Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 149 The Secrets of Pureblood

The girl stopped reading abruptly at this point.

The attic became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The automatic coat hanger helped Vaughn change his coat, then "admired" him for a moment, patted him on the shoulder, and brushed away non-existent dust.

Hermione then came to her senses.

She looked at Vaughn, who seemed completely unconcerned. "Aren't you worried about this opposing viewpoint?"

An iron flew up automatically, releasing a faint steam, smoothing out the slight wrinkles left on Vaughn's velvet suit.

Vaughn looked at himself and Hermione in the mirror and asked her, "What about you? Do you think what he said makes sense?"

Hermione was speechless for a moment, then said dejectedly, "...Although I hate to admit it, I also dislike the viewpoints presented in it, but I have to say that this is the history of magic as I know it."

Vaughn then asked her, "And what about the opinions of those who agreed with them?"

Hermione replied without hesitation, "Of course that's right. Werewolves should be the ones to decide things..."

At this point, she paused, then frowned in distress.

She suddenly realized that whether they were in favor or opposed, what they were trying to express seemed to be correct.
Seeing her confusion, Vaughn, who had already finished tidying up, turned around and ruffled her hair: "On the matter of the establishment of WAC, there is no wrongdoing whether you agree or disagree; they just have different positions."

"And... what about you?" Hermione asked.

“My thoughts are not important,” Vaughn said with a smile. “From the moment I developed the Wolfsbane Potion and refused to transfer ownership to the Ministry of Magic, my stance was naturally determined: I must, and can only, stand on the side of the werewolves!”

Hermione stared at him blankly, seemingly not expecting him to say such "disheartening" and "helpless" words.

The girl, not yet 13, could not comprehend the complex inner workings of this seemingly simple division. All she could see was that although Vaughn spoke with a sense of helplessness, his expression showed no trace of frustration.

Her eyes gradually became unfocused.

Vaughn ruffled her hair again: "Don't worry too much. You just need to know that the establishment of WAC is inevitable. Whether you agree or disagree, it won't affect it. In other words, those who really have the decision-making power never consider things simply as whether they are beneficial or not to a certain group."

"They also have to consider many more elements, legal, ethical, and even political... Ultimately, the implementation of any policy or breakthrough in any concept is the result of struggle. On this point, Mr. Harrison in the newspaper was right: living space is won through struggle, and that remains true today!"

Harrison is an alias.

When Vaughn saw his interview transcript in the Daily Prophet that morning, he was certain of this and knew that the man was definitely from a pure-blood family!

The reason is certainly not the undisguised competition mentioned in the other party's interview transcript.

It's simply because of the other party's position.

For most wizards, werewolves only exist in the dark fairy tales or strange legends they heard in their childhood.

These negative impressions alone are not enough to make ordinary people unequivocally oppose WAC.

Only purebloods possess the necessary depth, knowledge, and understanding to articulate, like "Mr. Harrison," the mature perspective that explains his opposition—not out of discrimination or fear of werewolves, but out of fear that the establishment of the WAC would become a landmark event in some kind of phenomenon.

To give an example that is relatively close to the Muggle perspective, the wizarding world now views the WAC in the same way that the Muggle government of England viewed Asia around 1950.

A small act of resistance, a tremendous impact!
Those who are trapped in information cocoons are ignorant and confused, while those who only have a superficial understanding are indignant and condemn them. Only those who truly grasp the truth understand that the flames of war that have been ignited in Asia are the prelude to the collapse of the old era, represented by the British Empire!
Back in 1950, it was the royal family and aristocratic elites who were lamenting.

The magical world today is much the same as it was back then, with pure-blooded individuals, no different from nobles, also clamoring for change.

In fact, they have been doing this for a long time. Pure-blood families have been trying to control the magic world for thousands of years.

The Wizarding Council

International secrecy law

"Ministry of Magic"

International Federation of Wizards

Even the darkest and most taboo medieval witch hunts in the history of magic are inextricably linked to pure-bloods.

While it's true on the surface that in a massive, widespread, and out-of-control movement, both half-blood and pure-blood wizards were victims.

But in reality, only the wizards and commoners truly suffered!
At that time, the purebloods completely "forgot" their insistence on the purity of their bloodline. They actively integrated into the secular world, accepted the rule of the Tudor, Stuart, and Hanoverian dynasties, and joined the Royal Wizarding Order founded by the Muggle king.

Secular regimes protected them, and at the same time, a book called The Witch's Hammer appeared, which detailed how to distinguish between wizards and witches, and how to deal with them.

Its content is so professional and detailed that it is practically a guide to discovering, subduing, controlling, and killing wizards and witches.

Of course, this book has long been lost. In the official historical record of *A History of Magic*, author Bathilda Bagshot states: "The Wizarding Council destroyed it, not because of the suffering it caused, but because of its comical and absurd content. Surprisingly, its fame led many young wizards to believe it without question, thus poisoning their minds... So they decided to destroy it..."

However, in some notes from the last century that Vaughn had read, many alchemists refused to acknowledge Baghart's words, calling her an "old liar and a fraud."

"She prefers to hide the real history and secrets beneath her wrinkled exterior."

"She doesn't even dare to publicly acknowledge the friendship between her grand-nephew (Grindelwald) and Dumbledore. What a despicable person!"

Given that alchemists, especially those from the "Golden Soul School," have somewhat questionable worldviews, Vaughn wasn't entirely convinced by their assessment of Lady Bashat's character.

But they have other speculations about Witch Hammer.

Vaughn did have some approval.

The Witch's Hammer – alchemists speculate, based on documents, that it is a dark magic alchemical artifact, or perhaps a spellbook.

A book made of magic!
Each page of the book is imbued with a powerful spell, so much so that in the Middle Ages, even Muggles without magic could use it to defeat powerful wizards.

The alchemists suspect that it was not destroyed at all, but hidden in Hogwarts!
Of course, that's not the main point for now.

The reason for mentioning this thing is that its function is so targeted, it's as if it was created to make it easier for Muggles to slaughter wizards.

Then, over 300 years later, the once prosperous magical world, which spanned all of Europe, was torn apart by the terrible witch hunts.

From a macro perspective, it seems that the entire magical world has been severely damaged, but if you delve deeper, you will find that during those catastrophic 300 years, pure-blood families suffered almost no damage, and many families that were originally relatively weak even grew stronger as a result (Malfoy, Black, etc.).

Over 300 years, the conflict between Muggles and wizards has resulted in countless children who awakened their magical powers being corrupted by their own magic under the suppression of the social environment, turning them into Obscurials.

It's unknown how many potential geniuses and talents the magical world has lost.

The only known outcome is that the half-blood faction, which had flourished since the founding of Hogwarts, has almost completely disappeared.

The Secret Service Act was also pushed forward, and wizards who were keenly aware of how "stupid" Muggles were responded to enthusiastically. Even the goblins were frightened and couldn't wait to put their fingerprints on it.

The magical world and the secular world were separated from each other from that moment on!

Meanwhile, the pure-blood families who had once colluded with the Muggle kings "actively" severed all ties with Muggles, taking the lead in setting an example by establishing the "Ministry of Magic" to oversee the implementation of the "Law of Secrets"!

The pure-blood families were able to seize power, and they remain so to this day.

A variety of thoughts flashed through his mind as he looked at Hermione, who was lost in thought.

"It's like a strange cycle. Perhaps we can speculate that hundreds of years ago, the increasingly powerful mixed-blood forces began to unconsciously challenge the authority of the purebloods, while the old purebloods remained closed off and did nothing. So, some purebloods with progressive ideas joined forces with secular and divine authorities to launch a witch hunt, and then used this to promote the secrecy law."

"The scheme succeeded, and the purebloods' power has continued to this day. After hundreds of years of accumulated conflicts, a new conflict seems to be brewing..."

Vaughn suddenly wondered, who exactly were those who supported Gettler Grindelwald about 60 years ago?
More than a decade ago, what were the purposes of those who followed Voldemort and swore to kill all half-bloods and Mudbloods?
The answer is obvious!
Gettler Grindelwald wanted to destroy the Act of Secrecy, and he almost succeeded. Unfortunately, there was a man named Albus Dumbledore in his time.

Similarly, more than a decade ago, Voldemort's rise was aided by the pure-blood families. However, those families did not expect that the guy they pushed out would be a completely uncontrollable madman who only liked destruction and chaos!

Compared to the witch hunts and the Act of Secrecy hundreds of years ago, these two events, represented by Grindelwald and Voldemort, were undoubtedly unsuccessful.

But after two failures, will those who once stood behind Grindelwald and tried to overthrow the pure-blood policy, namely the Secret Code, give up?
Will those purebloods who follow Voldemort and want to slaughter all the opposition really stop?

Vaughn watched the setting sun gradually descend outside the attic window, its path of light cleaving the attic in two.

One side is bathed in golden light, while the other is shrouded in darkness and silence.

And I, in the middle, feel as if I am standing at a crucial juncture.

Pureblood faction = WAC opponents

Anti-pure-blood faction = WAC supporters

But what they supported and opposed was never the WAC, the werewolves, or Vaughn Weasley himself.

Rather, it is the will of their respective groups!
The earth-shaking war drums seemed about to sound again, just as they had hundreds, 60, or even more than a decade ago, in places undetectable to Muggles and even many ordinary wizards.

As night fell, fog rolled in over London when Lupin emerged from the hotel.

He witnessed the formation of the fog with his own eyes.

That was the Thames River in front of the hotel. At first, thick water vapor drifted slowly across the surface of the river like wisps of white smoke.

Then it rises.

When they drifted ashore, some inexplicable force began to take effect—not natural air condensation.

It is magic.

In Lupin's perception, a subtle, invisible yet undeniably real magical fluctuation covered about half of London.

Mist Curse!
This spell, which in the hands of many novice wizards could only produce a small wisp of white smoke, now stirred up the nature of half the city.

Rivers, soil, trees... the power of the curse accelerated their water vapor evaporation process, and caused temperature inversion and condensation.

And so, just as Lupin saw it—the colorless water vapor rolled onto the shore and liquefied into countless aerosols, and in an instant, white fog spread out before our eyes.

Like a surging, turbulent wave, or a cloud that suddenly collapses, it abruptly crashes onto the quiet, windless street in front of the hotel, engulfing everything in its path.

It surged over Lu Ping's body, rushed behind him, and rushed in all directions!

Everything in sight suddenly became blurry, visibility was extremely poor, and the hotel neon lights and the streetlights along the road turned into clusters of light that were difficult to distinguish.

He vaguely heard Muggles complaining nearby, but they didn't suspect anything.

Because of the formation of fog, it may appear as a different scene to them.

This is the function of the Mist Spell, providing the basic conditions for creating large-scale illusions.

"Was this Mist Charm cast by Mr. Weasley?"

Hearing the question, Lupin turned around and saw the short, stout Mundungus walking towards him like a waddling penguin. He raised his wand high, and the glowing tip of the wand made the mist around him thinner.

He walked over to Lupin, took out a flask from his pocket, took a small sip of the strong liquor inside, and then let out a sharp, loud laugh.

"Would you like some?"

Mundungus handed the flask to Lupin.

Lu Ping refused with a flat face: "Thank you, but I don't like alcohol."

"Hey buddy, cheer up! I remember you used to be quite cheerful, how come you've become so downcast as you get older?"

Lupin ignored him and took out his pocket watch.

The enchanted dial had no time markings, only a glowing hand that swayed aimlessly.

After two days of spending time together, Mundungus had gotten somewhat used to his cold shoulder. He took another sip of his drink, let out another strange laugh, and then, sniffing his red nose, said, "Seriously, you really need to change your temper, Remus. This is advice I'm giving you because we used to be partners." "Look at your life now, all dressed up, going in and out of hotels. Isn't that much better than your old homeless days? And those werewolf cubs... I've had contact with some werewolf tribes before. I probably know their living conditions better than you do. To put it nicely, they're close to nature; to put it bluntly, they're like wild beasts, eating raw meat and drinking blood."

"You can't be unaware of who gave you all this, can you? Mr. Weasley provides you with a good life, and you do things for him. It's a fair exchange, a matter of personal favors. Isn't that great? I'm so envious. Aren't you satisfied?"

Mundungus's incessant chatter annoyed Lupin.

But he still didn't speak.

This reaction made Mundungus grin: "Silence won't solve anything, buddy. I know you understand all those principles. Your stubbornness and bad temper are just because you're a good person... But I have to say, in this world, good people don't survive."

Lupin finally couldn't hold back any longer and sneered, "So this is why you cheat and swindle, and why you fawn over whoever is powerful?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lupin regretted them.

While Mundungus may be a despicable person, the two still share a bond forged in their shared struggle against the Death Eaters. Such insults and revelations are truly inappropriate.

Just as he was stammering, trying to figure out how to say something to salvage the situation...

Mundungus let out another strange, loud laugh, a chuckle of strong liquor, and said with a clear head, "That's right, buddy, that's why I've been able to live this long."

"...You once had ideals too..."

"You mean the Order of the Phoenix? Don't talk nonsense. I joined the Order of the Phoenix because Dumbledore promised to protect me, and he also needed someone like me to help him with some things that he couldn't do himself. It was just a deal. If Dumbledore had died back then, I would have surrendered faster than anyone else."

"..."

Lupin remained silent.

Mundungus continued, “Look at those people from the Order of the Phoenix back then, how many of them had a good end? The Longbottoms went mad, the Prewitt brothers couldn’t even be pieced together, the Potters… hiccup, you know… your good friend Peter only has one finger left, and Dorcas Meadows, poor witch, what good is power if Voldemort… the Man of Mystery killed her with his own hands.”

"And Edgar Burns, his whole family was wiped out. Benji Fenwick, like the Pewter brothers, was blown to pieces by the Death Eaters, only his remains were found. Even worse was Caladok Dearburn, did you find his body later?"

he asked finally.

Lupin couldn't answer because the answer was obvious; if he had found it, Mundungus couldn't possibly not know it...

Seeing his speechless expression, Mundungus shrugged: "I forgot to mention Moody earlier. I heard that old geezer has gone mad too, paranoid all the time, and even the Aurors don't want him anymore... They're all good people, Remus, but you do the math, add your other good friend Black who's imprisoned in Azkaban, how many of the founders of the Order of the Phoenix are left who can stand on the street and talk properly like you and me?"

“Even the two of us have been living like dogs all these years… Sorry, you know, I’m just that blunt with old friends.”

In the increasingly thick white fog, this short, stout, greasy middle-aged man, who always wore a smile and looked like a clown, unusually revealed a sense of loneliness.

“You say I’m a swindler, a sycophant, and I don’t deny it, because that’s who I am. I don’t want to be associated with the word ‘good person’ anymore… Just like Dumbledore was a good person, so in his eyes, it’s only natural for good people to sacrifice, dedicate themselves, and even have their families destroyed in the fight against evil.”

Hearing this, Lupin couldn't help but interject in defense: "Dumbledore didn't think that way, he just..."

Mundungus interrupted him: "Well, I know what you're going to say. Dumbledore just thinks we're all like him, saints who don't need to eat or spend money!"

“Ha—” Lupin sneered, his gaze falling on Mundungus’s waist, where a money pouch hung, containing the so-called “working funds” that Vaughn had given him during their last meeting.

"Ultimately, it all comes down to money!"

“No, Remus.” Mundungus opened his drowsy, drunken eyes wide, which were now bright and clear: “In my opinion, he gave me not money, but dignity!”

According to Mundungus, the definition of issues like personality shaming should be multifaceted.

It is undoubtedly an insult if someone discriminates against your height or your means of survival.

On the other hand, it is also a kind of humiliation when someone uses moral blackmail to force you to choose the behavior they prescribe. That person regulates your morality, seemingly for your own good, but in that person's heart, you are not worthy of having the right to choose, and so-called free will does not exist.

True respect should be about respecting each person's different pursuits.

Some people can live on their ideals, but others are simply mortal beings.

Mundungus identified himself as the latter.

“Mr. Weasley knows I like money, so he gives me money when he asks me for help.”

The noisy sounds of the Muggles gradually faded away in the fog-shrouded streets. This was an illusion caused by the Fog Charm, which the wizard who cast the Fog Charm was using to "drive away the Muggles" through the illusion of the fog.

Let them go back indoors.

Now only Lupin and Mundungus remained on the street. Mundungus, slightly drunk, spoke eloquently: "Perhaps you find this kind of money-scented transaction vulgar, but it's what I like, and Mr. Weasley respects my tastes, just as he does for you!"

"You're an idealist, Remus, so he doesn't talk to you about money, only about ideals. Why would you resist a boss like that?"

Lupin did not consider why he was resisting.

He already knew the reason; it was simply that he didn't agree with some of Vaughn's methods.

More intrigued than the question itself was: "You actually advised me? I thought that with your personality, you'd be hoping I'd suffer so you could take my place!"

Mundungus shrugged: "Because I know my own limitations. It's hard for someone like me who loves money to gain the trust of those in power. I would have the same thought if I could bribe old Mundung today, but would he betray me tomorrow just because someone else offers a higher price?"

“You’re different. I can tell that Mr. Weasley values ​​you quite a bit. Even though you have a bad temper and are not very obedient, he always entrusts important matters to you.”

"Just like today."

As he spoke, Mundungus exclaimed in anguish, "You really don't know how lucky you are! A big shot like Mr. Weasley is willing to trust you, but you don't take it seriously... It's true that whether in the wizarding world or Muggle society, those who are favored are fearless!"

"But as an old friend, I can't let you continue to be so willful. Old buddy, look at those werewolves in your organization, that little Barnald, William, James... everyone wants to replace you, you silly goose. They're much more sensible than you. They know that when they find a strong player, they should cling to him tightly!"

Lupin scoffed at his attempt to appeal to emotions: "And then what?"

Mundungus seemed oblivious to his mocking smile and brazenly said, "Then I'll help you get rid of your bad habits, and the two of us brothers will crush all the challengers and become Mr. Weasley's number one lackeys. You'll hold the power, and I'll make a little money. How about that?"

Lupin rolled his eyes.

He knows it!

but……

Just then, the hands of the pocket watch, which had been trembling aimlessly, suddenly stopped.

The faint light on the pointer floated up, transformed into a ball of light, and flew into the sky, where it silently exploded in the thick fog, its enormous halo instantly spreading across the sky.

Lupin quickly closed his pocket watch and said to Mundungus, "The contact is coming, so put your bottle away."

"Oh dear, no one ever told old Monton he couldn't do this or that before."

Despite his complaints, Mundungus put away the bottle and then tossed a "cleansing spell" and a few licorice and mints into his mouth.

The water, summoned from who-knows-where, formed a vortex like a washing machine, swirling and churning the licorice and mint fragments in my mouth.

Just as Mundungus spat out the water, the thick fog in the sky parted, and two wizards riding brooms descended from the heavens.

There were two male wizards, one of whom wore a hood, making it impossible to tell his age, except for a pair of light green eyes that shone brightly in the darkness.

The other one, slightly smaller, looked to be only a teenager, probably a recent graduate of Hogwarts. His cloak was adorned with silver threads, which rippled like water as he descended at high speed.

Upon seeing the cloak, Lupin smiled slightly, for the cloak bore the three letters embroidered on its front: WAC!

Moreover, Lupin knew that young man.

He went up to him: "Phil Travers, what brings you here? Didn't I hear you were in charge of receiving the delegation from the International Wizarding Federation?"

Phil smiled slightly: "Yes, Mr. Lupin, but the matter at hand is more urgent. Graybury's lackeys are gathering in London, and Mr. Weasley wants us to get rid of those guys first."

Lupin showed no surprise at what he said.

Yesterday, he and the werewolf wizards received instructions from Vaughn, saying that Greyback might be instigated by some people with ulterior motives to sabotage the WAC conference.

Everyone has been on standby since yesterday.

Although werewolves cannot transform and are unlikely to cause much damage until the full moon, Fenrir Greyback is an exception.

This veteran werewolf modified his claws and teeth to ensure that he could tear and bite his prey even when he was in human form, and could even transmit werewolf virus to a limited extent (when Greyback bites someone in human form, the bitten person will not be infected with werewolf disease, but will also show certain bestial characteristics, such as a love of eating raw meat).

Furthermore, even in human form, Greyback's claws and teeth can inflict non-healing wounds, just like in his werewolf form.

Furthermore, he is a powerful dark wizard with a cannibalistic appetite. If he is allowed to cause trouble during the WAC conference, the WAC will be unable to defend itself.

It's not just the opposition that will exploit this situation.

And then there are the ordinary wizards and common people. The truth is, most wizards are just like Muggle people, lacking clear and rational discernment and easily swayed by others.

If they hear about a werewolf attack, they won't rationally try to figure out who the perpetrator is; they'll just point the finger at all werewolves.

"Is the intelligence reliable?" Lupin asked.

Phil Travers glanced at the green-eyed man beside him, who remained motionless, and replied, "The information provided by the family of this friend of mine has been verified by my grandfather and Mr. Weasley; it is reliable."

He didn't describe the green eyes.

Lupin didn't ask either.

They are nothing more than some small families in the magical world who are preparing to pledge allegiance to Vaughn, but dare not show their true faces due to various concerns.

He nodded: "Okay... By the way, this is Mundungus Fletcher, my partner. He's working with me today, and he's also in charge of collecting werewolves. You should inform the other teams to capture as many as possible alive, and then contact Fletcher."

Phil agreed.

It was clearly Vaughn Weasley's request, so he didn't ask any questions and politely extended his hand to Mundungus: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fletcher."

Mundungus's smile was forced and insincere.

After shaking hands with Phil, he turned to Lupin and whispered, "Remus, I forgot one of the people I mentioned who sacrificed themselves. Marlene McKinnon, the poor girl, her whole family was wiped out, and Travers was one of the murderers!"

Lupin: "..."

Phil: "..."

Pretending not to hear Mundungus's malicious words, Phil pulled two flying brooms from his bag, which was enchanted with the "Seamless Stretch Charm," and said to Lupin:
"According to intelligence obtained by our allied families, there are about 20 werewolves who infiltrated the main city of London. They are divided into 5 teams and scattered in various places. It is preliminarily determined that they are waiting for an opportunity to cause chaos."

"Where are they hiding?" Lupin asked.

Where would the werewolf hide?
That's a good question. In the past, Lupin himself would have been able to answer it, mostly to the desolate countryside, the Scottish mountains, or the North Sea coast.

Of course, the magical black market throughout the British Isles can also serve as a refuge for werewolves.

Especially Graybuck and his cronies.

Those guys are different from ordinary werewolves; they are generally dark wizards, which is to be expected. How many normal people would be willing to follow that beast, Greyback?
But the situation has completely changed in the last year.

The advent of wolfsbane and WAC (Werewolf Aphrodisiac) changed the fate of ordinary werewolves, but also made the living environment of people like Greyback increasingly harsh.

After nearly a year of promotion and incorporation, WAC has gathered all werewolf tribes willing to submit, and has implemented a new "registration law" for every werewolf willing to join the WAC system.

That was a magical contract.

However, unlike the Ministry of Magic's "Werewolf Registration Act," the "New Registration Act," while also requiring werewolves to leave behind materials for casting spells such as blood, hair, and names, is not inherently discriminatory.

(End of this chapter)