The wheelchair-bound warrior is speedrunning Hogwarts.

Vera almost blurted out that sarcastic remark, but swallowed it back. She simply smiled and loosened her sleeve, saying, "Go ahead, don't keep people waiting."

Sera glanced at her, then turned and walked toward the meditation basin. The silvery-white substance in the basin rippled as she leaned over, gradually engulfing her thoughts.

The room immediately fell silent.

The images of the four guardians stood silently in their respective frames, their gazes either fixed on the direction where Sera had disappeared or on Vera.

Professor Figo stood in the corner, his fingers unconsciously stroking the shaft of his wand, his expression solemn.

Vera crouched down beside the purple-horned beast and reached out to stroke the cub's head. The little guy liked her very much and even stuck out his tongue to lick her fingertips. The rough surface of his tongue scraped against her skin, bringing a slight tickling sensation.

"Good boy," she said softly, taking a piece of jerky from her pocket, tearing it into thin strips, and feeding it to the dog.

The adult purple-horned beast lowered its head and gently nuzzled the cub's back with its nose, letting out a low growl as if to express its gratitude.

Vera didn't look up, but she always felt a gaze on her.

It's Professor Figo.

She stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from her robe, and walked over to the old professor.

"Professor, is there something you want to ask me?" she asked directly.

Professor Figo was silent for a few seconds, his gaze shifting from her face to the mirrors of the four guardians, and then back again.

“Miss Black,” he said in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing Sera, who was still watching the memories of the Vault of Secrets, “you said that Hogwarts brought you here because of that thing in the Vault of Secrets?”

Vera nodded: "Yes."

“Then, if I may be so bold,” Professor Figo turned to her and asked seriously, “Miss Black, have you come here to protect what is in the vault, or to destroy it?”

As soon as he finished speaking, even the gazes of several guardians turned towards him simultaneously.

Back then, they were powerless to destroy the energy left behind by Isidora, so they decided to protect it as a second choice.

Therefore, they chose to become guardians, protecting this secret that could destroy the entire magical world, and hoping that one day someone would come along and completely resolve it.

All the trials they set up were meant to prove to the test takers that they could shoulder this responsibility.

Now that someone has appeared who, like Thera, can use ancient magic and is recognized by Hogwarts Castle, even though Vera did not undergo the Guardian's test, it has truly given them more hope.

Vera glanced at their expectant faces, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I cannot destroy it, at least not now."

Professor Figo's eyes flickered, and the guardians also had different expressions.

“But at the very least, I will work with Sera to prevent a crisis that might be brewing now,” Vera continued. “What I can do is prevent it from becoming a threat to our times, and then…”

Let's go back to her time and find a way to solve all this.

Professor Figo was silent for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, which were slightly cloudy with age.

“That’s enough,” he said, his voice much softer than before, as if he had unloaded something he had been carrying for a long time. “At least the child doesn’t have to bear all of this alone right now.”

Vera didn't say anything more. She subconsciously glanced back at Sera, who was still immersed in the Pensieve, and smiled slightly. Then she squatted down next to the purple-horned beast again and continued to feed the cub jerky.

The little guy ate happily, his tail swishing behind him, occasionally brushing against Vera's wrist, causing a slight tickle.

After an unknown amount of time, Sera finally straightened up from the Pensieve. Her face was paler than when she went in, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her fingers gripped the edge of the Pensieve so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Vera quickly stood up, went over to check her complexion, and asked, "Where's the handkerchief I gave you earlier?"

“…Here it is.” Sera reluctantly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, and just as she was about to raise her hand to wipe her sweat, Vera took it from her.

She paused for a moment, then saw Vera slowly unfolding her handkerchief while urging, "Come closer, I can't reach it."

The child from back then has long since grown up; Sera is now taller than her.

Sera was taken aback by what she heard, but her body reacted before her mind could process it. She leaned down slightly and brought her forehead to Vera's hand.

Vera held a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Vera's forehead, her fingertips occasionally brushing against Vera's brow, bringing a warm touch.

"Have you finished watching? Are you tired?" she asked softly.

“I’m not tired, it’s just some memories.” Sera’s voice was a little hoarse. “However… that power is much greater and more dangerous than I imagined.”

Vera nodded, not asking any further questions, but simply folded the handkerchief and put it back in Sera's hand: "Then take your time, no rush."

Sera clutched her handkerchief, staring intently at her, forgetting even to blink.

It wasn't until Professor Figo coughed lightly that she belatedly came to her senses, first stuffing the handkerchief into her pocket before taking a few steps forward and looking up at the guardians in front of her.

"Is the Vault of Secrets the cave beneath Hogwarts?" Sera asked, looking at them. "I saw you dueling Isidora there."

The white-bearded guardian replied, "Yes, but the vault itself is protected by powerful ancient magic, and no one can enter."

"If you want to enter, you must use the magical artifacts of the four of us to forge a unique wand. Only once you have the wand can we open the path for you."

Tsk, it really is just like a level-based game. You have to meet certain prerequisites to complete the main storyline, right?

Vera couldn't help but frown, and stepped forward, saying, "I think it doesn't actually need to be that complicated."

As she spoke, her consciousness simultaneously connected with Hogwarts, and the will of the castle surged into the secret room like a tidal wave.

The magical circuits that had been dormant deep within the stone walls lit up one by one, and silver light patterns spread along the ground like countless glowing vines, passing through the mirrors of the four guardians and finally converging at Vera's feet.

Professor Figo took a half step back, his gaze shifting back and forth between the silver light and Vera, his lips slightly parted, but he said nothing.

Just as Vera once said, there was no place in Hogwarts that she couldn't go, including this so-called Vault of Secrets.

She stood there, silver light slowly flowing around her, enveloping her in a soft halo.

Then, as her palm slowly turned downwards, the silver light swiftly sank into the mercury-like mirror beneath her feet, causing the entire floor to slowly sink and gradually revealing the staircase leading to the underground vault.

Sera stared blankly at the closed door at the end of the stairs, then turned to look at Vera beside her, who stood tall and confident, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

From the moment she entered the magical world, besides constantly searching for Vera's whereabouts, another thing she always wanted to do was to catch up with Vera's pace as soon as possible.

She wanted to stand by Vera's side, so she desperately wanted to become stronger, eagerly absorbing all knowledge about magic, and even achieving extraordinary mastery of ancient magic.

But... what Vera is showing her now is something she could never do.

The image of the white-bearded guardian also fluctuated violently, his voice changing tone: "This is impossible... how could he open this passage so easily..."

“There isn’t just one solution to everything. Your thinking is outdated.” Vera withdrew her hand and said calmly, “And I’m still alive, and Hogwarts is still alive.”

As long as life continues, there is always the possibility of progress and finding other solutions.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the four guardians before finally settling on Sera's face.

The girl stood half a step behind her, her crimson eyes reflecting the deep passageway and Vera's profile, which was bathed in a soft silver light.

"Want to come along?" Vera reached out her hand.

Sera looked at the hand, grasped it almost without hesitation, and softly replied, "Mmm."

The two smiled at each other before stepping into the passage side by side.

In the secret chamber behind him, Professor Figo opened his mouth, but swallowed all his words when he saw the silent expressions of the four guardians, and then silently followed.

The purple-horned beast, still licking its own cub, shook its head, put the cub aside, and followed it down.

Footsteps echoed softly on the narrow stone path, and the stone walls on both sides gleamed with a damp, dark light.

Professor Figo followed behind them, a faint glow emanating from the tip of his wand illuminating the rugged steps beneath his feet.

His gaze kept falling on the two figures standing side by side in front of him. His lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing.

Although he couldn't quite understand the relationship between the two young girls, he also loved his deceased wife and could empathize with her to some extent.

Vera walked briskly forward with a calm expression, her shadow perception spreading forward like invisible tentacles, capturing every trace of magical fluctuation ahead.

"Did you sense something?" Sera suddenly asked.

Vera paused, turned around, and looked at her in surprise.

“If it were any other time, you wouldn’t intentionally disrupt the procedures set up by the Guardians,” Sera explained softly, her gaze falling on Vera’s slightly furrowed brow. “Did you sense something amiss through Hogwarts just now?”

“You seem to know me quite well,” Vera said without denying it, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. “The magical fluctuations underground are a bit off; we can’t afford to linger any longer.”

Sera's fingers unconsciously tightened a little.

Professor Figo caught up from behind, his aged face appearing particularly grave in the glow of his wand: "Miss Black, you mean—"

“Someone is trying to sneak into the vault from the outside,” Vera said briefly, quickening her pace. “It should be the rebellious goblin leader Lanlock and the dark wizard Lukwood trying to bring the goblins in with them.”

Although she had never met these two people before, she had heard Sera mention them a few times during her previous time travels.

After returning to the modern era, Vera researched some related materials and found that in those unconfirmed records, there were indeed mentions of these two people secretly breaking into Hogwarts with fairies.

It seems it should be today.

Professor Figo's expression grew increasingly grave: "Have they already broken in?"

"Not yet, but it'll be soon." Vera turned to look at the purple-horned beast that was silently following behind her, and slightly raised her lips. "So, we need to speed things up."

Chapter Twenty-One: Running someone over in Hogwarts

Riding the purple-horned beast, I charged forward recklessly, the damp stone path rushing past behind me. The wind, carrying the chill from deep underground, swept over me, making my hair disheveled.

Vera crouched down, wrapping one arm tightly around Sera's waist, and with a flick of her wand, several rocks that had been pried open by external force returned to their original positions, temporarily blocking the side paths.

Clearly, Lanlock and Lukewood had found a way to bypass the castle's defenses and were resorting to brute force to break through.

In fact, there was no need to pay any attention; the alarms coming from Hogwarts had already rung in Vera's mind several times over.

"Look ahead!" Professor Figo, sitting at the very front, immediately spotted a tightly closed magical door. "There are two mithril guards there!"

Vera had been to this place before, and the same guards were stationed at the gate. They only stopped their actions on Sera's orders.

As expected, the door will need the magic wands mentioned by the four guardians to open.

But Vera doesn't have time for all those procedures now; she's already a high-level administrator, so she doesn't need to be polite at all.

He gently patted the purple-horned beast beneath him, which was still speeding along. The giant beast immediately slowed down and then came to a steady stop in front of the gate, exhaling two streams of white breath from its nostrils.

She released her grip on Sera's waist, nimbly jumped down, and faced the two enormous guards who had raised their swords and were walking towards her step by step. She simply raised her palms slightly.

Without incantations or chants, the will of Hogwarts unfolded in accordance with her will.

The two stone guardians' raised giant swords suddenly froze in mid-air, their heavy bodies as if pressed down by an invisible force, unable to move an inch.

The eerie blue flames flickering within the mithril-carved eye sockets seemed to be struggling, or perhaps surrendering.

Vera didn't stop walking and went straight through them.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered his weapon, knelt on one knee, and emitted a dull thud that made the entire passage tremble slightly.

Sera followed behind her, a flicker of shock crossing her crimson eyes, and involuntarily took a step forward to follow.

Professor Figo was completely dumbfounded. He exchanged a glance with the purple-horned beast beside him, and they both saw the shock in each other's eyes.

At this moment, Vera was already standing in front of the secret vault door, her fingertips gently pressing against the cold stone door.

The entire giant door seemed to come alive, its patterns lighting up layer by layer, and slowly opened to both sides with a deep rumbling sound.

Behind the gate, just as Vera saw in later times, was a huge platform.

In the center of the platform floats a constantly churning energy body, its color a deep purple that is almost black.

Tiny, restless specks of magical light floated in the air; the closer one got, the more one could feel the violent, mind-altering power emanating from them.

Even from a great distance, it's enough to make your heart tighten.

“This is the source of all suffering…” Professor Figo stared blankly at the energy entity before him, his voice trembling. “Sera, you have finally found this place. Now you are its guardian.”

Before Sera could speak, Vera grabbed her wrist: "Don't rush, it's better to deal with the guys behind us first."

As soon as she finished speaking, chaotic footsteps and harsh chants echoed from the depths of the passage.

Lanlock and Lukewood finally arrived.

Sera's expression hardened, and she instinctively drew her wand, standing in front of Vera.

At the end of the passage, a fire suddenly blazed up, and the fairy leader Lanlock appeared first at the door, followed by only one man.

It's not hard to guess that because Vera arrived earlier, the main force of fairies hadn't yet successfully broken in; only the two rebel leaders were facing them directly.

That's good, it saves a lot of trouble.

As for the gentlemanly man following behind it, he was clearly the dark wizard Lukewood.

Upon seeing the open doors to the vault, Lukwood's eyes instantly gleamed with greed: "So this is it! This is... the deepest power within Hogwarts!"

He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the surging purple energy in the center of the platform before settling on Sera and Professor Figo. "Thank you for opening the door for us."

“You foolish wizards,” Lanlock slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over everything before him, “we fairies built this vault back then, and this place originally belonged to us fairies.”

Upon hearing this, Lukewood frowned, glanced at him sideways, and remained silent.