Chapter 192: Grindelwald: You’re Too Extreme!
Vaughn directly refused, “No need, I have no interest in experiencing what others have already tasted again.”
Hearing this, DeSantis shrugged, “Alright, let’s get back to business. As you can see, I failed back then, paid a heavy price, and it made me completely understand that if I want to succeed in reform, I cannot continue to follow the old model.”
“Heh…”
Vaughn let out a scoff, “So your new method for abandoning the old model is to try and instigate conflict between me and the Federation, and the American Magical Congress? To start a war?”
DeSantis nodded:
“A new world requires a new order. One society clearly cannot accommodate two orders, so before establishing a new order, all the old ones must be eradicated!”
“Even if many wizards die?”
“These are necessary costs, which I deem acceptable.”
DeSantis’s expression was calm.
Vaughn, however, was somewhat disappointed.
In fact, what DeSantis had said earlier was not wrong; the analysis was very accurate. The summary “Those who associate for profit will scatter when profit ends” was fitting.
The only thing he was wrong about was that his goal and Vaughn’s were actually different.
It was not difficult to see from his words that he wanted to establish a brand new wizarding world, and for that, he could accept rivers of blood and mountains of corpses.
Whereas Vaughn… did not want to do that!
“Just because you can accept it doesn’t mean I can,” Vaughn sighed inwardly and slowly stood up. “If we start counting from the introduction of the International Statute of Secrecy, the old order has lasted for over three hundred years. Countless wizards have lived and become accustomed to it within its framework. If you want to eliminate all of them because they oppose its destruction, then how many people will you kill? Is there a standard or a bottom line?”
DeSantis frowned, “If you have to set a bottom line, then what’s the point of a revolution? Why do you have such a view? I don’t think you’re a morally upright or hypocritical person.”
“It has nothing to do with morality…”
Vaughn picked up a cup of tea, idly stirring it with a spoon. “It’s just that if you instigate conflict, start a war, and sow hatred, even if you ultimately succeed, that killing and hatred will lead to the wizarding world being factually divided. At that point, how will my ideal be realized? Mr. DeSantis, or should I say… Grindelwald?”
“Thump—”
There was a sound of impact, as if transmitted from reality into the mind world from a distant realm, echoing hollowly and solidifying in the twilight courtyard, which trembled slightly.
All the blooming flowers in the courtyard curled up. The ‘Jack Graves’ hiding in the flowers and fountains had no mood to pay attention to the sound and tremor, but instead, they peeked furtively at the pavilion.
The atmosphere in the pavilion was stagnant.
“Grindelwald…”
The name Vaughn finally uttered echoed in the air, fading into the distance.
DeSantis’s hand, holding the teacup, paused. He looked up at Vaughn, the faint smile that had been on his face gone, his expression blank.
As if not noticing the change in his demeanor, Vaughn toyed with the teacup in his hand, the clear tea in the cup rippling with his movements:
“You just said that this afternoon tea is taken from the memories of your main body. The fact that you can select and restore it indicates that he has a very deep impression of it, perhaps with some emotions attached…”
Vaughn picked up the teacup and sniffed it. “DeSantis is a typical Italian surname, but this tea is a floral and fruit tea, with no tea leaves, and a strong sour taste… and accompanying sausage pastries.”
He tilted his head slightly, his smile widening. “Quite traditional German and Austrian dietary habits, actually, with little to do with Italy.”
“…”
The atmosphere was silent. DeSantis slowly put down his teacup, stared for a moment, then looked at Vaughn, “So, you suspect I am Grindelwald because of this?”
“Not only that. I just asked you if you had failed before, and you said yes. Perhaps I am ignorant, but I have never heard of any Italian wizard challenging the International Statute of Secrecy. I could only choose the most famous one to compare.”
Vaughn spread his hands. “Of course, if you don’t admit it, I truly have no further evidence, even though there are many doubts about you.”
“Especially your strength. As a master of such powerful Memory Magic, I specifically investigated you the first time I encountered you, but unfortunately, I found nothing. Normally, a wizard like you should not be unknown, unless the name DeSantis is indeed fake.”
“With this hypothesis, we can continue to deduce—a master of Memory Magic, why would he hide his identity? Perhaps it’s because his reputation in the wizarding world is terrible, or his past achievements were too brilliant, with an extremely wide influence, making him dare not reveal himself until he has achieved certain results?”
“Most importantly, Dumbledore.”
Vaughn finally mentioned this crucial name. He watched DeSantis’s expression and said calmly, “The day I met you, I wrote him a letter immediately. However, his reply was evasive, merely warning me to be careful of you, as if he feared I would become interested in you and continue to contact you… Old Dumbledore might not have realized it himself, but this anxious behavior of his only appeared when he and I discussed Grindelwald, because he has always feared I would go astray.”
“Even more interestingly, not long after receiving my letter, he left Hogwarts. No one knows where he went. I think he must have been unable to resist and went to meet an old friend he suspected?”
Across from him, DeSantis did not respond to Vaughn’s loaded question. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly. “Oh—you’re monitoring Dumbledore?”
“Don’t put it so harshly. I’m concerned about him. After all, he’s so old. What if he accidentally dies out there?”
“Hahaha—”
DeSantis suddenly burst out laughing.
Vaughn, with a smile on his lips, watched him laugh louder and more unrestrainedly.
Then it stopped abruptly!
DeSantis looked at Vaughn in silence.
The atmosphere seemed to solidify and envelop the pavilion. The distant and near ‘Jacks’ hid even deeper, trembling.
Finally, he sighed, “You mentioned Dumbledore to try and pressure me?”
Vaughn still wore a smile. “Oh, how could that be? We are analyzing the clues that make me believe you are Grindelwald. The topic came up, so I just mentioned it.”
“Heh.”
With a scoff, DeSantis didn’t believe him. However, he didn’t dwell on it and instead asked, “You said my ideal would hinder yours. I don’t understand. What’s different about us?”
Vaughn didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, “What are your views on Muggles?”
“A bunch of greedy vampires, overestimating, parasitic pests, the cancer of the world!” DeSantis stated bluntly. “If you want my honest opinion, these are my conclusions about Muggles. I suppose our divergence lies here. Honestly, I am very disappointed. I originally thought you would be different. As it turns out, you are just like Dumbledore…”
Before he could finish speaking.
Vaughn slowly shook his head. “No, I do not agree with Dumbledore’s views. His boundless love cannot even convince himself, so how can he convince me?”
“Hmm?”
DeSantis frowned, more confused than ever.
Meeting his confused gaze, Vaughn said calmly, “In my eyes, Muggles are the foundation for achieving miracles!”
Upon hearing his evaluation, DeSantis scowled with disgust.
However, before he could ask, Vaughn had already shifted the topic back to DeSantis’s previous question:
“You asked how my ideal differs from yours. You are not wrong. Our divergence is indeed in our attitude towards Muggles, but the root is completely unrelated to what Muggles have done, Muggle morality, or even society and ideology. It is simply because their population is large enough!”
“You said before that the wizarding world in this world has stagnated. I also truly detest this current situation. But unlike what you think, you believe the International Statute of Secrecy is the fetter on the wizarding world, while I believe it is the insufficient wizarding population!”
“Among the total population of over 60 million in England, there are only tens of thousands of wizards. The scale is too small, so small that it cannot even generate the demand and contradictions for social change, let alone accumulate power.”
Hearing this, DeSantis suddenly felt a sense of dread for some reason.
It was as if, in the next moment, he would hear something appalling from the Vaughn Weasley before him.
Moreover, his premonition was not wrong.
Vaughn, who had been playing with the teacup in his hand, said calmly, “Since my first magical outburst at the age of 8, I have been observing, practicing, and thinking—what is the difference between Muggles and wizards? You should know the result. Physically, there is no difference. We have the same flesh and blood, neither more nor fewer organs.”
“At that time, I was thinking… with the same intelligence, the same form of life, if Muggles could also learn magic, would this world, which I find so tiresome, stagnant, and like dead water, become more vibrant?”
“!”
DeSantis’s eyes widened.
DeSantis considered himself an extreme person.
He despised the foul system of the International Statute of Secrecy, which, under the guise of protection, was in reality racial segregation.
He detested the reality where wizards held the power to determine the life and death of Muggles, yet had to hide like mice because of the hypocrisy of some individuals.
Therefore, to destroy those corrupt things that had lasted for centuries, he would spare no effort, even if it meant rivers of blood.
For most wizards, creating conflict, inciting war, and trading in bloodshed were already unforgivable and inexcusable crimes.
DeSantis also believed this. He chose this path not because he was unaware of its wickedness and danger, but because he knew he had no other choice.
That was why he said it was a necessary cost!
It was also for this reason that when Vaughn had questioned him about the standards and bottom line for killing, he had felt disappointed.
Because he felt that Vaughn Weasley might not be as steadfast in his ideals as he had thought.
Until this moment!
“You… are outrageous! Absurd!” DeSantis’s eyes widened, looking at Vaughn as if he were a madman. “How could you have such… such extreme ideas? It’s simply preposterous!”
Allowing all Muggles to possess magic?
Was this something a normal person would think of?
Facing his shock, Vaughn was unconcerned and even smiled. “Speaking of which, I should thank you. Since entering Hogwarts and browsing the research manuscripts on why wizards possess magical power, donated by alumni over the years and preserved in the library, and seeing more and more evidence supporting the Golden Soul Theory, which proves that wizards’ magic and talent originate from their souls, for a period of time, my emotions were quite low.”
“Research on the soul is a challenge in the entire wizarding world. To achieve my ideal, I had to take a detour and try to focus my goal on magical creatures, formulating an experimental plan to crack their magical organs and transplant them into Muggles.”
“This was a rare subject in the wizarding world before. Starting from scratch was obviously full of difficulties. After all, it wasn’t just about crude organ transplantation; it required delving into gene coding, ideally making Muggles naturally ‘grow’ corresponding organs. This was a massive undertaking.”
“But I never expected that my trip to North America would bring me an unexpected surprise… My dear friend, you have no idea how overjoyed I was when I first saw the Purifiers in Oliver’s memories, judging that they came from Muggle society and were likely products of genetic engineering.”
Reflected in his pupils was the faint smile of Vaughn Weasley, and as he listened to his words.
DeSantis felt his worldview shatter!
How could he say such terrifying things with a smile?
Fear, anger, and urgency… various negative emotions surged into DeSantis’s heart. This ‘conscious entity’ that had differentiated from the main body deeply influenced this mental space. The moment the emotions arose, the ‘courtyard’ underwent corresponding changes.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, and a fierce wind howled. The originally peaceful courtyard instantly became violent, and even the light of the seemingly eternal twilight dimmed as a result!
Muggles mastering magic?
How could such a thing be tolerated!
“Why would you do that?” DeSantis demanded.
Vaughn gently put down his teacup:
“For magic!”
His figure began to fade, his form, shimmering with a hazy glow, gradually disintegrated into wisps of mist, gradually disappearing.
Only this mental space echoed with his final answer:
“You say my path is wrong, but in my opinion, your path is not necessarily any more brilliant. Even if you destroy the International Statute of Secrecy and let wizards rule Muggles, how would this world be any different from the original? Magic would still be in the hands of a few. Decades later, a century later, it would eventually become dead again, just like the past.”
“Only by making magic widespread, by letting everyone participate, can the world truly change. Only by expanding the scale, making magic no longer the patent of a few but the mainstream of this planet, can miracles be nurtured.”
“This is my view, and my ideal. Although the chat today did not yield the desired results, I was still very happy to see that we had an effective communication, which saves a lot of time in the future. Goodbye, DeSantis… or should I say Grindelwald.”
Vaughn’s form finally disintegrated.
The mist dissipated into the twilight sky.
“DeSantis” knew that the other party had voluntarily abandoned this wisp of consciousness, allowing it to perish within its own domain, to prevent him from corroding it and affecting the consciousness body.
But he also knew that the memory of their conversation had already escaped.
His expression looked grim as he raised his head, his gaze piercing through the twilight light above the courtyard, through the dense dark clouds representing his emotions, and saw that in the deeper parts of the ‘sky,’ some milky white base color was seeping in.
That was Memory Magic called Persona Embodiment, and it had completely taken control of Jack Graves!
“Vaughn… Weasley!”
Chewing on the name, DeSantis’s face turned ashen.
…
“Thump!”
A heavy attack landed again.
Donald grunted, his legs trembling. The Protego Maxima he held aloft, propped up by his hands, rippled violently, showing cracks like shattered glass.
Outside, Evelyn and several wizards were fiercely attacking the shield.
Donald struggled to hold on. Since the incident began, he had been fighting, and his magical power and emotional reserves were severely depleted, which was now manifesting physically.
He felt his stamina was almost exhausted, and he could barely concentrate his mind.
And he wasn’t even using his own wand…
Thump!
Flashes of fire erupted. The Confringo hitting the shield dispersed, flames flowing like water along the shield’s curved outline.
Cracks spread everywhere. Donald panted heavily, his pupils reflecting the light of the flowing flames, and also reflecting Evelyn outside, her expression contorted, raising her wand again:
“Donald, goodbye!”
Then, an invisible sound of air breaking whizzed past rapidly. Evelyn’s expression froze, and after a breath, a line of blood slowly appeared between her eyebrows.
*Pfft!*
A mist of blood and strange, pulpy matter sprayed from the back of her head. Simultaneously, the several traitorous Graves surrounding Donald and attacking him also fell twitching.
They… were dead?
Whether it was witnessing the death of familiar people with his own eyes or a lapse in concentration, Donald became momentarily bewildered.
But he still noticed that the light behind him had changed. A color resembling twilight seemed to be rising slowly from behind him.
He heard Vaughn’s voice from behind him:
“You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me!”
His head ached. This was a sign of mental damage.
However, the memories he had experienced in the Dream Boundary of Jack Graves not long ago had not been left there after all, but had been transmitted back by the conscious entity through a mental connection.
“Could DeSantis be Grindelwald?”
The milky white mist in his eyes gradually receded. Vaughn came back to himself, feeling a momentary sense of mental fragmentation—one part was that frozen twilight courtyard.
The other was the clamor of reality!
The battlefield overhead continued. He heard the sounds of spells, shouts, screams, and behind him, a dull thud.
The scattered flames released light and heat. Vaughn turned his head and saw Donald Graves, under Evelyn Graves’s attack, was on the verge of collapse.
He endured the pain and raised his wand.
A silent Sectumsempra flew past.
The powerful magic instantly took their lives, not even causing a ripple in Vaughn’s heart, as his attention was entirely focused on Jack Graves at this moment.
He saw the twilight light again.
As his memories returned, DeSantis, hidden within Jack Graves’s mind world, seemed to have followed him out.
Faint yet incredibly clear beams of dim yellow light were spewing from Jack’s eyes and nose.
“You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me!”
Casually comforting the already swaying Donald, he tapped the back of his head with his wand, causing him to fall asleep, and cast a Transfiguration Spell to reduce his weight.
After doing all this, Vaughn looked at Jack Graves.
His skin had become almost transparent, completely occupied by the twilight radiance, and he let out a chilling moan:
“DeSantis! Why—”
“He still has consciousness…”
Thinking this, Vaughn switched his vision, and the world in his eyes changed.
On a magical level, Jack Graves was even more horrifying than what the naked eye could see.
His mental body, his spiritual body, was like a balloon stretched to its limit, having lost its human form. Boundless light stabbed out from beneath the multicolored mass that represented his spirit.
It was as if a sun was awakening within him, trying to burst out of him and return to reality!
“Mental life… Currently, it is known that it can exist in a person’s mind world, in their memories, and it seems it can even temporarily take over a host? And in a very brutal manner!”
Vaughn flicked his wand. While the distance was still close and the connection hadn’t been severed, he communicated with the Persona Embodiment he hadn’t retracted when he left.
As the spell was cast, in the magical vision, Vaughn saw wisps of ethereal white mist appearing from the surface of Jack Graves’s body and then wrapping around him layer by layer!
The infinite light was immediately covered, and the continuous expansion of Jack Graves’s mental body was instantly curbed.
Having done all this, Vaughn didn’t pause. The tip of his wand swiveled, and a smooth spherical surface squeezed out of the air beside him.
He grabbed Donald and threw him into the sphere. Someone on the other side would catch him.
Sure enough, after a short while, a complaining voice came from the corridor: “Why are you just throwing people around? If I hadn’t reacted quickly, these old bones of mine would have been smashed to death.”
Accompanied by the voice, Ajinbad emerged from the corridor, still muttering complaints:
“I just opened a bottle of Champagne, and there was a North American specialty Tomahawk steak. I was about to enjoy a perfect dinner with the distant sounds of war, and you… oh!”
The voice abruptly stopped. He finally saw Jack Graves not far away, enveloped in dense white mist, yet constantly twisting as if something wanted to break free.
“What in the hell is that?”
“Remember DeSantis I mentioned last time?”
“Of course…” Ajinbad paused, his expression stunned: “This guy has one inside him too?”
“That’s right, and he’s about to come out.”
Hearing this, Ajinbad’s face turned green. He glared unhappily at Vaughn: “So you called me here just to clean up your mess?”
Vaughn smiled: “We agreed to an alliance. We can’t have only me working while you do nothing, can we?”
“Damn it, he’s likely a Legendary Wizard!”
“That’s why I’m looking for you,” Vaughn said, spreading his hands. Then he consoled him, “Besides, it’s not his main body, just a mental life he created. I believe in you, you can do it!”
“Bullshit—”
Before Ajinbad could finish his expletive, a giant sphere appeared. It expanded rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it “swallowed” Jack Graves and Ajinbad.
Then it vanished!
Vaughn had always been self-aware, knowing he didn’t yet possess the strength to contend with a Legendary Wizard.
Therefore, when he sensed that DeSantis was likely to pursue, he decisively dragged Ajinbad over!
The old wizard was idle anyway.
As for himself…
Vaughn looked up. An unvoiced Accio grabbed a Purifier flying overhead, directly pulling it down. The Purifier didn’t even have time to react before it plummeted.
Man and broom separated. The broom flew obediently to Vaughn’s side, while the Purifier, still in mid-air, was bound by ropes formed from Grass Blades and thrown into a spatial portal.
The next moment, Vaughn mounted the broom and soared into the sky.
He had more important things to do. With so many research materials flying all over the sky, wouldn’t he be losing out if he didn’t capture a few more?
…
Donald woke up to bright sunshine.
Pure, scorching light streamed in from the bay window not far away. A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, and the temperature was warm and mild.
Where was he?
He held his heavy, aching head and struggled to get up. What met his eyes was a rather luxurious Muggle bedroom—because there was electricity, a large television not far from the foot of the bed was silently broadcasting a news program, with a middle-aged man sitting in front of it.
Hearing the movement, the middle-aged man turned his head: “You’re awake, how do you feel?”
He didn’t seem to smile often, and the smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth at this moment was unpleasant.
Donald shook his head, his voice hoarse: “You are…”
“Matthew.” The middle-aged man didn’t mention his surname. He got up, went to the other side of the room, poured a glass of water, and brought it over: “You slept for a full 12 hours. Mr. Weasley said it was a side effect of mental exhaustion, and you’d be fine after sleeping. Are you feeling better now?”
“I…”
Weasley?
Yes, Weasley! He was the one who knocked me out!
The dormant memories suddenly surged back, and Donald’s head began to ache more. He forced himself to recall everything from last night.
A moment later, he looked up, gasping: “Last night, what happened last night?”
As if he knew he would ask, Matthew tilted his head upon hearing this and gestured for him to watch the television: “It’s temporarily over. I’m watching the Muggle news report. Care to join?”
Saying that, he picked up the remote and turned on the sound.
“…A bizarre phenomenon suddenly descended upon Boston. It is reported that hundreds of families left their homes without warning last night, wandering the streets in a daze, and they have no idea why they did so… Let’s interview one of the affected individuals, Mr. Peterson. Mr. Peterson, do you have absolutely no memory of what you did yesterday?”
“I remember absolutely nothing… I don’t even know why I walked out of my house. You know, I was already asleep, and I like to sleep naked, so when I woke up, I didn’t even have a stitch of clothing on. There were people all around me. My God—”
“Please calm down, Mr. Peterson… Alright, the interview continues. You mean to say, there was no warning at all, like seeing any illusions or hearing any sounds, and you just… just walked out, as if you were going for a stroll?”
“Hiss—Yes, no illusions, no sounds. I don’t even know what happened.”
“Did you notice any changes in your vicinity?”
“Of course. Although the streets and houses look normal, I know something big must have happened here yesterday… It’s just a feeling, you understand? I’ve lived here for decades. Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass, I could find them with my eyes closed before. But after returning today, I almost didn’t recognize my own house… It must have been aliens, yes, Star Wars… aliens must have had a huge battle here yesterday and destroyed the houses and streets…”
“But Mr. Peterson, you also said the streets and houses look normal, not damaged.”
“Time reversal! Aliens used time reversal to restore what was damaged! Idiot! I told you, the feeling here is different. Although they are still the familiar streets and houses, they are not the familiar streets and houses of the current time period. It must be aliens, aliens—”
“Uh, apologies to the studio, it appears Mr. Peterson is not fully conscious yet… Let’s interview the next person…”
Donald drank the water, silently watching the news on the television.
After a few interviews, aerial footage of Muggle streets appeared on the screen. Everything looked normal.
He saw a familiar villa.
The villa that had been destroyed by a nuclear bomb.
Noticing his gaze, Matthew, who had been quietly accompanying him, spoke: “Mr. Weasley managed to get the artifact that controls time and space. The nuclear bomb has been dealt with, and the battlefield was repaired by my colleagues after the battle. We worked to minimize the impact. Although some more sensitive Muggles sensed something unusual, they won’t be able to cause any trouble.”
After drinking the water, Donald felt his throat improve. He paused for a moment, then asked: “Where are my people?”
“They are also resting at the hotel, including your Brother Jacob Graves. You can visit them anytime.”
“…How many are left?” As he asked this, Donald clenched his fist.
“32.”
“…”
Donald closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them again: “…Did you capture Jack Graves?”
Matthew shook his head: “I don’t know. You’ll probably have to ask Mr. Weasley about that.”
“Where… where is Mr. Weasley?”
“Left turn at the end of the corridor… Your body hasn’t recovered yet. I suggest you rest a bit longer.”
“No need.”
Donald politely refused. How could he possibly rest now? Out of 8 Auror Squads, only 32 people were alive, meaning more than half the team was wiped out.
Such a massive loss, and those who died were all his kin…
Donald’s heart was in agony!
And all of this… was caused by that Traitor, Jack Graves!
If he couldn’t get news of the other party soon, he wouldn’t be able to rest or eat!
Refusing Matthew’s support, he stumbled out of the room and, following Matthew’s directions, walked to the end of the corridor, to a more luxurious door.
He was no stranger to Muggle society and knew this was a high-end hotel suite. However, before he could ring the doorbell, he heard arguing voices from inside.
