Harry Potter: Shadow Eminence

Chapter 5.

After attending several classes, Brian came to the realization that he didn't have a significant advantage in his studies. To avoid wasting time, he dedicated nearly all his free hours to studying.

He quickly got a grip on the material he had already covered and started previewing future lessons. As a student from a test-focused educational background, he was more adept at studying than Hermione.

However, he found the textbooks in the wizarding world lacking; relying solely on them led to confusion in certain subjects. He spent a considerable amount of time in the library, diligently searching for various resources under Madam Pince's watchful gaze.

Malfoy found Brian's approach quite strange; he had never been academically inclined and typically thrived on antagonizing Harry Potter and his friends.

Brian, meanwhile, was baffled by Malfoy's behavior. Whenever he inquired about it, Malfoy would arrogantly lift his chin and retort, "It's Potter who is clueless; he'll always regret not accepting my offer and being sorted into that ridiculous Gryffindor, befriending that bunch of fools."

During his downtime, Brian finally stumbled across the tapestry of the giant vanquishing the troll on the eighth floor, finding his way into the Room of Requirement.

Truth be told, he had completely forgotten where the Room of Requirement was located, only recalling it was near a tapestry featuring a giant beating something. He had searched the castle for days because of this, but fortunately, here there were very few giant paintings.

At that moment, he didn't have an urgent need for the Room of Requirement; most of his focus was on spellwork. He was trying to master the Disillusionment Charm to sneak into the Restricted Section in search of the book "Occlumency," allowing him to relax a bit rather than carefully avoiding drawing Dumbledore's attention.

Reality was, however, unforgiving; at his current level, he was simply not capable of learning the Disillusionment Charm, a spell intended for upperclassmen. His magical ability and knowledge still had a long way to go.

He sought out the Room of Requirement just to see if he could collect a witness point.

The outcome was disappointing; the system had left him with no loopholes, and it was clear that no significant events had occurred in that space.

Brian faced obstacles in his academic endeavors, advancing his studies only incrementally. During this period, he formed a friendship with Daphne Greengrass.

Daphne had a habit of sitting by the window in the common room, resting her hand on the sill, chin propped up, gazing out at the enchanting scenery of the lake.

Whenever a large shadow passed by, her blue eyes would widen, and she would press her face against the glass, curious to see what kind of creature it was.

Sometimes, Brian would read by the fireplace, and Daphne would approach him with questions she had trouble understanding. As time went on, they grew closer, to the point where Daphne would occasionally tease him.

On the surface, she seemed cold, but underneath, she radiated warmth. She could be standoffish with strangers, yet once familiar, it was evident she enjoyed laughter and good-natured jokes. Sincere and friendly to her friends, she was always willing to lend a hand.

Generally, she was quite independent.

What put Brian at ease was that while she acknowledged the pure-blood theory, she wasn't extreme about it and didn't constantly discuss it.

Through their talks, Brian learned that Daphne had a younger sister, two years her junior, who was in poor health. Daphne often worried about her sister's chances of receiving an acceptance letter from Hogwarts.

Brian would frequently take the time to chat with Daphne, which invigorated him, making him feel youthful and energetic rather than slowly withering away in solitude.

Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. Thanks to his relentless studying, his grades began to stand out, establishing him as Slytherin's academic star. Naturally, he still had a ways to go to catch up with Miss Granger, largely due to his somewhat unruly wand.

Standing before a library bookshelf, Brian reached for the top copy of "Hogwarts: A History," only to find another hand resting on it.

"Sorry, you can take it," both voices said simultaneously.

Brian paused and withdrew his hand, realizing the other hand had done the same.

"Why don't you keep it if you need it? I was only going to read it casually; honestly, I'm fine with anything else," the female voice suggested softly.

A peculiar feeling washed over Brian; he seemed to guess who it was. When he turned, he indeed saw it was Miss Hermione Granger.

The girl, who was awkwardly trying to explain herself, frowned slightly upon seeing his face and attempted to walk away.

"Miss Granger, are you no longer interested in this book? I was merely curious to take a look," Brian said gently.

Surprised by his polite and soft-spoken tone, Hermione turned back.

Brian handed her the book, and with some hesitation, Hermione took it.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't want to... I thought you wouldn't like me asking..." she stammered, a slight blush creeping onto her face. Realizing how awkward this sounded, she cleared her throat and began to elaborate on the history of Hogwarts.

When in her element, Hermione's eyes sparkled with confidence. Brian listened with a smile, occasionally nodding and making comments, resulting in an enjoyable and engaging conversation.

She chatted excitedly, pleased that someone was willing to engage with her on these intriguing topics.

Since arriving at Hogwarts, Hermione hadn't gained much popularity, as her obsessive need to meddle and somewhat self-important attitude alienated her from many.

However, Miss Know-It-All lived up to her title; her extensive knowledge left Brian in awe, and he marveled at the brilliance that existed in the world. At the very least, her memory was exceptional; she rarely forgot what she had read.

Brian smiled as he absorbed Hermione's soft-spoken words. It was apparent that her peers preferred candy, Quidditch, or wizard chess over her interests.

He gazed compassionately at her; for a girl yearning for validation, he simply wanted to offer support and understanding.

Their moment was interrupted when Madam Pince approached and ushered them out of the library.

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as she apologized, "Sorry, I thought you all... you know, you don't like me because of... but you seem different."

After she finished her thought, Brian smiled softly and replied, "It's okay, I can understand their perspective, even if I don't share it. I owe you an apology too; that was unfair of me."

"But I apologize for Slytherin's bias against you, and you apologize for assuming we all dislike you. I think we're even now, right?" Brian concluded, his expression calm and gentle.

Hermione chuckled, meeting Brian's warm yet slightly melancholic eyes, feeling more at ease as she remarked, "That's quite a convoluted logic."

"Thank you for the conversation; I should head back now," she said, waving goodbye.

As Brian watched her walk away, his thoughts turned deep.

Why did he feel compelled to get to know her? He couldn't quite articulate it. He could have easily walked away, avoiding the trouble.

Perhaps it was his fondness for this character from his previous life, or maybe he was simply touched by her presence, or it could be the potential benefit of gaining witness points by connecting with her... He couldn't sort through his thoughts and didn't dwell on it; he merely called out to her on a whim.

"It doesn't have to be so complicated; this is a fairy tale, isn't it?" Brian smiled slightly, "Sometimes, acting spontaneously is nice."

He rested the book against his chin and fell into introspection.

In the days that followed, Brian and Hermione grew increasingly familiar with each other. Their encounters in the library became more frequent.

Unexpectedly, they found more common ground than even Daphne could muster.

At times, Hermione would share interesting stories and insights from the Muggle world, especially once she realized Brian showed no aversion to such topics. She seemed determined to shift their opinions about Muggles.

Brian could only smile and listen patiently, even though he was deeply familiar with the subjects she discussed—he could have conversed with her about them for days on end.

However, Draco Malfoy was not pleased with this. Hearing from Pansy Parkinson that Brian had been spending time with Hermione, he chastised him for "getting too close to a Mudblood," labeling it "degrading," and claimed he would inform his father, Mr. Walker, about it.

Brian dismissed the idea of whether Draco would actually tell his father; he could simply act as if he hadn't heard. Nonetheless, he was reluctant to hear that term "Mudblood," so he looked at Draco.

"Insulting others isn't right, Draco. Besides, it's not something you should say if you can't handle it when someone returns the favor," Brian addressed him calmly, but Malfoy merely turned his head away, haughty as ever.