Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 13 In a group of three, there's bound to be a fool.

Harry and Ron are true Gryffindors; the reckless impulsiveness of the little lion is fully embodied in them.

Many times, the two of them acted on impulse and made assumptions.

In contrast, Hermione, though impulsive, is mostly rational and adept at spotting oddities in the smallest details to pinpoint her target.

Although, under the influence of Harry and Ron, this goal always went astray.

But when it came to trolls, Hermione was certain her answer was correct.

As the all-knowing young lady who always holds the top spot in her grade in the original story, Hermione is very sensitive about her grades, especially in her early years. Her strong personality and pride make it difficult for her to accept that she is inferior to others in some aspects.

So when someone appeared who was better than her in Charms, Potions, Herbalism, and Transfiguration, Hermione's competitive spirit was completely ignited.

Just as Hermione never considered herself a genius, she still had a certain gap compared to true geniuses like Bill Weasley, the eldest son of the Weasley family.

After all, in terms of achievements alone, Hermione didn't achieve twelve OWLs certifications.

For a long time, Hermione used time and effort to maintain her position as the number one in Gryffindor.

It's fair to say that without Ike, Hermione would have remained firmly in her position as the oldest child in the original timeline.

Now, she can only be second.

As the first person Hermione met in the wizarding world, their relationship remained at a stage that was more than acquaintances but less than friends. Most of the time, they simply regarded each other as companions who studied together in the library and rarely interacted.

As a pursuer, Hermione knows him better than Ike imagined.

Suddenly, a loud footstep sounded, and Professor McGonagall rushed in front of the three, with Snape and Quirrell close behind. Quirrell glanced at the troll, let out a weak sob, and sat down against the wall, clutching his chest tightly.

Professor McGonagall was furious; her face and lips were deathly pale, and her right hand, holding the wand, was trembling uncontrollably.

"What kind of tricks are you playing?!" Professor McGonagall roared. "This is a troll! A magical creature of the XXXX level!"

"You're lucky you weren't killed by it! Why didn't you stay in your dorms obediently!"

"Professor McGonagall, I..." Harry swore that the current Professor McGonagall was a million times more terrifying than the despicable Professor Snape. Just as he was about to tell what had just happened, he heard a voice from the side.

"They're here to see me, Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione, who said, "I've read about trolls in books and thought I could handle them. If it weren't for Harry and Ron, I think I'd be dead by now."

"They rescued me from the toilet. Ron kept distracting the troll, and Ha used the troll's own club to knock it down. Ron then finished it off."

"By the time they arrived, I was already cornered by the trolls, and they didn't have time to look for anyone."

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry and Ron, who were standing to the side with completely bewildered expressions. The two immediately nodded repeatedly, indicating that everything was as Hermione had said.

"Oh...I see." Professor McGonagall said thoughtfully, "Miss Granger, because of your recklessness, Gryffindor has lost five points."

"Now, you should hurry back to the Gryffindor Tower. The Halloween feast has been delivered to each house."

The three bowed to Professor McGonagall and turned to leave.

"Alright... After all, it's rare for a first-year wizard to defeat an adult troll. You've each earned five points for Gryffindor. Also, I'll tell Professor Dumbledore about this. Let's go."

The three hurriedly left, running up the two buildings without saying a word, before they could no longer smell the stench of the giant.

"Hermione, do you know who helped us?" Harry didn't mention the bonus points; he wasn't going to be an honest child and expose Hermione's lie. As the smartest of the three, Hermione must have had her reasons for lying.

"I guessed it."

"So you're not going to tell us?" Ron muttered. "We'll keep it a secret, you know, we're the best at it."

Harry and Hermione both looked at Ron with astonishment, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Now everyone in Gryffindor knows that Ron Weasley is a big mouthpiece; if he knows any secret, the whole of Gryffindor will know it in just one night.

"Okay, okay, I know, I know." Ron's face turned the same color as his hair, embarrassed. "Let's go back, I'm starving."

With that, he strode quickly toward the Gryffindor Tower.

Harry and Hermione followed behind Ron, gradually falling some distance behind. Harry glanced at Ron's back and whispered, "Hermione, is that Evan from Ravenclaw?"

"After thinking it over, the only one who can easily defeat the giant, and who is related to us—or more precisely, to you—is the one who can come and save us."

Hermione looked at Harry with some surprise. She hadn't expected that Harry, who had always been as reckless as Ron, would actually learn to think!

"Yes, I guessed it was him too." Hermione nodded. Harry had already guessed, so she had no reason to deny it for Ike.

"But why didn't you say it just now?" Harry asked again.

"Harry." Hermione stopped and looked at Harry. "Did you see Ike just now?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

"There's a spell called the Disappearance Charm, which makes a person invisible." Hermione continued walking. "I know, Ike has been practicing this spell lately, but I don't know if he's succeeded, since it's something that's usually learned in seventh grade."

"Obviously, he succeeded." Harry shrugged. He had no concept of the difficulty of the Disillusionment Charm, so he couldn't understand the shock and helplessness in Hermione's tone.

"It's obvious." Hermione nodded. "Using the Disillusionment Charm to hide himself, and then leaving immediately after saving us, he clearly has his own reasons."

"Harry, we can't reveal Ike's secret, especially since he just saved us."

"Okay, you've convinced me. You can trust me to keep this a secret." Harry tilted his head to look at Hermione, patted his chest, and said, "I won't tell Ron."

"That's for the best." Hermione tossed her hair and, without waiting for Harry, ran quickly toward the Gryffindor Tower.

When they arrived in front of the portrait of the fat lady, the door was already open, and Ron was leaning against the door arguing with the fat lady.

"Trust me, they're right behind us, they'll be here soon!"

"Red-haired brat, get out of the way! Three minutes have passed; I'm going to close the door!"

"No, no, no, please believe me, it really only needs to wait a little longer..." Ron suddenly heard footsteps and looked in the direction of the sound, shouting, "Harry! Hermione! Hurry! The Fat Lady is closing the door!"

The two quickened their pace and ran into the archway with Ron.

"We know the password, Ron," Harry said breathlessly.

"Damn it!" Ron was clearly just realizing what was happening, and he slapped his head in frustration.

"I forgot!"

(End of this chapter)