Chapter 33: Haggling
Vaughn didn’t pay much attention to his “chance encounter” with Old Dumbledore. The conversation between them earlier was certainly not a casual chat; Old Dumbledore was feigning ignorance, but his underlying message was clear: he knew about the Room of Requirement and had been keeping track of Vaughn’s movements.
The so-called invitation to try out the toilet room was a test to see if Vaughn was willing to “behave” and to gauge his attitude.
Therefore, Vaughn refused outright and stated his current pursuit:
I just want to study potions, leave me alone!
There was a saying in his past life, “A gentleman can be deceived by his own virtue.”
Dumbledore wasn’t exactly a gentleman, but regardless of how many conspiracy theorists speculated in his past life,
one thing was undeniable: Dumbledore truly acted in accordance with the rules.
He didn’t want to force others to act according to his will, nor did he want to misuse his magic; he would only guide and exploit human weaknesses to achieve his goals within the bounds of what was permissible by the rules.
The formation and solidification of this personality and modus operandi were not inherent in Dumbledore from birth, but stemmed from several heartbreaking setbacks and lessons learned throughout his long life.
Ariana, who died in Godric’s Hollow.
Grindelwald, with whom he broke ties.
And even, Tom Riddle…
Perhaps, during many of the days and nights when Voldemort wreaked havoc, Dumbledore was filled with regret.
He regretted why, when he first met Tom, he had shown him power to make him submit.
He had used force to compel a child to admit his mistakes, and that child spent his life chasing power, ultimately getting lost in it!
It was precisely because Vaughn was so familiar with Dumbledore’s personality and past that he never feared or held animosity towards him. If it had been Voldemort, Vaughn would have blasted him with a spell and then found a way to escape, without a word of nonsense.
Vaughn liked people who followed rules, even though he himself might not always abide by them…
That’s called a flexible moral bottom line!
The next day, when Vaughn went to see Professor Snape, he mentioned his chance encounter with the Headmaster and commented with a pleasant expression, “The Headmaster is a good person.”
“…” Snape’s expression was impassive, feeling that something was off.
But at that moment, he was not in the mood to consider whether Vaughn was being sarcastic or truly meant it.
Today, they did not meet in the dark basement.
Instead, they came to the Quidditch Pitch—this was Snape’s chosen location.
It was late September, nearing October, and the temperature in the Scottish Highlands had plummeted. The weather had become increasingly severe, with dark, leaden clouds rolling in overhead, and a fierce wind whipping icy rain across the Quidditch Pitch.
Even in such foul weather, the Gryffindor team had not given up their training.
Oliver Wood, perched on his broom, was tossed about by the wind, his mouth constantly filling with rainwater, yet he still shouted loudly, delivering a motivational speech and tactical instructions.
He paid no mind to his players, who were each ashen-faced, as if possessed by vampires.
The small Harry had fallen several times, shaking so much that his glasses kept slipping off, looking as though he might convulse and collapse at any moment.
In this kind of weather, even the most enthusiastic Gryffindors wouldn’t willingly abandon their warm fireplaces to support the team in person.
On the deserted stands, only Ron and Hermione, clad in raincoats, huddled under the canopy of the stands.
Thus, Vaughn and Snape, standing by the field with “Waterproofing Charms” and “Bubble-Head Charms,” were strikingly conspicuous.
“…Do you see?! Slytherin fears us!! They’ve sent their Head of House and their best student to scout us. Are we going to be looked down upon by them? Where is your passion? Where are your voices?”
“Harry! Roar! Show Slytherin your brilliance!!”
Wood exclaimed passionately.
Harry: “Uh, uh, uh, uh…”
The Twins couldn’t help but retort, “What can they scout in this ghastly weather? To see Harry frozen solid?”
“Wood has gone mad, Fred. Ever since his idea of using Harry as a secret weapon fell through, his brain has started to resemble a troll’s.”
Gryffindor’s Chaser, Angelina Johnson, clung desperately to her broom, her entire person disheveled by the wind. She shouted, “Damn you, Wood! I curse you to become a woman, to have your period every day, and to be caught in a torrential downpour every day!”
Gryffindor team: “…”
Watching the little lions in their pathetic state, Snape let out a pleased snort, “Foolish team, foolish Potter.”
Vaughn’s ears automatically filtered out Snape’s harsh words about Harry. He smiled, looking at the nearly-cracked Fred, George, and Harry in the distance, and asked, “Professor, do you like Quidditch too?”
Snape’s expression was impassive, and he replied concisely, “A foolish sport!”
“Then why did you bring me here?”
Snape’s facial muscles twitched slightly. Without answering, he turned and asked in his unique, slow drawl, “You’ve finished reading your books. When do you plan to start refining the Magic Power Extraction Method?”
“It’s not time yet, Professor,” Vaughn explained. “Next, I plan to delve deeper into the field of Potions. I’ll brew some advanced potions first to familiarize myself with their rituals, and then I’ll begin researching the materials.”
Snape pondered for a moment. “I heard from Dumbledore that you also want to develop new potions?”
“Yes, in fact, perfecting the Magic Power Extraction Method won’t yield results quickly.”
“Every material has many different properties; some can be used in known recipes, while others cannot, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be useful in the future.”
“If I want to construct a universal template, I must understand all properties—their effects, the differences in their extraction methods, and whether they produce new properties when combined. At the very least, I need to establish a relatively clear catalog of these.”
This was a monumental undertaking.
Snape couldn’t help but glance at Vaughn.
Vaughn, however, remained calm and continued, “Even after extracting the properties, it’s impossible to immediately determine their effects; they can only be vaguely guessed, especially those that don’t exist in known recipes. This requires developing new potions to quantify them…”
“I intend to make the Magic Power Extraction Method my life’s work, Professor, but I can’t keep saying ‘it’s still in progress.’ Developing new potions will both validate my theories and fill the gaps before I can completely perfect it.”
Snape didn’t know what to say.
His stiff face and lifeless eyes gave no indication of his thoughts. Only after a long pause did he let out a snort, “Ignorantly fearless!”
He paused, then added, “But not yet arrogant.”
Vaughn smiled, unconcerned, “I’ve always believed that a person should have lofty goals while also knowing how to be grounded.”
