Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 138 Letter

Ike's suitcase was neatly organized, and he had hung nameplates on the doors of each of the partitioned rooms.

Hermione passed through the potions room, alchemy room, lounge, and two laboratories before stopping outside the study.

Pushing open the door, he felt a sense of oppression. Ike waved his wand, a flash of white light, and the feeling disappeared.

The four walls are lined with bookshelves, piled high with all sorts of magic books, all handwritten by Ike.

For a whole year, he had been copying books from the forbidden section. Since the copying spells on the vast majority of those books were ineffective, Ike had no choice but to resort to this most primitive method.

The results have been remarkable; he has already copied 70% of the books, and the rest will likely be completed in a few more months.

Of course, this is all on the premise that he can still obtain the time converter, but there's not much to worry about in that regard.

"These... are from the restricted section?" Hermione pulled out a book and immediately recognized its origin.

"That's right, but that's not the most important thing." Ike led Hermione to the desk and unfolded the parchment that had been rolled up on it.

"This is the one I really want you to see, the most precious one of all the books—the Ravenclaw manuscript."

"My God! There really is such a thing!" Hermione was completely taken aback.

"The four founders have all left behind precious legacies for Hogwarts. The Gryffindor sword, the Ravenclaw tiara, the Hufflepuff cup, and the Slytherin locket are the most well-known, but in addition to these, they should also have left behind a legacy of their own magic."

"Actually, it was Professor Flitwick who gave me the idea, and it was hidden in the Room of Requirement."

"So, that's why your grades are better than mine?" Hermione punched Ike on the shoulder. "So, can I watch?"

"Of course, you are free to browse through everything here."

"Actually, you can drag the suitcase to your room, as long as you return it to me before school starts." Ike spread his hands and shrugged.

"Alright." Hermione nodded. "Then, Mr. Strayed, please leave 'my' suitcase; I'm taking it back to my room."

"Honestly, I can't wait!"

"Relax, the holiday is still long, you have plenty of time."

The two of them got out of their suitcases and chatted for a while before Mrs. Granger urged them on, realizing that it was already noon.

Once back in Mr. Granger's car, the atmosphere improved considerably. With Mrs. Granger present, everyone chatted and laughed, even sharing a few amusing anecdotes from Hermione's childhood, which resulted in Ike getting hit a few more times for no reason.

We didn't choose a high-end restaurant, but it was still very good; the dishes were exquisite and delicious.

This was the first time Ike had eaten such delicious food outside of Hogwarts, which was quite unexpected. He had never eaten in a restaurant outside the orphanage.

After dinner, the Grangers took Hermione and Ike to see some of London's most famous attractions. It was still very crowded, as is typical during peak tourist season, and to be honest, the experience was a little less than ideal.

But Ekko was already very satisfied.

Around four o'clock, they returned home. Mrs. Granger ushered the two children upstairs and busied herself in the kitchen. Around seven o'clock, a dinner no less lavish than lunch was laid out, filling the long table. There was even a dish that was only made at Christmas each year, a closely guarded secret of the Granger family matriarchs.

Perhaps it was the delicious food in front of him, but Mr. Granger seemed to be in a very good mood, chatting and laughing, and even telling stories he kept from the party.

Hermione whispered this after dinner; she had heard it countless times, but each time she acted as if it were the first time.

But in Ike's opinion, it was a very good story. Ignoring the exaggerations, it was still a legend. Very few people could actually take down seven or eight rabid fans from an opposing team head-on.

Well... considering the fighting spirit of British football 'fans,' it's not really that 'legendary.'

For the next few days, since the Grangers had to work, Hermione took Ike sightseeing in London. They visited most of the other attractions in a whirlwind tour, but they thoroughly explored the British Museum.

Perhaps because of their identities as wizards, the two paid more attention to things with a slightly mystical aspect, some of which even gave Ike some inspiration.

This is quite remarkable, as despite the centuries of "de-magicification" efforts by wizards in the secular world, there are still many clues pointing to this hidden world.

"Actually, there are still some magical items in there," Ike told Hermione after they returned. "It's just that the magical traces on those items are too weak to be triggered anymore."

"It must have been screened by the Ministry of Magic. If something really goes wrong in such a big museum, no one can afford the consequences." Hermione nodded.

After a few days of playing around, the two finally calmed down. Ike picked up a few books to review his old ones, while Hermione devoted herself to studying the Ravenclaw manuscripts.

With Ike's notes, getting started was easy. But the further she went, the more profound the subject became, and before long Hermione couldn't keep up. She had no choice but to study the books Ike had listed one by one.

Without a time-tamper, the process was painful, but Hermione enjoyed it, as she could clearly feel her magical abilities improving.

Progress is a good thing.

After this period of contact, Mr. Granger's attitude towards Ike has changed significantly, and even their interactions are no longer awkward.

It seems... she's resigned to her fate?

August arrived peacefully, and Hermione, engrossed in her studies, rarely even replied to letters. Later, she didn't even read a few of them, devoting all her energy to her books.

This drove the owls crazy, and they would come over almost every day.

"Hermione, another letter from you." Ike reminded Hermione across the hall, looking at the owl that was tirelessly tapping on the window.

Hermione glanced up once, then looked down again.

"That's not a letter for me, and I've never seen this owl before."

"Not for you?" Ike thought for a moment, then got up and opened the window to let the little guy fly in.

The letter was taken down; the envelope was blank, and inside was just a blank sheet of paper.

He frowned slightly, and suddenly ink marks appeared on the white paper.

"11 PM two days later."

Suddenly, the paper burst into flames and turned to ashes on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Ike sighed softly, found a broom to clean up, and picked up his book to read again.

"Are you leaving?"

Hermione arrived at some point, her expression somewhat serious.

"I'll be back soon," Ike replied with a smile.

"Don't walk too long, we still need to go see the Quidditch World Cup."

"You know I've never really liked Quidditch..."

Are you going?

"go!"

(End of this chapter)