Harry's Great Power

Sure enough, after a night of torture, Cassandra stopped mentioning the order of events and marriage. Before leaving, she glared at Veratia with resentment in her eyes.

Harry received the same treatment.

"You're so mean," Harry shook his head helplessly. "It's amazing you could come up with such an idea—look what happened! You made me mess with her like that, and now she's started to resent me too."

"Don't act all innocent after getting a good deal," Veratia said, squinting. "It's not like you didn't get anything in return."

"Haha." Harry scratched his head and answered with an awkward laugh.

Indeed, although Cassandra was tortured, it was Harry benefited.

In this respect, Veratia is absolutely the best girl in the world.

"I remember you said before that your Charms was enhanced by the Philosopher's Stone, is that right?" Veratia suddenly asked. "That was a long time ago, wasn't it? I was busy at that time and didn't have time to see your results."

"Oh, you want to see it?" Harry asked.

"Give it a try." Veratia leaned casually back in her large Minister's chair, resting her chin on her hand lazily, as if she were merely suggesting that they try a new tea.

"Let's try it outside, Veratia," Harry said, looking around. "We can't really operate here, and it wouldn't be good if we damaged the house."

"It's alright," Veratia interrupted him with a smile, tapping the smooth tabletop with her fingertip. "This reception hall in Nurmengard uses Gringotts' latest security technology, theoretically sufficient to isolate the aftershocks of most Charms attacks. You were just using an ' Disarming Charm,' not blowing up the castle."

Her tone was relaxed, carrying an air of certainty about magical creations and a playful jab at Harry for making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Are you sure?" Harry didn't explain further; he turned his head and asked the composed Veratia.

"Of course I'm sure." Veratia said calmly, even slightly adjusting her posture as if she were ready to appreciate the moment.

Harry took a deep breath, raised his wand, and pointed it at the wall near the window.

"Epelliarmus (Disarming Charm)!"

The expected short and slender red beam of Disarming Charm did not appear. Instead, a thick, crimson beam of light, as large as a bucket in diameter and so solid it seemed to possess a texture, appeared.

It roared and burst forth from the tip of Harry's staff, seemingly tearing the air apart in its path, emitting a deep, terrifying hum. Unsecured papers, Quill, and other small items in the office were instantly swept away by the violent airflow!

Veratia's hand, which was supporting her chin, froze, and her violet pupils suddenly contracted.

The next second -

Boom!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted!

That terrifying crimson Charms, like the furious breath of Fire Dragon, struck the wall adorned with intricate Magic Array patterns with a resounding thud.

The wall, which claimed to use Gringotts' latest protective technology, merely flashed an imperceptible defensive luster for a moment before collapsing and shattering like a biscuit hit by a giant hammer!

Fragments of brick and magical materials exploded outwards in a radial pattern, creating a huge hole in the center of the wall with irregularly molten edges and a diameter of over three meters. The hole went straight through the Minister's Office, and a biting wind rushed in through it, mixing with the pervasive dust and countless fluttering debris, all of which rushed into the office.

The office was a mess. The expensive magic carpet was blown away, the magical portraits on the wall screamed and scattered, and the heavy, sturdy desk in front of Veratia was also pushed aside by the shockwave of the explosion. The exquisite ink bottle on it was overturned, and dark ink stains quickly seeped out.

"Potter! What are you doing!" Professor Rackham Charles Lukwood's portrait roared furiously, his glasses falling off his nose.

Veratia remained in the same position with her chin propped up, but the confident smile on her face had frozen, replaced by utter shock and bewilderment.

Her violet eyes were wide open, staring unblinkingly at the huge hole that was still crumbling, as if she couldn't comprehend what was happening before her eyes.

A few strands of silver hair, ruffled by the gust of air, clung to her smooth cheeks, making her usually confident expression reveal a rare vulnerability and blankness.

She truly hadn't expected that a Disarming Charm could possess such power.

The deathly silence lasted for about two seconds.

Then, a piercing alarm blared throughout the upper echelons of the Ministry of Magic, shrieking sharply like a bird being strangled!

"Enemy attack! The Minister's Office has been attacked!"

"Minister of Protection! Quickly!"

"Follow me! Follow me!"

The rapid, hurried footsteps approached like a tidal wave. In just a few breaths, a group of fully armed Auror, their expressions extremely tense, rushed to the Minister's Office in standard battle formation, their wands flashing with various defensive and detection lights, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The senior Auror at the head of the group, still looking shaken, scanned the messy room with lightning speed, his gaze immediately locking onto Veratia behind the desk.

"Minister! Are you alright? The attacker—"

His words abruptly stopped when he saw Harry Potter, the Minister's boyfriend, standing in the room with his wand still in hand, looking embarrassed and like he'd messed up, and Minister Ms. Grindelwald looking shocked.

The Auror exchanged glances, their wary postures slightly relaxing, but the confusion and tension in their eyes remained undiminished.

They looked at the shocking hole, then at the Minister seemed unharmed but was clearly in a state of extreme shock, and finally their gazes all fell on Harry.

The air was thick with dust, and there was also a sense of awkward absurdity.

Veratia finally slowly lowered her hand that was supporting her chin, her movements a little stiff.

She blinked, and it seemed as if a speck of dust had settled on her long eyelashes.

Her gaze slowly moved from the hole to the wand Harry was still holding, and then to Harry's face, which seemed to say, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this either."

As the shock gradually subsided, another, more complex and turbulent emotion quickly welled up in her eyes.

She felt an unbelievable sense of lingering fear, skepticism about Gringotts' "latest technology," shame and anger at her own misjudgment, and a deep sense of awe at the terrifying power Harry, this "human weapon," displayed, far exceeding her imagination.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.

In the end, she simply raised one hand to her smooth forehead and slowly took a deep breath.

Then, those violet eyes refocused, sharply sweeping over the group of Auror at the door who were still clueless.

"Go out."

Her voice wasn't loud, even a little hoarse, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Seal off this floor. Today's events are classified as top secret. Without my order, no one is allowed to approach, question, or record anything. Now, immediately."

The Auror were intimidated by the almost tangible pressure in the Minister's eyes and bowed without hesitation. "Yes, Minister!"

They withdrew quickly and quietly, and began to execute the lockdown orders efficiently.

When only the two of them were left in the office again, along with that drafty hole, Veratia finally fixed her gaze entirely on Harry.

She spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice dangerously soft.

"This is what you call a ' Disarming Charm '?"

Harry chuckled dryly, silently lowered his wand, and tried to make his expression look both innocent and bewildered. "That—the enhancement effect of the Philosopher's Stone —seems to be a little bit stronger than we expected?"

You call it "a little bit", right?

Veratia didn't answer, but just kept staring at him, her chest rising and falling slightly.

A few seconds later, she suddenly raised her hand and cast a silent Mending Charm precisely at the large hole.

However, the spell that could instantly restore an ordinary wall only caused the rubble to tremble slightly when it landed on the walls that had been reinforced by the Charms enhanced by the Philosopher's Stone and whose structure had been completely destroyed; the openings remained menacing.

Veratia: "----"

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, a smile had returned to her face.

That smile was stunningly beautiful, yet it made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand on end instantly—it was Veratia's expression of extreme anger turning into a smirk, and she was starting to seriously calculate something.

"Very good," she said softly, walking up to Harry and gently brushing non-existent dust from his shoulder with her finger. "It seems our Minister for Magic's office needs a complete security upgrade."

Before that—"

Her fingertips lingered on Harry's collar, tightening slightly.

"I think that regarding this small step forward of yours, we need to have a very, very in-depth technical discussion, as well as a reassessment of your future safety protocols for using your wand indoors, my dear Harry."

Before that, please allow me—

Harry snapped his fingers.

An indescribable ripple spread rapidly from him, and the molten rubble and twisted metal at the edge of the cave entrance began to move in reverse, as if controlled by an incredibly delicate hand.

It's not a simple piecing together; rather, every grain of dust and every broken magical pattern is precisely restored to its original position and shape, like a reversed image.

The entire process was quiet and swift, almost like a miracle. In just a few breaths, the wall was restored to its original state, spotless and pristine, without a single crack or color difference.

If you didn't know better, you'd think time had gone backwards.

Veratia sat there, motionless.

She had just tried to repair the wall with Mending Charm, but it had no effect.

Harry simply snapped his fingers, and the walls Reparo.

She was initially delighted, genuinely happy for Harry's slight improvement in strength, but then a bitter feeling welled up inside her.

Has the gap between the two really gotten that big?

"I already told you," Harry tried to distance himself, "it wasn't me who wanted to experiment with Charms in the room. I already told everyone, but you insisted I use the Charms in the room—"

"I didn't mean to blame you," Veratia said with a smile, shaking her head. "I just didn't expect your Charms to be so powerful—I really underestimated the Philosopher's Stone, and I underestimated you too."

"Right?" Harry chuckled and stepped forward, squeezing next to Veratia and putting an arm around her slender waist. "To be honest, I didn't expect this either— Ron even said that this shouldn't be your Disarming Charm, Expel Your Life."

"Expel Your Life?" Veratia repeated, a faint smile playing in her violet eyes, as she reached out and pinched Harry's cheek. "Weasley's assessment is quite apt. During training, you're perfectly capable of handling suppressing fire from one or two directions."

"Then the training grounds will probably have to be rebuilt." Harry leaned his head on Veratia's shoulder, took a deep breath of her fresh scent, and pulled her closer. "Seriously, Veratia, this power is a bit out of control. The same thing happened with that Mending Charm. It felt like the magic just flowed out and did the deed as soon as I had a thought. Precise control is actually more taxing."

Veratia took a deep breath.

I'll take it as you being genuinely humble and distressed, and not trying to put me at Versailles.

Damn it, Harry! Can't Versailles die?

However— Harry's problem is indeed a big problem.

"That's because your magical essence has been elevated to a higher level under the influence of the Philosopher's Stone, but your awareness, or rather, your usage habits, haven't fully caught up yet." Veratia's voice was cool and clear, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the line between Harry's arm around her waist, as if in thought, or perhaps offering a silent reassurance. "It's like a child suddenly possessing the strength of a giant; they might crush a cup, or send someone tumbling if they try to gently tap them. You need to recalibrate the connection between your magical output and your will."

"How do we calibrate it?" Harry asked, whispering in her ear.

"That will require you to practice hard," Veratia said softly, leaning against him. "It's no small undertaking, is it?"

"Is there any specific way?" Harry asked, straightening up. "We can't keep going like this, can we? Using the normal level of magic output from before would be incredibly tiring, but I don't want to accidentally kill someone during a practice duel—"

"That is a problem, let me think about it—" Veratia ruffled Harry's hair.

"Think about it, think about it!" Harry buried his head in Veratia's chest, nuzzling her affectionately.

Veratia was amused by his appearance. She reached out and patted Harry on the back, her earlier disappointment completely gone.

No matter how amazing Harry, in the end, isn't he still my boy?

"First, let's start with the basics. For example—"

She looked around, pulled a blank Parchment from the pile of documents on the table, and with a light tap of her finger, the Parchment floated into the air.

"Try using the weakest magic to burn a scorch mark no more than one millimeter in diameter on the upper left corner of this paper. Note, burn it," not blast it through. Control your magic to output as little as possible."

Harry sat up straight, his expression turning serious, and drew his wand, pointing it at the Parchment.