Then she placed the four grade C scrolls marked "treasure," "song," "one hour," and "loss" beside the two grade B clues, laying all the information out on the table.
"Now, let's connect the information."
Hermione's fingers moved between the scrolls, her mind racing.
"The song is the key, not the path."
She began her analysis.
"That means we can't just foolishly swim toward wherever the song comes from. The song itself is more likely a tool or a code. For example, particular melodies might correspond to particular directions, or the lyrics might be the puzzle."
"As for something lost long ago..."
Her gaze fell on the words "treasure" and "loss."
"Taking these two clues together, this should refer to the objective. But I think Professor Holmes is more likely using 'lost' to mean something abstract-a forgotten memory, for example, or something you think you possess but don't actually understand."
At this point, Hermione seemed to remember something. She abruptly pulled a very thick notebook filled with notes from her schoolbag, which had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
"What's that...?" Cho Chang asked curiously.
"This is my 'Analysis of Recurring Themes and Classification of Logical Traps in Douglas Holmes's Past Works.'"
Hermione answered without looking up.
She quickly flipped to a page and pointed at the notes, explaining Douglas's previous examination style to the stunned group.
"Look here. The counter-curse classroom looked like it was about counter-curses, but it actually tested logic and precision;
last year's sixth-year Lakebed Exploration Project looked like a treasure hunt, but at its core, it tested breadth of knowledge and the ability to integrate resources;
and the Seventh Year Chamber of Secrets Maze Final Exam, which I heard about from Fred and George-that tested psychological endurance!"
With a snap, Hermione closed the intimidating notebook,