chapter 72

The library.

Robert and Tom found a table by the window.

The quill in Tom's hand moved swiftly across the parchment, making a faint rustling sound.

For him, the Transfiguration essay was simple.

Of course, it would have been much easier if the person sitting nearby wasn't flipping through books frantically, creating a lot of noise.

"I say, could you be a little quieter? You're flipping through the book so fast—what can you possibly comprehend at that speed? You're only disturbing my writing," Tom said, clearly annoyed.

Upon hearing this, Robert not only refused to slow down but started flipping through the pages even faster.

"You don't understand. This is called quantum reading."

"What?"

"Quantum… never mind. Can you just stop interrupting me? I'm trying to read!"

Tom threw down his quill in frustration. "Who's disturbing whom here?!"

"Forget it. I can't write this paper anymore! If someone else wants to finish it, they can do it themselves!"

Robert, having finished his book, closed the notebook Professor Slughorn had given him. Thanks to his strong memory, he had already absorbed the main points.

"Where are you going?" Tom asked, frowning.

"Now that I've finished reading, I have other things to do."

"So, you're not writing your essay?"

"Why the rush? It's not due until next week. What kind of student finishes an assignment early instead of waiting until the last minute?"

Watching Robert walk out of the library, Tom sighed helplessly.

"Inexplicable..."

It was obvious that Robert had something on his mind. The conversation they had just had was merely an excuse to brush him off.

Tom suspected Robert himself didn't even know what he was saying.

Could it be related to Annie Rozier? Tom narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Robert walked briskly through the Hogwarts corridors, silently memorizing the paths as he moved.

Every painting's location, every statue's placement—he committed them all to memory.

In the wizarding world, paintings weren't just decorations; their characters could move, talk, and even visit other frames. Any portrait could serve as a spy, much like a magical surveillance system.

If Robert wanted to keep his secrets, he would need to be cautious. During his planned nighttime excursion, he would not only have to avoid patrolling professors but also be wary of these ever-watchful paintings.

The Disillusionment Charm wouldn't make him entirely invisible—his outline would still be faintly visible when he moved. That meant he would have to pass through portrait-heavy areas as slowly as possible.

If only he had the Potters' Invisibility Cloak...

Thanks to his strong memory, Robert only needed to walk through an area once to recall its layout.

By the time he arrived at the Great Hall for dinner, he had memorized most of Hogwarts' visible routes.

It was like constructing a mental map of the castle.

"Weide! Where have you been all day?" Annie immediately questioned him upon seeing him.

They had spent the morning exploring the castle together, but at some point, she had lost track of him.

After searching for him all afternoon, she only managed to find him now—at the Slytherin table, preparing to eat.

Robert flashed a professional smile. "Ah, Annie! Great to see you again. Hogwarts Castle is fascinating. One second I was following you, and the next, you were gone! I spent the entire afternoon looking for you but couldn't find you. Is this castle bigger than it seems?"

Annie blinked in confusion.

Wait… shouldn't those be her lines?

After all, she was the one searching for him all afternoon!

"Oh... Well, I'm glad you're okay. I was worried you'd fallen into one of Hogwarts' many hidden chambers. My father once told me there are quite a few secret rooms in this castle," she said.

"Secret rooms?" Robert asked, suddenly interested. "Do you know where they are?"

"Uh…" Annie hesitated. She had only been repeating something her father had mentioned—she had no idea where any secret rooms actually were.

"My father never told me the exact locations," she admitted.

"That's a shame. If there really are secret rooms, I'd love to explore them. Don't you think so, Tom?" Robert said, turning to Tom with a grin.

Tom, who was peeling eggs for Nagini, looked up, confused.

"If you're talking about the Chamber of Secrets, just say it. Why ask me?"

Robert chuckled. "I'm just curious. When Hogwarts' founders built the castle, they must have left behind hidden rooms filled with treasure, right?"

"You know what? That actually sounds plausible," Annie said excitedly. "Especially Salazar Slytherin! He left Hogwarts after arguing with the other founders—it's possible he hid something here."

Robert studied her carefully. Was she merely guessing, or did she already know something?

"Even if he left something behind, it doesn't concern us," Tom said flatly. "It won't help me learn anything new or make me stronger."

"But what if he left behind his own spell manuscripts?" Robert countered.

Tom paused, considering. "Well… that would be interesting." His eyes flashed with curiosity. "Still, magic has advanced a lot since his time. What he left behind may not be as powerful anymore."

Robert smirked. "Tom, I have to admit, your sudden skepticism surprises me."

"I'm always rational, Robert." Tom placed the peeled eggs in front of Nagini without expression.

Annie, however, was staring at Tom in shock.

"Did… did you just talk to the snake?"

"Yeah, so what?" Tom responded coolly.

"You don't understand," Annie said eagerly. "Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth! It's said that his descendants can speak Parseltongue, too. Tom, could you be related to Slytherin by blood?"

For the first time, Tom's composed expression cracked. His eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"I'm not sure… Are you serious?" Tom asked, his voice unusually tense.

"Of course! But it's not exclusive to Slytherin's descendants. There have been other Parselmouths throughout history."

Even though she tried to downplay it, the thought had already taken root in Tom's mind.

Robert, observing this, made no effort to intervene. He was curious how this knowledge would affect Tom—who had already deviated significantly from the original timeline.

One thing was clear: Robert could no longer rely too much on his past knowledge of the story. His presence had already altered too much.

After dinner, Tom rushed back to the library, no longer interested in Transfiguration essays.

This time, he wasn't looking for spellbooks.

He was searching for books on magical ancestry—specifically, anything related to the inheritance of the Slytherin bloodline.

Robert, however, had no intention of joining him.

For him, the books available to Hogwarts students were no longer appealing.

Only the Restricted Section held anything of real value.

There, Hogwarts had amassed countless books on Dark Magic—texts unavailable anywhere else.

Even the secret collections of the Sommerno family paled in comparison.

More than just dangerous spells, the Restricted Section contained the notes of past students—hidden wisdom passed down in secret.

But getting in wouldn't be easy.

During the day, students needed a professor's signed permission to even request a book from the Restricted Section. They weren't allowed to enter themselves.

If Robert wanted those forbidden books, he'd have to take a… less conventional approach.

He had already chosen a date—tonight.

First, he would retrieve the senior's notebook.

Then, he would head into the Forbidden Forest to locate the ancient magic source mentioned in those pages.

(End of Chapter)

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