"Ivan, how about a round of Wizard's Chess after dinner?"

  It was Wednesday afternoon, and Ron, fresh out of their st css of the day, was lounging in the Gryffindor common room, gnawing on a chicken leg as he posed the question—his words barely decipherable through a mouthful of food.

  Ivan calmly chewed the st bite of his steak, considered it for a moment, then shook his head.

  "Nah, I’m heading to the library ter. You and Harry go ahead."

  Ron groaned, shaking his head in disappointment. "Harry’s moves are terrible! There’s no challenge at all."

  Then, as if just realizing the absurdity of what he'd heard, his hand froze, and the half-eaten drumstick tumbled onto the floor.

  "Merlin’s beard! The library? I thought there was only one person in our entire year who'd willingly go there!"

  "Hermione?" Ivan guessed. After all, if there was anyone who would practically live in the library within just a few days of arriving at Hogwarts, it had to be their resident know-it-all.

  "Exactly! Who else?" Ron's voice was full of exaggerated disbelief.

  At that moment, Harry nudged him, nodding toward a corner of the common room. Ron turned and saw Hermione, arms full of books, heading toward a seat. He quickly lowered his voice but still muttered under his breath about how she was an insufferable know-it-all and always lecturing people.

  Fortunately for him, the distance was probably too great for Hermione to hear. She didn’t react, at least.

  Harry, on the other hand, looked rather uncomfortable. He wasn’t fond of talking behind people’s backs, but the other Gryffindor students in earshot seemed much more entertained. There was no denying that Hermione’s bossy attitude had made her infamous among their year in record time.

  Ivan, however, remained uninterested in their discussion. He wasn’t surprised, though.

  After all, they were just a bunch of eleven-year-olds—no one liked being constantly lectured, especially by a peer.

  "So, what are you going to the library for?" Harry asked curiously.

  Is it because we're not fun enough anymore? No, wait—have we wronged you somehow? Or is Wizard’s Chess just that boring to you?

  Ron didn't voice these thoughts, but they were written all over his face.

  It was like when you and your best friend always gamed together after school, and suddenly one day, they said they were going to study instead.

  Ivan's lips twitched slightly.

  Of course, he had no interest in pying Wizard’s Chess. His real goal was to experiment and see if there were other ways to earn Academic Points.

  It definitely wasn’t because he secretly found the game fascinating.

  "Don't you think the professors' assignments are getting harder?" Ivan sighed dramatically, looking at Harry. "If we don’t start working now, what are we supposed to do when finals come around?"

  The truth was, Ivan knew he wasn’t particurly talented in magic. His compatibility with his wand wasn’t great either, and as a result, his spellcasting ability pced him firmly in the lower middle of their year.

  With that in mind, if he wanted to improve his professors' evaluations, his only option was to boost his knowledge.

  Answering questions correctly in css might at least earn him some brownie points.

  "Ron, want to come?" Ivan asked, grabbing his things after finishing his meal.

  Ron, despite having slightly better magical aptitude than Ivan, was still only mediocre at best. Compared to Harry, the gap was noticeable. And since Ron wasn't exactly the most diligent student, it was no surprise that he'd eventually become the weakest link in the trio.

  Out of goodwill, Ivan extended the invitation.

  Not that he actually expected Ron to agree.

  Predictably, Ron shook his head furiously. "Are you kidding? We've only been here a few days—finals are ages away! What’s the rush?"

  "Suit yourself." Ivan shrugged and headed off.

  Ron watched him leave and muttered, "He’ll be back in an hour, tops. If not, I’ll eat the chessboard."

  —

  The Hogwarts Library was renowned for holding the most extensive collection of magical books in all of Britain—perhaps even all of Europe. From standard textbooks to advanced curses and Dark Arts tomes, the selection was unparalleled.

  Stepping into the library for the first time, Ivan was momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books. Towering shelves stretched endlessly in every direction, each packed with thousands of tomes—far more awe-inspiring in person than in any film he'd seen in his past life.

  Since the school year had only just begun, the library wasn’t particurly crowded. A handful of students sat here and there, nestled between bookshelves or lounging in the study areas, leaving plenty of open space in the central reading zone.

  [Ding! You have discovered the Hogwarts Library.]

  The familiar system notification jolted Ivan back to reality. Checking his progress, he saw that his Explore Hogwarts quest had just advanced by a solid five percent.

  More importantly, with the Academic Points he had just earned, he now had exactly 100 points—enough to redeem a Schor's Experience Card!

  Ivan’s gaze flickered toward the Restricted Section of the library.

  Legilimency, Occlumency… All the knowledge he wanted was right there.

  "Looking for something in particur, dear?"

  Madam Irma Pince, the library’s stern caretaker, approached him quietly.

  "Yes, ma’am. Could you point me to some books on Transfiguration? Preferably beginner-level ones," Ivan responded smoothly, tearing his eyes away from the Restricted Section.

  Madam Pince eyed him for a moment before leading him to a nearby shelf. She plucked a book from it and handed it over.

  A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration.

  Then, as if remembering something, she added in a warning tone, "I saw you looking at the Restricted Section earlier. Unless you have written permission from a professor, you are strictly prohibited from accessing those books."

  "Oh, that? I was just curious. Not pnning to sneak in or anything," Ivan said with a casual shrug.

  In truth, he hadn’t pnned on diving into any dangerous forbidden magic just yet. His current magical foundation was far too weak to handle anything advanced.

  He still had an entire school year ahead of him—plenty of time to figure things out.

  Seemingly satisfied with his response, Madam Pince turned and strode off, muttering about keeping an eye on the upper-year students. Apparently, it was a regur occurrence for students to try sneaking into the Restricted Section.

  But before she left, she made sure to remind Ivan—no loud noises in the library!

  Taking a seat in the reading area, Ivan didn’t immediately activate his Schor's Experience Card.

  Instead, he began flipping through the book at his usual pace, intending to test how much more efficient his studying would be once he activated the boost.

  The only sounds in the library were the rustling of pages, the occasional scratch of a quill, and the faint murmurs of students discussing spells in hushed whispers.

  And so, the quiet pursuit of knowledge began.

  <><><><><>

  ~ If you like the story, please leave a review.