Wheelchair War God Speedrunning Hogwarts Chapter 24

Hermione sighed and drew her wand. "Let me help you—"

She waved her wand and cast the spell. A warm current of air swirled around Harry's hair, quickly evaporating every last drop of water.

Harry delightedly touched her fluffy black hair. "This is pretty useful, Hermione. When did you learn it?"

"It's in Standard Spells, Grade 1. If only you'd flip a few more pages ahead." Hermione put away her wand, her expression serious. "But this isn't the time to discuss that. Are you really planning to wait for Malfoy in the Great Hall?"

Vera replied calmly, "We're not waiting to ambush him. We're giving him a chance to fulfill his promise. After all, honor is what Slytherins value most, isn't it?"

Hermione thought the matter would be difficult instead. "Apologizing in front of so many people—Malfoy definitely won't submit quietly. What if he gets angry and exposes our nighttime wandering—"

"If we weren't caught red-handed, then there's no way he can prove it." Vera calmly shook her head. "Don't forget, he was already caught. Making wild accusations now will only make people think he's lashing out."

Harry quickly pulled on her school robes and eagerly grabbed her wand. "Let's go! I can't wait to see Malfoy's stupid face!"

Hermione looked at the two of them, practically itching for action, and sighed helplessly. "Fine, I'll go with you. At least don't do anything reckless when the time comes."

Vera nodded lightly. "Don't worry. I know my limits."

The three left Gryffindor Tower and headed toward the Great Hall.

At dinnertime, the Great Hall was bustling with activity.

Not long after they sat down, Malfoy arrived late with Crabbe and Goyle, his expression still unpleasant.

The moment he entered, he noticed the Gryffindor trio's table. Wariness immediately flashed through his gray eyes.

Vera wheeled herself over slowly toward the Slytherin table. "Good evening, Cousin Draco."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone nearby to hear.

Malfoy's face instantly turned livid. "Don't call me that!"

"What, have you forgotten our agreement?" Vera tilted her head slightly and lowered her voice. "You lost last night's duel."

The surrounding Slytherin students all turned curious looks toward them, whispers rising one after another.

Malfoy clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Need me to remind you?" Harry stepped forward. "According to our agreement, if you lost, you had to apologize to Vera and me—right here, where everyone can hear it."

Hermione stood nervously to one side, gripping her wand in her pocket, ready for a possible conflict at any moment.

Malfoy's face went from white to red. He instinctively looked around and discovered that more and more students were beginning to pay attention.

Naturally, the Slytherins maintained their usual self-preserving attitude of watching the show, while the Gryffindors looked on with barely concealed delight.

"I... I..." Malfoy's lips trembled, his gray eyes full of humiliation and resentment.

Vera gently pushed her wheelchair forward, drawing another step closer. "What's wrong? Is the heir of the Malfoy family going to break his word?"

Malfoy's chest rose and fell violently. Finally, under everyone's gaze, he abruptly raised his head and forced out the words through gritted teeth. "I... I apologize for my improper words and actions!"

"What was that? I can't hear you!" Harry pressed mercilessly. "Did the fumes from washing potion bottles ruin your voice?"

Malfoy's face flushed bright red as he raised his voice. "I apologize for my improper words and actions! And I won't call you that again—are you satisfied now?"

For a moment, even the students who had not noticed the commotion turned to look their way.

Vera nodded in satisfaction and wheeled herself back, leaving him some space. "Very good. I think everyone will know about your apology soon enough."

The whispers around them grew louder. Malfoy's expression turned hideous as he shot Vera a vicious glare, then hurried away without even calling for his followers.

Vera slowly turned her wheelchair around, her tone utterly relaxed. "Sit down. It's time for dinner."

We're Good Friends

This dinner was anything but peaceful. Every time Vera picked up her knife and fork, curious Gryffindors came over to ask about the full story of how Malfoy and the others had been caught wandering at night.

Of course, they were not foolish enough to admit that they had participated in the nighttime excursion. They merely mentioned casually that Malfoy had indeed been caught red-handed.

As for the rest of the details, they left those curious lions to imagine for themselves.

After dinner, the three returned to Gryffindor Tower. Faced with even more lions who had suddenly become enthusiastic, Vera truly had no energy to deal with them. She could only excuse herself on the grounds that she was unwell and return to the dormitory alone.

She left Harry and Hermione in the common room to deal with them.

Vera returned to the quiet dormitory and let out a long breath.

Nox lightly leaped down from the cat tree and rubbed against her wheelchair.

"You're still the easiest one to deal with." Vera smiled softly as she stroked the cat's sleek fur, then wheeled herself over to the window.

Although she had successfully made Malfoy apologize in public today, that did not mean the matter was over.

With Malfoy's personality, he would never let it go so easily.

Not to mention the small matter of their blood relation.

From the very beginning, she had clearly understood that deciding how to deal with that family of relatives would be difficult.

Before Sirius returned, the Black family had only her, a young orphan. She was too young, and few people would listen to what she said.

The family's only house-elf, Kreacher, also had an ambiguous attitude toward Narcissa, who was likewise a Black.

Under such circumstances, cutting ties in any practical sense was not easy.

Logically speaking, before she had fully recovered and her strength had taken shape, it was best not to clash with the Malfoy family, so that she could better protect herself.

But... she could not yield on matters of principle.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened over the legs beneath the blanket as Vera gazed deeply into the night outside the window.

In any case, father and son Malfoy were both the sort to bully the weak and fear the strong. As long as she displayed enough power and resolve, she could keep them from acting rashly before Voldemort officially returned.

That would also buy her more time to grow.

And now that the temporary setback had been delivered, her first priority remained improving her strength as quickly as possible.

Her Magic Circuit was only five experience points away from a breakthrough. If she could successfully tame Fluffy, she would not only gain a powerful ally but also directly raise her Magic Circuit level.

She simply did not have complete confidence yet.

"I need to think of something..." Vera muttered. Her fingertips tightened against her knee until they turned faintly white.

At that moment, the dormitory door was pushed open. Harry and Hermione had finally escaped their enthusiastic classmates and returned to the room.

"Vera!" The moment Harry entered, she excitedly rushed to Vera's wheelchair, her green eyes shining. "It's so quiet in here. Are you really not coming out to play with us?"

Vera drew back her thoughts and smiled faintly. "No need."

Hermione closed the door, an unconcealed smile also on her face. But the next second, when she noticed Vera's hands tightly gripping her knees, her expression changed slightly.

She quickly walked to Vera's side and asked softly, "Vera, are you all right?"

Only then did Harry notice the shift in atmosphere. Following Hermione's gaze, she saw Vera's clenched hands as well. Her smile immediately faded, and she crouched down to take Vera's hand.

"Do you want to go to the hospital wing? I'll go get Madam Pomfrey right now—"

Vera instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Harry's warm palm held it firmly.

She lowered her lashes, silver-gray strands casting faint shadows beneath the candlelight. "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

Hermione keenly sensed that Vera did not want to say more about the subject, so she changed the topic. "Then let's rest first. We still have class tomorrow."

Though Harry was still worried, she obediently nodded. "All right... Vera, do you need help washing up?"

"I can do it myself." Vera turned her wheelchair toward the bathroom. "You two should rest first."

After the bathroom door closed, Harry whispered to Hermione, "Have you noticed that Vera seems to resist our help every time... I'm a little worried."

Hermione looked thoughtfully at the bathroom door. "You need to consider Vera's feelings."

Harry pouted. "But we're best friends..."

"Even friends need their own private space." Hermione spoke softly. "Harry, don't you think you and Vera are a little... too attached?"

Harry's green eyes flickered, and then she smiled. "Am I? Vera and I are good friends, just like you and I are!"

Hermione did not answer. She only gave Harry a meaningful look.

In the bathroom, Vera sat in her wheelchair and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her long silver-gray hair was slightly disheveled after a day of running around, and the shadows beneath her black eyes showed her exhaustion.

She was still considering her plans for improving her strength and taming Fluffy.

After defeating Malfoy, her desire for power had become increasingly impossible to suppress.

Knock knock. A light tapping interrupted her thoughts.

"Vera? Can I come in?" It was Harry's voice.

Vera collected her thoughts and wheeled herself over to open the door. "What is it?"

Harry stood at the door with a cup of hot milk in her hands. "For you. Hermione said hot milk helps you sleep."

Vera accepted the cup, warmth spreading through her fingertips. "Thank you."

She tilted her head back and took a sip. As the sweet milk filled her mouth, her tense shoulders relaxed without her noticing.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then suddenly crouched down, meeting Vera's eyes at the same level from her wheelchair. "Vera, if... if there's anything I can help with, you have to tell me, okay?"

Her green eyes were especially bright under the dim bathroom light, full of sincerity and concern.

Vera paused slightly and instinctively looked away. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Harry's voice was gentle but firm. "But we're friends. It's normal for friends to help each other... We're friends, right?"

Vera froze for a moment. Looking into Harry's earnest eyes, she softly replied, "Of course."

Harry grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. "That's good! Good night, Vera!"

"Good night, Harry."

Watching Harry skip away, Vera let out a soft breath and drank the rest of the milk in one go.

When she came out of the bathroom, Harry and Hermione had already gone to bed.

Vera wheeled herself to her bed and skillfully used the Levitation Charm to transfer herself onto it.

Late at night, moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting mottled shadows across the floor.

Vera lay in bed, listening to Harry's steady breathing and holding Nox in her arms. Her thoughts gradually calmed.

The year was still long. She would slowly plan for the future.

As Needed

The next morning, Vera woke earlier than usual.

She quietly got up without disturbing the still-sleeping Harry and Hermione. After washing up, she fed Nox some cat food, then wheeled herself over to the window alone.

She still needed five experience points before her breakthrough. She did not know whether leveling up would cause too much commotion, so she needed to find a place where absolutely no one could disturb her and prepare in advance.

She glanced at the two who were still sleeping, then turned her wheelchair and left the dormitory.

At this time on a weekend, most students were still asleep. She made her way without obstruction to a rarely visited spot on the Seventh Floor of the castle.

Her wheelchair came to a silent stop. Vera raised her head and looked at the Trolls Beating Barnabas the Barmy Tapestry hanging on the wall, with a blank stretch of stone wall opposite it.

"I need a place... where I can practice magic and where a wheelchair user can train physically." She wheeled herself back and forth three times in front of the tapestry, silently repeating the request in her mind.

Soon, as she passed by for the third time, a smooth door quietly appeared in the stone wall.

The corners of Vera's lips lifted slightly as she reached out and pushed open the door.

Beyond it was a spacious circular room, its walls lined with various magical books and practice equipment.

Thick mats covered the center of the room for physical training, while several dummies for practicing against moving targets were piled in a corner.

After surveying the room for a while, Vera narrowed her eyes and slowly wheeled herself inside.

The door silently closed behind her, as though it had never existed.

As she examined the room along the way, the deeper she went, the stronger the strange feeling in Vera's heart became.

As everyone knew, once a request was made of the Room of Requirement, it automatically generated a room that met that request.

But once the room was created, it remained fixed.

Even if someone else made the same request many years later, the same room would appear rather than a new one being created.

The clearest example was in the original story. After Harry obtained the Half-Blood Prince's textbook and injured Malfoy with Levicorpus, she went to the Room of Requirement to hide the textbook and asked for a room where things could be hidden.

The room the Room of Requirement generated at that time was already filled with all sorts of objects.

In other words, before Harry, many people had already made the same request, which was why they could enter the same room at different times.