"Oh~ Isabella, you were so cool answering those questions just now—"
"Isabella, did you read the entire script? How did you know all the answers the director asked?"
"You're amazing, Isabella. I've read Harry Potter several times too, but I can only remember the general plot. I can't recite the chapter details like you just did—"
"Yeah, same here. Do you have such a strong memory?"
"I don't think so. You must have read it many times?"
"No wonder Aunt Rowling recommended you for Hermione—you're exactly like the Hermione in the books…"
With the tea party over and noon arriving, everyone who had been busy all morning went to the dining hall for lunch.
Though called a "dining hall," it was more like a cafeteria. Everyone queued with trays, served themselves, and freely found a table. Even so, it had a special touch: the food was far better than typical cafeterias.
In England, a culinary desert, even at Cambridge's dining hall, you might find pork pies, jellied eels, or lamb offal. But in a project backed by the world's largest media conglomerate? Only proper Michelin-quality dishes appear here.
Regardless of taste, the presentation alone would make even the most discerning diner pay handsomely.
After picking their food, everyone sat down.
Immediately, Isabella noticed that around her, one by one, little heads began to gather.
The kids carrying trays spontaneously sat next to her. They all looked at her with surprise and admiration, greeting her sincerely. Remarkably, no one was flattery—they were genuinely thrilled.
Isabella admitted she was startled at first glance.
The rush of warmth made her feel like she was wearing an African diamond around her neck!
The next moment, she feared someone would shout "flowers incoming!"
Only when she heard their words clearly did she finally relax and smile.
The pure joy reflected their love for Harry Potter.
Every child here liked Harry Potter.
So when they realized that the characters from the books had real-life counterparts…
"Oh, Rupert, thanks for the compliment."
"Bonnie~ I really did read the whole script. That's why I could answer the director's questions."
"Daniel, I can't fully recite Aunt Rowling's novel either. I remember mostly the differences between the script and the original because they're not the same. As for the parts that are the same? My brain, not a computer, is in charge of that."
"But that's still impressive," said Sean Biggsstaff, who played Oliver Wood, sincerely.
"Thank you~" Isabella beamed, shaking off her hair.
Any normal person would feel overwhelmed by such genuine admiration.
Especially now, with such heartfelt emotions surrounding her.
"Chris, it seems your plan worked."
The fact that Isabella had become the center of attention didn't escape the adults' eyes.
Watching this "star-surrounded-by-suns" scene, Richard Harris, playing Dumbledore, felt moved.
His words made Chris Columbus chuckle, satisfied as he looked at the gathered kids. At this moment, he had to admit, J.K. Rowling was skilled at casting.
"Seeing them happy chatting like this makes me feel relieved," Columbus said, lowering his head to eat.
"Honestly, HP has the most children I've ever worked with on a project."
"I'm really afraid of messing things up."
"It's such a big investment, after all."
"Hahaha~"
His sincere words sparked light laughter.
Meanwhile, on the parents' side of the cafeteria…
"Oh, Vivian~ your daughter is amazing~"
"Thank you, your son is amazing too."
"I really can't imagine how a ten-year-old girl can be so talented. Vivian, is Isabella really ten?"
"Of course~ she was born in '90 and just turned ten this year. But she wasn't always like this; all the changes have happened recently, so… I can only say she grew up suddenly."
"Oh~ Vivian~ I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up your sad past."
"It's okay. You don't need to apologize. It's been a long time, and I've moved on from the sadness."
Minors couldn't work alone, but adults couldn't constantly hover over them either, which might feel intrusive. So the morning chats actually ran in two groups.
Around Columbus sat the crew, while parents stayed in the back.
At first, parents were getting acquainted too, many meeting for the first time. It looked like a Chinese elementary school before dismissal—parents gathered at the gate, knitting or chatting.
But when Isabella seemed to rise like the sun…
Vivian became the focal point of the parent group as well.
After all, other kids might receive equal attention anywhere, but this one stood out.
On the first morning on set, Columbus strengthened their bonds. In the afternoon, with everyone able to call each other by name, he led the kids into the makeup room to try costumes and take official photos.
By normal Hollywood standards, this step should happen during auditions. But because Columbus and Rowling had disagreements, they couldn't even sit at the same table during earlier disputes. So costume and makeup decisions hadn't been finalized.
Moreover, Warner supported Columbus making the U.S. version of HP. Initially, costume designs followed U.S. illustrations, which infuriated Rowling—she outright refused to use them.
Once Rowling formally took control, the previous designs were scrapped and remade entirely in British style. Quidditch uniforms, for example, were redesigned to resemble British school attire instead of resembling American football gear.
After this upheaval, confirming costumes and makeup could finally happen efficiently.
And now…
"Oh, Daniel, don't wear contact lenses. I think Harry can have blue eyes."
"Isabella, don't wear braces either. Susie's right—the book Hermione can be ordinary, but the movie version can't."
During costume trials and photo shoots, Rowling was present.
Seeing Daniel uncomfortable in contacts and Isabella transformed by braces, Harry's eyes changed from green to blue, and Hermione went from a little beaver to a little princess.
Isabella had bought Hogwarts robes in her previous life, but Universal Studios' merchandise couldn't compare to actual costume design.Honestly, Rowling's decisions made both of them happy.
Daniel disliked unnecessary struggles; Isabella didn't like looking ugly.
Rowling's words left Rupert thoughtful.
"Ah, I thought I was the most unique—no contacts, no braces—but now…"
"I've become the least special one."
"Because you all differ from the book. Me… I'm basically the same?"
Rupert's regret made everyone in the makeup room laugh.
Indeed, of the "iron triangle," only Rupert resembled Ron as described in the books.
Everyone else, whether Harry or Hermione, deviated from their book counterparts.
Of course, fans of the Chinese translation might wonder—Ron is described as "red-haired" in the Chinese version. In reality, Rupert's hair isn't red. This is just a translation issue.
In the English original, Ron has "flaming red hair," which isn't the bright red of anime. It's a strong blonde with orange-red highlights in sunlight, or a yellow-orange blonde—this counts as "flaming red hair."
"Okay, Daniel, hold your arms crossed and look at me."
"Yeah, turn your body a bit, perfect~"
"Rupert, give me a mischievous smile, okay?"
"Yes, yes, your smile looks cheerful."
"Isabella, hold the book for the photo. You know, nothing fits a bookworm better than books."
"Oh, perfect, your smile is so sweet~"
"Next… Tom? Draco is a sassy little master, so… Hitchcock-style gaze, understand?"
"Very good—raise the corners of your mouth a bit more—"
At 1 p.m., Isabella followed the group into the makeup room.
Just after 3 p.m., she was told it was time to finish.
Minors only had a four-hour workday.
Two hours of morning chat counted as work legally, leaving only two hours for the crew in the afternoon.
When this fact hit, Isabella was stunned—she hadn't expected the HP crew to follow the rules so strictly. Her second thought? She really had become Hermione Granger.
Following in her predecessors' footsteps, with Yu Hua's essence!Four-hour workdays?
Wow… this was the right place!
Even in her two lifetimes, she had never done such an easy job. Just as she was about to find her mother and head home, Rupert suddenly called out.
"Isabella, where are you going?"
"Isn't it the end of work?" Isabella asked. "I'm finding my mom and going home."
"Ah???"
Everyone around froze.
No matter Daniel, Tom, Bonnie, or Matthew, all looked at her in surprise.
"Is there a problem?" Isabella was puzzled. "Can't we go home?"
"Uh… we can, but…"
Rupert didn't know if Isabella was pretending or truly didn't understand. After hesitating, he finally finished his sentence.
"We still have class."
"We still have three hours of lessons today, so… you're leaving now?"
"..."
Isabella was speechless.
Oh, right!
They finished work early because they still had classes! This fact made Isabella droop her head.
If they had to go to school after work, then what was the point of this shift???
Grumbling, she followed the group to the production's teaching building. With the staff's introduction, Isabella finally understood the on-set class process. Currently, the UK implements 11 years of compulsory education: ages 5–11 are primary school, and 11–16 are secondary school.
So, when the kids on set were of different ages, Warner invited teachers for both stages.
That way, everyone could attend classes according to their age.
A simple example: Isabella was born in 1990 and is only ten years old, so she received Year 5 education—meaning she joined a primary school class. The same applied to Daniel; although older than Isabella, he was still in primary school, following Year 6 curriculum. Rupert, born in 1988, was legally at the GCSE level, which is secondary education.
So, following the rules, Isabella's classmates were Ginny, Harry, and Neville.
Ron was in the same room as Draco and others.
Then, the nightmare appeared.
Even though the UK's basic education is pretty good—primary school students study history and geography in higher grades—the scope of a child's learning couldn't compare to an adult's knowledge. And Isabella, in her previous life, was no slacker.
She learned arts because she liked it; she was not illiterate.
So?
Flipping through the textbook given by the teacher, Isabella realized that if she had to sit here for three hours every day, she would go crazy. This was basically like being in prison!She wanted to save herself.
Fifty minutes per class, ten-minute breaks. After three cycles, the class finally ended, and Isabella found the substitute teacher, her face serious:
"Teacher Halia, I'd like to ask you a question."
"Of course, go ahead."
"I want to know if these classes are really mandatory?"
"Yes, it's legally required. We record all classes, and if the education authorities find you absent, the crew will be fined—just like working without a license, twenty thousand pounds each time."
Halia Schmidt specialized in teaching minors working in the entertainment industry.
After all, London has a West End.
The demand for extra classes there was quite high.
So when Isabella approached her, Halia guessed the little girl's intent.
Or rather, a child who left school at barely ten to embrace the stage probably didn't like studying. Given countless similar cases, Halia suspected Isabella was essentially saying she didn't want to attend class.
Halia Schmidt was half right.
The other half…
"Teacher Halia, is there really no way to skip class?"
"Uh…"
Halia looked troubled. She genuinely wanted to tell the girl that knowledge is valuable everywhere—even in the entertainment industry, learning a little is better than nothing.
But she wasn't the child's mother, so…
"Then your guardian will need to speak with me."
Isabella had no intention of involving her mom.
If she told her mom she didn't want to attend class, Vivian would panic.
Vivian and Eric shared the same wish: both wanted their daughter to go to Oxbridge.
St. Paul's Girls' School is secondary, minimum age 11. If not, Eric would have already enrolled the sisters together—six thousand pounds a year each, easy for him.
"Other ways…"
Halia sighed. Isabella's beauty made her regretful. "There is another way."
"What?"
"The education office only checks homeschoolers through SATs. I can request exam papers from the affiliated school. If you pass English and Math, I can help you apply for homeschooling. Even if the authorities inspect, it won't matter."
SATs are the UK primary school graduation exams, roughly equivalent to China's elementary-to-middle school transition.
They determine which school a child attends in Year 7. Only public schools care deeply about this, because private schools also consider parental input. Each UK school is highly autonomous and issues its own SATs.
Even if SATs weren't very important, they're the only way the education office can check learning progress—no one can follow every child daily.
So…
"I'll take the exams."
"Huh?"
"Teacher, can you give me the papers?"
"..."
Halia Schmidt thought Isabella was crazy.
Art students don't usually take these exams!
But three days later…
"What? Isabella can homeschool now?"
Children only worked four hours a day, unlike adults. During breaks, Columbus and other adults completed final pre-production tasks. Then he heard the shocking news.
"Yeah~"
The reporting assistant said, "Teacher Schmidt gave Isabella three SATs papers today. She scored full marks in English and reasoning, then did the CAT4 test—verbal, numerical, spatial reasoning—everything excellent…"
"In Teacher Schmidt's words, it's a shame she's going into arts."
"..."
Chris Columbus was speechless.
The next moment, he realized the brilliance: "Isabella didn't want to attend class, right?"
"Yes," the assistant nodded.
"What about her mother's attitude?"
"Her mom…"
The assistant hesitated, unsure if they should say too much.
Meanwhile—
"Oh—Vivian—how did you teach your child? Can you teach me? Rupert really doesn't like studying. He runs away from school and sleeps when reading. I'm exhausted every day…"
In the teaching building, Rupert's mom grabbed Vivian's hand and complained loudly.
Many parents around nodded in agreement.
Outside, Rupert looked embarrassed while Isabella was alone.
Actually, Isabella stood at the right of the classroom door. On the left were the helpless adults.
"You really don't have to attend class?" Rupert couldn't believe it.
"Mm-hm." The little blonde nodded innocently.
"Oh—that's a bit outrageous—"
Daniel shook his head: "Do you study while researching the script? This is… unimaginable…"
"Maybe a genius studies 48 hours a day?" Bonnie said enviously. "Honestly, I don't want to go to class either."
"Who wants to go to class!" came complaints from the back.
Isabella understood their mood—well, that might sound pretentious—but she did know that very few in the HP main group were true geniuses.
Harry and Ron, in her past life, were college slouches who openly admitted they disliked studying.
Even though she thought making them study was as cruel as torturing them, now she could only save herself—not others. After all, Hermione Granger studied magic, not literacy.
Seeing the group of despondent kids, Isabella felt her mind sharpen.
She imagined two little devil horns sprouting.
The tutoring program had barely started, and she was already excelling.
For the others, this was nightmare-level news…
After a brief chat, she bid farewell to the kids who regarded her as a study god—or, no, a demon—and went home with her mother.
On the way, Vivian's emotions were mixed.
On one hand, her daughter's excellence brought joy; on the other, her independent actions caused helplessness.
During a traffic jam, she glanced at the rearview mirror.
Isabella leaned back in the rear seat, eyes closed, swaying slightly to the music.
"So, can you tell me why you did this?"
Her mother asked.
Looking up, Isabella smiled: "The director told me to. On the first day on set, he made me Hermione Granger, and Hermione is a genius. So, not attending class but learning independently—that's the hallmark of a genius, right?"
Yes.
Isabella had pinned the responsibility on Chris Columbus.
Now she had official permission to skip class!
Vivian could only be speechless.
As she pondered whether to scold her mischievous daughter, Isabella continued:
"Okay, Mom, honestly, if filming requires staying on set, I'm all in. But if not filming, finishing at six? We can't have my sister wait until eight to eat every day, can we?"
Vivian fell silent.
St. Paul's Girls' School is a day school among the nine prestigious schools.
Isabella needed a guardian on set. What about Catherine? She couldn't stay alone.
In fact, Warner provided on-set accommodation. Isabella could stay with her mom in Leavesden.
For Draco, he stayed with his older brother, who acted as his guardian.
But for family peace, even though Vivian hired a nanny at the start of the month to take care of Catherine's school and meals, she still checked in daily.
If her mother ran back and forth, Isabella couldn't stay alone on set.
Of course, she also admitted she didn't want to repeat the same knowledge in classes.
"Eric is truly disgusting!"
Vivian couldn't help cursing her late husband.
Yet her relaxed features showed her inner calm.
"So you'll self-study?"
"Of course~"
"Go home and look at your sister's textbooks."
"Mom—don't you trust me to do things?"
"Right now, you're the one I worry about most."
Vivian said bluntly.
Isabella felt a pang of sadness.
After a while, both laughed.
Yes, they were putting on a show.