Chapter 6: Library

"Ivan, how about we go back to the dormitory and play wizard chess after we finish eating?" Ron, who had just completed the last class on Wednesday afternoon, munched on chicken legs in the lounge and casually suggested.

Ivan slowly placed the last piece of beef into his mouth, pondered for a moment, and eventually shook his head to decline the offer. "No, I have plans to visit the library later. You can play with Harry."

"Harry's chess moves are really amateurish. It's not much of a challenge," Ron shook his head with an initial sense of disappointment. Then, as if he suddenly grasped Ivan's words, the chicken leg in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell onto the floor.

"Oh my goodness! The library? I thought only one person went there!"

"Hermione?" Ivan thought for a moment, realizing that it must be the studious young witch who had been haunting the library since school started.

"Yeah, who else could it be except her?" Ron responded dramatically.

Harry, sitting nearby, tugged on Ron's shoulder. Ron suddenly realized that Hermione, clutching a pile of books, was also present in the lounge. He lowered his voice and shared his grievances about Hermione's penchant for preaching and her know-it-all attitude with the others, joking about her.

Fortunately, perhaps due to the distance between them, Hermione remained engrossed in her reading and didn't seem to hear Ron's comments.

Harry, on the other hand, looked somewhat embarrassed as he overheard the conversation. He wasn't particularly fond of gossiping about others, but the curiosity was evident.

It was undeniable that Hermione had already made a name for herself in the gossip circle of young wizards, thanks to her penchant for offering unsolicited advice and acting as if she knew everything, only a few days into the school year.

Ivan chose not to partake in the discussion about Hermione, but he wasn't surprised by the situation. After all, they were all eleven or twelve-year-old young wizards, and nobody liked to be lectured, especially when the lecturer was a fellow student of the same age.

"Ivan, what will you be doing in the library?" Harry inquired with curiosity.

Brotherly bonding isn't enjoyable anymore... Or perhaps our camaraderie isn't exciting enough? Is it because wizard chess has lost its appeal? Although Ron didn't vocalize these thoughts, his eyes conveyed the sentiment clearly.

It's similar to arranging to meet up with friends to play games every day after school and then suddenly deciding to ditch on them.

"Don't you think the assignments given by the professors are getting more challenging? If we don't start working hard now, what are we going to do by the end of the term?" Ivan glanced at Harry and sighed after a moment.

Ivan was aware that his magical talent was average at best, and the additional hindrance of his wand's poor compatibility placed him squarely in the middle to lower tier of first-year students when it came to spellcasting.

Given this circumstance, the most effective way to improve his standing with the professors was to enhance his knowledge base. By augmenting his understanding of the material and actively participating in class discussions, he hoped to make a lasting impression.

"Ron, would you like to join us?" After finishing his meal, Ivan tidied up and asked Ron.

While Ron possessed better magical abilities than Ivan, he was still in the middle to upper range at best. In comparison to Harry, the disparity was quite evident. Furthermore, Ron hadn't dedicated much effort to his studies, which positioned him as the weakest link in their trio.

Hence, in good faith, Ivan felt compelled to offer Ron some advice.

But, as expected, Ron shook his head quickly. "No way! We've only been here for a few days, and the end of term is still far off. Why rush it?"

Ivan didn't take offense and continued on his way. "Alright..."

"Mark my words, Ivan will be back in an hour at most, or I'll eat my own hat..." Ron muttered facetiously as if placing a bet.

...

Hogwarts library housed the most big collection of magical books in the UK, if not all of Europe. Ranging from standard textbooks to obscure spells and dark magic, it truly had it all.

Ivan, visiting the library for the first time, couldn't help but be awestruck by the vast array of books. The shelves stretched endlessly, with each one containing up to a thousand magical tomes—far more impressive than anything he had seen in movies or read about in books in his previous life.

Perhaps due to the start of the school year, there were relatively few students in the library. They huddled near bookshelves or roamed the corridors in pairs or small groups, leaving the central area largely vacant.

"[Ding, explore Hogwarts Library...]" The system's voice in his mind redirected Ivan's attention. Upon closer examination, he noted that the task "Explore Hogwarts" in his task tree had seen a sudden increase of five percent.

More importantly, when factoring in the additional academic points earned, he now had enough to reach the required 100 academic points to redeem the Experience Card.

Ivan couldn't help but glance at the Restricted Section. This was where he could find the magic he was truly interested in.

"Child, are you looking for a specific book?" Mrs. Irma Pince, the librarian, approached Ivan and asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes, ma'am. Where can I find books related to Transfiguration spells? Preferably something basic," Ivan replied, tearing his gaze away from the Restricted Section.

"Follow me," Mrs. Pince instructed, guiding Ivan to a bookshelf. She retrieved a book titled "Beginner's Transformation Guide" and handed it to him. However, she paused and added a word of caution.

"What you just saw was the restricted book zone. You are not allowed to view or borrow related books there unless you obtain authorization from the professors."

"I'm simply a bit curious, but I don't intend to enter," Ivan replied nonchalantly as he accepted the book.

Ivan had no immediate plans to delve into those forbidden books, especially given his current magical foundation, which wasn't well-suited for studying advanced magic.

With an entire semester ahead of him, he figured he would explore those topics when he had free time and the opportunity to do so.

After Mrs. Pince had finished her explanation, she turned to leave. She had to keep an eye on the older students since it wasn't uncommon for younger wizards to attempt entry into the restricted section.

Of course, before departing, Mrs. Pince reminded Ivan to maintain silence within the library.

Once seated in the reading area, Ivan didn't rush to experiment with the Experience Card's effects. Instead, he began to peruse the book, planning to study it in a conventional manner for a while before comparing it to the card's accelerated learning capabilities.

Soon, the only sounds in the lounge were the rustling of pages, occasionally interrupted by faint noises from other areas.

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