Stone Statues Mobilized (Simple Version)

Herbology class had just ended, and on top of the ten points Professor Sprout had awarded her during the lesson, Lin Yue had now received another twenty points from Madam Hooch.

This sharp-eyed woman, as keen as a hawk, stood before Lin Yue and mustered the gentlest expression she could manage.

"I really must thank you, child. You prevented Mr. Longbottom from getting hurt. For your kindness and your excellent Levitation Charm, I think you deserve twenty points."

Lin Yue nodded with a face as still as dead water and politely thanked her, "Thank you, Madam Hooch."

"You earned it," Madam Hooch said with a smile, ruffling Lin Yue's hair. "Also, Mr. Longbottom wants to thank you."

"Where is he?" Lin Yue asked, her tone flat and devoid of emotion.

"What?" Madam Hooch was taken aback.

Lin Yue adjusted the bag on her shoulder, shifting it higher. "He wants to thank me. I'll go find him."

Madam Hooch paused for a moment before catching on. "Mr. Longbottom got a bit of a fright. He's in the Medical Wing now."

"Alright. Thank you, Madam Hooch." Lin Yue nodded and quickly walked away from the greenhouse entrance.

The Little Badgers and Little Eagles who had also just finished class and were filing out of the greenhouse watched Lin Yue's retreating back with awe.

Another twenty points... It hadn't even been a week since school started, and Lin Yue had already pulled Ravenclaw far ahead with her point-earning ability. Terrifying, truly terrifying.

Pushing open the door to the Medical Wing, Lin Yue walked straight to Neville's bed with clear purpose.

"Mr. Longbottom," Lin Yue said mechanically, lowering her head.

"Lin Yue!" Neville scrambled to sit up on the bed when he saw her.

He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"Thank you for saving me today... I'm clumsy, and I caused you trouble."

"No need to thank me," Lin Yue said flatly.

Neville nervously dropped his gaze, and Lin Yue continued in her same calm tone.

"You've thanked me. I'll be going now."

With that, she turned and strode out of the Medical Wing without looking back, leaving Neville staring blankly at her back.

Determined to follow Lin Yue and see how she studied in her free time, Hermione had been eagerly watching the Ravenclaw table ever since she entered the Great Hall after class.

But the person she was looking for never showed up. What was going on?

Hermione frowned. Lin Yue was usually punctual for meals.

Before she could think further, she overheard Harry and Malfoy agreeing to a midnight duel.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward to try and talk Harry out of going, only to be immediately shot down by both Harry and Ron.

Fuming, Hermione sat back down and angrily stuffed a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. Just then, she saw Lin Yue finally walk into the Great Hall and take a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

Lin Yue started eating at a rapid pace as soon as she sat down. Watching her, Hermione unconsciously sped up her own eating.

The result? She choked.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Hermione grabbed the Pumpkin Juice beside her and took a big gulp, finally managing to catch her breath.

Before she could take another few bites, Lin Yue had already finished her dinner and gotten up to leave the Great Hall.

Forgetting that she hadn't finished her own meal, Hermione grabbed her bag and chased after her.

Following Lin Yue all the way to the Library, she watched as Lin Yue set her bag down at a seat, pulled out a few books to return to Madam Pince, then took a few more from the first shelf and sat down to read.

Hermione nervously gripped her bag straps, took a couple of deep breaths, and told herself, "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. Just go say hello."

After psyching herself up, she walked over to Lin Yue.

"Lin Yue?"

Lin Yue, absorbed in her book, snapped out of her study trance when she heard someone call her name. She looked up at Hermione with a face like still water.

"Granger. Is something the matter?"

"You remembered my name!" Hermione beamed.

"Mm," Lin Yue nodded calmly.

"So... you're really good at studying, and I thought maybe I could study with you?"

"And... sorry for following you here. Please don't be mad."

Lin Yue stared fixedly at Hermione. Just as Hermione's heart began to race, afraid she might be angry, Lin Yue spoke.

"I'm not mad. If you want to study with me, then study together."

With that, she lowered her head and went back to reading. Hermione let out a sigh of relief, set her own bag aside, pulled out her homework, and sat down next to Lin Yue to write.

Even though Lin Yue's tone was completely flat, with no ups or downs, and her face always wore a faint, expressionless look—easily mistaken for rudeness or coldness—Hermione thought she was actually quite gentle at heart... Sitting next to her to study, for some reason, Hermione felt an indescribable sense of peace.

It was as if, in that moment, the whole world was calm. Even her homework went faster.

After finishing her own work, Hermione looked over at Lin Yue, who was still absorbed in her book.

She hesitated, but in the end, couldn't resist the urge to speak.

"Lin Yue... have you finished all your homework?"

Lin Yue turned her head to look at Hermione. "Finished."

"So fast!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. Though first-year students at Hogwarts didn't have many classes, the amount of homework the professors assigned was still considerable for them, and it was quite challenging too.

So even Hermione herself needed some time to get through it, yet Lin Yue had already completed all of this week's assignments? That was too impressive... Hermione swallowed hard.

Staring at Lin Yue's calm face, Hermione's thoughts gradually drifted away from studying. She suddenly felt a desire to confide in Lin Yue. After a brief internal struggle, Hermione couldn't overcome herself.

"Harry and Malfoy just arranged a duel," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. "I advised him not to go, but he and Ron told me to mind my own business. But this is clearly against school rules! I wasn't wrong to stop them!"

Lin Yue looked at Hermione, who had suddenly grown agitated. Though she didn't understand why Hermione was like this, Lin Yue still spoke mechanically. "Breaking the rules is wrong and deserves punishment."

"Exactly!" Hermione nodded vigorously. "If they get caught by a professor, they'll definitely lose points for their house! No..." Hermione twisted her hands together anxiously. "I have to stop them tonight!"

"Time? Place?" Lin Yue asked in a flat tone.

"Huh?" Hermione looked at Lin Yue in confusion.

"The time and place of the duel," Lin Yue repeated her words more clearly.

"Mid... midnight, the Trophy Room," Hermione said, a bit dazed.

Lin Yue nodded, stood up, and slung her bag over her shoulder, preparing to leave the library. "Got it."

"Are you leaving?" Hermione quickly packed her own things and chased after her.

Lin Yue turned back to glance at Hermione, then raised a hand to point at the clock on the library wall. "It's almost curfew."

Hermione followed her finger and saw that it was indeed nearly curfew. Lost in her homework, she hadn't noticed the passage of time at all.

Leaving the library, Lin Yue and Hermione walked together for a stretch without speaking a word. Though the atmosphere was heavy, Hermione felt she somehow enjoyed this silence. She cautiously turned her head to look at Lin Yue, whose face remained as still as dead water, without a single ripple.

From the very first meeting, Lin Yue had been like this—no tone, no expression, as if... devoid of emotion. Hermione couldn't help but grow more curious about Lin Yue.

After walking together for a while, Lin Yue and Hermione finally parted ways, one heading toward the Ravenclaw Common Room and the other toward the Gryffindor Common Room.

After separating from Hermione, Lin Yue's mind once again conjured Hermione's face. Her absolutely meticulous and rational brain couldn't analyze why she had just asked Hermione about the time and place of Harry and Malfoy's duel. Nor could it explain why she had developed the urge to break Hogwarts' rules and go take a look at midnight.

Rules above all, study above all—these were ideas firmly etched into Lin Yue's mind. But now, she was about to break the rules... Lin Yue entered the Ravenclaw Common Room, walked straight up the stairs without looking sideways, opened the door, and stepped into the dormitory.

In the dormitory, Qiuzhang and Marietta hadn't returned yet. I'm going to break the rules. This thought looped repeatedly through Lin Yue's brain. She raised her right hand and gripped her left upper arm tightly, squeezing with force. Her face showed no sign of pain. After fifteen seconds, Lin Yue let go. If anyone had pulled up her sleeve right then, they would have seen an extremely obvious bruise—purple-black, even—in the shape of a handprint on her left arm...

I've already accepted the punishment for breaking the rules, so now I can go to the Trophy Room at midnight. Lin Yue completed the logical loop in her mind. She sat down at her desk, pulled out a textbook with her right hand, and tried to lift her left arm onto the table. A searing pain shot through her. Her face still showed no pain, but her left arm, which had barely risen, dropped heavily. Lin Yue turned her head and forced her left arm straight, rotating it in circles. After a few rotations, though it still ached, she could finally lift it normally.

When Qiuzhang and Marietta returned, they unsurprisingly found Lin Yue studying. They shrugged at each other, took turns showering, then climbed into bed to read for a while before planning to sleep. Tomorrow was Saturday—if they went to bed early tonight, they could sleep in tomorrow morning!

Close to midnight, Lin Yue closed her book, walked silently to the dormitory door, opened it, and stepped out. From the Ravenclaw dormitory to the Trophy Room, she encountered no patrolling professors along the way, no Filch, and the stairs shifted as usual to meet her needs. Just as she reached the entrance to the Trophy Room, she heard voices inside.

"That sneaky Slytherin! Malfoy never planned to show!" Ron said indignantly.

"This is exactly the trap he set for you, to get you caught!" Hermione's voice followed.

From the corner of her eye, Lin Yue spotted two shadows cast at the turn to her left—one of an adult, one of a cat. Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Lin Yue stepped into the Trophy Room, and instantly, everyone present turned their gazes onto her.

Ignoring the stares from Harry, Ron, and Neville, Lin Yue fixed her eyes solely on Hermione.

"Filch is coming."

"Bloody Malfoy!" Harry and Ron muttered a curse under their breath, then turned and ran without a second thought.

Harry didn't forget to drag Neville along, while Hermione followed closely, grabbing Lin Yue, who was still frozen in place, by the hand as she passed.

But the spot she grabbed happened to be Lin Yue's left upper arm. With a faint, expressionless hum, Lin Yue broke into a light jog to keep up with Hermione.

After rounding a corner, the five of them finally stopped, panting heavily where they stood.

"Should've... lost Filch by now," Harry whispered between ragged breaths.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ron nodded vigorously, equally exhausted.

Just as they were about to head back to their dormitories, Neville accidentally knocked over a suit of armor nearby.

"S-sorry..." Neville apologized, his face pale as he looked at the other four.

But it was too late. The clatter of the armor hitting the floor was deafening, cutting through the midnight silence of Hogwarts with such clarity that it felt like it could wake the entire castle.

Guided by the noise, Filch quickly caught up to them again.

The five had no choice but to keep running. As Hermione tugged her along, Lin Yue glanced back at Filch, rapidly calculating speed and distance in her mind.

Filch was an adult after all, faster than them. At this rate, they'd definitely be caught.

Her eyes swept over the fallen armor and the identical suit standing against the opposite wall. Lin Yue whipped out her wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

It was the same familiar Levitation Charm. Hearing the incantation, Hermione couldn't help but look back.

What she saw was the armor, which had been scattered across the floor, floating up and even reassembling under the spell's power. Then it raised its steel arms and charged straight at Filch.

The armor on the other wall also lifted its steel arms and rushed directly toward Filch.

Filch, sprinting at full speed to catch the students out after curfew, widened his eyes at the two suits of armor bearing down on him. He stood frozen in place, not daring to move a muscle.

As Lin Yue turned and bolted, she gave a light flick of her wand to the right. Both suits of armor simultaneously pressed their hands against Filch's chest, pinning him to the wall on the right.

Trapped by the two suits of armor, Filch could only turn his head helplessly, forcing down the panic and fear rising in him. He stared with bitter resentment at the backs disappearing around the corner. So close—he had been so close to catching these students out after curfew!