*49

At this moment, Dumbledore suddenly stood up, and the venue fell silent.

The white-bearded headmaster announced loudly:

"Another year has passed, and it's time to award the House Cup."

"The standings are as follows:"

"Fourth place, Gryffindor, with a total of 313 points."

"Third place, Hufflepuff, with a total of 352 points."

"Second place, Ravenclaw, with a total of 426 points."

"First place, Slytherin, with a total of 472 points!"

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table.

Gryffindor was disheartened.

The main reason for their points deficit was Harry's frequent conflicts with Professor Snape, resulting in constant deductions, and Hermione's penchant for skipping classes.

Although the professors liked Hermione, rules were rules, and points had to be deducted.

What could they do? They couldn't blame the two who contributed so much to Gryffindor Quidditch and thwarted Quirrell's plot.

...Wait a minute.

Yes, meritorious service...

Could it be...?

Gryffindor students' eyes lit up at the thought.

Moments later, their hunch was confirmed.

"First, Mr. Harry Potter, for demonstrating exceptional analytical and reasoning skills, seeing through hidden conspiracies. Gryffindor earns fifty points!"

"Next, Mr. Ron Weasley, who showed bravery and loyalty by standing with his friends. Another fifty points for Gryffindor!"

"And finally, Miss Hermione Granger, who remained calm and displayed excellent magical prowess and strategic thinking in her duel with Quirrell. Sixty points to Gryffindor!"

"So, Gryffindor's final score is 473 points, winning the House Cup!"

With that, all of Gryffindor stood up.

"O!!!!"

In contrast, Slytherin students were visibly gloomy.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw moved down a spot, with Hufflepuff now at the bottom. Yet, for some reason, their applause rivaled Gryffindor's.

Apparently, Slytherin's usual behavior had made an impression on them.

From the staff table, Professor McGonagall beamed with delight.

Snape wore a "I knew this would happen" expression.

Harry blushed slightly, realizing his reasoning was off, but the outcome was favorable.

Seeing everyone's joy, he decided to let it go and act like nothing happened.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle.

Facing Voldemort? Worth sixty points.

And beating Slytherin by a single point was both a jab and an insult.

Blatant favoritism.

Dumbledore, you don't even hide it anymore.

Dumbledore sat down, glancing at Hermione with a knowing look.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

---

Back in the dormitory.

[Hermione Jane Granger]

[Magic Level Lv3 (672/50000)]

In the battle with Quirrell, Hermione gained a full 5,000 points of soul energy.

5,000 points!

She advanced to third-level magic on the spot.

In terms of magic, she was now at the level of an adult wizard.

Thanks, Quirrell! Thanks, Voldemort!

Actually, Quirrell's soul didn't provide much energy; most came from Voldemort.

Voldemort's main soul wouldn't dissipate due to the Horcruxes, but that didn't mean it wouldn't weaken.

Sharing a body with Quirrell, when Quirrell's body turned to ash, Voldemort was effectively "killed" again. The dark harvest triggered, and Voldemort's remnant soul was severely weakened.

He was reduced to a mere soul fragment.

What surprised Hermione more was the reaction in the [Spells] column.

This time, it wasn't a new spell, but an automatic addition after reaching Lv3 magic.

[Silent Spell Lv1 (1/1000)]

[Wandless Casting Lv1 (1/1000)]

Silent spells! Wandless casting!

Compared to powerful spells, Hermione felt these were true magical skills, ones she'd always wanted but didn't know how to learn.

Wizard magic seemed strong, but it had a caveat: they had to be able to use it.

No magic was invincible.

But most wizards, if deprived of their wands and silenced, were no different from ordinary people. This was a major shortcoming, except for a few exceptionally powerful wizards.

Losing a wand was the most severe.

Many wizards understood silent spells, differing only in proficiency and effect.

Without a wand, nearly 99% of wizards couldn't use magic.

Trying to force it often led to magical backlash.

Through her observations, Hermione identified three wizard fears: disarming, silencing, and surprise attacks.

The first prevented magic output, the second blocked incantations, and the third meant no one maintained a constant Shield Charm.

This time, the magic book solved two major problems.

Though Lv1 silent and wandless spells only allowed Lv1 effects, they applied to all magic.

Even Dumbledore could only wandlessly cast familiar spells; unfamiliar ones were risky.

But she could cast wandlessly without fear.

This was a promising start. As proficiency increased, so would effectiveness.

Additionally, wandless casting had another benefit.

Surprise attacks.

Imagine being disarmed, wand flying away, and the enemy thinking they had the upper hand, not knowing the wand was just an accessory.

Then she raises her hand, unleashing a spell to shock them.

Ask Voldemort, the first in the wizarding world to face such spells, if he could handle it?

Don't be fooled by her Lv3 magic; in battle, she could easily outclass an elite Auror.

---

**Marvel Universe**

S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion, a massive training room spanning thousands of square meters.

Looking at the agents before her, Hermione glanced at Nick Fury.

"Are these the students you found for me?"

Fury frowned slightly. Didn't he select the best from S.H.I.E.L.D.?

"What's wrong?" Fury inquired.

"Nothing." Hermione shook her head.

The agents' quality was fine, but these individuals...

Grant Ward.

Brock Rumlow.

Jasper Sitwell.

Clint Barton.

And several other agents, some seeming civilian, others field operatives.

Hermione assessed them one by one and realized...

Besides Hawkeye, there were numerous Hydra agents!

Where's Natasha? Coulson? Maria Hill?

What criteria did you use to select them?