Just as the Golden Trio was having their falling out, Vaughn had stopped Professor Snape.
“Professor, do you have some time this weekend?
I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”
Snape eyed him out of the corner of his eye and said flatly, “I don’t have ti—”
But Vaughn acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, maintaining his deferential attitude.
“Many potion recipes can’t be found on the market, and I’ve already mastered all the basics.
You have no idea how happy I was when I received my Hogwarts letter.
Ever since I brewed my first Blood-Replenishing Potion at eight years old, I’ve looked forward to the day I could become your student.”
“…”
Snape swallowed the refusal on the tip of his tongue.
His mouth twitched slightly as he fought to hide the flicker of emotion on his face.
“Sunday,” he said.
“Dusk.
Do not keep me waiting.”
“Thank you very much, Professor.
I’ll be there on time.”
Snape swept away.
The sharp clicking of his leather shoes against the stone floor seemed noticeably brisker than usual.
Vaughn was pleased as well.
He needed Reputation Points to increase his strength.
For now, Potions was still his most effective vehicle for spreading his fame; after all, he had cultivated this field for years and possessed a solid theoretical foundation.
If he could learn advanced potion-making and broaden his horizons, he could significantly deepen his understanding of ingredients, optimize recipes, and validate his theories.
He might even design entirely new potions.
The “Vaughn’s Beauty” series was only good for making money; its potential for boosting his reputation had already been completely drained.
Having secured Snape’s promise, Vaughn spent a pleasant evening visiting the Ravenclaw common room.
The logical riddles posed by the bronze knocker in place of a password were child’s play to him.
By the time he and Fruit Tea had coaxed a small mountain of snacks out of the older Ravenclaw girls, he decided to take a walk along the Black Lake to digest.
That was when he spotted Hermione sitting by the water.
A breeze had picked up as night fell, rippling the surface of the Black Lake under the dark sky.
A giant squid was swimming in the water, and in the distance, a few Gryffindors seemed to be feeding it.
“Fred and George told me that giant squid is actually Godric Gryffindor in his Animagus form.”
Hermione, who had been staring blankly at the Black Lake, was startled by the sudden voice.
She hurriedly wiped her face.
Looking up, she saw Vaughn sitting down beside her.
He handed her a piece of chocolate.
“Here.
It makes you feel better.”
Vaughn’s pockets were bulging with sweets.
Fruit Tea, carrying a piece of jerky in its mouth, shook its head and trotted happily around their feet.
Hermione knew he must have just come from Ravenclaw; both he and Fruit Tea were incredibly popular with the girls over there.
“Thank you…” she murmured.
She thanked him softly, then looked back at the giant squid in the lake, unable to resist pointing out: “Gryffindor lived a thousand years ago.
How could an Animagus transformation survive that long?
They must be pulling your leg.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Hermione felt a twinge of regret.
Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut?
Did she really have to be so pedantic even at a time like this?
Was her personality truly that dreadful?
Vaughn noticed her distress.
After a brief pause, he asked, “Did you have a falling out with Harry and Ron?”
“Uh…
how did you know?”
“You’re not usually the type to sit around doing nothing.
Normally you’re either in the library or on your way there,” Vaughn said with a chuckle.
“And so far, you only seem to get along with us.
If it wasn’t those two upsetting you, I can’t think of anyone else who would drive you out here.”
Hermione was taken aback.
She hadn’t realized it before, but looking back, she really didn’t have any friends.
Aside from Vaughn, the only two she had thought she had…
Feeling even more dejected, she pursed her lips.
After a brief silence, she recounted what Ron had said behind her back.
“Vaughn,” she whispered when she finished, “am I really that annoying?
I only…
I only want everyone to follow the rules.” She had expected words of comfort; after all, Vaughn was always warm, witty, and a little mischievous.
But to her surprise, Vaughn nodded.
“A little bit, yeah.”
“…”
Vaughn patted her slight shoulder and looked out over the water into the night breeze.
“In a country far from England, there’s a proverb that says: honest advice is grating to the ears.
Of course, this isn’t a problem with you or anyone in particular.
It’s just human nature.
People love to run away from their mistakes, and when someone is always there to point them out, their instinct is to push back.”
Looking up at him, Hermione suddenly felt that he possessed an indefinable aura.
Such profound words would usually sound incredibly bizarre coming from someone so young.
It would seem like an adolescent desperately trying to act mature.
Yet Vaughn said it so naturally, as if time itself had settled deeply around him, making any incongruity vanish entirely.
She asked blankly, “But why have you never found me…
annoying?”
“Because I like your sincerity!”
Under Vaughn’s warm, smiling gaze, Hermione’s cheeks flushed bright red.
Then she heard him continue, “The more setbacks a person experiences, the more they appreciate having a friend like you.
Ron is still childish; he doesn’t understand that yet.”
Hermione suddenly wanted to ask: *Why do you understand it then?* But for some reason, she got the feeling she wouldn’t get an answer.
There were always things people chose to keep to themselves.
She found herself at a loss for words.
The two sat in quiet companionship by the lakeside, feeling the breeze as they watched the giant squid stretch a tentacle out to capsize a rowboat.
The Gryffindor students aboard shrieked as they plunged into the water, only to burst into laughter.
“Hermione, for my sake, forgive Ron if you can.
And while you’re at it, help me keep an eye on them.”
Hermione heard Vaughn say.
She didn’t quite understand.
“What do you mean?”
Vaughn offered a wry smile, looking slightly helpless.
“Harry’s situation is complicated.
Dumbledore seems to be putting him through some sort of trial.
Having Ron stick so close to him makes me uneasy, but I have no right to break up their friendship.
So, I want you to keep an eye on them for me.
If anything happens, make sure I hear about it.”
Hermione gasped slightly.
Catching the underlying implication, she lowered her voice.
“Are you saying Harry is in danger at school?”
“Not danger, a trial.
But…” Vaughn shrugged.
“No one can keep everything completely under control.
Not even Dumbledore.”
Hermione’s mind was in a whirl.
She desperately wanted to ask what Vaughn knew.
But Vaughn had already stood up and was preparing to leave with Fruit Tea.
Before he walked away, he slipped her a few more pieces of chocolate.
“That’s all.
Go back and get some rest, Hermione.”
Finally, he looked back with a grin.
“Keep it under wraps, my secret agent.”
Hermione’s face flushed red once more, and she completely forgot what she had wanted to ask.
As Vaughn walked away, his expression turned calm and steady.
He had never once considered tagging along with the Savior.
The goals he had set for his Hogwarts years were clear: first, master Potions and spread his fame; second, study advanced magic and build his personal strength.
With those priorities, he had absolutely no energy to waste on tracking every move of the Savior.