Because Ravenclaw only had one class in the morning, Ian planned to go directly to the library after leaving the Potions classroom to borrow the first book on the list, Potions and Emotions.
He skillfully navigated the layers of stairs and arrived at the second floor of the castle. This library was known to have the largest collection of books among the eleven magic schools.
The Hogwarts Library was dominated by black and khaki colors, with thousands of tall, solid wooden bookshelves standing in the spacious library hall.
Endless books were neatly arranged, and only the hundreds of narrow passages between the bookshelves allowed the little wizards to move through, making the entire library feel more like a huge maze of knowledge.
…
There was a library borrowing warning written in bold on the bulletin board in front of him.
"If you slash, tear, fold, damage, throw, drop, or otherwise harm, abuse, or desecrate this book, I will subject you to the most dire consequences within my power. - Irma Pince, Administrator."
Ian didn't pay much attention to this and went straight to the lending office with the purpose of his trip.
"Ma'am, hello! I would like to ask where I can find the book Potions and Emotions?"
Mrs. Pince was a skinny lady in her fifties, with the most prominent features being her pointed chin, large eyes, and high cheekbones that looked as if they could fall off at any time.
At this moment, she raised her head and looked Ian up and down, as if to confirm whether the student in front of her could abide by the rules and protect the books.
Fortunately, this process did not make Ian wait for long. A slightly hoarse voice said:
"Potion books are in the far-left area of the library. The book you mentioned is a rare one, so you'll need to look for it there yourself."
After getting the hint, Ian didn't stay for too long and headed to the leftmost area. Due to the large number of books, it took him nearly half an hour to find Potions and Emotions, just as he had hoped.
The book in his hand was not thick, estimated to be no more than half an inch. So, he simply found an empty long table and decided to read it in the library first.
If he was lucky, he could finish reading it by noon and even borrow the second book on the list before leaving.
After opening the book and reading the introduction on the title page, he discovered that this was a book about the influence of a wizard's emotions on the quality of potions when brewing. Most of the book was a record of the author brewing the same potion with different emotions, as well as speculations about various emotional changes.
…
Time passed quietly in the peaceful library.
"Ian? Don't you have classes in the morning?" A soft voice sounded. Because they were in the library, the voice was unusually quiet.
Ian looked up when he heard the voice and found Hermione standing opposite him.
"I only have one Potions class in the morning. Anyway, you should have been sorted into Ravenclaw, seeing as you came to the library on the first day of school."
A small joke quickly brought them closer, and Hermione on the other side seemed to return to the time when they were on the train, talking freely to each other.
"Did you know? According to incomplete statistics, the Hogwarts Library has an astonishing collection of more than 70,000 volumes... Is the Potions professor really that strict? I heard they say that Potions class is a torture... Oh, you know, I found that many portraits can actually chat with me, which is unimaginable..."
At this moment, Hermione seemed to have turned into a like-minded friend she'd met in a foreign country. She kept sharing her experiences and the interesting things she had discovered.
Looking at the furry ball in front of him, Ian communicated with it patiently, but at the same time, he felt a little sorry for her. Her pride and self-protection made her always a little domineering when communicating with others.
So it wasn't hard to imagine that she didn't fit in with the Gryffindor freshman circle, or even the dormitory. Poor little girl, if there were other ways, she wouldn't have chosen to chat with the portrait...
"Really? That's really interesting. The entrance to your dormitory is actually a huge portrait."
Ian was very interested in all the topics about herself, which aroused her desire to talk more.
But it didn't last long and was interrupted by Madam Pince, who was so caught up in the conversation that she forgot to control the volume.
Looking at Ian, who had been kicked out beside her, Hermione felt a little depressed.
"I'm so sorry for getting you into trouble this time. I actually made such a stupid mistake. I haven't spoken loudly in the library since I was 7 years old."
Ian looked at Hermione with amusement, who looked aggrieved. He really didn't mind such a small matter at all and shook the book in his hand.
"Look! I was planning to read somewhere else. Even if we're not kicked out, we still have to leave at noon. How about we go have lunch together?"
"Well, even if you don't care, I still need to remember this lesson. Do you know where the food in Hogwarts comes from..."
Ian always felt that this little girl was being suffocated, but since she was even more beautiful than Emma Watson, he didn't find her annoying from the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, Ian, who was familiar with the plot, understood that Hermione and her two silly boys were about to embark on a wonderful adventure and wouldn't have much time to interact with him, so he was somewhat indulging her at this moment.
At this moment, Hermione and Ian were walking together, chatting as they went to the restaurant.
No one knew how many girls' hearts were hurt by this scene, and Hermione, the person involved, was unaware of the murderous intent and lemon fragrance in the air, continuing to talk about the topics that interested her.