Hermione's brain finally restarted.
And the moment it did, she realised something absolutely horrifying.
She was completely wrapped in Logan's arm.
Not only that—
She was practically pressed against him.
The little witch froze instantly.
Her face exploded red from embarrassment, and her mind became a complete mess.
H-He actually dared to do that?!
How could he just pull her into his arms so casually?!
Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy stood silently several metres away staring at Logan with an expression so complicated it almost looked wronged.
Logan immediately became uncomfortable.
Why was Malfoy looking at him like that?
Based on his memories from his previous life, Malfoy should have either charged at him dramatically or thrown out a few threats before retreating angrily.
Instead, the blond boy simply stood there staring at him strangely, almost like someone who had suffered emotional betrayal.
It genuinely looked as though Logan owed him money.
Earlier, while studying in the library, Logan had suddenly heard Hermione arguing with someone outside. Curious, he immediately closed his book and went to investigate.
Then he witnessed Hermione performing an absolutely flawless shoulder throw on Malfoy.
Honestly, Logan had been stunned.
He never realised Hermione possessed this kind of terrifying close-combat capability.
Back in his previous life, why had nobody warned him that Hermione Granger secretly specialised in physical violence?
That was terrifying.
Unfortunately, before Logan could recover from the shock, Malfoy immediately stood up and aimed his wand directly at Hermione.
Worse still—
Hermione hadn't even noticed.
So Logan acted instantly.
He pulled Hermione behind him, cast a Shield Charm around them reflexively, and then fired Expelliarmus with perfect timing to knock Malfoy's wand away before the spell could activate.
Now, however, the atmosphere had become painfully awkward.
Malfoy continued staring at him strangely.
Hermione remained bright red and silent.
And Logan still had one arm around her shoulders.
Eventually, even he couldn't tolerate the atmosphere anymore.
"Malfoy," Logan said calmly, "I assume you understand the consequences of pointing your wand at another student inside Hogwarts."
Malfoy stiffened slightly.
"If Professor McGonagall or Headmaster Dumbledore hear about this, even your father probably won't protect you from punishment."
Logan's tone remained steady.
"Hermione and I can keep this quiet. In exchange, we'll forget about the shoulder throw incident, and you stop causing trouble for Hermione from now on."
Malfoy's expression immediately changed.
Only now did he fully realise how serious the situation had become.
Using magic aggressively against another student inside Hogwarts was absolutely not a minor issue. Even with Lucius Malfoy serving on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, punishment would still be unavoidable.
And worse…
His father would definitely find out.
The thought alone nearly killed him.
But then another thought appeared in his mind.
Logan was protecting him.
Logan still cared about him after all!
Malfoy instantly became emotional.
Without hesitation, he agreed immediately.
Of course…
There was still room for technical interpretation.
He could stop targeting Hermione directly.
But Potter and Weasley were different.
If he provoked them instead, Hermione would obviously interfere eventually, meaning he would simply be defending himself.
Perfect.
Logan wouldn't even be able to criticise him.
After reaching their agreement, Malfoy retrieved his wand from the floor and hurried away with surprising speed.
Only after he disappeared did Hermione finally struggle free from Logan's arm.
Her hair looked messy, her face remained crimson, and strange little sounds escaped her mouth as though she wanted to say something but couldn't form actual words.
Logan watched her strangely.
Poor girl.
She was probably still traumatised from almost getting cursed.
Thankfully, the problem had been solved already.
Satisfied, Logan turned around and calmly returned to the library.
Hermione stared blankly at his retreating back.
"…What?"
Several seconds later, she realised he had genuinely just left.
Left!
After holding her like that!
Hermione immediately felt overwhelmed by embarrassment.
That idiot.
That complete idiot!
Still burning red, Hermione finally remembered she had originally come to the library to study. She stomped inside furiously and sat down near Logan with renewed determination blazing in her eyes.
One day…
She would surpass him.
She refused to let him remain this arrogant forever.
Eventually, she would crush him academically and show him what true despair felt like at the hands of a top student.
.....
Ding~
Skill experience increased.
Ding~
Spell proficiency increased.
Congratulations.
New spell learned.
Deep within the endless sea of books, Logan remained completely immersed in study.
The constant stream of system notifications sounded almost heavenly to him now.
Every notification represented growth.
Every new spell meant more power.
And Logan loved that feeling.
Then suddenly—
A different system notification appeared.
Mission Generated.
Mission Objective: The Mystery Behind the Shadows.
Mission Description: Strange whispers and greedy eyes continue haunting the senses of the burdened one. At the same time, eerie roars echo like monsters from the depths of hell itself. The cruel truth has long since shattered and vanished into the river of time. Yet clues remain hidden somewhere within the ancient castle of Hogwarts. As a future legend, you shall uncover the secrets buried beneath its shadows.
Mission Rewards:
Dependent upon exploration progress.
Mission Hint:
This mission has no fixed duration.
The host may investigate areas, objects, and clues related to Ravenclaw information.
Logan slowly frowned.
This mission felt completely different from the previous ones.
No clear deadline.
No fixed reward.
And the mission description itself carried a strange, unsettling atmosphere.
Something about it genuinely bothered him.
Still…
A mission was a mission.
Completing it remained important.
But before investigating ancient mysteries hidden inside Hogwarts, Logan first needed more strength.
Only power could guarantee safety.
Almost immediately, Logan thought of the Room of Requirement.
He needed a secure location where he could practise magic freely without worrying about professors, accidents, or suspicious classmates.
A place where he could grind spell experience endlessly.
To survive future dangers, he needed to raise every important spell as quickly as possible.
Of course, sneaking around Hogwarts safely introduced another issue.
He absolutely needed to master the Disillusionment Charm.
With that decision made, Logan immediately buried himself back inside the mountain of spellbooks with even greater intensity than before.
Across the table, Hermione looked up from her own books and stared at Logan in disbelief.
Somehow…
He was studying even harder than she was.
The realisation nearly crushed her competitive spirit on the spot.
No.
This wouldn't do.
If she relaxed even slightly, the distance between them would only continue growing larger and larger.
.....
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