The Wheelchair War God Is Speedrunning Hogwarts

The sun over Diagon Alley was still bright, but Vera's mood inevitably darkened a little.

She should have expected this—in these times, as a Black, she was destined to face all kinds of suspicion and rejection.

Still, it was no big deal.

She turned her wheelchair and arrived at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where the display windows showcased exquisite school uniforms and formal robes of every kind.

"Need any help, dear?" A short, plump witch stood before the steps, asking warmly with a beaming smile.

"Thank you, but I can manage myself." Vera politely declined her kindness. As she spoke, she lightly touched the rune on her wheelchair's armrest, and an invisible magical force steadily lifted her up the steps.

Interestingly, throughout the process, she could also sense the path of magical power flowing through the circuit as the Hover Charm was cast—

Silver-white threads, like living things, wound around her wheelchair before quietly dispersing once she landed.

For some reason, Vera had an intuition that although she had possessed a wand for less than two hours and had never formally studied magic, if she actively tried, casting the Hover Charm she had already seen several times should not pose any problem.

Was this the magic circuit's assisted learning effect...?

Facing the Savior, Even Giving It Her All Was Hard to Resist

Led into the shop by Madam Malkin, Vera briefly glanced around.

The shop was more spacious than she had imagined. Several racks were filled with robes in all sorts of styles, and a huge three-sided mirror stood in one corner.

To her surprise, there was already another customer in the shop—a pale blond boy stood on a footstool, allowing an enchanted measuring tape to glide over him and take his measurements.

"Almost done, young man," a witch said to the boy.

The boy turned around, and his gray eyes clearly flashed with surprise when he saw Vera's wheelchair.

He raised his chin and asked in an unmistakably superior tone, "Are you also a new Hogwarts student this year?"

Vera calmly met his gaze. "Yes."

"I'm Draco Malfoy." The boy proudly announced his name, though his eyes remained fixed on her wheelchair. "Your legs... what happened?"

Vera narrowed her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she still answered briefly, "Aftereffects of a car accident."

Draco seemed dissatisfied by her indifferent response. He jumped down from the footstool and walked up to her. "Do you know the Malfoy family? My father is one of the school governors."

"Of course I do." Vera looked up, a trace of amusement flashing through her dark eyes. "One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, with several marriage ties to the Black family."

Draco's eyes widened. "You're from the Black family?"

His attitude immediately underwent a subtle change. "My mother is a Black too! Narcissa Malfoy, you must know her!"

"Of course." Vera nodded. "By generation, she's my aunt."

"So we're cousins?" Draco said excitedly, completely forgetting his earlier arrogance. "Then you'll be in Slytherin, right? All pure-bloods go to Slytherin."

"Perhaps." Vera gave no definite answer and pushed her wheelchair over to the footstool.

With Madam Malkin's help, she smoothly transferred from her wheelchair onto the stool, and the enchanted measuring tape immediately got to work.

Draco stood nearby, watching the tape dance around her. He could not help lowering his voice and saying mysteriously, "You've heard, right? Hogwarts is welcoming that Savior this year!"

Vera did not respond. She merely waited quietly for the measuring to finish. Madam Malkin specially selected a standard set for her and thoughtfully adjusted the robe hem for the convenience of wheelchair use.

Seeing that she gave him no response, Draco found himself snubbed and said bluntly, "My father said that perhaps we should befriend Potter."

Vera glanced at him and felt that compared to the Savior from earlier, the one before her was rather boring.

"But—" Draco abruptly changed the subject, sweeping a disdainful look over Vera's wheelchair. "Forget making friends. Can you really even go to Hogwarts like that? I hear there are stairs everywhere."

Vera's fingers tightened slightly, but her expression remained calm. "Thank you for your concern, but I believe Hogwarts should have a way to solve that problem."

"Hmph, I hope so." Draco shrugged. "I wouldn't want to see you fall down the stairs on your first day of school."

He made no effort to lower his voice, drawing the attention of several students and parents in the shop.

A chill flashed through Vera's eyes.

She raised her head and lowered her voice as she spoke beside him. "Cousin Draco, did you know that there's an illness in the Muggle world whose symptom is always poking one's nose into other people's business?"

Draco's face instantly turned bright red. "You—"

"I suggest you get checked at St. Mungo's." Vera continued in a calm tone. "After all, caring about a cousin's health is only proper, isn't it?"

Draco's face turned from red to white, and anger flashed through his gray-blue eyes. "How dare you speak to me like that! You cripple who can't even walk—"

Before he could finish, the shop door was suddenly pushed open, and a small figure burst in with considerable force.

"Apologize to her!" Harry's angry voice rang out as she stepped in front of Vera. "What you just said was way out of line!"

Vera looked up in surprise at Harry, who was standing in front of her.

That small body was drawn taut, her fists clenched so tightly they had gone white, while fury burned in the green eyes behind her glasses.

Though she was not even as tall as Draco, she stubbornly stood before the wheelchair and refused to back down.

Like an angry little kitten with its fur standing on end.

Vera did not know where that association had come from, but since the Savior had already stood up for her, she quietly put away the wand she had long been charging inside her sleeve.

Draco had clearly not expected someone to suddenly rush out and accuse him. He took a step back, his eyes going round. "Who are you? What gives you the right to interfere in my business?"

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry straightened her back and glared at him indignantly. "And what you said just now was extremely rude."

"Potter?" Draco's expression instantly became a spectacle. He looked Harry up and down, his gaze lingering on the scar on her forehead for a moment. "You're the Potter who defeated You-Know-Who? I heard my father say—"

"I don't care what your father said," Harry interrupted with a frown. "I only know that what you said just now insulted my friend!"

Vera sat quietly in her wheelchair. Hearing a girl she had known for less than ten minutes call her a friend made her feel rather strange.

This Savior was a little too quick to make friends.

An unnatural flush rose on Draco's pale face. He looked at Harry, then at Vera in her wheelchair, and finally gritted his teeth. "I-I was only stating the facts! If she goes to Hogwarts looking like that, she'll be laughed at too!"

Harry's fists clenched even tighter, rising eagerly as if she were ready to pounce and punch him at any moment.

Faced with a Savior who had no intention of reasoning with him at all, Draco could only turn to leave with insufficient confidence. Yet as he passed Harry, he deliberately bumped into her.

Harry staggered and nearly fell.

Vera reacted quickly, catching her wrist and steadying her.

"Thanks," Harry said softly, her cheeks slightly red.

Vera released her hand and gently shook her head. "You didn't need to clash with him because of me."

"But the way he talked about you—" Harry frowned. "He was so annoying!"

Looking at Harry's serious expression, Vera suddenly found it a little amusing. The Savior of this world seemed more impulsive than in the original work, and also more... pure.

"...What is it? Did I say something wrong just now?" Harry grew a little uneasy under her gaze.

Vera withdrew her eyes and gently shook her head. "I just didn't expect you to come after me."

"I wasn't following you, I ran into you again!" Harry emphasized forcefully. Under Vera's gaze, her tone gradually became a little guilty. "Luckily, I ran into you again."

Vera watched the faintly reddened tips of Harry's ears, and a shallow curve touched the corner of her lips.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Training Room

"Thank you."

Vera's voice was very soft, but Harry's eyes instantly lit up as though she had received some tremendous praise.

"No need to thank me!" Harry grinned, revealing two small canine teeth. "I just couldn't stand the way he talked."

Vera noticed that the collar of Harry's old T-shirt was frayed, and there were several faintly visible mended patches on the sleeves.

"Have you bought everything you need?" Vera changed the subject, pushing her wheelchair over to the counter and accepting the package Madam Malkin handed her.

Harry shook her head. "Not yet. Hagrid said robes were the last thing."

"All right, dear." After settling the bill, Madam Malkin turned to Harry. "Your turn."

Harry nodded repeatedly and clumsily climbed onto the footstool, curiously watching the enchanted measuring tape work in front of her.

Vera sat quietly to one side, idly stroking Knox with her fingers.

The kitten comfortably narrowed its eyes and began purring.

Vera did not know when Harry had turned to look at her. Standing on the footstool, she suddenly spoke. "Actually, I'm a little nervous... about Hogwarts. Hagrid said there are moving stairs there, and ghosts and stuff..."

Watching Harry uneasily push up her glasses, Vera realized that this girl was also encountering the wizarding world for the first time.

"I was surprised when I first heard about it too," Vera said softly. "But supposedly, older students will guide the new students, so no one will get lost."

Harry's beautiful green eyes widened curiously. Just as she was about to say something, the shop door was pushed open again, and Hagrid's huge body squeezed inside.

"Harry! So you were here!" Hagrid sighed in relief, but when he saw Vera, his expression became subtle again. "Er... are your clothes done?"

Harry looked back at Hagrid, then at Vera, hesitating for a moment. "Vera, do you want to come with us? Hagrid said he's taking me for ice cream..."

Vera lowered her eyelashes calmly. "No, I still have things to buy."

Harry's green eyes dimmed for a moment, but soon brightened again. "Then... we can see each other when school starts, right? I mean, if we can go to school together..."

Vera looked at the persistent girl and kindly reminded her, "Miss Potter, we've known each other for less than twenty minutes."

"But we already fought a nuisance together!" Harry said seriously, looking into her eyes.

Vera fell silent for a moment. She was still not very good at dealing with such an enthusiastic little thing, but in the end, she gently nodded. "If there's an opportunity."

That ambiguous answer seemed to satisfy Harry completely.

She broke into a brilliant smile, took the package Madam Malkin handed over, and jumped down from the footstool. "Then it's settled! So we'll... see each other when school starts?"

Vera nodded lightly, then seemed to remember something and said softly, "Oh, happy birthday."

Harry's eyes lit up. "How did you know?"

"Earlier, he mentioned a birthday present," Vera replied calmly. "Wasn't that owl your birthday present?"

"You're the first person besides Hagrid to say that to me!" Harry said excitedly. She suddenly bent down and hugged Vera tightly, then quickly sprang back. "Thank you, see you at school!"

Watching Harry's departing back as she hurried away after thanking her, Vera blinked and touched Knox on her lap.

"What a strange Savior," she murmured.

Still, unexpectedly, she did not dislike her.

Having finished all the purchases on her school supply list, it was just past noon.

Vera pushed her wheelchair out of Madam Malkin's shop. Sunlight slanted across Diagon Alley's cobblestone street, casting a warm golden glow.

Knox lazily yawned on her lap, his amber eyes half-closed as though he had little interest in anything around him.

She looked down at the list and confirmed that she had bought everything necessary before returning to the Leaky Cauldron and using the Floo Network fireplace to go back to Grimmauld Place.

By then, Kreacher had been waiting for a long time. The moment Vera appeared, he excitedly hurried forward.

"Miss is back!" Kreacher stepped forward quickly. "Kreacher prepared Miss's favorite fruit tea!"

Vera nodded and took out the purchased items one by one, handing them to Kreacher. He helped hang the robes in the wardrobe and neatly stacked the textbooks on the desk.

Knox lightly leaped onto the bookshelf, looking down at his new surroundings from above, his tail swaying elegantly.

"Miss looks very happy today." While organizing the items, Kreacher secretly observed Vera's expression. "Did Miss encounter something good?"

Vera took out her wand and gently stroked it, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifting. "Something like that."

The rosewood wand felt cool and smooth. Golden patterns carved into its body appeared and disappeared beneath the sunlight.

Vera gazed at the wand, suddenly remembering something. She looked up and asked, "Kreacher, is there somewhere in the house to practice spells?"

The house-elf's ears twitched. "The Black house has an abandoned training room at the end of the Third Floor Corridor, but..."

He hesitantly twisted his tea towel. "No one has used it for a very long time..."

"Take me there." Vera pushed her wheelchair forward, anticipation glittering in her eyes.

A house-elf could not defy its master's command.

Even though he had his misgivings, Kreacher could only dutifully agree.

Under the little elf's magic, Vera's wheelchair was lifted by an invisible force and steadily floated into the air.