A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 228: Enigma of Time

Simultaneously, in the Ancient Runes Office.

Hermione held three bright runic symbols in her hand, watching them spin ceaselessly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Felix Harp leaned against his desk, engrossed in grading a set of papers. His fingertip lightly brushed over the final word, leaving a faint trace of ink, and his gaze took on an intriguing quality.

Glancing at the clock, it struck exactly eight o'clock—the time when runic instruction was just beginning.

"So, did she rush over right after finishing her exam? Or," Felix's thoughts turned, "is there another Granger here in the castle?"

An itch of curiosity pricked him. What if he summoned his Patronus to convey a message to the other Hermione? Something like asking her to bring Harry's Sneakoscope on her way? What would happen?

Felix patiently waited for two minutes. Hermione remained enthusiastically practicing runic shapes in the air, utterly absorbed. She didn't stop and instead patted her own forehead. "Oh, Professor, I almost forgot. You asked me to bring the Sneakoscope..."

"My understanding of Time-Turners is rather limited, and I'm feeling a bit at a loss," Felix mused. "But if I'm within a loop of time, there must be a starting point and an endpoint. And when that endpoint arrives, the two Grangers would inevitably converge at the same position."

Felix pondered in silence. He still couldn't act recklessly; the consequences were unknown. Presumably, this was also why Granger didn't suddenly produce a Sneakoscope from her pocket...

It simply wasn't his style.

"Professor—"

Felix's spirit stirred as he looked up. The young witch was pointing at a sapphire-blue runic symbol in her hand. "I sense something amiss here, the flow of magic doesn't seem smooth?"

A hint of disappointment flashed, but he kindly explained, "This runic symbol represents water, also symbolizing the sea and broad-mindedness. You should try to delve deeper into its meaning; it's a marvelous sensation when understanding suddenly dawns upon you."

"Nevertheless, the runic symbolism is the key to understanding runes."

"I understand, Professor!" Hermione said joyfully. "I have an idea. When I was younger, I witnessed many rivers, lakes, and even the ocean with my family. I believe that might be of help?"

"Exactly, you can draw from that experience," Felix agreed.

The rest of the runic guidance proceeded as usual, yet Felix's heart held different expectations. From time to time, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

As half-past nine arrived, the evening's lesson was drawing to a close. However, Felix couldn't resist a remark, "Miss Granger, you seem rather weary. How about grabbing a little snack and watching an animated film?"

If Hermione agreed, he planned to gently remind her of the time and observe her reaction...

Hermione's expression lit up with interest, but she quickly and subtly glanced at the clock. "Oh, no thank you, Professor. I have something to attend to. It's lights out by nine fifty..." Her breath paused for a moment, "I mean, the curfew is ten o'clock."

Felix Harp nodded, "I've been negligent." He watched Hermione depart; it seemed his speculation was correct. He truly was in a time loop, and very likely, his assistant had used the Time-Turner at nine fifty to go back two hours.

In other words, she returned to seven fifty, bringing with her the paper that hadn't even dried yet, to report to his office...

After careful consideration, he cast a Disillusionment Charm, a Muffliato Charm, an Invisibility Charm, and a No-See Spell on himself, preparing for all eventualities. With his preparations complete, he stepped out of his office.

Felix followed behind Hermione from a distance, resembling a true ghost. After about seven or eight minutes, outside the Gryffindor common room, he saw Hermione hiding behind a door pillar.

"She's chosen a good spot; there are no portraits around."

Soon, another person emerged from the common room—a second Hermione Granger!

Felix couldn't hide his astonishment. Although he had known since the beginning of the school year, or even the previous one, that Hermione possessed a Time-Turner, this was the first time he had directly witnessed its effect.

He quelled his impulsive thoughts once again and watched as she passed the door pillar without looking to the side. The other Hermione quickly retreated.

In his sight, the Hermione Granger who had just exited the common room stood in a corner, turning a golden hourglass-shaped timer. She spun it twice, accompanied by the faint sound of gears, and her figure abruptly vanished.

Felix's eyes nearly popped out, but he saw nothing, as if he were observing empty air. Everything that had just happened seemed like a fabricated memory he had concocted for himself.

The Hermione behind the pillar peeked out and hurried back to the common room.

Felix could still hear the portrait of the Fat Lady at the entrance grumbling, "Why'd you come back so soon? You little wizards..."

"Out of my way." Hermione quickly uttered the password, and the Fat Lady reluctantly moved aside.

Felix returned to his office with light steps, his sense of awe undiminished. This was a power he had never before touched—a mystery of time.

"Time, time! I should respect time. This matter stops here; I mustn't take risks." Felix warned himself. His assistant was already quite responsible; he couldn't lead her astray.

If he made a mistake and threw the young witch into a tumultuous flow of time, where would he go to find her?

But his thoughts quickly shifted, unable to help but think, "What if I could obtain another Time-Turner from elsewhere? The Ministry of Magic, ancient pure-blood families, or the tombs of ancient wizards—all have a slight possibility... This matter requires careful planning; I mustn't act rashly!"

...

The next day, as usual, Felix went to St. Mungo's.

Madam Longbottom carefully combed Alice's hair, yet a large clump still stuck to the comb. She smiled wryly, "I hope they recover soon and shake off the side effects of the Cruciatus Curse, don't you think?"

"They will," Felix reassured her. "Right now, they're like walking shells, unable to control their magic. Once their memories return, many methods will become accessible."

Madam Longbottom breathed a sigh of relief.

During this time, Healer Meilin, the Longbottoms' attending healer, paid a visit. She was a friendly witch, but she couldn't help giving Felix a skeptical glance.

"The 'specialist' Madam Longbottom brought in seems quite young. Still, there's been some improvement..."

Healer Meilin asked probing questions about magical treatment, and Felix casually touched on shallow knowledge of blood magic, leaving her looking rather bewildered.

"...I'm trying to awaken the remnants of their subconscious, in tandem with channeling their own magic," Felix explained eloquently. While it wasn't completely false, he played a trick by not mentioning that he had spent most of his time tampering with their memories.

Once Healer Meilin left, Felix turned to Madam Longbottom. "The first part of the thesis has been sent out; it might take some time."

Madam Longbottom looked puzzled. "Felix, I've been wanting to ask you—why didn't you send it later, after the treatment?"

"Because we can't keep it hidden," Felix explained. "Based on my estimation, by the end of next month at the latest, Frank and Alice's reactions will become quite apparent. St. Mungo's won't be able to overlook it."

"While we can reveal the truth, we still have to consider the worst-case scenario: St. Mungo's rejects my treatment plan. And Frank and Alice can't currently leave St. Mungo's care... You could say I like to be prepared in advance. Although my paper is only theoretical, very few could find fault with it, at most considering it impossible given current treatment methods—nothing more than a young person's fanciful thinking."

Felix smiled. "But once someone manages to achieve it, it will be a groundbreaking achievement, and St. Mungo's will be eager to keep us."

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