Hermione's Question

"You probably think I cheated, don't you?"

By the time they had sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch, Harry felt it was safe enough to tell them the truth.

As Hermione listened to his account, her face grew darker and darker.

It was not that she could not accept Harry using special means to improve himself. She simply felt that potion-making was such a dangerous thing that following someone else's instructions if anything went wrong was far too risky.

At this moment, she had also forgotten that, for a long time in the past, she had relied heavily on the notebook's guidance as well. The difference was that she knew there was a real person behind that notebook, and that person had always patiently explained the reason behind every step.

Harry, on the other hand, had merely picked up a book and dared to do something so bold.

It really did not seem safe to her.

Even a Gryffindor should not behave so recklessly.

"So, you didn't complete it independently, did you?"

Hermione said stiffly. She clearly could not really blame Harry over this, but she could at least make her attitude known.

Harry had probably misunderstood her attitude, though.

Let him misunderstand, then. They were good friends, but they were still different people. She could not demand that everyone be as rational as she was, with reason always prevailing.

"He just followed a different method from ours," Ron said comfortingly. "It might have caused a huge disaster too, right?

He took a risk, so he got rewarded."

He sighed. "Slughorn might have handed that book to me originally, but... well, no one's ever written in my textbook. Judging by page fifty-two, it looks like someone puked on it, but—"

"Wait."

A voice suddenly spoke by Harry's left