Like expected of true Ravenclaws, the table was empty pretty quickly.
Harry now left threads at most intersections as they moved toward the library. Or at least, wandered aimless while asking everyone if they were heading the correct way to get to the library. He didn't think he would need this many marks, but it wasn't hurting him to leave a few threads here and there.
The halls had many color schemes, rug designs, cloths on the wall. The paintings were numerous, and Harry had to be dragged away from the first one he got a really good look at. Paintings could move between frames, could remember and pass messages, so the entity in the frame had SOME sort of data storage. Terry finally opened a topic that had been bothering him. "So Harry, what gave you the idea to do this group thing anyway?"
Harry refocused on the boy, who tried not to shiver seeing those green eyes pierce him. They had a real intimidation factor. "Well, I have a bit of a dream." His smile seemed almost devious. "I plan on doing just enough work to pass all my classes... and then LEARN EVERYTHING."
Terry blinked. "I... what?"
Harry waved a hand. "As far as I can tell, most witches and wizards just learn what a set list of spells per year. I don't see anything about spell creation, experimentation, or exploration. Well that is just memorization. Hermione and I have already memorized ALL the texts for this year."
His smile seemed to get sharper somehow. "Now, while everyone else wastes time catching up with us, we are going to try and learn Game Changer abilities."
Even Hermione seemed a bit confused on this. Harry shook his head. "I will go into more detail once we pick up Susan and Hannah, but the idea is to find abilities that help us learn faster, work faster, or accomplish more than expected."
He looked around a corner. If he didn't have his threads he would have thought they had turned around somehow... This castle really needed a map. "For example, I have an ability that lets me work in my mind while sleeping. I can study, organize my mind, or just relax. That gives me back 8 hours a day to read or whatever."
Hermione tried not to grin at the stunned expressions of Padma and Terry. "He also can pull other people into his mind, and time moves faster there. We spent an hour or two in there on the train and it felt like days had passed." Harry blushed. "Yeah, uh. We should have the whole clothes thing figured out by the way. Shouldn't be any issues next time."
Terry closed his mouth after a few seconds. "You know, I want to ask but I am not sure I want to know." He saw Harry's face turn as red as Hermione's and he grinned. "Bet it was funny though."
"Awkward as heck at least." Harry grumbled. "Jim wouldn't stop laughing at me either." Hermione was back to grinning as Harry's face stayed red.
Padma twirled some of her hair. "Jim? Is he in Hufflepuff too?"
Hermione shook her head. "Nope, in his head. Nice person, although don't talk about his height."
Harry coughed. "Moving on, I figure it may be a good idea to spend some time in my mind scape and help you guys make your own. Especially after what happened last night."
Seeing his dark expression everyone talked about other topics. Quidditch was apparently a big deal everywhere.
"FINALLY!" Terry walked up to a huge set of wooden doors. "I thought we would NEVE..."
"SHHH!" A woman who looked very similar to a pale faced owl was very silently but EXPRESSIVLY suggesting with her eyebrows that Terry should re-evaluate his life and consider what he had done that was so wrong, so vile as to have made noise in her world.
A much quieter group of relieved Ravenclaws moved through the doors. The library was so tall that it felt dangerous to look up, as if the shelves were looming over you and waiting till you looked away to drop. shelves of books were everywhere without any major section labels. The air felt rich with dust and the smell of paper.
Harry could have sworn Hermione whimpered.
He saw red hair at a table near some windows and moved everyone in that direction. Making sure to whisper, he grinned. "Hannah, Susan! Glad you are here so early."
Two smiles turned a bit hesitant as they saw two strangers. Harry pulled Terry forward. "Meet our new study friends, Terry Boot..." He nudged Hermione who pulled Padma forward "And Padma Patil. We met them at dinner last night."
A quick round of quiet introductions later and Susan noticed Harry seemed to be tapping something against his palm. "Harry, what is that?"
He refocused on Susan with a raised eyebrow before he noticed his hands. "Oh, I was thinking about trying out a spell I read about. It would really help us if it worked."
She shrugged. "Go for it. Just make sure you don't face us just in case it goes wrong."
Hanna watched as Harry lifted his hand and mumbled. As his hand finished a gesture, she felt a mint wind cross her body as sounds faded to murmuring.
There was a pause that Terry felt needed addressing. "Ok, what was THAT. Are we going deaf?"
Harry shook his head. "Shouldn't. That was from one my more esoteric books, Muffliato. People who are outside of our area can't hear us now. We will seem to be mumbling." He waved his hand absently. "Now we don't have to whisper. We should still be able to hear everyone outside though, unless I cast it inverted as well." Hermione was about to start asking questions before Harry started writing on some paper... where had that come from? "One second, Mione, and I will write the book I got it from."
Susan was eye-balling the pen. "Now what is that?" She watched how quickly and easily he was writing. "It seems MUCH less messy than any quill I have used."
Harry handed a pad of paper to everyone at the table and a pen. "These are gel pens. Each one has the ink in internal chambers and keeps it from drying out till you need it. It can write at any angle, is water proof, and is much harder to break than a quill." He scowled. "We can't use it for homework or tests, but we can use them for our notes or rough drafts."
Terry was already doodling with a happy smile. "Why not? This is awesome."
Harry shrugged. "Our quills have a wand focus inside them, so that our wizard signatures are written into our ink. It is part of the anti-cheating stuff for the school. I guess since most students use them through school they continue using them in future jobs."
He leaned forward. "Ok, I talked about this a little earlier in the Halls, but here is what I am planning on doing. You can choose to join in or not, and I am fine with that." He grinned as he saw Hannah roll her eyes. "I am going to do just enough work to get all my homework and stuff done... and we are going to find Game Changer spells and abilities. Things that will help us be amazing."
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