"I'm no match for the illustrious Lord," Justin answered ironically.
"Let's say you, too, are facing the fate of becoming a Lord," Richard chuckled. "It's just that I had to take on the responsibility much earlier. And good for you, you can enjoy a carefree childhood... By the way, Justin, I have a private meeting coming up," he whispered, leaning close to his comrade's ear.
"A date?" Finch-Fletchley grimaced, as if he'd been eating lime for dinner instead of chicken. "Ugh! With a girl!"
"Oh, Justin, don't scare me. The Richs never approved of the pleasures of certain aristocrats..."
"What are you talking about?" Finch-Fletchley frowned.
"About dates, not with girls," Richard wiggled his eyebrows, speaking with a frank hint.
"I don't understand," Justin shrugged.
"It's okay, friend," Richard patted his comrade on the shoulder. "When you grow up, you'll understand."
Richard emerged from the Hufflepuff table and walked calmly toward the street exit. He could practically feel Hermione's gaze on his back. As soon as he reached the hallway before the exit, he heard the clicking of heels behind him.
Richie turned around and spotted Hermione hurrying. The Gryffindor had caught up with the Hufflepuff. She had her hands on her hips and was breathing hoarsely. Her face was flushed from her run.
"Dear Hermione," Richard said stiffly, "I believe we agreed to meet at the greenhouses. There was no need to rush things."
"I decided not to drag it out," Granger blurted out in one breath.
"Hermione, this beautiful castle has ears in many places. The greenhouse, some corridors, and offices are deprived of the joy of gifting us with magical art."
Granger frowned thoughtfully, but the wrinkles soon smoothed out and she said:
- Do you mean living portraits?
"You're as sharp as ever, Hermione. Miss, I invite you for a walk in the fresh air."
Richard gallantly extended his elbow to the girl. Hermione grabbed Rich's arm with a steely grip, and the boy and girl continued on their way, looking like a couple.
There was little snow outside, but darkness had already set in. Only the faint moonlight provided a semblance of illumination.
"So, Hermione, no one can hear us here," Richard began. "Tell me."
"I spent a long time searching for the right literature in the library, but there was nothing publicly available about the creation of the Sorting Hat. So I broke into the Restricted Section."
- Once?
"No, not just once..." Hermione took a deep breath, as if about to jump into an icy hole. "It took me a whole month of going to the Restricted Section. I did it at night after lights out, so I didn't get much sleep."
"Oh, Hermione, you're a hero!" Richard marveled. "Such dedication is rare. Judging by the fact that you weren't caught, did you use a ninja suit?"
"Yes, I had to," Granger replied. "It's incredible! It's just a shame the invisibility only lasts for an hour a day."
"There's no point in regretting it. I wouldn't forgive myself if I knew you were spending the night in the library because of me. I'm sure that's what would happen if the invisibility worked all the time."
Hermione was embarrassed.
"So, I found the book I was looking for," she said. "It's a huge, ancient tome from the eighteenth century, authored by Dexter Fortescue. He was headmaster of Hogwarts at the time and was deeply involved in researching the Sorting Hat. Headmaster Fortescue relied on materials left by the school's founders. He was able to completely recreate the enchantment process for such a hat."
- I wonder why such a book is kept in the Restricted Section?
"I've been wondering about that too," Hermione said. "Unfortunately, I didn't have time to read the whole book, but from what I did read... I'm not sure..."
"Courage, Hermione. Trust me, no one will pelt you with rotten tomatoes for voicing your thoughts. Certainly not now."
"I think that magic was allowed in the time of the founders that is forbidden now," Granger continued more boldly.
"A perfectly reasonable conclusion. Hermione, I agree with you completely. Go on."
Granger grew even bolder and continued:
"The Sorting Hat uses special charms to read the thoughts of those wearing it! It communicates through thought transference, a form of mental magic that the Ministry of Magic restricted to a few permitted spells in the late eighteenth century. But this ban was originally adopted by the International Confederation of Wizards to minimize the risk of violating the Statute of Secrecy, so that wizards would be less tempted to influence Muggles."
Richard smiled sadly and commented:
- The Holy Mental Troika: Confundus, Obliviate and Repello Muggletum.
- Are these spells?
"Yes, Hermione. These are all mental spells, which the Ministry of Magic strongly recommends using on ordinary people to protect the Statute of Secrecy."
"So they're not banned?" Granger asked. "What can you do with them?"
Confundus disorients a person, wizard, or artifact, allowing for suggestions similar to hypnotic incantations. Something like the Jedi mind trick from Star Wars. Obliviate allows for the erasure and altering of memories. Repello Muggletum is the most harmless of these spells, as it is cast on an area or a wizard. This is a distraction charm, also known as a Muggle-repelling charm. Once within the charm's range, a person remembers urgent matters and forgets what they were about to see or enter the area protected by this charm.
"I haven't read about such spells," Hermione said, upset.
"You can read it if you're interested," Richie said soothingly. "So, you're saying the book in the Restricted Section is enchanted?"