Harry suddenly felt very awkward and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"So that's how it was…" Harry said, a hint of regret in his voice. "Back then… um, I actually thought it would be good if the school board could do something about that Malfoy girl. She was always calling me lazy and arrogant. At the time, I really found her incredibly annoying…"
In her portrait, Virathea nearly burst out laughing. She struggled to contain herself and said, "Oh yes, of course. You wanted the school board to discipline the daughter of the most powerful member on that very board. Harry, you truly have a wonderfully imaginative mind."
"Yeah, I was so naïve back then," Harry sighed.
Now it all made sense.
No wonder… when he had thanked Gareth that day, Cassandra had gotten so angry and stomped on his foot.
At the time, Harry had found her reaction completely baffling. Now he finally understood.
"Actually, when you put it like that… Cassandra was pretty… decent," Harry said, searching for the right words. "You know, that time outside Gladrags Wizardwear, she mocked me for buying second-hand robes again…"
He paused, momentarily choked up.
"And then?" Vivi asked with interest.
"Well, I didn't really mind. I was curious if she was there to sell old robes too, so I asked her, 'Do they have any that you've worn?'…"
Harry scratched his head and couldn't help but laugh.
"You really said that? You never told me about this…" Vivi said, barely holding back her laughter.
"There wasn't much to tell. I thought she was furious and just walked away," Harry said with a shrug.
"She had every right to be angry. That was quite rude of you," Vivi said, smiling with her lips pressed together.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Ha, you're wrong. She wasn't angry at all. That same afternoon, she sent me two of her old Slytherin robes by owl."
"What?!" Virathea's voice rose sharply.
"Er — I said she sent me two old robes…" Harry replied cautiously, glancing at the clearly irritated Vivi.
Virathea huffed. "And you wore them?"
"Well, yes. I asked Professor Weasley to alter them into Gryffindor style…" Harry admitted sheepishly.
"She gave them to you and you just wore them?" Vivi gave him a sideways look.
"You know how things were back then," Harry said, a little embarrassed. He wasn't even sure why he felt guilty, but he instinctively tried to explain. "I was alone in the wizarding world. I had no family or friends…"
Virathea's expression softened.
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"Ah, it's nothing," Harry waved his hand. "But this time I really do need to visit Malfoy Manor. Whether I can get a basilisk fang will depend on Cassandra's great-nephew."
"Alright," Vivi said with a smile and a nod. "I'll be right here in the Map Chamber, waiting for your good news."
"When you come out, we still have to find Cassandra together, and we have to save Pabi too," Harry said, smiling. "Oh, and I still can't find any trace of Ominis or Sebastian. I'll have to visit Azkaban…"
"Don't worry, they're not in Azkaban," Virathea assured him. "Once I get out of the Slytherin study, I'll go with you. We'll do it together."
She placed special emphasis on the word "together."
Harry didn't notice and simply nodded.
He spent the entire night in the Map Chamber, chatting with Vivi.
He only left the next morning.
After Harry departed, Headmaster Fitzgerald and the others returned to their portraits.
"You really are something," Headmaster Fitzgerald said to Vivi. "You waited a hundred years in the Map Chamber for nothing. I heard that Potter is going to look for Cassandra? Did you tell him?"
"I don't understand what you young people are thinking these days," Lockewood added. "Love is selfish. If I were you, I wouldn't have told Potter so easily that Cassandra is still trapped in a time rift — at least not so soon."
"Grindelwald's pride wouldn't allow me to do otherwise," Vivi declared, lifting her head proudly like a graceful swan.
"Merlin, you really are indecisive," Lockewood said helplessly. "If it were me, I would have waited until I had secured my relationship with young Potter before telling him — or simply never told him at all."
"No wonder all your descendants became dark wizards," Professor Borkham said, rolling his eyes and delivering a particularly sharp remark.
Lockewood roared and leaped straight into Professor Borkham's portrait.
"Charles! Charles!" Headmaster Fitzgerald hurriedly pulled him back. "He's telling the truth!"
"Exactly because he's telling the truth!" Lockewood pounded his chest in anguish. "Merlin, what did I ever do wrong? Why is there not a single decent person among my descendants?"
"Because the upper beam is crooked, so the lower ones follow," Professor Borkham whistled.
Lockewood's face flushed red with anger.
He was completely triggered.
"Speaking of which," Professor Borkham continued, "that Potter boy has average talent and a somewhat… difficult personality. Why do you like him so much? You even separated your soul from your body, disguised yourself as a portrait, and froze your physical form in time just to see him once?"
"Why do I like him?" Vivi murmured. Truthfully… she wasn't entirely sure herself.
At first, she had been drawn to Harry because she sensed the ancient magic inheritance within him.
Ancient magic inheritors were extremely rare. Usually, one would live their entire life without ever meeting another.
She had felt incredibly fortunate to meet one at Hogwarts — and in the same year as her, no less.
What fascinated her even more was that most ancient magic inheritors were squibs or muggles with no magical ability before the age of fifteen. Harry, however, had possessed abundant magic even before then, completely defying the norm.
Later, she discovered that Harry carried ancient spells from the Grindelwald family collection.
In the beginning, her closeness to Harry had been purely out of curiosity.
But as they spent time together and got to know each other, Vivi was gradually moved by Harry's character — his ability to remain pure despite adversity, his sharp mind, strength, bravery, integrity, and loyalty. This sixteen-year-old boy shone like a star in the darkness.
She didn't know exactly when she had fallen for him. Perhaps it had happened slowly, day by day, through their constant companionship.
"Love needs no reason, Charles," Headmaster Fitzgerald said softly.
Lockewood rolled his eyes and chose to stay silent.
Ah, the turmoil of youth…
Harry had no idea what was happening in the Map Chamber. As he yawned and climbed the stairs, the sun was already rising in the east.
In high latitudes, summer days began early. Harry glanced at his watch — it was not even four o'clock yet.
He returned to his dormitory, flopped onto his bed, and lay there thinking about Cassandra.
He was starting to regret not realizing her good intentions sooner.
Perhaps… his school life back then would have been much more interesting?
As the holidays approached, the students' focus began to drift.
After all, exam results could only make them miserable for a short while. Not everyone cared about grades as much as Hermione did.
Scribbling a few answers on the parchment was enough to justify the few Galleons their parents spent.
It had to be said that wizarding families generally didn't place too much importance on academic performance.
The wizarding population was small, and the environment wasn't overly competitive, so there was no intense "tiger parenting" culture.
Combined with Hogwarts' tacit approval of a more relaxed, joyful approach to education, the overall skill level of Hogwarts graduates left much to be desired.
In times of peace, that might have been fine.
But in times of war, a wizard who couldn't even cast spells properly would struggle to survive.
It was a harsh reality for those without great talent. You might think cheating your way through spell practice was enough — but in battle, the spells would cheat you right back.
Sure, just flash a weak spell to meet the requirement. Why does it need to actually work?
Harry was well aware of the flaws in Hogwarts' current education system, but he didn't know where to begin fixing it.
Professor Dumbledore might be a good man, but as a headmaster…
From a purely academic standpoint, Headmaster Black had been far more competent. At least he actually disciplined students who refused to study.
Harry decided he would find the right moment to discuss this with the current headmaster.
Soon, it was time for the end-of-term feast and the House Cup ceremony.
Harry suddenly felt very awkward and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"So that's how it was…" Harry said, a hint of regret in his voice. "Back then… um, I actually thought it would be good if the school board could do something about that Malfoy girl. She was always calling me lazy and arrogant. At the time, I really found her incredibly annoying…"
In her portrait, Virathea nearly burst out laughing. She struggled to contain herself and said, "Oh yes, of course. You wanted the school board to discipline the daughter of the most powerful member on that very board. Harry, you truly have a wonderfully imaginative mind."
"Yeah, I was so naïve back then," Harry sighed.
Now it all made sense.
No wonder… when he had thanked Gareth that day, Cassandra had gotten so angry and stomped on his foot.
At the time, Harry had found her reaction completely baffling. Now he finally understood.
"Actually, when you put it like that… Cassandra was pretty… decent," Harry said, searching for the right words. "You know, that time outside Gladrags Wizardwear, she mocked me for buying second-hand robes again…"
He paused, momentarily choked up.
"And then?" Vivi asked with interest.
"Well, I didn't really mind. I was curious if she was there to sell old robes too, so I asked her, 'Do they have any that you've worn?'…"
Harry scratched his head and couldn't help but laugh.
"You really said that? You never told me about this…" Vivi said, barely holding back her laughter.
"There wasn't much to tell. I thought she was furious and just walked away," Harry said with a shrug.
"She had every right to be angry. That was quite rude of you," Vivi said, smiling with her lips pressed together.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Ha, you're wrong. She wasn't angry at all. That same afternoon, she sent me two of her old Slytherin robes by owl."
"What?!" Virathea's voice rose sharply.
"Er — I said she sent me two old robes…" Harry replied cautiously, glancing at the clearly irritated Vivi.
Virathea huffed. "And you wore them?"
"Well, yes. I asked Professor Weasley to alter them into Gryffindor style…" Harry admitted sheepishly.
"She gave them to you and you just wore them?" Vivi gave him a sideways look.
"You know how things were back then," Harry said, a little embarrassed. He wasn't even sure why he felt guilty, but he instinctively tried to explain. "I was alone in the wizarding world. I had no family or friends…"
Virathea's expression softened.
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"Ah, it's nothing," Harry waved his hand. "But this time I really do need to visit Malfoy Manor. Whether I can get a basilisk fang will depend on Cassandra's great-nephew."
"Alright," Vivi said with a smile and a nod. "I'll be right here in the Map Chamber, waiting for your good news."
"When you come out, we still have to find Cassandra together, and we have to save Pabi too," Harry said, smiling. "Oh, and I still can't find any trace of Ominis or Sebastian. I'll have to visit Azkaban…"
"Don't worry, they're not in Azkaban," Virathea assured him. "Once I get out of the Slytherin study, I'll go with you. We'll do it together."
She placed special emphasis on the word "together."
Harry didn't notice and simply nodded.
He spent the entire night in the Map Chamber, chatting with Vivi.
He only left the next morning.
After Harry departed, Headmaster Fitzgerald and the others returned to their portraits.
"You really are something," Headmaster Fitzgerald said to Vivi. "You waited a hundred years in the Map Chamber for nothing. I heard that Potter is going to look for Cassandra? Did you tell him?"
"I don't understand what you young people are thinking these days," Lockewood added. "Love is selfish. If I were you, I wouldn't have told Potter so easily that Cassandra is still trapped in a time rift — at least not so soon."
"Grindelwald's pride wouldn't allow me to do otherwise," Vivi declared, lifting her head proudly like a graceful swan.
"Merlin, you really are indecisive," Lockewood said helplessly. "If it were me, I would have waited until I had secured my relationship with young Potter before telling him — or simply never told him at all."
"No wonder all your descendants became dark wizards," Professor Borkham said, rolling his eyes and delivering a particularly sharp remark.
Lockewood roared and leaped straight into Professor Borkham's portrait.
"Charles! Charles!" Headmaster Fitzgerald hurriedly pulled him back. "He's telling the truth!"
"Exactly because he's telling the truth!" Lockewood pounded his chest in anguish. "Merlin, what did I ever do wrong? Why is there not a single decent person among my descendants?"
"Because the upper beam is crooked, so the lower ones follow," Professor Borkham whistled.
Lockewood's face flushed red with anger.
He was completely triggered.
"Speaking of which," Professor Borkham continued, "that Potter boy has average talent and a somewhat… difficult personality. Why do you like him so much? You even separated your soul from your body, disguised yourself as a portrait, and froze your physical form in time just to see him once?"
"Why do I like him?" Vivi murmured. Truthfully… she wasn't entirely sure herself.
At first, she had been drawn to Harry because she sensed the ancient magic inheritance within him.
Ancient magic inheritors were extremely rare. Usually, one would live their entire life without ever meeting another.
She had felt incredibly fortunate to meet one at Hogwarts — and in the same year as her, no less.
What fascinated her even more was that most ancient magic inheritors were squibs or muggles with no magical ability before the age of fifteen. Harry, however, had possessed abundant magic even before then, completely defying the norm.
Later, she discovered that Harry carried ancient spells from the Grindelwald family collection.
In the beginning, her closeness to Harry had been purely out of curiosity.
But as they spent time together and got to know each other, Vivi was gradually moved by Harry's character — his ability to remain pure despite adversity, his sharp mind, strength, bravery, integrity, and loyalty. This sixteen-year-old boy shone like a star in the darkness.
She didn't know exactly when she had fallen for him. Perhaps it had happened slowly, day by day, through their constant companionship.
"Love needs no reason, Charles," Headmaster Fitzgerald said softly.
Lockewood rolled his eyes and chose to stay silent.
Ah, the turmoil of youth…
Harry had no idea what was happening in the Map Chamber. As he yawned and climbed the stairs, the sun was already rising in the east.
In high latitudes, summer days began early. Harry glanced at his watch — it was not even four o'clock yet.
He returned to his dormitory, flopped onto his bed, and lay there thinking about Cassandra.
He was starting to regret not realizing her good intentions sooner.
Perhaps… his school life back then would have been much more interesting?
As the holidays approached, the students' focus began to drift.
After all, exam results could only make them miserable for a short while. Not everyone cared about grades as much as Hermione did.
Scribbling a few answers on the parchment was enough to justify the few Galleons their parents spent.
It had to be said that wizarding families generally didn't place too much importance on academic performance.
The wizarding population was small, and the environment wasn't overly competitive, so there was no intense "tiger parenting" culture.
Combined with Hogwarts' tacit approval of a more relaxed, joyful approach to education, the overall skill level of Hogwarts graduates left much to be desired.
In times of peace, that might have been fine.
But in times of war, a wizard who couldn't even cast spells properly would struggle to survive.
It was a harsh reality for those without great talent. You might think cheating your way through spell practice was enough — but in battle, the spells would cheat you right back.
Sure, just flash a weak spell to meet the requirement. Why does it need to actually work?
Harry was well aware of the flaws in Hogwarts' current education system, but he didn't know where to begin fixing it.
Professor Dumbledore might be a good man, but as a headmaster…
From a purely academic standpoint, Headmaster Black had been far more competent. At least he actually disciplined students who refused to study.
Harry decided he would find the right moment to discuss this with the current headmaster.
Soon, it was time for the end-of-term feast and the House Cup ceremony.
Before Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, Slytherin had won the House Cup for six consecutive years — thanks to their overly protective and biased Head of House, who constantly deducted points from other houses while generously awarding them to Slytherin. If they won this year as well, it would mark seven years in a row.
Slytherin, already unpopular due to the constant stream of Death Eaters and notorious criminals among their alumni, became even less liked by the other houses.
The Great Hall was decorated in classic Slytherin silver and green, complete with an abundance of serpentine motifs.
From Gryffindor to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, every face looked gloomy — because Slytherin had once again won the House Cup.
People weren't upset because their own house had lost. They were upset because Slytherin had won.
That was simply unacceptable.
Losing was disappointing, but watching your enemy succeed was unbearable.
The Slytherins themselves weren't particularly jubilant either. Many were still preoccupied with the disappearance of Miss Melope.
Before long, Dumbledore took his place at the staff table.
After his speech, he loudly announced the house points: Hufflepuff came last with 352 points, Gryffindor placed third with 398, Ravenclaw took second with 426, and Slytherin led by a wide margin with 472 points.
Only then did the Slytherins begin to cheer, shouting with excitement.
As expected, Dumbledore began his signature fine-tuning.
He first praised the outstanding performances of Neville, Seamus, Hermione, and Ron, then highlighted Harry's exceptional achievements, awarding Gryffindor a massive 200 points.
The joy on the Slytherins' faces froze instantly. They looked as if they had just swallowed a handful of dead rats.
If someone had been standing outside the Great Hall, they might have thought something catastrophic had occurred.
The cheers from the Gryffindor table grew louder and louder, but what shocked everyone was that the applause from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seemed even more thunderous.
They might not be happy about their own loss, but seeing their enemy lose too was definitely worth celebrating.
Many students rushed forward to shake hands with Harry and his friends. Neville's face went pale with shock as he was swallowed up by the crowd hugging him.
"This means," Dumbledore had to shout to be heard over the roaring applause, "that we need to make a few small changes to the decorations."
He clapped his hands. Instantly, the green banners turned bright red, the silver ones turned gold, and the giant Slytherin serpent vanished, replaced by a majestic, roaring Gryffindor lion.
Snape was shaking hands with Professor McGonagall, forcing an awkward smile onto his face.
Harry looked up at Snape. Feeling the gaze, Snape turned to look at him.
Then, Snape made a face as if he had swallowed a fly and quickly looked away.
Harry almost laughed but managed to hold it in.
The holidays had finally arrived, and Harry already had a full plan for the summer.
He had many things to do: visit Gringotts, go to Malfoy Manor, stay with the Weasleys, search Knockturn Alley for basilisk fangs… There was a lot on his plate.
He decided to take things one step at a time, starting with his return to the Dursleys.
Although he didn't particularly like his aunt and uncle's family, it was still a place to rest his head.
The Hogwarts house-elves had been very efficient. Before the students left, they had already packed everyone's trunks and loaded them onto the train.
Before boarding the Hogwarts Express, Harry went to find Pabi.
After searching for a while, he found her by the Black Lake.
Her nose was submerged in the water, sending bubbles gurgling to the surface.
"Pabi?" Harry asked curiously. "What are you doing?"
Pabi lifted her head. "I'm gurgling."
Then she plunged her nose back into the water.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…"
Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "I'm going home now. Do you want to come with me?"
Pabi raised her head and looked at him as if reevaluating a boy with a rather uncertain future.
"You want to bring a unicorn back to the Muggle world?"
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