Hagrid's Hut / Vera's Hint

Harry's eyes immediately lit up. "Great! I bet Hagrid knows some clues about that thing!"

Hermione shook her head helplessly at that, but she did not object.

After returning to the dormitory, the three girls washed up and prepared for bed.

Vera sat by her bed, looking at the moonlight outside the window, but her thoughts drifted somewhere far away.

What had happened today confirmed her suspicions—the course of the plot really could change because of some of her actions, but the key events would still appear in one form or another.

The Troll incident had happened early, and the location had changed from the girls' bathroom to the dungeon, but it had still happened in essence.

Then the upcoming Quidditch match, where Quirrell interfered with Harry's broom, as well as the Forbidden Forest incident, should also arrive as scheduled.

She needed to prepare in advance.

With a soft sigh, her gaze unconsciously drifted to the astrolabe model on her bedside table.

"Vera?" Harry's voice pulled her back to reality. "You're spacing out again. Are you too tired?"

Vera came back to herself and found that Harry had already changed into her pajamas and was crouching beside her bed, watching her with concern.

"I'm fine," Vera said softly. "I was just thinking about something."

Harry tilted her head, her green eyes especially bright beneath the moonlight. "Are you worried about the person trying to steal that thing?"

Vera did not deny it. "A little."

Harry suddenly took her hand. "Come to think of it, I still haven't thanked you for coming to find me today. If it hadn't been for you—"

"I only did what friends should do." Vera shook her head.

Harry's eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She suddenly leaned forward and gave Vera a tight hug. "Thank you, Vera. Thank you for always protecting me."

Vera froze slightly. Before she could react, Harry had already released her and skipped off to find Hermione.

She watched Harry's retreating figure, unconsciously pursing her lips, until a piece of information gathering in her vision pulled her attention back—

[Hogwarts Recognition Obtained: 10%]

[Current Recognition: 10%]

[Effect: Within Hogwarts, magical power recovery speed increases by 10%, casting speed increases by 10%, magical power bonus increases by 10%]

[Tip: Continue increasing recognition to unlock more permissions]

Vera raised an eyebrow. She was not particularly surprised that her previous theory had been confirmed.

After all, Hogwarts itself was a product of Ancient Magic. Nothing that happened there was truly strange.

This time, she had gained recognition because she had successfully stopped the chaos caused by the Troll and protected the castle's safety.

In other words, whenever a crisis occurred within the school in the future, as long as she could resolve it, she could increase her recognition?

That was good news.

She pressed her hand against the stone wall, feeling the magic flowing within her. It truly was more active than usual, as though the entire castle were supplying her with energy.

This feeling... was truly wonderful.

Vera gently closed her eyes and felt the path of magic circulating through her body.

If she continued increasing her recognition, might there come a day when she could, like Dumbledore, Control the power of this castle to a certain extent?

For example, she could Apparate within Hogwarts, or find that hidden chamber beneath the castle?

Or even... become Hogwarts's true master.

At that thought, Vera's lips curled upward on their own.

She was really looking forward to that day.

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Hagrid's Hut

At breakfast the next morning, the entire Great Hall was discussing last night's Troll incident.

It was not until Dumbledore stood in the center of the teachers' table, surveyed the room for a moment, and lightly tapped his goblet that the Great Hall immediately fell silent.

"Last night, a Troll entered the castle by accident, causing some disturbance."

His gentle voice spread to every corner. "The Troll has now been subdued, and no one was injured. The school is investigating the matter, so there is no need for concern."

As he spoke, Vera discreetly observed the teachers' table as well—Quirrell's large turban was wrapped tighter than usual, and he looked rather haggard.

Professor McGonagall was speaking quietly with Professor Flitwick, her expression grave.

Snape sat at the far end of the teachers' table, his expression darker than usual.

His gaze occasionally swept toward the Gryffindor table, lingering especially long on Harry.

"Is he still angry?" Harry asked softly, stuffing a piece of bacon into her mouth.

Hermione blinked hesitantly. "Why does he look more like... he's worried?"

"Come to think of it, did either of you notice that Professor Snape's leg seems to be injured?" Vera asked casually as she stirred her porridge.

Harry paused, then met Snape's gaze with concern. "Could he have been injured while subduing the Troll?"

Then Vera saw Snape's expression clearly stiffen for a moment before he swiftly turned his face away, as if Harry's gaze had burned him.

Vera turned aside, curling her lips as she answered casually, "Who knows?"

Harry noticed her expression and blinked in confusion. "Vera, what are you smiling about?"

"I just think..." Vera suppressed her smile and lowered her head to take a sip of porridge. "Professor Snape is cold on the outside but kind at heart."

Well, that was true.

She just did not know whether Snape himself would like that assessment.

After the morning classes ended, the three girls headed to Hagrid's Hut as planned.

Hogwarts was already getting rather cold in November. The trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest had begun shedding leaves, which crackled crisply beneath their feet.

After crossing the damp grass, they could see Hagrid's little wooden hut in the distance, standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Wisps of smoke rose from its chimney, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of baking biscuits.

Harry ran excitedly ahead and pounded on the wooden door. "Hagrid! It's us!"

Barking and heavy footsteps immediately sounded from inside. Then the door was yanked open, revealing Hagrid's large, hair-covered face.

"Harry!" he cried in delight, then noticed the other two girls behind her. "And Hermione and... Vera?"

When he saw Vera in her wheelchair, Hagrid's expression visibly stiffened for a moment, but he quickly returned to his enthusiastic self. "Come in! I've just baked some Rock Cakes!"

Vera wheeled herself inside, following Harry and Hermione into the hut.

Hagrid's hut was just like it had been in the movies: only one room, but more spacious than expected.

Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a copper kettle boiled water over the brazier, and the huge wooden table was cluttered with all sorts of strange objects. The fire in the fireplace crackled.

A large bed stood in the corner, covered with a patchwork quilt.

Fang, the large black hound, immediately lunged enthusiastically at Harry and nearly knocked her over.

"Get down, Fang!" Hagrid scolded. Then he turned to Vera with a somewhat awkward smile. "Er... would you like some tea?"

Vera nodded gently. "Thank you."

Hagrid clumsily poured several cups of tea, then brought out a plate of biscuits that looked hard as rocks. "Try my Rock Cakes!"

Harry and Hermione each took one. Vera politely accepted one as well, but did not eat it immediately.

"So," Hagrid said, rubbing his large hands together as he sat opposite them, "what made you want to visit me?"

Harry took a bite of her Rock Cake and nearly cracked a tooth, but she still forced herself to swallow. "Do you know about the Troll that appeared in the school last night?"

Hagrid's hand trembled slightly, spilling some tea onto the table. "Oh, that... I heard. Strange business, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Vera took a sip of hot tea and spoke calmly. "Luckily, there were no casualties. At most, the three of us happened to encounter the Troll and narrowly escaped."

Hagrid froze, his expression instantly turning horrified. "What?! You met the Troll?"

Harry nodded. "Yes! But we trapped it! Professor McGonagall even gave us points!"

"How could that happen?" Hagrid set down his teacup with trembling hands, his face going pale. "...Are you all right? Were you hurt?"

"We're fine," Hermione hurriedly reassured him. "Thanks to some protective items Vera prepared in advance."

Hagrid's gaze shifted to Vera, and a complicated emotion flashed through his eyes. "I-I see... that's wonderful..."

Vera gently set down her teacup, her dark eyes looking straight at Hagrid. "Come to think of it, Mr. Rubeus, how do you think the Troll got into the school?"

Hagrid visibly panicked, his large hands unconsciously rubbing his beard. "Er... well... maybe it slipped in from the Forbidden Forest? Yes! That must be it!"

"A Troll from the Forbidden Forest opened Hogwarts's doors by itself, avoided every professor, and accurately found the dungeons?"

Hermione said bluntly, "Besides, you're the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. How could you make such a mistake?"

Hagrid's expression grew more conflicted, and he stammered without managing to say anything.

"Don't worry, Mr. Rubeus. We're not here to question you."

Vera gently set down her teacup and looked straight at Hagrid. "We're just worried that if someone really can bypass the school's defenses and release a Troll, then the students' safety will become a problem in the future."

"Dumbledore will handle it. You don't need to worry." At the mention of Dumbledore, Hagrid's expression immediately became resolute. "He's the greatest wizard. He'll definitely keep everyone safe."

Vera nodded thoughtfully. "I hope so."

In truth, Vera knew very well that the hidden thread of the first book was Dumbledore deliberately arranging a series of events to observe and nurture Harry's abilities and character.

In the end, all those trials would take the form of tangible dungeon-like challenges.

The first few stages of the test were questions jointly arranged by the teachers of the main subjects, meant to assess Harry's abilities.

Originally, the Troll had been placed in an underground room early as part of the Defense Against the Dark Arts test, but Quirrell had secretly released it.

Even if Dumbledore had not noticed Voldemort had infiltrated the school at first, by now he should have sensed something.

It was only because nearly everything was under Control that he had not eliminated the risk directly, instead choosing to make it another new trial for Harry.

So, apart from the sudden Troll incident and the upcoming Forbidden Forest Unicorn incident, Vera was not particularly worried about Harry and the others' safety for the rest of the year.

Vera's Hint

The conversation seemed to stall.

Inside the hut, the fireplace cast its glow over everyone's faces, stretching their shadows long.

Harry's gaze moved back and forth between Hagrid and Vera for a while before she suddenly leaned closer to Hagrid. "Hagrid, do you remember the small package you took from Gringotts when we first met?"

Hagrid's eyes widened at once. "Y-you, why are you suddenly asking that?"

"I'm just curious." Harry shrugged, looking innocent. "Where is that package now?"

"I can't tell you!" Hagrid shook his head sharply. "It's top secret!"

"Is it hidden in that forbidden corridor?" Hermione suddenly cut in. "Guarded by a Three-Headed Dog?"

Hagrid sprang to his feet, knocking his chair over. "How do you know— I mean, you shouldn't know that!"

Vera gently pressed down on Harry's hand before she could continue questioning him. "Mr. Rubeus, we're only worried that if someone released the Troll to create chaos, they might take the chance to steal that thing..."

"Impossible!" Hagrid shook his head excitedly. "Fluffy is absolutely reliable! No one can get past him!"

"Fluffy?"

"Yeah, he's mine... I bought him last year from a Greek bloke I met at a pub, and I lent him to Dumbledore to guard—"

Hagrid realized he had let something slip and slapped his forehead in frustration. "Listen, all I can tell you is that thing is very safe. With Fluffy and the other protective measures, no one can steal it."

He forcibly changed the subject and shoved another rock-hard biscuit at each of them. "Now, have some Rock Cakes! I just baked them!"

Seeing Harry and Hermione reluctantly take a few bites, Vera could not refuse either. She cautiously took a small bite, then set it down helplessly.

Eating this thing felt a little like abusing a disabled person.

She placed the biscuit on the napkin over her lap. "Mr. Rubeus—"

"Just call me Hagrid," Hagrid said awkwardly.

Although Vera's surname had indeed made him feel somewhat uneasy about the child before, Harry and Hermione had escaped danger because of Vera.

The simple-minded half-giant naturally would not continue harboring any ill will toward an eleven-year-old girl.

Vera nodded and readily changed how she addressed him. "Hagrid, I often heard Harry mention you before. She said you seem especially skilled with magical creatures."

At the mention of magical creatures, Hagrid's eyes immediately lit up. He straightened his back and wiped the biscuit crumbs from his beard. "That's right! Those little fellows are all adorable!"