Chapter 23: Hermione's Admiration

As December arrived, the students at Hogwarts began to celebrate. During the second week, they had to inform their House Heads whether they would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas.

Indeed, some students had no choice but to remain at Hogwarts, like Harry Potter. He had lived with his aunt and uncle on Privet Drive since he was a child, but he remembered clearly how they treated him, so he had no desire to return there for Christmas.

Therefore, when Professor McGonagall came to Gryffindor Tower to record the names of students staying for the holidays, Harry unhesitatingly signed his name.

Knowing that Harry would choose to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, Malfoy couldn't resist mocking him, suggesting his family didn't want him. However, Harry remained unfazed, as he truly believed spending Christmas at Hogwarts would be the best experience of his life.

While other students eagerly awaited the holidays, only Ron would accompany Harry. Initially, Ron had planned to return home to celebrate Christmas with his family, but his parents had made other arrangements this year.

The Weasleys were going to Romania to visit Charlie Weasley. As a result, not only did Ron have to stay and spend Christmas with Harry, but his twin brothers also decided to remain at Hogwarts.

As for Hermione, the third member of their trio, she had no intention of staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. To be honest, as a young witch experiencing the wizarding world for the first time, Hermione definitely wanted to return home and show off her magical abilities to her parents.

A week before Christmas, after the final Potions class concluded, the first term officially ended for the young witches and wizards. Hogwarts then began preparations for the Christmas feast for those staying during the holidays.

When Eisen entered the Great Hall, he witnessed a bustling scene. Hagrid, under Professor Flitwick's direction, had placed a Christmas tree in the corner of the hall, with the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione following behind him.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were decorating the hall with their magic, casting spells that caused sparks of light to adorn the place beautifully.

The walls were adorned with holly and mistletoe garlands, and the twelve Christmas trees Hagrid had brought in were covered in glistening icicles, some with hundreds of floating candles.

"Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Merry Christmas!" Eisen greeted them as he entered the Great Hall.

Perhaps finding the decorations still lacking, after his greeting, Eisen whipped out his wand and waved it towards the ceiling.

Brilliant lights began to sparkle overhead, forming twinkling stars that slowly transformed into a swirling Milky Way galaxy above their heads.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Harry and the others marveled at the mesmerizing display.

Indeed, although it was just a miniature of the Milky Way, the awe and mystique of witnessing the star-filled sky up close filled everyone's hearts.

"Merry Christmas, Professor Turner!" Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, along with Hagrid, returned his greeting.

"I must say, Professor Turner, your idea is brilliant. I think we should do this for future Christmas feasts," Flitwick praised, likely impressed by the stunning effect of the magic.

As he spoke, Flitwick waved his wand, creating golden bubbles that adorned the last tree Hagrid had brought in.

"Oh, the honor is mine!" Eisen nodded, his smile growing more evident.

"Professor Turner, are you planning to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?" Hermione suddenly asked.

"Oh, no, I'm leaving during the holidays. In fact, within the next couple of days," Eisen replied, unsure of Hermione's intentions but seeing no harm in sharing his plans.

"Then, Professor Turner, may I ask you a question?" Hermione's face showed eagerness.

"Of course, go ahead!" Eisen noticed Harry and Ron also looking expectant, indicating this was likely a request from the trio.

"Um, it's still half an hour before dinner. Shall we go to the library to discuss it?" Glancing at Professor McGonagall, Hermione realized this wasn't the best place for a conversation.

Realizing her misstep, Hermione blushed slightly, perhaps feeling embarrassed about asking Eisen to join them.

"Sure, I need to visit the library as well. We can talk there," Eisen agreed after a moment's consideration.

"Come on, Harry—Ron—" Delighted by Eisen's acceptance, Hermione gestured to her friends.

Reluctantly tearing his gaze from Professor Flitwick's wand, Ron followed Harry out of the Great Hall.

"The library? Reading books during the holidays, how diligent!" Hagrid muttered softly. Eisen, however, remained silent and simply nodded to Hagrid and the professors before leaving.

In the library, Eisen and the trio found a table in the corner.

"So, may I know what question you have, Miss Granger?" Eisen asked, sensing their unease.

As he spoke, Eisen conjured three playing cards that transformed into glass cups filled with water as they floated towards the trio. The water then transformed into a beverage.

Yes, although Eisen was a professor, he was ultimately a dimensional traveler. Showing off his skills to the Golden Trio was understandable.

The playing cards came from his storage ring, their flight was an application of the Summoning Charm, the transformations involved Transfiguration, the water was conjured by the Aguamenti spell, and finally, he transfigured the water into a beverage.

While changing water into a drink seemed scientifically dubious to Eisen, magic in the wizarding world often defied logic. Even young wizards like Harry could perform the spell that turns water into wine, though unsuccessfully. So, directly transforming water into a beverage was quite common in the wizarding world.

"Wow, Professor Turner, how did you do that?" Ron gaped at the cups, eagerly taking a sip before asking.

Clearly, some of the magic involved was familiar to them, but the seamless combination and execution left them amazed.

"Is that an advanced technique—nonverbal and wandless magic, Professor Turner?" Before Eisen could explain, Hermione interjected, her tone questioning yet confident in her assumption.

"Correct, it's a combination of simple spells, along with nonverbal and wandless magic techniques, making it appear fluid. In a classroom setting, you'd certainly earn points for it!" Eisen nodded, providing a brief explanation.

However, after praising Hermione, Eisen suddenly noticed a shift in the young witch's gaze. Not only was there a hint of shyness, but also a look of admiration.

This—

While Eisen felt his performance was impressive enough to amaze the young wizards, he didn't expect it to inspire admiration from Hermione.

Then, recalling the original story, he realized the reason. In the books, Hermione had developed a crush and admiration for the handsome Professor Gilderoy Lockhart after reading about his adventures, essentially becoming his fangirl.

Compared to Lockhart, Eisen admittedly lacked published works for the bookworm Hermione to read, but he shared Lockhart's youthful good looks and considerable skill. So, when he showcased his abilities before Hermione, her admiration was only natural.

Realizing this, Eisen felt a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. As someone who had lived two lives, he had already experienced a sense of fulfillment when teaching young wizards before. But being admired by a prodigy like Hermione amplified that feeling.

"No wonder many people enjoy showing off and basking in the limelight. It's not without reason," Eisen mused inwardly.

(end of chapter)