Chapter 156: Enthusiasm, Blindness, And Madness
As expected, with the sounds of discussion all around, Amelia announced it was time for the candidates’ speeches.
Ajinbad stood up and asked, “Esteemed Executive Committee members, Vice Presidents, would you permit Mr. Vaughn Weasley and myself to express our ideas in a dual debate format?”
Before the onlookers could react.
The executive committee members and vice presidents, after a very brief “exchange,” approved the request.
Knock, knock!
Amelia rapped her gavel, waking the stunned onlookers, and signaled to Ajinbad and Vaughn, “The committee members have agreed to a debate. Please, candidates, take the stage!”
Yes, this entire scene, from the beginning, was merely a “performance.”
The proposer was Babajide Ajinbad.
This “young and strong” faction member, who had been active in international politics for many years and was over 80, had no intention of shaking Vaughn’s position at the first congress, just as Vaughn had anticipated.
Proposing to run for election and then speaking in a “debate” was simply because, like those in the audience, he was very curious about Vaughn’s plans for the WAC.
More accurately, he wanted to know if Vaughn Weasley harbored the ambition he suspected!
In exchange, he would represent the Federation and cast all his votes for Vaughn!
“…Tsk, a troublesome fellow…”
As Vaughn rose from his seat and walked to the podium, he smiled warmly at Ajinbad, who was also approaching, but his internal appraisal of the man grew more cautious.
Ajinbad had made this proposal before the congress began.
Dumbledore and Amelia were both captivated.
This was evident. The nascent WAC was fragile, with no precedent to follow and facing “hostility” from the Ministry of Magic led by Fudge in England.
Although a werewolf committee member and the Wizengamot were enough to ensure Vaughn’s high-vote election, if the representatives of the International Confederation, under Ajinbad’s leadership, abstained or voted against him, it would undoubtedly stir up sensitive public opinion once again.
Public opinion could not affect decisions, but it could attract ambitious individuals, incite dissenters, and disrupt the current united front.
Amelia and Dumbledore, who sought stability, could not resist the “olive branch” extended by Ajinbad.
Even Vaughn couldn’t resist!
If things could go smoothly, who would want complications?
As for Ajinbad’s true intentions, both Vaughn, Dumbledore, and Amelia were aware that wanting to know Vaughn’s thoughts was only one reason.
More practically, it was a case of advancing by retreating—
Since Vaughn’s election couldn’t be stopped, and the attitude of the pure-blood families had already been gauged, why not put on a show and improve public perception?
In the past few days, due to leaks from so-called insiders, Ajinbad had faced considerable public and private criticism and ridicule.
After all, it was difficult to justify an influential old wizard being harsh towards a 12-year-old child in front of his old friend, Dumbledore, no matter where he went.
Ajinbad didn’t care about his own reputation, but his political ambitions did!
Countless thoughts churned in Vaughn’s mind.
However, to the numerous wizards and werewolves present, all they saw were two wizards, one old and one young, nominally opponents but smiling warmly at each other on stage, like old friends who had known each other for years, embracing and greeting each other.
Standing on the stage, Vaughn and Ajinbad exchanged courtesies, with Ajinbad’s attitude being more resolute, allowing Vaughn to speak first.
The magical light from the ceiling, like divine light, enveloped Vaughn.
The stark contrast between light and shadow made Vaughn unable to see anything outside the beam of light.
He could only vaguely sense that everyone was watching him, holding their breath.
After a moment of silence, Vaughn placed his wand against his throat and spoke in a loud voice, “I know what everyone is waiting for. For the past few days, there have been many speculations in the newspapers about how I will develop this organization as the President of the WAC.”
“Yes, the WAC is a brand new institution, unprecedented in the wizarding world, primarily for non-wizarding communities.”
“New means there’s no template to follow. How should it operate? What is its positioning? If we delve deeper, these questions will become numerous and vexing problems!”
“For example, the operation of the WAC!”
“Many of you should remember what I said when I first proposed the WAC concept at the beginning of this year: the WAC will not accept any external investment, no financial grants from the Ministry of Magic, no donations from the public… I still adhere to this principle today, because any investment, grant, or donation carries demands and negotiations. To solve the werewolf problem, they must absolutely not be drawn into wizarding conflicts!”
“But…” Vaughn paused and said, “This brings up a problem: where will the WAC get the money to operate?”
The people in the audience, from the committee members to the onlookers, were taken aback. Vaughn’s speech had started with such a weighty question.
Ajinbad, who was listening nearby, suddenly interjected, “If the Federation wishes to provide funding without any demands, would that also be unacceptable?”
“Unacceptable!” Vaughn shook his head. “While you might say the Federation’s money comes with no demands, in reality, by providing funds, you gain financial control over the WAC. When the lives of over 2,000 werewolves are completely controlled by the Federation, it will naturally control the entire WAC, and then they can make any demands they wish!”
Wow!
A hushed gasp from the audience. They hadn’t expected Vaughn’s answer to be so direct.
But it seemed Mr. Ajinbad was unfazed. A smile still played on his dark face as he continued, “Your ideas are overly alarmist, Mr. Weasley. Of course, I understand your concerns, but don’t you think this is too idealistic?”
“As you just said yourself, without external funds, where will the WAC get its money?”
“I believe that over the past few months, you and Dumbledore have tried various methods, but in the end, you arranged for the werewolves to work in the Muggle community, and the consumption of Wolfsbane Potion for over 2,000 people for half a year has relied entirely on loans from you and Dumbledore… May I assume that you refuse external funding for the WAC simply to facilitate your own control?”
At the edge of the hall, Nymphadora, who had heard this, exchanged a look with Kingsley.
“This old man…” Nymphadora gritted her teeth.
But what startled her was that people around them were whispering, clearly Ajinbad’s words had resonated with them.
Just then, Dumbledore, seated below, raised his hand. “Excuse me, may I speak?”
The 13 executive committee members seated around the table exchanged a few words, and then Remus Lupin spoke, “Agreed, Mr. Dumbledore!”
“Thank you, members of the Executive Committee.”
Old Dumbledore stood up and said cheerfully, “I must clarify here that the loans WAC took from me and Vaughn were in Pound Sterling, primarily for Muggle financial operations. As for the funds for the werewolves’ Wolfsbane Potion consumption, it was actually acquired by purchasing gold and silver from the Muggle society using the profits from financial operations, and then exchanging them at Gringotts.”
“So, strictly speaking, the loans I and Vaughn took do not affect WAC’s finances. On the contrary, WAC has been returning a portion of the interest to me each month for the past few months, and I’ve made quite a profit!”
Dumbledore winked playfully.
This…
The audience listened with some bewilderment. They had no concept of finance, so they couldn’t grasp how significant the act of purchasing gold and silver from Muggle society and exchanging it at Gringotts for Gold Galleons and Silver Sickles was to the wizarding world.
Even Ajinbad on stage was clueless. He opened his mouth, about to say something.
Vaughn picked up the conversation, “Yes, this is one of the financial solutions I’ve devised for the WAC. Of course, the scale is still very small. Once I am elected President and obtain legal authorization, I plan to further deepen cooperation with Gringotts. The goblins are very welcome to receive high-purity gold and silver from the Muggle society.”
Ajinbad seemed surprised that his question had been resolved in a way that exceeded his understanding.
He frowned and continued, “Then, Mr. Weasley, can your so-called financial… financial returns support the consumption of over 2,000 werewolves?”
Vaughn shook his head and frankly admitted, “No, so it’s only one of the solutions.”
Ajinbad’s expression relaxed slightly:
“So there is still a shortfall? How do you plan to address this part?”
Vaughn appeared calm and collected, “This leads to another arrangement of mine—international trade in Wolfsbane Potion!”
“…”
The entire hall fell silent.
Most of these wizards, who had grown up in the wizarding world and might never have interacted with Muggles, couldn’t understand what Vaughn was talking about.
Even those who frequently interacted with Muggles, like Kingsley, actually had traditional wizarding minds and had limited knowledge of Muggle economic theories.
They could only watch, like Ajinbad on stage, in confusion as Vaughn waved his wand, summoned a ball of mist that hovered overhead, transforming into a giant world map, while he spoke eloquently:
“As is well known, the werewolf problem is not just an English problem, but a global affliction. Lycanthropy is prevalent worldwide, even in Nauru, one of the smallest countries in the world with a population of only 13,000.”
“Countries with strong wizarding power, such as England, France, and Germany, can certainly limit the spread of lycanthropy and handle magical leak accidents caused by werewolf activity. But what about other countries? For example, small countries like Nauru, what should they do?”
Saying this, Vaughn looked at Ajinbad.
The wizard, who hailed from Uganda, hesitated and said, “When they discover werewolves, they usually pay wizards to station themselves locally to resolve the incidents.”
“How effective is that?”
“…Not very ideal…”
The so-called hired wizards were essentially dark wizards who roamed from country to country. Relying on them to deal with werewolves was as futile as hoping for self-healing.
Having obtained the desired answer, Vaughn smiled and snapped his fingers.
The map in mid-air rotated, and crimson werewolf head markers dotted every region and corner of the map.
Then, an arrow extended from England, radiating throughout the world!
“Now, they have a second option. Once I am elected President of the WAC, I will have people contact the Ministries of Magic of all countries and tell them that instead of sending money to unreliable hired wizards, they can purchase Wolfsbane Potion from the WAC.”
“Furthermore, these agreements can include some extended services. For example, when lycanthropy problems in certain small countries become severe, the WAC will also provide werewolf mercenary services during full moons. We can form multiple werewolf teams unafraid of lycanthropy to support countries in need during full moons, capturing werewolves who maliciously spread lycanthropy, and also…”
Listening to the 12-year-old boy on stage present one fantastical idea after another regarding “international trade in Wolfsbane Potion,” the audience was stunned.
Before today, they had never imagined that a WAC, and some peculiar so-called international trade, could be manipulated in so many ways by him.
The key was that, apart from that Muggle finance, everything else sounded quite reasonable!
Thinking from their perspective, was the threat posed by werewolves significant?
Extremely so!
Even in England, with its many wizards, many wizards had grown up hearing terrifying werewolf stories. The contagiousness of werewolves after transforming on a full moon made countless families tremble.
If this was the case in England, what about those small countries with extremely limited populations, land areas, and numbers of wizards?
Regardless of anything else, merely providing Wolfsbane Potion and werewolf mercenary services would be enough to make small countries eager!
On stage, Ajinbad was also somewhat stunned.
For the first time, he realized that the young man before him was completely different from his past opponents.
His vision, his thinking, his perspective on issues, his methods of problem-solving… were all too peculiar.
Many things were beyond his comprehension.
As a result, for the remainder of the time, Ajinbad was in a state of deep contemplation, allowing Vaughn to elaborate on his various “ideas” on stage—to the wizards, they weren’t just ideas, but innovations!
Vaughn even brought up the concept of a “second version of Wolfsbane Potion.”
“…As I stated in my pre-congress speech, the first version of Wolfsbane Potion was unsuccessful in my opinion; it was a product of my compromise with the werewolf virus.”
With his wand against his throat, Vaughn’s voice echoed powerfully throughout the hall, “But this compromise will not last forever, and I will not stop here. I will relentlessly challenge the werewolf virus. Since it could be created by dark wizards, it can also be eradicated…”
“Next, I will attempt to resolve the issue of werewolves being unable to control their transformations on full moons. Following that, I will try to reduce or even eliminate the infectivity of the werewolf virus…”
“All of this is because I hope these werewolf compatriots, these innocent victims, can escape the discrimination imposed upon them, can walk with their heads held high in the sunlight. I hope little Barnaby can attend school like a normal Muggle boy, and I hope William can reunite with his family, his wife, and daughter!”
The atmosphere in the hall gradually became heated.
Bathed in intense light, Vaughn raised one hand, fist clenched:
“This is both my ideal and my promise!”
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall, and camera flashes flickered incessantly!
Nymphadora felt a surge of emotion again.
Various noisy sounds entered her ears, gradually converging into unified cheers:
“Vaughn!”
“Vaughn!”
In this hall of shifting light and shadow, the passion and blindness of the people completely broke the boundaries between darkness and light.
The Aurors maintaining order could no longer hold back.
Several wizards dressed in strange Muggle clothes rushed onto the stage, excitedly surrounding Vaughn.
Ajinbad was pushed aside by them; no one paid attention to the important figure anymore. Even the werewolves in the committee seats were restlessly gathering around.
It seemed as if everyone was cheering.
An election?
Was there still any suspense?
…
Harry, Ron, Hermione.
The three were wandering the streets of Little Whinging.
Although called a “district,” it should probably be called a town. It was located in the northernmost part of Surrey, and just a bit south was the affluent Staines, which boasted an international airport and Hampton Court.
The outside world referred to Staines and its surrounding towns as a “commuter city.”
This meant that the residents in this area were wealthy or middle-class individuals who worked in London.
The natural environment of Staines, Little Whinging, and other areas was understandable, given that it attracted such discerning residents. It was a pleasant place to live, with lush trees and harmonious landscapes.
Of course, the runaway teenagers were too young to appreciate the scenery.
They were just aimlessly wandering, and after a long while, they found a decent-looking restaurant to rest their feet for a while.
“Ron, you said Mr. Weasley brought you here. Where is he?”
“Dad went to visit a friend. He said not to worry about him… Why is it all fried fish, chips, and pies? Should we order a cake, Harry? I’ve never had a Muggle cake before!”
Looking at the menu, Ron said with a drool, still poking at the pictures with his wand, trying to make them move.
“Always thinking about food!” Hermione said disdainfully, snatching the menu away and quickly ordering.
Of course, she did order cake. After all, it was Harry’s birthday, and a sense of ceremony was necessary.
Furthermore, she paid the bill.
Ron, needless to say, couldn’t even scrape together a Sickle from all his pockets, let alone Muggle currency. He couldn’t produce a single penny.
And Harry, who was truly wealthy, was now penniless because he had left in such a hurry.
Harry felt embarrassed. He fidgeted with his pants and said to Hermione, “I should have treated you… How about you don’t go back tonight? When the Dursleys are asleep, I’ll go back and get my money bag, and we can take the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley!”
This suggestion was enthusiastically supported by Ron.
But Hermione wasn’t very interested. Compared to playing, she preferred to go home and read more books. As she was contemplating how to politely decline, a familiar figure caught her eye outside the window.
It was Mr. Arthur Weasley.
He rushed into the restaurant waving a newspaper, ignoring the surprised Muggles, and proudly showed the newspaper to the three, exclaiming,
“Children, Vaughn has become President! He was elected unanimously, unprecedented! Hahaha—”
Hermione, who had been worried about Vaughn all along, immediately showed a happy expression and took the newspaper.
Harry was also happy, but only Ron’s focus was slightly different, “Dad, how did you find us?”
Arthur winked at his youngest son, “Silly boy, if I hadn’t cast a tracking charm on you, how could I have let you run around unsupervised?”
Returning to 10 minutes earlier.
Nymphadora felt that everyone had gone mad, including herself.
The congress hall, which could accommodate over a thousand people, was in chaos.
From the end of Vaughn’s speech to the committee voting, the hall had been almost constantly noisy.
More than half the people had left their seats, staring feverishly at the stage. The Aurors who had been guarding the various access points outside were forced to come in and maintain order, but the human wall they formed now looked precarious against the increasingly excited and numerous onlookers.
Nymphadora held hands with her colleagues, resisting with all her might to avoid being knocked over by the crowd.
Frenzied faces flashed before her eyes. They opened their mouths, emitting deafening roars, waving their arms at Vaughn Weasley, and shouting at Amelia, who was presiding over the vote count.
“Vaughn Weasley, add one vote!”
*Snap!*
“Vaughn Weasley, add one vote!”
*Snap!*
Amelia’s voice counting votes could be heard faintly from behind, while in front, the crowd clapped and stomped in unison. The powerful infectiousness, stirred up by Vaughn Weasley, made Nymphadora almost want to roar along, making her heart tremble!
Vaughn Weasley!
That little devil who manipulates hearts!
How did he do it?
Nymphadora couldn’t understand. She felt her brain was running out of oxygen, perhaps due to the crowd, or perhaps the frantic atmosphere at that moment had burned up the oxygen in her blood.
Truly frantic.
Because she hadn’t heard any other name from Amelia, only Vaughn Weasley.
Until at one moment, the crowd erupted in cheers.
A young wizard grabbed Nymphadora’s arm and shook her desperately. His face flushed red as he yelled at her, “Did you hear? Vaughn Weasley was elected unanimously! Unanimously! Not a single person abstained, including those damn International Confederation representatives!”
Nymphadora suppressed the urge to cast a spell on him and then saw him turn and grab another short, stout wizard holding a camera, shouting loudly,
“What are you waiting for? Send the news back! Send the photos back! Let people see this crazy night, this crazy world, this crazy WAC!”
The next moment, his excited shouts were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.
The Aurors were similarly drowned out.
The crowd, like a tide, broke through the blockade and surged into the hall, shouting at Vaughn, who had once again taken the stage, enveloped in a beam of light.
In the shadows around them, in the area for International Confederation representatives among the committee seats, some people still maintained their “calm.”
But looking at the crowd, which seemed possessed and was chanting Vaughn Weasley’s name, a chill crept into their calm hearts!
For some inexplicable reason, they began to regret it.
Especially those Confederation representatives, it felt as if the vote they cast today had unleashed something terrible.
On the outer edge of the frenzied crowd, Ajinbad frowned, lost in deep thought…
…
The enthusiasm of the people exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The congress could barely continue, as even the werewolf committee members present joined in the celebration of Vaughn’s election.
It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later, when Dumbledore personally intervened and cast a mass silencing charm, that the situation was barely brought under control.
The reorganized Aurors, with the cooperation of the newly elected WAC Executive Committee, quickly escorted the onlookers out of the hall—the next segment was an internal WAC meeting, where the newly appointed President would lead the Executive Committee in assigning a series of tasks.
This segment was originally intended to be publicly displayed, but it was clearly no longer suitable for them to observe.
Unnecessary personnel left.
However, the people around Vaughn did not disperse much.
“A truly inspiring speech, dear.”
Dumbledore grasped Vaughn’s hand, wiping away a tear emotionally, and chattered, “Thought-provoking and shocking. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me…”
Vaughn smiled and pried his hand away, “Thank you for the compliment. Also, the speech had nothing to do with you. I just hope you won’t beg me to accept others’ deals next time.”
“Such venomous words. You yourself agreed to Babajide’s proposal.”
Vaughn didn’t care about Old Dumbledore’s complaint.
Babajide Ajinbad, the second to shake hands, a wizard with a deeply etched face and dark skin that made his face look like it was carved from obsidian, shook Vaughn’s hand firmly:
“You’ve impressed me, young man.”
“You are also more true to your word than I imagined,” Vaughn said calmly.
Ajinbad let out an indistinct sound from his throat, then said in a voice as rough as rock, “The basic framework of things is rules, and strict rules are built upon contracts. This is my fundamental philosophy for how the world operates… Don’t think too despicably of me, young man, but don’t think I will back down either. I await your successful management of the WAC!”
He smiled meaningfully.
Vaughn’s expression remained indifferent, unmoved.
After Ajinbad, Vaughn spent a few more minutes thanking the committee members who came to congratulate him, also taking the opportunity to get acquainted with the other 13 members of the Executive Committee.
According to the charter Vaughn had initially drafted for the WAC, 6 of the 10 committee members must be werewolves to ensure that in decisions concerning the overall rights and interests of werewolves, the 60% majority would not be too passive.
Additionally, among the three Vice Presidents was Remus Lupin, which meant werewolves held a relative advantage in management.
In fact, this was the result of constant wrangling and mutual compromise between the three parties over several months.
Similarly, the configuration of three Vice Presidents was necessary to accommodate the werewolf faction, the Wizengamot, and the International Confederation, requiring an over-allocation.
The Vice President representing the werewolf faction was Remus Lupin, needless to say.
The Vice President put forward by the Wizengamot was Tiberius Ogden, an old acquaintance of Vaughn’s. This old wizard was an old friend of Dumbledore’s and one of Old Dumbledore’s closest allies within the Wizengamot, besides Mrs. Grizelda Marchbanks.
Vaughn was very satisfied with this choice. It represented the goodwill of the Wizengamot and had a certain deterrent effect—Ogden was too senior, fiery, and possessed a strong sense of justice. His presence could balance Lupin’s relatively passive personality.
The last Vice President was nominated by the Federation and was named Pierre Chevalier. From his name, it was evident he was French.
Bald, about 60 years old, with an ordinary appearance, he looked like those French fishermen in the villages of Provence, sitting by the Mediterranean coast with sun-reddened faces.
Quite unremarkable.
He spoke very humbly when talking to Vaughn, “President Vaughn Weasley, it is my honor to serve under your leadership for the next four years.”
One does not hit a smiling person.
Given the other party’s humble demeanor, Vaughn could only respond with a polite smile, “It is my fortune to have your assistance!”
…
Early in the morning, Hermione got out of bed.
After a quick wash, she hurried back to her bedroom, opened the window, and soon, an owl carrying a newspaper flew in.
Its round eyes stared at Hermione.
Hermione recognized it as the owl that had flown away in anger after she fed it cat food last time, but today she wouldn’t mistreat the little fellow.
When she returned last night, she had borrowed some of Hedwig’s treats from Harry, which had made Hedwig so angry that she chased Harry, pecking at his hair.
She gave the owl 5 Copper Nuts and a treat in exchange for the newspaper, not minding as the cute little creature happily lingered in the room to enjoy its snack.
She opened the newspaper.
The front page featured a photo of Vaughn standing in a beam of light, raising a fist, camera flashes going wild, surrounded by a throng of people clapping and cheering.
The headline was the same as the urgent bulletin from last night.
【WAC Election Concluded, Vaughn Weasley Unanimously Elected First President of WAC, Unprecedented! 】
But unlike last night’s brief report, today’s front page detailed the process, including Vaughn’s two speeches, some “twists” in between, and the writer’s evaluation:
【…It was an unforgettable night, a solitary wise man issuing a call to the world, but this night was also great, because the wise man’s call was heard by us. We heard his ideals and persistence, his wisdom and purity, even with the obstruction of clowns like Ajinbad…】
The flattery and bias in the text made Hermione’s scalp tingle.
She quickly flipped to the second page and saw the writer’s name at the bottom of the article—Rita Skeeter—only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
That woman was terrifying!
Forcing herself to endure the discomfort and shyness, Hermione quickly finished reading Rita Skeeter’s article and turned to the second page. The front-page report was still about the WAC and Vaughn.
However, this report was much “more normal.”
【…During the debate segment, Mr. Vaughn Weasley elaborated on his plans for the WAC. From his speech, we can see that this respectable inventor and Potions Master possesses very clear and mature ideas, as well as many astonishingly innovative concepts…】
【But at the same time, he is also sincere. He strives for the WAC to be free from constraints and to stand in the world with a relatively objective and pure identity. He also clearly recognizes the inevitable flaws and shortcomings of a new organization like the WAC, and has made various plans for future contingencies… As I write this, I feel a deep sense of jealousy.】
【I am jealous of Vaughn Weasley’s genius. I used to not believe in such nonsense as “innate talent” until this 12-year-old wizard this year reshaped my beliefs!】
【But I am even more jealous of the werewolves. How fortunate they are! Or perhaps, after a thousand years of hardship, they have finally found their savior, a Messiah who thinks of them in all matters, protects them, guides them, and redeems them… England, when will you have such a leader?】
