"Hmm. Comparing to a known original in the library, perhaps. Certain Intellego Vim spells, to detect active magic and distinguish the tampering from the created image itself. Certain rare talents can sense magic directly, though distinguishing a created image from a modified one is a separate challenge. 

"You could also show questionable passages to an expert like myself. Though sometimes both experts and original books can be unreliable," she adds dryly. "In the meantime, I must continue the lesson." Alidade moves on to help an apprentice struggling with their materials.

"Thank you." After class he will go to the library and consult the Late Librarian.

He is greeted with a familiar rasp. "Title, or topic?"

"I need to make new copies of these books." He lists the titles. "My copies appear to have been tampered with."

"Tampered with?" The Late Librarian hisses. "Who dares adulterate the Library's knowledge?"

"I think it was another student but I don't know for sure."

"Let me see those books," the pale figure demands.

He carefully hands over his copies.

The Late Librarian gestures and causes the copies to float in front of him, pages fluttering from one side to the other as he alternates peering at each, muttering spells at an alarming clip. Some moments later, he scowls furiously. "Is this how you preserve the books released into your care? They're all corrupted! If these were not temporary images, I would see you executed for reckless destruction of school property!"

Alex rears back he didn't expect the Late Librarian to get mad at him. Still he takes a breath to steady himself and answers. "I haven't been taught how to protect books from corruption. I certainly haven't cast any magic to corrupt them myself. I agree that books being corrupted in this way is a terrible affront to this school and the study of knowledge."

The Late Librarian's translucent eyes narrow. "...Perhaps it is the school's responsibility to teach you such. Your attitude does you credit at least, even if it was, in this case, insufficient. If a student takes school property dragon-hunting, and the books are burned by the dragon, the student is still responsible, regardless of whether they have been taught to ward against flame. I will let you off with a warning.

"What is your name, student?" 

"I'm Alexandr Lustig." He wants to dispute the metaphor of dragon hunting but not just yet.

The Late Librarian pulls from his desk, not a book, but a giant stone tablet. It does not look like something that fits in the desk.

With a finger and a muttered spell, the Late Librarian inscribes the Miezan letters ALEXANDR LUSTIG on the stone. They sink deep, shining with an inner light, then fade.

"Grawtosh will remember," he says simply.

NOW the Late Librarian will let him make more copies.

He wants to dispute that. But maybe this is deserved he tried to use the Late Librarian to his advantage without thinking about the possibility of it backfiring. He is a bit worried though.

He will make the copies but after he's done he'll try to continue the conversation. "Is there anything I can do to prevent this kind of corruption from happening again? I didn't take these books outside of Grawtosh or cast any magic on them myself.

"I don't think normal studying is comparable to dragon hunting." Also it seems trivial to make more copies but he doesn't think the Late Librarian will be receptive to that argument.

The Late Librarian blinks at him over his ledger. "Corruption? Why would —" there is a flare of red on his desk; a flash of a name. The apparition straightens and frowns. "—I do not know what you mean by dragon hunting, Alexandr Lustig, but you will be held responsible for the condition of books remitted into your care no matter how they arrive at that condition. I commend your efforts to find ways to protect them. If you didn't damage them yourself, perhaps you might avoid those who might be inclined to, or watch the books more closely, or study in the Library which holds additional protections." 

... that's about as good as he ought to have expected. "Thank you for your time." Putting that advice into practice he'll study in the library tonight.

How deep into the library is he willing to go in search of privacy? The islands of furniture are frequently colonized by students and scholars, occasionally with a seat open, and more sparsely populated spots can be glimpsed through the stacks.

The Late Librarian told him that being in the library would protect his books. He assumes there's truth to that so he isn't really searching for privacy. Actually, if anyone looks friendly he might try to strike up a conversation. If not he'll just find a free table or a table that appears to have enough free space that he won't be bothering anyone who doesn't want to be bothered.

He spots a cluster of scholars gathered around a table with an open seat. A couple seem to be whispering animatedly about something to do with a petition to the Imperial crown under Tribunal discussion, but when Alex attempts to interject, they shoot him a nasty look and go back to their books. At least they don't seem to object to his studying.

Ah well, maybe he'll have more success another day. In the meantime he will study there's still a lot he needs to learn.

Over the next week, Alex begins to feel the strain of what amounts to two full-time classes worth of work, on top of a still-somewhat-limited fluency in Miezan. He can keep up with his coursework, barely, but as predicted he doesn't have time for much else.

It does not help that he continues to be targeted by exceedingly unpleasant pranks, particularly when eating alone or studying outside the Library. His clothes turn coarse and itchy for a day, his food tastes unpredictably nasty, his bed acquires a habit of moaning when it ought to creak.

To make matters worse, increasingly few apprentices of the Order of Dreams will meet his eye in the hall or bunkrooms, although Shadwick, the musician, still waves jauntily whenever he and Alex cross paths. Alex doesn't run into Pipette again, at least not immediately, though he will occasionally glimpse her in the Prytaneum with a batch of Devisors. Alexius continues to be friendly as ever, and Philotheus, the uptight Dreamer apprentice, equally unfriendly.

He does net 2 Magic Theory XP and 1 in Miezan for his troubles.

One day Alex oversleeps a bit, and is hurrying to Magic Theory behind a tall yellow-robed Devisor apprentice Alex doesn't recognize. The apprentice rounds a corner ahead of Alex, who imagines he hears a faint muttering.

When Alex rounds the corner a few moments later, he finds himself facing a stone wall instead of more hallway.

The pranks are really taking a toll he's on edge constantly looking for evidence that someone might be targeting him. The last time he thought the school was playing with him it was... well it was the school being strange but not like the three-fold trial. Maybe this isn't a prank it's stills inconvenient regardless. He'll reach forward with his hand and try to feel whether the wall is actually real.