Eira chuckled softly. "So it is not only books she is falling in love with these days."
Ginny's grin widened. "Exactly. She finally found a book with eyes."
Both girls muffled their laughter again, clutching their sides as they tried not to make a scene.
When they had recovered, Ginny's gaze wandered across the library. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and she nudged Eira. "Do you see that? Look over there. By the other shelf."
Eira followed her line of sight and spotted Viktor Krum, still pretending to study the spines of books. His posture was stiff, his movements awkward, but his eyes kept drifting toward Hermione and Isaac.
Eira smirked knowingly. "So you noticed it too. That's why I was watching. Viktor Krum was here when I came in. He pretends to be looking for books, but in reality he is watching them. He kept pulling volumes from the shelves without even glancing at the titles, opening them upside down, then shutting them again as if that made him look busy. At one point he stood in the same aisle for nearly ten minutes, turning the same page back and forth while sneaking glances in their direction."
Ginny's eyes widened with realization. "You think he has a crush on Hermione?"
Eira's smile turned mischievous. "I do not think, Ginny. I know. Look at him. He looks like a lovesick puppy himself, though not nearly as charming as Isaac."
Ginny pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "This is priceless. Viktor Krum, the international Quidditch star, jealous of Puppy Isaac. Hermione must be the luckiest girl in the castle right now."
Eira laughed quietly. "She has no idea she is at the center of a love triangle. This is going to get interesting."
The two of them fell into more whispered gossip. Ginny eagerly shared everything she had noticed, from the way Hermione had been spending extra time in front of the mirror to how she defended Isaac whenever someone teased him.
"She says things like, 'Isaac reads more advanced books than anyone else in our year' or 'Isaac has already studied charms that we will not even learn until next term.' It is as if she is his personal cheerleader. And every time she says his name, there is this little sparkle in her eyes. You should see it. It is impossible to miss," Ginny whispered, rolling her eyes affectionately.
Eira listened with growing amusement. She could almost imagine Hermione rattling off Isaac's accomplishments as if listing reasons he should be considered for a prize. "She sounds like she is writing his biography."
Ginny grinned. "Or his love letter. If she starts drawing little hearts around his name, I will not even be surprised."
Both girls giggled again, struggling to keep their voices low. They whispered on and on, losing track of time as they pieced together the budding romance between Hermione and Isaac, while occasionally glancing at Viktor Krum's gloomy figure in the corner.
Madam Pince's sharp voice cut through their whispering, snapping the library back into silence. "Enough! Out, both of you!"
Eira and Ginny froze, guilt flickering across their faces as Hermione and Isaac turned toward them. Avoiding their gazes, the two slipped past the furious librarian. The moment the heavy doors closed behind them, the tension shattered. Stifled laughter spilled free, and soon their giggles echoed down the corridor.
"That glare," Ginny wheezed, clutching her stomach, "I thought she was about to turn us into dust on the spot."
Eira smirked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Dust would've been merciful. I was half-convinced she'd chain us up in the Restricted Section and make us read every book alphabetically."
Ginny snorted. "Knowing her, she'd check our posture while we did it."
Their laughter lingered as they walked down the hall, but after a few moments, Eira glanced at Ginny with a thoughtful expression. "Tell me about Harry Potter. What exactly happened after his name came out of the Goblet?"
Ginny's face fell, her lightheartedness replaced with frustration. "It's been awful. Ever since he was chosen as the fourth champion, Ron hasn't spoken a word to him. He's sulking around, pretending Harry betrayed him, and it's tearing Harry apart. And if that wasn't enough, the whole school mocks him. Every time he walks into a corridor, someone makes a snide remark. The Hufflepuffs are the worst—constantly jeering, saying he stole Cedric's glory. They call him a cheat to his face."
Eira's brow shot up. "So he's already isolated, even among his friends?"
Ginny's eyes darkened with frustration. "Exactly! It's only been one day—one day—since his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, and people are already mocking him. Whispering behind his back, snickering when he walks past, like he's done something wrong." Her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "He doesn't deserve this—not one bit. They've forgotten everything he's done for them, for the school. And all because of some stupid tournament? It's… it's infuriating to watch him go through this."
They descended the steps leading out of the castle, the autumn air crisp against their faces. Eira tucked her cloak tighter around herself, her tone calm but probing. "Don't you wonder who might have put his name in the Goblet? It seems unlikely he could have done it alone."
Ginny slowed, chewing on her lip. "I don't know. Maybe… maybe Professor Dumbledore knows. He always seems to know more than he says."
Eira gave a thoughtful hum, the two of them walking side by side into the open grounds, their conversation trailing into the crisp noon as the castle loomed behind them.