The wheelchair-bound warrior is speedrunning Hogwarts.

He had always been curious about Muggle technology, and now he couldn't help but ask a few more questions.

Vera patiently answered her questions, and the two had a pleasant conversation.

The twins, Ron, and Ginny would occasionally chime in on their conversation, while Percy would only offer a greeting and then fall silent.

After a pleasant chat, the Weasleys left to buy other items.

Before leaving, Ginny glanced at Halle one last time before disappearing into the crowd with her family.

After watching the Weasleys leave, Hermione glanced at the sky and closed the book she was reading, "Sailing with Vampires," with a hint of regret.

"I should go back now; my parents are waiting for me to have lunch together," she said, standing up.

"So soon?" Harley was a little reluctant.

“Mmm,” Hermione nodded, hugging the heavy stack of autographed books in her arms, her face beaming with undisguised joy. “Today was amazing! Not only did I run into you guys, but I also got this! See you at the start of the school year!”

"See you at the start of the school year, Hermione," Vera said with a smile.

Hermione, carrying her book, strode lightly into the crowd in Diagon Alley.

Harley looked away, poking at the melting ice cream in her cup with her spoon, and suddenly lost her appetite.

Thinking about how the lively holiday was about to end and how she would have to face the flamboyant Lockhart and the disgusting faces of the Malfoy father and son again after school started, she couldn't help but sigh.

"What's wrong?" Vera noticed her low spirits.

“It’s nothing,” Harley shook her head, trying to cheer herself up, “I just feel like the holiday went by too fast…”

She really enjoyed living with Vera at the Blake House.

Vera paused for a moment, then gently stirred the lemon sorbet in her glass. "Alright, let's go to Madam Malkin's and order a new robe. We can go back now."

Harley nodded, pushed Vera's wheelchair, and the two walked together toward the Madam Malkin's Robe Shop.

As it turned out, after a year of being fed at Hogwarts, Harry did grow several centimeters taller. Madam Malkin helped her lengthen the hem of her robe, charging only for the workmanship and a small amount for materials.

The prices were so reasonable that Vera was a little worried about whether the store could make a profit.

However, seeing Mrs. Malkin's cheerful expression, she didn't say anything more.

After completing their shopping, the two returned to 12 Grimmauld Place via the FlooNet.

As the fireplace flames died down, the old house's unique silence and coolness enveloped them once more, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.

Kreacher appeared silently and took the shopping bags from their hands.

"Welcome back, Miss Potter."

“Thank you, Kreacher.” Harley nodded politely, then looked up at the empty corridor in front of her, suddenly feeling a little lonely.

The hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley still seemed to echo in my ears, but now all that remained was the monotonous ticking of the clock.

“There’s still some time before dinner,” Vera suggested, seemingly noticing her slight discomfort. “Why don’t you go see Hemera and Luwei? They must miss you too.”

Harley's eyes lit up immediately: "Great!"

Nothing can dispel a low mood better than a pet.

Vera took out a magic scroll, and the two of them once again entered that vibrant habitat.

They played inside until dusk before reluctantly leaving to eat some of the dinner prepared by Kreacher.

After that, Harley took a shower, ran around outside all morning, and played with the pets in the grass all afternoon. She herself couldn't stand the smell on her body anymore.

Vera took this opportunity to bring out the textbooks she had just bought that day.

Lockhart's bestselling book is quite interesting to read as a novel.

This guy is practically clueless about magic, except for the Oblivion Charm, but he has a good talent for writing, and what he writes is indeed more interesting than some dry factual books.

Besides that, what Vera was even more concerned about was the book she had casually picked up in the used book section, which seemed to be called... "The Practice and Application of Household Magic"?

No wonder Lucius disliked her so much.

She picked up the thick, slightly tattered old book and carefully flipped through its pages. Sure enough, she found something in the middle that didn't belong in the book—

It was a thin, black-covered diary, lying quietly between the pages. The black cover had no signature, only a blurry date imprint, and looked nothing special.

But the moment Vera's fingertips touched the cover, an indescribable chill and malice quietly spread along the point of contact, making her almost instinctively want to shake it off.

She suppressed the impulse, her fingertips turning slightly white as she gripped the spine of the book even tighter. Even through the thick pages, the chilling aura still made her uncomfortable.

The second Horcrux.

She remembered that at this point in the original story, Lucius slipped Tom Riddle's diary into this book and gave it to Ginny Weasley.

And now, probably because of her words of betrayal of her family and pure-blood identity, Lucius shoved this thing into her's hands in a fit of anger.

However, no matter who it is handed over to, it is no different from murder.

Lucius Malfoy... how dare he casually hand such a dangerous thing to a student.

Vera's eyes turned cold as she silently calmed her breathing.

If she hadn't known the plot beforehand and deliberately created a loophole to make Lucius think he had a chance, the diary might have fallen into Ginny's hands, just like in the original story, opening the secret room and causing a series of panics and even casualties.

And now, it's in her hands.

Vera did not immediately open the diary.

She knew that it contained fragments of the memories of sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, a Voldemort who still had a brain, cunning, astute, and extremely seductive.

He will see and respond to any writing, then try to pry into the writer's secrets, establish a connection, erode the holder's mind, and ultimately take away their body.

How should we deal with it?

Should we destroy it directly with Fiery Blaze?

That would solve the problem once and for all, but in doing so, the method to open the secret chamber and control the basilisk would be lost.

Yes, after seeing the abilities that Hemera and Luwei had given her, Vera also became interested in the Basilisk, a top predator that also appeared in the original story.

If we could subdue it like we subdued Hemera and Luv, and gain its power, it would undoubtedly be a powerful trump card.

But the risks are also obvious—sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, even if he is just a fragment of memory, is far more cunning than Quirrell's weak main soul.

The only thing that is somewhat controllable is that the soul in the diary is also weak. As long as no one opens the diary and talks to him, he will never be able to gain power and can only reside in the diary.

Moreover, the basilisk itself is probably even more difficult to subdue than Cerberus.

Therefore, the safest option is to pretend the basilisk doesn't exist and destroy the diary directly, but opportunities often come with risks.

Vera looked at the cold cover of the diary and had already made up her mind.

We must not rush; we must plan carefully over the long term.

At the very least, one should not easily attempt to make any contact with it outside of Hogwarts.

The school's protection, Dumbledore's presence, and the castle's ancient magic are all indispensable barriers in the event of an accident.

Although she hasn't yet figured out a way to contact Tom in the diary in a completely safe situation.

But that doesn't mean that once we return to Hogwarts, with the help of the castle and the books in the Room of Requirement, there won't be new solutions.

If all else fails, just burn it down with a blazing fire.

"Vera—"

The bathroom door clicked open, and Harley, with her wet black hair and loose pajamas, jumped out, bringing with her warm steam and the fresh scent of soap.

As she haphazardly dried her hair with a towel, she naturally moved closer to Vera.

"Reading a new book? Isn't Lockhart's story exaggerated? I flipped through two pages and thought..."

Harley's voice trailed off as her gaze fell on the exceptionally worn book in Vera's hand, "The Practice and Application of Housekeeping Magic." "Huh? What's this? It doesn't seem to be on the list?"

She blinked curiously and reached out to take it and examine it.

Vera held her still-dripping head with one hand and said helplessly, "Dry your hair first."

While diverting Harley's attention, she subtly slipped the diary hidden in the old book into the cloth bag on the side of the wheelchair.

Harley was pushed away, and she pouted in dissatisfaction, but she still obediently picked up the towel and dried her hair more vigorously.

As he wiped, his gaze remained fixed on the old book: "That book looks so old, what's it about?"

"I just randomly picked up this old book in the secondhand section. It talks about some useless cleaning spells." Vera said in a flat tone, closing the old book in her hand and putting it aside, as if it really was just a boring reference book.

She subtly changed the subject, saying, "Your hair is still dripping wet, be careful not to catch a cold."

Harley's attention was indeed diverted. She exclaimed and quickly bent down to rub her wet hair even more vigorously, making her black hair a mess.

Vera watched her flustered state, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, before disappearing beneath her usual calm.

“Let me help you.” She reached out and took the towel from Harley’s hand. “Lower it, I can’t reach it.”

Harley immediately sat up straight, and Vera gently wrapped her wet hair in a towel, pressing it carefully to absorb the water.

She squinted comfortably, occasionally letting out a pleasant hum, and soon forgot all about the strange old book.

However, if she really wanted to deal with the basilisk, she would have to make some preparations in advance, including but not limited to mandrake.

Other specific details will need to be prepared gradually over the remaining two weeks of the holiday.

Vera was lost in thought, but her hands remained gentle and meticulous.

Harley's hair is on the stiffer side and appears even thicker when wet. When you run your fingertips through her slightly cool hair, you can clearly feel the warmth coming from the roots.

After drying her down to half-dry, Vera put down the towel, picked up a comb, carefully combed out the knots, and then used a spell to dry the rest of the moisture.

"You finished so quickly..." Harley stood up, still somewhat unsatisfied, and muttered.

As witches, they could certainly use spells to dry their hair, but they still preferred the feeling of taking care of each other.

Moreover, the feeling of being massaged is really comfortable.

"Alright," Vera put the comb back on the table, "Go to sleep now."

Harley ruffled her fluffy, dry hair, her eyes still showing a hint of languid comfort from being pampered: "Okay...you should get some rest too."

She agreed verbally, but didn't move her feet immediately. Her gaze swept over Vera's face, and then she suddenly bent down and quickly hugged her.

"Goodnight, Vera!" Her voice was as light as a bird's. After saying that, she turned and ran back to her room, the door closing softly with a "click".

Vera paused for a moment, the lingering sensation of that embrace—fragrant with the scent of fresh soap and the warmth of a young girl—still vivid on her shoulder. She shook her head helplessly, a gentle tenderness she herself didn't notice welling up in her eyes.

She quickly separated the old book containing the dangerous diary from the other textbooks she had bought that day and placed it separately in a corner of her wheelchair space.

After doing all this, she suddenly remembered that she had previously asked Kreacher what her father, Regulus, had left her.

But Kreacher stammered for a long time, blew his nose with his tea towel, and mumbled indistinctly, "We must wait until Miss is strong enough... and safe enough..."

From then on, Vera never pressured it again.

She knew, of course, that Kreacher was keeping another Horcrux—Slytherin's locket.

That was something her father, Regulus Black, had paid with his life for and ordered the elves to destroy.

But Kreacher was unable to destroy it and was also deeply troubled by his failure to fulfill his master's final command.

For Kreacher, handing over the locket meant admitting its failure and powerlessness, and could even drag its little owner into unimaginable danger.

It stubbornly guards this heavy secret, believing it to be another form of loyalty to Regulus—protecting his only bloodline until she is strong enough.

After reading the original work, Vera could understand the weight of the situation and knew that the time was not yet right.

Currently, she needs to focus on the upcoming new semester, and... the ominous diary she just received in her pocket.

As for the locket, it will remain in Kreacher's hands for a long time to come, so she's not in a hurry.

In the following days, life seemed to return to its previous rhythm, yet there were subtle differences.

In her spare time from training and studying, Vera began to consciously or unconsciously browse through the Black family collection of books that might be useful.

She did it very discreetly, usually taking out those difficult and ancient books only after Harley had fallen asleep or while she was engrossed in her own books.

She needs to learn more about the basilisk and how to fight off that deadly gaze.

Even though her goal was to subdue rather than fight, understanding the enemy's characteristics was the first step to ensuring her own safety.

Mandrake is essential; the cry of a mature mandrake is deadly enough, but the potion made from it is the only antidote to the petrifying effect of the basilisk's indirect gaze.

She remembered that Professor Sprout had grown mandrakes in his greenhouse, but they only ripened once a year, and the waiting time was too long.

So I'll have to go to Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley to see if they've made any Mandrake resurrection potions.

Furthermore, the rooster's crowing is deadly to the basilisk, a fact that might also be used…