She's Not a Humble and Low-Key Girl

Clap, clap, clap!

The long table on the right erupted in thunderous applause and cheers beneath the red-and-gold banners.

Percy Weasley puffed out his chest with pride, while the twins let out sharp whistles.

Hermione froze for a moment, then a complex surge of emotions washed over her.

There was relief at being accepted, anticipation for the unknown house, but also a faint, undeniable trace of disappointment.

She wasn't in Ravenclaw, and she didn't know if Caesar would be let down.

She stood up, somewhat mechanically returned the Sorting Hat to Professor McGonagall, and walked toward the Gryffindor table amid the enthusiastic applause.

Before sitting down, she couldn't help but glance back at the staff table one more time.

Caesar was still sitting there, calmly clapping along with everyone else.

But the corner of his mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly as she looked over—a tiny, yet deeply understanding and encouraging smile.

It was as if he were saying, "No matter which house you're in, you're still the Hermione I'm proud of."

Hermione turned back, took a deep breath, and accepted the pumpkin juice Percy handed her.

Yes, she was a Gryffindor now.

This place was full of courage and vitality, and perhaps this was where her heart truly yearned to be—a place where she could boldly put her learning into practice and challenge injustice.

Caesar withdrew his gaze and smiled knowingly.

Hermione ending up in Gryffindor was within his expectations, just as he'd said before—her core was kindness, the Hermione he remembered.

[The welcome ceremony concluded, and Hermione officially joined Hogwarts. Though sorted into Gryffindor, it didn't stop her from coming to your office every evening after dinner under the pretext of studying, learning magic with you while sharing her daily experiences.]

[For instance, she heard that a Hufflepuff boy had secretly confessed to a Gryffindor girl today, only to be mercilessly rejected.]

[Or that Professor Snape had assigned a mountain of homework, and she was worried she wouldn't have time to visit you, so she frantically finished it—only for Draco Malfoy to cluelessly challenge her, trying to waste her precious time. She taught him a harsh lesson, slapping him a hundred times.]

[Besides that, she told you she'd taken on two followers, Ron and Neville. They weren't smart, but they were reliable.]

[Thanks to your deliberate favoritism and Hermione's intentional efforts, the entire Hogwarts staff and students knew of your close relationship. This stirred discontent among many other students, though the resentment wasn't aimed at you, but at Hermione, who received your special attention.]

[Originally, you were the most popular teacher in the school, treating all students equally. Anyone who came for help received patient answers, so many students and even teachers would visit your office.]

[But now, everyone knew that the moment Hermione from Gryffindor knocked, you would drop everything you were doing to teach her.]

[Other students needed to go through a strict approval process with a teacher to get a stamped pass to enter the library, while Hermione, through you, could access it almost freely to study magic—as easy as eating or drinking.]

[Add to that Hermione's naturally proud and unassuming nature; she was far from humble. Faced with warnings and provocations from other students, she almost always accepted the challenge and won every time, establishing herself as the top first-year.]

[Though the widening gap in reality from her constant victories somewhat quelled the resentment, Hermione, now laden with honors, did something that touched a raw nerve for Ravenclaw House—she participated in the Wisdom Cup Competition held in Ravenclaw last month.]

[Ravenclaw prides itself on wisdom; possessing extraordinary intellect is their proud peak over other houses, and the Wisdom Cup is the brightest jewel atop that peak.]

[Occasionally, students from other houses signed up, but they were usually mere foils, never breaking into the top ranks, only repeatedly proving Ravenclaw's intellectual superiority.]

[But this time, the result was unbelievable. Under your full, dedicated guidance and unconditional material support, Hermione had made tremendous progress in magic compared to the original timeline, and her theoretical knowledge was even more profound.]

[For the first time, a student not from Ravenclaw won the Wisdom Cup Championship—and Hermione achieved it with a perfect score!]

[Students from your own Ravenclaw House were furious. They already harbored resentment toward Hermione, and now they were prepared to remind the Gryffindor first-year about respecting their seniors at this year's Quidditch match!]

The very air of Hogwarts seemed to tremble with the impending Quidditch match. Students in house colors were everywhere in and out of the castle, passionately discussing tactics and outcomes.

Hermione had just earned high praise from Professor Flitwick in Charms class with another flawless performance, and now she walked briskly through the castle's moving staircases.

She didn't head back to the Gryffindor Tower but made her way straight toward the Ravenclaw Tower.

She wanted to see Caesar, to tell him about this victory in person, and perhaps even invite him to watch the upcoming Quidditch match.

Though Caesar was a Ravenclaw professor, Hermione secretly hoped he would spare some attention for her.

Arriving at the Eagle-shaped Bronze Door Knocker, which required answering a logic riddle to enter, she happened to encounter several older Ravenclaw students coming out.

Hermione stepped aside to let them pass, then familiarly spoke the answer to the knocker.

The door swung open.

Caesar's office was at the end of a short corridor just off the common room, the door left ajar.

As Hermione approached, she heard clear discussion inside about a complex variant application of an Ancient Runes grammatical structure.

She knocked softly, then pushed the door open.

Caesar sat behind a desk piled with ancient books and parchment, surrounded by three Ravenclaw students—two boys and one girl—who were intently listening to his explanation, their faces glowing with the excitement of absorbing knowledge.

Hearing the door, Caesar looked up.

Seeing it was Hermione, a trace of subtle warmth flickered in his eyes, and he gave a slight nod.

At the same time, the three Ravenclaw students followed Caesar's gaze and turned around. When they saw Hermione standing at the door in her bright Gryffindor robes, the light on their faces instantly dimmed, like lanterns whose power had been abruptly cut.

They exchanged glances mixed with helplessness and mild displeasure.

"It's her again—Hermione, that Gryffindor who always shows up at Professor Caesar's office at the wrong time."

"Er... thank you, Professor Caesar, I think we understand," one of the boys said hastily, his tone turning somewhat flat.

"We'll be going now, we won't disturb you any longer," another girl immediately chimed in, quickly gathering her notes.

The three of them filed out almost in single file, passing by Hermione without a greeting, even deliberately avoiding her gaze, leaving behind only a heavy, low-pressure silence.

Hermione could clearly feel that almost tangible sense of rejection, like a cold film separating her from them.

But Hermione merely raised an eyebrow indifferently and walked straight into the office.

In her view, the "wisdom" that Ravenclaw prided itself on was often nothing more than pedantry and indulgence in theoretical empty talk.

Many of the practical insights she proposed cut straight to the heart of the matter far more sharply than their rigid deductions.

They're jealous, simply because I'm smarter than them and more recognized by Caesar.

This realization didn't make her feel upset; instead, it gave her a sense of well-deserved superiority.

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