The wheelchair-bound warrior is speedrunning Hogwarts.

The ability that Charmander granted her was defensive; she had originally thought it would be something like flight or fire control.

But thinking about it carefully, she already has the mobility of Cerberus, so whether she can fly or not doesn't really matter. For a wizard, abilities like fire control don't actually provide a significant boost.

However, if it can defend against most spells...

Vera stroked the magic wand in her arms with great interest.

She was tempted to give it a try.

Chapter 125 What's wrong with a good friend being a little clingy!

After all the classes for the day were over, Harley, who had survived Wood's grueling training, was finally able to return to her dormitory.

She had already made plans with Vera and Hermione to go see Hemera together that evening.

When she rushed back to the lounge, she only saw Hermione chatting with Lavender and the others.

Vera was nowhere to be seen.

“Hermione,” Harley stepped forward, looking around, “where are the Vera?”

Didn't we agree to wait for her in the common room?

Hermione shook her head: "She just said she had something to take care of and asked us to wait for her for a while."

It's happening again...

Harley pursed her lips in disappointment and sat down alone on the sofa.

She knew Vera was a little older than both her and Hermione, but every time Vera made an excuse to act alone, she had a strange, inexplicable feeling.

It was as if Vera was always separated from them by an invisible barrier, unwilling to fully open her heart.

Hermione seemed to sense her emotions and came over to sit beside her: "Don't worry, she'll be back soon."

Harley managed a weak smile: "I know... but..."

She hoped Vera would trust them more.

Before she could finish speaking, the door to the common room was pushed open, and Vera casually wheeled herself in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said with a smile, though her face showed signs of fatigue.

Harley immediately stood up: "Are you alright? You look a little tired."

Vera shook her head: "I'm fine. I just went to the library to look up some information."

"Good heavens, what happened to your sleeve?" Hermione immediately noticed the scorch marks on her cuffs and asked quickly.

Vera's expression stiffened, and she glanced down at her cuff: "It's nothing, I probably just got burned during Potions class."

Harley and Hermione had different expressions, but neither of them believed Vera's story.

But they also knew that even if they pressed for answers, it wouldn't yield any results.

“Alright,” Vera said, changing the subject, “Let’s go back and talk about it.”

The three returned to their dormitory, where Vera took a scroll from the bottom of her wheelchair and carefully unrolled it.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly.

Harley and Hermione nodded, and the three of them placed their fingers on the scroll together.

With a slight feeling of dizziness, they found themselves once again on the grass of their habitat.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the grass, gilding everything with a layer of gold.

Hermella was playing by the lake when she saw them and immediately ran over happily.

"It's grown up!" Harley exclaimed in surprise, crouching down to stroke the little dragon's back.

Indeed, in just one day, Hemera had grown a little bigger than yesterday, with smoother scales and more powerful wings.

“Dragons grow very quickly,” Vera explained, “especially in their juvenile stage.”

Hermera nuzzled Vera's hand affectionately, then suddenly lunged at Harley, nearly knocking her over.

"Hey!" Harley laughed as she caught it. "You've gotten heavier!"

The little dragon wriggled in her arms, making joyful noises.

Hermione looked around: "The environment here seems to have changed?"

Vera nodded: "I adjusted the climate and terrain to make this place more suitable for Hermella's growth."

She pushed the wheelchair forward: "Come on, let's go see its new toy."

The three arrived at an open space by the lake, where several mannequins made with shapeshifting magic were placed, bearing obvious scratches and bite marks.

“It has already started practicing hunting,” Vera said proudly.

Hemera jumped off Harley's arms and pounced on one of the mannequins, tearing at it with her claws and teeth.

"That's amazing!" Harley clapped.

Hermione, however, was somewhat worried: "Won't it hurt itself?"

“No,” Vera shook her head. “These mannequins are made of soft materials, and I’ve put protective spells around them.”

They watched Hermella play for a while until the little dragon got tired. They took turns feeding it some food before sending it back to its nest.

“I always feel… it’s a little lonely here.” Harley stood at the edge of the lake, looking up at the sky.

This world is vast and empty, with space suitable for dragons to roam and small animals to hunt, but no companions.

Even if they could visit Hermella every day, they couldn't be by her side every moment.

Keep in mind that Hemera was just a baby dragon that had been born not long ago.

Vera nodded slightly: "Dragons are almost entirely solitary creatures. Even when they do appear in the wild, they are mostly in family units, but..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I did consider getting it a companion."

Hermione looked at her in surprise: "You don't mean you're thinking of raising another dragon, do you?"

Vera smiled and shook her head: "No, let's choose another species."

Louie's mission is not yet complete. She will try to bring Louie here after the end of this year.

Although the three-headed dog and the fire dragon differ greatly in size and habits, they are both magical creatures that she has tamed, and perhaps they can coexist peacefully in this habitat.

"A different species?" Harley asked with great interest. "What else are you planning to keep?"

Vera didn't answer directly, but just smiled and shook her head: "Well... you'll know when the time is right."

Harley, having gotten nothing out of her, pouted, turned her head, picked up a stone, and threw it into the water: "Fine, you always have so many little secrets anyway."

It wasn't exactly an angry outburst, but it did carry a hint of dissatisfaction and helplessness.

Vera sensed the emotion in her voice and sighed softly, "Harley, not everything is the right thing to say right now."

“But we’re friends! Do friends have to keep so many secrets?” Harley said, her voice sounding a little aggrieved.

She just couldn't help wanting to know where Vera went, what she did, and what she thought today.

Isn't this how good friends should be?

Seemingly realizing something, Hermione gave her a strange look, trying to stop her from continuing: "Harley..."

Vera pushed her wheelchair closer to her and gently tugged at her robe: "Precisely because we're friends, I don't want you to worry."

Harley opened her mouth as if to retort, but in the end she just lowered her head and kicked a pebble at her feet: "I just... don't want to be excluded by you."

Seeing her muttering to herself, Vera's heart softened, and she reached out to gently hold her hand: "You and Hermione will never be excluded by me, it's just that some things... require patience to wait for the right time."

Hermione chimed in at the opportune moment: "Just like when we were searching for clues about Nicolas Flamel, some things can't be rushed."

Harley looked at them, paused for a moment, and then nodded reluctantly: "Okay... I understand."

Even if she wanted to care for Vera, she had to take it slowly and not be too impatient. She didn't want Vera to treat her like a child who needed to be coaxed.

Vera smiled and squeezed her hand: "Then let's go back, okay?"

“I’m not a child, you don’t need to coax me like that,” Harley said somewhat awkwardly.

But in the end, he didn't actually break free from her grasp.

The three took one last look at Hemera, who was fast asleep in the nest, before touching the edge of the scroll and returning to their dormitory.

Hermione went to wash up, while Vera, having just tested her new abilities at the Room of Requirement today, was quite exhausted both physically and mentally. She cast a cleansing spell and went to bed.

Turning my head, I saw Harley sitting opposite me with a pout, still looking rather unhappy.

"Harley," she called softly, leaning down beside her, "Aren't you going to give me a massage?"

Harley looked up, a hint of hesitation flashing in her green eyes, but she eventually got up and walked over.

“Of course I’ll press it,” she muttered softly, her fingers lightly resting on Vera’s shoulder. “I’m just… still a little unhappy.”

Vera lay on the pillow, feeling Harley's fingers pressing on her neck and shoulders: "I'm sorry, but there are some things I promise I'll tell you later."

Harley paused, "Really?"

“Really,” Vera promised softly, “but now is not the time.”

Harley was silent for a moment, then softened her grip slightly: "Okay... I'll wait."

Vera could feel the warmth of her fingertips. She slowly closed her eyes and murmured, "Thank you, Harley..."

Harley's eyelashes fluttered, and her palms gently roamed over Harley's back, from her shoulders to her waist, tenderly caressing every inch of her skin.

As her breathing gradually became steady, Harley's fingers moved even more gently.

In her dazed state, Vera seemed to hear something Harley said, but by then she couldn't make out what she was saying.

She drifted into a sweet dream.

When Hermione came out of the bathroom, she saw Vera already asleep in bed, while Harry sat on her own bed, playing with the model broom that she usually kept on her bedside table.

She thought for a moment, walked to Vera's bedside, glanced at the person who was already fast asleep on the bed, then turned to look at the robe on the bedside table and waved her wand to repair it.

In any case, we can't let Vera wear clothes like that.

……

The next few days were peaceful.

Oh, not entirely.

Vera sensed that Quirrell had visited Hagrid's cabin several times, but had returned empty-handed each time.

It's a bit tragic, even laughable.

Meanwhile, Harley and Hermione kept their promise and monitored Vera's daily routine.

Under their care, Vera's complexion gradually improved, her spirits recovered considerably, and she no longer needed to continue taking sleeping pills.

Of course, only she herself knew that it was only because the matter of Hermella had been settled that she no longer needed to maintain a constant connection with the castle, so she was in high spirits and had a good appetite.

Having resolved the issues with the dragon and Vera, Hermione focused her attention back on her studies, occasionally joining Harry and even Ron Neville, who was just passing by, in studying together.

"Final exams are in less than eight weeks, Harley, we need to get our study plan in order."

After creating a new study plan, Hermione said to Harley with a serious expression.

Harley groaned and buried her face in her book: "Hermione, we're only in first grade! Is it really necessary to be so stressed? And there are still eight weeks left!"

Vera, not one to shy away from stirring things up, chimed in to Hermione, "Time flies, Harry, eight weeks will be over in the blink of an eye."

Harley gave her a resentful look: "Vera, how come even you..."

"Enough with the nonsense," Hermione said, hands on her hips. "Are you planning to study with us, or study on your own?"

"Alright, alright," Harley had no choice but to raise her hands in surrender, "I'll do whatever you want, okay!"

And so, the intense and exciting review officially began.

However, in order to give Hermione some breathing room, Vera made a point of setting aside some time for the three of them to visit Hemera almost every day and to provide it with food and new toys.

The little dragon grew very quickly, and in just two weeks it had grown quite a bit, with more powerful wings and more prominent spikes on its back.

It has been able to fly short distances and has even learned to control the intensity of its flames—although it still accidentally burns its own food most of the time.

While taking care of Hemera, Vera continued her research on magic circuits and shapeshifting, as well as the new abilities brought by the little dragon.

After several trials, she discovered that as Hermella grew, the ability to harden her scales gradually increased.

So, after class that day, Harley went to training, and Hermione went to the library as usual; this was their tacitly agreed-upon free time.