Intelligent Bookshelf

The three of them rushed over from afar. Hermione asked, "Professor Snape came to cause trouble for you?"

Oren glanced guiltily at Harry. "No, he actually came to buy something."

A wallet and several coins appeared in Oren's hand.

The three of them...

Harry asked, "So what are we doing now?"

"Going to the Library." Hermione said in a tone that brooked no refusal, "We'll look through every record related to roosters."

Harry and Ron reluctantly followed behind Hermione, but before they had gone more than a few steps, Professor McGonagall caught them red-handed.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you will both be serving detention tonight," McGonagall said sternly. "Weasley, you will clean the trophy room. Mr. Potter, you will go to Lockhart. He specifically asked for you."

"After detention, you will also need to report to Professor Snape. He insisted on it."

Harry and Ron put on masks of agony and left with Professor McGonagall.

Oren clicked his tongue. "Two detentions in one day. Harry, what heavenly law did you break?"

"What happened to them?" Hermione asked in confusion. "It doesn't look like they did anything. Even if someone should be in detention, it should be you, Oren."

"I bet Snape tattled on them," Oren said confidently.

Hermione stared at Oren suspiciously. "Does it have something to do with whatever Snape bought from you?"

Oren was an expert at playing dumb. He immediately put on an innocent expression and locked eyes with Hermione.

"Forget it." Hermione stopped the childish standoff. "Let's go to the Library."

Inside the Library.

"Chicken-mimicking enzymes? What even is this stuff?!" Oren angrily tossed a book onto the pile. "By the time the rooster pecks through a mountain of rice and the dog licks through a mountain of flour, we still might not find the key information, not to mention we haven't checked the Restricted Section."

Oren had long been used to searching for things by keyword. Making him flip through books page by page was practically torture.

"Then what do you suggest?" the young witch asked miserably.

"I already have an idea. I'm going to see Headmaster Dumbledore right now. Just wait for my good news."

The noise the two had made finally caught Madam Pince's attention. She grabbed one in each hand and threw them straight out of the Library.

Hermione shot Oren a resentful look. "Forget it. I can only go back and do my homework."

"Wait, Hermione. Could you help a brother out with the homework, for the sake of our House?"

The young witch...

"Fine, fine. If you want to copy it, then copy it. The twins charge quite a lot, anyway."

Thoroughly satisfied, Oren headed to the Headmaster's Office.

"Headmaster Dumbledore! I have a new idea!"

Dumbledore sighed inwardly. So it was finally time. Merlin, please let whatever outrageous stunt Oren is planning not be too ridiculous.

Oren walked over to Dumbledore's left and said, "Headmaster, the current Library is far too outdated. Let's make a bookshelf, one that can read the contents of books. Then we can search by keyword and quickly find whatever book we want. What do you think?"

Dumbledore immediately stood up. "Child, stay right here. I'll go find the materials." With that, he hurried away.

Oren???

Getting materials was fine, wasn't it? So why did that sound so strange?

Outside the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore wiped away his tears. He had nearly burst into tears just now. Two and a half years—two whole years and a half of education—and he was finally seeing a glimmer of hope. Oren was finally about to do something decent.

Dumbledore returned to the Headmaster's Office in a frenzy, two stacks of wooden boards tucked under his arm.

"Merlin's underpants, you're back in only forty-five seconds?" Oren said in surprise. "I hereby name you the fastest legend of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore...

"The materials are ready. Child, how are you planning to do this?"

Oren said, "Headmaster, come closer. Here's the plan..."

The two worked like amateur carpenters, hammering and banging away in the Headmaster's Office until they finally made a crooked bookshelf with the sort of beauty that suggested it might topple in a breeze.

"Child, I never expected you not to add a soul," Dumbledore said as he stuffed books into the shelf one by one.

"Of course not. I'm planning to register the production method. Headmaster, we might make a fortune."

Oren opened a magical panel... It looked thoroughly high-tech as he entered keywords to search.

"Uh... Headmaster, there are several books it can't find."

"These books are enchanted, child. Don't be discouraged. I feel that we're close to succeeding."

"We can think of a solution slowly. For now, I'll make a quill."

"Child, have you run out of quills?"

Oren waved a hand. "No. I'm planning to make one that can copy things on its own, and that has some intelligence. You know, copying homework is something of an art."

Dumbledore...

Inside the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So the bookshelf you mentioned is almost finished?" Hermione asked while keeping her head down and doing homework.

"That's right. It'll be usable once I fix a few small bugs," Oren said leisurely as he looked over his study notes.

Fred said, "Hey, Oren, this week's homework is due soon."

George asked, "Need us to handle it for you?"

Without looking up, Oren said, "Hermione already agreed to let me copy her homework."

Fred said, "But doesn't that still mean Young Master Black has to do it himself?"

Oren...

"I just made an Automatic Homework-Copying Quill."

The young witch looked at the quill floating in the air, copying every line she wrote, and shot Oren a vicious glare.

George said, "Fred, looks like we're unemployed."

"Don't put it so harshly." Oren adjusted a monocle that was not on his face. "You've been optimized."

"Come on, George. The only thing that can warm my cold, cold heart now is raiding Niffler nests."

The twins carried buckets and shovels out of the tower as though they were heading to the beach to dig for shellfish.

An hour later~

"What happened to you two? Why have you turned into mudmen?" Oren looked at their little bucket. "Did you come back empty-handed?"

"Sigh..." Mudman Fred said gloomily, "Nifflers are getting craftier and craftier these days. No matter how deep we dug, we found nothing."

Mudman George said, "That's right. We even dug two wells in the Forbidden Forest."

Oren...

"Bang!" Oren slapped the table and rose to his feet. "These are no ordinary Nifflers. We have to hit them hard."

"Get yourselves cleaned up first. We're going to see Professor Flitwick and learn some digging spells. We have to teach them that when Nifflers grow a foot taller, wizards grow ten feet taller."

As night fell, the twins and Oren returned loaded with loot. They dared say that not a single Niffler nest at the edge of the Forbidden Forest had even one copper coin left.

Oren casually tossed the spoils to the twins and sat down beside the three of them.

At that moment, the three of them were looking at Oren as if he were a traitor in their midst.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Hermione said, "Snape gave Harry one of your prank items."

"Isn't that just normal business? The twins sometimes make a few too," Oren said, spreading his small hands.

"Sigh..." Harry said dejectedly, "You have no idea what Snape's tone was like then. I truly never thought he could speak in such a gentle tone."

"I'd rather serve detention with Lockhart than see Snape again. I can't look at him the same way anymore."

"No! I think I even started hearing things. It feels like toads are crawling all over me. Oren, you have to hit me with a Stunning Spell tonight, or I definitely won't be able to sleep."

Oren patted his chest in assurance. "Don't worry, Harry. I still have Sleepy Black Tea. Just sleep peacefully."

Harry said, "No, no. Oren, hit me with a Stunning Spell right now."

One spell gave Harry sleep as peaceful as a baby's.

Oren spread his hands. "That's a request I've never heard in my entire life."

Hermione...

Ron...