After passing through two more doors and climbing another staircase, the Hogwarts library finally appeared before Loren and Hermione.
By now it was already eight in the morning. Scattered students were inside reading—upper-years from all four Houses, while among the younger students only Ravenclaws were present, with one or two Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Not a single Gryffindor besides them.
As Loren paused to take it all in, Madam Pince, the librarian, materialized before them.
"The library must remain silent. Anyone who makes noise will be thrown out!" she said, her tone edged with surprise as she recited the warning she always gave newcomers.
Her surprise was easy to understand. Gryffindors were rarely seen in the library unless absolutely necessary, preferring to spend their time on things far from study. For two Gryffindors to show up on the very first day—and apparently as a couple—gave Madam Pince every reason to suspect they were there for a tryst, not books.
"Of course, Madam. We're here to pursue the knowledge of our predecessors, not to host a party," Loren replied with a polite bow, though his words carried a playful edge.
"Very well. Go on," she said after giving them a measuring look, then waved them in.
Stepping into the library was like mice stumbling into a granary. Faced with the towering shelves and endless rows of books, Hermione was so excited she nearly squealed.
But this Hermione was not the same insecure girl from the original story who hid her self-doubt behind knowledge. With Loren's constant support and her own effort, she had already surpassed most Hogwarts students in understanding. Yet at her core, her spirit of curiosity and adventure remained unchanged.
Quickly regaining her composure, she began to wander the aisles, finally picking two books she could never have found outside Hogwarts.
Loren, however, had his eye on advanced spells and magical theory. Such books were rarely available in the outside world. Advanced spells were often family secrets, guarded closely, or restricted by the Ministry. And since ordinary wizards could live comfortably using little more than "The Compendium of Everyday Spells," advanced magic had little practical demand. Spells like the Patronus Charm were rarely used outside dire circumstances.
As for magical theory, only a handful of scholars pursued it, their results circulated within closed circles. Most wizards neither knew nor cared.
The two volumes Loren found, *Uncommon Spells* and *Origins of Magic*, had been published more than twenty years ago. Those were the most recent works he could find—many others were over a century old.
It spoke volumes about both the richness of the library's collection and the stagnation of the wizarding world.
With their chosen books, Loren and Hermione settled into a corner.
Madam Pince watched them for a while. Seeing that they were actually studying and not making trouble, she left them alone and returned to her own reading.
Loren's "Reader" talent allowed him to absorb books at remarkable speed. While Hermione was still at the beginning of her first volume, he had already devoured two, storing every useful point while discarding the fluff.
Pince noticed. At first, she saw him return two books after only an hour, replacing them with a towering stack. By midday, when she looked again, only one book remained in his hands, the rest neatly shifted to the "finished" pile. Hermione, meanwhile, was still on her first.
Minutes later, Loren closed his book, checked the time, and signaled to Hermione. He went to return his finished stack, while she carried her unfinished volume to Madam Pince to borrow.
"Another boyfriend pretending to read while his girlfriend studies," Pince thought cynically as she stamped the book, though she didn't mind—as long as he stayed quiet.
When Loren returned, Hermione was waiting by the door with her book in her arms. He strode forward, took her hand, and together they walked toward the Great Hall. Lunch awaited—and Loren was curious to see what surprises the house-elves would unveil.
By the time they arrived, many students were already eating. The lunch spread was far simpler than breakfast—fewer of the standard English dishes, but in their place were steamed buns and several homestyle stir-fried plates, modest in ingredients but fresh and flavorful.
The new dishes immediately caught attention. Students gathered in small groups to examine and taste. Sitting beside Neville, Loren noticed that Ron had already mastered the art of stuffing meat into a bun and devouring it with gusto.
Watching Ron devour a massive roast-filled bun stirred Loren's appetite, and he too ate heartily, bun in one hand, dish in the other.
Hermione, delighted to see food resembling her meals back home, ate with great enthusiasm. Loren had often reminded her that "a poor appetite means a poor mind," and she seemed to have taken it to heart.
Other students were equally intrigued, excited by a sudden change to meals that had been unchanged for generations. Hufflepuffs in particular gave their full attention to the food, missing entirely that Draco had slipped in behind a group of older students to eat unnoticed. Loren smirked—apparently he'd been too kind, distracting attention from the boy without even meaning to.
"Loren, what you did this morning was brilliant! Everyone in Gryffindor is talking about it," Ron said, slowing his eating to speak.
"That was nothing special. Ever since I got my Hogwarts letter, I've been working to catch up. After all, I only just learned magic. Unlike you, Ron—you've grown up with it. You already know the long incantations. I'm still struggling with the short ones."
Loren's words sounded modest, but they cut like a blade. Ron froze, baffled. It sounded like Loren was simply explaining, yet every word dripped with superiority. Had he wasted the last ten years of his life?
Watching Ron wilt, Harry swallowed hard. Loren's reputation had preceded him even in the Muggle world. On the train, Harry had been too excited to notice. But after talking with other first-years that morning, he realized most of them knew little or nothing of magic. Few upper-years could even cast spells silently—yet Loren already could.
A boastful genius was one thing. A genius pretending to be ordinary was terrifying.
Harry suddenly lost all desire to speak with him, fearing Loren might crush him the way he had Ron.
Neville, however, looked at Loren with concern. "Loren, what you did this morning was too dangerous. I've been worried about you ever since I heard."
The genuine care touched Loren's heart. This friendship was worth something.
"Neville, don't worry. Loren always does things the quickest way," Hermione cut in, defending him. But Loren patted her head gently and interrupted.
"Neville, the Hat placed you in Gryffindor because you have courage. What made you so timid and unsure of yourself?"
Neville lowered his head. "I've always had a poor memory… I forget things. Everyone laughs at me."
The question had clearly struck a sore spot.
"Then change it. A Gryffindor must have courage—even in that," Loren said gently. He pulled a notebook from his robe and handed it to him.
"There's a saying in the East: 'The palest ink is better than the strongest memory.' This is a magic notebook. Write in it, and it will remind you. Place your hand here."
He guided Neville's hand onto the cover. The notebook glowed twice, then flew into Neville's pocket.
"You can write with a quill or just your finger. It will organize your notes. If you don't specify, it will remind you at seven, noon, and five—meal times."
This was one of Loren's alchemical inventions, a magical version of a smartphone. It only had reminders and notes for now, but even that could change Neville's life. Hermione had one too, which she used for study notes and alarms.
"Thank you, Loren… thank you so much. You're a true friend," Neville said, his voice thick with emotion.
Loren waved it off lightly, reminding him to keep writing and use it well. Someday, perhaps, Neville would shed his doubts and embrace his courage.
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