An hour later, Harry finally emerged from the kitchens, his steps noticeably lighter. He'd eaten more than he usually managed in an entire week, and still didn't feel uncomfortably full, in fact he felt he could continue eating more.
Before leaving, he had the foresight to quietly stash a generous amount of food into his system inventory — not just for himself, but also for Zarina, who'd declared earlier that pastries were the fuel of fairies and intellectuals.
Now, standing alone in the corridor just outside the kitchen, the quiet of the early morning settling around him, Harry glanced left, then right, uncertain.
"Alright…" he muttered. "Where to now?"
He didn't get a chance to think much further.
"Hey, Harry," Zarina's voice rang cheerily from within his mental library.
He raised a brow, amused. "Not calling me 'Master' anymore?"
"Of course I will," she said innocently, then added with a sly grin in her voice, "Just only in front of Hermione."
Harry groaned and rolled his eyes. "You're going to get me murdered."
"Pfft, it'll be worth it," she teased.
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Alright then, Queen of Sass. Any bright ideas about what I should do now?"
"Actually, yes," Zarina said, a bit more seriously. "You should head to the library."
Harry blinked. "The library? It's not even seven yet."
"Exactly. It'll be empty. Perfect time to start fixing that embarrassingly low magical theory knowledge of yours."
"I have classes later, you know," Harry replied flatly.
"Classes?" Zarina scoffed. "You're a Triwizard Champion now. You don't have to go to classes."
Harry frowned. "I still need to learn magic—"
"And I can teach you far better than half those professors," Zarina cut in, sounding mildly offended. "Especially that walking vat of vinegar they call Snape."
Harry gave a dry laugh. "You're not exactly experienced either."
"No, but I would be an adequate teacher for you, I can easily understand anything and cross referance it and explain it to your in simpler terms. Plus, I don't have to slow everything down for Ron or Neville. With me, you won't be spending three classes practicing one spell until even the slowest student gets it."
She let the words hang, then added slyly, "We'll go faster. Much faster. And more efficiently."
Harry exhaled through his nose, thinking it over. She had a point — several, actually. He'd wasted a lot of time repeating spells just to stay at the pace of the class, or because someone else couldn't get the wand movement right. And with danger looming on the horizon — Voldemort, the Tournament, Merlin knew what else — maybe it really was time to stop playing catch-up.
"Fine," he said after a pause. "But only theory stuff. No random spell-flinging in the middle of the library."
Zarina hummed. "Deal. For now."
And with a shake of his head — half amused, half resigned — Harry turned and began walking toward the Grand Staircase.
-----
As Harry climbed the Grand Staircase and made his way toward the library, the castle began to stir. Footsteps echoed from distant corridors, sleepy students trickling out of their common rooms, rubbing their eyes and yawning.
He passed a pair of Ravenclaws near the second-floor landing. One of them stiffened, elbowed the other, and quickly turned away — but not before Harry caught the muttered words.
" Here comes the cheater."
Another group — two Hufflepuffs and a Slytherin — walked by whispering not-so-quietly.
"Bet he used Dark magic to outfly the Horntail."
"Fame-hungry, cheater."
Harry's steps slowed, jaw tightening. The anger was immediate — hot and low, curling in his chest. His fingers twitched as though itching for his wand.
Zarina's voice broke through, cool and dismissive from his mindscape. "Insects. Pathetic, envious little things. You shine and they shrivel. Let them choke on their own mediocrity."
Harry didn't respond, but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. Zarina might be dramatic, but she had a knack for cutting right through the noise.
He ignored the whispers, eyes forward, and kept walking.
By the time he reached the entrance to the library, the corridors had thinned out. A few early-rising prefects moved about, and one young Ravenclaw girl nearly tripped over her own feet trying to avoid looking at him.
The heavy doors of the Hogwarts Library creaked open under his hand.
The familiar scent of old parchment, polished wood, and ink immediately filled his lungs. The vast space was quiet, cool, and slightly dim — morning light trickling through high windows in golden streaks. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves loomed in all directions like silent guardians of knowledge.
Behind the front desk sat Madam Pince, her severe bun and sharp features as intimidating as ever. She glanced up from her cataloguing work, eyes narrowing slightly when they met Harry's.
Harry offered her a polite nod and moved on. Her gaze followed him for a few steps, then returned to her work.
Under Zarina's direction, he headed straight for the first-year magical theory section.
"Really?" Harry muttered under his breath as he crouched to scan the titles. "First-year books?"
Zarina's mental voice was firm. "Yes. Because we are starting from the foundation. Your basics are full of holes, and you know it. No fancy spells until you know the why behind the magic."
Grumbling, Harry grabbed The Beginner's Guide to Magical Theory of all subjects: Year One, then followed it with the second, third, and fourth-year editions.
Still grumbling that he couldn't read all these books within a day, it would take time but Zarina insisted he pick them all.
He carefully stacked the books in his arms and moved deeper into the library, weaving through shelves until he found a quiet nook hidden between Arithmancy and obscure wandlore volumes — far from Madam Pince's line of sight.
With a sigh, he dropped the books onto the table and pulled out a chair.
"Alright," Harry mumbled, settling into the chair. "Now what? Which book should I start with?"
"No, no—don't open the books. Just follow my instructions," Zarina said, her tone suddenly mysterious.
Harry raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by her theatrics. He gestured vaguely. "Alright… go on, O Wise One."
Zarina giggled from within his mindscape. "Perk of being a spirit born from the World Tree of Knowledge: I can scan books just by touching them. Absorb all their information directly."
Harry blinked. "You can do that?"
"Mhm! And since I'm bound to your soul as your familiar… you can do it too."
That made Harry sit up straighter, a spark of genuine excitement flashing across his face. "Wait—really?"
"Really," Zarina confirmed. "Just place your wand on a book, focus your intent, and it'll begin the scan. The knowledge will integrate into your memory bit by bit."
He reached for the first book on the pile, already halfway through lifting it before Zarina cut him off sharply.
"But—!" she warned, voice serious now. "There's a downside."
Harry froze. "Of course there is."
Zarina hummed. "It consumes mental power. And if you scan too many books too quickly, or overload beyond your mental limits, you'll black out and wake up drooling in the St. Mungo's long-term ward for magically fried brains."
Harry slowly put the book back down. "…Right. One by one, then."
"Exactly." Zarina's tone lightened again. "Don't worry. We'll build your tolerance. But for now—slow and steady."
Harry leaned back, grin returning. "This is… bloody brilliant, Hermione is gonna be so jealous of me. Why wasn't this mentioned anywhere? I didn't see it in the system description."
"Because not everything is listed, Master Genius," Zarina teased. "Only major or combat-relevant abilities appear in summaries. Utility perks like this one? Hidden bonuses."
Harry frowned thoughtfully. "So… what else is hidden?"
Zarina giggled. " "Oh, plenty but it would be much fun if you find them yourself. And let's not forget the big black scythe you keep pretending doesn't exist. That thing has lots of useful abilities, you know."
Harry groaned, covering his face with both hands. "Why do I feel like my inventory is a collection of future headaches?"
"Because it is," Zarina chirped cheerfully. "Now, hand on the book. Let's see how much your brain can handle before it starts smoking."
Harry rolled his eyes, but obeyed.
He reached for The Beginner's Guide to Magical Theory: Year One, took out his wand from system inventory and touched the top on the cover, and closed his eyes.
x------x
CHAPTER:- [20- AFTERMATH] IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON.
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