Bargaining (Part 1)

Vaughn did not think much of his "chance encounter" with Old Dumbledore. Their earlier conversation had certainly not been mere small talk. Old Dumbledore had played dumb, but his vague implication was that he knew of the Room of Requirement and had been keeping track of Vaughn's movements.

His invitation to try that bathroom room had been even more of a test—testing whether Vaughn was willing to "behave," and what his attitude toward him was.

So Vaughn had refused outright and made his current pursuit clear:

I only want to study potions. Stop bothering me!

There had been a saying in his previous life: "A gentleman can be manipulated through principles."

Dumbledore was no gentleman, but regardless of how many conspiracy theorists in his previous life had speculated otherwise—

One thing was beyond doubt: Dumbledore truly did act according to rules.

He was unwilling to force others to act as he wished, unwilling to abuse his own magic. He only guided people, seized upon the weaknesses of human nature, and achieved his goals within the boundaries allowed by the rules.

This temperament and way of doing things had not been innate. They had formed and solidified through several heartbreaking setbacks and lessons over the course of Dumbledore's long life.

Ariana, who had died in Godric's Hollow.

Grindelwald, who had broken with him.

And even Tom Riddle...

Perhaps, through many of the days and nights when Voldemort had run rampant, Dumbledore had regretted it.

Regretted why, when he had first met Tom, he had displayed his power to make him submit.

He had used power to force a child to admit his mistakes. Thus, that child had spent his entire life pursuing power, only to lose himself in it!

It was precisely because Vaughn knew Dumbledore's character and past so well that he had never feared or hated him—if it had been Voldemort instead, Vaughn would have blasted him in the face with a spell and then figured out how to run. There would not have been a single word of nonsense.

Vaughn liked people who followed rules, though he did not necessarily follow them himself...

That was 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 cheerfully, "The Headmaster is a good man."

"..." Snape remained expressionless, though he felt that something about this was strange.

But at that moment, he was in no mood to consider whether Vaughn was being sarcastic or truly thought so.

For this meeting, the two of them had not gone to the gloomy Basement.

Instead, they had come to the Quidditch Pitch—Snape's chosen location.

It was already late September, nearly October. Temperatures in the Scottish Highlands had plummeted, and the weather had begun to worsen by the day. Heavy leaden clouds rolled overhead while fierce winds whipped freezing rain across the Quidditch Pitch.

Even in such terrible weather, the Gryffindor team had not given up training.

Oliver Wood rode his broom, swaying wildly in the wind. Every time he opened his mouth, it filled with rainwater, yet he still struggled to shout his motivational speech and tactical arrangements.

He paid no heed to his teammates, whose faces were all deathly pale, as though they had been possessed by Vampires.

The slight Harry had fallen several times already. He was shivering so hard that he could barely keep his glasses on, as though he might convulse and drop dead at any moment.

In weather like this, not even the most enthusiastic Gryffindors were willing to leave a warm Fireplace to come support the team in person.

On the empty stands, only Ron and Hermione sat huddled beneath the shelter, wrapped in raincoats.

Thus, Vaughn and Snape, standing at the sidelines beneath a Waterproof Charm and Buoyancy Charm, were exceptionally conspicuous.

"...Do you see that?! Slytherin is afraid of us! They've sent their Head of House and their best student to spy on us! Are we going to let them look down on us? Where is your passion? Where are your voices?"

"Harry! Roar! Show Slytherin what you're made of!!"

Wood was overflowing with passion.

Harry: "B-b-b-b-b..."

The Twins could not help complaining, "What can they possibly spy on in this damned weather? How Harry freezes into an ice cube?"

"Wood has gone mad, Fred. Ever since his plan to use Harry as a secret weapon fell apart, his brain has started turning into a Troll's."

Gryffindor's Chaser Angelina Johnson clung desperately to her broom, already utterly disheveled by the wind. She cried out, "Damn you, Wood! I Curse you to turn into a woman and have your period every day, every day while getting drenched by torrential rain!"

The Gryffindor team: "..."

Watching the Little Lions' miserable state, Snape gave a pleased snort. "A stupid team. A stupid Potter."

Vaughn's ears automatically filtered out Snape's vicious remarks about Harry. Smiling, he looked at Fred, George, and Harry, who were on the verge of collapse in the distance, and asked, "Professor, do you like Quidditch too?"

Snape remained expressionless and answered succinctly, "A stupid sport!"

"Then why did you bring me here?"

Snape's cheek twitched. Rather than answering, he asked in his distinctive slow drawl, "You have finished your books. When do you intend to begin refining the Magic Extraction Method?"

"Not yet, Professor." Vaughn explained, "Next, I intend to delve deeper into potions. I'll first brew some advanced potions and familiarize myself with the Potion Ceremony for advanced potions, then begin researching the ingredients."

Snape considered this. "I heard from Dumbledore that you also intend to develop new potions?"

"Yes. In fact, refining the Magic Extraction Method cannot produce results quickly."

"Every ingredient has many different Traits. Some can be used in known Recipes, while others cannot, but that does not mean they will have no use in the Future."

"If I want to construct a universal template, I must understand every Trait—its effects, the similarities and differences in extraction methods, and whether combining them with one another produces new Traits. At the very least, I need to establish a relatively clear catalogue."

This was an enormous undertaking.

Snape could not help glancing at Vaughn.

Vaughn, however, remained calm as he continued, "Even after a Trait has been extracted, its purpose cannot be determined immediately. At best, one can make vague guesses. This is especially true for those that do not exist in known Recipes. New potions must be developed to determine their properties..."

"I intend to make the Magic Extraction Method my life's work, Professor, but I cannot keep saying that it is 'still being refined.' Developing new potions will not only verify my theories, but also fill the gaps before I can fully perfect it."

Snape did not know what to say.

His stiff face and lifeless eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts. Only after a long while did he snort. "Ignorant and fearless!"

After a pause, he added, "But not arrogant."

Vaughn merely smiled, unconcerned. "I have always believed that a person must have lofty goals, but also know how to keep their feet on the ground."