Part 2 of 3
Your OC, unlike Herkmione, is or seems bold and brash, like Gryffindor, but with cunning. Canon has Harry attached at both hips to Ron and Hermione. And really, it's as much logic as bashing , for all those stories claiming Ron and Hermione were like friend repellent, keeping others from befriending Harry, by Ron and Hermione being permanently "attached " to Harry 24x7.
Not truly canon, since how often is Hermione "off in the library", even studying with others in other Houses, while Ron and Harry ...? goof off?

Your OUTGOING OC could without any big need to use Ron as a constant foil to bash, DRAW Harry out of his Durskaban damaged shy shell, push and nudge him in ways Hermione never did, draw him out, help Harry to be SO MUICH MORE than he was in canon.
Maybe this is completely NOT the sort of ideas you had in mind.
But in my head, or by how this story is being seen from my POV, there IS a BIG opportunity for true OC's or such minor canon characters they are basically OC's with canon names, but in THAT, they have NO canon baggage to BE like a well defined major canon character.

THERE are a few fanfics, not using the canon unrealistic buoyant-Harry characters, NOT so resilient psychologically undamaged, but Durskaban damaged Harry characters.
Just reviewed one, 1260679 Realizations.
You might check my latest "wall of text" reviews there, in the final chapters of that story. Maybe it might give you a few ideas to consider. I don't go for the broken wimped out super low self esteem damaged Harry sort of stories. That requires a complete AU, as otherwise, how the hell can Harry be a hero when he's psychologically crippled to a large extent, by his childhood Durskaban trauma?

I'd hope you only left out Tracy in your summary, because Daphne might bring you more views.
I do feel your opportunity here is not just to expand your OC character into great depth of characterization, but for you to KEEP others, like Harry and Neville here, "canon-ish" at first, but your OC to gradually warp the canon-ish as much as you like, or do enough it ends up a canon-ectomy
REALLY, the ONE canon character MOST in need of being at least somewhat OOC for a decent fanfic usually, to be possible, IMO,is Harry Potter. I sure don't go for a highly canon too wimpy, too Harry Clouseau, lucky and mediocre, but somehow with brief periods of brilliance, but often just damn LUCK, a nine-lives-Harry moving forward, by the skin of his teeth.
I dunno if this story is inspiring or just triggered this current obsession, but the obsession is: GET the OC to interact and WARP and at least in part, OOC some canon characters, especially Harry and Neville.
And really, Daphne is an OC, other than now being a monkey see monkey copy fanfic cliche character most times. When canon-wise she's an OC with a canon name. I hope you build your own Daphne, and not rely much on TOO many Daphne fanfic characters, too many of the same ice queen cliche Daphne. And really, an ICE Queen at age eleven? Good Luck, hope you build something interesting here.
Although this: " Follows the books", has me not holding my breath or having high expectations.
Fanfics that rehashed book plots get boring pretty fast.
I have seen only a few, with great writing helping, and constant small changes and bending of canon plots, that can pull it off, be interesting enough to not quickly end up in my fanfic AVOID folder of Potter fanfic bookmarks. IMO, canon for fanfics TOO often end up just a basic outline for plagiarizng and creating a look alike copycat canon cookie cutter story.
Most frustrating: stories that tangent off from canon, then run out of ideas, and CURVE back, to put back on the canon training wheels and follow along standard canon plot paths.
I do hope you don't "cling to canon" too much, as RARELY can such fics not lead to instant boredom, IMO.

And both time saver and boredom preventive: characters having an introspective narrative can summarize what canon-esque events happened in a fanfic, without having to clutter the text and take up author and reader time, rehashing nearly the exact same scenes from the JKR books.
A/N can inform readers, to "assume" this and that happened similar to canon, with or without some differences. IMO, canon is the BACKGROUND scenery, saving the author from re-creating in so much detail, the entire "story world". What is the same, barely if at all, need be rehashed, redone, repeated, bleah!

Part 3 of 3
That's the danger of "following the books", there is not a fine line, but a wide stinky river, or plot path, one side is canon, the other original unique plot. In FOLLOWING, one can begin to cross that river into becoming nearly a copy of the JKR story. Approach even near the middle of such a road, or more than knee deep in that river, it tends IMO, to get BORING really FAST. RARELY is writing enough to be so excellent, it can keep me reading, with only minor twists and tweaks of canon. And even for those rare cases, it often is only temporary, in both drama, humor, satire or lampooning fanfics, that if very long, they generally can't continue to sustain much interest and run out of steam fairly fast.

I hope you don't follow the general cliche simplistic idiocy that equates dark with harmful but since you can do harm with a "light spell", therefore there is no difference, no dark and light, no good and evil Voldy would say, only POWER and those with the will to seek it.
TOO few are the fics that BUILD much depth in what encompasses or defines "DARK Magic". The arguments generally found in fanfics, about dark and light spells, would similarly claim, that a loaded handgun is the same weapon as a loaded stun gun, as they both are guns, both have a trigger, both incapacitate someone. The only difference is how the gun is used, for good or evil. Sure, because most gunshot wounds were only meant to cause only minor flesh wounds and incapacitate, not cause bad injuries or death.
RARE are fics creating a big tapestry and even history about Dark Magic.
No matter what basics might be conceived, like "daytime", light, or magic under sunlight, and dark, magic under moon and starlight, and NOT bright sunlight.
No matter what is invented, an unfair negative stereotypical view lumping DARK as evil, perhaps because of the power and evilness of some dark spells, one can try to build up some ideas for prejudice in regards to "dark magic getting a bad reputation".
A MUCH richer tapestry about Dark Magic, than just having it be powerful and highly injurious and deadly for anyone hit by a dark spell can be created. And claiming there is no difference between light and dark spells, or good and evil, it's all just magic blah blah blah.

Interesting update! I wonder what the reactions of the Slytherin House will be to finding out that Valeria is a muggleborn. Anyways, keep up the good work and I hope you release the next chapter soon.

I really like Valeria's character, though I lament her lack of Parseltongue. However, the Dark Arts are an intriguing subject that I look forward to you delving into and as awesome as I find Parseltongue, it isn't absolutely necessary to get me interested. Looking forward to more updates!

I'm enjoying this quite a bit so far. The amount of research you've put in is impressive, and your writing is really solid. At this point, the sorting is a foregone conclusion, but I'm really interested to see where the rest of the story goes.

Keep up the good work!

-Illini

I was disapointed. Ok, Valeria is a more interesting characther than Hermione, but why would she do the same things? Couldn't her meet with Neville and Harry in different circunstances? She could find Trevor in the bathroom and take it to Neville, for example.

And would be sad if you didn't put Hermione in this story too. That two witches competing against wich other would be great.

Interesting story. I'm curious on how things will turn out for the Slytherin house with a muggleborn in it. I can definitely see Valeria being bullied a bit at first by the likes of Malofy and his cronies, but I can see her becoming accepted or tolerated if she ends up being the top student of the year.

Even though you mentioned that Valeria will be in Slytherin in the summary for the most part, I'm glad you are showing hints of her ambition that would cause her to be sorted into Slytherin. She hasn't exactly shown herself to be cunning yet I think but she has shown herself to be cautious, smart, and inquisitive so it does make it more likely that she is a bit cunning.

I do hope you aren't going to have Valeria hook up with Harry though. That'll probably get things going on a slippery slope of getting Valeria into becoming a Mary Sue. Be sure to have some major character flaws that will get her into trouble at some points as well. I.E. don't make her like Ginny where she has a flaw of a temper, but it never got her into trouble really.

You have made a very interesting original character. I await to see the manner in which you integrate here into the basic cast for your story.

Valeria's idea of buy the books for all the 7 years will help her with the 2nd and 5nd years, if the DADA books aren't uselles as the teacher. She used her money wisely. I read some complains in other fics about the incremented trunks, but except for the 'house-trunks', I disagree and IMHO they would be a natural thing to buy, if money weren't a issue.

I love wandlore and find her wand very interesting. And very dangerous, naturally.

Bummer - went to hit next and realized I was at the end. Really like your OC. Too bad Claude's not magical, though. Hope it's not a Lily/Petunia situation there.

Looking forward to your next chapter.

I really like Valeria, especially with that end. Curious to see how she meets the others.

It seems interesting.

This really hit the spot! Really looking forward to more of this, a good OC Slytherin (hopefully.)
Update soon!