It wasn't Vaughn being narcissistic; old Dumbledore had a history of this.
The greatest white wizard of the century was respected not only for his strength, but also because he never hesitated to support younger generations.
However, Dumbledore was just as famous for his love of nurturing juniors as he was for his fondness for being cryptic, speaking in riddles, and playing the fool.
Over the next week or so, Vaughn tried probing him several times, but Dumbledore only smiled pleasantly and stubbornly refused to state his position on Ilvermorny's invitation.
After a few attempts, Vaughn could not be bothered to keep pestering him.
Of course, the main reason was that as Easter drew near, the first-years' coursework became increasingly demanding.
These courses were mainly geared toward the exams two months away. Since they concerned advancement to the next year, even Vaughn, who usually enjoyed certain privileges, had no choice but to become a proper student again—memorizing key points and writing essays according to the professors' plans.
As April arrived, summer suddenly seemed close at hand.
The young wizards shed their fur-lined robes and changed into summer clothes, but even that could not ease the torment brought by the increasingly vicious sun. Blinding sunlight scorched the earth, while heat waves baked up from the ground and swept through every classroom at Hogwarts.
It was even worse when there was no sun. At the slightest overcast, it became hot and stifling, as though they had been stuffed into a sauna. Sticky air clogged every pore, making it hard to breathe.
As the weather changed, insects that had once vanished returned in force. Cicadas gradually began chirping among the flowerbeds outside the windows, their noise making everyone even more irritable.
Amid this pervasive restlessness, time drifted toward the final holiday before summer