Chapter 70: My Pen, My Sword
The Black Lake at night was dark and deep.
Looking out from the dormitory window, all that could be seen was endless darkness, much like Rita Skeeter’s heart at this moment.
Unfamiliar magic was corroding her body, rendering her unable to transform back into human form. She could only watch as a fair and slender hand grasped the glass jar containing her and placed it on the table.
“How did he discover my secret? He deliberately spoke ambiguously, intending for me to transform into an Animagus and seek him out later, so he could capture me. Damn it, damn it! Why was I so careless and hopeful? What was I thinking?”
Rita the beetle thrashed her legs in frustration and helplessness, but the smooth glass rendered all her movements futile, time and time again.
Then, a pair of eyes leaned close to her.
“Ms. Skeeter, please look into my eyes.”
Rita subconsciously looked over, staring at them through the glass. She saw the huge eyeballs from the beetle’s perspective, with a faint light blooming within them.
Suddenly, her vision swam. When Rita regained her senses, she discovered with surprise…
that she had regained human form!
Get out of here!
I need to find my wand and cast Obliviation on him!
My secret must not be exposed!
Screaming in her mind, Rita quickly scrambled towards the door.
It was only a distance of two or three steps, but she was destined not to reach it. A voice gently asked from behind her, “Ms., do you need me to open the door for you?”
“Of course—”
Rita suddenly froze, not only because of the voice behind her but also because of everything she saw before her.
Starting from the door, which was engraved with a serpent crest, the world suddenly began to collapse, like wood weathered and corroded for thousands of years, or a sandcastle blown away by the wind.
Hands, doorframes, stone walls, murals… everything turned into fine powder and fell into the darkness. Soon, this collapse spread to Rita’s feet.
But she couldn’t move at all. Some force restrained her, leaving her to watch helplessly as the world around her returned to nothingness, swallowing her into a deathly silence.
“This is not the real world…”
she thought, and soon, her inner voice echoed around her.
Someone chuckled softly, “Very perceptive, Ms. Skeeter. That’s right, this is your mind world!”
As the voice faded, the dark space once again lit up with a faint glow. Rita looked down and saw herself floating in mid-air, with a sofa suspended beside her. Vaughn was sitting on it.
He was flipping through a book.
《 Albus Dumbledore: Master or Idiot? 》
That was a name Rita knew very well; it was her first published work that had made her name in the wizarding world.
Vaughn flipped through it, saying kindly, “Rita, this book must be your most prized work, right? You must have read it countless times, every word imprinted in your memory, so much so that the first thing I saw after entering your mind was it… Hmm, the writing style is quite sharp—”
As he spoke, he casually tossed the book away, “A shame it’s trash, not a word of truth in it!”
Still in a running posture but unable to move, Rita widened her eyes. Though her mouth couldn’t speak, her inner thoughts echoed like a noisy alarm bell throughout the space.
“He dares to throw away my book, my favorite book!”
“Let him be ruined, I’ll get revenge!”
“Why can everyone hear my thoughts? Stop thinking, don’t—”
“Someone save me—will begging for mercy help?”
*Snap!*
Vaughn snapped his fingers, and the chaotic sounds around them instantly ceased. He looked at Rita, whose eyes gradually shifted from fierce anger to fear, and smiled slightly, “Begging for mercy is useful… Is that good news for you?”
Rita found she could move again and quickly nodded, “Of course, Mr. Weasley, please let me go!”
“Give me a reason.” Vaughn leaned back on the sofa, his posture languid.
“Wh… what?”
“Give me a reason to let you go!”
Rita forced a smile, “Sir, you hold my secret. Once you report me to the Ministry of Magic, I’ll have to be locked up in Azkaban. Even if I get out later, I’ll be crippled…”
“No, no!” Vaughn shook his head. “That’s not a reason. You could register as an Animagus immediately after leaving, and what could I do to you then?”
Her eyes darted around, and Rita suddenly remembered Vaughn’s earlier comment about her book: “The writing style is quite sharp.”
Someone knows her secret, lured her here to capture her, yet didn’t kill her. What was their motive?
The answer was obvious!
Rita’s eyes widened, and she mumbled, “You… you… you want me to be your mouthpiece?”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap!*
Vaughn applauded, still with that gentle and friendly expression, “So, Rita, are you willing?”
“…”
Only a fool would agree to such a thing.
Rita’s eyes flickered.
Seemingly seeing her unspoken answer, Vaughn didn’t seem to care. He reached out towards the surrounding darkness, and in an instant, swirling images were dragged out of the dark space by him, stretching out endlessly.
Rita’s gaze darkened. She saw them: those images were all her memories.
They formed a ring, revolving around the two of them.
Vaughn beckoned with a finger, and an image flew to him. After observing it for a moment, he smiled at Rita:
“This is a memory of what you wore today. If I do this—”
His hand reached into the image and clenched into a fist.
The image shattered silently, its colors rapidly fading. At the same time, Rita suddenly couldn’t remember what she was wearing today.
A hint of terror appeared in her eyes.
Vaughn’s demonstration wasn’t over yet. He looked up, ahead, and down, at the images that seemed to be everywhere, and said softly, “Rita, in reality, you are still a beetle. If I made you forget that you are a wizard, forget that you are an Animagus, what would happen to you?”
Rita’s face turned completely pale.
She would truly consider herself a beetle, fly out of Hogwarts, and into the Forbidden Forest, living amongst flowers and animal dung every day, barely maintaining her humble existence. Moreover, because she was fundamentally human, her lifespan would be far longer than a beetle’s. Such days would last for decades until her human life was completely exhausted…
That was more terrifying than death!
In a flash of thought, having considered the pros and cons, Rita’s lips trembled as she forced a flattering smile, “Mr. Weasley, I am willing to write for you, speak for you, and become a knife in your hand that kills without drawing blood!”
It was humiliating, but realistic.
And Rita Skeeter had always been a pragmatic person!
Then, she saw Vaughn smile with satisfaction, and he extended a finger, pointing at her forehead:
“Then, my dear Rita, allow me to cast a spell on your memory!”
Dumbledore had recently taken to night-wandering, not because he truly enjoyed it, but because the Boy Who Lived needed his supervision.
Last night, Harry had once again sneaked to the fifth floor.
This time, he brought Ron with him, and the two of them gazed longingly at the Mirror of Erised for most of the night.
Children had boundless energy and could stay up for several nights, but for an old man over a hundred years old, Old Dumbledore felt he was reaching his limit.
When he woke up this morning, Headmistress Weasley worried about him, “Albus, you’re in a terrible state. If this continues, you’ll work yourself to death!”
Headmaster Black next to her clapped his hands and laughed, “Die soon! Die soon! If you die, I’ll be free!”
And so, another elderly wrestling match ensued.
Dumbledore had no time to rest.
He had to guide Harry’s inner love and kindness, ensuring it wouldn’t be eroded by time, and also protect him from Quirrell’s attacks.
On the other hand, the joint investigative team from the Ministry of Magic was still at Hogwarts, and he needed to entertain them.
Looking at the deep bags under his eyes and the dark circles in the mirror.
Dumbledore sighed and poured himself another bottle of Felicity Potion.
Then, he began to sing to the mirror.
His voice was high and clear, the rhythm energetic—this was a side effect of drinking too much Felicity Potion!
Professor McGonagall, who came to report on the day’s schedule, happened to hear the Headmaster end with a long, operatic flourish.
“Albus, you…”
“Ah~~~~~ Minerva~~~~”
Professor McGonagall’s face darkened. She glanced at the empty Felicity Potion bottle on the washbasin and knew what had happened. She couldn’t help but exclaim angrily, “You’re using Felicity Potion to stay awake again? One day, you’ll drink yourself to death.”
From the other side of the room, Headmaster Black, still struggling with the teacher, shouted, “Die soon! Die soon!”
“Cough, cough, it finally stopped.” After singing for over twenty minutes, Old Dumbledore was panting, his voice hoarse, but the Felicity Potion made him look happy. “What’s the schedule for the investigation team today?”
Professor McGonagall handed him the parchment.
Dumbledore scanned it. The other members of the investigation team were still visiting their old school.
These people, who had left the school decades ago, were openly slacking off under the guise of reminiscing about their youth.
Fudge wanted to find a “quiet, private, and secluded” place to bond with Vaughn, the son of his friend and a close junior.
Seeing this, Dumbledore smiled. He had of course sensed Fudge’s implicit wariness and exclusion towards him. This “bonding” was likely Fudge’s attempt to bypass him and continue trying to get Vaughn to hand over the recipe to the Ministry.
Dumbledore wasn’t too concerned; Fudge was indeed a shrewd politician.
But from the moment he first met Vaughn and treated him like a 12-year-old boy, he had already lost the initiative.
At the end of the parchment was the interview schedule for the 《 Daily Prophet 》.
Dumbledore frowned slightly, “Minerva, has the interview already begun?”
“Yes, Ms. Skeeter is currently in the Slytherin Common Room. No one knows when she went in…” Thinking of Rita’s usual writing style, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. She really couldn’t like this student she had taught.
Even though Rita had a talent for Transfiguration during her student days.
Dumbledore thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go and take a look. Ms. Skeeter’s articles are fascinating, but she always focuses too much on the narrative and lacks truth.”
If Rita went too far, he would use his connections to bring in another reporter.
Using the newspaper to promote his reputation was part of his deal with Vaughn. If a reporter’s fabrication caused any issues with their cooperation, it wouldn’t be good. However, what surprised Dumbledore was that when he arrived at Slytherin, he saw a harmonious scene—
In the common room, with the Black Lake, where fish swam leisurely and aquatic plants swayed, as the backdrop, the magical incense burning in the room made one feel as if they were in the sunlight. A small table between the two had a teapot being heated by a blue flame.
Rita and Vaughn sat opposite each other, each with a steaming cup of milk tea by their side. Vaughn was introducing this beverage to Rita.
“I don’t really like the wizards’ strange drinks. On the contrary, Muggle inventions suit my taste and preferences better…”
Sensing someone at the door, Vaughn turned around, his expression surprised. “Headmaster, what brings you here?”
Rita also turned around. Her expression was calm, as if she was savoring the rich aroma of the milk tea. She stood up slightly and greeted him:
“Headmaster Dumbledore, good morning.”
Dumbledore smiled, “Oh, good morning to you too, Rita. I was passing by and thought I’d take a look. Is the interview going smoothly?”
He walked behind Rita and glanced at the parchment floating beside her.
He found that the content recorded on it was not excessive.
It was just that the shorthand quill seemed listless for some reason.
Perhaps it was frustrated that it couldn’t use its story-weaving abilities?
Dumbledore thought.
After confirming there were no incidents, Old Dumbledore exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two and then turned to leave. Once his figure disappeared, Guo Guo Cha returned from outside the door and called out, confirming he had indeed left.
Vaughn waved his hand, and the common room door closed automatically. Rita’s expression quickly drooped, becoming depressed and gloomy, tinged with fear.
Vaughn picked up his milk tea and took a sip, smiling coaxingly, “Rita, be happy. You should be grateful that I still have a use for you. Otherwise, you’d probably have flown to the Forbidden Forest by now.”
Rita merely wore a fawning expression. The thought of resistance didn’t even dare to form.
Or rather, it wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it. A few hours ago, when Vaughn had released her from the glass jar, she had thought that she would find an opportunity to cast Obliviation on this boy.
But Vaughn must have planted some sort of spell in her memory, because the moment she had this thought, a fierce headache made her cry out in pain, as if an invisible knife was piercing her brain and stirring it wildly.
Rita had never experienced such pain.
Yet, that wasn’t the end. When she recovered from the pain, she found herself trapped in the wall by Transfiguration again, feeling the air she breathed becoming thinner and thinner. The fear of death approaching step by step immediately made her clear-headed.
She knew Vaughn wouldn’t kill her. After all, she was visiting Hogwarts through official channels. If she disappeared, Hogwarts and the Ministry would surely launch an investigation.
However, she feared some things were more terrifying than death, just as her clear mind recalled Vaughn’s words from last night.
Making her forget she was a wizard and become a complete insect…
Imagining such an outcome, Rita felt that being like this was actually quite good at that moment.
At least she was still human, not a dazed, foolish insect!
Being someone’s lackey was something she hadn’t done before, but everyone has a first time.
With this thought, Rita’s expression relaxed a little.
Sensing her change, Vaughn smiled with relief. “You see, cooperating with me doesn’t really affect you much…”
He extended his hand, and the parchment floating beside Rita fell into his hand. He read:
“Mr. Weasley, who comes from a pure-blood family, shares his family’s great interest in Muggles. He enjoys Muggle books, food, and technology, and is even more radical than his father. He told me that wizarding society has long been behind…”
Vaughn shrugged. “You like to fabricate stories, don’t you think overly realistic interviews aren’t engaging enough? As long as you can achieve an 80% truth and 20% falsehood, I can cooperate with you like this, providing topics that are enough to spark discussion without affecting myself too much.”
Rita was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh.
She resigned herself to her fate.
She forced a smile, trying to regain her usual composure.
Although she had decided to be a lackey, Rita still wanted to maintain some semblance of dignity.
But the threat posed by the boy before her unsettled her deeply. As she spoke, she unconsciously lowered her voice, “So, do you think the current interview content is appropriate? Your topic about wizarding society lagging behind Muggles might make some pure-bloods hostile towards you…”
Vaughn chuckled. “Which pure-blood isn’t hostile to the Weasleys? It doesn’t matter, let’s write as we discussed!”
Next, Vaughn gave her some further instructions.
For example, she could fabricate his inclination towards Muggles, but not involve his family or friends. She could also report his views on some backward systems in the wizarding world, which were his actual thoughts. Rita could use stronger wording.
Vaughn intended to cultivate an image of himself as a more radical, pro-Muggle figure.
Finally, he instructed Rita, “But you must pay attention. Recent reports should focus on the handling of the Wolfsbane Potion. You need to write about the plight of werewolves and the problems that would arise if the Wolfsbane Potion were placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic.”
Hearing this, Rita’s dispirited demeanor perked up.
She was smart and, with a moment’s thought, understood Vaughn’s intention.
“You suspect the Ministry of Magic will misuse the Wolfsbane Potion?”
Vaughn did not answer.
But Rita’s excellent story-writing ability allowed her to quickly conceive a political drama, making her hands tremble with excitement.
However, she hesitated again, a hint of cunning flashing across her heavily made-up face, “But if it’s targeting the Ministry of Magic, my article might not pass the review of the 《 Daily Prophet 》. You know, the primary patron behind the newspaper is the Ministry.”
Vaughn’s expression was calm. “It will pass!”
Rita feigned surprise and delight.
She knew Vaughn had the backing of influential figures too. Her previous words were just a test. Seeing Vaughn’s calm demeanor now, she inexplicably felt much more at ease—
She had already witnessed Vaughn’s intellect, methods, and strength, and then considered that he could discover her Animagus identity and his influence over the 《 Daily Prophet 》…
If her previous submission was forced, then now, she was somewhat tempted!
When it comes to serving someone powerful, it’s always better to serve the most powerful.
The two chatted for a while longer, until the agreed-upon interview time ended. Rita Skeeter then bid farewell and left.
After escorting her out of the Slytherin Common Room, Vaughn returned to his dormitory and casually picked up the glass jar he had used to contain Rita last night, chuckling.
What was this?
An unexpected bonus?
In fact, he hadn’t intended to force Rita Skeeter at first.
As long as she followed the interview process honestly and didn’t fabricate things, he wouldn’t bother with her.
But the dear Ms. Skeeter was used to being arrogant and always wanted to cause trouble, so he deliberately said yesterday that he knew her secret.
If Rita had been more vigilant, or if her vengeful streak wasn’t so strong, and she hadn’t transformed into a beetle to pry into his privacy, Vaughn still wouldn’t have done anything to her. He couldn’t attack her at Hogwarts just because Rita spread rumors, as that would damage the relationship he had painstakingly built with Dumbledore.
However, since she ran into trouble herself, he couldn’t be blamed.
“Actually, this woman has some merits. She’s pragmatic, knows when to advance and retreat, and is ruthless, both towards others and herself. Not everyone can accept reality so quickly, nor can everyone learn Animagus transformation…”
Animagus transformation is the most profound technique in Transfiguration.
It involves a fundamental change in the human body. In other words, once a wizard transforms into their Animagus form, they are no different from the corresponding animal, inside and out.
Last night, Vaughn had carefully examined Rita and found that in her beetle form, her body structure was identical to a beetle’s, and even her magical power as a wizard had disappeared.
The only thing retained was likely her human soul.
Corresponding to its miraculous effect are the extremely harsh practice conditions for becoming an Animagus. First, one must hold a mandrake leaf in their mouth for a month, and it must be from one full moon to the next.
During this period, the mandrake leaf must not be damaged in any way. If, by the next full moon, the moon does not appear due to weather or other reasons, the process must start anew.
If the moon appears, the next step is to let the leaf be exposed to moonlight, then place it in a crystal bottle filled with saliva, add hair, dew from a place that has not been exposed to sunlight or come into contact with humans, and the pupa of a Death’s-head hawk moth.
The crystal bottle is then buried, allowing time and a mysterious ritual to transform it into a “potion” until a stormy weather arrives…
The entire practice process involves four disciplines: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and mystical rituals. It also requires luck—who knows what the weather will be like at the next full moon, or how long one will have to wait for a storm.
To Vaughn’s knowledge, the number of Animagi in the wizarding world is extremely small, precisely because the harsh conditions eliminate most people.
Discarding the glass jar, Vaughn pondered:
“I wonder if I can eventually use the System to directly learn Animagus transformation by adding points?”
“Even if not, it’s fine. I highly doubt there isn’t a simplified method for this. Otherwise, for James, Sirius, and Peter to have all trained as Animagi just to accompany Remus Lupin through the full moon nights is simply outrageous…”
In reality, Vaughn had little need for Animagus transformation. Even if he mastered it, he wouldn’t use it, because due to the fundamental change in his body, a wizard transforming into an Animagus meant forfeiting their spell-casting ability during the transformation.
To Vaughn, this lacked a sense of security.
Unless one day he could comprehend the essence of magic or magical power and transform into magical creatures.
Another chapter during the day!
