Hermione Granger

Days turned into weeks, and Yulian quickly adapted to life at St. George's Primary School, rapidly becoming a star student in his class. He was gentle, friendly, academically excellent, and could even recite poetry in French, quickly winning over his classmates.

Thomas was his best friend, and they often played together during breaks, discussing all sorts of topics.

Yulian also gradually discovered that St. George's Primary School was full of hidden talents. Although they were all Muggle children, many possessed extraordinary abilities.

Some children were musically gifted, able to play the piano proficiently; others excelled in sports, being fast runners and skilled footballers. Surprisingly, some children acted like miniature adults, showing a keen interest in politics and economics.

However, Yulian never forgot his identity. He carefully hid his magical talents, never revealing them at school. He knew his grandfather's advice was correct: the Wizarding world and Muggle society had their own rules of operation, and arbitrarily breaking down barriers would only lead to unnecessary trouble.

The first test after Christmas arrived as scheduled. This test covered language, mathematics, and science, aiming to assess the students' learning status after the holiday.

For the other students, this test was a significant challenge, but for Yulian, it was effortless.

The bell signaling the end of the test rang, and students put down their pens, handing in their papers.

Thomas walked over to Yulian, saying with a dejected look, "Yulian, the math problems were too difficult this time. I couldn't do several of them. You must have finished everything, right?"

Yulian nodded, "Yeah, I finished it all. It felt quite simple."

Thomas's eyes widened. "Wow, you're amazing! I don't think I'll do well on this test."

Yulian smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, I don't think it'll be too bad."

A few days later, the test results were announced.

Mrs. Davis walked into the classroom with the report cards, a satisfied smile on her face. "Class, everyone performed very well on this test. Especially our new student, Yulian Black! He got full marks in all three subjects and is the top student in the class!"

A wave of surprised admiration swept through the classroom. The students turned to look at Yulian, their eyes filled with respect. Thomas, even more excited, slapped Yulian on the shoulder. "Yulian, you're incredible! Are you cheating?"

A girl with curly brown hair in the front row suddenly turned her head, her brow furrowed, her eyes seeming to say, "This is impossible! The first place is mine!"

Yulian simply smiled faintly, not paying much attention. For him, getting first place in a primary school test was an utterly ordinary event.

What Yulian didn't notice was that the girl in the front row turned to look at him again. When she heard that Yulian had gotten first place, her brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of defiance flashed in her eyes.

This girl had thick, fluffy hair and bright, sharp eyes. Her posture was impeccable, her back perfectly straight, her hands resting on the desk, appearing very serious.

After announcing the results, Mrs. Davis began to explain the test. Yulian listened somewhat absentmindedly. His gaze inadvertently swept over the girl with brown hair and found her staring at him, her eyes holding a strong sense of challenge.

After all, Yulian had only recently transferred, and he didn't know all the classmates yet.

"Hey, buddy," Yulian nudged Thomas with his elbow. "Who is that girl?"

Thomas followed Yulian's gaze. "Oh, her? That's Hermione Granger."

"So, it's her."

Yulian remembered. Hermione Granger, the intellectual powerhouse from the Harry Potter stories. What a coincidence.

Hermione was an incredibly intelligent and diligent student, always the top student in the class. In this life, his sudden appearance had broken her monopoly, no wonder she had that look in her eyes.

Hermione also noticed Yulian's gaze. She didn't look away but met his eyes, her own gaze becoming even more determined.

She had been the best among her peers since childhood, always striving for perfection in everything she did. To lose this test to a new transfer student made her very indignant.

The dismissal bell rang. Hermione packed her bag and walked straight over, extending her hand. "Hello, Shiloh Yulian Black. I'm Hermione Granger," she said, her voice clear and crisp.

She deliberately said his full name, her voice clear and firm, with a hint of "I've got my eye on you" pride.

Yulian stood up and shook her hand. "Hello, Hermione. It's nice to meet you."

"Your grades are very good," she said, looking him straight in the eye, her tone serious. "But I won't always lose to you. In the next test, I will definitely surpass you."

Yulian smiled, unconcerned. "I look forward to it." He could feel Hermione's unyielding tenacity, a tenacity that reminded him of his past self.

Hermione nodded and turned to leave the classroom. Watching her retreating figure, Yulian's lips curved into a slight smile.

Thomas walked over to Yulian. "Yulian, don't mind her. She's always like this." Thomas clearly didn't have a good impression of Hermione. "She used to be first in every test and always wanted to lecture everyone. So arrogant."

London's spring always arrived subtly. On the grounds of St. George's Primary School, the once yellowed grass gradually turned a fresh green. The cherry trees in front of the teaching building were adorned with pink and white buds. When the wind blew, delicate petals fluttered down, landing on the window sills of the corridors and on the students' textbooks.

Since that test, an invisible bond had formed between Yulian and Hermione Granger—an "academic cold war," to be precise.

Hermione remained the diligent and studious girl, always the first to arrive at the classroom and the last to leave. During breaks, she often studied with a book in her hands, as if knowledge were her most precious treasure.

Meanwhile, Yulian, with the accumulation of two lifetimes and a composure beyond his peers, consistently held the top position in the class. Occasionally, when Hermione encountered difficulties, he would subtly offer hints.

"The logic in this math problem is incorrect. Try using circular division. Don't rush to plug in the formula yet."

During one break, Hermione was frowning over an application problem, her fingers drawing messy lines on her scratch paper. Yulian walked past her desk, glanced at the problem, and said softly.

Hermione looked up. Behind her round glasses, a flicker of surprise flashed in her brown eyes, quickly replaced by stubborn defiance.

"Of course, I know that. I just couldn't figure it out for a moment," she retorted verbally, but she still recalculated according to Yulian's suggested approach.

Before long, a look of relief spread across her face, and she exclaimed excitedly, "I solved it! Yulian, thank you." It was evident that Hermione enjoyed competition, but without malice.

"It was nothing," Yulian smiled and returned to his seat.

Thomas, watching from the side, was bewildered. He couldn't understand why Yulian was so close to Hermione.

In his opinion, Hermione, though smart, was too serious and rigid. Unlike other girls, she wasn't lively or interesting, and her two prominent front teeth didn't make her particularly attractive.

"Yulian, why are you always with Hermione? All she does is read and do problems. She's practically a bookworm. Do you like girls like that?" Thomas leaned over to Yulian and complained in a low voice.

"To each their own, haha." Yulian put down his book and made a joke, then looked at Thomas seriously. "Hermione is very smart and works very hard. Besides, she's not a bookworm; she just craves knowledge more intensely than we do."

Thomas pouted, clearly not agreeing with Yulian's words. But he didn't say anything more. After all, Yulian was his best friend, and he respected Yulian's choices.