Hogwarts: What wicked thoughts could a little wizard possibly have?

Chapter 33 Bargaining

Vaughn didn't take the "chance encounter" with Old Deng to heart. Of course, their previous conversation wasn't just casual chat. Old Deng was pretending to be crazy, but what he was really implying was that he knew about the existence of the Room of Requirement and had been keeping track of Vaughn's whereabouts.

The invitation to try out the toilet room was actually a test of Vaughn's willingness to "obey" and his attitude towards him.

So Vaughn flatly refused and stated his current pursuit:

I just want to research potions, leave me alone!

There's a saying from an ancient time: "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles."

Dumbledore was hardly a gentleman, but no matter how many conspiracy theorists speculated about him in his past life.

There is no doubt that Dumbledore did indeed act in a very disciplined manner.

He is unwilling to force others to act according to his ideas, nor is he willing to abuse his magic. He will only guide and exploit human weaknesses to achieve his goals within the limits of the rules.

The formation and solidification of this personality and style of behavior was not due to Dumbledore's innate nature, but rather stemmed from several heart-wrenching setbacks and lessons learned during his long life.

Ariana died in Godric's Valley.

Grindelwald broke with him.

Even Tom Riddle...

Perhaps, during the many days and nights that Voldemort ravaged the land, Dumbledore was filled with regret.

She regretted why she had used her power to subdue Tom when they first met.

He used force to compel a child to admit his mistake, and that child spent his whole life chasing after power and getting lost in it!

It was precisely because he was familiar with Dumbledore's personality and past that Vaughn never feared or hated him—if it were Voldemort, Vaughn would have already slapped a curse in the face and then tried to escape, without uttering a single word.

Vaughn likes people who follow rules, even though he himself doesn't necessarily follow them...

This is called a flexible moral bottom line!

The next day, when Vaughn went to see Professor Snape, he told him about his chance encounter with the headmaster and commented with a cheerful expression, "The headmaster is a good man."

"..." Snape remained expressionless, but something felt off.

But at this moment, he had no time to think about whether Vaughn was being sarcastic or genuinely believed it.

The two did not meet in the dark basement today.

Instead, they went to the Quidditch pitch—the place Snape had chosen.

It was late September, and October was fast approaching. Temperatures in the Scottish Highlands had plummeted, and the weather was becoming increasingly harsh. Dark, leaden clouds rolled overhead, and fierce winds whipped up icy rain that howled across the Quidditch pitch.

Even in such terrible weather, the Gryffindor team did not give up training.

Oliver Wood, riding on a broomstick, was being blown about by the wind, his mouth filled with rainwater, but he still tried his best to shout loudly, giving a mobilization speech and outlining tactics.

He completely ignored his teammates, whose faces were ashen, as if they were possessed by vampires.

The small and thin Harry fell several times, shaking so badly that he couldn't even keep his glasses on, as if he would convulse and die at any moment.

In this kind of weather, even the most enthusiastic Gryffindors wouldn't be willing to give up their warm fireplaces to come and support the team.

In the empty stands, only Ron and Hermione, wearing raincoats, huddled in the canopy.

Therefore, Vaughn and Snape, with their "waterproof curse" and "bubble head curse" on the sidelines, stood out conspicuously.

"...See that?! Slytherin is afraid of us!! They've sent their headmaster and best students to spy on us. Are we going to be looked down upon by them? Where is your passion? Where is your voice?"

"Harry! Shout it out, show Slytherin what you've got!!"

Wood was filled with passion.

Harry: "Ding ding ding ding..."

The twins couldn't help but complain, "What can they possibly gather in this awful weather? Are they going to watch Harry freeze into a block of ice?"

"Wood has gone mad, Fred. Ever since his idea of ​​using Harry as a secret weapon fell apart, his mind has started to turn into a troll."

Gryffindor Chaser Angelina Jensen, clutching her broom tightly and completely disoriented in the wind, cried out, "Damn Wood, I curse you to be a woman, to have your period every day, and to be drenched in rain every day!"

Gryffindor team: "..."

Looking at the lion cubs' disheveled appearance, Snape snorted with pleasure: "Foolish team, foolish Potter."

Vaughn ignored Snape's sarcastic remarks about Harry, and instead smiled at Fred, George, and Harry, who were on the verge of collapse in the distance, and asked, "Professor, do you also like Quidditch?"

Snape, expressionless, succinctly stated: "Foolish sport!"

"Then why did you bring me here?"

Snape's face twitched, but he didn't answer. Instead, he asked in his characteristically slow, deliberate tone, "You've finished reading your book. When do you plan to begin perfecting the magic extraction method?"

"It's not time yet, Professor," Vaughn explained. "Next, I plan to delve deeper into the field of potions, first brewing some high-level potions to familiarize myself with the rituals, and then begin researching the ingredients."

Snape thought for a moment. "I heard from Dumbledore that you're thinking of developing new potions?"

"Yes, in fact, the perfection of the magic extraction method cannot be achieved quickly."

"Each material has many different properties. Some can be used in known formulations, while others cannot, but that doesn't mean they won't be useful in the future."

"If I want to build a universal template, I must understand all the features—their effects, the similarities and differences in their extraction methods, and whether their combination produces new features. I must at least establish a relatively clear list of these."

This is a huge project.

Snape couldn't help but glance at Vaughn.

Vaughn remained calm and continued, "Even after extracting the properties, we can't immediately determine their effects; we can only make vague guesses, especially for those properties that don't exist in known formulas. This requires developing new potions to characterize them..."

"I intend to dedicate my life to the method of magic extraction, Professor, but I can't keep saying 'it's still being perfected.' Developing new potions is both to verify my theory and to fill the gaps before I can fully perfect it."

Snape didn't know what to say.

His stern face and lifeless eyes made it impossible to discern his thoughts. Only after a long while did he finally scoff, "Ignorance is bliss!"

He paused, then added, "But not arrogant."

Vaughn smiled and said dismissively, "I've always believed that a person should have lofty goals, but also be able to work hard and be down-to-earth."