Party and the Diggorys

A letter from Hogwarts was important to any family.

It could change the destiny of a Muggle Family, allowing them to enter the wondrous Wizarding world from then on.

It could also dispel a Wizarding family's greatest fear—that their child was a Squib!

So, the Weasley family spent the entire day celebrating, while Molly prepared an abundant spread of ingredients.

At noon, the family put up a canopy in the garden near the edge of the Pond, preparing to enjoy the breeze, the beautiful scenery, and the shimmering water at a picnic party.

Arthur even wanted to invite all the nearby neighbors, but Molly's raised feather duster ultimately put a stop to that—Molly had always thought the Lovegoods behaved strangely, while they did not have much contact with the Fawcett family, so neither was suitable.

Thus, only the Diggory family was invited in the end.

Amos Diggory, like Arthur Weasley, was an employee of the Ministry of Magic. He worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so the two could barely be considered colleagues.

But Arthur had not invited him out of professional courtesy.

"That bloke is awful!"

"Every time we meet, he goes on and on showing off about how brilliant his son Cedric is, with that awful look like he thinks everyone else's children are beneath him!"

Arthur looked deeply indignant as he said this.

So when Amos Diggory Apparated at The Burrow with his son, Arthur happily put an arm around Vaughn and welcomed them!

"Amos, welcome to The Burrow. This is my son, Vaughn. I bet you've heard his name before."

Amos had a short brown beard and a red face, as though he had been drinking.

He shook Arthur's hand while sizing Vaughn up.

Vaughn wore the smile expected of him by an elder.

"Yes, yes, Arthur. Your family's Potions Prodigy—I have certainly heard of him. Did he receive his Hogwarts letter today? Where's Ron?"

Arthur's smile stiffened. He had not expected the other man to pinpoint his weakness so precisely. His eyes flickered as he looked around. "Oh, Ron received one too..."

Amos immediately raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't you bring him over? If you ask me, you ought to let Ron spend more time with Cedric. Our Cedric is obedient and an excellent student. Even Professor McGonagall has nothing but praise for his Transfiguration, and he's also a Quidditch Seeker. Perhaps he can help Ron make a few changes..."

When it came to showing off his son, Amos was clearly experienced. He knew how to avoid the other party's strengths and seize upon their sore spots.

Vaughn nearly laughed aloud at the childish rivalry between the adults.

The little boy who had come with Amos, Cedric Diggory, looked rather embarrassed.

He was very handsome, with the lingering shyness of youth.

While the dazed Arthur was led away by Amos, he stepped up to Vaughn and apologized, "Sorry, my father means no harm. He just has a habit of exaggerating when he talks."

As though he had heard him, Mr. Diggory's loud praise drifted over from afar. "...Cedric is always humble and polite, always such a perfect gentleman..."

"..."

Cedric's expression froze, and he had no choice but to awkwardly change the subject.

He held out his hand to Vaughn. "My name is Cedric Diggory. Mr. Vaughn Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've read several of your essays on potions. I must say, some of the development ideas you mentioned in them were astonishing."

Vaughn shook his hand and smiled. "Thank you. They're just a few clever tricks. There are still people in the Extraordinary Potions Masters Association criticizing me for taking an Unorthodox Path."

Where there were people, there were disputes.

Over the past few years, Vaughn had earned quite a few Gold Galleons through the Vaughn's Beauty line, naturally drawing the envy of other potioneers.

Not to mention Vaughn's astonishing talent for potions—only eight years old and not yet enrolled at Hogwarts, he had already developed mature potion products. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

If they had not still possessed a shred of shame and felt too embarrassed to steal a child's research results, and if Vaughn had not been a Pure-blood, the formula for the Vaughn's Beauty line would likely have been cracked long ago and its market fought over.

Of course, after several essays on potion development were published, Vaughn had now established himself. Vaughn's Beauty had made its name, and those people could only wage verbal battles in the newspapers.

Vaughn's composure made Cedric somewhat envious.

He was ambitious and greatly admired those with genuine ability. So even though Vaughn had not yet enrolled, Cedric still humbly asked him several questions about potion Transfiguration.

"...I haven't tried Polyjuice Potion yet. You know, the formula for this kind of advanced potion simply can't be found on the market. I've heard that the Scarpin Transfiguration Curse can analyze a potion's exact ingredients and proportions, but it is a spell whose circulation is explicitly restricted by the Ministry of Magic."

"So I'm really looking forward to studying at Hogwarts. Its library and professors can teach so much knowledge that cannot be learned through self-study... Let's return to the earlier topic. Although I haven't brewed Polyjuice Potion, its main ingredients are still known. I suggest using its primary ingredient, powdered Bicorn horn, for some low-risk experiments..."

By noon, Cedric had completely become Vaughn's little admirer.

He even ignored Mr. Diggory and deliberately sat beside Vaughn so he could ask questions more conveniently.

After hearing this, he pondered for a moment and asked, "You mean the main factor that allows Polyjuice Potion to transform someone comes from the Bicorn?"

"No. The transformation mainly relies on the Traits of Fluxweed. The Bicorn simply provides more possibilities. Just like its appearance, it resembles a leopard, a Bull, and a person. It is the key to Polyjuice Potion allowing you to become someone else, even across genders. This already involves altering the very essence of the human body. I believe its potential is far from fully explored!"

Vaughn spoke at length.

No one in his family had any particular talent for potions, so he usually could not find anyone to discuss potions with. Although Cedric's questions were mainly about potion Transfiguration, Vaughn was still glad to have someone to talk to.

While their conversation was in full swing, Ron was suffering terribly on the other side of the dining table.

Even though he had tried to lie low until mealtime before coming downstairs, Mr. Diggory still caught him. He had no choice but to stand with his father and endure Mr. Diggory's elaborate praise of his own son, along with his overt and veiled belittling of Ron.

To escape, Ron even had to bring up Vaughn.

"Cedric is asking Vaughn about potions. I want to go listen," Ron said.

Mr. Diggory immediately shut up and let him go.

That made Ron feel even worse. He always felt as though his brother's shadow was everywhere!

Especially when it was time to eat, Molly brought out the carefully prepared Hot Pot—it was Chinese Cuisine that Vaughn, who had grown to loathe Britain's "food" after eating it for several years, had "reconstructed" from Muggle magazines by taking advantage of Dad's work connections.

When the Hot Pot was brought to the table, Ron watched his listless father perk up again and boast to Mr. Diggory about Vaughn's culinary invention.

Ron felt utterly powerless!