The carriages swayed as they made their way toward Hogwarts. As usual, Wade cast a Transfiguration Charm to enhance the simple carriage. The lanterns hanging on either side shifted to emit a soft blue flame, instantly warming the interior.
Theo let out a long sigh of relief, and rubbed his frozen fingers. "Thank Merlin—thank Wade! I swear my hands were about to go numb."
"The weather feels especially cold this year. It's only September!" Michael said as he shook the water off his leaf umbrella, placing it by his feet before blowing warm air onto his hands.
Wade noticed Ryan glancing at him several times as if hesitating to say something. So he took the initiative and asked, "Ryan, what is it?"
Ryan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Wade, did you change wands?"
Though the lighting had been dim earlier, Ryan was certain that the wand in Wade's hand was slightly shorter than the one he used to carry.
Wade gave his wand a casual wave before tucking it away, and said with a smile: "This is my backup wand. I've been using it for a while now."
In truth, when Wade had captured the bearded man Donovan, he had also recovered the wands that had been taken by those criminals. However, he had yet to find the right opportunity to return them.
Naturally, his original wand remained stored away.
No one pressed Wade further about why he wasn't using his original wand. Theo glanced at it and smiled. "That's the walnut one, right? I always thought it suited you."
"Walnut wood…"
Neville's expression suddenly turned dazed for a moment.
"What's wrong?" Theo, sharp as ever, immediately picked up on his shift in mood.
"It's nothing." Neville's fingers curled slightly before he lowered his head and murmured, "Bellatrix Lestrange… She used a walnut wand."
"I remember Basic Wand Theory mentioned that walnut wood symbolizes wisdom and inspiration. Its owners are often magical innovators and inventors," Ryan added.
"But it's also an incredibly adaptable wood, capable of executing its owner's every command flawlessly."
"So it's both the perfect partner for a wizard… and a deadly weapon," Michael said, resting his chin on his hand. "No moral compass… but I like it."
"They say only exceptionally gifted wizards are chosen by walnut wands…" Neville muttered before wiping his face and shaking off the sudden emotion. "Wade, did you get this wand from Ollivander's as well?"
"No, I picked it up at a second-hand shop," Wade replied. "Theo introduced me to the place."
"You should take me there sometime!" Michael slung an arm around Theo's shoulders. "I want to get a backup wand too—it seems really useful."
"Sure, but there aren't a lot of options to choose from," Theo said.
"No problem, it's just a backup anyway," Michael mused. "Hmm… I want to get a yew wand… or ebony would work too…"
"Ebony is fine, but yew doesn't really suit you, does it?" Ryan remarked.
"Doesn't matter if it suits me or not—it just sounds cool…"
As they chatted, the carriage finally arrived at Hogwarts.
Wade stepped down and casually patted the Thestral, which snorted softly. The black-winged horse tilted its head slightly, its hollow eyes were both eerie and oddly adorable.
Michael picked up his leaf umbrella, glanced at the seemingly empty space in front of the carriage, then hurried to catch up with the group.
The students walked up the stone steps into the castle. The muddy footprints left behind made the paintings along the walls start to grumble, but the students paid no attention and quickened their pace toward the warmth of the Great Hall.
Professor McGonagall, dressed in her black robes, stood by the marble staircase with her hands clasped. Under her watchful gaze, the noisy crowd gradually quieted until the chatter disappeared entirely. The students filed into the Great Hall in silence.
"Grey, Granger!" McGonagall suddenly called. "Come with me for a moment."
Wade and Hermione exchanged glances before squeezing through the crowd and following Professor McGonagall to her office.
Compared to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office, McGonagall's office was much smaller—perhaps the smallest of all the professors' offices—but it was warm and cozy, with a roaring fire in the fireplace.
Over the past two years, Wade had frequently come here to ask Professor McGonagall questions, so he knew that beside the bookshelves, there was a hidden door leading to her private living quarters.
With a wave of her wand, two chairs slid out from under the desk.
"Sit down."
McGonagall seated herself behind her desk, and looked at them with a rare smile of satisfaction.
"Grey, Granger, you are two of the most outstanding students I have ever taught. During the course selection, you both chose to take all the available electives—meaning this term, you will be studying twelve subjects."
"Yes, Professor," Hermione said, with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Wade simply nodded at McGonagall, and stayed silent.
He was afraid that if he spoke, his anticipation would spill out uncontrollably.
"Even without me saying it, I believe you both understand that taking twelve courses at once is an incredibly heavy workload. Very few students can manage such an intense academic schedule."
McGonagall gave them a serious warning.
"Even among the most brilliant wizards, not everyone excels in every subject. If you wish to reconsider and drop one or two courses, I would completely understand. In fact, I would consider it a very wise decision."
"Sorry, Professor," Hermione replied firmly. "Giving up before I've even tried—that's not my style."
"I made this choice after careful consideration, Professor," Wade said as well.
"Alright… I assume you both noticed during course selection that some of your class schedules overlap."
Professor McGonagall continued, "To ensure that students like you can successfully complete their studies, the school has applied to the Ministry of Magic for a special item to help regulate your time—"
Clink.
She placed two golden timepieces on the desk, each attached to a delicate gold chain.
The face of the timepiece featured a tiny hourglass filled with shimmering golden sand, intricate and mysterious in design.
Wade couldn't help but swallow, and his heart raced as he found himself unable to tear his gaze away.
"This is a Time-Turner," McGonagall explained. "Each turn rewinds time by one hour…"
"What?!" Hermione gasped. "That's impossible! Time… time is irreversible!"
"As unbelievable as it may seem, Miss Granger, magic can reverse time."
McGonagall spoke with grave seriousness. "However, tampering with time is extremely dangerous. Many wizards have attempted to use Time-Turners to change the past, and without exception, they have all caused catastrophic consequences."
"For example, killing their past or future selves, erasing people who were meant to exist, or bringing terrible misfortunes upon those who were supposed to live happily."
"The Ministry of Magic enforces the strictest punishments for the misuse of a Time-Turner—stricter than for murder or even breaking the Statute of Secrecy!"
"To allow you to use them legally, I had to write over a dozen letters to the Ministry, proving that you are both exemplary students who would never use them for anything other than your studies—"
"You must swear to me that you will strictly abide by this promise! And that you will not tell anyone about this!"
Wade and Hermione immediately raised their hands and swore.
Magic stems from the wizard's intent, and when a wizard makes a serious vow, even without a formal contract, magic imposes an invisible binding force.
McGonagall gently pushed the Time-Turners forward and said, "Then, you may take them."
"Remember, the maximum time you can travel back is five hours. Any longer, and the risk of danger increases exponentially."
"I strongly advise you to only go back one hour at a time. That way, you can keep up with your courses without violating the fundamental laws of time."
"Also, once you've traveled back, you must not change anything that has already happened. And under no circumstances should your past self see your future self."
"The Ministry has established hundreds of laws regarding the use of Time-Turners—you must read them carefully! Do not break a single one, or I will immediately revoke your Time-Turners!"
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