"What?! You guys figured it out? Yep, that's me."
Rock pretended to act shocked.
Theo and Adam exchanged a look—both seeing the same I can't believe this guy expression in each other's eyes.
"You really have no shame, huh? How can you say something that shameless with a straight face?" Theo tugged Rock's cheek, worried for humanity.
Rock rolled his eyes and slapped Theo's hand away. "If I don't say that, what do you want me to say? 'Oh, I'm a useless genius'? Please."
"Unbelievable. You're already that good and you still deny it. What does that make the rest of us?"
"Yeah—if this were the Muggle world, you'd get punched for that kind of talk!"
"I still can't do anything except the Levitation Charm."
"And I still can't change a matchstick into a needle."
Theo and Adam both shook their heads. "So it's settled—you're a hardworking genius."
"Pfft—hahaha!"
They burst out laughing.
Rock looked to the sky. Merlin's beard… someone please lock these two in a dorm room forever. Boys' dorm, boys' section. Separate from society.
"Hi!"
A crisp voice cut into their conversation. Rock turned around to see Hermione standing behind them, hugging a stack of books.
"Hermione? What's up?" Rock asked, confused.
Theo immediately shoved Adam aside and pulled out a chair. "Ladies first. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." Hermione nodded politely and sat down.
Adam muttered under his breath, "Traitor… abandoning your brothers the second a girl shows up."
"That side of the hall is way too loud. I thought they were only going to discuss for a minute."
Hermione sighed as soon as she sat.
At that, all three boys clamped their mouths shut.
Agree with her? They were Ravenclaws—that'd feel wrong.
Disagree? Well… she wasn't wrong. It was loud.
"Right—what are you doing after classes tomorrow morning?" Hermione asked, turning to Rock.
"Me?"
Rock pointed at himself, confused.
"Yeah. I've been going to the library on my own these past few days, and there are some questions I can't really talk through with anyone."
She looked at him with visible hope.
Their conversation on the train had done wonders for her confidence—and Rock was the only person so far who didn't think she was annoying.
The past few days of classes had practically crushed her confidence.
And on top of that, she'd heard other students talking about Rock.
The professors loved him—all of them. Even Snape hadn't found an opportunity to pick on him. He was the perfect study partner.
Theo and Adam stared at her, mouths open. They were wrong.
Compared to Rock, she was the real hardworking genius.
Who spends all day in the library just days after arriving at Hogwarts?
Did the Sorting Hat malfunction? How did someone like this end up in Gryffindor?
Rock chewed his roast beef, thinking. Tomorrow morning's class was Herbology. After that he had no real plans.
Plus he'd already found the Room of Requirement, and he'd explored most of the castle minus a few secret passages. All he could do now was wait for Theseus' reply.
"Nothing planned. I'll come find you at the library," Rock said.
He actually wanted to talk with her.
His skill-grinding system panel was useful, sure… but he was grinding blindly.
He'd made a few small plans, but it still felt messy.
Short-term wasn't a problem—but even before school started, he'd already felt that creeping fatigue.
Without a real schedule, his efficiency would nosedive.
And if anyone could organize an unbelievably complex schedule… it was Hermione.
By third year, she used a Time-Turner to attend every elective without missing a second.
That level of discipline was a superpower.
"Great! Then it's settled!"
Hermione lit up, relieved to have found someone on her wavelength.
Honestly, she'd been miserable at Hogwarts so far.
Gryffindor had almost no students who actually read in the common room—they were always playing or chatting. She often ended up studying alone in the dorm.
"Oh—right. I heard you only needed two tries to change the matchstick into a needle. Do you have a trick for that?"
Rock repeated everything he'd said in Transfiguration class, and one question turned into ten.
Hermione pulled out her notebook.
Rock tried thinking of the best way to answer.
Theo and Adam slowly scooted away—they were getting dizzy listening.
After a while, Hermione finally finished asking everything she had written down.
She said goodbye, hugged her books, and headed for her dorm.
The moment she left, Theo leaned in with a grin that was getting… unhealthy.
"Say whatever you're thinking, but don't give me that gossip-gremlin face." Rock pushed him away.
"Well? You two—are you…?" Theo wiggled his eyebrows. Adam nodded behind him.
"No. Absolutely not."
Rock shook his head immediately. "Studying together doesn't mean I like her."
Huh.
Theo actually paused… and nodded.
Fair point. Ravenclaws who study together are everywhere. They're not all dating.
And thinking back—Hermione and Rock only talked about schoolwork from start to finish.
Rock wiped his hands on a napkin. It was getting late, so they started heading toward the Ravenclaw common room.
"You think the Sorting Hat messed up putting Hermione in Gryffindor?" Theo asked.
"I have no idea. I was just a normal person before coming to Hogwarts," Adam said, refusing to comment.
Rock shook his head. "No. If the Hat put her in Gryffindor, there's a reason."
"And who says loving books means you belong in Ravenclaw?"
"True," Theo nodded. No one ever questioned the Sorting Hat—it was practically law.
"Oh—do you guys want to come too?" Rock asked suddenly.
"Nope. After what happened today, I'm staying in the Ravenclaw common room for a few days," Adam said immediately.
His run-in on the eighth floor still haunted him. He needed time before exploring again.
Theo also declined. Hermione hadn't invited them, and listening to two geniuses talk about school sounded like torture. He'd rather play chess with Adam.
Rock nodded and didn't press further. His mind was already drifting to tomorrow—how should he ask Hermione to help him design a proper plan?