Chapter 126: The Ambitious
Vaughn Weasley was an ambitious man.
William had known this fact for a long time.
Having experienced the world of fame and fortune, he saw through this boy’s inner ambition the moment he first heard Vaughn wanted to establish the WAC.
But William didn’t care.
Or rather, given his and the werewolf wanderers’ circumstances at the time, what other choice did they have?
No matter Vaughn Weasley’s ultimate goal, at least he was willing to develop Wolfsbane Potion for the werewolves, and to give them a stable, dignified life like humans!
That was more important than anything.
Besides, Vaughn was a genius.
A genius Potions Master, and an even greater genius wizard!
It wasn’t unacceptable to serve a wizard whose power came from within.
After clarifying his doubts about arbitrage transactions, William fell silent. He knew that Vaughn had brought him out because he likely had something to order him to do.
As expected, Vaughn led him to another private room and waved his hand casually. There was no spell, no wand, but from William’s perception, enhanced by the werewolf curse, a barrier-like magic appeared, enveloping the room and preventing sound from escaping.
William subconsciously compared Vaughn’s magic to that of other werewolf wizards he had encountered.
Then, his attitude became even more respectful.
After waiting for a while, he heard Vaughn say, “From now on, Remus, Barnaby, and James will be responsible for leading those Muggles to operate precious metals, and I will give you a sum of Gold Galleons. You will use this money to buy some werewolves and vampires for me on the black market.”
The despicable word “trafficking” was now spoken by the boy before him as if it were commonplace.
If it were Remus, he would have been shocked and tried his best to stop it.
But William remained unfazed. He calmly asked, “Sir, are there any specific requirements?”
Vaughn was equally calm. “The werewolves must be strong. I will begin research on the second version of Wolfsbane Potion, and I will need enough test subjects. The related experiments may be quite… intense, and I fear the test subjects might not be able to withstand it, so it’s best to have more of them.”
“You can use bounties to have dark wizards capture Greyback’s subordinates, or you can smuggle them from abroad. The channels are unlimited, and of course, it’s best to capture those with bad reputations.”
In other words, if there weren’t enough test subjects, ordinary foreign werewolves wouldn’t be out of the question.
William silently noted down the requirements and nodded, “I understand. What about the vampires?”
Vaughn paced slowly, deep in thought.
After a long pause, he asked William, “Where do you think werewolves currently stand in the world?”
William blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then truthfully replied, “Isolated and ostracized. In both Muggle society and the wizarding world, they are an uncared-for fringe group.”
This was common knowledge; he didn’t understand why Vaughn was asking this.
Then, he saw Vaughn shake his head. “No, actually, in my opinion, werewolves have great potential for development!”
“…Uh, sir…”
Seeing William’s hesitant expression, Vaughn raised his hand. “I’m not referring to your combat abilities, nor am I hoping that I can develop better Wolfsbane Potion in the future and allow them to master voluntary transformation. I’m referring to another characteristic you possess—you can sense magic!”
*Snap!*
Vaughn snapped his fingers, and ripples of magic energy slowly spread through the air.
William’s gaze followed the ripples as Vaughn continued, “As a species, if werewolves want to survive better, they must find their proper position, that is, they must demonstrate their value!”
If he were facing other werewolves, Vaughn wouldn’t have said this, but William was different. He had been an elite among Muggles, possessing enough insight and wisdom to maintain rationality and weigh gains and losses.
“The current world is a world of binary opposition between the wizarding world and Muggles. In my opinion, such a world is fractured. The two groups that rule the world have been on parallel lines since the late 17th century… William, don’t you think this approach is problematic?”
Vaughn shook his fingers, stirring the air into tiny ripples, as he immersed himself in thought. He said, “Wizards possess wondrous magic that can make wheat sprout, grow, fill out, and bear fruit overnight, and they can make vegetables as large as houses. In the wizarding world, hunger has never existed.”
“And Muggle society has an abundant population. You, who have done business before, should understand that population equals market. Only with enough population can a sufficient market size be supported, and a sufficient size can accommodate more ‘labor’!”
“Werewolves currently have a surplus of labor and cannot create value because the wizarding world’s capacity cannot accommodate you—not just due to the fear of lycanthropy, but also because with the influence of magic, the wizarding world’s productivity has always been in surplus, while consumption has not changed much. It cannot digest the output at all. To the wizarding world, your existence is inherently superfluous!”
“I’ve always wondered, why can’t the wizarding world’s surplus productivity be channeled to the Muggle side? Of course, this idea has many problems. The most typical one is that Muggles can’t use many magical items, for example, most potions!”
Watching Vaughn pace and speak his mind, beads of sweat appeared on William’s forehead.
Combined with what he had heard earlier about the characteristics of werewolves, he had already vaguely guessed what Vaughn was planning. He wiped his sweat and heard Vaughn say, “…This problem troubles me greatly—how can I make magic benefit more people?”
He said this with a bright smile. “I’ve been seeking an answer since I was eight years old. It wasn’t until last year, when I developed Wolfsbane Potion, that I truly understood the nature of lycanthropy and the werewolf virus… It’s truly wondrous. A bloodline curse, existing in viral form and originating countless years ago, which brings pain but also bestows werewolves with a faint magical power.”
“Even a small amount of magic presence makes werewolves different from Muggles. Although it doesn’t allow werewolves to cast spells, it at least allows them to use potions and alchemical tools!”
“And to achieve this magical change, one only needs to be bitten by a werewolf… William, what if all Muggles became werewolves, then…”
William’s face turned pale. He looked at Vaughn with undisguised fear in his eyes. This was the first time he felt the boy before him was so mad.
It wasn’t the madness of fanaticism or lunacy, but the cold madness of someone so engrossed in their own imagination that they disregarded rules and order, basing everything solely on gains and losses, rational to the extreme!
He dared not listen silently any longer and quickly spoke up to remind him, “Sir, the Statute of Secrecy, the Statute of Secrecy!”
“…”
Vaughn stopped pacing and looked at William, as if displeased by the interruption, or perhaps contemplating something. After a moment, he smiled:
“Sorry, just a joke. Of course, I won’t allow the uncontrolled spread of werewolves, at least not until I’ve fully understood the werewolf virus.”
“…”
Fear… This was William’s feeling.
Vaughn knew he had been a little out of line.
Exploring the mysteries of magic was a monumental undertaking. For this undertaking, he needed to reshape the world into his ideal form.
He had made many plans for this, and normally, he couldn’t tell others about them.
He understood that ordinary people might not easily accept some of his ideas, so he never shared them to avoid causing trouble for each other.
It was only just now that he had relaxed slightly, after assigning William the dirty work of human trafficking, he couldn’t help but say a little more.
Seeing William’s pale and frightened face, Vaughn smiled and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I was just talking. My main focus is still research. Your purchase of vampires is also for research. According to legends, vampires are infected in almost the same way as werewolves, likely a combination of viruses and curses… Speaking of which, have you ever seen a vampire?”
William secretly wiped his sweat and shook his head. “No, they are very rare in England. I’ve been curious and asked about it before. It’s said that vampires are mainly concentrated in the Balkan Peninsula, Central Europe, and other Slavic regions.”
This was roughly the same information Vaughn had. Vampires were indeed rarely seen in England.
“Keep this task in mind. You can observe more and find some reputable dark wizard gangs…” Vaughn paused. Were there reputable dark wizards?
He sighed. “In short, try to bring some back for me.”
He began to wonder if he should take some time to visit the Balkan Peninsula.
After all, it was a gathering place for dark magic and dark wizards. Magical creatures like werewolves and vampires, transformed from humans, seemed to originate from there.
Perhaps in ancient times, the entire Balkan region was a large testing ground for dark wizards?
While Vaughn was contemplating, William had quickly noted down his requests. After thinking for a moment, Vaughn waved his hand. “That’s all for now!”
Upon hearing this, William let out a slight sigh of relief. This poor middle-aged werewolf had been quite frightened by his boss and hadn’t recovered yet.
“Yes, sir. I will arrange it as soon as possible.”
He turned to leave but was stopped by Vaughn. “Wait a moment!”
William felt sweat breaking out again and squeezed out a groaning sound from his throat. “Sir?”
Fortunately, this time Vaughn didn’t say anything earth-shattering. He simply instructed, “When you get back, talk to the other regional heads privately and determine a list of committee members to give to me.”
William breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to turning all humans into werewolves, such a terrifying suggestion, this instruction, full of shady dealings, seemed pure and clean.
“Yes, sir. I will submit it to you within a week.”
A week was a precisely calculated time for William. WAC was a newly established organization, and the committee list would primarily refer to the individual abilities and intentions of each selected werewolf. There weren’t so many interest exchanges yet, otherwise, they would likely argue for months before finally deciding.
Vaughn understood this and had no objections. He only instructed at the end, “For the first general meeting in July, I want to run for President of WAC. Remember to inform everyone.”
“Yes!” William responded calmly.
This was a matter of course. Even if Vaughn hadn’t mentioned it, the werewolves wouldn’t allow a stranger to take the position of WAC President.
…
Remus didn’t know what expression to wear.
For the past few tens of minutes, he, Barnaby, and James had been listening to Mr. Nye’s explanations. The various financial operations of Muggles had opened their eyes.
For the first time in his life, he discovered… making money was so “easy”!
His heart pounded, yet he felt an emptiness.
He didn’t know if those things would actually work, but at least they sounded very reasonable and very complex.
Remus had lived for over thirty years. Perhaps he didn’t understand much in other areas, but his difficult life had given him ample experience of being bullied—the more complex something was, the easier it was to deceive!
Of course, he wasn’t worried about them being scammed, as these 11 Muggles were already controlled by Vaughn’s Memory Magic. With Vaughn’s strength, it was almost impossible for them to break free.
This also made Remus feel very uneasy.
It was undoubtedly wrong to abuse magic on Muggles, but…
Remus lowered his head and looked at the projected profits of the precious metal trading plan made by the 11 Muggle experts, recorded on the Muggle paper in his hand. His heart was in great conflict.
Vaughn and William had left at some point, and he hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t paid attention when they returned either.
His mind was a chaotic mess, with two little figures, one black and one white, engaged in a fierce battle.
The black little figure: “With this profit, WAC will have a financial source, and we won’t have to be held captive by Vaughn Weasley’s loans anymore. Every werewolf won’t have to worry about the funds for Wolfsbane Potion anymore. We can finally live freely and with dignity. What are you hesitating for? Let’s get started quickly!”
The white little figure: Okay, okay!
“…”
Remus clutched his head, ashamed of his temptation and moral decay, but… the money was just too much. He couldn’t refuse it to satisfy his sense of justice!
A shadow fell before him.
Remus looked up and saw Vaughn, who had returned at some point, standing before him and looking down. “Remus, have you decided?”
“…I’ve decided,” Remus found his voice to be alarmingly hoarse, but his answer was without hesitation. “I will lead this team with Barnaby and ensure the safety of the transactions!”
He knew that the man speaking this sentence had completely changed.
But he had no regrets.
This was all for the sake of werewolves…
…
Everyone has their weaknesses.
The art of managing people is not that complicated. As long as one can discover and exploit weaknesses, turning the softest part of a person’s heart into reins, then any talent can be used for one’s purpose.
Vaughn had always known that Remus was a man of strong justice and disapproved of him.
But he had never suppressed or distanced Remus because of it.
He had enough magnanimity to tolerate dissenters because he knew he had the ability to tame them, not through violence or force, but by walking the correct path.
For Remus, the correct path was to provide werewolves with survival and dignity.
This was also Vaughn’s goal, although for Vaughn, werewolves were merely a landscape along his infinitely long road that he would not stop at!
Seeing Remus, who had agreed to his arranged task, looking somewhat dejected, Vaughn’s lips curled into a smile.
He knew that this werewolf wizard, with his sense of justice, had begun to fall.
It also meant that he could undertake more important tasks.
Vaughn took out a list and handed it to Remus. “The recruitment of clerks hasn’t been going smoothly, has it? Here are some graduates who have come forward voluntarily. They are willing to work at WAC. At the end of the month, please arrange for a campus recruitment fair at Hogwarts, and I will arrange for reporters to cover it.”
Remus took it and looked at the string of “Slytherins” on the list, his expression unchanged.
It wasn’t until he saw “Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, First Year” that he frowned in surprise. “This…”
“Oh, that’s my girlfriend. She wants to do some extracurricular practice. Remember not to give her a salary.”
Remus: “…”
Late at night, Vaughn finally returned to Hogwarts.
He still used Professor McGonagall’s fireplace. The Deputy Headmistress had a stern face and glared at Vaughn as he emerged from a puff of green fire. “Mr. Weasley, may I ask how many more days of leave you will be requesting in the next three weeks?”
Vaughn was very respectful to the professor and sincerely guaranteed, “I won’t be taking any more leave, Professor. I promise to attend classes and review diligently, aiming for first place in the promotion exam.”
Professor McGonagall snorted. “The last time you and Albus tricked me into leaving the school, you had the same sincere expression!”
She was referring to a little over a week ago, when Vaughn and Dumbledore had tricked her into leaving Hogwarts to ensure Harry’s trial plan went smoothly.
After the trial, Dumbledore had revealed the entire plan to her.
Regardless, she was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. While she could have used the excuse of avoiding leaks to not be informed beforehand, she couldn’t remain ignorant afterward.
Especially since Professor Quirrell was possessed by the Dark Lord and had nearly killed students. The subsequent handling of such matters, such as appeasing Quirrell’s family, fell to her as Deputy Headmistress.
Professor McGonagall was quite displeased with this. She was unhappy that the two had kept it from her, put Harry in danger, and then left her to clean up the mess they had caused.
Vaughn promptly shifted the blame. “That was all Albus’s doing.”
“But Albus said it was you!” Professor McGonagall’s expression was stern as she tried to find a trace of lying on Vaughn’s face.
But she was disappointed. The boy’s expression was as flawless as that of a certain white-bearded old man, filled with confusion and helplessness:
“Professor, that’s Albus Dumbledore. Do you think he’s someone I could order around?”
“…” Professor McGonagall was momentarily speechless, thinking it made a lot of sense. “But Albus said you thought I would help Mr. Potter, so you asked to trick me into leaving as well!”
Vaughn did not deny this, but subtly praised her instead. “That’s because in my heart, you have always been a person of integrity, strictness, and responsibility.”
Professor McGonagall blushed slightly, and her originally aggressive tone became dry. “…Not really… I mean, I am usually a bit strict, but it’s all for your own good…”
Vaughn nodded repeatedly. “Of course, I know. You care for every student in the school and would never allow students to be put in danger, not even with you and Albus watching over them.”
The Deputy Headmistress’s demeanor softened further, and her inner scales began to tip towards Vaughn’s explanation. “Since you know that, you should not have joined Albus in his antics. My dear, I have always admired your mature and steady demeanor.”
“Yes, I’m very sorry, Professor. But you have worked with the Headmaster for decades; you should know how stubborn and overbearing he is. As a mere student, I couldn’t possibly win against him. If Albus blames me, think about it, how could I possibly command a Legendary Wizard like him?”
Logical and well-founded!
Professor McGonagall’s thin lips tightened. Her inner scales completely tilted. “Alright, I shouldn’t have believed Dumbledore’s one-sided account… My apologies, child. Go back and study. Next time something like this happens, you can come directly to me, and I will help you communicate with Dumbledore!”
“Thank you, Professor.”
Perfect pass!
The Deputy Headmistress was so angry that she started calling Dumbledore by name directly. She hoped the old man would be sensible and stop “smearing” others. Otherwise, Vaughn wouldn’t mind playing the victim again in front of Professor McGonagall!
Walking briskly out of the Deputy Headmistress’s office, Vaughn didn’t return to Slytherin or go to Gryffindor to find his little girlfriend. Instead, he went to the long-neglected Ravenclaw.
He had been busy reviewing, playing Quidditch, preparing for trials and experimental plans, and recovering from injuries these past few days, so he hadn’t visited the Ravenclaw Tower for a long time.
Easily answering the bronze eagle knocker’s question and entering the tower, he breathed in the faint fragrance in the air and listened to the surprised yet joyful gasps of the young witches in the common room.
Vaughn was in a good mood.
As expected, the young ladies were as enthusiastic as ever. Look at their fiery gazes. They must have missed him dearly after so long… and Guo Guo Cha!
Unfortunately, he had forgotten to bring Guo Guo Cha with him. Without it, how would he comfort the young ladies’ longing?
As he was submerged by the sudden lively chatter of the Eagle House, Vaughn thought with a troubled mind…
…
Late at night, the lights in the Gryffindor Common Room were still on.
Hogwarts’s curfew regulations only applied to the castle areas outside the common rooms. Within the towers of each house, there were no rules about lights out or specific bedtime hours.
This was partly because the school lacked sufficient staff to manage it, and partly because Hogwarts had a relatively relaxed academic atmosphere.
Harry used to like this relaxed management, but recently, he had started to feel pain.
Because he discovered that Hogwarts’s academic atmosphere might be relaxed, but the exams were anything but lenient. If he performed terribly on the promotion exam in three weeks, Harry was sure the school would make him repeat the year!
Under the flickering firelight from the braziers embedded in the wall, books piled on the desk almost drowned Harry. The Boy Who Lived was painfully swimming in the ocean of knowledge.
These books were part of the revision plan Hermione had assigned him. This afternoon, Harry had managed to corner Hermione with his midterm test paper and begged his brilliant friend to help him salvage his dismal grades.
Hermione had berated him and Ron for their sloppiness and then, as if venting her frustration, assigned them a mountain of work.
According to the girl’s original intention, she just wanted to punish them.
But what she didn’t expect was that for the entire afternoon, except for physiological needs like eating and using the restroom, Harry’s eyes had barely left the books. The rustling sound of his quill writing on parchment had also been almost constant.
He seemed like a changed person.
Even the usually playful Ron showed considerable patience and perseverance. At this moment, Ron was sitting next to Harry, with books and parchment piled before him, just as high as those on Harry’s desk.
Even the dazed look of confusion, tormented by the ocean of knowledge, was identical to Harry’s.
After finishing a large volume, Hermione noticed the late hour and prepared to return to her dormitory to rest. She looked at her two companions. “Aren’t you two resting yet?”
“We’ll finish this chapter first!”
“After I finish this essay.”
These words, which absolutely would not have been uttered by Ron and Harry in the past, made Hermione feel as if she were in a fantasy. “What’s gotten into you today? So diligent?”
“Don’t you see? Our midterm exam scores!”
Hermione dismissed it. “Isn’t that normal? I warned you a few days ago when you two were bragging together every day.”
Based on her experience, the Harry and Ron of the past would never admit fault.
But today was different.
“We already know we were wrong, that’s why we’re trying our best to make up for it!”
“Thank you, Hermione. You’ve been a great help to us!”
Hermione: “…”
She suddenly wished she could use a spell to check if these two had been hit by the Imperius Curse or some other dark magic.
Harry and Ron weren’t just putting on a show.
They knew Hermione’s revision plan was a bit excessive, but they still pushed themselves and tried to complete it.
To Hermione’s confusion, they gave different but fundamentally similar answers!
“We don’t want to be held back a year. No, it’s more than that, we want to be better!”
“Why?”
Harry, who was furiously writing on the parchment, paused upon hearing this and looked at Hermione seriously. “Hermione, what did you think of my performance in the Painted World? Don’t talk about courage, just talk about my magical performance!”
Oh, this…
Hermione thought hard for a moment and then tactfully replied, “You didn’t use any magic at all from beginning to end, Harry.”
“Exactly!” Harry said with a blank face. “In fact, in the Painted World, I was already regretting why I hadn’t studied properly! Why hadn’t I learned more spells?”
“I know I have personality flaws, I’m playful, and disorganized. These have always existed and have never improved. The past week is proof. I was immersed in the sense of accomplishment from the ‘trial’ and in the stories my parents told me that Vaughn told me… Fortunately, today’s midterm exam served as a wake-up call, reminding me of how helpless I was facing Voldemort… facing the Dark Lord in the Painted World!”
“Me too.”
Ron, sitting beside him, also said, “You all probably know by now, right? Although I’ve been secretive and unwilling to reveal it, you all probably know that after Chessboard Town, I was teleported to Nobeta’s side. That hateful Fire Dragon humiliated me terribly. It flicked my forehead, forced me to clean its scales, brush its teeth, roast meat for it, and scoop its dung…”
“Wait.”
Harry interrupted Ron. “You scooped dung for Nobeta? I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time: is dragon dung that toxic? Why were you so swollen all over?”
Hermione also looked over curiously. In the books she had read, dragon dung, if only in small amounts of contact, didn’t seem to have such a strong effect.
Through Hagrid’s loose lips, everyone now knew that Ron’s swelling was due to contact with dragon dung.
Ron’s face turned red, and he stammered, “It wasn’t that bad… I didn’t want to, but there were no tools there… Nobeta had been there for who knows how long without anyone cleaning up, so I had to use…”
He looked at his hands and chuckled sheepishly.
Hermione and Harry reacted, their faces turning green!
“Ronald Weasley, you are disgusting!”
“I couldn’t help it! You don’t know how terrifying it is to face an angry Fire Dragon up close. I didn’t know it was all a trial then, otherwise, I would have absolutely refused, even at the cost of my life! Do you know how many times I washed my hands after coming out?”
“Enough! Stop talking!”
Hermione scolded, glaring at her two companions with contempt. “The two of you, one was crushed by his mortal enemy, but became arrogant immediately after it ended, and was disorganized for over a week, only thinking of cramming at the last minute. The other is even more ridiculous, because of dragon dung…”
“That’s a harsh way to put it, Hermione. You should say I was humiliated by the Fire Dragon.”
“Is there a difference? I think you enjoyed it quite a bit, Ronald. Otherwise, why would you only start trying after the exam?”
The young girl unleashed a torrent of criticism on the two of them.
If it had been before, Ron would have argued with her, and Harry would likely have given her the cold shoulder for a few days, then suddenly felt guilty one day and apologized to make up.
But today, Harry and Ron were obedient. And all of this was witnessed by a white-bearded old man hidden in a corner behind magic.
He watched with satisfaction as Harry and Ron shed their mischievous natures and diligently reviewed their studies.
He watched as Hermione, after her tirade, ungrudgingly helped the two academic underachievers answer various questions.
The trial had indeed ended. After this, he would not prepare for another one, as it would be meaningless.
However, the examination of Harry’s character would likely continue for some time in his eyes.
Even this examination was no longer limited to Harry, but also included Hermione and Ron.
“Their destinies are intertwined; when one prospers, all prosper, and when one suffers, all suffer!” Dumbledore watched quietly, then lowered his head and whispered, “But at the same time, Hermione’s and Ron’s destinies are also closely related to your master. What choices will he make then?”
At his feet, Guo Guo Cha squatted on the ground, staring at him with bright eyes.
Cats, of course, could not speak.
But Dumbledore knew that this cat could understand what he was saying and would even report his whereabouts to Vaughn.
His magically enhanced eyes saw a faint, white mist hovering around the cat, which was Vaughn’s signature Persona Embodiment.
Yet, it was different. It had been several months since he last saw Vaughn cast this magic with his own eyes, and no one knew how much he had improved.
Dumbledore’s gaze was somewhat profound.
Vaughn was growing too fast, so fast that people didn’t even realize it. Recalling the conversation during his visit to an old friend in Devon, Old Dumbledore pinched his brow.
“Meow~”
Guo Guo Cha wagged its tail and nudged him with its paw.
Dumbledore was surprised. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Meow!” Guo Guo Cha responded, licking its paw and casting a mischievous glance at his beard with its vertical pupils.
Dumbledore: “…”
Humph!
As expected, the pet resembles its owner!
A dignified Legendary Wizard would naturally not argue with a pet. Seeing the trio diligently continuing their studies in harmony, Dumbledore left the Gryffindor Tower and, like a phantom, silently arrived at Ravenclaw.
