Chapter 162: Felix Felicis And Dreamcatchers
“Uh, of course…”
Lupin agreed blankly.
Matthew, having also snapped back to reality on the other side, walked over and extended his hand to him: “Hello!”
Beneath his messy long hair, Matthew’s eyes were a dull gray, appearing listless. Only when he swept a glance over Vaughn did a spark of light appear.
Lupin had no idea what had transpired within the suitcase’s interior over the past few days.
But now that he’d caught on and learned that Matthew had escaped his “sea of suffering” and joined the WAC, he was very pleased. He quickly shook Matthew’s hand: “Hello, Mr. Matthew, welcome aboard!”
“…Can you let go now?”
“Oh, sorry, sorry!”
Amidst Lupin’s awkward smile, Matthew withdrew his hand and looked back at the werewolf Vaughn was dealing with, then suddenly said, “I know him. His name is Barry.”
“…”
Lupin remained silent, contemplating how to respond. Did Matthew’s remark imply that person was his friend?
This was indeed awkward!
Was he perhaps expecting Lupin to join Vaughn in pleading for the werewolf?
This…
As he was wrestling with this, he heard Matthew say, “I was just observing his bone marrow!”
“…Huh?”
Lupin was taken aback.
Matthew glanced at him before looking back at the exposed brain matter. “Some people’s wickedness is forced upon them, while others are wicked from their very bones. I always thought his heart, his bone marrow, was black, but it turns out it’s pink, just like everyone else’s.”
Oh, dear!
Was this some form of dark humor?
Lupin was even more at a loss for words.
Fortunately, Matthew didn’t dwell on it, instead saying, “Let’s go outside. Mr. Weasley said we shouldn’t be present for the next experiment.”
“Ah, okay!”
Lupin noticed that Vaughn was already finishing up. The various human tissues suspended in mid-air were reassembling into human form, and Vaughn was placing them into a cultivation tank below.
Just as the two of them exited the suitcase’s space and returned to their suite.
The light emanating from the suitcase entrance suddenly dimmed.
A massive magical fluctuation surged outwards, and even after leaving that space, Lupin and Matthew were still affected.
Their vision suddenly grew dim, as if night had abruptly fallen. In a daze, they both seemed to see a full moon slowly rising!
After a long while, the illusion before their eyes finally vanished.
“What was that? Why did I feel like I was going to transform under the full moon?” Matthew gasped, feeling a power stirring within him, agitated by the illusory full moon.
His heart was racing, pounding like a drum.
A feeling, hard to describe as either exhilaration or exhaustion, forced him to take deep breaths!
Lupin, in a similar state, suppressed the urge within him and grabbed Matthew, pulling him away from the suitcase. He then replied, “That’s the magical moon within the suitcase’s space, an alchemical marvel.”
Vaughn had explained the suitcase’s functions to him earlier when he was arranging the transfer of the werewolves.
“Just like a real moon?”
Matthew was beginning to understand why Mr. Weasley had said it was not suitable for them to be present.
Lupin nodded, glancing back at the suitcase with lingering apprehension. “Yes, I just didn’t expect its power to be so immense under the President’s control, affecting even the outside…”
No wonder Vaughn didn’t want to be disturbed.
If there were several werewolves in the room, it was hard to say if they wouldn’t be affected and lose control!
Lupin didn’t dare linger any longer.
As they left the suite and closed the door, the residual mystery from the magical moon’s leakage finally ceased to affect them.
Feeling a bit more settled, Lupin, while leading Matthew outside, said, “What’s the plan now? How about we go to my room to freshen up first, and then have a big meal in the dining hall?”
“No rush, I want to look around outside first.”
Lupin glanced at Matthew’s disheveled appearance and shrugged. “As long as you’re happy.”
The two quickly walked down the corridor and arrived at the terrace of the guest room area on this floor. This area was for suite customers, and in Muggle society, they were considered wealthy and influential.
Matthew, with his messy long hair and ragged clothes, was undoubtedly an eye-catching figure here.
However, neither Lupin nor Matthew paid any mind to the disdainful and disgusted glances from the Muggles. They walked to the edge of the terrace, and facing the cold, briny sea breeze that swept towards them, Matthew closed his eyes slightly.
After a long moment, he asked, “Where are we now?”
“We’ve just passed Iceland. In two days, we’ll enter American waters and then head south to New York Harbor.”
Of course, they would also stop in Canada, but there was no need to mention it. When formulating the travel plan, the WAC had sent a letter to the Canadian Ministry of Magic, but they had yet to receive a reply.
It was likely that Fudge was putting pressure on Canada.
The Canadian Ministry of Magic, which relied on England for wizarding power, economy, potion supplies, and politics, found it difficult to escape the influence of the English Ministry of Magic.
Taking several deep breaths, Matthew opened his eyes and noticed a few people pointing towards them by the swimming pool on the deck below.
The Muggle clothing these people wore, mismatched as it was, clearly indicated they were wizards.
One of them, a dark-skinned old wizard, was the center of the group.
Noticing his gaze, Lupin introduced him, “That’s Babajide Ajinbad, the Vice President of the International Confederation. If you’ve read the newspapers I gave you, you should recognize him.”
“Mm…”
Matthew nodded, then thought for a moment and asked, “Where is the Confederation disembarking?”
Lupin understood his meaning and shook his head. “According to the original plan, their destination was also New York. However, just a short while ago, the Confederation delegation changed their itinerary. Their new plan is to disembark in Boston and inspect the actual situation in the nearby states along the way.”
Matthew grinned. “They’re not stupid. Why would they want to be a shield for so long!”
He didn’t say anything more, raising his head to look at the vast, calm blue ocean stretching to the horizon where it met the sky, like two mirrors that had once been parallel but had finally intersected.
He wondered how long this peace could last.
…
Inside the suitcase’s space, Vaughn’s experiment had begun.
The space’s control hub was pulled by him from the void.
It consisted of numerous lines and symbols with meanings difficult to decipher, representing magic and alchemy, respectively.
Vaughn’s immense magical power was channeled through his wand into these lines and symbols, and the clear azure sky instantly flipped like a changing curtain.
Night fell.
A full moon rose from behind the mountains that warped the horizon. The moment its pure moonlight cast down, the space was filled with a certain mystery!
The “ritual” had begun!
“Awooooo—”
The first to react were the werewolves still confined in cages. Their eyes, filled with pain, gazed enraptured at the moon. They howled uncontrollably, and with crackling sounds of bones snapping, their bodies began to transform, fur growing, joints reversing.
Claws and fangs sprouted directly from their flesh.
Next were the werewolves Vaughn had processed and fixed in the cultivation tanks.
Perhaps due to the magic and potions Vaughn had used, their transformations were delayed and varied in timing.
But it didn’t matter; the purpose of this experiment was screening and recording.
Eight cultivation tanks floated up, rotating above Vaughn’s head.
The nutrient solution within the tanks boiled, releasing a large amount of bubbles.
But at the same time, numerous sensors embedded within the tanks began to operate.
Information on the nutrient solution’s composition, the subjects’ external changes, spectral analysis, and more was recorded and sent to the computer below.
Simultaneously, magical detection methods were also quietly operating without interfering with the electronic instruments.
Still channeling magic into the space’s control hub to maintain the magical moon, Vaughn downed a bottle of Felix Felicis—
This potion, famed for granting wishes, naturally lacked the power to interfere with destiny.
In reality, the primary function of Felix Felicis should be called emotion amplification. As is well known, emotions are a tangible force in the wizarding world.
Emotions are one of the fundamental “energy sources” for magic to create miracles.
Greatly enhanced emotions could indeed interfere with reality, thus achieving the goal of “wishing come true.”
However, Vaughn had a different perspective. In his view, “wishing come true” was a crude explanation. Felix Felicis amplifies emotions and interferes with reality, more akin to interfering with “probability.”
No matter in the world has a single solution; no matter can be definitively said that if you follow a certain formula and preconditions step-by-step, it will develop into an absolute outcome.
For example, when a bead rolls from the top of a hat to its brim, the possibilities of its trajectory cover any point within the cone formed by the hat’s top.
Failure, derailment, deviation—all have a certain possibility. Even if that possibility is very small, it truly exists, representing that the development of things is probabilistic.
What Felix Felicis amplifies with emotions is precisely this probability!
After drinking the Felix Felicis.
The magical glow in Vaughn’s eyes gradually took on the amber hue of the potion.
He felt his spirit expanding, growing, erupting… For a moment, he even felt he could control all matter around him, macroscopic, microscopic, at the atomic level of （ quantum ）!
But he knew it was an illusion.
It was the positive feedback loop from the suddenly enhanced emotions, a self-confidence that could be called “arrogance”!
Therefore, Vaughn quickly brought his inflated mindset under control and, according to plan, focused his attention and thoughts on the cultivation tanks floating above.
During the previous preparation, the “dissociation” of the werewolf body tissues was not due to any strange personal preference.
It was because he had cast detection magic, a combination of spells and potions, on every minute bodily tissue.
Now, as the full moon rose and transformation began, the changes occurring within the bodies of those eight processed werewolves were continuously fed back.
A myriad of information, transmitted through magic, formed various signals before Vaughn’s eyes.
Lines, color blocks, spots… things that appeared meaningless at first glance flashed by like a waterfall. With the potent effect of Felix Felicis, Vaughn, while maintaining his clarity, focused on capturing every signal and attempted to interfere with it.
Beside him, an automatic quill floated, rapidly scribbling on a piece of parchment, recording the information Vaughn analyzed and transmitted.
This process lasted for about a minute.
Only when the werewolf in the last cultivation tank completed its transformation did Vaughn’s surging magical power gradually recede.
Vaughn slowly descended to the ground, and the strong winds that had been stirred by the magical disturbances gradually subsided.
The clear moonlight bathed the land, and everything returned to peace.
Only the werewolves in the cages nearby roared restlessly, desperately banging against the iron bars.
Vaughn frowned, waved his hand, and cast a mass Silencing Spell, taking away their voices, before rubbing his slightly aching forehead.
“The amount of information generated by cellular-level changes far exceeded my initial predictions. Fortunately, I prepared Felix Felicis in advance; otherwise, I might not have been able to persevere just now!”
He thought with some relief.
He clearly felt a slight delay in his brain, a after-effect of overuse!
However, his hard work had not been in vain.
Walking over to several computers placed in the distance, he browsed through the collected data and then looked at the information recorded by the automatic quill—a pile two feet thick!
“Excellent!”
Vaughn nodded with satisfaction.
Although this experiment was merely data collection and the development of the new Wolfsbane Potion had not yet formally begun, it was a good start.
Aside from the massive amount of data collected, it also proved that the dissociation method, the combination of spells and potions for detection, and the data collection experiments using Muggle instruments that he had developed were effective.
If nothing else, it could be used to collect information on werewolf transformations, and it could also be applied to fire dragons!
Or other magical creatures he might research in the future!
“This is scientific thinking, not technological superstition or the so-called materialistic heresy. It’s a repeatable methodology.”
His brain still felt heavy, but that didn’t dampen Vaughn’s cheerful mood. He hummed a tune as he browsed through the records.
It was hard for outsiders to imagine that this young man, who stirred up political storms and sometimes appeared cold and cruel, could be so “simply” happy!
Of course, the werewolf “guinea pigs” who witnessed these events would not think so.
…
Matthew settled into Lupin’s room.
The other members of the delegation reacted differently to the new arrival. The committee members from the Wizengamot were indifferent. The organizational ties of the Wizengamot were already loose, and this situation hadn’t changed after joining the WAC.
As long as the law wasn’t broken, they usually didn’t interfere, and besides, Vaughn was one of their own.
The committee members from the International Confederation had considerable reservations—the delegation members had been decided beforehand, so what was the meaning of adding someone mid-way?
Unfortunately, they were too few in number, and with the Confederation’s delegation accompanying them, to avoid suspicion, they didn’t raise any objections.
It was the werewolf committee members who were more resistant to Matthew.
Many people knew that this “Matthew” had been Greyback’s lackey, a powerful wizard who had followed Greyback multiple times and spread fear.
They didn’t trust him.
In the eyes of these werewolves, if he had once submitted to Greyback, for whatever reason, it indicated a problem with his character. They themselves, having also become werewolves, had to force themselves not to harm others by living in isolation; why hadn’t he?
Clearly, he was inherently evil!
This simple belief caused Lupin a lot of headaches. Although he had managed to suppress the opposition with Vaughn’s authority, Matthew’s situation hadn’t improved.
Fortunately, Matthew was well-behaved.
Since coming out, aside from occasionally going to the deck to sunbathe, he mostly stayed in his room, reading newspapers and magazines.
From the wizarding world, from the Muggle world, from England, from America.
Perhaps it was because of his years of aimless, decadent living, lacking so many perspectives and understandings of normal society, that he was now working so hard to catch up.
In Lupin’s view, this was a good sign, indicating that Matthew’s seeking refuge was not out of fear of death but a genuine desire to change himself.
Time slowly passed. The Royal Mary sailed out of the last icy sea area, and in the distance, land finally appeared.
That evening, Lupin, as usual, carried a tray to deliver dinner to Vaughn.
Upon entering the suite, Lupin was surprised to find Vaughn, who had been in seclusion in the suitcase’s space for a long time, in the suite’s living room, organizing stacks of parchment.
He seemed to be in a good mood and, noticing Lupin, greeted him proactively:
“Ah, Remus, you’ve worked hard recently. Please wait a moment. After I finish with these things, we’ll have a drink together later.”
His “drink” referred to a Muggle carbonated beverage, which was the only “childishness” Lupin could find in Vaughn.
Lupin didn’t pay attention to the strange invitation, his gaze falling on the piles of parchment, his expression somewhat excited. “Mr. President, your research…”
To his disappointment, Vaughn didn’t give him the answer he hoped for. “It hasn’t succeeded yet. You know, potion development isn’t that easy.”
“Uh, sorry, yes, yes, I was too impatient… Then why are you out this time?”
“Did you forget? The fire dragons.”
Lupin patted his head.
He had been so busy with miscellaneous tasks that he had indeed forgotten about this matter. Before departure, several wizarding families had sent messages saying that the first batch of fire dragons would be transferred once the cruise entered American waters.
The reason it wouldn’t be conducted in open waters was that the fire dragons provided were legal, with specialized approval certificates and transaction records, and could only be traded within the approving country’s jurisdiction.
Vaughn continued to tidy up, and Lupin waited beside him.
The light outside the window gradually changed. At one moment, Vaughn, who was organizing documents, suddenly looked up towards the sunset-colored sky outside the observation window. “We’ve entered American waters!”
“Hmm?”
Lupin followed his gaze but could see nothing.
Only a wizard with an alchemy talent like Vaughn could see countless symbols stretching from the sky to the ocean, like a colossal waterfall.
The cruise ship slowly passed through this invisible barrier that connected the sky and the sea, bisecting the surface of the ocean…
Magic and alchemy were like twin sisters; where magical power flourished, alchemy inevitably prospered.
Thus, in the world, several magically powerful countries had their famous and unique alchemical marvels.
England naturally possessed the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admission. These two alchemical marvels monitored the entire British Isles, and even some Commonwealth countries like （ Australia and New Zealand ）.
Although they mostly existed in legend and many wizards had never seen them, their ruling priority in England was above all else. Once the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admission jointly decided the incoming student list for young wizards of the current year, no one could modify or veto it!
Regardless of whether those young wizards were pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born, their status as Hogwarts students superseded all laws.
The English wizarding world and the Ministry of Magic only had the right to accept their ruling.
This was also one of the reasons why pure-blood families in England could not, like in America, push for laws like the 《 Rappaport Law 》 to fundamentally detach from secular society.
As a magical power comparable to England, America had three alchemical marvels: Ilvermorny’s Serpentwood Wand, the Magical Congress’s Magical Clock, and the Dreamcatcher!
Of course, whether the Serpentwood Wand truly belonged to America was a matter of international dispute—primarily because England was quite displeased.
It was originally Salazar Slytherin’s wand and had been preserved by the Gaunt Family for centuries. However, in the 17th century, it was brought to the New World by Isolt Sayre, a descendant of the Gaunt Family.
The English wizarding world considered this act theft and believed America should return the wand to the Gaunt Family.
However, the Serpentwood Wand had been planted in the courtyard of Ilvermorny by Isolt Sayre. It grew into a Serpentwood tree whose leaves could heal ailments, and the matter was eventually dropped.
The other two items, the Magical Clock and the Dreamcatcher, were also powerful alchemical marvels. The former could monitor magical fluctuations anywhere in America and could even automatically distinguish whether a magical leak had occurred and its severity.
The latter…
Vaughn tilted his head up, looking at a brilliant screen of light composed of countless symbols that passed over him as the cruise ship moved.
This was the Dreamcatcher!
After the American wizarding world merged with the indigenous peoples of North America, these two different magical civilizations jointly created this legendary artifact!
It covered the entirety of America, from the sky to the land to the sea, omnipresent and all-pervasive!
Noticing Vaughn’s strange action, Lupin was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled the legends. “Mr. President, did we just… pass through that Dreamcatcher?”
“Yes!”
Lupin seemed incredulous. He recalled the legends he had heard and drew his wand.
As he murmured the incantation, his body and the surrounding air distorted several times, and then… nothing happened.
Opening his eyes again, Lupin’s expression was grim. “I tried to Apparate, but… it failed…”
Vaughn was not surprised by his failure and explained, “In the magic of the North American indigenous peoples, the Dreamcatcher represents filtration and protection. When colonial wizards decided to collaborate with the indigenous peoples two hundred years ago to develop this alchemical marvel, they extended it from indigenous magic. Its function is to filter out anything ‘not permitted’.”
“You were probably trying to Apparate outside the country just now, weren’t you?”
“Yes, to an uninhabited island we passed by not long ago.”
“Any act of unauthorized border crossing, whether by Apparition, Portkey, Floo Network, or Flying Broomstick, is not permitted under the Dreamcatcher’s rules, which is why your magic directly failed.”
Hearing this, Lupin’s expression grew even more somber.
“Then, Mr. President, what is permitted?”
“What is approved by the Magical Congress!”
No wonder…
Because he was coming to America, Lupin had urgently supplemented some news about the region from newspapers and other sources before departure.
The news that left the deepest impression on him was what the newspapers reported: a large number of ordinary wizards had been affected by the situation in America, suffering heavy casualties.
At the time, he had wondered, with the situation so chaotic, why were those ordinary wizards still in America instead of seeking refuge in neighboring countries?
Now he understood. It wasn’t that the Muggle populace didn’t want to leave.
It was that the most convenient and safe methods were unavailable to them, forcing them to sneak across the border like Muggles.
It was difficult to avoid getting caught up in disputes during the process!
Thinking of this, Lupin had a new question. “Since the Dreamcatcher is so powerful, why did the Magical Congress allow the situation to collapse? They could have directly used the Dreamcatcher’s function to strip Muggle-born wizards of their magic!”
Vaughn chuckled. “No matter how powerful the Dreamcatcher is, it’s just an alchemical object; its capabilities have limits… Try Apparating to my side.”
Lupin was somewhat confused but complied and used Apparition again.
This time, he succeeded.
With a crackle, his figure distorted and disappeared from his original spot, and then squeezed out of the air next to Vaughn.
“…”
Lupin seemed to have a sudden realization.
Vaughn continued, “Not only that, but you also need to consider the problem from another perspective—why did the Magical Congress use the Dreamcatcher to restrict border crossing?”
Hearing this, after careful consideration, Lupin guessed, “For easier management?”
This was the most obvious answer he could think of.
Vaughn praised him. “Exactly. Not to mention the Floo Network, Apparition, Portkeys, Flying Broomsticks, and so on are the most widely used modes of transportation in the wizarding world. Although there are ways to counteract them, both anti-Apparition measures and widespread anti-flight charms require significant costs.”
“You should have some idea of how much effort England expends each year to combat rampant smuggling.”
“When you force others to accept laws that are disadvantageous to them, you can’t expect them to abide by them honestly and not escape. Under these circumstances, the richer the means of transportation, and the more escape methods available, the higher the management costs. Therefore, the application of the Dreamcatcher is essentially to reduce the increase in management costs brought about by the 《 Rappaport Law 》.”
“If it were according to your idea, let alone whether it could be done, just the act of stipulating the restriction clauses and issuing approval documents to all pure-bloods would significantly inflate management costs, which contradicts their original intention.”
His words enlightened Lupin.
This was also why Vaughn had explained it so deliberately.
Up to this point, with his mindset adjusted, Lupin was still not a qualified “Vice President.”
His current role was more like Vaughn’s secretary or assistant, only handling miscellaneous tasks.
The reason for this outcome was not related to Lupin’s intelligence but because he had never held a leadership position and was not accustomed to viewing and analyzing matters from a management perspective, leading to limitations in his vision and thinking.
Training was not a one-day affair.
Lupin clearly sensed Vaughn’s intention and didn’t know how to evaluate it. Sometimes he himself wondered why, among so many people in the WAC, Vaughn favored him so much.
However, this doubt did not diminish his gratitude towards Vaughn, nor the resulting ambition!
From then on, he began to learn proactively, analyzing and structuring various matters from different perspectives.
“Mr. President, I heard that in 1965, America abolished the 《 Rappaport Law 》, but only three years later, the law made a comeback. Why is that?”
At this point, the two had arrived at the dining hall, and Vaughn had ordered two Cokes.
Facing his deputy’s question, Vaughn was patient and asked him, “First, tell me what you think.”
This wizard, who usually appeared as a melancholic, artistic uncle, was uncharacteristically a bit flustered. “My opinion… is because the pure-bloods felt threatened?”
His background was neither pure-blood nor Muggle-born.
He rarely thought this way before, so his answer lacked confidence.
As it turned out, his current perspective was indeed average. Hearing his answer, Vaughn shook his head. “That’s only one reason, and not even a decisive one. Have you tried finding information and analyzing the entire chain of events?”
Lupin stared blankly and shook his head.
Vaughn smiled. “It’s all because of Muggles!”
“What?”
Lupin’s expression was astonished as Vaughn slowly explained, “In fact, the entire process of the 《 Rappaport Law 》 from its abolition to its reinstatement is closely related to Muggle society. The incident began with two Muggles, a Black woman named Rosa Parks. In 1955, she was expelled from a bus and then arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person.”
“Her experience caused a huge stir in America at the time. It was the first time Muggles had expanded racial issues and equal rights issues to the entire society for discussion, and the wizarding world was included. Then wizards were surprised to discover that the 《 Rappaport Law 》 and 《 racial segregation 》 were remarkably similar. They were both so unfair and unreasonable!”
“…” Lupin opened his mouth, wanting to retort something.
He didn’t understand Muggle racial segregation, but the 《 Rappaport Law 》… wasn’t its unreasonableness obvious?
Sensing his thoughts, Vaughn laughed. “Dear Remus, don’t judge the thinking of people from that era with your own mindset and modern understanding. The fact is, since the law was enacted in 1790, they had been ruled by it for 170 years, at least five generations.”
“Countless wizards had long since become accustomed to the idea that wizards and Muggles should avoid intermarriage, friendships, conversations, and other contact, just as Black people at the time had to give up their bus seats to white people and couldn’t use washbasins in public restrooms… such rules were deeply ingrained in people’s bones, and most people had become accustomed to them.”
“Until another Muggle named Martin Luther King Jr. emerged. I must say, you should really listen to his speeches; they are full of emotion, logically clear, and break down issues and contradictions in a very simple and understandable way…”
“In short, it was the first collective awakening of wizarding equality thinking in the American wizarding world. It’s hard for us to imagine now, but just 30 years ago, many young pure-bloods and half-bloods took to the streets, speaking out for Muggle-born wizards and working to overthrow the 《 Rappaport Law 》…”
“It was also the first time wizards and Muggles found common ground on the same issue, even beginning to break through established notions and cooperate. Muggles provided ideological education and guidance for the wizarding vanguard movement, while wizards provided protection for Muggles to prevent them from being persecuted!”
