During his experiment with the Study Genius card, Adrian had learned something useful about how his learning worked. His existing knowledge directly affected how quickly he could pick up new information.
This explained why he'd finished "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" in just twenty minutes, while "Detailed Explanation of Basic Magical Principles" took much longer despite having more time left on the card. The Transfiguration book moved quickly because he already had some experience with the spells and had read it once before. The magical principles book covered completely new ground.
After thinking about how the Study Genius card worked, Adrian realized the smartest approach would be to read books normally first, then use the experience card to review and understand them better. This way he could get the most out of that enhanced mental state.
Each completed book also gave him academic points. Combined with the points from improving his spells, he could keep earning and spending points on more Study Genius cards. With this system, his magical knowledge could grow steadily.
Even reading just half of the magical principles book had boosted his spell abilities significantly. His Wingardium Leviosa and Expelliarmus spell had both reached Level 1, matching his Transfiguration progress and earning him another ten academic points total.
That brought his point balance back up to twenty, making the next Study Genius card much easier to reach. Looking around the library at the countless magical books on the shelves, Adrian felt genuinely excited. Every single book represented potential points and magical knowledge.
If he could work through even some of this collection, his magical abilities would improve dramatically. The thought made him determined to spend as much time as possible in the library.
Unfortunately, his planning was interrupted by Mrs. Pince's announcement that the library was closing for the evening. Adrian glanced at his watch, surprised to discover he'd been studying for over three hours.
"Learning is important, children, but you also need proper rest," Mrs. Pince called out as she began moving students toward the exit. "Everyone back to your dormitories now!"
As Hogwarts' librarian, she didn't mind students who genuinely wanted to learn, as long as they followed the rules. However, the library's hours were set by school policy, and she couldn't make exceptions.
Adrian approached her with "Detailed Explanation of Basic Magical Principles" in hand. "Excuse me, Mrs. Pince. Could I borrow this book?"
She glanced at the title and nodded. "Of course, just return it by the due date."
After giving permission, Mrs. Pince continued checking the library. Some students always tried to hide among the bookshelves, hoping to sneak into the Restricted Section after closing time. Others simply lost track of time while reading.
"Thank you," Adrian said politely, then headed for the exit. He was looking forward to getting back to his dormitory and testing the spells that had gained experience.
He'd barely taken a few steps when he heard a breathless voice behind him saying, "Excuse me! Let me through...sorry!"
Before he could react, someone crashed into his back. The impact sent him stumbling forward into the stone wall, and he ended up sitting hard on the floor as his borrowed book went flying.
Luckily, the collision wasn't too serious. Adrian rubbed his sore forehead and got back to his feet, picking up the book before checking on whoever had run into him.
The girl had thick, bushy brown hair that looked like it rarely saw a brush. Her standard Hogwarts robes seemed slightly too large for her frame, and several books were scattered around where she'd fallen.
"Hermione?" Adrian recognized her immediately. Their know-it-all classmate must have been rushing out of the library when Mrs. Pince ordered everyone to leave, moving too fast to notice him in her path.
"Adrian?" Hermione looked confused from the collision until he helped her stand up. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! I was hurrying and didn't see you there..."
"Don't worry about it, just watch where you're going next time." Adrian collected her dropped books and handed them back to her, giving a small smile to show he wasn't upset.
However, Hermione immediately launched into lecture mode when she spotted the book in his hands. "Oh, I've read 'Detailed Explanation of Basic Magical Principles' too! It teaches so many useful techniques. Did you know that strong willpower can significantly increase spell power? Though it requires excellent magical control, otherwise the magic can become unstable and dangerous..."
Her voice grew more excited as she continued. "You know, real learning requires proper understanding and practice, not just flipping through pages quickly. Instead of jumping into advanced theory books like that one, you should focus on mastering all your basic textbooks first!"
Hermione shared her opinions like she was giving a lecture, clearly trying to be helpful but with an unmistakable tone that suggested she knew better. She'd obviously seen him reading quickly during the second half of his Study Genius session and wanted to correct what she thought were poor study habits.
Adrian raised an eyebrow at her tone but kept his expression relaxed. Now he understood why Harry, Ron, and their classmates found Hermione's know-it-all behavior so irritating. Before Halloween changed her character, she really wasn't very likeable.
"Thanks for the advice, but I think everyone learns differently," Adrian replied calmly, not wanting to start an argument.
"How is that possible?" Hermione started to argue further, but Adrian decided to demonstrate rather than debate.
"Quick transformation," Adrian said casually, drawing his wand in one smooth motion and tapping the parchment Hermione had been writing on. The paper shimmered, then began to stretch and harden, its edges straightening until it became a smooth, polished slate tablet.
The entire spell took less than two seconds from start to finish. Adrian's wand movement was fluid and controlled, exactly like the standard Professor McGonagall had demonstrated in class.