"Evan, how about a game of Wizard's Chess back in the dorm after dinner?" On Wednesday afternoon, after the last class, Ron, lounging in the common room with a chicken leg in hand, mumbled his proposal to Evan.
Evan, taking his time with the last piece of steak, pondered for a moment before declining.
"No, I've got to head to the library later. You and Harry play without me."
Harry's chess moves are painfully predictable... not challenging at all," Ron initially responded with a disappointed shake of the head, then, as if just realizing the implications of Evan's words, dropped his chicken leg in astonishment.
"Blimey! The library? I thought only one person in our year would be caught dead there!"
"Hermione?" Evan guessed, considering the only student who frequented the library since the start of term was our know-it-all Miss Granger.
"Yeah, who else?" Ron dramatized his response.
Harry, tugging at Ron's shoulder, indicated Hermione was also in the common room, burdened with a stack of books. Ron lowered his voice, not wanting her to overhear as he went on about how much Hermione loved to lecture and her apparent self-importance.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the distance, Hermione showed no reaction, likely not having heard Ron's comment.
Harry listened uncomfortably; he didn't appreciate talking behind someone's back, though the other students seemed quite intrigued.
Indeed, Miss Granger had quickly become infamous within the gossip circles of the young wizards, all thanks to her lecturing nature.
Evan stayed out of the discussion about Hermione, though he wasn't surprised by it.
After all, they were all eleven or twelve-year-olds, and no one likes to be lectured, especially by a peer.
"Evan, what do you need in the library?" Harry curiously inquired.
Are we not fun enough... oops, I mean, have we done something wrong? Ron's eyes clearly conveyed this sentiment.
It was like the buddy who had plans to play video games with you after school suddenly announcing he was going to hit the books instead.
Evan's mouth twitched.
He had no desire to play Wizard's Chess; he was merely exploring other ways to earn Academic Points.
It wasn't because Wizard's Chess was both novel and fun...
"Don't you guys think the homework is getting tougher? What will we do at the end of the term if we don't work hard now?" Evan sighed after exchanging a glance with Harry.
Aware of his mediocre talent and the disadvantage of his wand's poor compatibility, Evan's spellcasting was at best mediocre among the first-year students.
In such a case, the only way to improve the professors' evaluations was to buckle down on the academic front.
Boosting his knowledge reserve could earn him some brownie points for participating in class discussions.
"Ron, want to join me?" After finishing his meal, Evan tidied up and extended the invitation to Ron.
Ron's magical talent was slightly better than Evan's, but still only above average. Compared to Harry, the gap was noticeable. Coupled with Ron's lack of effort, it was no surprise he would become the weakest link in their trio.
Out of kindness, Evan felt compelled to invite him, though he didn't really expect Ron to accept...
Sure enough, Ron shook his head vigorously. "You're joking, right? We've only been here a few days; the end of term is ages away. What's the rush?"
"Alright then..." Evan wasn't bothered and headed straight for the library.
"Just watch, Evan will be back within an hour. If not, I'll eat the chessboard," Ron muttered, making a bet.
...
Hogwarts' library boasted the most extensive and comprehensive collection of magical books in all of Britain, perhaps even Europe. From standard textbooks to arcane tomes on dark curses and black magic, it had it all!
Evan, visiting the library for the first time, was astounded by the sheer volume of books. Rows upon rows of tightly packed shelves, each laden with thousands of magical volumes, far more impressive than any scene from his past life's movie experiences.
Perhaps because the term had just begun, the library wasn't crowded. Students dotted the shelves and corridors, leaving plenty of space in the central relaxation area.
[Ding! You've discovered the library...]
The system's chime brought Evan's attention back to the present, and he noticed that the [Explore Hogwarts] task had jumped by five percentage points in one go.
More importantly, with the newly earned Academic Points, he now had the 100 points needed to exchange for the Study Prodigy Experience Card.
Evan couldn't help but glance towards the Restricted Section, where spells like Legilimency and Occlumency awaited...
"Child, are you looking for a particular book?" Madam Irma Pince, the library's custodian, approached with a gentle inquiry.
"Yes, Madam. Where might I find books on Transfiguration? Preferably the basic ones," Evan replied, diverting his gaze from the Restricted Section to address Madam Pince.
"Follow me..." Madam Pince led Evan to a bookshelf and handed him a copy of "Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration." She paused before adding, "You were looking at the Restricted Section earlier. Unless you have a professor's permission, you are not allowed to view or borrow books from there."
"I was just curious, I wasn't planning on actually going in," Evan replied nonchalantly, shrugging as he took the book.
Evan had no intention of delving into the dangerous books of the Restricted Section any time soon. With his current magical foundation, it wouldn't be wise to study such advanced magic.
There was a whole term ahead, after all. There would be time for that later...
After explaining everything, Madam Pince briskly departed to keep an eye on the older students, who seemed to make regular attempts to sneak into the Restricted Section.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to remind Evan to keep quiet in the library!
Settled in the relaxation area, Evan didn't rush to test the Study Prodigy Experience Card. Instead, he started flipping through the book, planning to compare the learning efficiency after some time without the card's effect.
Soon, the only sounds in the relaxation area were the quiet turns of pages, occasionally interrupted by faint noises from elsewhere in the library.