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Hiding behind Cassandra, Poppy stuck out her tongue at Harry, looking utterly carefree with someone to back her up.
In the past, Poppy had always hidden behind Veratia, who was gentle and kind, while Cassandra seemed far less approachable. But things were different now. Seeing Poppy trapped in the body of a unicorn, Cassandra's natural compassion had softened her usual haughtiness. Besides, with Veratia currently far ahead in the lead, Poppy figured it was time to find herself a new ally.
"If you're fine with watching her die because of this," Harry said with a shrug, "then fine, let's head to Mr. Flamel's place."
The trio made their way to Mr. Flamel's cottage. Harry and Poppy, knowing its location, were unaffected by the Fidelius Charm, but Cassandra could only see an empty clearing. Harry opened the door and tugged Cassandra inside.
Only then did Cassandra realize she was standing in Mr. Flamel's alchemy lab.
"Oh, Harry," Mr. Flamel said, his eyes glued to a computer screen, his mouse darting rapidly across the desk. "Welcome to my alchemy lab. What brings you here?"
"Well, Mr. Flamel," Harry began, choosing his words carefully, "you know how Cassandra returned yesterday… I was hoping you could check on her. Make sure she's okay, you know, to see if there's any risk of her losing her magic."
"Losing my magic?" Cassandra frowned. "Why would you think I'd lose my magic?"
Mr. Flamel set down his mouse and earphones, turning to Cassandra with a brilliant smile. "Because Miss Grindelwald had the same symptoms—didn't Harry tell you?"
As soon as that name was mentioned, Cassandra's eyes sharpened, and her grip on Poppy's ear tightened, causing Poppy to yelp in pain. Her gaze swung to Harry, clearly demanding an explanation.
"Er, I forgot to mention yesterday," Harry said, scratching his head. "Veratia was in the Slytherin study, and I got her out before last Christmas…"
"Oh, I see…" Cassandra's lips curved into a faint smile. "I thought it was something else entirely…"
Poppy's pained cries grew louder, her inner thoughts a whirlwind of complaints: You don't care?! You don't care that you're squeezing my ear so hard?! Who are you fooling? Not even a ghost would believe you! Ow, that hurts!
"Alright, alright, you're going to pull Poppy's ear off!" Harry hurriedly pried Cassandra's hand away.
Cassandra gave Harry a meaningful look, and even someone as oblivious as Harry could tell her mood was far from pleasant. But what could he do? You hid your situation so well… he thought. If it weren't for that bastard Gellert's prophecy, I wouldn't even know where to start looking for you.
And then there's Veratia! Harry continued in his head. From her hiding place to the alchemy materials, she had everything prepared perfectly for me. Sure, Gellert looted her vault, but even then, it didn't take much effort on my part…
"Speaking of which, where is Grindelwald?" Cassandra asked, her tone pointed. "From what I remember, she was practically glued to you, all lovey-dovey. So why haven't I seen her in days?"
This was exactly why Cassandra had assumed Harry would come for her first. In her mind, Veratia was always clinging to Harry's side—how could she possibly leave him behind after getting out?
But… it seemed the reality was different.
"Oh, I get it," Cassandra said, covering her mouth with a hand as if struck by a revelation. "After all this time, Grindelwald's forgotten all about you… Tsk tsk, poor Potter…"
"Enough, Miss Malfoy," Mr. Flamel interjected, glancing up at Cassandra. "Before you start interrogating Harry, perhaps you could explain why a page is missing from my alchemy notebook. That's hardly the act of a lady."
"My apologies, Mr. Flamel," Cassandra said, standing straight and offering a proper curtsy. "Please forgive my impulsiveness. I deeply regret that incident."
"Oh, don't worry," Mr. Flamel said with a smile. "I haven't held it against you. Your father, Septimus Malfoy, has already made amends."
"Amends?" Cassandra asked.
"Oh, yes," Mr. Flamel replied, taking small, quick steps to a pile of items. He rummaged through it and pulled out a vintage ladies' purse, then shuffled back to hand it to Cassandra.
"This is something your father, Mr. Malfoy, asked me to pass on to you. There's a sum of money inside," Mr. Flamel said, wiping his eyes. "A parent's love, truly… He was worried you'd be alone in this era, so he entrusted me to deliver this to you."
At that moment, Mr. Flamel genuinely felt the depth of Septimus's love for his daughter.
"Thank you, Mr. Flamel," Cassandra said solemnly, accepting the purse and bowing deeply.
"You're welcome," Mr. Flamel replied with a warm smile, turning to wink at Harry.
Harry took a subtle, deep breath. What a crafty old fox, living for centuries… Look at that, smoothly changing the subject! In his mind, Harry gave Mr. Flamel a thumbs-up.
"Oh, by the way, Harry," Mr. Flamel said, turning back to him, "I've nearly finished upgrading the computer you gave me to make it more suitable for wizards. Look at this—the monitor and the tower, I've completely overhauled them…"
He proudly showed off his handiwork. The monitor was now several times larger than before, but far sleeker than the old bulky designs, measuring roughly thirty-two inches by Harry's estimate. The display was far crisper than any computer Harry had seen, and the operating system had been upgraded as well.
"I'd wager that even a decade from now, Muggles won't have anything as advanced as this," Mr. Flamel said proudly. "I've also upgraded the operating system and named it 'Hogwarts 1.0.'"
"Why Hogwarts?" Harry asked curiously. "Wasn't your school Beauxbatons?"
"Because I'm at Hogwarts now, and this computer was a gift from you, a Hogwarts student," Mr. Flamel explained. "Plus, I've added some practical features—online divination, potion simulation, herbology simulation, and more. They help users improve their skills in various areas, though… it can be a bit dull."
He chuckled at that.
"Why not turn it into a game?" Harry suggested tentatively. "Like that Civilization game you play, but in a different style… That way, learning could be more fun."
Mr. Flamel's eyes lit up. "You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll give it a try."
He was a man of action, but as he turned to start, Harry grabbed his arm.
"There's no rush," Harry said. "Right now, I'd really appreciate it if you could check on Cassandra's condition. I'm a bit worried about her."
At that, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of satisfaction passed through Cassandra's eyes.
At that moment, a flash of light sparked on the eighth floor of Hogwarts.
Veratia appeared before the Room of Requirement, clutching a message from Dumbledore urging her to return quickly for an urgent matter. She already knew what it was about—during class, she'd received a call from Mrs. Granger saying Cassandra had returned to Hogwarts.
Mrs. Granger didn't know who Cassandra was, but Veratia certainly did.
Veratia had known this day would come, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so suddenly. She hadn't imagined Harry would go looking for Cassandra on his own without involving her.
After hearing the news, Veratia returned to her room, only to find Fawkes arriving late. The previous night, Dumbledore had sent the phoenix, but Veratia's room, fortified with ancient magic, had kept Fawkes out. And when Veratia left in the morning, Fawkes had been dozing off.
Veratia didn't blame the bird—it wasn't its fault.
She stepped into the Headmaster's office, where Dumbledore was already waiting.
"Professor Dumbledore," Veratia said, giving a slight bow as a greeting, appropriate given her birth year and her distant familial ties through Gellert.
"You're finally back," Dumbledore said, sounding weary. He kept it brief: "Harry and Miss Malfoy are at Mr. Flamel's alchemy lab. If you head there now, you should find them."
Without a word, Veratia turned and left the office.
Dumbledore watched her go, the revolving door still spinning, and leisurely pulled a candy jar from his drawer. He plucked out an orange cream sweet, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
Mmm… quite nice.
Here's hoping Harry's alright, he thought.
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