Harry, seizing the moment Mrs. Pince turned away, whipped out his Invisibility Cloak and vanished on the spot. He had no idea Hermione was practically fuming, wishing she could hang him up and beat him. Right now, he was standing in front of the shelves in the Restricted Section, searching for any books that might mention the Muddle-Headed Charm.
That's right, it was slowly dawning on him. The book Opening Other People's Minds immediately instructed the reader to learn the Muddle-Headed Charm, and right from the start, it told practitioners to use it on live brains. But Draco Malfoy had said he'd study this book when he was old enough, and from what Harry had seen and heard at Borgin and Burkes, Harry simply couldn't believe Lucius Malfoy would let Draco learn that particular charm.
"There's definitely something wrong with this spell," Harry thought to himself.
Dark Arts of the Mediterranean, Potent Potions... Harry quickly skimmed past rows of unrelated books, finally stopping in front of The Secrets Within the Mind. His gut instinct told him this was the book he was looking for. Just then, he heard Hermione's loud warning from outside. Harry knew he didn't have much time left. He cautiously pulled the book from the shelf, intending to take it back and read it at his leisure.
The next second, a piercing shriek filled the air, and hurried footsteps sounded from outside. Without thinking, Harry quickly tossed the book back, threw on his Invisibility Cloak, and slipped past a charging Mrs. Pince.
(Some readers might think there wouldn't be books on the mind in the Restricted Section, but if Voldemort could find books on Horcruxes there, it's perfectly normal for Harry to find a book about the mind.)
In the reading area outside, Hermione was silently praying for Harry to hurry back.
Suddenly, she noticed Mrs. Pince and Hagrid walking towards them.
"Hagrid, I'm surprised you'd be willing to put this book in the library," Mrs. Pince said with a tone of surprise. Hearing this, Hagrid gave an embarrassed chuckle. In his hand was Norwegian Ridgebacks and the Alchemist, a book written by a medieval alchemist that Dumbledore had specifically acquired from France for Hagrid.
"Well, Professor Dumbledore actually gave me this book. He told me to put it in the Restricted Section after I'd read it," Hagrid said, scratching his head.
Mrs. Pince nodded knowingly. If Professor Dumbledore had arranged it, then it wasn't so strange. Seeing Mrs. Pince and Hagrid getting closer, Hermione didn't have time to think. She grabbed her Potions homework and stood up.
"Madam Pince, I'd like to ask for your advice on my Potions homework!" Hermione said loudly.
Though Mrs. Pince found it odd that Hermione would ask her for advice on Potions homework, she often saw Hermione in the library and knew she was a diligent and studious child. So, she didn't think much of it.
"Miss Granger, please wait a moment. I'll just help Hagrid put his book away first." With that, Mrs. Pince started towards the Restricted Section.
Hermione quickly darted in front of Mrs. Pince, holding up her Potions parchment. "Er, Madam Pince, please, could you help me first? I've been stuck on this problem all day! And I'm sure Hagrid won't mind." Hermione emphasized "mind" when she said it, and Mrs. Pince frowned, staring at her. Hermione kept talking while trying to give Hagrid a meaningful look, desperately hoping he'd catch on.
Hagrid, though unsure what Hermione was up to, was grateful for her help with his essays. "It's alright, Madam Pince, you go help Hermione first. She's the most studious kid in Gryffindor!" Hagrid said.
Since Hagrid had said so, Mrs. Pince had no choice but to stop. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're impossible, Miss Granger." Mrs. Pince took the parchment and glanced at it. "Your explanation of the Hair-Raising Potion is very clear. In my opinion, there's no problem getting an 'Exceeds Expectations' on this."
"But Professor Snape, well, you know he tends to grade Gryffindors rather harshly," Hermione practically shouted, causing students nearby to look over.
While Mrs. Pince would never speak ill of a professor in front of students, she was well aware of Severus Snape's character. "Lower your voice! Alright then, go to the fourth row of the third bookshelf and get last year's fourth issue of Potions Weekly. It has the latest research on Hair-Raising Potion." Mrs. Pince paused, then continued, "Add that, and Professor Snape will at least give you an 'Exceeds Expectations'."
"Thank you, Madam Pince!" Hermione still said it incredibly loudly.
"Miss Granger, if you continue like this, I'll have to ask you to leave. Many people are trying to study quietly!" Mrs. Pince said, frowning.
Hermione could only offer a hushed apology, while inwardly fretting, "Harry, why aren't you out yet? I'm running out of ideas!"
"It's alright, I always like to see children who are passionate about learning—" Mrs. Pince stopped mid-sentence, cocking her head to listen.
A screeching sound echoed from the Restricted Section. Without thinking, Mrs. Pince dashed towards it, and the students in the reading area also turned to look. Hagrid hadn't quite grasped what was happening when Harry suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Hagrid exclaimed in surprise, "Harry, how did you—"
"Shh!" Harry made a gesture to Hagrid, then grimaced. Hermione had angrily twisted his side.
"Harry! Do you know how worried I was..." Hermione's voice trailed off as Mrs. Pince returned.
Mrs. Pince wasn't a fool. She quickly connected Hermione's unusually loud talking to Harry's disappearance from beside her, followed by the disturbance in the Restricted Section. Not to mention, they were both Gryffindors.
Mrs. Pince eyed them suspiciously. "Potter, where were you just now?"
"I was just over by that shelf looking for a book," Harry said calmly.
"Then why aren't you holding a book?"
"I usually just lean against the shelves to read. Unless I'm really interested, I don't take them away."
Mrs. Pince questioned him for a few more moments, but Harry answered every query perfectly. If he couldn't answer, he'd pass it off to Hermione. In the end, Mrs. Pince couldn't find any solid evidence and had to let them go, turning back to check if any books were missing from the Restricted Section.
"Harry, that wasn't very good," Hagrid said, disapproving of Harry's actions but not saying much more, as he was a Gryffindor himself.
As Harry was leaving, he suddenly heard Mrs. Pince's voice from behind them. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I hope next time you visit, you'll choose seats closer to the front."
After leaving the library, Hermione landed a sharp punch on Harry's shoulder. "What book were you looking for, anyway? Was it something about Legilimency?" Hermione demanded, her tone accusatory.
Harry was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Hermione to guess what he'd been searching for.