Chapter 472 – Ministry of Magic: The Silent Ones
“So… Kariel… Kariel’s already…?” Hermione touched the Time-Turner she’d just recovered, unable to bring herself to say the word dead.
Wade nodded.
They leaned against the corridor wall, watching their classmates stroll across the lawn, basking in the sun. Neither spoke for a long time.
No matter how close or distant their relationships, the sudden departure of a peer from this world still felt jarring and sorrowful. And Kariel—someone who had always been easygoing and well-liked among Gryffindors—had been especially popular. His warm personality had made him a favorite among the house.
So even though Hermione had nearly collapsed with despair when she woke up in the Infirmary to find the Time-Turner missing, now she couldn’t feel even the faintest trace of blame. All she felt was grief.
But they couldn’t share this with anyone. The existence of the Time-Turner was a secret. They couldn’t tell anyone.
“I don’t know how to say this,” Hermione said, her voice low. “But I… I know he made a mistake. I can understand why he did it. Do you get it, Wade?”
Wade didn’t answer. He stared into the distance, toward the Forbidden Forest, his mind flashing back to the cold, lifeless body he’d seen in the Morgue.
At that moment, Wade had felt a deep reverence for time—and for the Time-Turner itself.
It could rewind time, yes. But it couldn’t undo cause and effect. The device seemed to be bound by the very fabric of fate.
Just like Kariel’s desire to change the past—his longing to save his mother—was in fact his own future. To save her, he had to walk toward the end he was already destined to reach.
Wade rubbed his arms, then turned to Hermione. “Want to go play the Maze for a bit?”
“Play?” Hermione frowned. “I still have an essay on Animagi to write, and Professor Flee asked us to decode a Curse…”
Just mentioning her assignments made her anxious. Usually, she’d have sprinted back to the library already. But today, she had no energy.
She bit her lip, looking at Wade—only to see him tilting his head toward her, raising one eyebrow. That look said it all: So what?
Hermione let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping. “To hell with the assignments. Let’s go!”
Wade grinned.
They reached the Maze. Professor Troke was waiting there, sitting on Hagrid’s enormous chair, looking like a child who’d sneaked onto an adult’s stool.
He’d been staring absently at a few Tree Guardians perched in the bushes. Hearing footsteps, he glanced down. “The last group won’t be out for another five minutes. Just wait a moment… oh, it’s you two.”
He recognized Wade and Hermione, and smiled. “Not off to Hogsmeade?”
“No,” Hermione sighed. “I’ve been too busy.”
“Professor,” Wade said, “we’d like to try a more difficult section.”
“Just the two of you?” Troke asked.
“Yes,” Hermione added. “Is that possible?”
“Sure, as long as you signal immediately if you’re in danger. You both know how to cast Spark Magic, right?” Troke paused, then chuckled at himself. “Of course you do. I’m sorry.”
“Is something wrong, Professor?” Hermione asked.
“No… of course not.” Troke exhaled, but his eyes betrayed him.
Aside from the fact that his nephew was a wanted criminal—nowhere to be found, and he was terrified that his own vampire identity might be exposed at any moment, and worse, whether the curse from the Defense Against the Dark Arts post had somehow transferred to his unfortunate nephew—of course he had no other worries.
“Oh, the younger students finished early. You can go in now.” Troke tapped the bush wall with his wand. A round archway appeared suddenly. Wade and Hermione each took a Tree Guardian from the wall and slung it over their shoulders, then drew their wands and stepped into the Maze.
The walls shifted slowly. After a moment, a new passage opened on the left—leading deeper, into a higher-difficulty zone.
Higher difficulty meant more traps, more puzzles, more dangerous magical creatures. Recently, the school had even added enlarged, aggressive Magic Puppets to the Maze. The Aslan Magical Workshop offered special bulk discounts for such customizations.
Of course, oversized insects were a must. They’d become a signature feature of the Hogwarts Maze game.
Avoiding concealed traps in the ground, solving riddles, pushing aside rocks, and slipping into hidden paths.
A Kaba suddenly lunged from the murky pool, its clawed hand snapping toward Wade’s ankle. A flash of light from a spell struck it instantly, and it screamed before vanishing back into the muck.
A Giant Mantis leapt down from above. Hermione shrieked, waved her wand, and blasted the creature in half with a powerful explosion.
Then, a rustling sound erupted from all around. A swarm of ants poured in from both ends of the Maze, some crawling over the walls, others scaling the bushes from above and the sides.
Wade’s Tree Guardian clamped its tiny claws over its eyes, as if unable to bear what was about to happen.
“Don’t worry,” Wade said, lifting it gently into his pocket. “One fire spell’ll take care of it.”
He raised his wand, ready to cast the new fire spell he’d been experimenting with—when Hermione stepped in front of him.
“Wait, Wade,” she said. “Let me try first.”
Wade blinked, then nodded. “Alright.”
Hermione pointed her wand. “Petrificus Totalus! Blazing Flame Spell! Split-into-Parts Spell! Expelliarmus! Shrinking Charm! Shrinking Charm!”
One by one, the ants flew backward, disoriented and scattered.
At first, Wade had worried—was she really going to handle this? But then he realized she wasn’t afraid. Her teeth were clenched, her focus absolute. She wasn’t thinking about danger. She was only thinking about fighting.
Wade blocked attacks from other directions, unleashing spell after spell, watching the swarm fall apart in waves. The violence, the chaos—it seemed to lift the weight from his chest.
After the ants came a beetle the size of a hunting dog, a Red Hat that struck from ambush, a pack of aggressive rats, and finally, a Devil’s Vine that shot out of the bushes with terrifying speed.
When they finally emerged from the Maze, their robes were filthy, but their expressions were lighter.
The Tree Guardians hopped off their shoulders, claws gripping parchment, scribbling furiously with a tiny quill as they recorded the score.
“Seems the Maze really does improve one’s mood,” Professor Troke said, jotting down the scores with a smile. “You’re both excellent students, but balance is important.”
“No relationships,” Hermione forced a smile, “rest time is like water in the sea—squeeze it, and there’s always more.”
“Listen to me, child,” Troke frowned. “Put down those books. Go home and sleep. Look at your eyes—those dark circles. You’re exhausting yourself. That’s not healthy.”
“I know…” Hermione began, “I was actually planning to drop two classes at the end of term…”
Before she could finish, a voice from nearby cut in: “That’s great thinking… but if you’ve already made up your mind, why not start changing your schedule now?”
Wade turned. A tall man in a black robe stood there, pale from years without sunlight, his expression serious, his blue eyes dull, unfocused.
He glanced at the man’s head—then narrowed his eyes slightly.
Professor McGonagall appeared beside them, her tone sharp. “This is Mr. Broderick Bode, Ministry of Magic. Miss Granger, Mr. Bode has business with you.”
“O-Of course,” Hermione stammered, uneasy.
“What is it?” Wade said. “If it’s about Kariel… Bode, you should talk to me.”
Bode’s gaze shifted to Wade. He saw the gold chain pulled slightly from beneath the boy’s shirt. His eyes flickered.
“Wade Gray?” He nodded. “I’ve heard about you. You were involved too. You may join.”
They moved into a small common room beside the Maze.
Bode didn’t waste time. “Miss Granger. This morning, your Time-Turner went missing, correct?”
“Yes,” Hermione said, grinding her teeth. “Kariel knocked me out and stole it.”
“But he didn’t alter history in any significant way,” Wade added.
“True,” Bode said flatly. “Thank Merlin. Thank Chronos, the God of Time. He didn’t interfere with known events. That’s why I’m here—not to bring you to trial, but to speak with you.”
“Watch your tone, Bode,” Professor McGonagall snapped. “Miss Granger is a diligent, conscientious student. She trusted her friend. That’s no crime. And Kariel… he died in the past, and he took care to avoid disrupting time.”
The witch spoke with quiet strength, holding back her sorrow. Hermione looked at her with gratitude.
“Actually,” Bode said coldly, “the influence has occurred. Most people just haven’t noticed.”
“Ministry of Magic detected anomalies in time flow. Today’s timeline is thirteen minutes shorter than normal. Tomorrow, seven minutes. The day after, two minutes thirty-seven seconds. And in two weeks, time will shrink to just 1.8 nanoseconds. Only then will the disturbance begin to fade.”
He paused.
“Given the potential consequences, Miss Granger, I’m afraid you can no longer keep your Time-Turner. This decision is shared by the majority of The Silent Ones in the Department of Mysteries.”
(End of Chapter)
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