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The message left by Cassandra in the vault was nothing more than a single letter.
However…
At least those two flowers were still alive, proof that the person who enchanted them was still out there somewhere in the world.
The problem now was: where exactly was Cassandra, and which of Merlin's ruins was she tied to?
Harry, who once thought there were too few Merlin's Trials, now suddenly wondered why Merlin had nothing better to do than scatter so many ruins across Britain.
While Harry rummaged through the vault at Gringotts, Veratia had returned to Hogwarts.
She searched the Great Hall but couldn't find Harry anywhere.
"Hermione, where's Harry?" Veratia asked, plopping down beside her.
Hermione thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure, Veratia. I think Harry went to ask Professor Dumbledore for a leave of absence…"
"A leave?" Veratia froze. Could Harry have some business in the Muggle world?
With that question nagging at her, she decided to track down Dumbledore and ask him herself.
Before she could leave, the Weasley twins, seated nearby, piped up.
"I know what Harry's up to—" Fred began.
"Oh, absolutely, Fred, I know too," George chimed in, perfectly in sync. "And of course, we wouldn't dream of hiding it from you, esteemed Miss Grindelwald."
The twins, ever adept at reading the room, noticed Veratia's furrowed brow and immediately chose to tread carefully.
"You probably don't know, but that parrot tore up Harry's notebook—the one with 'C.C.' written on it," Fred said, unable to recall the rest of the letters. All he remembered was "C.C."
"C.C.?" Veratia didn't even need to think. The name clicked instantly.
Cassandra Cecilia Malfoy—didn't that make her C.C. Malfoy?
As Veratia muttered Cassandra's name, Hermione subtly nudged poor little Jack out of sight, ensuring Veratia wouldn't spot him.
To change the subject, Hermione clutched her notebook and timidly approached. "Veratia, I've got some questions I don't understand. Could you help me with them?"
Veratia didn't refuse. She genuinely liked Hermione.
Even though Hermione was brighter than most young witches, she was still just a second-year. For Veratia, the fearsome transfer student, answering her questions was child's play.
She even had the mental bandwidth to grumble inwardly about why Gellert would tear up Cassandra's notebook.
Could it be… Gellert thought Potter was too much of a flirt?
Hmm… even if he was her little brother, he shouldn't be that protective of his sister. He ought to show some magnanimity, especially since Cassandra's fate was still unknown.
Still, Veratia thought, Gellert did well.
Not long after, Harry returned to the Great Hall.
He hadn't come back empty-handed—Cassandra had left him two robes as gifts.
Harry wasn't sure what was up with the robes. They looked brand new, yet they carried an intoxicating fragrance.
The scent was familiar—Cassandra's. Even after all this time, it hadn't faded.
Old habits die hard, and Harry, without a second thought, slipped one of the robes on, completely at ease.
Hey, it wasn't like he hadn't worn her stuff before.
Of course, Harry hadn't bought Veratia a gift. It was Valentine's Day, after all—he'd meant to get her something, but every time he thought of Cassandra, a wave of guilt washed over him.
When Hermione saw Harry return, she tactfully slipped away from Veratia's side.
"Veratia," Harry said, spotting her immediately. He walked over, smiling. "Happy holidays—"
Veratia reached into her pocket and pulled out a watch, one of those trendy Muggle designs.
"What's this?" Harry asked, intrigued.
"A watch." Veratia took his hand and carefully fastened it on his wrist. "There, it suits you perfectly."
Harry glanced down. The children's digital watch did look pretty fitting.
"I had the Muggle shopkeeper set the time for me," Veratia said, a hint of pride in her voice as she pointed at the dial. "Look, it even shows the date. This is my first time seeing a watch with a digital display. And it's so cheap—only 3.99 pounds for one with a cute little bunny on it. I got one too."
She raised her wrist to show Harry her matching watch, though hers had a bird printed on it.
"Wow, so cute!" Hermione exclaimed from the side, right on cue. "You two look so well-matched—I mean, the watches."
Veratia beamed at the compliment.
"You get one too, Hermione," Veratia said, pulling out another watch, this one with a squirrel design, and handing it to her.
Hermione took it and glanced down.
"Veratia, the watch isn't working," Harry said, lifting his wrist. "Look, the time's frozen."
Veratia spun around, grabbed Harry's wrist, and gasped, "How is that possible?"
A tiny spark of anger flared in her chest.
Those blasted Muggles, daring to sell me such shoddy goods. I'll—
"Oh, wait, I remember!" Hermione interjected. "Hogwarts doesn't allow Muggle electronics. It's not just a school rule—electronic devices stop working automatically when they enter Hogwarts. That's how it is."
"Oh… I see…"
Veratia wasn't unreasonable. Clearly, this wasn't the Muggle shopkeeper's fault, and she wouldn't have a leg to stand on if she tried to demand a refund.
She slumped onto a bench, staring blankly ahead, muttering, "My money… my money…"
Harry knew she was heartbroken over the loss. Even if it was just a few pounds, Veratia cherished every penny—she'd grown up too poor to take anything for granted.
"I love the design, Veratia," Harry said softly. "And don't worry. Isn't Mr. Flamel living near Hogwarts now? Maybe we can ask him for help. If he could tweak these watches, we might be able to use them here."
"You're right!" Veratia's spirits lifted instantly. "Yes, there's Mr. Flamel! As a legendary alchemist, he's bound to have a way to fix these watches!"
Hermione opened her mouth, tempted to point out that a few pounds' worth of trinkets hardly warranted bothering a legendary alchemist.
But her emotional intelligence kicked in, and she held her tongue. Saying that would be tactless.
The Granger family was well-off. Beyond Mr. Granger's keen financial instincts, dentistry itself was a lucrative profession.
And the Grangers ran their own clinic, which earned far more than the average dentist.
To put it bluntly, even among the middle class, the Grangers were at the top.
With Hermione as their only child, Mr. Granger spoiled his daughter rotten.
So the idea of troubling a legendary alchemist over a few pounds' worth of watches felt a bit like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
Overkill, to say the least.
Reinvigorated, Veratia beckoned Harry to follow her.
He trailed behind as she led him to an abandoned classroom on the second floor.
Veratia turned to face him, opening her arms wide.
But just as she was about to pull Harry into a hug, she sniffed the air.
She caught the scent of another woman!
Veratia's senses sharpened, and she fixed her gaze on Harry.
"What's that smell on you?"
Harry, oblivious, lifted his sleeve and sniffed. "I don't smell anything. What are you talking about?"
"No, something's off," Veratia said, staring him down. "That scent… it's familiar. I've smelled it somewhere before…"
As she spoke, her mind raced through the girls she'd recently met.
Miss Farley?
No, that wasn't it. Miss Farley's perfume was distinct, softer than this scent.
Hermione?
Impossible. Veratia dismissed that option instantly.
No, no, this scent…
Suddenly, a memory clicked into place.
It couldn't be!
Wasn't she trapped in some secret chamber? Why would Harry carry her scent?!
"Is it Cassandra?" Veratia asked, her gaze steady and piercing. "Has she escaped her predicament?"
Harry blinked, then remembered—he was still wearing Cassandra's robe.
"Oh, you've got it all wrong, Veratia," he said, scratching his head. "I found Cassandra's vault key in the notebook, so I went to Gringotts. This robe I'm wearing? It's a gift from her."
Veratia: (៨ៈ)?!
She could scarcely believe it. Cassandra, whose fate was still uncertain, had somehow managed to swoop in and beat her to giving Harry a Valentine's Day gift?!
Wait.
Notebook?
"The notebook?" Veratia asked softly. "You mean… Cassandra's notebook?"
"Yeah, the one that got torn up," Harry said casually, not mentioning Jack.
Veratia's expression turned subtle. She glanced toward Gellert's tent in the distance.
Far away, inside his cozy tent, Gellert was playing with a Niffler when he sneezed twice.
He instinctively pulled his cloak tighter, a chill running through him despite the springlike warmth.
Why did he suddenly feel so cold?
Back in the abandoned classroom, Veratia decided that Gellert needed a lesson for his meddling—always tearing up other people's notebooks.
Hmph. Look at that, stirring up trouble with that woman.
She recalled the twins mentioning a "parrot" and assumed they meant Gellert.
It never crossed her mind that the "parrot" might actually be a real parrot…
But for now…
Veratia turned her attention to the boy in front of her. This little Harry needed a lesson of his own.
"Harry," she said, her voice almost lyrical. "Did Cassandra ever tell you not to wear her clothes when you're with another woman?"
Harry thought back to the disarming incident. "You remember when we were at Merlin's ruins together? I gave you my jacket to wear. When we got back, Cassandra was furious—she even made me take it off."
Veratia froze for a few seconds.
She hadn't expected Cassandra to act so… childish.
"And what do you think you should do now?" she asked, looming over him.
Harry, thinking about the mana replenishment ahead, said, "Alright, fine. Should I take the robe off now?"
"No."
Veratia grabbed Harry and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"This is perfect," she whispered in his ear, her voice slow and deliberate. "We should let Cassandra feel like she's part of this, don't you think?"
"No, this isn't right," Harry protested, squirming.
But Veratia's grip only tightened, squeezing him until he could barely breathe.
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