Hermione Granger's Point of View
The rustle of parchment was a comfort. Hermione Granger sat in the Gryffindor common room, legs tucked beneath her, surrounded by books she'd checked out from the library that very afternoon. She had created a fortress of knowledge, one for each subject. A Charms primer to her left, Magical Theory behind her, and Hogwarts: A History—her personal favorite—open in her lap.
Most first-years hadn't bothered to even skim the syllabus. That was already bothering her. What bothered her even more was Elias Blake.
Elias wasn't loud, nor was he disrespectful. But there was something about him—something maddeningly unreadable. He was intelligent, maybe more than she had initially thought, and oddly composed for someone their age. He paid attention in class but didn't always volunteer answers. He had a curious calm in his eyes, like he'd seen more than he let on. That irritated Hermione.
And yet… it intrigued her too.
She sighed and flipped a page. Elias had helped her once—briefly, and without condescension—during Flying class. Just a word of encouragement and a slight nudge on how to hold the broom properly. It wasn't patronizing, which was rare. Most boys didn't know how to talk without sounding like they were explaining the world.
Still, there was something else she'd noticed. He was deliberate. Like everything he did had weight, had calculation behind it. That was either a very dangerous quality… or a very useful one.
Hermione shut her book and looked around the common room. Harry and Ron were off playing wizard chess again. She liked Harry, at least from what she'd seen—brave, a bit overwhelmed, but kind. Ron was rough around the edges, but she suspected he was more loyal than he let on.
And then there was Elias, sometimes reading, sometimes sketching things in a little notebook. He didn't boast like the Slytherins. He wasn't overly friendly either. He was… balanced.
Too balanced.
She stood, smoothing out her robes. It had been just over a month since they'd started school. She had all her notes in color-coded folders, an early lead on every subject except Herbology, where Neville oddly shined. And she had memorized the first fifty spells in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1. She'd practiced wand movement until her hand cramped.
And yet… she didn't feel ahead. Not entirely.
Because of Elias.
Earlier That Week – Astronomy Tower
She'd seen him there. Sitting still on one of the stone benches during a break in their stargazing schedule. He wasn't looking at the sky. He was looking at his wand… and whispering.
She had leaned in just slightly to hear, but the wind had carried the words away. Still, she thought she saw a faint shimmer near his wand tip, like a spell half-cast or restrained. No teacher had taught them anything that subtle yet.
And when he'd turned—just slightly—she'd caught a glimpse of something she hadn't expected.
Grief.
It was there, for just a second, in his expression. And then it was gone.
Hermione didn't ask him about it.
Present – Hogwarts Library
She flipped through another book now, alone at a table while Madame Pince patrolled the aisles. Advanced Magical Structures. Far above their level. But it had something Elias had mentioned once in passing—a brief comment about magical reinforcement matrices. She had pretended not to hear, not to care. But she had written the term down in the margin of her notebook.
It wasn't jealousy. Not exactly.
It was the fact that someone else had knowledge she didn't. That was what unnerved her.
And Hermione Granger hated being unprepared.
Later That Evening – Her Diary Entry
September 30th
Today was a quiet day. Transfiguration was decent—Professor McGonagall says I'm ahead of the curve. That made me feel better. Ron and Harry are still reckless, but I suppose they mean well.
Elias Blake continues to puzzle me. He's not like the others. He doesn't seem to want attention, but he gets it anyway. There's something he's holding back. I think he's been practicing magic privately, though I have no proof.
I'm not sure if I admire him or if he just irritates me. Probably both.
I'm going to study magical theory even harder. I won't let myself fall behind. Not even behind him.
—Hermione