Veratia the Eavesdropper

Ron gasped.

This woman—this woman is going to beat Harry to his knees and drag him home to be a star—

Harry felt a thin layer of sweat instantly break out on the back of his neck.

Cassandra's smiling face was even more amiable than when Snape caught him out at night.

His mind raced, and his will to survive surged to its peak at that moment.

Of course, the clever man quickly found a solution.

"Veratia is," Harry didn't deny it, his green eyes meeting Cassandra's gaze calmly, his voice steady, sincere, and extremely composed as he said, "She's my girlfriend, right now, at this moment."

He felt Ron gasp beside him, and Hermione gripped her Quill tightly in alarm.

But Harry's self-brightness remained steady on Cassandra's face, his eyes showing no panic, only I knew this was complicated, but I insisted on not lying to you.

Don't panic, I'm about to start!

"But Cass," Harry continued, his voice softer and clearer, "You are my favorite too. Ever since long ago, back when I was still wearing the old school uniform you gave me, and you told me, 'Potter, keep up,' maybe even earlier—you have been. It's just that it took us far too long to dare, or rather, to be willing to admit it."

He gently took Cassandra's hand, which was still resting on his collar, and enveloped it in his palm.

Her hands were slightly cool, but her fingertips trembled slightly.

"Compared to you, Veratia is like a sweeping storm, fiery and intense, with the power to change everything. She is the lightning I grasped in the darkness, my comrade-in-arms who traveled through time with me, and now my partner standing shoulder to shoulder with me in the light." Harry spoke slowly, each word carefully chosen, yet heartfelt. "And you, Cass, you are my spiritual anchor, my coordinates. You are the familiar wind, the breeze blowing in from Gryffindor Tower; the eye rolls you gave me when I made you angry; the old robes you gave me while calling me a silly little Troll —the image etched in my memory that I can still recognize at a glance, even after a century, returning to this somewhat Strange Era."

When Ron and Hermione heard this, they exchanged a glance and both exclaimed "Wow!"

Although I've known Harry for so many years, I've never heard such explosive news before.

Harry used to wear Cassandra's old clothes?! Oh my god!

It's unbelievable that these two were playing such elaborate games a hundred years ago!

Over there, Harry was still diligently working on it.

He applied slight pressure, pressing Cassandra's hand against his heart.

"Here, your place has never been forgotten. I admit it's greedy and clumsy. It has chosen Veratia, and just like that, it has long since chosen you. The term 'just girlfriend' is sometimes too light, sometimes too heavy. But if you want it, it's yours, and always has been."

The Room of Requirement was completely silent, save for the soft crackling of the fire in the stove and the slightly disordered breathing of the few people inside.

Ron and Hermione were completely stunned. They knew Harry's love life was complicated, but hearing such a straightforward and affectionate demonstration of multiple relationships on the spot, while he acted like nothing was wrong, was still too much of a shock.

At that moment, Ron roared inwardly.

I'm begging you, you son of a bitch!

Cassandra's smile had vanished completely.

Her eyes darted around, a complex mix of emotions churning within them: shock, anger, shame, and emotion.

She tried to pull her hand away, but Harry held it tightly without hurting her.

She could clearly feel the firm and powerful heartbeat beneath his chest, and the undeniable seriousness in his words.

"You—" she opened her mouth, her voice hoarse, "you—you greedy, cunning little Troll— "

Her accusations sounded utterly weak, more like a fucking flirtation.

Hogwarts is in the Scottish Highlands, are you trying to flirt with Scotland?

"I'm just being honest with my heart, Cass," Harry whispered, his green eyes brimming with love. "I know it's selfish, and unfair to both of you. But I have no choice, and I can't separate you. You are both an inseparable part of my life. I may never be able to give you a 'one and only' promise in the conventional sense, but the loyalty, companionship, and love I can give are complete, doubled, and eternal. Whether you call me girlfriend, or whatever else you'd prefer."

He released her hand, then gently cupped her cheeks, his thumb softly stroking the corners of her slightly reddened eyes.

"So, please stop stabbing me in with that question, okay? You know the answer. It's always been there."

Cassandra closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.

She took a few deep breaths, as if trying to calm her turbulent emotions.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes again.

"Hmph." She only gave a soft snort, turning her face away, but not shaking off Harry's hand. "Sweet talk—just like a hundred years ago, not a bit better."

Her tone remained arrogant, but everyone could hear the softening in it.

She turned back to look at Harry, her eyes filled with a resigned helplessness.

"Let's leave it at that for now. But, Potter, don't expect me to put on any 'sisterly' act with Grindelwald."

Harry rolled his eyes inwardly.

I don't mean to say that you and Veratia will put on any sisterly show of affection; that's not what you said that night.

When you begged Veratia to let us go, have you forgotten?

However, he still breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the cold sweat on his back was almost soaking his shirt.

He knew that he had survived yet another life-threatening crisis.

Um?

Why did I say "again"?

"Of course." He nodded immediately, a relieved and radiant smile spreading across his face. "As long as you don't start fighting, just keep me in the middle like the filling in an Oreo."

Cassandra was slightly annoyed. She stomped hard on Harry's foot, then ignored him, nodded slightly to Ron and Hermione, and walked back to the fireplace, disappearing into the green flames.

The fireplace flames returned to normal.

Harry sat back down in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, basic skills are still good.

"Merlin's beard, Harry— " Ron murmured, "I thought you'd have a hard time escaping this mess—"

"This is nothing," Harry smiled helplessly. "It's only because you two were there that she didn't ask any more probing questions; otherwise, things wouldn't have gotten so easy today."

"So what do you think, Harry?" Hermione tilted her head to look at Harry. "Do you think you can handle this kind of relationship?"

"Just kidding." Harry tugged at his sleeve, Draco pose. "With my skills, do you think I'd mess up?"

"Although I think you'll eventually be turned into a real Niffler by their combined evil curse," Ron grinned, "I'll still provide you with a Safe House when that day comes."

"Your feelings are your private matter, Harry," Hermione said earnestly. "As your friends, we'll always be there for you. Just please be careful not to hurt anyone, including yourself."

A warm feeling welled up in Harry's heart; Ron's words were undeniably thoughtful.

Being able to provide shelter in such a critical moment shows how loyal a brother can be.

He nodded, smiled, and said, "OK, no problem, thank you for your support." "So, are you still a virgin?" Ron asked a very naive question.

Upon hearing this, neither Harry nor Hermione laughed, but the air behind Harry seemed to laugh.

"Veratia?" Harry smiled helplessly. "Don't hide, I know you're right behind me—"

"Ha ha ha ha----"

A burst of unrestrained laughter rang out, and ripples gradually spread through the air.

A moment later, Veratia reappeared in the same spot, smiling happily.

"Veratia!" Hermione was delighted and immediately went over to hug Veratia.

Ron stared wide-eyed at Harry, then at Veratia had suddenly appeared, his mouth agape in shock.

"Hahaha----" Veratia was still laughing, "Ron, don't make us laugh, that question isn't funny at all."

"It's really not funny," Harry said with a helpless shrug, but his eyes held amusement as he looked at Veratia who had suddenly appeared. "Especially when someone is clearly there, but deliberately hides and watches the show, and then bursts into laughter at the crucial moment."

Veratia finally stopped laughing, wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes, walked over to Harry, and sat down next to him naturally, even smoothing back Harry's slightly sweaty hair.

"I was just curious to see how our great Casanova would handle Cass's deadly question. And I must say, Harry," her violet eyes gleamed mischievously, "the breeze blowing in from the Gryffindor Tower, the image etched in my memory"—tsk tsk, cliché, but incredibly effective on a two-faced like Cass. If I had shown up later, I might have witnessed an even more exciting development."

Hermione had already sat back down and was looking at Veratia curiously. "Veratia, are you really not bothered? Uh, I mean, Cassandra, and what Harry just said—"

As a friend, she couldn't help but feel a little indignant for Veratia.

Veratia tilted her head slightly, her long golden hair shimmering softly in the magical firelight.

Her expression was calm, even detached.

"Mind? It would be a lie to say I don't care at all," she said honestly, her fingers unconsciously tapping Harry's hand. "But Hermione, when you've lost everything like I have, drifted alone in the turbulent currents of time, and miraculously found your loved ones again—you'll feel immense gratitude and a certain sense of peace towards having 'that thing' itself."

She looked at Harry, her eyes gentle and deep. "Harry's heart is vast, capable of holding more than one profound emotion. If it were a hundred years ago, perhaps I would have fought with Cass —but it's different now. We've both withstood the test of time, and the three of us together are more important than anything else."

Harry cleared his throat and took Veratia's little hand in his own.

"Alright, the emotional seminar is temporarily adjourned." Veratia shifted the topic to something more practical. She looked at Hermione, her expression becoming serious and expectant. "Hermione, let's get down to business. Your sixth year is almost over, and next year will be NEWT's..."

"What are your plans after graduation?"

Hermione was taken aback when the topic suddenly turned to her. She paused for a moment, then straightened her back, her eyes gleaming.

"I intend to join the Ministry of Magic, hoping to find a position in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, or the Department of International Magical Cooperation, starting from the bottom. My long-term goal is to improve the protection of Muggle-born wizards' rights and to participate in the updating of the International Magical Creatures Protection Treaty."

Once she starts talking, she can't stop, clearly having been planning for the future for a long time.

Veratia listened patiently and nodded approvingly.

"Very clear, and very ambitious. However, Hermione, with your abilities, achievements, and profound understanding of magical law, starting from the bottom might waste a lot of time on tedious procedures and meaningless paperwork. Moreover, to quickly advance the reforms you care about, you need a higher platform and more direct channels of authority."

Hermione blinked, as if she had guessed something, and her breathing quickened slightly.

Veratia looked directly into her eyes and formally extended the invitation. "Hermione Jane Granger, as Minister of European Ministry of Magic, I sincerely invite you to become my Minister's Assistant after you graduate next year."

"Minister's Assistant?!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise, and Ron's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Minister's Assistant is no ordinary position; it is an important role that involves direct contact with the Minister's core work and participation in high-level decision-making. It usually requires many years of experience and a strong background, and very few fresh graduates can be appointed directly, especially in a large Ministry of Magic in Europe, which is almost like multiple Ministry of Magic headquarters.

Even Bernard Woolley didn't rise to the top so quickly, becoming Jim Hack's secretary to the Prime Minister right after graduation.

Of course, Hermione may lack qualifications, but she has connections.

Being a member of the core Gryffindor trio—doesn't that count as a background factor?

"Veratia, is this... is this appropriate? I have no experience, and I'm Britain..." Hermione was both excited and a little nervous.

"Experience can be accumulated, nationality is not a problem," Veratia interrupted her, smiling as she said, "Before, Miss Farley —oh no, I mean our dear godmother, didn't she also come to my side as Minister assistant as Britain citizen?"

At this point, Veratia raised her head slightly, her tone full of certainty.

"What I value in you are your talent, your integrity, your learning ability, and your pursuit of fairness and justice. In my office, you will be exposed to the most cutting-edge policy-making, international negotiations, and interdepartmental coordination within the European Magical Alliance. You can personally participate in drafting and promoting the legislation you care about, and your opinions will be presented directly to me—this is much faster and more efficient than starting from menial tasks in any department."