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Mr. Flamel's words plunged the entire alchemy chamber into silence.
The quietest of all were the Scamanders.
Newt stared at Mr. Flamel in shock, thinking to himself, Didn't we already agree to help my aunt and Potter…?
Mr. Flamel, oh, Mr. Flamel! Who would've thought you'd be the first to betray us!
Poppy wanted to sniff loudly in protest, but in Veratia's presence, she didn't quite dare.
"This… what kind of way is this to replenish magic?"
Harry was stunned. He could never have imagined that, having absorbed the Philosopher's Stone, he'd possess such an ability.
What was this? A human-shaped, self-walking Philosopher's Stone? Or perhaps…
"As you can see, Mr. Potter," Mr. Flamel said, scurrying over to Veratia with a sprightly step. "So, Veratia, care to give it a try?"
Veratia finally shook off her astonishment and walked to Harry's side, reaching out to take his hand.
She felt a warm current surge from where their hands met, gradually circulating through her body. Slowly, she sensed her magic beginning to stir.
"It's so slow," she said softly.
"I told you, it requires greater contact," Mr. Flamel said, arms crossed. "This not only affects the speed of magic recovery but also its strength. You wouldn't want to be stuck with the magical strength of a first-year, would you?"
"Oh."
Veratia nodded and turned to Harry.
"Harry, give me your other hand," she said.
Harry's face flushed red. He hesitated, but before he could act, Veratia grabbed his other hand.
Her hands were soft, delicate, and truly comfortable to hold.
"Huh? What's happening?"
Poppy suddenly exclaimed.
Startled from his reverie, Harry looked up, bewildered. "What's wrong?"
"Look at Veratia's hair!" Poppy cried, pointing. "It's changing color!"
Harry glanced at Veratia and realized her hair, once silvery-white, had shifted to a faint golden hue.
"What's going on, Mr. Flamel?" Harry asked, turning to him in confusion.
"Oh, it's likely due to her body's condition," Mr. Flamel said, squinting at Veratia's hair before addressing Harry. "No need to worry—her hair color reflects the level of magic in her body. When it lightens, it means you need to keep replenishing her magic."
"There's such a thing?" Harry blinked, dumbfounded.
For some reason, he thought of sneaking to play Dudley's gaming console, with its battery indicator on the screen…
Could it be that magic was like electricity, and Veratia's hair was the battery gauge?
Silvery-white meant the battery was drained, and gold meant it was fully charged?
"It's a bit like a Muggle battery," Newt blurted out, voicing what most in the room were thinking.
Theseus inwardly cringed for his brother. After all these years, my foolish brother still hasn't kicked his habit of sudden quips.
"You know, that does sound about right," Veratia said, unbothered.
Still holding Harry's hand, she led him to a chair and sat down, pulling him into her lap.
Harry felt himself enveloped in a soft embrace. Caught off guard, he instinctively tried to squirm away, but Veratia's arms looped around his waist.
"Be good, don't move," she said gently.
Harry froze, still perched on Veratia's lap, unsure whether to stay or flee.
But this way, Veratia's magic recovery did speed up noticeably. Her hair was reverting to its original color at a visible rate.
Newt suddenly cleared his throat.
"Miss Grindelwald, I must remind you that Mr. Potter is only twelve years old," he said, striving to sound considerate for both their sakes.
For his aunt's happiness, he decided to take a stand—
At the very least, he'd pull Miss Grindelwald back to the same starting line as his aunt, or so he thought.
"As his professor next term, I feel it's my duty to remind you that he's still a child…"
Saying this, Newt felt as though he'd exhausted a lifetime's worth of courage.
But for his aunt…
Poppy stretched out her mouth, tugging at Newt's sleeve, yanking him back.
She was genuinely afraid the terrifying transfer student might lose her temper and take it out on her dear nephew.
"You're quite right, Professor Scamander," Veratia said with a faint smile, ruffling Harry's messy hair. "But I think it's precisely because Harry's a child that I shouldn't let him slip away."
"You… like…?" Newt stared at Veratia, seemingly shocked by her preferences.
Veratia shot him a glance. "I think you should cultivate healthier values, Professor Scamander. It's exactly because Harry's a child that I don't need to be cautious, don't you think… my precious little brother?"
The last sentence was whispered into Harry's ear.
Her warm, fragrant breath tickled his ear, making it itch terribly.
That one sentence left Newt speechless.
So, what, was he the one with impure thoughts?
He turned to Tina and Theseus, silently mouthing, "Are my thoughts impure?"
Tina nodded hesitantly, while Theseus shook his head frantically.
His expression screamed, You actually believe the cunning Grindelwald?
But at that moment, Harry's thoughts drifted to Cassandra.
The last time he'd been injured and Veratia had held him, Cassandra had happened to pass by.
She'd seemed furious but said nothing, only casting a glance before leaving.
A pang of guilt surged within Harry. He sighed and said, "I remember when I was at the Malfoys', Mr. Septimus told me that Cassandra might have tried to travel a hundred years into the future to find me… but since hearing that, I've searched and searched, and I still have no leads…"
At those words, Mr. Flamel perked up again.
He scurried off to another room, then shuffled back under everyone's curious and expectant gazes, holding a letter.
"Veratia, this is a letter someone entrusted me to pass on to you," Mr. Flamel said, his eyes twinkling with the mischief of an old trickster as he looked at Veratia expectantly.
"Who's it from?" Veratia asked, reaching out curiously to take the letter.
Harry leaned in to look. The signature was from a name none of them could have anticipated.
C.C. Malfoy.
Veratia raised an eyebrow slightly. She set Harry down, patting him to sit nearby.
Harry, feeling a bit like a child being dismissed, shot Veratia a sullen glance, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the letter's contents.
After all, Cassandra had practically raised him—how could he be indifferent to news about her?
"It's a letter from Cass to me, Harry," Veratia said, gently ruffling his hair. "Let me read it first, alright?"
"Fine," Harry muttered, slinking off to sit nearby.
Veratia glanced at Mr. Flamel, then at Harry sitting obediently, before lowering her head to open the envelope.
Sneaky Cat,
Congratulations on breaking free from the shackles of time and arriving at Potter's side.
I hope you can shoulder the responsibility of being a friend and take care of that careless, foolish Potter.
Oh, and please tell that silly little troll that being reckless isn't a good habit. A proper wizard should always be wary of ambushes from the shadows.
Also, allow me to raise a toast to your friendship.
Your dear friend,
C.C. Malfoy
Veratia smiled as she finished reading, and by the end, she lifted her head calmly.
In her mind's eye, she could almost see that blonde figure with a mocking smile, raising a goblet in a distant toast.
"What did Cassandra write?" Harry asked, concerned.
Everyone crowded around, eager to know the letter's contents.
"Oh," Veratia said softly, handing the letter to Harry.
Her eyes blazed with a fierce spark.
As the person who knew Cassandra best, Veratia could read the subtext in this letter loud and clear.
The entire letter implied that Veratia had merely seized an unfair advantage, winning by default, all while cloaked in that aristocratic, passive-aggressive tone.
And that salutation… Sneaky Cat?
What did she take Veratia Grindelwald for?
Veratia's gaze grew colder. She'd already planned to launch her offensive after rescuing Cassandra, and now her resolve hardened further.
Hmph…
Cass…
You think I'm a sneaky cat, do you?
What's wrong with waiting for you a little longer?
With your tsundere attitude, do you really think you can win Harry's heart?
Just you wait—I'll defeat you fair and square once again!
By then, the others had passed around Cassandra's letter.
Each had their own thoughts, especially the Scamanders, who'd heard Poppy's accounts of Cassandra's personality.
A woman so duplicitous—did she really think she could outmatch the high-tier, gentle-big-sister-type Miss Grindelwald standing before them?
The three Scamanders exchanged glances, all feeling a twinge of pity for Miss Malfoy.
Goodness…
But then, Newt had a sudden idea.
Wait a minute.
Could we ally with the Malfoys to take down Grindelwald first?
This was the classic British strategy of offshore balancing, the art of maintaining continental equilibrium!
Could you possibly outsmart our ancestors?
The more Newt thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He resolved to connect with Lucius Malfoy, a Hogwarts governor, once he returned to teach.
No, wait.
His aunt had mentioned that Harry had passed the role of Hogwarts governor to her, didn't that mean… his aunt would soon be a governor too?
"So, do you have any news of Cassandra?" Harry asked Mr. Flamel.
Mr. Flamel shook his head, smiling warmly at Harry. "You know how Miss Malfoy is. She only left this letter with me but didn't tell me where she'd be… However, I'd suggest you consult someone with the gift of prophecy."
"The gift of prophecy?" Newt pondered, then said to Mr. Flamel, "But I recall the Trelawney family has lost that seer bloodline, and the current Sybill Trelawney is hardly capable of accurate predictions in a lucid state. Relying on her…"
"There's another seer, isn't there?" Mr. Flamel said with a mysterious smile, turning his gaze to Veratia.
Veratia?
Did Veratia have the gift of prophecy? Harry scratched his head, puzzled. He'd never heard of such a thing.
But the others in the room understood.
Miss Grindelwald herself might not have the gift, but everyone knew her brother, Gellert Grindelwald, was a natural-born seer.
"If I'm not mistaken, your brother is a born seer, isn't he?" Mr. Flamel said with a chuckle. "Oh, back in the day, his prophetic talents caused quite a bit of trouble for Albus and the rest of us…"
"No way!" Newt slammed the table. "I refuse to believe that Grindelwald would use his prophetic gift to locate Miss Malfoy. I absolutely refuse to believe it!"
Of course, he didn't trust Gellert's integrity. In Newt's eyes, Grindelwald was unwaveringly Team HaVi.
Wasn't it obvious? A brother would naturally side with his sister!
"We should head to Nurmengard as soon as possible," Veratia said softly. "Cassandra's situation can't be delayed. Who knows what might happen the longer we wait…"
"There's no need to rush, Veratia," Harry said hesitantly. "Your health… are you sure you're up for it? I mean, we all know your brother's personality. You should be fully prepared before going to Nurmengard."
"Ha!" A flash of anger sparked in Veratia's eyes. "Fully prepared? Would he dare lay a hand on his own sister? Does he think the wizarding world would mourn him?"
At those words, Newt and Theseus's faces stiffened in unison.
That line… it was far too familiar.
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