Chapter 13. The Stranger.

With the arrival of winter and Christmas approaching, the number of children in the Hogwarts library noticeably decreased. Most students preferred holiday preparations and winter games, forgetting about their studies. In the castle courtyard, lively snowball fights erupted around impressive forts built from ice and snow.

Hermione was among the few who still stayed in the library. She sat surrounded by piles of books, holding a thick volume titled 'The Greatest Wizards of Modern Times.' Quickly flipping through the pages looking for the information she needed, Hermione quietly muttered to herself, "Okay, wizards starting with F, Fa, Fe, Fi..." Stopping at Fi, she quickly skimmed the page:

'Finnegan Millennium, born 1937. Master Finnegan was born in Limerick, Ireland. His childhood was steeped in a rich magical culture shaped by local history and family traditions. According to Millennium himself, the stories his grandmother told him about ancient sorcerers and magical creatures particularly influenced him, sparking his creative imagination and interest in the magical arts from an early age.

Finnegan Millennium is one of the most famous wizards, renowned for his creative abilities. His magical creations decorate numerous magical exhibitions and galleries worldwide. His most famous works to the general public are 'The Mirror of Parallel Worlds' and 'The Illusion of the Starry Ocean,' which attract large numbers of visitors annually to the British Museum of Magical Art...'

Hermione noted the names of these magical creations. She hadn't yet attended any significant magical art exhibitions, although her interest was sparked after her first encounter with such creativity in Diagon Alley. Turning the page, she sighed in disappointment: there was no information about Flamel here either. The next entry after Finnegan mentioned someone named Foster.

'Foster Terry, born 1921. The future professor of Transfiguration, Mr. Foster was born in the suburbs of Liverpool. From a very early age, he showed outstanding magical abilities. A Hogwarts graduate from Ravenclaw, he achieved some of the best academic results in the school's history.

Despite specializing in Transfiguration, Professor Foster dedicated himself to studying the effects of magic on time. He is one of the most controversial figures in modern magic. Professor Foster undoubtedly had great talent, but many wizards considered, and still consider, his work a waste of the very time he was studying.

In the late sixties, rumors began to spread that Professor Foster had created the so-called Time Turner, which supposedly could transport its holder several hours or even days backward or forward in time. However, most modern wizards believe these rumors were started by Mr. Foster himself, trying to attract the Ministry of Magic's attention for more funding for his failed experiments. In 1969, after yet another failure in his research, the bankrupt Mr. Foster packed up his belongings from his home in Kent and left for an unknown destination. His whereabouts have been unknown ever since.'

'Why do people waste their time and talents on such things? There are so many real problems to solve...' thought Hermione after reading the article about Foster, '...though having a Time Turner would be interesting.' Hermione wrote down the intriguing title in her notebook under the 'leisure reading' section. 'Well, there's nothing about Flamel in this book,' she concluded, setting the book aside and reaching for the next one.

Harry and Ron sat at another table, not far from Hermione. They were also surrounded by stacks of books, pretending to be deep in research. But in reality, they were playing. Harry used his wand to guide a paper ball through the books at the other end of the table, while Ron enthusiastically created magical barriers, trying to block it. After successfully deflecting another of Harry's attacks, Ron let out a triumphant shout. He immediately clammed up, but it was too late.

"Do you really think I don't notice anything?" Hermione looked at her friends sternly, like a teacher. "Am I the only one who needs to find out who Nicolas Flamel is? By the way, I have another Relicium Club meeting tomorrow, and I could use some preparation time instead of these apparently pointless searches that no one cares about!"

"Hermione, we've been looking for information on Flamel for days and found nothing!" Harry set his wand aside and picked up another book. "Maybe he's not a wizard at all? Or maybe there's nothing about him in the books! There are plenty of wizards who aren't mentioned anywhere."

"Or maybe he's just an old friend of Dumbledore's that he promised to help," Ron added, supporting Harry.

"So, you think Snape is trying to steal something to spite Dumbledore and his friend? Seriously?" Hermione looked at them sarcastically.

"Yeah... doesn't sound very plausible," Harry and Ron exchanged guilty looks. "But, Hermione, maybe we should take a break for at least one day? We're tired of these endless searches. Ron and I, we're not used to this..."

Snorting, Hermione slammed her book shut. "Oh, so you're tired? Fine! I won't make you search anymore. I have plenty to do without you." With that, she stood up and headed toward the library exit.

"Hermione!" Harry tried to stop her, but she walked out without looking back and disappeared around the corner.

"Darn it," said Harry, "That didn't go well."

"Oh, come on," Ron also stood up from the table, "She'll grumble a bit and then stop. Tomorrow we'll continue the search. Let's go play with everyone in the courtyard – we need a break. I've been cooped up in this castle for too long."

***

Hermione was running through Hogwarts, dodging between students. She almost bumped into Professor Flitwick, spotting his small figure at the last moment.

"Where are you rushing to, Granger?" he called out with mild irritation, stepping back from Hermione.

"To the Relicium Club meeting!" she quickly rattled off, "I'm late, sorry!" and dashed off again.

Reaching the door, Hermione took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Then, she gently pushed the door open and walked in. All the club members were already there, apparently waiting for her. On the oak table, in front of each seat, were neatly arranged various items and tools for today's meeting.

"Sorry, Professor," Hermione began, barely catching her breath, addressing Dumbledore. "I got caught up reading in the library and..."

"No worries, Miss Granger," the headmaster interrupted. "Come in, we were just waiting for you."

Hermione quickly took the empty seat next to Casper Honeydew. Across from her, Elliot Grimm quietly said:

"I was hoping you'd decided not to join us. Everything here is so... ordinary, primitive, for those who believe in the power of amulets, of course."

"You mean the amulets that can win Quidditch matches?" Hermione retorted with a smirk.

"Such amulets don't exist," he stated confidently, looking at her dismissively.

"You're absolutely right," Hermione replied with a sly smile.

Of course, she didn't actually have any amulets that could affect Quidditch, but Elliot didn't know that. And since he wouldn't leave her alone, why shouldn't Hermione tease him back? At that moment, Dumbledore spoke, interrupting all conversations at the table.

"Well, as I mentioned at our last meeting, this time we will try to create a Sneakoscope. First, take the copper tube among the items on your table," Professor Dumbledore picked up one of the tubes and held it up so everyone could see what it looked like. "Copper is chosen for its excellent conductive properties for magical energy."

Then, with his other hand, he carefully picked up a vial filled with some orange powder.

"Next, we'll fill it with a material that captures magic. Add a bit of the powder to the copper tube."

Hermione watched Professor Dumbledore's every move closely, trying to replicate everything he did exactly. After adding the powder to her tube, she noticed that Elliot had added too much and automatically corrected him:

"Elliot, you're using too much powder. Remember, precision is key to making a working device." As she said this, she realized she had made a mistake.

Grimm was one of the best in his class and was unlikely to take kindly to criticism from anyone, especially not from Hermione.

"Oh, really, Miss First-Year?" His voice was as cold as ice, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of disdain and mockery aimed at Hermione. "Your attempts to surpass everyone in magic are so amusing… Let's make a bet. I'm sure I can make a Sneakoscope not only faster than you but also more accurately. Want to see whose methods are better?"

He stared at Hermione expectantly, completely confident in his abilities. 'Why did I have to give him advice?!' she thought, but out loud she replied defiantly:

"No problem! I'll be happy to win this bet!"

"Don't forget," Elliot added with a smirk, "this isn't an amulet. As everyone knows, the device has to work consistently and accurately..."

Dumbledore, who had been silently watching, shook his head disapprovingly.

"Remember, we are all friends here. Competition is only useful when it serves a good purpose, not to humiliate anyone."

Hermione pursed her lips, glaring at Elliot, while Casper Honeydew, sitting to her left, whispered:

"Don't be upset with him. It's his loss if he doesn't understand when someone's trying to help."

Hermione gave Casper a grateful look and nodded.

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, the headmaster continued his explanation:

"Now we need to tune the detector to identify a specific type of magic. In our case – dark magic."

The professor took his wand, made the necessary movement with a focused expression, and pronounced the incantation:

"Malum Capere!"

Red smoke tendrils emerged from his tube.

"If you've done everything correctly, the detector should emit a blood-red smoke," Dumbledore explained. "Now it's your turn. Pay attention to the smoothness of the hand movement while performing the spell."

"Malum Capere!" The echoes of the incantations filled the room.

Hermione, like everyone else, carefully repeated the movements and recited the incantation, but nothing happened. Dumbledore walked around the table, correcting the students and explaining what they were doing wrong. Suddenly, there was a light pop to her left. Hermione turned toward the sound. Casper Honeydew was watching in alarm as vivid yellow smoke billowed from his tube.

"Professor..." he said, hopefully adding, "is yellow smoke... good too?"

Dumbledore smiled gently and replied, "Not quite, Mr. Honeydew. But nothing serious happened," he reassured the Hufflepuff. "Just empty the contents of the tube and start over."

Casper wasn't alone in his failures. Some students were waving their wands with no results, seeing no changes at all. Others, like Honeydew, were emptying out failed attempts and starting the process again.

"Excellent work, Mr. Grimm," Hermione suddenly heard Dumbledore's approving exclamation.

Looking up, she saw Elliot across from her, watching with a satisfied expression as red smoke rose from his magic detector.

"A good start! Who's next?" the professor added encouragingly.

'He beat me,' Hermione thought. She felt a bit hurt. For some reason, this spell just wasn't working for her. It seemed like she was doing everything right, carefully repeating the hand movements and pronouncing the words. But there was no response, as if something was blocking the magic from coming through.

Thinking this over, Hermione suddenly realized she was staring at Elliot, who was also watching her.

"Is something wrong, Miss Know-it-all?" he said smugly, catching her gaze. "How's your progress with the detector?"

Hermione pressed her lips together and focused on the incantation. After a couple of minutes, she finally saw the red smoke rising from her copper tube. Sighing with relief, Hermione started helping Casper, explaining what he needed to do. He was a grateful listener, trying his best to follow all her advice precisely.

One by one, the participants gradually finished their detectors. Hermione, allowing Casper to continue on his own, glanced over at Dumbledore. The professor was moving from one student to another, patiently correcting mistakes and offering tips. Watching him, she pondered.

'I wonder, what exactly connects Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel?' she mused. 'Harry mentioned that the item guarded by Fluffy seems to be small. It's probably some kind of artifact or amulet. Maybe instead of directly searching for information about Flamel, I should look for details about such objects he might be connected with?' Hermione continued her train of thought. 'Such an artifact must be dangerous; otherwise, why guard it so heavily? I'll need to find books that describe similar dangerous items,' she concluded.

"Now take this small horn and use it to convert magic into sound," Professor Dumbledore continued once all the students had completed the first part of the Sneakoscope.

Hermione, always used to being ahead in class, was focused on assembling her device. Her fingers deftly manipulated the magical components. She was determined to be the first to finish the Sneakoscope, just to show up the arrogant Grimm.

However, Elliot's device was the first to work. Dumbledore brought a Fire Crab, a creature known for its ability to start fires, close to it, and the Sneakoscope howled loudly. The professor immediately handed the device back to Grimm, congratulating him on a job well done. Elliot's eyes gleamed with triumph.

"Well, Miss First-Year," he said again, "ready to admit defeat? Or do you still want to show me how it's done? Maybe point out my mistakes?"

The Slytherin was clearly mocking her. But meeting his arrogant gaze, Hermione calmly replied:

"You're right, Elliot, congratulations! You must be a great wizard to beat a first-year."

Anger flashed in Elliot's eyes, but Dumbledore didn't let the argument escalate.

"Quiet!" he said loudly. "I don't want to hear any more of these foolish quarrels at our meetings. Mr. Grimm truly deserves praise," Dumbledore addressed Hermione. "He was the first to assemble his Sneakoscope and did it quite quickly. I've known plenty of adult wizards who couldn't achieve that even in a whole day. So, Miss Granger, make an effort to respect the work of others, and perhaps others will respect you more."

Hermione stayed silent, swallowing her resentment and looking away from Elliot's smug face.

"Actually, I know Elliot," Honeydew whispered, trying to calm her down. "He's not a bad guy and pretty smart. It's just that you two haven't gotten along... I don't even know why. Maybe you should..."

"He seems arrogant and not particularly smart to me," Hermione interrupted, though she knew it was her wounded pride talking, not objective facts. "So keep your opinions to yourself!"

Casper fell silent, and only then did she realize she had been unnecessarily rude to him.

"Sorry, I just… got angry," she quickly said.

"Yeah, I get it," Honeydew muttered a bit hurt, and continued working on his device in silence.

Hermione also focused on her device. Soon, it was able to warn of danger, though by then she had already lost second place to third-year girl from Ravenclaw.

Not all the members of the Relicium Club managed to create working Sneakoscopes. The results varied, and some were quite unusual, like Casper's. His device, to everyone's surprise, started making funny croaking noises, which even brought a smile to Professor Dumbledore's face. On this cheerful note, the Relicium Club meeting came to an end.

***

"Lumos!" Hermione repeated for the umpteenth time, waving her wand. They had just started learning this spell in Professor Flitwick's class today. It seemed like a simple spell, but today it was stubbornly resisting. It hadn't worked on the first try, or the second, or even the tenth! Hermione felt a slight wave of panic. 'How is this possible?' she asked herself, unable to understand why the magic refused to obey.

'What if I've forgotten how to cast spells?' a troubling thought flashed through her mind. It seemed utterly absurd, yet Hermione couldn't shake off the nagging idea. She tried to recall if she did something differently previously. Nothing came to her mind. Previously, spells just worked – as if they effortlessly bounced off her wand! Now, it was as if the magic was buried deep inside and refused to come out. Her hands grew sweaty from all these thoughts, and her wand almost slipped out of her grip during another attempt.

Hermione placed her wand on the table and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Around her, there were scattered cries of "Lumos!", but so far, no one had succeeded. 'It's okay,' she reassured herself, 'no one else has managed it yet. Maybe the spell is harder than it looks.' Encouraging herself with this thought, Hermione continued her attempts. But within a minute, Miranda from Ravenclaw succeeded – the tip of her wand lit up with a bright light.

"Excellent!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed with delight. "Five points to Ravenclaw!" he continued with a joyful smile.

Miranda gracefully nodded her head in gratitude, accepting the praise. "Thank you, Professor!" Her face lit up with a smile of satisfaction and pride.

In Professor Flitwick's classes, there was a tradition: the student who first successfully mastered a new spell would earn five points for their house. At the beginning of the year, Miranda from Ravenclaw was the undisputed leader, continuously earning points for her Ravenclaw. But over time, Hermione pushed her out of this position, and her successes became regular, leaving Miranda far behind.

However, in the past couple of weeks, Hermione had noticed some unsettling changes. Spells that had previously come effortlessly now required much more concentration and sometimes didn't work at all. These circumstances reopened the door for Miranda, who was able to take advantage of the situation. For the past two lessons, she had been the first to perform new spells, earning points for her house and reigniting the competition between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

All these thoughts raced through Hermione's mind as she watched the slowly fading spark of light that Miranda had produced. Ravenclaw classmates were enthusiastically congratulating Miranda on her success. Among them, Elidor Lynette stood out, a tall boy who couldn't hide his admiration for Miranda. His gaze never left her, whether she succeeded or not.

"Miranda is the best!" Elidor shouted, looking at Hermione with a challenge in his eyes.

Miranda gave him a reproachful look, but a satisfied smile appeared on her lips, and she too glanced slyly at her rival. That innocent look cut Hermione's pride like a knife. Despite having no real reason to dislike Miranda, the rivalry between them inevitably bred a sense of animosity in Hermione. She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help disliking her.

Finally, after a few more minutes of persistence, Hermione managed to produce light as well. She sighed with relief and sat sullenly for the rest of the lesson, thinking about her unexpected problems.

After leaving the classroom, Hermione couldn't hold back her complaints to Harry and Ron:

"That Miranda... she's so... arrogant!" Hermione fumed. "So what if she was the first to do the spell! 'Thank you, Professor,'" she mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "And her sidekick Elidor is even worse! He's like..." She trailed off, trying to think of a fitting insult. At that moment, Harry tried to calm her down:

"But Hermione, I didn't notice Miranda being arrogant. Elidor is definitely not a pleasant guy. But Miranda seems quite friendly."

"Yeah, yeah," Ron eagerly agreed. "Miranda is very friendly and so... graceful..."

Hermione abruptly stopped and stared at Ron as if he had just said the most absurd thing ever. He quickly realized he had put his foot in his mouth and tried to justify himself:

"Well, you... too... you're... um...," his eyes darted around under Hermione's piercing gaze, "...not bad-looking... kind of..."

Harry grimaced, clearly thinking Ron was digging his own grave. Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"So, Miranda is all grace, is she?" she asked in a mockingly calm voice, looking straight at Ron. "And I'm just… um… 'not bad-looking, kind of,' right?"

Ron, caught in the trap of his own words, turned red to the tips of his ears. He was ready to disappear on the spot, not knowing how to respond to Hermione's furious glare.

"Ron meant to say," Harry tried to save his friend, "that..."

"I HEARD EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID!" Hermione's nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge.

Harry fell silent. Passing students glanced curiously at the trio.

"Sorry, Hermione..." Ron managed to say, slightly ducking his head into his shoulders, "You're the best, I just said something stupid."

"YOU!...," Hermione began to shout, but then a hint of a smile flashed in her eyes, and she said, "That's better!" and suddenly started laughing.

"Hahaha," Ron pretended to laugh, scared and fake, which made Hermione and Harry burst into laughter together.

***

On the day of heading home for the holidays, Hermione woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. This evening she would finally see her parents again. Even through their letters, she could feel how much her mom and dad were looking forward to her return. She pictured the reunion at the station, the ride home to her cozy room, and the dinner with her loved ones. A happy smile played on Hermione's lips.

Gradually, her thoughts drifted to events at Hogwarts. Attempts to find information about Flamel had not yet been successful. She had, of course, taken many books with her to continue her research, but she also asked Harry and Ron to try their luck in the Restricted Section of the library. Hermione hoped that during the holidays, supervision there would be less strict than usual, and perhaps her friends could sneak in and find something useful.

Lying in bed, Hermione took out the amulet she had been wearing hidden on her chest all this time. Now, in the quiet of her room, she examined it closely. The amulet glowed steadily, clearly visible even in daylight. She turned it over in her hands, pondering its mysterious nature.

From the books she had read, it was clear that the amulet was made of Astralite—a rare stone known to be a strong conductor of magic. Hermione concluded that the amulet might help her concentrate and direct magical energy, similar to a wand. This could very well explain her rapid progress in mastering spells. Reflecting on the past, Hermione realized that her first successes in magic had indeed started after she began wearing the amulet.

Nevertheless, despite these well-grounded assumptions, Hermione still had some doubts. On the one hand, she didn't want to admit that her success in magic was solely due to the amulet. This seemed to undermine her own talent and hurt her pride. On the other hand, none of the books she had read mentioned anything about the stone glowing. This light didn't fit into her otherwise plausible theory.

While Hermione was lost in her thoughts, her roommates were already awake and getting ready to leave. They were chatting cheerfully about their Christmas plans, and Hermione decided it was time for her to get up as well. Packing didn't take long, as most of her things were already prepared in advance. Tossing in the last books about various famous figures in the magical world, as well as about dangerous magical artifacts and amulets that she thought Flamel might be involved with, Hermione closed her suitcase and headed for the Hogwarts Express.

The train ride flew by pleasantly for Hermione. This time, she and her roommates took a compartment where lively conversation never stopped. Hermione joined in the conversation at first but spent most of the trip reading and thinking about the upcoming time with her family.

Upon arriving at King's Cross Station, Hermione immediately spotted her parents eagerly waiting for her. Their faces lit up with joy as they hugged their daughter. At that moment, Hermione felt truly happy and excited, looking forward to the Christmas holidays with her family.

On the way to the car, Hermione's parents bombarded her with questions about the latest events at school, her friends, and her academic achievements. Hermione eagerly answered all their questions, but since arriving at the station, she had felt an inexplicable unease that grew with every step.

"Hermione, did you lose something?" her mom asked worriedly, noticing her daughter constantly looking around.

"No, it just seemed... never mind." She now had a constant feeling that someone was watching her, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

On the drive home, Hermione enjoyed the sights of the city decorated for Christmas. She realized that during her time at Hogwarts, she had missed the normal, non-magical life and decided to spend as much time as possible with her parents and everyday activities, leaving reading and magic for the evenings.

When they arrived home, Hermione got out of the car and took a deep breath of the cold, fresh air. 'Hogwarts is great, but nothing can replace home,' she thought, grabbed her things, and headed for the house. At that moment, Hermione felt a piercing gaze on her back and turned sharply.

A vaguely familiar person was watching her. Catching her eye, he gave a crooked smirk but didn't look away. It seemed like he was sizing her up... Pale face framed by black hair, bright red thin lips stretched in a sneer... and like a photograph, his face from several months ago at the Leaky Cauldron flashed before her mind's eye. Only now, he didn't seem like a person with a pleasant appearance. "It's not time yet..." she suddenly remembered the whisper that had frightened her then...