The Wheelchair War God Is Speedrunning Hogwarts

First, she had to determine the weather for the day. Fortunately, she often went to the Observatory now, ostensibly to do stargazing homework, but it also let her judge the next day's weather from the celestial signs.

Second, she had to make sure that, from her position at the scene, she could clearly see Quirrell sitting at the teachers' table.

Then, based on the angle at which the sunlight would be focused, she had to calculate where to place the telescope and ensure no one would notice it.

As it happened, Quidditch was a sport that involved flying all over the place. There were fourteen players from two teams, three balls darting around the field, and everyone's attention was focused on Harry at the time, including Quirrell and Snape.

Under those circumstances, her little moves would not be noticed so easily.

What drained her stamina the most, however, was that throughout the process, she had to maintain Source Flow Reforging, concentrating her magic in her eyes in order to precisely control the telescope's movement and adjust its angle.

After all that, both her magic and mental energy had been exhausted, and the old injury in her spine began to tingle faintly.

Pushing her wheelchair back to the castle alone, Vera immediately took a bottle of painkilling potion from the hidden compartment in her wheelchair once she returned to the dormitory and tipped her head back to drain it.

The bitter liquid slid down her throat, bringing a familiar burning sensation. Soon enough, however, the dull pain in her spine eased considerably.

She let out a long breath, wheeled herself to the bedside, and painstakingly transferred herself onto the bed.

Nox jumped down from the cat tree and landed lightly beside her, gazing at her with worried eyes.

"I'm fine." Vera gently stroked the cat's soft fur, feeling the potion slowly take effect within her body.

Nox curled up beside her, its warm body pressed against her calves as it gave off a soft purr.

Outside the window, the cheers from the Quidditch pitch could still be faintly heard.

She listened for a while, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

Harry had won the match, Gryffindor had claimed victory, and everything was proceeding according to the plot.

As for whether her act of using a telescope to focus sunlight and burn Voldemort today would earn the Dark Lord's resentment...

That little thing that could only parasitize the back of Quirrell's head would have to wait three years before it could act again after this year ended.

But if the plot changed along the way... there was nothing to fear. Her enemies would not stop simply because she was afraid.

Nor would she halt in her tracks because of an unknown future.

Vera closed her eyes as her Magic Circuit slowly circulated within her body, helping her restore the strength she had spent.

Before she knew it, amid Nox's purring, the bricks inside the dormitory gradually began to emit a faint glow.

Fine golden patterns emerged across the ancient stones, flowing like living things outward from Vera at the center.

The golden patterns wound around her fingertips like vines, glowing faintly in and out of sight.

With her eyes closed, Vera unconsciously frowned.

All she could feel at that moment was indescribable comfort. It was as though she had been immersed in hot water, with every aspect of her body and mind recovering at an unprecedented rate.

Nox alertly raised itself, its amber pupils gleaming faintly in the dim dormitory. It gently rubbed against Vera's cheek and meowed twice.

The little cat, with its Kneazle bloodline, rarely made sounds on its own. It only warned its owner when it sensed something unusual.

Vera opened her eyes warily, then froze when she saw traces of magic flowing even through the gaps between the bricks above her head.

No wonder she had vaguely sensed her Magic Circuit resonating with some unknown force outside herself. It was Hogwarts...

Was the castle helping her recover her strength?

The instant that thought appeared, the glowing bricks around her gradually dimmed.

"Wait!" Vera hurriedly tried to sit up and stop it, but she was too late. She could only watch everything around her return to normal, as though nothing had happened.

Why had that happened?

Was it because she had opened her eyes? Had the little castle secretly helping her recover gotten shy?

...Anyone with half a brain knew that could not possibly be the answer.

Vera lowered her head and clenched her fist hard. Only after confirming that much of her strength had returned did she reluctantly reach a conclusion—

The castle's initiative in helping her recover probably depended on the core stat of Hogwarts recognition.

Though it only showed a few simple bonuses on the surface, she could unlock more privileges as long as she continued raising her recognition.

By then, within Hogwarts, she might truly be able to rival adult wizards with the help of the location bonuses, perhaps even contend with Voldemort.

Taking a deep breath, Vera reached out and gently stroked the cat in her arms.

Seeing that she was awake, Nox immediately perked up as well, raising its head to affectionately rub against her cheek.

"All right, Nox... haha, that tickles!" Vera was knocked back onto the bed by the kitten, which had grown a little bigger again, and could not help playing with it for a while.

But soon, after Nox had had enough affection from her, it flicked its tail, turned its face away without a shred of loyalty, and jumped off the bed to feast from its bowl of cat food.

Vera helplessly brushed the cat fur from her face, slowly sat up, and watched it eat contentedly. The comforted expression on her face gradually settled into calmness.

The dormitory was quiet. There was no Harry's ever-energetic voice, no rustling of Hermione turning pages, only the faint sound of Nox crunching its cat food.

She propped herself up, pushed her wheelchair to the window, and gazed at the outline of the Forbidden Forest beneath the sunlight.

Setting aside her previous life, she had already grown accustomed to being alone during her time in the Black ancestral home.

But now... after resting alone in the room for only a while, she actually felt a little empty inside, a little uncomfortable.

She sighed softly, picked up a book from the bedside table, and prepared to pass the time until they returned.

Just then, the dormitory door was gently pushed open.

"Vera, how are you feeling after your rest?"

Harry poked her head in. Seeing Vera sitting by the window and looking much better, she quickly walked in and said excitedly, "Guess what we found out from Hagrid?"

"What did he say?" Vera put down her book and asked obligingly.

Hermione entered right after her. "Hagrid let something slip. The thing Fluffy is guarding has something to do with a man named Nicolas Flamel."

"Nicolas Flamel?" Vera raised an eyebrow.

"You know him?" Hermione hurriedly asked. "I feel like I've seen that name somewhere before."

Vera thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't really remember either."

The hopeful little faces of the brown-haired otter and green-eyed kitten visibly fell at once.

Vera suddenly felt like the sort of bad owner who refused to feed her pets.

She silently repented for one second, then stuck to her answer.

Mm, she just did not remember.

Not a Binding Strategy (Bounty x3)

In Vera's estimation, Voldemort's injury this time would certainly make him pressure Quirrell to steal the Philosopher's Stone, or perhaps hunt Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest.

Whether they wanted to get past the three-headed dog or kill a Unicorn, they would have to get through Hagrid first.

Fortunately, she had already reminded Hagrid to be more vigilant. With Dumbledore surely on guard as well, Voldemort should find it difficult to succeed in the short term.

At a time like this, she could not offer clues so easily, lest Harry and the others run straight into Quirrell.

She would have to first observe the movements of the Dark Lord and his servant before making a decision.

Harry was still deep in thought. "If even Vera doesn't know, then we can only go look this person up in the library!"

Looking at Harry's sparkling green eyes, Vera's lips unconsciously curved upward. "Good idea, but..."

She pointed at the sky outside, which had already darkened. "The library should be closed by now."

"Then we'll go together first thing tomorrow morning." The mention of going to the library immediately brightened Hermione's expression as well.

Vera looked at them. Though she really did not want to dampen their spirits, she could only shake her head. "Tomorrow, I need to see Madam Pomfrey for a routine checkup."

She had gone for regular examinations before, but she had basically never asked them to accompany her.

Every time, she came quietly and left quietly. Harry and Hermione could more or less guess where she had gone, but they had tacitly never brought it up.

Harry froze, then smacked her forehead in annoyance. "I nearly forgot! Vera, can I take you there tomorrow?"

"...All right." Vera hesitated, but ultimately nodded. "Will Hermione be coming too?"

Ever since she had had that little conflict with Harry, she had suddenly realized... trying to let them accompany her should not be as difficult as she had imagined.

"Of course!" Before Hermione could speak, Harry made the decision for her. "It's settled, then! We'll wait outside while you have your checkup, then we'll go to the library together to look things up."

"All right." Hermione spread her hands. Though she struck a helpless pose, the smile on her face had already betrayed her. "I have no objections."

Looking at them with complicated feelings, the slight curve of Vera's lips finally rose a little higher.

After finishing its cat food, Nox lightly jumped onto Vera's lap and gave a satisfied yawn.

Harry picked up the cat and rubbed it all over, then seemed to remember something and asked curiously, "Oh, Vera, the medicine you drank earlier looked like a different color. Is it new medicine?"

"Mm." Vera answered casually, "Professor Snape improved the formula again. It helps me sleep more peacefully at night."

But its effects were limited to maintaining stability. It could not do much to improve her current condition.

The smile in Hermione's eyes flickered. She keenly noticed the reservation in Vera's words and opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately did not ask.

She looked at the completely dark sky outside. "It's getting late. We should go have dinner. Vera, how are you feeling now? Can you come to the Great Hall with us?"

Vera assessed her condition and nodded lightly. "Mm, much better."

On the way from the dormitory to the Great Hall, Harry brought up their earlier agreement again. Even after all three of them sat down at the Gryffindor table, she was still enthusiastically making plans.

"It's been cloudy these past few days... Once the weather gets warmer, I'll take you for a flight! I guarantee it'll be much more comfortable than sitting in a wheelchair!"

Hermione could not help reminding her, "Harry, you need to make sure you can keep Vera safe first."

"At worst, we can get a rope and tie Vera and me together!" Harry protested. "That way, if we fall, I can at least serve as a cushioning sandbag."

The moment she said that, Vera nearly choked on her pumpkin soup. After a fit of coughing, her fair face had turned bright red.

Hermione rolled her eyes outright. "Harry Potter! What kind of terrible idea is that?"

Harry stuck out her tongue. "I was only joking. Besides, Vera wouldn't really let me—"

"If it's only once in a while, we can try it." Having finally recovered, Vera calmly interrupted her.

Harry and Hermione froze at the same time, both pairs of eyes turning toward her in unison.

After a moment, Hermione could not help laughing first, while Harry looked at Vera with a wounded expression. "Vera, you can really bring yourself to do that..."

"Why not?" Vera raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Of course, I hope everything goes smoothly then, but... if anything goes wrong, my safety will depend on you, Miss Sandbag~"

Harry's eyes widened blankly. "I-I didn't mean that..."

Hermione laughed so hard she doubled over. "Good luck, Miss Sandbag~"

Only then did Harry finally realize it, a blush spreading across her face.

She angrily speared a piece of roasted sausage and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "You two only know how to bully me..."

Vera and Hermione exchanged a smile and reluctantly let her off.

For the rest of the time, the long table remained lively because of Gryffindor's victory.

Harry was soon surrounded by other students, excitedly discussing the brilliant moves from the match.

Vera quietly ate her dinner, occasionally responding to Hermione's speculations about Nicolas Flamel.

Her gaze occasionally swept toward the teachers' table. When she noticed that Quirrell's seat was still empty and Snape was absent as well, she frowned slightly.

Then, as she shifted her gaze away, she met a pair of blue eyes hidden behind glasses—

Dumbledore was watching her gently through his half-moon spectacles, a hint of inquiry in his gaze.

Vera's heart skipped a beat. She smiled at him as if nothing was wrong, then lowered her head and pretended to focus on the food on her plate.

"What's wrong?" Hermione noticed the change in her expression and asked with concern.

Vera shook her head. "I was just thinking about tomorrow's checkup."

Vera was not sure whether this old man—the indisputably greatest wizard of the age from beginning to end in the original story—had noticed anything, but at least for now, none of her actions had crossed any lines.

Yes, she was exactly within the range of what could be expected from a somewhat gifted student with a slightly more mature mind.

Though before long, Vera planned to do something that would exceed Dumbledore's expectations.

But just as most Gryffindors who had broken school rules thought, if you were not caught, then it was the same as never breaking them.

Vera thought that perhaps she truly was a Gryffindor after all.

Phoenix Tears (Bounty x4)