As per her daily routine, she opened the System to check it before going to sleep.
[Main Quest 3 completed. Rewards unlocking...]
[Reward 1: Obtain the Sorting Hat's Legilimency ability (Initial Level 4)]
[Reward 2: Obtain Occlumency (Initial Level 3)]
[Reward 3: Obtain the method for crafting the Sorting Hat]
Holy shit.
Kate was dumbfounded again.
She only knew that completing Main Quests could grant abilities related to the main characters, but she hadn't expected the System to be formidable enough to extract abilities from the Sorting Hat.
It was just a magical item, for crying out loud! How did the System manage to squeeze so much juice out of it?
She wanted to choose all three...
Couldn't an adult have them all!
Oh, she didn't seem to be an adult right now. Never mind then.
Listening to the sound of the Black Lake's water outside the window, Kate calmed down again and began to analyze the rewards one by one.
Legilimency and Occlumency went without saying; they were bug-level spells in the Harry Potter world. But precisely because they were obscure and niche, getting started with them wasn't simple.
As for Reward 3, it would allow her to learn how to craft a magical item like the Sorting Hat that could speak and think.
It was a hard choice. Really hard.
However, starting from her current actual situation, Dumbledore's main focus of care was still Harry Potter, and he only paid a slight amount of attention to her. And her top priority was to graduate from this school alive, so she had to lay low.
Whether it was the White Dark Lord or the Dark Lord, it would be best if neither of them discovered her existence—that would be perfect.
It was just that Dumbledore was already paying attention to her because of the super-strong magic power within her, so she had to exhibit some behaviors that would reassure Old Man Dumbledore.
Occlumency... although the initial level was low, it didn't matter because she was a hardcore grinder.
Kate was confident that as long as she laid low for a year or two, it would be enough to practice Occlumency to the point where even Dumbledore couldn't use Legilimency on her.
As for the other two options, she didn't need to use Legilimency on anyone for the time being, and the Shafiq family had a vast collection of books, so they might not necessarily lack methods for crafting magical items.
"I choose Reward 2."
She spoke slowly, and in an instant, the screen before her eyes went dark.
It felt as if her brain were being pierced by countless sharp steel needles. Caught off guard, Kate couldn't help but cry out loud.
When the pain in her brain gradually subsided, she opened her eyes, panting heavily, and looked around somewhat blankly. Fortunately, she was sleeping alone right now, so no one discovered her abnormality.
[Host has learned Occlumency (Initial Level 3). Please use it reasonably.]
Level 3 meant that people with Legilimency exceeding Level 3 could still potentially invade her mind.
Kate frowned tightly. In the past, when she practiced spells, some required the System's cooperation, like Protego. Only when the System simulated an attack could Protego take effect.
If she wanted to start practicing Occlumency now, she would have to rely on the System to simulate the state of Legilimency on her.
It was just that she couldn't perform such practice many times a day before her Spirit would be exhausted, so—
She immediately lay back on the bed and wrapped herself tightly in her small blanket.
Practice or whatever could wait until tomorrow. She was already very tired today.
...
Early the next morning was Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Coincidentally, they were having the class with Gryffindor.
Before this, Kate had wanted to communicate a little with Hermione during breakfast, but as soon as the little lion saw her, she looked away, completely unwilling to pay her any attention.
There was no helping it. She had caused this trouble herself, so she had to bear it herself.
Getting the cold shoulder from Hermione on the first day of class meant Kate's expression was still somewhat unpleasant by the time she walked to the Transfiguration classroom.
Unfortunately, at this very moment, someone just had to run right into the muzzle of her gun.
"Hey!" Malfoy and his followers sat behind her, and taking advantage of the fact that class hadn't started yet, began to harass her. "Student Shafiq, it seems you've been isolated by the girls in our year!"
He had originally said it with a bit of schadenfreude, but Kate frowned upon hearing it.
She had been so focused on Hermione that she hadn't paid any attention to the girls in her own House. Turning her head to look around with belated realization, she discovered that the Slytherin girls were all intentionally sitting far away from her.
In the entire first row, she was actually the only person.
Did this count as isolation?
Kate expressed great incomprehension regarding this kind of primary-school-level isolation behavior. She hadn't intended to get very close to these people anyway; were they being a bit too dramatic?
However, the fact that Malfoy intentionally approached her at a time like this did indeed surprise her a little.
Seeing Malfoy's expectant expression that said, "If you beg me, I'll help you," Kate cleared her throat and was just about to speak.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a tabby cat walking elegantly in from the door and lightly jumping onto the podium.
Good grief, it's a catgirl!
Ah, no... it's McGonagall!
As the Transfiguration professor, McGonagall herself was a registered Animagus and could transform into a small cat like this.
However, it was obvious that newly enrolled students shouldn't know this point. The words just on the tip of her tongue paused. She immediately changed her tune, turned her head, and spoke with a cold voice that carried a slightly affected stubbornness.
"Malfoy, I am merely abiding by the school rules. Even if you report this to the Head of House, I am not in the wrong."
After saying this, she turned back amidst Malfoy's astonished gaze and lowered her head to read her book.
He probably thought her brain was broken right now. But to establish the image of a well-behaved girl who followed the rules but was isolated in front of the professor, she was going all out!
Kate mercilessly criticized herself in her heart, then felt as if someone had walked up to her side.
She raised her head, and when she saw who it was, she opened her mouth in some surprise: "Her... Hermione?"
"You have an empty seat here." Hermione held her books, her eyes deliberately avoiding Kate's. "Aren't you going to let me in?"
Kate was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly stood up. "Please sit! There are plenty of empty seats here!"
Hermione gave a light humph and sat in a seat separated from her by one empty spot.
Even though she hadn't forgiven her, she was still willing to sit with her. What kind of little angel was she, anyway?
She had just wanted to lean over to speak when she was gently pushed away by Hermione. "Class is starting. No whispering!"
A burst of snickering came from behind. Kate narrowed her eyes, shooting a cold gaze toward the little dragon-boy behind her.
Malfoy, who had been snickering just a moment ago, saw his smile instantly freeze. He coughed lightly and pretentiously picked up a book to block her line of sight.
Coincidentally, Harry and Ron, who were late, hurriedly pushed the door open and entered at this time, shifting all the students' attention.
Kate could only withdraw her gaze. When Hermione turned her head to look at them, Kate seized the opportunity to smile at her.
The result... unexpectedly, she was ignored again.
Life is hard, Kate sighed.
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