During his experiments just now, Ivan noticed a hidden factor—one that significantly influenced his learning efficiency and speed: prior knowledge accumution.
This expined why reading Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration had only consumed about twenty minutes of his "Schor Mode" experience, whereas Fundamentals of Spell Theory took much longer—thirty minutes had barely gotten him halfway through.
The reason for the faster reading speed with the transfiguration guide was twofold: first, Ivan already had some foundational knowledge of transfiguration spells; second, he had skimmed through the book beforehand, which meant he was already familiar with the content.
On the other hand, Fundamentals of Spell Theory covered a broader range of topics, and since Ivan had not reviewed it in advance, his reading speed slowed considerably.
Now that he had analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of "Schor Mode," Ivan quickly realized the optimal way to maximize his study time. The best approach would be to first skim through the relevant books, then activate "Schor Mode" to enhance comprehension and critical thinking, and finally review the material once more. This way, he could make the most of the hour-long boost.
Additionally, fully understanding each magical text earned him academic points, and leveling up his spell proficiency also granted extra points, which he could then exchange for more "Schor Mode" experiences. In this loop of continuous improvement, wouldn't his magical prowess skyrocket?
Just from reading half of Fundamentals of Spell Theory, Ivan had already increased his proficiency in all the spells he knew. His Levitation Charm and Disarming Charm had even reached Level 1—on par with his Transfiguration spell—rewarding him with ten additional academic points.
This meant that, despite having spent all his points earlier, he had now regained twenty, significantly shortening the time needed to earn the next "Schor Mode" boost.
With this realization, Ivan gnced around at the vast collection of books in the library and suddenly understood—these were all potential academic points!
If he could read them all, he could barely fathom the level of magical power he would reach.
Reignited with determination, Ivan was just about to dive back into his studies when—
"Library hours are over!"
Only then did Ivan notice that he had been in the library for over three hours.
"Knowledge is important, children, but so is proper rest! Now, return to your respective dormitories at once!" Madam Pince called out as she ushered the lingering students toward the exit.
As the librarian of Hogwarts, she did not dislike students who loved books, as long as they didn’t disturb the peace. However, the library’s operating hours were set by the headmaster, and even she had to enforce the rules.
Seizing the moment, Ivan grabbed the book he had been reading and stepped forward.
"Madam, may I check this book out?" he asked, holding up Fundamentals of Spell Theory.
"Of course, as long as you return it on time," Madam Pince replied absentmindedly, gncing at the title before nodding in approval.
With that, she turned away, scanning the library for the usual troublemakers—those who liked to hide in the stacks, hoping to sneak into the Restricted Section after curfew. There were always a few of them.
Ivan, meanwhile, politely thanked her, took his book, and left. He was eager to test out his improved magic as soon as possible.
Just as he turned to leave—
"Move, move, move!"
A clear, high-pitched voice rang out behind him. Before Ivan could react, someone crashed into him head-on, sending him stumbling straight into the wall. His forehead met cold stone with a dull thud, and he nded unceremoniously on the floor, his book tumbling from his hands.
Fortunately, the impact wasn’t too hard. Rubbing his now slightly red forehead, Ivan picked himself up and retrieved his book before turning to see who had run into him.
The first thing that caught his eye was a mass of wild, bushy brown hair—clearly untamed. The girl’s Hogwarts robes looked a bit oversized, and a few fallen books y scattered beside her.
"Hermione?" Ivan blinked in surprise before quickly piecing things together.
It seemed that the ever-diligent Miss Know-It-All had been so eager to leave when Madam Pince chased her out that she hadn’t noticed him in her path.
"Ivan?" Hermione, still slightly dazed from the collision, accepted Ivan’s offered hand and got to her feet. "Oh, sorry! I must’ve been a bit distracted—I didn’t mean to run into you!"
"It’s fine, just be more careful next time," Ivan replied, shaking his head as he handed Hermione her fallen books. He genuinely didn’t mind.
However, the moment Hermione caught sight of the book in Ivan’s hands, her eyes lit up, and she unched into an excited tirade.
"Oh! Fundamentals of Spell Theory! I borrowed this before—it’s full of useful magical techniques!
Did you know? Strong emotions can dramatically enhance a spell’s power! I had no idea before! But, of course, that requires excellent magical control, or the spell could easily go out of control—"
As she spoke, her voice rose in excitement, and she suddenly pointed at Ivan’s book as if struck by inspiration.
"By the way, learning magic isn’t just about reading—it’s about understanding and memorization! Instead of diving into a book like this, you should focus on memorizing all your textbooks first!"
Her rapid-fire expnation carried an air of superiority, as if she were bestowing great wisdom upon him.
Ivan immediately understood—Hermione must have noticed his accelerated learning toward the end and was now offering her "guidance." It was well-intended, but her patronizing tone made his brow twitch ever so slightly.
"Thanks for the advice," Ivan replied calmly, "but I believe everyone has their own way of learning."
In that moment, he finally understood why Harry, Ron, and the others had found Hermione so insufferable before Halloween.
Honestly, she was a bit much.
"What? That’s not—"
Hermione was about to argue when Ivan decisively cut her off—not with words, but with action.
"Quick Transfiguration!"
With a flick of his wand, he tapped the parchment Hermione had been using for notes. The paper trembled slightly before swelling and shifting. Its rough, fibrous surface smoothed over in an instant, becoming glossy and polished.
Before Hermione’s very eyes, in the span of just a second or two, Ivan executed the spell with seamless precision. His movements were as fluid and confident as Professor McGonagall’s own demonstrations.
By the time the transformation was complete, the once-pin parchment had turned into a thin, delicate sb of jade.
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