RioRaRyu
patreon
Chapter 21: Dispute
🕑 Added 2025-02-11 08:34:44 +0000 UTC
Hermione walked out of the classroom with a book in her arms. A class had just ended.
But she was in a bad mood now. To be honest, she felt sick when she saw Ron, and she no longer admired Harry as much as before.
There was no way around it—Harry and Ron were practically inseparable, always hanging out together like twins.
After the troll incident, due to Noah’s ruthless intervention, they did not form the strong trio like in the original story, which was exactly what Noah had anticipated.
What was even more terrible was that Hermione was now questioning whether choosing Gryffindor had been the right decision for her.
In Gryffindor, she was undoubtedly the top student!
In every subject, she was confident that she was the best!
She had always been eager to answer questions and was proud of earning points for Gryffindor.
But over time, she realized she was mistaken. Her excellence set her apart in a way that didn’t quite fit with Gryffindor’s culture.
Over the past six months, she had come to see the truth: she had no real friends in Gryffindor, just as Ron had rudely pointed out.
Maybe it was her own fault, or maybe it was the environment—Hermione didn’t know. She only knew she needed to vent.
So, she ran to the bathroom. It was the only place she could release all the frustration and grievances she had built up.
But what she never expected was that, just when she was ready to return to the dormitory, she would come face to face with a troll!
"It was terrible!"
No matter how many times she recalled the situation, she could only describe it as terrifying!
The troll’s destructive power was overwhelming. She had no means of defending herself—it was impossible! She was just a first-year student and had no idea how to deal with such a creature!
"Maybe only those four guys from Ravenclaw would know how to handle this thing?"
At this critical moment, Hermione found herself thinking of Noah and his friends.
It wasn’t because they were particularly handsome or anything like that—though they were certainly presentable. In Hermione’s eyes, what truly set them apart was their intellect and skill.
Whether it was luck or fate, as she was wondering if Noah’s group could handle the troll, Noah and Kenn actually appeared!
That’s when Hermione finally understood the vast gap between them.
Kenn conjured protective armor—an advanced spell usually reserved for upper-year students!
And Noah unleashed a terrifying spell that directly injured the troll!
Hermione could swear that even most senior students wouldn’t be able to pull off what Noah had just done!
Powerful magic skills and deep magical knowledge—these were the hallmarks of a true wizard!
Hermione realized she couldn't continue like this. She needed to surround herself with outstanding people. Maybe, just maybe, they could become friends.
---
"Hermione."
Just as Hermione was about to head to Ravenclaw Tower to find Noah and the others, a hesitant voice interrupted her thoughts.
Looking up, her expression immediately soured.
The last people she wanted to see right now—Ron and Harry.
"What do you want, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter?" Hermione’s tone was cold, making it clear that she had no interest in talking to them.
Although children don’t usually hold grudges, Hermione had no desire to deal with Ron right now. He had dismissed her efforts before, and his words had cut into her deepest insecurities.
"Um, Hermione..." Ron could clearly see her displeasure, making him visibly uncomfortable.
To be honest, he hadn't wanted to come here at all. He hadn’t wanted to look for her that night when the troll attacked, either. Both times, it was Harry who insisted.
"Um, Hermione, we came to apologize." Seeing Ron hesitate, Harry had to step in.
"Apologize? There’s no need. You don’t have anything to apologize for, do you?" Hermione’s expression softened slightly, but her tone remained sharp.
Truthfully, she was more inclined to accept an apology from Harry than from Ron.
Unfortunately, neither Ron nor Harry understood what was going on in Hermione’s mind—especially Ron, who never wanted to come here in the first place.
"I told you she wouldn’t accept it! Let’s go!" Ron grabbed Harry’s arm and turned to leave. He clearly had no interest in apologizing at all.
"Is this how you apologize?" Hermione’s voice trembled slightly—not from sadness, but from frustration. She was starting to despise Ron more and more.
"You weren’t going to accept it anyway, were you?" Ron shot back, looking irritated. Apologizing to a girl in front of Harry? How embarrassing.
"Ron!" Harry sighed, exasperated. He appreciated all the help Hermione had given him, especially with homework, but Ron was his best friend and roommate. He felt stuck in the middle.
"Let’s go, Harry. She thinks she’s so great—why doesn’t she just transfer to Ravenclaw?" Ron muttered.
"Noah and the others are way better than you!" Hermione snapped.
"Fine! I admit they’re good! But how do you think they beat the troll? They must have used Dark Magic! Otherwise, how could first-years defeat a troll?"
"Don’t talk nonsense!"
"I’m not the only one saying this—everyone is!" Ron argued.
Of course, it wasn’t really Ron’s opinion. He knew that Noah had gotten his hands on Snape’s notes. And in their eyes, Snape was a former Death Eater, a loyal follower of You-Know-Who!
So naturally, the magic Noah learned from Snape’s notes had to be Dark Magic!
Even if their guess was completely wrong, Dark Magic wasn’t something to take lightly. Every Dark spell was inherently destructive and dangerous.
Of course, they had no real proof. As long as Noah and Snape denied it, they could only speculate.
But spreading rumors that someone was using Dark Magic was downright immoral.
In the end, Ron dragged Harry away.
Hermione stood there for a long time.
She regretted it.
Why hadn’t she listened to the Sorting Hat? Why had she chosen Gryffindor just because the greatest wizard of the century had once been in it?
After a while, her eyes became firm. Clutching her book tightly to her chest, she continued walking—toward Ravenclaw Tower.
"There’s no precedent for transferring houses at Hogwarts, so that’s not an option. But even if I can’t transfer, that won’t stop me from becoming friends with them!"
---
