Wheelchair War God Speedruns Hogwarts

Vera stared blankly at the hand that had just held hers.

By the time Hermione returned, all the Tomori in the dormitory had gone out, and moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting long, narrow bands of light across the floor.

Vera lay on her back in bed, listening to Hallie's steady breathing as her fingers absently stroked the astrolabe model beside her pillow.

The Magic Circuit gave off an almost imperceptible golden glow in the darkness, and data visible only to her appeared across her retina:

[Current Magic Reserves: 36/120]

She gently turned onto her side to face the window. In the distance, the outline of the Forbidden Forest resembled a crouching beast beneath the moonlight, emanating an aura both dangerous and alluring.

There were many dangerous magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest, most of which she was completely incapable of handling right now.

She could not be too impulsive. She had to take things slowly...

At some point, Nox had crawled into her blanket, its warm body pressed close to her cold knees.

Vera stroked the cat's soft fur and slowly closed her eyes in the darkness.

Every day, she set aside time to practice spells in the Room of Requirement, while steadily increasing her Magic Circuit experience.

As her precise control over magic grew more proficient, Vera discovered that Source Flow Reforging could not only strengthen parts of her body, but also ease the pain in her spine to a certain extent.

Though the effect was limited, it was already an immense comfort to her.

Harry's Quidditch training became increasingly frequent, but she always made time to study with Vera.

Hermione, as always, was enthusiastic about frequenting the library and often dragged the two of them along to do homework.

As for the others, Malfoy and his two companions had finally finished their detention, but having just learned their lesson, they did not dare come provoke them again for the time being.

As for the trapdoor guarded by the Three-Headed Dog, it seemed to have been forgotten by them all.

Soon, October came to an end, and Hogwarts began preparing for Halloween.

The castle was filled with pumpkin Tomori and bat decorations, while singing ghosts drifted through the corridors.

On the morning before Halloween, the sweet scent of pumpkin could be smelled even before entering the Great Hall.

A thousand bats fluttered across the walls and ceiling, making the candle flames inside the pumpkins flicker again and again.

In her wheelchair, Vera passed through corridors lined with pumpkin Tomori and singing skeletons, occasionally looking up at the decorations around her.

Nox sat obediently on her lap, amber eyes warily observing the ghosts drifting past.

"I heard Peeves set up several buckets of water in the Slytherin dungeon corridor, and quite a few passing Slytherin students got drenched," Hallie said in a low voice as she pushed the wheelchair from behind.

Even so, the excitement in her voice was impossible to miss.

Walking beside them, Hermione frowned at this. "Peeves has been especially troublesome lately. I heard even Filch can't do anything about him."

The corners of Vera's lips lifted slightly, but she said nothing.

The three entered the Great Hall and found the ceiling covered in dark clouds, with lightning-shaped decorations flickering in and out among them.

Even Professor McGonagall was directing several older students as they adjusted the positions of the floating pumpkin Tomori.

At the teachers' table, Professor Quirrell's large turban was wrapped tighter than usual, and his face was frighteningly pale.

"What do you think is wrong with Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked quietly. "He looks like he's seen a ghost."

Hermione shook her head. "No idea. We have Defense Against the Dark Arts again today. I just hope nothing else goes wrong."

Vera's gaze lingered on Quirrell for a moment. The Magic Circuit allowed her to sense that the dark magic aura entwined around him was more restless than usual.

If she remembered correctly, during Halloween, Quirrell would release the Troll Dumbledore had made him prepare in advance, hoping to create a distraction and take the opportunity to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

In the original story, this disturbance was what allowed Hermione, Harry, and Ron to truly forge their friendship and become the Golden Trio.

But now... no one would make Hermione so angry that she ran off to cry in the girls' bathroom.

"Don't worry about him," she said softly. "It's Halloween Eve. We should enjoy it properly."

Harry nodded, and his attention was quickly drawn to the lavish breakfast spread across the Great Hall.

Vera took a small sip of pumpkin juice, her gaze sweeping over the students enthusiastically discussing the Halloween festivities.

Hermione and Hallie began discussing that afternoon's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, while Ron occasionally chimed in from the side.

And since Neville often moved around with Ron now, he had no choice but to sit beside them as well.

However, whenever he looked at Vera, his expression was still somewhat uneasy, and he hardly ever took the initiative to speak to her.

Considering Neville's personality, Vera had no intention of doing anything about the situation herself.

She would let nature take its course.

"After class this afternoon, shall we go to the library and work on our Potions essay?" Hermione suggested.

Harry let out a mournful sigh. "It's Halloween! Can't we relax for once?"

Vera gently stirred the pumpkin porridge in front of her. "I want to look up some information in the library too."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "See? Vera agrees too!"

Harry pursed her lips. "Fine, fine..."

As long as Vera was going, Hallie could only surrender unconditionally.

The Castle Calls Again

That afternoon's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was as disappointing as ever.

Professor Quirrell stammered through an account of encountering many zombies during his research trip, then explained how to identify and defend against them.

Purely in terms of theory, Quirrell was not a bad teacher. Thanks to his practical experience, his lessons leaned toward practicality and were well suited for young wizards.

But the garlic smell in the classroom was even stronger than usual, forcing most students to cover their noses throughout the lesson.

As for how many people actually absorbed anything, that was anyone's guess.

"Why does it smell even worse today?" Harry muttered quietly, frowning as she covered her nose. "Vera, can you really listen to this?"

Vera gently shook her head and lowered her voice. "Professor Quirrell's theory is correct. There's still something to gain from listening carefully."

Hermione was diligently taking notes beside them. Hearing their conversation, she could not help cutting in. "At least it's better than when he taught vampires last week. He spent the entire class trembling."

Just then, Professor Quirrell suddenly raised his voice. "M-Miss Potter! P-Please answer this: what are zombies most, most afraid of?"

Harry sprang to her feet, a flash of panic appearing in her green eyes. "Um... sunlight?"

"C-Correct." Professor Quirrell nodded stammeringly.

Harry sighed in relief as she sat down, then whispered to Vera, "Good thing I listened just now."

The corners of Vera's mouth rose slightly. "That was a good answer."

She gave Quirrell a thoughtful look. The strange aura around him was even more restless than usual.

Tomorrow was Halloween. Was he preparing to act?

Thoughtfully rubbing the armrest of her wheelchair, Vera narrowed her eyes.

When the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom as though they had been granted a pardon.

Harry pushed Vera's wheelchair, and as they had agreed beforehand, the three headed toward the library together.

They spent the afternoon quietly.

Hermione buried herself in more material about zombies, while Hallie absentmindedly flipped through Quidditch Through the Ages, which Hermione had given her, occasionally stealing glances at Vera as she focused on her homework.

"Tell me," Hallie suddenly said in a low voice, "why is Professor Quirrell always so nervous? It's like he thinks someone is going to attack him at any moment."

Hermione did not even raise her head. "Maybe he really did encounter something terrifying. Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts says prolonged contact with dark magic can cause nervous exhaustion."

Vera's quill paused slightly as she looked up at the two of them. "Have you noticed that the garlic smell on him has gotten stronger lately?"

"Of course I have!" Harry made an exaggerated gagging face. "It's enough to knock someone unconscious."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "The books say garlic can repel vampires... but Professor Quirrell said he had already dealt with the vampire problem in Romania, so why would he still..."

"Have you ever considered," Vera said quietly, "that Professor Quirrell might be using the garlic smell to cover up some other scent?"

Hermione's brow furrowed deeper. "What do you mean?"

Harry's eyes suddenly widened. "You mean... he's doing it on purpose? But why?"

Vera gently shook her head. "I don't know. It's just an insignificant guess."

Hermione looked as though she wanted to ask more, but Madam Pince's sharp gaze had already swept their way, so the three hurriedly lowered their heads and returned to their own work.

By evening, when they left the library, the Halloween decorations throughout the castle had all been put in place.

Talking Tomori grinned from both sides of the corridors, occasionally letting out cackling laughter, while ghosts floated about and performed all manner of comical tricks.

"I wonder what surprises tomorrow's feast will have!" Harry said excitedly. "I almost want to sleep until tomorrow night!"

Hermione, however, looked worried. "I'm more concerned about tomorrow's Potions class. Professor Snape has even taken points from Vera."

It should be said that among all the Gryffindor first-years, only Hallie had yet to suffer Snape's sharp tongue.

Just as Vera was about to speak, she felt the crystal at her chest tremble.

Immediately afterward, Circuit Vision appeared on its own, and faint black mist emerged in the corridor before her.

Vera abruptly stopped her wheelchair, her pupils shrinking.

This was the first time the Magic Circuit had appeared on its own without her controlling it...

Was it trying to give her some kind of hint?

"Vera, what's wrong?" Harry looked at her in confusion.

"Nothing. I just suddenly thought of some new content I could add to my Potions assignment," Vera replied softly, while inconspicuously observing the direction of the Black Fog.

The Black Fog writhed like a living creature, climbing upward along the cracks in the stone walls before eventually converging into a vague path.

Vera narrowed her eyes as the Magic Circuit gave off a faint golden glow beneath her skin.

"Vera?" Hermione had noticed something was wrong as well. "You don't look very well. Are you feeling sick somewhere?"

Vera withdrew her gaze and gently shook her head. "I'm fine. Let's go to the Great Hall and get something to eat."

Soon, as they descended from the fifth floor where the library was located to the first floor where the Great Hall was, Vera could clearly feel the Black Fog growing denser. It was spreading from the direction of the underground classrooms.

However, she should have been the only one who could see such a hint.

Was this the Magic Circuit automatically activating a detection prompt, or... was it a message conveyed to her by the castle itself?

Deep in thought, Vera pushed her wheelchair into the Great Hall alongside Hallie and Hermione.

The scent of dinner rushed toward her, but her attention was drawn to the Black Fog visible only to her.

Based on how the current plot was unfolding, Hermione would no longer be hurt by Harry and Ron's sarcastic remarks and hide in the girls' bathroom to cry. So even if Quirrell released the Troll, it would not affect them at all.

Vera did not need to meddle. Once the Troll was released and caused a disturbance, she could simply return to the common room with everyone else and take shelter.

But... the sudden warning from the Black Fog forced her to consider another possibility.

If she intervened and changed this part of the story, what would happen?

"Vera?" Harry's voice pulled her back to reality. "You've been distracted since earlier. Are you really okay?"

She gently shook her head. "It's nothing."

Though she said that, her mind was already rapidly calculating the possible benefits of this matter, as well as how she could deal with the Troll in her current condition.

After absentmindedly taking a few bites of food, Vera caught sight of the Weasley twins entering the Great Hall nearby. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she pushed her wheelchair forward to call out to them.

George and Fred turned around at the same time. Upon seeing her, they exchanged a look.

"What can we do for you, Black?" George asked with a grin, bending down.

Vera wheeled herself closer and whispered a few words to them.

Watching the Weasley twins smile at Vera almost simultaneously, Hallie forgot all about the steak in front of her and stared unblinkingly at the three of them.

Only Hermione, sitting beside her, noticed that Hallie had clenched her fork tightly in her hand.

Release Notice and Bounty

The story will be released tomorrow.

First, the important part—there will be ten extra chapters upon release.

And then... please subscribe, donate, send blades, vote monthly, and vote with recommendation tickets... basically, I'm asking for everything! Thank you, everyone!