Library Grind Kings Make Their Move

After lunch, Hermione and Silan agreed to go to the library together to do their homework.

Professor Binns had assigned a six-inch, roughly fifteen-centimeter, essay for History of Magic. It only needed to be finished before the next class, but clearly, they planned to get it done early.

Although Hogwarts Castle already looked enormous from the outside, its interior was even more vast thanks to the Undetectable Extension Charm.

It took Silan and Hermione quite a while just to walk from the Great Hall to the library.

Hogwarts Library was located on the western side of the castle's fifth floor, and its interior was astonishingly spacious.

Rows of crisscrossing bookshelves stood silently in place, with tens of thousands of books neatly arranged by category and size. Several medium-brown tables stood between the shelves.

A few staircases also moved among them, leading to different floors.

Both children loved books. The moment they entered the library, they were as excited as mice in a granary.

Madam Pince, the librarian, quickly noticed the two little ones grinning from ear to ear.

One look was enough for her to tell that they were probably this year's new students.

New students!

She hated new students the most.

Those overly energetic, mischievous, chattering new students never remembered the library borrowing rules. Worse still, some of them even damaged books.

Sometimes, she would lend out a book, only for it to return looking as though it had been through a wizarding war.

Madam Pince hurried over, her expression stern. "Are you two first-years?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The two children politely greeted her.

"Remember: no scratching, tearing, folding, staining, damaging, or throwing books. No making noise, and no eating in the library. Understood?"

Madam Pince pointed at a library borrowing form. "Also, you are not allowed into the Restricted Section. If you wish to take books from the general section out of the library, you must obtain my permission."

Hermione and Silan nodded, looking perfectly obedient.

This satisfied Madam Pince greatly, and her impression of them improved considerably.

The two found an empty table and placed their homework and books on it.

The moment Hermione sat down, she began flipping through her books, preparing to write her History of Magic essay.

Silan, meanwhile, got up to look for spellbooks.

He had already practiced most of the spells in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 to the point of proficiency. What he needed now was to learn some new spells. First-years would also have Charms with Professor Flitwick, but that pace of learning was far too slow.

He had to give himself some extra tutoring.

Silan passed several bookshelves, his gaze sweeping over one book spine after another, when he suddenly spotted a familiar name.

Gilderoy Lockhart.

Looking at the titles, they were all things like Break with a Banshee, Vacationing with Hags, and Wandering with Werewolves.

After casually flipping through a few, Silan discovered that while the titles carried a somewhat suggestive flavor, the contents were more or less the same.

They were all stories about how Lockhart had driven away banshees, werewolves, hags, and the like, rather like adventure novels.

Perhaps because Lockhart's accomplishments had all been stolen, the stories were somewhat disjointed.

It did not affect the reading experience much, but if one looked closely, they felt rather strange.

Even so, the books were undeniably gripping, and their titles certainly caught the eye.

Clearly, Lockhart's literary talent far surpassed his magical talent.

After putting the books back on the shelf, Silan continued searching for the spellbooks he wanted.

As he walked, he gradually approached the Restricted Section.

This was an area at the back of Hogwarts Library, separated off by a rope and filled with material unsuitable for young students.

But Silan was quite tempted by it.

Some Dark magic was indeed dangerous, but its power was hard to resist.

Authority and strength had never come from a greenhouse.

Unfortunately, the books here could only be borrowed with a permit personally signed by a professor.

Silan had no way of borrowing them right now.

Otherwise, he would have been more than willing to learn a few powerful offensive Dark spells.

"Back off! Do not come any closer!"

Madam Pince appeared from nowhere, clutching a feather duster. She scrutinized Silan. "I warned you just now. You are not allowed near the Restricted Section."

"Sorry, ma'am." Silan took two steps back, making it clear that he had no interest in the Restricted Section. "I was just looking for books and wandered over here without noticing."

"I'm only a first-year. The books in the general section are more than enough for me."

Silan blinked twice, looking utterly harmless.

Madam Pince snorted. "It had better be. What book are you looking for?"

The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 3.

Upon hearing the title, Madam Pince nodded. With a flick of her wand, a book flew over from a distant shelf.

"Thank you, ma'am." Silan caught the book, his words sweet as honey. "You found it so quickly. That was amazing."

"All right, go study. Do not damage the book."

Madam Pince said sternly.

Only after Silan left did the faintest smile appear on her face.

She did not dislike little wizards who loved reading, especially obedient and polite ones.

Silan returned to Hermione with the book and found that she had already begun her History of Magic assignment.

"I've already written half an inch." Hermione lifted her chin and winked at Silan. "I'll definitely finish before you."

"Shh—"

Silan made a quiet gesture at her. After glancing at Madam Pince in the distance, he sat down and whispered, "If I finish faster than you, can you agree to one request of mine?"

"What request? But let me make this clear first—you're not allowed to write in huge letters." Hermione tilted her head and whispered back.

"Don't worry. Just tell me, do you agree or not?"

"Fine, I agree. I'll definitely write faster than you."

Silan had received professional training in padding essays. And now that he was writing in English, it was even easier.

Hermione might have been a good student, but she had barely written any essays in primary school. Beating Silan was practically impossible.

After thinking over the History of Magic assignment Professor Binns had given them, Silan formed a rough outline in his mind.

First, recount the historical magical event. Then analyze its impact from several angles, and finally add a section looking toward the future.

That would make for an essay that seemed substantial but was actually nothing but formulaic filler.

Once he had finished planning it out, Silan picked up his quill and began writing.

He finished in less than thirty minutes.

"You finished that quickly?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she carefully examined Silan's essay.

The handwriting was neither too large nor too small. It was not particularly beautiful, but it was neat and clear... in fact, it was almost too neat, as though it had been printed.

"How did you do that?" Hermione picked up the essay and looked it over.

She discovered that although Silan had written quickly, the contents actually made sense. That left her feeling somewhat defeated.

"Want to learn? I can teach you."

"Yes, yes!"

After that, Silan taught Hermione a set of answering techniques and word-padding tricks refined through the accumulated wisdom of countless predecessors. He let her experience the true power of exam-oriented education.

That day, Hermione felt as though her mind had been baptized by magical knowledge.

"There's actually a way like this?"

Hermione muttered to herself, feeling her mind fill with strange new knowledge.

"I lost." Hermione conceded wholeheartedly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Miss Granger, would I have the honor of dining with you this evening?" Silan took Hermione's hand and winked at her.

"That's all?"

"What else would it be?"

Silan blinked innocently.

What bad intentions could a little Slytherin first-year possibly have?

Hermione agreed, though there was a strange hint of disappointment on her face.

At a nearby table sat several Slytherin first-years, who occasionally glanced at the two of them from the corners of their eyes.

"They finished their homework that quickly?!"

"Can I borrow his homework and copy it...?"

"Pathetic! Shut up!"

"What's so impressive about finishing homework? Professor Snape's class is on Friday." One Slytherin student gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe Prewett can be that lucky in Potions too!"

Another student beside him nudged him with an elbow. "Those two seem to have started previewing the Potions textbook..."

"Gasp..."

A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rang out.

"Damn it, what is wrong with those two?! It's only Monday! Why didn't the Sorting Hat put them in Ravenclaw?!"

"Reading up for Potions is useless anyway. It still comes down to practical work in the end," someone stubbornly insisted.

Silan and Hermione did not notice what they were saying at all, completely immersed in the world of academic grinding.

"If you lot keep talking, get out!"

Madam Pince's cold voice came from behind the students.

The students instantly fell silent.

"Wait until Potions. Then we'll settle this!"