Chapter 18: A Bat In A Library

Previously on Playing with Magic

"Alright, guys and ladies. Hermione will be joining us for our study session today," I announced, not too loud, considering where we were, but loud enough to get the table's attention. When we got there, the group was already spread out with their books and papers strewn across the table.

Padma frowned a little as she looked up from her notes before her face lit up with a smile. "Hermione, why don't you sit here next to me?" she suggested, patting the seat beside her. "I'm dying to hear all the latest that Gryffindor has been up to."

The group chuckled at Padma's direct approach, the boys shaking their heads but smiling, amused by her enthusiasm. Hermione, for her part, blushed slightly but seemed pleased by the reception; her earlier apprehension seemed to melt away further.

"I'm not really sure there is much to say, really," Hermione replied, settling into the seat next to Padma. She arranged her books and parchment neatly in front of her as she did so.

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Chapter 18: A Bat In A Library

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Jonathan Grey

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13 September 1991 - Wednesday

Hogwarts Library

Padma couldn't hide her surprise at Hermione's relatively sparse gossip- intel, sparse intel, from Gryffindor. "Really, that's all?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, mildly taken aback. "I thought Gryffindor was always knee-deep with drama."

Hermione, organising her notes and books, gave a small shrug. "Honestly, I spend most of my time with books. I must miss a lot of what goes on," she admitted with a slight, apologetic smile, "Sorry."

Padma, not quite satisfied, leaned in closer with a playful smirk. "What about Harry Potter, though?" she teased. "He's become the youngest seeker in Hogwarts history. That's not exactly a minor detail that just slips by unnoticed!"

Hermione looked up, her expression turning thoughtful as she considered the boy-who-lived. "Oh, well, yes, Harry's a big topic, I suppose," she conceded. "It's just that there's so much more to school than Quidditch and... celebrity."

"Yeah, but it's Harry Potter," Padma continued, still teasing. "Even bookworms like us have to look up from their pages when he flies by."

"Hermione must have realised that a lot of the books stretch the truth about Harry's…. exploits," I interjected. "I mean, killing dragons, vampires and ghouls on his own before the age of eleven? Come on, that's hardly likely. He's probably never even given an interview about these so-called adventures."

Hermione looked slightly perturbed. "But- but books don't just lie," she countered firmly. "They're written accounts of historical documents."

I nodded. "True, but consider when those books were published—right after the war. Everyone was looking for hope, for something to believe in after so much loss and devastation. It's not hard to imagine that the authors might have... added some creativity to the truth to give people something to rally around—to be happy about."

I paused, "It's like believing in Santa when you were younger. You hold onto that belief because it makes the season magical—pun intended. Eventually, you learn it was your parents leaving presents the whole time, but that belief alone makes kids happy during Christmas. Sometimes, people lie, or let's say, stretch the truth, to make others feel better."

Hermione considered my words, her brows knitting together in thought. I would imagine it will take a while to get out of the habit of not questioning the integrity of written works. The way I see it, if people lie, and people write books, then books can lie too. History is written by the victors and all that.

After a few moments of silence, Hermione conceded, "You make a fair point, but they shouldn't write 'True Adventures of Harry Potter' if it's not true. I don't even see how that is even legal."

I shrugged. "There should be more clarity in how stories are told, especially when they claim to be true. Maybe you could write about that sometime," I suggested.

"I might just do that," Hermione replied, already considering the idea. Hopefully, I haven't changed her idea of working in the ministry in the future.

"And speaking of writing, I could give you guys a second pair of eyes on your essays later if you want." I glanced around the table as the group focused on their notes, "Actually, I need to pop over to a different row real quick. I need to find a book on hair magic."

That statement earned me a series of puzzled looks. Sensing their confusion, I chuckled and quickly added, "No, really, I'm thinking about trying out some of their spells, maybe even giving myself some dreadlocks. Never had them before, and I figured, why not? If I don't like them, it's magic, right? I can just change it back to my normal afro any time I want."

The group chuckled. "At least I know who to go to to try new hairstyles," Padma said, shaking her head but smiling broadly.

"I'll be sure to point you to the books I got the spells from, but you do know that won't be focusing on hair spells you want right? The first time you ask me to change your hair, I could very end up making you bald." I grinned, standing up from my seat as she gave me a distraught look. "I'll be back in a bit. Save my spot!"

As I strolled away, I could feel her glaring holes into the back of my head.

I made my way deeper into the library, my fingers traced the spines of various books dedicated to magical aesthetics and alterations. I had been using [Observe] the entire time to find the right one without wasting too much time, until I finally pulled out a volume titled 'Charming Coiffures: A Witch and Wizard's Guide to Magical Hair Care,' a book that promised insights into the spells I was looking for. Just as I flipped open the book to the index, a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Mr. Grey," The monotone voice was unmistakably Snape's. "Would you care to tell me why you did not attend your Defence Against the Dark Arts class?"

I turned to face the Potions Master, who I have no doubt is only in the library for me. I imagine he will not want anyone near the Quirrell, so I'm a little confused as to why he's here if that's the case.

"Professor Snape, during the first classes, I felt someone was trying to probe my thoughts," I explained. "It felt like someone was using Legilimency. It was distracting and unsettling, so I thought it best to study here in the library or in solitude, where I could focus better."

Snape's expression was inscrutable, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he considered my words. "And how exactly would you know about Legilimency?"

"Well, I got a book on Occlumency from Diagon Alley. I think I've gotten pretty good at it, and the feeling I got in Defence class was almost exactly how it was described in the book."

"And you assumed that removing yourself from class was a reasonable solution?" Snape asked.

I met Snape's gaze without wavering. "Yes, sir. I believe it's crucial to have a learning environment where I can focus on the lessons without such... intrusions. I intend to catch up on what I missed, but I felt it was important to address the issue first. My results in the practice test for advancement should be proof that I have bot been slacking."

Snape regarded me for a long moment, likely considering whether to press the matter further. Finally, he spoke, "Very well, Mr. Grey. I will look into this matter. Meanwhile, ensure that your self-study does not put you at a disadvantage in my class."

"Thank you, Professor. I appreciate it."

Snape gave a curt nod before turning and sweeping back towards the library exit, his robes billowing behind him in his typical fashion.

Alone once more, I returned my attention to the book in my hands. I'm not even sure if there is a way to prove it was Quirrell, mainly because it wasn't even him, it was mouldy-shorts. Quirrel was looking at the board, with his back to me.

After picking a few other books that had useful spells in them, I carefully tucked them under my arm and made my way back to the group.

The group was animatedly discussing the upcoming curriculum in Charms, speculating on the spells they would be learning next.

"I think we'll be moving on to the locking and unlocking charms soon," Hermione was saying as I approached.

Padma glanced up in my direction as I set down the books, with a playful smirk on her face. "Well, John should know all about that, right? He's the one taking the advancement tests," she said, her comment drawing a surprised look from Hermione, who turned to me as well.

"Is that true, John? You're taking advancement tests?"

"Yes, that's right," I replied, settling into my seat, "And about those charms, Alohomora and Colloportus respectively, They're simple enough. Then it should be the Fire-Making spell, that should be fun with Seamus."

"Seamus?"

"The guy who blows stuff up all the time, you'll see."

Hermione shook her head at that. "I wanted to request to take them as well but I thought it would be best to wait a few more months before seeing if I was ready."

I nodded, "I would advise the same honestly, but when you think you're ready you'll have to do a practice version on a weekend before they book the real one. That way, you'll know if you're ready to even before the real test."

"That makes sense. Better to know what to put more time on studying before the real one," Hermione commented as she leaned forward. "You have to keep me updated on how those tests go and the types of questions on them."

"Of course, I'll let you know how it goes. And if there's anything tricky, I'll give you a heads up."

"Thank you."

The seven of us then began to study together. While the rest were studying and completing their homework, asking me questions here and there. I was reading the books I had collected. Having already found the spell I needed, I just kept ready the rest for the sake of learning the spells, you can never know too many spells. 

I finished my books before they finished their homework, so I decided to take a moment to scribble another note to the Weasly twins to hand the Marauders' map back. I didn't really need it anymore at this point, and I don't really want to end up being the one to hand over to Harry. It would only give Dumbledore more of a reason to get in my business.

Greetings, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,

I no longer need the Wayfinder parchment.

Come collect it at the same time and place next week.

Sincerely,

The Nerd.

When the ink was dry, I placed it in my pocket. Glancing around the table, I noticed Hermione had already finished her assignments and was now deeply engrossed in reading from the stack of books she'd brought along.

"Hermione, do you think I could take a look at what you've written? Maybe we could learn a thing or two from different approaches," I suggested.

Hermione looked up, "Of course, John. I'd appreciate any feedback you might have but only if I can read yours," she said, handing over her essays with a slight smile.

"Sure," I handed her my own in return.

I began to read through Hermione's work, impressed by the clarity and depth of her writing, considering her age. I did noticed an abundance of citations and quotes peppered throughout her essays though. "You've included a lot of quotes from the textbooks," I commented, looking up at her tilting my head. "Any particular reason?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I find it important to reference the texts explicitly," she began, "It shows the teachers exactly where I learned my answer from."

"I see where you're coming from," I nodded. "But, the teachers already know what the books say, they were the ones who most likely suggested them in the first place, unless it was the ministry. Either way, understanding the topic is much more important, letting someone know you've read the book, through quotes, shouldn't be the goal. Quotes can be useful, just Not every few sentences."

"Oh." I handed her the homework back, and she did the same with mine. "Yours was wonderful, I didn't really find any faults. I would have said to add more quotes but…" she trailed off.

She's smart, that much is obvious. But I think her need to be acknowledged made its way into her homework, which caused this. The main problem the fandom had with her was her know-it-all attitude and bossy nature. Take that away, and you could have one of the most dangerous characters, as long as she has access to the relevant spells. Now that I think about it, if you left Hermione in the black library for a year, I'm pretty sure you would get a more dangerous Bellatrix, considering how smart she is.

"Can you check mine as well?" Padma interjected, practically shoving her homework in my face.

"Sure."

We continued by switching our homework with each other, correcting any missed we say making suggestions in areas we saw could be improved. Well, mainly me making the suggestions. The others in the group seemed to have already made me the leader of sorts, even Hermoine. You can rule by fear, or you can rule by being the biggest nerd in the room. Muahahahaha.

Noticing a few students walking by us, I suddenly realised we had been at it for a while without a break. I paused, my hand absentmindedly reaching for my wand as I cast the Tempus charm.

The soft, glowing figure of the current time appeared before me, prompting a small exclamation. "Wow, it's already dinner time, folks," looking around at the group, who were equally surprised by how quickly time had passed. "Time flies when you're having fun, I guess."

"I'm absolutely starving," I added, my stomach rumbling audibly as if to punctuate the statement. "See, he agrees. I can practically hear the dinner from here."

The stomach rumbling I heard from some of the others made the whole group chuckle, as they began to gather their things and stack the books they had used. With backpacks and book bags slung over shoulders and books clutched in arms, we started to make our way towards the Great Hall. However, as they reached the main corridor, bustling with other students heading for dinner, I slowed my pace and stopped.

"Go on ahead," he told them, gesturing towards the Great Hall. "I'll meet you there."

"Where are you off to now?" Terry asked.

"I'm heading to the Owlery. I've got a letter to send," I smiled, turning to Hermione. "This was great, you should come to study with us more often."

"Of course, thank you." Hermione nodded eagerly, as her cheeks gained a shade of red.

Padma hooked her arm around Hermione's and started to pull her along, "Come on, Hermione, let me tell you all the embarrassing stories about John." This elicited laughs from the group as they resumed their walk towards the Great Hall.

I deadpanned, "Ha ha, very funny."

"Alright, see you in a bit then. Don't take too long, or we'll eat all the good stuff," Terry joked.

I made my way up to the Owlery without a fuss, the evening air was already growing cooler as I ascended the staircase. As I pushed open the heavy wooden door, I was once again greeted by the soft cooing and rustling of feathers.

Inside, dozens of owls perched on the rafters. I looked specifically for the one I had settled on before one, a sturdy-looking tawny that, if I wasn't mistaken, seemed to remember me. The owl blinked, tilting its head as if it recognised. "We meet again, my friend."

If I have learned anything from how Hedwig behaved in the fanfictions I had read, it's safe to assume they can understand what I am saying, at least some of it. I gently stroked the owl's feathers before carefully tying the note to the owl's leg.

"Take this to Fred and George Weasley, alright?" John instructed as I took out some treats from my inventory for the owl to munch on, "It's the same redhead twins. You won't have to go far, they should be having dinner in the Great Hall at the moment". The owl gave a soft hoot in response.

With a final gentle stroke on the owl's head, I watched as it took off from my arm, soaring out of the open window of the Owlery. I'm not sure if it was my eyes, but the other owls seemed jealous, so I decided to take out some other treats for them to munch on as well. It didn't take long for them to make their way to the edges of their cages, if it wasn't for the cages themselves I would have been swarmed already as they fought over the treats.

"Hey!" I put the treats back in my inventory to stop the madness. "You'll get your sweets, alright? There's no need for this; you'll mess up my clothes."

The owls settled down after that, and I made my way to each cage, leaving little treats for each of them. I really should get a pet at some point. I'll have to check the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley before checking the pet companion store in the Systems. Or, I could make the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets my pet. Unlimited Basilisk venom and a huge snake to set on people. The things I do to save this reality from chaos. Sigh.

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"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery."

– Hermione Granger

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Author Here

Question: What would your animagus be? Not which one you want it to be, but what would it actually be, considering your personality, etc. 

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