Chapter 147: Displaying Strength
Sparky worked hard to promote her signature skills.
She had almost forgotten how many years it had been since she had days like these.
In the past, she was a house-elf praised by guests, with countless people immersed in her exquisite cooking. The social events at Crouch’s House were brilliant because of her, a topic of enthusiastic discussion among the wizard lords.
But those glorious days had been gone from this household for over a decade, along with the young master…
Sparky zoned out for a moment but quickly snapped back to attention. She tried hard not to show any sadness. The master had specifically instructed her today not to show anything unusual in front of guests.
Of course, no one paid attention to the expression of a house-elf.
In the living room, bathed in amber light, Amelia surveyed the furnishings and casually said, “A cup of Earl Grey tea, with some scones, no blueberry jam… and for you all?”
Beside her, several black-robed figures sat scattered, their hoods pulled down.
Hearing Amelia’s question, the figures stated their requests, but their attention was clearly not on the tea.
After Sparky Apparated away, one of them impatiently rushed to the fireplace and, with a dejected expression, Crouch asked, “Why isn’t he here yet?”
Crouch glanced at the man and didn’t want to speak.
Such an arrogant attitude seemed to annoy the man greatly. He sneered, “Ha, dear old Barty Crouch is standing tall again, as if he were still the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement ten years ago, still as arrogant as ever. Oh—I almost forgot, the distinguished Mr. Crouch latched onto someone’s coattails long ago, no wonder he’s not cowering in a corner like last year, wishing everyone couldn’t see you.”
Old Bardi Crouch raised an eyelid and snorted, “If you don’t know how to talk, say less. No one thinks you’re mute. After all these years, you still only know how to spew dung!”
“You!”
“Enough!” Amelia Bones snapped, stopping the conflict from escalating further. She looked around; her years of presiding over Wizengamot Meetings had given her considerable authority.
“Beld, don’t forget the reason and purpose we are sitting here today. If you only want to settle personal grievances with Crouch, then please leave. Otherwise, return to your seat!”
The black-robed figure she addressed as “Beld” grunted a few times but still returned to his seat.
Amelia then looked at Crouch, “Barty, I know you don’t want us to disturb your life, but the meeting location was chosen by Mr. Vaughn Weasley. If you’re not satisfied, you can voice your opinion to him directly, and don’t take it out on others, alright?”
Barty Crouch was silent for a moment, then finally nodded, his voice dry as he said, “I’m sorry, I’ve just gotten used to being alone these past few years and find it difficult to adapt.”
Seeing the atmosphere ease, the others also chimed in to smooth things over:
“That’s right, it’s good to talk things out. It’s not easy for our families to gather together, so why quarrel over minor issues?”
“Yes, since we’ve decided to be here, we’re all in the same boat from now on. It’s better not to damage our harmony.”
Barty Crouch remained expressionless.
His dejected expression was not, as he claimed, due to being unaccustomed to company after so long alone, but because he knew exactly who these shadowy figures were.
Beld, Travers, Greenwell, Rose…
Yes, these were all surnames, and behind each name represented a wizarding family.
Of course, among these people, only Travers was from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families; the others were merely wizarding families with long histories.
Families like Greenwell and Rose had even been noble families during the Muggle era, which was why they retained the custom of marrying Muggles, something pure-blood families found particularly unacceptable.
Thus, since a long time ago, these families had been excluded from the circles of power by the pure-bloods, and they had also tried every means to break through the pure-bloods’ blockade.
Crouch, who had presided over the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was all too familiar with these people. If Crouch were to offer them an evaluation, he would say:
This is a mob!
Indecisive, shifty, fence-sitters, opportunists… these words were most fitting to describe them.
Crouch had heard that Dumbledore had gathered these people to form a small alliance, but after more than a decade, he hadn’t heard a peep from that alliance.
After the last Wizarding War, the purge of Death Eaters had severely weakened the power of the pure-blood families. In Crouch’s view, that period of power vacuum was the best opportunity to swallow the political influence of the pure-blood families and reshuffle power.
But alas, these insects watched idly as the pure-bloods recovered, and they dared not make the slightest move.
What future could there be in cooperating with such individuals?
Amidst Crouch’s silent contempt, Sparky returned, cups of black tea and pastries floating around her, as the house-elf enthusiastically served the wizard lords.
She felt as if she had returned to the happy and fulfilling life of more than ten years ago.
When she sensed a tremor in space and a familiar magical aura appearing out of nowhere, she even shrieked with excitement, rushing to open the door, her large eyes wet as she looked at the young man outside:
“Young Master Weasley, welcome, welcome! Oh heavens, your clothes are all wet with dew. Why didn’t you summon Sparky to bring you over?”
Amidst the house-elf’s babbling concern, Vaughn smiled and rubbed her head, letting her use magic to remove the dampness.
He then scanned the black-robed figures seated scattered throughout the living room.
Seeing him appear, Amelia put down her teacup, stood up, and bowed slightly, “Mr. Weasley.”
Given her status, she didn’t really need to be so deferential, but ever since Dumbledore had convened them last time and decided to invest in fostering Vaughn Weasley, and everyone had voted in agreement, Vaughn Weasley had, in a sense, secured his position as the future leader of the small alliance.
As Dumbledore’s assistant in the alliance, Amelia had a responsibility to set an example, and she had always adhered to the rules.
Vaughn was naturally aware of such matters.
So he didn’t stop her. After Amelia finished bowing, he stepped forward and took her arm, “My dear lady, you don’t need to do this… Please introduce me!”
This was, in a way, the first formal meeting of Vaughn’s small alliance with Dumbledore.
Having Amelia, who held the highest status and was most familiar with both parties, make the introductions was only fitting.
Amelia readily agreed, “Yes, Mr. Weasley, allow me to introduce you. This is Alred Travers…”
As Amelia made a welcoming gesture, a black-robed figure on a sofa not far away removed his hood, revealing an aged face.
The wrinkled face broke into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum, “Mr. Weasley, we meet again.”
“Yes, Alred, how have you been lately?”
Vaughn smiled and stepped forward to shake hands and embrace the elder.
Everything seemed harmonious and warm. Mr. Alred Travers returned the greeting with even greater enthusiasm, chatting intimately with Vaughn while staying by his side, supporting him.
“Phil has been a lot of trouble for you lately, but he has indeed gained experience beyond our imagination. I heard you arranged for him to receive members of the International Confederation of Wizards? Thank you for giving him this opportunity… Oh—this is John Beld, he is the next heir of the Beld family, a fine young man.”
Mr. John Beld, a “fine young man” in his thirties, under the watchful eyes of Amelia and Alred, showed none of the impatience and arrogance he had displayed when mocking Crouch just moments ago.
He bowed stiffly and said, “It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Weasley.”
“Likewise, dear Beld,” Vaughn said with a gentle smile.
In fact, he knew the names of everyone present today. Dumbledore had given him the list long ago, and he was absolutely not unfamiliar with these people.
But that’s how interpersonal relationships are; being familiar doesn’t mean there are no disagreements or friction. That’s why Amelia had proactively lowered her stance and Alred was showing affection. They were here to support him.
And what Vaughn had to do was to temporarily accept this goodwill.
Age was Vaughn’s biggest advantage and his biggest disadvantage.
The advantage was that at 12 years old, he had already shown terrifying potential. Given a wizard’s average lifespan of over a hundred years （ and the existence of many old wizards over a hundred in the original work ）, Vaughn’s life had only just begun, barely a tenth of the way.
If divided from a biological perspective, Vaughn was about to enter the most rapid stage of development in his life.
This stage would last 6-8 years, only slowly coming to a halt around the age of 18-20.
Of course, for a wizard, adulthood did not mean stagnation. From the age of 20, a wizard’s overall physiological state would still move towards its peak.
However, like Muggles, the adult phase for wizards was extremely long, and their physiological characteristics were relatively stable, not undergoing the drastic changes of infancy and adolescence.
But unlike Muggles, this phase for wizards spanned a remarkable 40-60 years!
Yes, in the wizarding world, ages 60 to 80 were considered prime, and even for some more powerful individuals, over a hundred could still be within the prime range.
Dumbledore, for example!
Such a long span meant that Vaughn still had at least 50 years of growth ahead…
No one could predict what Vaughn Weasley would grow into during this head-spinning amount of time.
Therefore, those who knew Vaughn’s current true achievements and magical level held great expectations for him.
But conversely, his tender age of 12 always subconsciously sent a strong signal: Vaughn Weasley had not yet fully matured. Could he truly take charge of the situation?
Vaughn believed that such doubts must exist in many people’s hearts.
For example, the Wizengamot, the International Confederation of Wizards… and the black-robed figures present today!
“This is Mr. George Greenwell, the current patriarch of the Greenwell family.”
“Hello, Mr. Greenwell. In fact, I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. I heard that your family’s branches are widely distributed in England and North America. I will be traveling to North America in August, at which time…”
“This is Mr. Henry Rose…”
Amelia’s introduction paused.
Approaching Vaughn, Mr. Henry Rose, still with his hood obscuring his face, bowed slightly, “It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Weasley. On behalf of the head of the Rose family, Edward Rose, I extend my greetings to you!”
His etiquette was impeccable. Compared to the taciturn Greenwell and the stiff Beld, Henry Rose appeared particularly proactive and friendly.
Vaughn smiled warmly and shook his hand, engaging in pleasantries.
But Vaughn knew clearly that among the people present today, besides Amelia and Travers, only the Greenwell family held a favorable view of him.
Interpersonal relationships might be influenced by individual personalities and other factors, but the level of importance would definitely not be.
The patriarch of the Greenwell family had personally attended.
Next was Beld, with an heir present.
As for the Rose family… this Henry Rose, representing Edward Rose, was likely just an ordinary family member.
While his thoughts raced, Vaughn seamlessly completed the formalities of acquaintance. The black-robed figures gathered around Vaughn and resumed their seats.
Sparky flitted busily through the air, bringing pre-prepared light tea and pastries to Vaughn—the house-elf was deeply grateful for his help to the Crouch family and firmly remembered his dislike for overly sweet things.
In the exquisite teacup, red tea swirled.
Vaughn tapped the cup with his teaspoon. Amidst the crisp clinking sound, the gazes of those who had just sat down turned towards him.
Vaughn met their eyes one by one, his smile gentle and radiant, “I am very pleased to meet so many new friends today. Of course, I know that before this, you must have all learned about me, and I about you.”
“The reason we are all sitting here today is not to appreciate art or because we are bored, but because of shared aspirations and interests. I need your support and investment, and you also need my future returns. No one should object to this, right?”
Such direct words made the people present shift uncomfortably on their seats.
Vaughn ignored their awkwardness; frankly, he had always disliked people being disingenuous, as it was too time-consuming.
Therefore, after his blunt opening, he got straight to the point:
“In two days, the WAC’s first meeting will be held. Dumbledore should have conveyed to you all how much importance I place on this meeting.”
He scanned the room, his gaze sweeping over everyone’s eyes, and said with a slight smile, “I know some of you are still undecided and have reservations about me. That’s perfectly normal. That’s why I organized this gathering. This gathering has two purposes: 1. For us to meet face-to-face. Distance is a barrier to communication, and you’ve only heard about me indirectly before. So, let’s have some real contact.”
“2. I want to hear about your preparations for the WAC meeting in two days, identify any problems, and solve them, striving for a successful conclusion to this meeting!”
Because of Vaughn’s amiable demeanor, the atmosphere in the living room was relaxed.
Sparky, who had served the Crouch family for many years, was indeed an exquisite cook. The black tea she personally prepared had an intoxicating aroma that permeated the entire space, accompanied by the subtle fragrance of various pastries, making it feel like a casual tea party.
Hearing his words, Amelia delicately twirled her exquisite bone china cup, “I am responsible for the Wizengamot. To date, no wizard in the Wizengamot has shown interest in positions like Chief Committee Member or President of the WAC. The general attitude is neutrality… some might even lean towards you, Vaughn.”
Vaughn had no objections regarding Amelia.
The Wizengamot rarely participated in political struggles and seldom overtly supported anyone. Since 90% of its members were from the Order of Merlin, it was more of a scholars’ salon than a political organization.
Scholars constituted a large proportion of its members.
For these types of wizards, taking sides or engaging in politics was less appealing than returning to their crooked houses and burying themselves in ancient texts.
So Vaughn turned his gaze to Travers.
During their previous meeting, Travers had thanked Vaughn for arranging for Phil Travers to host members of the International Confederation of Wizards.
That was, of course, just polite talk.
In reality, Vaughn arranged for Phil Travers to handle reception work precisely because the Travers family had some connections within the International Confederation of Wizards.
Unlike the established Greenwells, who focused on Europe and the New World and the construction of Muggle families, the Travers family had only begun its branch expansion plan in the last 100 years.
The direct consequence of their late realization was that the Travers family found it difficult to break through in Muggle society and ascend to the upper echelons.
Thus, they could only rely on their family’s influence to infiltrate the wizarding worlds of Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and Australia.
And then “go public”!
To this day, through the expansion of their branches within Commonwealth countries, several members of the Travers family now held positions within the International Confederation of Wizards.
Among the delegation for the upcoming WAC conference was a member of a Travers branch.
Seeing Vaughn’s gaze, Alred Travers took a sip of his jasmine black tea and proactively stated, “The Confederation’s attitude is rather ambiguous. We haven’t yet figured out their plans. To my knowledge, the Confederation is very interested in the WAC… In fact, who wouldn’t be interested? The sheer number and combat power of werewolves are enough to drive any institution wild.”
Upon hearing this, Vaughn frowned slightly.
The International Confederation of Wizards…
This global magical organization was a worldwide body funded and supported by the wizarding power of various national Ministries of Magic.
The Confederation had a long history. Initially, it was merely an enforcement and oversight body established by European countries like England, France, and Germany to promote the 《International Statute of Secrecy》.
At that time, its basic charter was to act as a third party, supervising the implementation of the 《International Statute of Secrecy 》 by the magic ministries of various countries and urging or criticizing those that failed to implement it effectively—it essentially served as a nuisance.
Therefore, in its early days, the Confederation was entirely controlled by England, France, and Germany, and this international organization was merely a tool for them to hinder each other.
This situation began to change in the 19th century.
With the advent of the Second Industrial Revolution and the massive development of machinery creating a demand for labor, the bourgeoisie was compelled to actively establish educational institutions worldwide and enlighten the masses to cultivate qualified workers.
Along with the spread of knowledge came the rise of democratic consciousness and nationalism in the vast colonial and semi-colonial territories of Europe.
Compared to the arduous struggles for independence in Muggle societies’ colonies, independence in the magical world, where power resided within oneself, was much simpler.
Thus, by the late 19th century, with an increasing number of sovereign states and magic ministries, the number of member states in the Confederation also grew rapidly.
The rapid expansion of membership led to a swift weakening of control by England, France, and Germany over the Confederation.
There has never been a shortage of ambitious individuals in the world. The leadership of the Confederation at that time seized this opportunity, vigorously recruiting members and cadres from other member states, diluting the power structure of England, France, and Germany, while simultaneously propelling themselves to their peak!
This was an understandable development. The weaker and smaller the country in terms of territory and strength, the more wholeheartedly they supported the International Confederation. They would rather have a third-party, apolitical overseer above them than be dictated to by other major powers.
After all, within the Confederation, no matter how small their voice, they still had the right to cast a vote, and with skillful maneuvering, they could even rally like-minded allies for mutual support.
If major powers were in charge, which major power would listen to a small country?
Thus, by the end of the 19th century, the status of the International Confederation of Wizards had changed significantly from its inception.
It began to resemble the United Nations of the Muggle world… no, it possessed far greater power than the United Nations!
The United Nations at least had a Security Council as a check, with 15 permanent members sharing the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. However, such an institution did not exist within the International Confederation of Wizards.
The Confederation had its own armed forces!
The International Confederation of Wizards’ Permanent Special Operations Unit （ nicknamed the “Special Unit” ）!
Members of the Special Unit were powerful wizards from various countries, but once they joined the Unit, their organizational and personnel relationships were transferred from their respective Ministries of Magic to the Confederation.
Having its own military power was the true capital for an organization to establish itself in the world. With the Permanent Special Operations Unit, the Confederation’s power expanded rapidly.
By 1992, the International Confederation of Wizards had formed three major functions:
One: Supervising the implementation of the 《International Statute of Secrecy 》 by national magic ministries. This supervision was no longer mere rhetoric but genuine oversight. If a country failed to implement the 《International Statute of Secrecy 》 effectively, leading to numerous magic leakage incidents, the Confederation had the authority to warn and penalize that country’s wizarding community.
During Grindelwald’s rampage in the 1920s, even the powerful Magical Congress of the Americas was held accountable by the Confederation for “Second Salem” （ an anti-wizard Muggle group led by Credence’s adoptive mother, Mary Lou Barebone ）.
If a country persistently refused to reform, the Confederation could even order that country to dissolve its government agencies, accept the stationing of the Permanent Special Operations Unit, and undergo comprehensive reforms and purges from top to bottom under the guidance and supervision of the Confederation until it met the standards of the 《International Statute of Secrecy 》!
Two: Regulating magic schools and magical organizations. As the name suggests, all magic schools and magical organizations worldwide were required to obtain approval from the International Confederation. This was also the reason Vaughn planned to involve the International Confederation in the WAC—if you don’t include them, you’ll still be subject to their regulation, and without their approval, your organization is internationally illegal!
The third point was rather ordinary: the International Confederation of Wizards held the rights to organize all major international sporting events, making it a relatively straightforward profit-generating entity.
However, the first two functions alone were sufficient to illustrate the colossal power of the Confederation today!
While thinking, Vaughn asked, “Is the Confederation intending to participate in the election?”
“Certainly not at this moment,” Alred Travers thought for a moment and said, “You have great prestige among werewolves, and the WAC is just starting, so no one knows the future path. I believe they will at least observe in the initial stages rather than rush to interfere.”
“But if everything develops beyond expectations…”
Travers didn’t finish, but the implication was clear.
At that point, the “peach-pickers” would arrive!
This gave Vaughn a bit of a headache.
He suddenly recalled Gellert Grindelwald decades ago—why did this once-dominant warlord ultimately insist on vying for the position of President of the International Confederation of Wizards, even resorting to killing a Kirin for it?
Because when facing a colossus like the Confederation, unless one infiltrated it and took direct control, there was truly no way to carry out reforms of the 《International Statute of Secrecy 》 under its threat!
Vaughn pondered for a moment, then instructed, “Handle the reception of the delegation properly, Alred. If possible, use your connections to arrange a meeting between me and the head of the delegation.”
“As you command, Mr. Weasley.”
Alred Travers agreed readily.
This caused Beld, Greenwell, Rose, and the others to exchange glances. In fact, they still didn’t understand why Alred was so actively seeking out Vaughn Weasley.
Setting aside that issue, Vaughn’s gaze shifted to John Beld.
This man, in his mid-forties, and given wizards’ longevity, might not inherit the family’s power for another 40 or 50 years. The heir to the Beld family, meeting Vaughn’s gaze, suddenly felt somewhat nervous.
He knew what Vaughn was going to ask. He licked his lips and replied with a dry voice, “Mr. We… *cough*, Mr. Weasley, Fudge has been secretly contacting some people recently. Due to my intelligence channels, I haven’t yet figured out what he’s planning.”
Sensing his nervousness, Vaughn smiled warmly, “Mr. Beld, if Dumbledore hasn’t mistaken, at your last gathering, you voluntarily took on the task of monitoring our dear Minister of Magic. What did you say then—”
Vaughn tapped his finger twice on the armrest of his chair.
The casual tapping caused everyone’s eyes to constrict sharply with sudden terror—
A pressure that almost froze the air was released from Vaughn.
Time seemed to slow down. In their slow-motion vision, they clearly saw a faint ripple emanating from the point of contact between Vaughn’s knuckles and the armrest.
It rippled outwards, passing over chairs, tables, teacups, and even people!
Wherever the ripples passed, everything before them seemed like a weathered old photograph; all color was suddenly stripped away, beginning to turn yellow, overexposed, and filled with noise.
Cold sweat trickled down John Beld’s forehead.
Although he had lived a life of privilege since childhood, as a wizard and the heir to a wizarding family, he was not entirely a hothouse flower.
Especially growing up in a wizarding family like Beld’s, which was ostracized by the pure-bloods, their continued existence relied entirely on the abilities of generations of patriarchs.
When he graduated from Hogwarts more than a decade ago, John Beld had spent several years traveling to various places to compete for the heirship, partly to broaden his horizons and partly to hone himself.
He immediately realized that he had been drawn into a peculiar state by Vaughn Weasley.
He suddenly recalled that Dumbledore had once said that Vaughn Weasley was extremely skilled in Memory Magic, a master of Legilimency, and exceptionally proficient in Occlumency, even having independently developed a type of Memory Magic called “Persona Embodiment.”
And as far as John Beld understood, Memory Magic wasn’t limited to only affecting the mindscape or altering a person’s memories and thoughts.
At times, masters of Memory Magic could even break through the boundaries between reality and illusion, achieving incredible effects!
Like at this moment.
He and everyone around him, along with all the objects, seemed to be in a state between the mindscape and the real world!
This state was difficult to comprehend. Aside from the change in color, there were almost no other perceptible abnormalities.
But all wizards knew that any magic that could alter tangible reality was terrifying.
John Beld moved his arm and realized his movements were not restricted. He quickly raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said hastily, “Yes, Mr. Weasley, I said I could cultivate contacts within the Ministry to pass us intelligence. Dolores Umbridge, that syrupy, plump witch.”
“You should know her. A pitiable half-blood who always claims kinship with the Selwyns. The Beld family supports her lies. Umbridge has Beld blood, and a long time ago, we intermarried with the Selwyns!”
“From the day she entered the Ministry, we established contact with her. Beld used our slight connection to the Selwyns to pay for the maintenance of her fabricated claims, and she, in turn, provided Beld with minor assistance…”
Vaughn was not surprised by John Beld’s statement.
There were plenty of people like Dolores Umbridge in the Ministry of Magic. People always talked about how dirty the social scene was, but the power arena was truly the darkest.
All the gains in the world paled in comparison to the one word: “Power.”
In the Ministry of Magic, pure-blood families were the primary force. Other wizards from half-blood or Muggle backgrounds, oppressed by pure-blood descendants, had to learn to exchange favors to get ahead.
Vaughn continued to tap the armrest rhythmically. The ripples in the air spread outwards in circles, and the yellowed, colorless space seemed to slightly distort in their vision.
They tensed up, watching Vaughn lift his head from his thoughts, “Umbridge didn’t fulfill her agreement with you?”
“She wouldn’t dare. Without the protection of the Beld family, her lies would be exposed immediately. Those pure-bloods detest what they consider ‘half-breeds’ falsely claiming kinship!”
John Beld thought for a moment and continued, “I believe Fudge’s plan is something he wouldn’t dare let others know, including close confidantes like Umbridge.”
“Interesting…”
Vaughn smiled, tapping the armrest with his right hand while propping his chin with his left, looking at the profusely sweating John Beld with great interest, “Continue, Mr. Beld. Tell me your thoughts. What is Fudge planning that he would even hide it from his confidantes? I imagine you have some speculation, right?”
