**Chapter 06: The Library**
"Ivan, want to play a game of Wizard's Chess in the dormitory after dinner?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chicken leg in the common room on Wednesday afternoon after their last class.
Ivan slowly finished his last piece of steak, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I'm heading to the library later. You and Harry go ahead."
"Harry's moves are terrible, no challenge at all..." Ron shook his head in disappointment, then, as if suddenly processing Ivan's words, dropped the chicken leg in his hand. "Blimey! The library? I thought only one person in our whole year would go there!"
"Hermione?" Ivan guessed. In the first few days of school, the only young witch who frequented the library was probably their know-it-all classmate.
"Yeah, who else?" Ron said with exaggerated emphasis.
Harry tugged on Ron's shoulder, and Ron noticed Hermione, arms laden with books, was also in the common room. He quickly lowered his voice, gossiping to the others about how bossy and arrogant Hermione was.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the distance, Hermione showed no reaction, likely not having heard Ron's remarks.
Harry stood there looking uncomfortable; he disliked talking about people behind their backs. The other young wizards, however, seemed quite interested.
It had to be said that in just a few short days, Miss Granger had already gained quite a reputation in the student gossip circles, 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- and twelve-year-olds. No one liked being lectured to, especially by a peer.
"Ivan, what are you going to the library for?" Harry asked curiously.
*Aren't your friends fun enough?... *cough*... I mean, aren't your buddies good company? Or is Wizard's Chess not fun anymore?* Ron didn't say it out loud, but his eyes clearly conveyed the message.
It was like the buddy you always played games with after school suddenly announcing he was going to the library to study.
Ivan's mouth twitched.
He didn't really want to play Wizard's Chess. He just wanted to make some attempts to see if there were other ways to earn Academic Points.
It definitely wasn't because Wizard's Chess was both novel and fun...
"Don't you think the homework the professors assign is getting harder? If we don't work hard now, what are we going to do come exam time?" Ivan looked at Harry and sighed after a moment.
Ivan knew his talent was average, compounded by his low wand compatibility. His spellcasting ability was basically in the lower-middle tier among the first-years.
In this situation, if he wanted to improve his evaluations from the professors, he could only focus on the theoretical knowledge side.
Improving his knowledge base and answering questions in class might earn him some bonus points for impression.
"Ron, you coming?" After finishing his meal and gathering his things, Ivan asked Ron.
Although Ron's magical talent was slightly better than his, it was still only upper-middle at best. Compared to Harry, the gap was significant. Combined with Ron's own lack of diligence, it was no wonder he became the weakest of the trio in the future.
So, out of goodwill, Ivan offered the reminder. Not that he expected Ron to agree...
Sure enough, Ron shook his head vigorously. "You're joking! We've only been here a few days. Exams are ages away. What's the rush?"
"Suit yourself..." Ivan didn't mind and headed straight for the library.
"Just watch. He'll be back in an hour at most, or I'll eat this chessboard..." Ron muttered, making a vow.
......
The Hogwarts Library housed the largest and most complete collection of magical books in all of Britain, perhaps even Europe. From ordinary textbooks to profound forbidden spells and dark magic, it had everything!
On his first visit, Ivan was stunned by the sheer volume of books. Row upon row of tightly packed shelves, each holding thousands of magical tomes, were far more impressive than he remembered from the movies.
Perhaps because it was still early in the term, there weren't many young witches and wizards in the library. A few were scattered by the shelves or in the corridors, leaving the central lounge area quite empty.
*Ding! Library discovered...*
The system prompt pulled Ivan's attention back. He checked and saw the "Explore Hogwarts" task progress had increased by five percentage points at once.
More importantly, with these additional points, he now had exactly enough to exchange for the 100-point Top Student Experience Card.
Ivan's gaze drifted longingly towards the Restricted Section. The magic he needed—Legilimency, Occlumency—could all be found there...
"Child, are you looking for a particular book?" Mrs. Irma Pince, the librarian, approached and inquired softly.
"Yes, Madam. Could you tell me where to find books related to the Transfiguration Spell? Preferably more basic ones," Ivan replied, pulling his gaze away from the Restricted Section.
"This way..." Mrs. Pince guided him to a shelf, pulled out a copy of *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*, and handed it to him. She paused, then added, "You were looking at the Restricted Section earlier. Unless you have a professor's note, you are not permitted to browse or borrow books from there."
"I was just curious, not planning to actually go in," Ivan said, taking the book and shrugging casually.
He had no intention of diving into those dangerous books anytime soon. With his current magical foundation, learning such advanced magic wasn't advisable anyway.
He had a whole semester ahead of him. Maybe he'd find time and opportunity later...
After her explanation, Mrs. Pince turned and left efficiently. She had to keep an eye on the older students, as someone was always trying to sneak into the Restricted Section.
Of course, before leaving, she didn't forget to remind Ivan that silence was required in the library!
Sitting down in a spot in the lounge area, Ivan didn't rush to test the Top Student Experience Card. Instead, he began reading in his normal state, planning to read for a while first and then compare how much the card improved his efficiency.
Soon, the only sound in the lounge was the turning of pages, occasionally interrupted by faint noises from elsewhere.