Twelve-year-old Hermione seemed to have grown up a little more.
She did not really understand what love was, but she did know one thing. She already seemed unable to be apart from Altair.
In the span of barely a month, this boy named Altair had already left an imprint on her heart that could not be erased.
That day in class, Hermione was unusually distracted. Her eyes often drifted toward Altair, and she would stare at him in a daze. Fortunately, the beginner-level spell taught in Charms was very simple, and Hermione had already mastered it long ago, so she did not receive any punishment.
This was the third week after the start of term. The encouraging bonus points the professors had handed out at the beginning of school were now gone. Sometimes, even if a student completed a simple task perfectly in class, there would still be no points awarded.
As a result, Altair's grand campaign of earning points had run into a bottleneck. Up to now, he had only earned sixty points for Slytherin, while Hermione, after losing fifty points, had only gained twenty back from handing in the parchment and another five in History of Magic.
After class, Hermione did not go to the library. Instead, she hurried straight back to her dormitory.
The Gryffindor first-years had no classes that afternoon, but Altair still had a History of Magic lesson to attend.
Inside the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, Hermione's roommates were all there. One of the twin sisters, and that little brat Lavender.
"Oh? Why isn't our know-it-all going to the library today?"
The moment they saw Hermione return to the dormitory, both the twins and Lavender were surprised. Lavender, in particular, immediately spoke in a mocking tone. She was not very bright herself, so she had always been deeply jealous of Hermione, who always seemed to know the answer to every question.
The twins, on the other hand, were actually quite decent people. Parvati did not say anything unpleasant, her sister Padma had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Instead, she asked with some concern, "Are you sick?"
"No. It's just that today..."
Hermione glanced at Lavender, pressed her lips together, and said, "Today's my birthday. Altair gave me a present, so I wanted to come back and have a look."
"So that's it."
Parvati and others instantly understood and broke into smiles, sincerely wishing her a happy birthday.
"Happy birthday! You should've told us earlier, though it's still not too late. A Hufflepuff upperclassman told us you can order cakes from the house-elves. We can celebrate for you tonight."
"Thank you."
Hermione got along quite well with the others, so she nodded lightly at that.
"Hmph."
Lavender let out a snort.
"I'd advise you not to bother. Maybe she plans to eat cake with her little Slytherin boyfriend instead."
Lavender muttered it under her breath. All the Gryffindors knew that their know-it-all had an unusually close relationship with a Slytherin first-year named Altair. In fact, most of them already believed the two were basically a couple.
Naturally, Lavender also remembered Altair, the boy who had once shared the same boat ride with them. All she remembered was that he was handsome, elegant, calm, and seemed like some young noble.
That only made her more jealous.
Hermione could not be bothered with her. She merely shot Lavender a glare.
She did not want to completely tear things apart with Lavender. That little schemer had good relations with quite a few older Gryffindors, and plenty of them already had a few complaints about Hermione to begin with.
"Didn't you say that little snake gave you a present? Take it out and let us see!"
Hermione did not want to deal with Lavender, but Lavender came over on her own initiative.
She wanted to know what kind of present Altair had given Hermione.
Parvati and others thought this was a little inappropriate and tried to talk Lavender down, but she refused to listen. In the end, there was nothing they could do.
"If you want to see it, then look. It's not as if there's anything shameful about it."
Hermione gave a small huff and took out the gift box, which was only about the size of her palm.
"So small? What could it even be?"
Lavender burst out laughing.
Parvati came to her rescue and said, "Maybe it's a ring. Or a necklace."
"I think it's a pocket watch. That Altair is always carrying around that glittering golden pocket watch."
Lavender immediately stopped laughing and stared at the box with nervous intensity.
Hearing Parvati say that, Hermione felt a little nervous too.
Could it really be a ring?
No way...
Hermione drew in a deep breath, feeling her cheeks grow hot. She clenched her hand, then gently opened the box.
Inside it was a leaf.
A vivid green leaf, so fresh it looked as though it might drip with life.
"Hahahaha, a leaf? That's it? How could he even bring himself to give you that? A leaf, hahaha..."
Lavender laughed loudly.
"What are you laughing at? Whatever Altair gave me, no matter what it is..."
Hermione had not even finished speaking when the leaf inside the box suddenly burst into dazzling light. Brilliant emerald radiance instantly flooded the entire dormitory.
By the time they all came back to their senses, vines had already crept across the four corners of the room, and gorgeous blossoms had bloomed by the windows and in the corners.
A strange fragrance filled the dormitory. All the girls breathed it in and all felt their minds grow clearer and their spirits lift. It was as if every troubling thought had simply vanished.
Lavender opened her mouth, but in the end, not a single word came out.
Her face had become twisted with jealousy.
Why was Altair so good to Hermione?
Back then, she had been on the same boat with him too!!
"W... what is this?"
It was the younger of the twin sisters who asked the question, her voice full of curiosity.
"I don't know."
Hermione shook her head. She had read a great many books, but even she had no idea what this miraculous leaf could be.
The leaf inside the box remained a lush green, and magical light seemed to shimmer and flow across its surface.
Hermione reached out and gently picked it up.
To the shocked cries of everyone, the leaf instantly turned into a streak of green light. It circled around Hermione several times, then transformed into a delicate emerald earring shaped like a leaf before settling back into her hand.
Hermione thought for a moment, then carefully hooked the earring onto her ear.
At once, an indescribable thrill spread through her whole body.
"What a strange feeling."
Hermione only felt a mysterious power pouring into her. It was as though this power had made her smarter, clearer-minded, and calmer. Even the natural world outside seemed somehow closer and more intimate to her than before.