truthfully revealed Tom Riddle’s background—a mistake born of false love, abandoned by his father, and unrecognized by his other bloodline, a half-blood!
Tom broke down. He snatched Morfin’s wand, his handsome face contorting with rage in the dim candlelight.
The next thing that followed was a massacre!
Looking at the blood-soaked Riddle Manor ahead, at Tom unleashing spells wildly, and at Morfin, standing outside the Riddle estate in a daze, his mind confused by Tom’s magic into believing he was the one committing the murders.
Vaughn’s expression was placid.
Dumbledore, however, couldn’t hide his sigh, “Tom was too self-conscious. This inferiority complex turned into a kind of obsessive pride within him. In the Muggle orphanage, he was proud of his unique abilities.”
“When he came to the wizarding world, he was proud of his talent. He thought he came from a great family, but he never imagined his birth was so ignoble.”
Then, Voldemort was brought down by his own pride.
Vaughn didn’t want to delve into how a Dark Lord was born.
In his view, everyone is responsible for their actions, and the root cause of those actions is irrelevant.
Perhaps for Dumbledore, it was a great regret that he didn’t discover Tom Riddle’s extremism and wickedness in time and correct it.
But that had nothing to do with him, Vaughn Weasley.
He calmly watched Voldemort’s frenzied slaughter in Morfin’s true memory, watching him kill his entire father’s and grandfather’s families, and then frame Morfin.
It wasn’t until after Voldemort framed him and snatched the Gaunt Ring from Morfin’s hand that the memory scene, restored by the Pensieve, froze as Vaughn willed it.
It was a ring that looked very ancient, its band made of an unknown, dull material, inconspicuous.
Only the stone embedded on the face of the ring looked peculiar, resembling metal yet possessing the texture of wood.
Looking at the stone, Vaughn glanced at Dumbledore beside him and saw that Old Dumbledore’s eyes were also fixed on it.
After thinking for a moment, Vaughn felt it was better to be direct, so he said, “Albus, you must know what the face of the Gaunt Ring is, right?”
“…” Dumbledore snapped back to attention, forcing a smile, unable to speak.
“The Resurrection Stone!” Vaughn answered his own question.
Old Dumbledore finally responded, stiffly tugging at the corner of his mouth, “What are you talking about, dear? I…”
“No need to hide it. I know more than you think. Perhaps to many wizards, 《The Tales of Beedle the Bard》 ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ is just a fairy tale, but you and I both know that in a sense, it actually records a piece of true history.”
“Of course, Death does not exist, but the Peverell brothers were real. They were powerful alchemists who forged the Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Resurrection Stone. 《The Tales of Beedle the Bard》 meticulously records their respective functions and reveals the fates of the three brothers!”
Looking at the frozen memory scene of the Gaunt Ring being snatched from Morfin by Voldemort, its face reflecting a faint firelight, Vaughn said gravely:
“You’ve also read 《The Tales of Beedle the Bard》, and you should know that the souls recalled by the Resurrection Stone are problematic.”
Dumbledore’s lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to retort.
But in the end, he said nothing.
He just listened blankly as Vaughn continued, “Judging from Morfin’s memory, after the Riddle family was wiped out, Voldemort possessed the Gaunt Ring for a long time. Do you think he ever researched the Resurrection Stone?”
Dumbledore understood what Vaughn was implying.
He desperately wanted to argue that Tom, who was still attending Hogwarts at the time, might not have understood what the Deathly Hallows were.
But he also knew that such an argument was self-deception.
True treasures cannot be hidden from intelligent people. The 12-year-old Vaughn was certain of the existence of the Deathly Hallows, and he and Gellert Grindelwald had pursued the Elder Wand in their youth.
Tom Riddle, also an intelligent person, no matter how ignorant, would have sensed that the Resurrection Stone was an unparalleled treasure when he actually came into contact with it.
“However, Voldemort controlled his greed!”
Vaughn mercilessly exposed Dumbledore’s scar, “He knew that the resurrected souls from the Resurrection Stone were merely phantoms that drove people insane, so he unhesitatingly turned it into a Horcrux… Even Voldemort understood this principle, why don’t you?”
“Ariana has been dead for a long time, Albus. No one can bring her back to this world. Not even you, a Legendary Wizard, can, and certainly not the Resurrection Stone!”
“I…”
A hoarse voice choked in his throat. Even though he had guessed that Vaughn knew the truth, hearing him say it still made Dumbledore unable to control his emotions.
“I just… wanted to know if she was doing well on the other side…”
…
Yes, Dumbledore’s search for the Gaunt Ring’s whereabouts was not solely for the Horcrux.
He also had his own selfish desires.
He had known about the existence of the Deathly Hallows for a long time, dating back to when his mother died during Ariana’s uncontrolled Obscurus outburst.
He and Gellert Grindelwald had been searching for the Deathly Hallows. Grindelwald eventually found the Elder Wand, while Dumbledore’s goal had always been the Resurrection Stone.
But the Peverell brothers were too distant in time.
It was even before Hogwarts was established.
Dumbledore spent a long time tracing that the owner of the Resurrection Stone, Cadmus Peverell, the second of the three brothers, had descendants.
His last descendant was a woman who married a descendant of Slytherin, and they gave rise to the Gaunt family.
Unfortunately, he discovered this too late.
By the time he learned this story and began investigating the Gaunt family, Morfin Gaunt had already been imprisoned in Azkaban for murder, and Voldemort had risen in the wizarding world, leaving the whereabouts of the Resurrection Stone a sealed mystery in his heart.
It wasn’t until Vaughn brought up the Gaunt Ring again that his old obsession was reawakened.
The deaths of his father and mother, and Ariana’s death, were his deepest pains. Therefore, even knowing the significant problems with the Resurrection Stone,
when he learned of the Gaunt Ring again, and when he saw the Resurrection Stone on the ring in Morfin Gaunt’s memory, his heart couldn’t help but feel a foolish greed!
“I’m sorry, child…”
After a long pause, Dumbledore finally sighed, retracting his gaze from the Resurrection Stone.
Vaughn couldn’t see his expression, only heard his voice tremble slightly, “I’m sorry for letting you see me in such an undignified state. I should set an example, but…”
“I understand you.”
To Dumbledore’s surprise, Vaughn, who had appeared rather cold moments before, did not scold him further.
Although his tone was still stiff, Vaughn did express understanding for his actions, “If one day, Father and Mother… I think if I couldn’t find any other way, I would do the same as you and place my hope on this thing.”
Dumbledore turned back, looking at the young man he had always worried might go astray, and saw the light flickering in his clear eyes as he spoke.
Although there were no intense emotional fluctuations or signs of tears, there was a sincerity in them.
It made him know that Vaughn was telling the truth.
Moreover, Vaughn’s purpose in revealing this was not solely for this: “So, I actually believe you will eventually come to your senses. I was just worried that you might not be able to control yourself the moment you saw the Resurrection Stone…”
“Voldemort is a master manipulator. He made the Gaunt Ring into a Horcrux precisely because he hoped that whoever found the Horcrux would be afraid to try and destroy it due to its inherent value. So, what kind of trap would he set with the Resurrection Stone?”
“For example, what would happen if someone who recognized the Resurrection Stone couldn’t control their greed and impatiently put the ring on?”
What else could happen if one rashly wore a Dark Magic artifact crafted by a master of Dark Arts?
Dumbledore suddenly understood, his aged face twitching, and a flicker of fear crossed his gaze as he looked at the Gaunt Ring again.
In the depths of the night in the North Sea, the temperature was as low as early spring on land.
The sky, which had been overcast all day, finally began to rain.
Vaughn did not stay in Azkaban any longer. After fulfilling his transaction with Dumbledore and receiving some Dark Arts as extra payment, this trip was not in vain.
As for the warning he gave Dumbledore, whether Old Dumbledore would heed it… that was up to fate!
Dumbledore’s primary reason for arranging his own death was his uncontrollable longing for his mother and Ariana, and his uncontrollable greed for the Resurrection Stone, which led him to fall victim to the curse Voldemort had placed on the Gaunt Ring.
It was precisely because of the curse’s existence that he went all out, using his own death to set a trap and successfully trick Voldemort in the final battle.
Deep down, Vaughn did not want Dumbledore to die.
In fact, if Voldemort hadn’t been mentally unstable and had fundamentally different values, he wouldn’t even want to kill Voldemort.
This was because the wizarding world was truly depleted of talent.
Of England’s tens of millions of Muggle inhabitants, there were only tens of thousands of wizards, and among these tens of thousands, only two Legendary Wizards, Dumbledore and Voldemort, had emerged.
This was even an unexpected result of “destiny’s favor.”
For Vaughn, who was determined to destroy 《the Statute of Secrecy》, promote magic, and hope to push magic to its extreme through collective wisdom, the scarcity of top-tier power was hardly good news.
Regardless, compared to Muggles, wizards were his natural support base.
Even if he succeeded in destroying 《the Statute of Secrecy》 in the future, Vaughn wouldn’t want a society where wizards were treated like precious animals, or where wizards were locked in laboratories and pinned to experiment benches by Muggles, nor a society where Muggles tried to unravel mysteries with science.
Instead, he desired a “global magical society” where wizards were the dominant force.
The Muggle government would likely be unwilling to comply with this “ideal,” and many Muggles would likely not easily accept it.
So, what was the most effective way to persuade dissenters?
Without a doubt—war!
Standing on the cliff edge where Azkaban Castle stood, feeling the strong wind blowing from the sea, his eyes, enhanced by the Super-Sensory Spell, watched the waves rolling like shimmering silk in the dark. Vaughn glanced back at the common room on the top floor of the fortress.
The faint candlelight emanating from the window, in his enhanced vision, formed a bright halo amidst the hazy gloom.
Dumbledore was still studying Morfin Gaunt’s memories.
The two had actually found where the Gaunt Ring was hidden in Morfin’s memories. The arrogant Voldemort had set few obstacles and hadn’t even erased that memory.
It was clear that he had done it intentionally.
Vaughn didn’t know if Dumbledore, having been warned by him, would fall into Voldemort’s trap again, but he had done his best.
Yes, even though he hoped that one day, when he destroyed 《the Statute of Secrecy》 and the wizarding world was exposed to Muggles, there would be more top-tier forces to help him.
This did not mean he would forcefully interfere with Dumbledore’s choices.
On one hand, no Legendary Wizard could be content being someone else’s puppet; too much interference would only exacerbate their conflicts.
On the other hand… to put it bluntly, good advice is hard to give to a stubborn person. Whether one can overcome their inner demons primarily depends on Dumbledore’s personal will, and Vaughn couldn’t constantly monitor him.
He had enough of his own affairs to attend to!
…
It was now the end of July, and the first WAC plenary meeting was fast approaching.
However, Vaughn’s return from Azkaban this time was not because of WAC, but for another matter.
In the early morning, returning to England via the temporary Floo network access granted by the Ministry of Magic, Vaughn opened his eyes to find himself in Hogsmeade.
At this time, the Scottish Highlands were in a rain-soaked summer. The mountains around Hogwarts Castle, which were perpetually snow-capped, were hidden behind damp clouds and mist.
The public fireplace in Hogsmeade was located at the end of the village road, between the post office and “Dervish and Banges.”
When Vaughn emerged from the fireplace, Lupin, dressed in Muggle work clothes, was already there, leaning against the “Dervish and Banges” sign, tapping lightly on the shop window with his fingers, teasing a whirring Speculos.
“If you like it, why not buy it? If you keep teasing it like this, Dervish and Banges will probably eat you alive!”
Vaughn’s voice startled Lupin.
He quickly withdrew his hand, pretending to be nonchalant, and turned around, his peripheral vision catching sight of the two shop owners inside, glaring at him with wide eyes, indeed looking ready to devour him.
Lupin coughed twice, “When did you get here?”
Vaughn replied with a smile, “Just arrived… Aren’t you going to buy it? I should remind you that Harry’s birthday is in two days, and I think giving him a Speculos as a birthday gift would be quite useful.”
Speculoses were quite interesting alchemical devices.
Although their name was similar to a certain Muggle tool, they were actually completely different. It was essentially an alchemical spinning top whose main function was to detect hostile individuals and fluctuations of Dark Magic within a mile radius, alerting the owner by spinning, emitting sound, and flashing light.
“Dervish and Banges,” a shop named after its two owners, both alchemists, mainly dealt in such trinkets.
Hearing Vaughn’s words, Lupin, who had intended to change the subject, frowned.
He keenly sensed something was amiss, “What do you mean? You want me to give Harry a Speculos… Is Harry in danger?”
Vaughn smiled without answering.
Lupin felt a headache coming on. He hated riddlers more than anything in his life, but sadly, such people always seemed to appear around him!
“Dumbledore, and you… why can’t you just say what you have to say directly?”
Vaughn calmly responded to his dissatisfaction, “And what about you? What are you avoiding? Since we met, you’ve never brought up Harry proactively in front of me, seeming to always dodge him. Your behavior doesn’t seem like that of a good friend to James and Lily.”
“…”
Lupin was speechless.
He knew, of course, that he was avoiding Harry, unsure how to face the child.
For 11 years, as the sole survivor of the Marauders, Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot, Lupin had been tormented by memories.
And now, as if his torment wasn’t enough, Vaughn, while he remained silent, continued with a smile, “I just returned from Azkaban. Guess who I saw?”
*Creak!*
Lupin stopped walking, his fists clenching involuntarily, his face ashen, his eyes bloodshot, “…You saw him?”
Vaughn’s smile grew more mischievous, but he didn’t answer, instead changing the subject:
“Why did you contact me today? I thought the people I assigned were William and James.”
Lupin’s mind was in turmoil.
As the name “Azkaban” was mentioned, a long-forgotten figure was activated from his dim memories, and all sorts of indescribable emotions surged within him, disrupting his thoughts.
However, he maintained his composure to answer Vaughn’s question, “James Potter and William Weasley were injured by other wizards last night when they contacted a wizard. One is just a wild wizard who never went to school, and the other is a Muggle. You shouldn’t have them dealing with those underground forces; it’s too dangerous.”
“Oh, are they seriously injured?”
“Just a minor curse, a few doses of potion will fix it.”
“So, you already know what task I assigned them?”
“…Yes, you want to capture werewolves and vampires for experiments,” Lupin said, his weathered face furrowed.
He hesitated, then said, “Vaughn, I understand your requests are all for the development of the second version of Wolfsbane Potion, but…”
Before he could finish, Vaughn interrupted him, “See, this is why I assigned the task to William and James instead of you. You’re a good person, Remus, but you’re too rigid and straightforward. I don’t like people who always go against me.”
Lupin fell silent.
At this moment, he suddenly understood why Vaughn had brought up Harry’s birthday, the Speculos, and Azkaban as soon as they met.
Vaughn knew that Sirius, imprisoned in Azkaban, was a sore point for him, and he also knew that he couldn’t ignore any news about Sirius.
Especially when that news might be related to Harry.
Thinking this, he sighed helplessly, “I’m starting to think you and Dumbledore are too similar, equally intelligent and perceptive, equally… ruthless!”
Vaughn remained noncommittal, “According to Dumbledore, these are just the minor cunning of intelligent people. Alright, Remus, take me to the wizard William and James found. You know, you can’t sway my decision, especially since I have intelligence on Sirius and Harry!”
Lupin felt powerless.
In fact, when the injured James had to ask him for help last night, and he also learned that Vaughn was preparing to organize a team to capture werewolves and vampires,
he had intended to persuade Vaughn to abandon such an inhumane plan.
Unfortunately, before he could even speak today, Vaughn had disrupted his train of thought with a casual piece of intelligence.
After a moment of silence, Lupin finally sighed, “He’s at the Hog’s Head Inn. He’s an old acquaintance of mine…” He deliberately emphasized the word “old acquaintance.”
Upon hearing this, Vaughn raised an eyebrow slightly.
Someone connected to underground forces, appearing in Hogsmeade, and being an “old acquaintance” of the single-minded Lupin.
Based on Vaughn’s understanding, one name popped into his mind—
“Mundungus?”
“How did you know?” Lupin was stunned.
Vaughn continued to smile without answering, turning and walking towards the Hog’s Head Inn.
Having dealt with Dumbledore and Vaughn consecutively, Lupin, who was nearly suffering from Riddle-like PTSD, felt his scalp tingle and quickly followed,
“Hey, I’ve already told you where Mundungus is, and I promise, as long as it’s not a matter of principle, I won’t go against you again. Now, can you tell me what contact you had with him… with that guy at Azkaban? Did he tell you about Mundungus? What else did he say? Is it related to Harry?”
Vaughn looked at him with surprise, “Why should I tell you?”
“You… you’re cheating!”
“Cheating? Did I say we were going to exchange information?”
“…”
Lupin was so angry he felt like his lungs would explode, but what was more frustrating was that he couldn’t express his anger, only his face flushed red, the scars left by Greyback twisting horribly.
Seeing him so frustrated that his face turned red, Vaughn felt his depressed mood slightly ease.
In fact, upon learning that William and James were injured, Vaughn’s mood had been very unpleasant.
Not only because his subordinates were injured, but also because their experience reminded him once again that he was always lacking confidantes and personnel.
“I need to find a way to solve this problem…”
Thinking this, from afar, in the morning mist-covered view, Vaughn could already see the crooked and dirty sign of the Hog’s Head Inn.
This pub, hidden in an alley, didn’t look particularly remarkable. It lacked the dazzling and ostentatious light show of Zonkko’s Joke Shop nearby, nor the cleanliness of its competitor, the Three Broomsticks, also in Hogsmeade.
It was simply a short, pointed-roofed house.
The dirty pig’s head sign swayed in the wind, exuding an aura of dilapidated poverty.
Yet, this very pub was Hogsmeade’s semi-open “black market” and intelligence trading center, where many suspicious individuals frequented.
For example, last year, Hagrid was here when Quirrell, disguised as an Italian, traded a dragon egg for the weakness of the three-headed dog Fluffy.
Although Quirrell never used that information until his death.
Bringing Lupin along, Vaughn entered the dirty pub. Perhaps due to the ingrained notion of the underground forces needing to operate in secrecy, although it wasn’t yet dawn, the pub was already filled with many furtive wizards.
Hearing the door open, those wizards turned to look.
Vaughn’s developing physique and handsome, unhidden face caused the entire pub to fall silent for a moment. Only the burly, bearded, and scowling owner behind the bar approached.
His heavy footsteps echoed on the floor as his thick arm reached for Vaughn’s cloak, “Kid, this isn’t a place for you!”
Vaughn watched with amusement the disheveled owner of the Hog’s Head Inn, who needed no disguise to play the villain, a smile tugging at his lips.
He didn’t dodge the large hand reaching for him.
Because Lupin had already stepped forward, whispering, “Aberforth, he’s with me…”
“Damn it, you know the rules…”
“Yes, I know, I’m just bringing him to meet someone, and we’ll leave soon…”
After a brief whispered conversation, the owner, breathing heavily, went upstairs and soon returned, dragging a short, stout wizard in a cloak that obscured his head and face, placing him heavily beside Vaughn and Lupin’s table.
The short, stout wizard yelped, “Ouch, couldn’t you be gentler? I’ve always taken care of your business…”
“Shut up!”
The short, stout wizard seemed to be very wary of the pub owner and quickly lowered his head, daring not to make a sound.
Only after Vaughn shifted his amused gaze from the grumbling pub owner to him, and with a smile, spoke his name, “Hello, Mr. Mundungus Fletcher.”
