Draco was startled in his heart. He quickly rolled up his sleeve, and sure enough, as Harry said, there was a black skull branded on his left forearm, with a large python emerging from the skull's mouth, like a tongue, looking very eerie and terrifying.
"What... what is this thing?!" Draco asked in horror.
Harry certainly didn't know either; such an evil mark had never appeared a century ago.
He just extended his hand and gestured for Draco to be silent.
"Shh, I suggest you don't show this mark to anyone else. When you get home, ask your father, and you'll understand."
"Oh, alright..." Draco nodded in confusion.
"Also, the so-called 'power bestowed by Miss Melop' on you is merely an enhancement that overdrafts your life force." Harry reminded again, "It's a temporary magic spell, and after a few days when the spell disappears, you will fall into at least a month's weakness."
"Thank you for the reminder." Draco nodded.
"Alright, I've said all I needed to. I think you should head back now." Harry said to Draco, "I think after you ask your father about the curse on your arm, he will invite me to visit. At that time, I also have some things to discuss with your father."
With that, Harry turned and left the abandoned classroom.
If it weren't for Pabi's reminder yesterday, he actually didn't want to get too involved with the Malfoy family.
But such rare magic items as Snake Monster Poison Fang seemed to only be accessible through the Malfoy family...
Plus, learning about Cassandra's news from Draco, Harry felt it was necessary to have a good conversation with Lucius.
But that's something to do during the holidays. For now, it's better to enjoy the afterglow of exams being over.
A week later, the exam results finally came out.
Looking at all the "O"s on Harry's report card, Hermione secretly vowed to study hard and strive for all "O"s next year as well.
Ron's results weren't bad either; except for a "T" in Magic Potion Class, all other subjects were either "E" or "O".
His mother was satisfied with this result, after all, you can't expect the Professor of Potions, who doesn't get along with the Weasley family, to give them an E—of course, the Weasley family's Magic Potion scores were never great.
Aside from Bill and Percy, no one ever got a score above "E" from Snape.
He wasn't targeting Gryffindor; Professor Snape was still quite fair in grading, he was just strict.
Even Hermione understood him, because Magic Potion is indeed a precise science, a small mistake could turn an antidote into poison.
Trust me, no one would take such a risk; the points deducted in Magic Potion Class are punishments avoided in the future...
Before leaving school, Harry went one last time to the Map Secret Room to bid farewell to Vivi.
Professor Luke Wood reluctantly left with Principal Fitzgerald, leaving the Map Secret Room to the two young people.
"I have to go back, Vivi," Harry said, "during the holiday I plan to first withdraw the materials stored in your vault, and then look for the Snake Monster Poison Fang."
"No, it's our vault." Vivi corrected.
"Is...there a difference?" Harry scratched his head, "Didn't you say you were the one who deposited it? I remember you said there was still a small sum of money in the vault?"
"It's different, Harry." Villatia said, crossing her arms, "The vault was opened in both our names, no one else has the right to open it, unless someday our..."
At this point, Vivi suddenly fell silent, a suspicious blush appearing on her face.
"Our what?" Harry didn't understand what Vivi meant.
"Nothing, anyway..." Villatia said softly, "Anyway, it's nothing."
"Oh, right." Harry suddenly remembered Cassandra: "In our year, there is a descendent from the Malfoy family from whom I learned about Cassandra."
"Cassandra?" Villatia suddenly became alert, "About her what?"
"News, according to the Malfoy family, it seems that when Cassandra was in her seventh year, she stole a family heirloom and vanished afterward." Harry said with his hands spread out.
"No wonder." Vivi said softly.
"No wonder what?" Harry asked in confusion.
"No wonder she had to write me such a letter, she was afraid I would find you before she traversed time and reached the future." Vivi chuckled softly, "Looks like she also planned to use the family's heirloom to traverse time, to find you a hundred years later."
"This...this can't be." Harry said incredulously, "She clearly said in her letter, it was impossible to follow you back then, why now..."
"Harry." Vivi's gaze softened, "You're blinded by appearances—trust me, she must have already used Time Magic, perhaps, like me, being trapped in some point in time, waiting for you to rescue her..."
Villatia dared to say no one knew Cassandra better than she did.
She had already figured out Cassandra's character, this prideful girl sometimes meant the opposite of what she said.
For instance, Cassandra once told Vivi she disliked Harry because he was lazy, arrogant...
But when she said that, Vivi caught a subtle tenderness in Cassandra's eyes.
Since she met Cassandra, Vivi realized that although she and Harry seemed not to get along, she was her biggest rival in this lifetime.
But right in front of her was an excellent opportunity, given Harry's usual habit of following her advice, as long as she claimed that Cassandra didn't conduct Time Magic research, Harry would surely believe her and abandon his search for Cassandra's clues.
But she couldn't do it—not even considered it.
Even if it might lead to her downfall, she didn't want Cassandra trapped somewhere—just like her, body frozen in Slytherin's study by time and space, soul attached to a painting, enduring a century of loneliness unbearable to most.
Yes, she lied to Harry because she didn't want him to feel guilty because of it.
Nevertheless...
She didn't mind hiding Cassandra's strategy from Harry, otherwise, she might lose her greatest advantage in already unfavorable circumstances.
"Really?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Harry, even if there's a sliver of possibility, you should never give up." Vivi seemed to sigh, "Cassandra is your good friend, perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but in all of Hogwarts, the one who's best to you isn't me, nor Omnius, and certainly not Sebastian—it's Cassandra! Cassandra Malfoy!"
"Do you remember that Flint? The one who insulted you." Vivi asked.
Thinking of this person, Harry felt a bit of disgust.
"Of course I remember, if not for Vice Principal Weasley, I might have been bullied by him—just like Draco Malfoy initially bullied Neville."
"Vice Principal Weasley?" Vivi chuckled, covering her mouth, "Harry, you're adorable."
"Hmm?" Harry scratched his head.
"The Flint family was a leading family in the British Magic World at the time," Vivi explained to him, "Although Professor Weasley was Vice Principal, you knew the school's atmosphere back then, she had no way to demand the Flint Clan restrain their offspring."
"It was Cassandra, though she didn't stand out to help you, she only watched from afar, but that afternoon she wrote to her father, and Mr. Septimus Malfoy convened the School Board that evening to pressure the Flint family—otherwise, why do you think all Slytherins avoided you from then on?"
(Thrilled all afternoon, adding one chapter today, three chapters together at midnight tomorrow, aiming for more than four chapters tomorrow!)