Thanks to the Magic Circuit, Vera clearly perceived a chilly wave of magic emanating from the direction of the staff table, which quickly dissipated.
Without a word, she grasped Harry’s wrist while discreetly blocking Harry from the staff table with her wheelchair, lowering her voice, “Take a deep breath, relax.”
Harry’s fingertips were ice-cold, and beads of fine sweat oozed across her forehead.
Vera could feel the restless magic beneath her skin—the traces of the curse left by Lord Voldemort during her infancy, awakening now due to his close proximity.
“Feeling better?” Vera asked softly, her fingertips imperceptibly brushing across Harry’s scar as the golden patterns of the Magic Circuit flashed beneath her skin.
Harry’s breathing gradually stabilized, rubbing her scar in confusion, “Strange… it suddenly stopped hurting.”
“You must be tired.” Vera withdrew her hand, sweeping her gaze across the staff table, “Get some rest early later.”
Harry nodded, gripping her hand tightly without saying anything further.
The banquet soon drew to a close, and Dumbledore stood up once again to announce a few reminders, emphasizing the dangers of the Forbidden Forest and the out-of-bounds nature of the corridor on the fourth-floor right-hand side.
Afterwards, the whole school sang the school song raggedly, and the students from each house followed their respective prefects toward their common rooms.
“Gryffindor first-years, follow me!” a red-haired boy called out loudly—it was Percy Weasley, the third son of the Weasley family, wearing a prefect’s badge on his chest.
Vera was just about to push her wheelchair to follow them when she saw Professor McGonagall hurrying down from the staff table, her Black robes fluttering behind her, looking stern yet carrying a hint of concern.
“Miss Black, please stay behind,” she called out to stop Vera, “Before returning to the common room, I need to speak with you alone. Everyone else, please follow the prefect back to the common room.”
Harry, who was standing beside her, wanted to say something, but Vera gently pressed down on her hand: “Go ahead, I will catch up soon.”
Eventually, under Vera’s insistence, Harry and Hermione reluctantly followed Percy in the direction of Gryffindor.
After the first-years all left, Professor McGonagall walked in front of Vera, her expression much softer: “Miss Black, Professor Dumbledore has already explained your situation to me. As your Dean, I need to ensure that your studies and life at Hogwarts proceed smoothly.”
Vera nodded and quietly awaited what came next.
McGonagall pushed up her glasses; she waved her wand, and a flash of silver light crossed, “First is this—a powerful Levitation Charm, which allows your wheelchair to move freely anytime and anywhere, without minding the constraints of the stairs.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Vera nodded gently: “Thank you, Professor.”
“Secondly,” McGonagall thought for a moment and asked, “regarding your dormitory arrangements. Considering your special circumstances, we have prepared a separate dormitory for you.”
“However, if you have classmates you wish to room with, you need to tell me now, and I will have the House-elf make arrangements in advance.”
As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully toward the direction of the marble staircase—Harry and Hermione were squatting behind the staircase banister peering over, and hurriedly shrank back after being discovered.
The corners of Vera’s mouth curved up slightly: “They are a bit… overprotective of me.”
A trace of a smile flashed in Professor McGonagall’s eyes: “Friendship is one of Hogwarts’ most precious treasures.”
Vera pondered for a moment, and said softly, raising her head softly: “If possible, I hope to room with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.”
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, her wand tapped lightly, and a piece of parchment flew out from her sleeve, automatically modifying the names on it: “It has been arranged. The House-elf will make the necessary modifications to your dormitory.”
She paused, a hint of gentleness showing through her serious expression: “Miss Black, Hogwarts will do its utmost to meet every student’s needs. If you encounter any difficulties in your studies or life, you can come to me at any time.”
“Thank you, Professor.” Vera curved her eyes.
Vera pushed her wheelchair, following Professor McGonagall through the brightly lit stairs.
Under the effect of the powerful Levitation Charm, she did not need to expend any magic to directly levitate the wheelchair steadily, easily ascending the stairs.
They arrived at the Gryffindor Tower entrance, and The Fat Lady’s portrait curiously sized up Vera: “Another Black? How rare.”
“The new password is ‘Dragon Dung’,” Professor McGonagall said, “Go on in, Miss Potter and Miss Granger are already waiting for you.”
Vera bade McGonagall good night, then softly recited the password, and Gryffindor’s common room appeared before her eyes—
Seeing her finally catch up, Harry and Hermione immediately jumped up from the sofa and excitedly ran to Vera’s side.
“Our room is over there!” Harry excitedly pointed to a door in the girls’ dormitory hanging a golden nameplate, “The three of us are living together! And the House-elf has already renovated the room!”
Several people came before their dormitory door, the bronzed font on the nameplate writing the names of the three of them.
Pushing open the door, what came into view was a spacious circular room, much larger than an ordinary dormitory—evidently specially renovated to facilitate wheelchair movement.
Three four-poster beds were arranged in a fan shape, each bed draped with deep red curtains, and exquisite lion patterns carved on the bedposts.
Vera’s bed was located in the middle, slightly lower than the other two, and handrails for easy grasping were specially installed at the head of the bed.
On the other side of the room were three desks side by side, each with a brass desk lamp placed on it.
What was most surprising was that in the corner of the room there was also a cozy seating area, covered with thick carpets, furnished with a few armchairs and a small coffee table.
“This is even better than I imagined!” Harry cheered and pounced onto her own bed, rolling around on it, “A real four-poster bed! And so spacious!”
Hermione had already begun organizing her books, placing them on the bookshelf classified by subject: “Look! They even prepared a bookshelf for us!”
Vera pushed her wheelchair to her bedside, noticing a familiar Potion placed on the nightstand—it was a nerve relaxant concocted by Snape, with a small note beside it: “Take daily, dosage as usual. — — S. S.”
She gently picked up the Potion bottle, her fingertips rubbing the cold glass surface, a few complex emotions welling up in her heart.
“What is this?” Harry curiously leaned over, green eyes sparkling under the candlelight.
“Soothing Potion,” Vera briefly replied, putting the Potion bottle back in its original place, “for relieving spine and lower limb pain.”
Harry was stunned for a moment, blinking somewhat awkwardly: “Sorry…”
Vera shook her head: “It’s nothing, you don’t need to apologize.”