During his experiment, Ivan also noticed a hidden factor: his existing knowledge accumulation also affected his learning efficiency and speed.
This was why finishing A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration only took about twenty minutes of the Scholar's Experience Card's time, while reading A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles was much slower, taking over thirty minutes to read only half of it.
The rapid reading of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration was partly because Ivan already had some basic knowledge of casting the spell, and partly because he had just read it once before, giving him a general understanding of its contents.
On the other hand, A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles covered a wider range of knowledge, and Ivan hadn't looked at it beforehand, so his reading speed was comparatively much slower.
After analyzing the pros and cons of the Scholar's Experience Card, Ivan immediately realized that to make the best use of that one hour, the optimal strategy was to first read the corresponding book once through. Then, after finishing it, he could use the card to enhance his comprehension and thinking abilities for a review session. This would maximize his use of the time.
Moreover, every time he thoroughly understood a magic book, he received a reward of Academic Points. Combined with leveling up his spells, the accumulated points could be used to redeem another Scholar's Experience Card. In such a cycle, wouldn't his power increase by leaps and bounds?
Just now, Ivan had only read half of A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles, and the proficiency of all the spells he knew had increased significantly. Among them, the Levitation Charm and the Disarming Charm, like his Transfiguration spell, had risen to Level 1, rewarding him with another ten Academic Points.
This brought his previously depleted Academic Points back up to twenty, greatly reducing the time it would take to collect enough for the next card.
Thinking of this, Ivan looked at the sea of magical books in the library and suddenly realized... these were all Academic Points!
If he could read them all, Ivan could hardly imagine how much his power would grow.
With this thought, Ivan's fighting spirit was reignited.
However, things didn't go as planned. Just as Ivan was about to redouble his efforts, he was informed that it was time for the library to close.
Only then did Ivan realize he had already been in the library for over three hours.
"Children, while learning is important, you must also balance work and rest. As for now... all of you, back to your House dormitories!" Madam Pince said, shooing away the young wizards who were still trying to linger in the library.
As the librarian of Hogwarts, she certainly didn't dislike students who loved knowledge, as long as they didn't make a racket. But the library's opening hours were set by the headmaster, and Madam Pince couldn't extend them.
Just then, Ivan approached her, holding the half-read copy of A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles in his hand.
"Madam, may I borrow this book?" he asked.
"Of course, as long as you return it within the specified time." Madam Pince glanced at it, and after seeing the title, she nodded casually.
With that, Madam Pince turned and began to search the library. There were always a few who liked to hide themselves in the sea of books, hoping to sneak past her and slip into the Restricted Section after lights out.
Of course, there were also a few who simply got lost in their reading and forgot the time...
"Thank you..." Ivan nodded politely in thanks, then took the book and left the library directly. He couldn't wait to go back and try out his newly improved spells.
"Excuse me... let me through... ah!"
Ivan, who had just turned and taken a few steps, only had time to hear a few crisp female words from behind him before he felt someone crash right into him. His forehead made intimate contact with the wall, and then he sat down hard on the floor. The copy of A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles in his hand fell to the ground.
Fortunately, the impact wasn't too heavy. Ivan rubbed his slightly reddened forehead and got back up.
He first picked up the book, then turned his attention to the clumsy girl who had run into him.
The first thing he saw was a thick mane of brown hair, so messy it was clear its owner didn't manage it. The standard-issue wizarding robes looked a bit too large on her, and several magic books were scattered on the floor beside her.
"Hermione?" Ivan was stunned for a moment, but he quickly figured out the situation.
He guessed that our Miss Know-It-All had been in too much of a hurry when being ushered out of the library by Madam Pince, which was why she had crashed into him from behind.
"Ivan?" Hermione was also quite shaken by the collision. She only managed to stand up after Ivan gave her a hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. I think I was a bit dazed. I didn't expect to run into you..."
"It's alright, just be more careful next time." Ivan picked up the books from the floor and handed them back to Hermione, shaking his head to show he didn't mind.
However, as soon as Hermione saw the book in Ivan's hand, she immediately launched into a non-stop tirade.
"I've borrowed this copy of A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles before, too! I learned so many new magical techniques.
"Oh my, I never knew that strong willpower could dramatically increase the power of some spells! But it requires a high degree of magical control from the wizard, otherwise, the spell could easily lose control..."
At this point, Hermione seemed to remember something, and her voice grew louder. "Right! Learning requires understanding and memorization, not just flipping through a book from beginning to end.
"Instead of reading books like A Detailed Explanation of Basic Spell Principles, I think you should memorize all of your textbooks first!"
Hermione rattled off her thoughts, or rather, her experiences, in a rapid-fire burst. Perhaps because she felt she was helping Ivan, her tone had a certain air of superiority.
Ivan understood that Hermione must have seen him using the Scholar's Experience Card in the latter half of his study session and was kindly reminding him. However, Hermione's condescending tone still made Ivan frown, almost imperceptibly.
"Thanks for the reminder, but I think everyone has their own way of learning," Ivan said faintly. He was finally beginning to understand why Harry, Ron, and the other young wizards didn't like the clever Hermione.
It had to be said, before Halloween, Miss Granger's personality really wasn't very likable...
"How is that possible?"
Hermione was about to continue her lecture, but she was interrupted by Ivan's actions before she could even start.
"{Mutatio Velox}~" Ivan waved his wand and tapped it lightly on the parchment Hermione used for notes. The paper vibrated slightly, then began to swell and transform. The slightly rough surface of the parchment slowly became smooth and flawless.
Right in front of Hermione, in just one or two seconds, Ivan completed the entire process from uttering the incantation to waving his wand in one smooth motion, as standard as Professor McGonagall's demonstration in class. And that piece of parchment had now become a thin slate of jade.