Harry Potter : This Progress Too Much

A Burning Curiosity

"You were born into a wizarding family, so you must have been exposed to magic since childhood. Can you show me how it's done?"

Hermione Granger's eyes gleamed with curiosity and determination as she posed the question.

She had been both eager and nervous about her new life at Hogwarts.

Since childhood, she had excelled in her studies, facing no academic challenges. Her competitive spirit had been cultivated through years of effort and success.

But the only time she had been truly outmatched—

Had been by David Adrian.

Now, after months of dedicated study, Hermione firmly believed that if they competed again, she would not be left behind.

Except…

Magic was different.

Hermione lacked confidence in magic. Unlike her usual subjects, there were no textbooks written for Muggle-borns on how to wield it.

Even after an entire summer of practice, she had only mastered three spells—

The Lumos Charm (Illumination)

The Alohomora Charm (Unlocking)

The Reparo Charm (Repairing)

And it had taken immense effort.

The thought of being surpassed by students who had grown up around magic gnawed at her.

She didn't want to fall behind—let alone be considered a poor student.

So now, given the chance, she wanted to see for herself just how advanced wizard-born children really were.

Neville's Awkward Dilemma

"This…"

Neville Longbottom fidgeted uncomfortably, his round face turning slightly pink.

"I… I can't really—um—do magic properly yet," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

A tense silence followed.

Then—

"Pfft!"

David snorted, unable to contain his laughter.

Hermione, after a brief struggle, followed suit—her chuckle breaking through the stillness.

Neville's face turned even redder.

"W-what are you laughing at?" he stammered.

"Nothing," David replied, spreading his hands in mock innocence.

Cassandra Wallace—who had been watching from the side—clicked her tongue.

Neville was a pure-blood wizard, yet he couldn't even perform basic spells?

How disgraceful.

Cassandra's Display

"I'll show you what real magic is," Cassandra announced, rising gracefully.

Though she held little respect for Neville—and even less for Hermione—she was still an eleven-year-old child.

And children loved to show off.

With an elegant flick of her wrist, she drew her wand and pointed it at the air.

"Flamma!"

A burst of orange-red flames erupted from the tip, swirling into a miniature vortex that hovered above her palm.

The glow of the fire illuminated her face, its warmth radiating through the carriage.

Cassandra smirked and turned her gaze to David.

She didn't care for Neville or Hermione—their opinions meant nothing.

David, however…

He was different.

A Mysterious Rival

Cassandra had spent the last few weeks thinking about David.

Something about him was… unusual.

He wasn't from a pure-blood family—she knew all the old wizarding families of Britain.

And yet—

He had spent over 100 Galleons at Flourish & Blotts without hesitation.

He demonstrated intelligence and talent beyond most children.

His surname, Adrian, was unfamiliar in magical circles.

There was only one conclusion.

"He must be a half-blood."

If that were true, then he was the only one worthy of her competition.

But how talented was he?

Hermione's Growing Anxiety

Hermione's eyes were locked onto the fire vortex.

"This is the Fire-Making Spell," she breathed. "I tried to learn it before, but I couldn't do it."

Her fists clenched slightly.

She had spent weeks struggling to produce even a small spark, yet Cassandra had summoned a controlled, powerful flame in seconds.

"Am I already behind?"

Her heart pounded with uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Cassandra ignored her completely.

She was still staring at David.

David's Response

"So," she said, her voice carrying a challenging edge, "what magic have you learned?"

Her meaning was clear.

"Show me what you've got."

David sighed.

"Flamma."

A flame vortex identical to Cassandra's appeared in the air.

Same size. Same control. Same glow.

Cassandra's confident smirk froze.

Even if David hadn't studied Fire-Making in depth, he could still mimic spells with ease just by watching.

His control over magic was stronger than most first-years.

Even if his proficiency in the spell was slightly lower than Cassandra's, the difference was negligible.

A Fierce Competition

"You can do it too?!" Hermione gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

Losing to David once had been bad enough.

But now?

Magic was supposed to be a fresh start—a chance to compete on equal footing.

Yet here he was, already surpassing her.

Cassandra, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes.

This was getting interesting.

Without a word, she flicked her wand again.

Her fire vortex shifted, twisting into the shape of a serpentine flame.

The fire snake hissed as it slithered through the air, its glowing body extending toward David's flame—seemingly ready to devour it.

But reality was often cruel.

As soon as the two flames met—

Cassandra's fire collapsed.

David's magic overwhelmed hers, and his flame surged forward—stopping just 30 centimeters away before dissolving into embers.

Cassandra's hands clenched around her wand.

She had lost.

Not in a clear defeat, but in something even worse—a near loss.

She could feel it.

His magic was stronger.

Hermione's Determination

Hermione turned to David, desperate for answers.

"David, we're both Muggle-borns. We've never been exposed to magic before, so how did you do that?"

She hated feeling inferior.

Back in the Muggle world, she had been the best student in every subject.

She refused to believe she was less talented—it had to be a learning gap.

David smirked.

"We're just geniuses, that's all."

Hermione's face darkened.

"Be serious!" she snapped.

"You must have some learning strategy. Teach me. Please!"

Her pride burned, but she couldn't afford to be left behind.

She had to catch up.

She had to win.

A Shocking Revelation

Before David could respond, Cassandra suddenly spoke up.

"Wait."

Her voice was sharp.

"You said he's Muggle-born?"

Hermione nodded.

"Yes, I know him. We met before Hogwarts."

Cassandra's expression shifted.

She looked at David, her mind racing.

A Muggle-born?

Not half-blood?

Then…

How had he matched her?

A Rivalry is Born

Cassandra exhaled slowly.

"I lost this time," she admitted.

But her violet eyes gleamed with challenge.

"This isn't over. Next time, I'll win."

The competition between David Adrian and Cassandra Wallace—

Had only just begun.