After Charms Class, there was still some time before lunch. Kevin Hawthorne looked at the homework on the parchment and continued to practice the Levitation Charm. This task was no longer a problem for the four of them, as they had all successfully made feathers levitate in Professor Flitwick's class, and the only difference between them was a matter of proficiency.
"I'm very interested in the Hogwarts library and want to go see it," Kevin said as he put away the parchment, his gaze sweeping over his three roommates. "Do you want to come along?"
"Of course!" Wesley immediately stood up excitedly. "I was just looking for books about magical creatures! I saw a moving Dragon painting in the corridor yesterday—it was so cool!"
Fabian smiled gently: "I also want to look at reference books for Potion Class. We have Potion Class tomorrow, and I heard that Professor Snape, who teaches Potion Class, doesn't have a very good temper, so it's better to prepare in advance."
Ernesto raised his eyebrows, his tone slightly arrogant: "Going to the library on the first day of school? You're quite in line with Ravenclaw's style. Of course, the Hogwarts library is indeed very good; it's the place with the most books in all of Britain."
He paused, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward, "However, although my family's collection of books isn't as large as Hogwarts', there are a few unique copies that aren't even here."
Kevin and Fabian exchanged glances, noticing the hint of showing off in Ernesto's words, but they didn't point it out. The four walked up the spiral staircase.
Hogwarts' corridors were intricate, and the figures in the portraits occasionally peeked out to observe them. Wesley walked along, looking around, seemingly wanting to remember every moving painting.
The library's main entrance consisted of a pair of heavy oak doors, carved with complex runes. The moment they pushed the doors open, all four of them froze.
It was a circular hall much larger than it appeared from the outside, with towering bookshelves reaching the ceiling, spiral staircases connecting different floors, thousands of books neatly arranged, and the air filled with the scent of parchment and ink.
"Space-Extension Charm…" Kevin whispered.
"This is bigger than the British Library!" Wesley exclaimed.
As they took a few steps inside, a tall, slender figure flashed out from between the bookshelves. It was Madam Pince, the Hogwarts librarian. Her sharp gaze swept over the bronze eagle crests on their chests, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward.
"Ravenclaw first-years," her voice rustled like turning pages. "Coming to the library on the first day of school—it's truly only Ravenclaw."
"Hello, we'd like to borrow some books," Kevin said politely.
She looked at Kevin and the four of them. "You can call me Madam Pince; I am the librarian. Remember a few rules: no loud noises, no damaging books, the Restricted Section is off-limits, and no eating in the library, understand?"
Everyone quickly nodded to show they understood.
Madam Pince nodded: "Very good. The categorized section is on the left, arranged by subject; the right side is the general section, arranged alphabetically. Reading tables are in the center, and borrowing books requires registration. If you can't find a book, you can come and tell me." After speaking, she left to go to other bookshelves.
The four began to search for books that interested them separately. Kevin's Eye of Truth quietly activated, observing the Magic flow in the library. Most of the books in the general section had no Magic flow, only a portion of the books emitted a soft blue glow, while some ancient books were entwined with golden Magic threads.
As he passed the Restricted Section, his steps involuntarily slowed. It was separated by red ropes, and many books on the shelves were locked with chains, some even enclosed in special glass cases. What concerned him more was that several books were emitting the same black threads as Professor Victor, though far less numerous than those on Professor Victor.
"Don't look there," Ernesto's voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
Kevin withdrew his gaze, pretending to be merely curious: "Why?"
"Most of the books in the Restricted Section carry curses," Ernesto lowered his voice. "Some can drive people mad just by reading them."
It seemed then that these black threads might represent the power of a curse. Kevin's heart suddenly trembled—if the Dark Arts books in the Restricted Section were already so dangerous, how strong must the curse on Professor Victor be? In the original work, Lord Voldemort's curse only prevented the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class teacher from serving more than one year, but Professor Victor's situation seemed more severe…
"Is Lord Voldemort's power already this strong?" Kevin mused to himself. "Or is it because of his current special soul condition that the curse is exacerbated?"
"Kevin?" Fabian's voice pulled him back to reality. "Why are you spacing out? There's an Alchemy section over there."
"Sorry, I got distracted," Kevin temporarily suppressed the questions in his mind and followed Fabian to the Alchemy section.
The ancient books in the Alchemy section were arranged exceptionally neatly. Kevin pulled out a copy of Basic Elemental Transmutation, and on the flyleaf was the autograph of Nicolas Flamel.
"This is the genuine handwriting of a true Alchemist," Kevin whispered.
Ernesto leaned in: "My family has a fragmented copy of Flamel's Elixir of Life, but it's missing key chapters." He paused. "If you're interested, you can come to Griffith Manor for Christmas."
"Thank you for your invitation, Ernesto! But I plan to go home for Christmas," Kevin politely declined Ernesto's invitation.
But this invitation made Fabian look at Ernesto in surprise; pure-blood Wizard families usually do not invite non-pure-blood Wizards as guests.
Ernesto noticed Fabian's gaze. "Don't be so surprised; our Griffith family has always welcomed talented and inquisitive Wizards, unlike the Malfoy family."
Madam Pince's voice suddenly boomed in the History of Magic section: "Put that book down! That 'History of Goblin Rebellions' requires Dragonhide gloves to touch!"
They turned to see a Hufflepuff student frantically dropping a book that was emitting green smoke. Kevin's Eye of Truth saw that the smoke was corroding the student's fingernails, but it quickly stopped.
"This is why you need a librarian," Ernesto uncharacteristically agreed. "Ignorance is more dangerous than Dark Arts."
"I know this book," Fabian explained. "My mother told me about it. It's said to be made from Goblin skin, and the creator, to warn people about Goblins, made the book somewhat corrosive, but it won't cause much harm."
In the end, Kevin borrowed Basic Elemental Transmutation, Wesley took Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fabian chose A Beginner's Guide to Potion Ingredients, and Ernesto hesitated for a moment before finally borrowing Advanced Defensive Spells.
"Members of the Griffith family have always been like this," Ernesto replied calmly, but Kevin noticed his ear tips were red.
As they left the library, Wesley suddenly asked: "Why do some books in the Restricted Section move on their own? I saw a book's cover twitching non-stop."
"You're probably talking about Records of Vivisection," Ernesto's answer made the three stop in their tracks. "It's bound with the skin of executed criminals, and it's said to record the pain of the tortured."
Fabian's face turned pale: "That's too…"
"Evil?" Ernesto showed a complex expression. "That's why my father forbids me from touching the west wing of the family's library. He says some knowledge can corrupt the soul. Without enough willpower to support it, it shouldn't be casually approached."
"However, not all books in the Restricted Section are that dangerous. There are some books that record minor jinxes, which aren't much different from normal spell books. If you're interested, I can get a few from home," Ernesto added.
On the way to the Great Hall, Kevin's thoughts raced, but unfortunately, he still had no clue. Helpless, Kevin could only temporarily set aside the seemingly cursed black threads and his questions about Professor Victor's condition.