After clearing up his doubts, Li Nanyu soon left the Headmaster's Office. He had come to see Dumbledore that night specifically because of the eight-champion tournament.
Vaughn had guessed as much, which was why he had brought Hermione to the Headmaster's Office under the pretext of having a late-night snack.
Cheng Quandao would certainly tell Li Nanyu what Pheobe had mentioned about the International Confederation of Wizards. China had no intelligence channels within the Confederation, so if Li Nanyu wanted to get to the bottom of things, he would have to seek out either Vaughn or Dumbledore.
Vaughn had waited in the Laboratory without seeing him, so Li Nanyu had evidently chosen Dumbledore.
That did not surprise Vaughn. Apart from their conversation when they first met, Li Nanyu had never approached him privately, as though he was avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
That was most likely because of Dumbledore. Vaughn knew the old man kept a close watch on him, afraid that he and Li Nanyu might grow too close.
Vaughn and Dumbledore had always maintained a delicate balance. That balance rested on the fact that Vaughn was not yet strong enough and needed a Legendary Wizard backing him.
Dumbledore also needed Vaughn's intelligence to deal with Voldemort. In his view, unless Vaughn became a Legendary Wizard, the situation would never spiral completely out of control.
That was the confidence of a Legendary Wizard!
But if Vaughn acquired other partners, and they were also Legendary Wizards-one or even several-it would mean he was completely beyond Dumbledore's control. Dumbledore did not want that to happen. Vaughn did not know whether Li Nanyu had seen through this, but the old man from the East had always maintained just the right distance, never overstepping.
So, after guessing that Li Nanyu would come to