Hogwarts: The Bloodline Wizard

Chapter 6: The Library

October 31, 2020

"Ivan, after dinner, how about we go back to the dorm and play some wizard chess?" Ron asked, munching on a chicken leg in the common room after their last class on Wednesday afternoon.

Ivan slowly finished the last piece of steak on his plate, thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"No, I'm going to the library later. You can play with Harry."

"Harry's moves are so predictable. There's no challenge at all," Ron said, disappointed. Then, as if suddenly realizing what Ivan had said, he dropped his chicken leg in shock.

"Merlin's beard! The library? I thought only one person in our year would go there!"

"Hermione?" Ivan guessed. It made sense—only Hermione Granger would be the type to rush to the library every day just a few days into the school year.

"Yeah, who else?" Ron said dramatically.

Harry suddenly tugged on Ron's shoulder, and Ron realized Hermione was also in the common room, carrying a stack of books. He quickly lowered his voice and started complaining about how Hermione loved to lecture and how arrogant she was.

Fortunately, Hermione didn't seem to hear Ron's remarks, possibly because she was too far away.

Harry looked awkward, clearly uncomfortable with the gossip. He didn't like speaking ill of others behind their backs, but the other students seemed quite interested.

It had to be said that in just a few days, Hermione had already made a name for herself in the gossip circles of the first-years, thanks to her lecturing nature.

Ivan didn't join in the discussion about Hermione, but he wasn't surprised by it either.

After all, they were all eleven- or twelve-year-old kids. No one liked being lectured, especially by someone their own age.

"Ivan, why are you going to the library?" Harry asked curiously.

Was it because hanging out with his friends wasn't fun anymore? Or was wizard chess no longer enjoyable? Ron didn't say it out loud, but his eyes clearly conveyed the message.

It was like when your gaming buddy suddenly announced they were going to the library to study instead of playing games after school.

Ivan's lips twitched.

He didn't want to play wizard chess. He was just trying to see if there were other ways to earn academic points.

It definitely wasn't because wizard chess was both novel and fun…

"Don't you think the professors' assignments are getting harder? If we don't work hard now, what are we going to do during exams?" Ivan sighed, glancing at Harry.

Ivan knew his magical talent was average, and his wand's compatibility issues put him at a disadvantage. Among the first-years, his spellcasting skills were firmly in the lower-middle range.

In this situation, the only way to improve his evaluations from the professors was to focus on his knowledge. By increasing his knowledge base and actively participating in class, he might even earn some extra points for effort.

"Ron, do you want to come?" Ivan asked after finishing his meal and packing up his things.

Ron's magical talent was slightly better than Ivan's, but at best, it was above average. Compared to Harry, the gap was still significant. Moreover, Ron wasn't particularly diligent, which was why he ended up being the weakest of the trio in the future.

Out of goodwill, Ivan decided to offer a reminder.

Though he didn't expect Ron to agree…

Sure enough, Ron shook his head vigorously. "Are you kidding? We've only been here a few days. Exams are ages away. What's the rush?"

"Suit yourself," Ivan said, not bothered, and headed straight for the library.

"Just wait. Ivan will be back in an hour, tops. Otherwise, I'll eat the chessboard," Ron muttered, making a bet with himself.

The Hogwarts library housed the largest and most comprehensive collection of magical books in Britain, if not all of Europe. From basic textbooks to advanced spells and dark magic, it had everything!

Ivan was stunned by the sheer volume of books on his first visit. Rows upon rows of tightly packed shelves, each holding thousands of magical tomes, were far more impressive than what he had seen in the movies.

Perhaps because it was still early in the term, the library wasn't crowded. A few students leaned against the shelves or sat in the corridors, leaving much of the central seating area empty.

[Ding! You have discovered the library.]

The system notification pulled Ivan's attention back. He checked the task tree and saw that the[Explore Hogwarts]task had increased by five percentage points.

More importantly, with the additional academic points, Ivan now had exactly 100 points—enough to exchange for a Genius Experience Card.

Ivan's gaze drifted toward the Restricted Section. The books he needed—on Occlumency and Legilimency—were likely there.

"Child, are you looking for something?" Madam Pince, the librarian, approached and asked softly.

"Yes, ma'am. Could you tell me where the books on Transfiguration are? Preferably something basic," Ivan said, tearing his eyes away from the Restricted Section.

"Follow me," Madam Pince led Ivan to a shelf and pulled out a book titled A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, handing it to him. She paused before adding, "The area you were looking at earlier is the Restricted Section. Unless you have a professor's permission, you're not allowed to read or borrow books from there."

"I was just curious. I wasn't planning to actually go in," Ivan said, shrugging as he took the book.

Ivan had no intention of diving into the dangerous books in the Restricted Section anytime soon. With his current magical foundation, it wasn't the right time to learn such advanced spells.

He had an entire semester ahead of him. He could always find an opportunity later.

After explaining, Madam Pince quickly left to keep an eye on the older students, who often tried to sneak into the Restricted Section.

Before leaving, she reminded Ivan to keep quiet in the library.

Sitting down in the seating area, Ivan didn't immediately activate the Genius Experience Card. Instead, he started reading the book normally, planning to compare his learning efficiency before and after using the card.

Soon, the only sound in the library was the soft rustling of pages, occasionally interrupted by faint noises from elsewhere.

End of Chapter