Late at night, the Slytherin Common Room was unnaturally quiet. Located beneath the Black Lake, the room was pitch-black. Aside from the fireplace, where red flames burned slowly, there was not a single other source of light.
Yet in this silent common room, one young witch had remained behind instead of going to bed.
That was right—it was Aisling.
Ever since her first year, Aisling had made a habit of lying alone in the common room late at night, enjoying the peace and quiet. During the day, she was always surrounded by a great many people. Though Aisling did not dislike the students constantly gathering around her, and had gained quite a few privileges from their admiration, she was fundamentally a rather solitary person. How did that saying go? Geniuses were always lonely.
And now, this lonely genius had clearly fallen asleep on the sofa. The quietly burning fireplace cast its glow over her delicate face. Aisling seemed to show signs of waking; her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, but she still did not wake up.
The sleeping girl was clutching several books to her chest. They were all rare volumes gifted to her by various professors: Dumbledore's study notes from his youth, Professor McGonagall's personally treasured collection of Transfiguration papers, and numerous handwritten notes by the "Half-Blood Prince" that Snape had nominally lent her but had actually given to her.
It was clear that the girl took her studies very seriously. Even after working hard all day, during her hard-won leisure time at night, she was still trying her best to push herself to the limit.
The main reason Aisling was working so desperately was that Roy's award ceremony at the start-of-term feast had spurred her on. Coupled with the change in the professors' attitudes toward Roy during the first