Although Hermione was very interested in the relics left behind by the Hogwarts Founders, she still didn't completely trust the "premonition" Ryze had mentioned earlier.
Especially now.
At the moment, she was racing against time to catch up with Ryze academically.
In Hermione's mind, magic was something extraordinary and perfect. She looked at it through almost rose-tinted glasses. If a mystery couldn't be investigated using magic, she believed it was impossible to solve using Muggle methods.
Because of this belief, she thought that following Ryze to investigate the mysterious statue would most likely end up being a complete waste of time.
If she spent hours searching for clues only to discover nothing…
Then other students would surely use that time to study and surpass her.
Just imagining the disappointed expressions that Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick might show her if her grades slipped made Hermione shudder.
No.
She absolutely could not allow such a future to happen.
Hermione quickly shook her head, firmly rejecting the possibility.
However, seeing Ryze standing there and inviting her to help investigate made things awkward. She didn't want to refuse him outright.
After thinking for a moment, she remembered the complicated methods described in the detective novels she had read before.
Those stories were full of messy clues, secret codes, and tedious investigative procedures.
Finally, Hermione scratched her head in frustration and said helplessly,
"Detective novels rely on too many complicated techniques. Verifying those methods would take far too long."
She blinked thoughtfully.
Then she recalled several spells she had recently studied and added,
"According to your idea, solving a puzzle like this might depend on sudden inspiration. If you really believe your intuition is correct, I do know of a spell that could help."
"It's called the Hyper-Sensation Spell. It enhances a person's sensory perception in several ways."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"There's also a potion called Felix Felicis. It supposedly grants extraordinary luck to the person who drinks it. But that potion is extremely rare and valuable."
"If you're truly interested, you might try finding it someday."
Hermione hesitated slightly before finishing her explanation.
"That's everything I can think of for now. But honestly, I still recommend that you don't spend too much time on this."
"If you fall behind in your coursework, you might fail your exams."
"And if that happens… you could even be held back. Or worse, expelled."
After saying this, Hermione turned around and quickly walked away.
She was worried that if she continued talking to Ryze, the conversation might drag on forever.
Besides, she still had a mountain of studying to do.
From her perspective, coming here to remind Ryze once was already more than enough kindness.
She absolutely couldn't afford to spend any more time chatting.
Watching Hermione's retreating figure, Ryze couldn't help but smile slightly.
The current Hermione—who was completely focused on studying—was actually very easy to deal with.
"But it's still a missed opportunity to interact with Ancient Magic…"
Ryze muttered softly to himself.
"Though most wizards can't even perceive traces of Ancient Magic anyway."
After Hermione left, Ryze remained standing there, deep in thought.
He had naturally considered the types of special conditions Hermione mentioned earlier—codes, hidden messages, or mechanical puzzles.
But without any concrete clues, blindly guessing such things would be extremely difficult.
However…
The two things Hermione mentioned afterward—the Hyper-Sensation Spell and Felix Felicis—had sparked new ideas in his mind.
"Felix Felicis is far too precious for now," Ryze said quietly.
"But the Hyper-Sensation Spell might actually be worth trying."
Even so, Ryze wasn't in a hurry.
He decided to finish all of his assignments for the week first.
Compared to other students, his workload was surprisingly light.
After demonstrating his excellent theoretical understanding, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had waived his standard homework assignments in Transfiguration and Charms.
Instead, they had given him special research directions.
These weren't traditional assignments—they were more like independent study paths.
As for Defense Against the Dark Arts, the situation was even more unusual.
Ryze had actually helped Professor Quirrell organize several of the lesson plans.
Because of that, Quirrell had simply excused him from after-class homework altogether.
That meant the only real assignment Ryze still needed to complete was from Potions class.
Everything else was relatively simple.
The remaining written work posed almost no difficulty for him, so Ryze simply handed those tasks over to Ailey, with whom he shared a deep magical connection.
Compared to the automatic writing quills sold in Diagon Alley, Ailey's assistance was far more efficient.
After spending more than an hour working, Ryze carefully reread the Potions textbook along with several supplementary materials.
Then he began writing his assignment.
Unlike his usual work, this time he approached it with extreme care.
The final essay was meticulous and well-structured.
Although it lacked particularly novel ideas, it demonstrated a flexible and precise understanding of the concepts presented in the textbook.
After finishing, Ryze reviewed the assignment twice.
Then he asked Ailey to check it once more.
Unless Professor Snape deliberately searched for obscure faults—or decided to bring up his own improved potion formulas—there shouldn't be any problems.
Ryze leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.
"But if Snape were actually willing to teach me those improved formulas…"
"Then losing a few points might not be such a bad deal."
From his perspective, losing house points could simply be considered tuition paid to Professor Snape.
In fact, it sounded like quite a good bargain.
House points themselves weren't particularly valuable.
And besides, for the next few years, the House Cup probably wouldn't have much to do with Ravenclaw anyway.
If Snape really criticized him, Ryze could simply pretend to look deeply affected.
That kind of reaction would probably make Snape feel that deducting points had been completely worthwhile.
Thinking about this possibility amused Ryze.
With his assignment finished, he tidied his desk and walked over to the library's shelves.
There, he began searching for books related to the Hyper-Sensation Spell.
Soon, he found one.
"A sixth-year Charms spell?" Ryze murmured.
"It looks like the difficulty isn't low."
Hermione's reading habits were truly impressive.
The fact that she could immediately recall such a relatively obscure spell showed just how widely she read.
Originally, Ryze had only been mildly curious about the spell.
But after glancing at its theoretical foundation, his expression became thoughtful.
The magical theory involved was surprisingly profound.
Ryze had already mastered several spells that individually enhanced specific senses—spells that sharpened eyesight, heightened hearing, or strengthened the sense of smell.
According to magical theory, the Hyper-Sensation Spell appeared to be a composite spell.
It combined several different sensory-enhancing magical principles into a single, unified enchantment.
If the spell merely strengthened the five senses, its structure shouldn't have been so complicated.
Clearly, there was something deeper involved.
Ryze carefully flipped through several pages of the book.
After reading for a while, he came to a simple conclusion.
He definitely couldn't master this spell immediately.
Closing the book, Ryze returned it to its proper place on the shelf.
Then he picked up his completed assignment and walked out of the library.
This time, Hermione was seated at a table far away.
She saw him leaving—but deliberately ignored him.
In her mind, she had already made a firm decision.
She would study even harder, surpass Ryze as soon as possible, and then convince him to return to the proper academic path.
After leaving the library, Ryze headed straight toward the Ancient Runes classroom.
Even though it was the weekend, Professor Babblespring usually remained at Hogwarts unless she needed to travel somewhere to investigate magical ruins.
Most of the time, she stayed in the castle conducting research.
Recently, that tendency had become even stronger.
After all, Ailey—a creation connected to Ancient Magic—was right in front of her.
Naturally, she wanted to remain close to Hogwarts' vast collection of research materials and ancient documents.
When Ryze arrived and explained the reason for his visit, Professor Babblespring raised her eyebrows slightly.
"You want to try the Hyper-Sensation Spell?" she asked with mild surprise.
Then she added thoughtfully,
"I received a letter from Krivat—Penelope this afternoon."
"Are you investigating that raven statue because you think it might be hiding some kind of secret?"
Ryze nodded.
He explained his suspicions in detail.
He also spoke openly about Hermione's suggestions regarding Felix Felicis and the Hyper-Sensation Spell.
Professor Babblespring didn't dismiss his ideas.
Instead, she nodded thoughtfully and clarified several points that Ryze had been uncertain about.
"Most wizards are accustomed to solving problems with magic," she said.
"Even the small number of logically minded wizards who suspect the statue might be a 'key' have never discovered where the corresponding lock might be."
She folded her hands calmly.
"The Hyper-Sensation Spell is indeed an interesting idea."
"I can cast it on you if you'd like."
However, she gave him a small warning.
"Still, its results may not be as impressive as you're imagining."
"Even if it doesn't work, there's no need to rush."
She gestured vaguely in the direction of the castle's corridors.
"After all, that statue isn't going anywhere."
"You still have plenty of time to investigate it."
"Even if it takes until the day you graduate."
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