The wheelchair-bound warrior is speedrunning Hogwarts.

Vera was pushed along by her, and explained in a cold voice: "Recently, the Ministry of Magic has introduced a new Muggle Protection Act."

I think he probably sold dangerous dark magic items to avoid being searched by the Ministry of Magic.

Harley paused, clearly remembering Vera's analysis of the relationship between Dobby and Malfoy, and angrily cursed, "I knew they weren't good people!"

Just then, they finally arrived at the entrance of Flourish and Blotts bookstore.

It was absolutely packed with people, more crowded than any shop in Diagon Alley.

A huge banner hung down from the building, featuring Gilderoy Lockhart's gleaming smiling face, revealing a dazzling set of white teeth.

To be honest, she looks much better than she does in the movie.

This also aligns more closely with Vera's perception of him as a pretty face but actually a good-for-nothing.

"Merlin's beard..." Harley was startled by the commotion and stood on tiptoe to try and see what was going on inside. "Why are there so many people?"

"You didn't know?" Hermione looked at her as if she were a caveman. "Today is the day Gilderoy Lockhart is signing and selling his autobiography!"

Harley looked at her strangely: "Then why are you so agitated?"

“Because we get to see him in person!” Hermione exclaimed excitedly. “I mean, almost all the books on the list were written by him!”

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly with excitement: "He's a third-class Merlin Order member, an honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a five-time winner of Wizarding Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award!"

Harley looked at Lockhart's overly perfect smile on the poster and muttered to herself, "But his smile looks a little... fake."

Vera chuckled softly, offering no comment, but simply gesturing for them to look towards the center of the crowd: "Looks like it'll be a bit of a hassle to get in and buy books."

The bookstore was packed with witches, ranging in age from little girls like Harley Quinn to mothers.

They chatted excitedly, craning their necks in anticipation.

"Do we really have to squeeze in?" Harley looked at the dense crowd and felt a little apprehensive.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed without hesitation, already searching for a gap in the crowd. "This is a rare opportunity! Come quick!"

She squeezed in first, and Harley had no choice but to follow, carefully protecting Vera's wheelchair to prevent it from being bumped.

Just as they were struggling to move forward, the crowd suddenly erupted into an even more enthusiastic cheer and applause.

Gilderoy Lockhart himself appeared on the makeshift platform, wearing a magnificent robe in forget-me-not blue, waving to the crowd with a bright smile.

"Oh, look who's here!" His sharp gaze swept across the crowd, suddenly fixing on Harley, his eyes lighting up. "Isn't that Harley Potter?!"

Before Harley could react, Lockhart darted off the stage, pushed through the crowd, grabbed Harley's arm, pulled her to his side, and flashed the photographer a perfect smile.

Harley blushed with embarrassment and struggled to get away, but Lockhart's hand gripped her tightly like a vise.

Vera's previously amused gaze instantly turned cold.

She pushed her wheelchair forward, her voice soft but firm: "Mr. Lockhart, please let her go."

Lockhart then noticed the silver-haired girl in the wheelchair. He paused for a moment, then broke into an even brighter smile: "Oh! You want my autograph and a photo too? Beautiful little girl~"

“We’re just here to buy books, sir,” Vera said calmly, her wand inadvertently pointing to Lockhart’s hand that was holding Harley’s.

Lockhart felt a sharp pain in his wrist and instinctively loosened his grip.

He looked at Vera in surprise, a fleeting hint of panic in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by a professional smile.

"Of course, of course! Studying is the most important thing!"

He spoke loudly, then turned and went up on the stage, announcing loudly: "Today, young Harley walked into Flourish and Blotts just to buy my autobiography!"

I would have been happy to give her the book for free on the spot, but in fact, she and her classmates would receive an even bigger surprise!

He paused for a moment, building up the anticipation, before announcing with a beaming smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am very proud and excited to announce that this September, I will become the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers.

Lockhart reveled in the spotlight, flashing his signature smile once more, and affectionately shoved a thick stack of his own books into the still-dazed Harley's arms, nearly making her stumble.

"Oh, thank you..." Harley said instinctively, her voice drowned out by the surrounding noise, but her expression was somewhat bewildered, and she looked a little strained as she carried a pile of hardcover books.

"You're so lucky, Harley!" Hermione exclaimed enviously, looking at the set of books. "A complete signed copy!"

Harley said with a pained expression, "Then take it. I'd rather buy one myself... Besides, he's gripping my arm sore."

She simply shoved the entire set of books into Hermione's hands.

"Huh?" Hermione was a little stunned by this sudden gift.

She instinctively hugged the heavy stack of hardcover books tighter, hesitatingly saying, "Oh, Harley! This...this is too valuable! How can you..."

“It’s okay, I don’t really want it anyway.” Harley rubbed her still sore arm and muttered softly, “Besides, you look at him with much more fervor than you look at me.”

Vera gently rubbed her arm, her fingertips tracing the reddened area, her words clearly meant to soothe her: "Are you feeling better now?"

Feeling the cool touch and gentle massage from Vera's fingertips, Harley's cheeks inexplicably felt hot.

She shook her head, and the discomfort in her arm and in her mind immediately lessened considerably: "It's okay, thank you."

Vera withdrew her hand, her gaze sweeping over the pile of hardcover books that almost buried Hermione. "Let's each pick one more set and then go look around somewhere else. It's too crowded here."

“Agreed!” Harley responded immediately; she really didn’t want to stay in this space filled with Lockhart’s smile and the witches’ enthusiasm any longer.

Although Hermione felt a little regretful that she hadn't been able to say more words to Lockhart, the heavy signed book in her arms made up for that disappointment.

“Okay,” she said, hugging the stack of books tightly, her face flushed, “I’ll pay for Harley’s set!”

Harley couldn't help but laugh, saying in a lighthearted tone, "If you insist, I don't mind~"

So the three of them struggled through the bustling crowd to the second floor, where there were fewer people. Harley immediately picked out two sets of books that were in perfect condition and had no signatures.

Vera lingered in the used book section for a moment, and when she saw the two figures, one tall and one short, who had just entered the bookstore, she suddenly thought of something.

Then, she picked up a large, old book that looked relatively clean.

Just as Fang finished paying at the front desk, he heard a familiar yet annoying voice say, "Looks like you're enjoying the limelight, Potter."

It was Draco Malfoy, his pale face bearing his usual mocking smile.

He stood in the crowd, arms crossed, with his father, Lucius Malfoy, beside him.

Lucius leaned on an exquisite snake-head cane, his indifferent gaze sweeping over Harley, then lingering for a moment on Vera and Hermione, filled with undisguised contempt.

"Are you so concerned about me standing out because you think you won't have such an opportunity in your barren future?"

Harley immediately retorted, proving she was second to none when it came to verbal sparring.

Draco's face flushed slightly: "You—"

“Draco,” Lucius interrupted him, tapping his snake-headed cane lightly on the ground, his tone sarcastic. “Watch your words. We’re not here to argue with…celebrities.”

“Yes, you’re here to buy books by celebrities,” Harley continued sarcastically. “In the end, how are you any different from everyone else here?”

Throughout the summer, she wouldn't vent her pent-up resentment and anger on Dobby. She knew the elf was innocent, but its owner might not be.

Lucius Malfoy's face darkened slightly, and the snake-headed cane in his hand seemed to sense its master's displeasure, its tip gleaming with an ominous light.

Vera calmly maneuvered her wheelchair, positioning it slightly in front of Harley, and met Lucius Malfoy's gaze with composure.

“Mr. Malfoy.” She looked up, not addressing him as uncle according to seniority.

Lucius's gaze fell on her, his eyes scrutinizing her.

He certainly recognized the girl in front of him—Regulus's daughter, a freak who should have had a prestigious position in the pureblood circle, but instead ended up with Potter and that Mudblood.

“Miss Blake,” his voice was cold and condescending, “it seems that Blake’s silence has not taught you the necessary prudence.”

His gaze swept meaningfully over Harley and Hermione beside her: "I wonder what Regulus would think if he knew his daughter had friends like these?"

His tone was casual, yet it carried a certain condescending implication, as if reminding her to be mindful of her position.

“Friendship has nothing to do with birth, Mr. Malfoy,” Vera replied calmly, her dark eyes showing no sign of backing down, “just as intelligence has nothing to do with bloodline.”

In other words, if you're not very bright, you'd better stop talking nonsense.

Lucius's lips twitched slightly, clearly angered by this veiled defiance, but he maintained a facade of politeness, merely tapping the ground lightly with his snake-headed cane.

“An interesting insight,” he said slowly, his gaze growing colder as he looked at her. “I hope the new term at Hogwarts will allow you to maintain this… optimism.”

"We will, no need to worry." Vera nodded slightly, her tone still calm.

Draco seemed to want to say something more, but was stopped by a look from Lucius.

He gave a soft hum, reached into Vera's shopping bag, and pulled the old book out from among the brand-new, shiny Lockhart books.

"It seems the Blake family has really fallen on hard times." He glanced at the book casually, then tossed it back into his shopping bag with disdain.

Before Harley could angrily step forward, Lucius turned around and gestured for Draco to follow.

He turned around and gave them one last meaningful look, especially lingering for a moment on Vera's wheelchair and her calm face before the father and son disappeared behind the crowded bookshelves.

"They're both nasty guys!" Harley cursed at their retreating backs.

"Ignore them." Hermione bit her lip, but still tried to straighten her back. "Let's get out of here quickly, there are more and more people."

Vera nodded: "Then let's go to Florin Fosco Ice Cream Shop, it's on me."

As she spoke, she glanced thoughtfully at the old book in the shopping bag and smiled slightly.

The suggestion immediately dispelled the unpleasant atmosphere. They squeezed out of Flourish and Blotts with their new textbooks in hand, and breathed in the relatively fresh air of Diagon Alley again, feeling much more relaxed.

Vera arrived at Florin Fosco Ice Cream Shop simply wanting a change of scenery and a change of mood.

However, just as she arrived at the store entrance and was about to queue, the store owner, Florin Fusco, looked over through the window.

Oh, I almost forgot that this gentleman also mentioned earlier that she and his sister look somewhat alike.

Fortunately, this time the other person didn't rush to her immediately. They only glanced at her occasionally when they had a spare moment before going back to their own business.

Vera didn't mind and ordered an ice cream with Harley and Hermione. They found a table under the parasol outside the store and sat down. Sunlight filtered through the colorful tarpaulin, casting dappled shadows on the table.

“Hey, look who’s that?” Harley suddenly pointed into the distance with her spoon.

The Weasleys were pushing their way out of the crowd, each carrying a tall stack of new books, their red hair standing out in the sunlight.

Ron held the pile of Lockhart's books with a bitter and resentful expression, as if he were holding a hot potato.

"Ron! Ginny! Over here!" Harley waved and called out excitedly.

The Weasleys, hearing the sound, looked over and immediately smiled as they walked toward them.

"Merlin, you guys are here to buy books too?" Ron plopped down in an empty chair and let out a long sigh. "Flourish and Blotts is absolutely crazy, it's full of Lockhart fans!"

“We saw it,” Hermione said proudly, patting the book in her arms. “And I even got a complete signed copy!”

Ron's eyes widened: "How did you do that? We couldn't even squeeze in!"

“Lockhart forced it on Harley,” Hermione explained, then added somewhat sheepishly, “and then Harley gave it to me.”

Ginny Weasley stood quietly to the side, her gaze shifting between Halle and Vera, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Hello, Ginny,” Vera greeted gently. “I’m Vera Black, a friend of Halle’s.”

“Hello,” Ginny replied softly, her gaze then cautiously shifting to Harley.

Harley Quinn has her own little fangirl now.

Moreover, in the original novel, this little fangirl will become his wife.

Now that Harley is a girl, it's uncertain whether the two will develop their relationship as it did in the original story.

Vera calmly thought about it and took another bite of her lemon sorbet.

Hmm...it tastes rather sour.

Chapter Three: Diary: Now We're Like Lambs to the Tiger's Den (5k Bounty)

It was a pleasant chat with the Weasleys.

Mrs. Weasley, who followed closely behind, was quite kind and warm, not only asking them how their summer vacation was, but also expressing concern for Vera's leg.

When she learned that Harley had been staying at Vera's house for the second half of the summer, she was quite surprised, but her surprise quickly turned into a relieved smile.

“That’s wonderful, dear,” Mrs. Weasley said, patting Harley’s shoulder affectionately. “We’re much more at ease knowing you’re staying with friends. Arthur and I have been so worried about you…”

She stopped speaking before she finished her sentence.

Mr. Weasley, however, took a keen interest in Vera's wheelchair. He bent down, examining the magical runes on it with curiosity: "Was this custom-made? Its stability is truly impressive..."

“Arthur!” Mrs. Weasley interrupted him playfully, “Don’t act like a spoiled child!”

Vera smiled and said, "It's alright. It is indeed custom-made, with reference to modern alchemy and some Muggle technology."

Mr. Weasley's eyes lit up, and he almost wanted to touch it: "Absolutely amazing!"