Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 832: Hogwarts, A Century Ago - Novel Cool

Chapter 832: Hogwarts, A Century Ago

Chapter 832: Hogwarts, A Century Ago

The golden pocket watch lay on the table, gleaming, and through the hands and gaps, one could glimpse the bright red Sorcerer's Stone within.

Kyle looked at Nicholas and asked, "Is it fixed already?"

"The process went smoothly," Nicholas replied with a smile. "Smoother than I expected, without a single mishap."

Intrigued, not only Kyle but also the surrounding headmasters leaned in for a closer look.

"Is this the Time-Turner?" Phineas mumbled.

"Of course," Armando Dippet, standing beside him, glanced at him. "What else would it be? A fork?"

"I meant, can something so small really take one back a hundred years?" For once, Phineas didn't argue with Armando, his gaze fixed on the golden pocket watch.

"Oh, so you want to use it?" Armando teased. "Too bad portraits can't use Time-Turners."

"Who wants to use it?" Phineas sputtered. "I was just asking... is that a crime now?"

"It certainly is possible," a witch's voice said from behind the pair. "Even going back further wouldn't be a problem."

"Impressive, truly worthy of Salazar Slytherin's craftsmanship."

"No, the framework is his, but most of it has been modified. Strictly speaking, it's a different artifact now."

"And using a Sorcerer's Stone as the core... while extravagant, it's a brilliant idea to minimize risk. Quite ingenious."

"I'm glad you approve," Nicholas smiled. "But I must admit, without that crucial framework, I wouldn't have been able to replicate this Time-Turner."

"That's a fair point," Phineas said. "Salazar Slytherin's wisdom is unmatched."

He held his head high, as if proud to be associated with the legendary wizard.

Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind.

"It is a bit extravagant, though," the voice continued. "There are many alternatives to simply providing a magical core."

"But as things stand," Nicholas shook his head, "finding the alternatives you mentioned would be more troublesome than crafting a Sorcerer's Stone. At least we could just barely gather the necessary materials."

"What you say is true... Salazar did consider using a Sorcerer's Stone as a power source, but at the time, no phoenix could be found in the wizarding world, so another method had to be used."

"Ha, you talk as if you were there," Phineas interrupted, turning around. "Can't you stop boasting for once..."

Phineas' words trailed off as his eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open without making a sound.

After a long moment, he managed to croak out, "Raven... Ravenclaw?"

"It is I," Rowena Ravenclaw acknowledged with a slight nod.

Her gaze shifted from the Time-Turner to Phineas, "And you are a headmaster of Hogwarts as well?"

"Y-yes, about a hundred years ago," Phineas stammered.

"Oh." Rowena Ravenclaw nodded without further comment.

Armando dragged him to the back, rolling his eyes. "Ms. Ravenclaw, we didn't expect to find you here in the school..."

"You may act as if I'm not here," Rowena Ravenclaw said expressionlessly. "And I won't involve myself in any decisions regarding the school."

"You jest," another female headmaster said excitedly. "We would all welcome your guidance, and I'm sure the current headmaster feels the same."

"No, I won't do that," Rowena Ravenclaw shook her head. "I am a memory that should not exist in this time, and I will not interfere with any decisions made during this era."

"Then why have you appeared this time?"

"To resolve an issue from the past," Ravenclaw said without elaborating further, her eyes once again on the Time-Turner.

The others were puzzled by her words, but Kyle could guess at their meaning.

This Time-Turner was left by Salazar Slytherin and could be considered something that 'should not exist'.

Rowena Ravenclaw's appearance was likely due to this reason as well... If Kyle's guess was correct, once he brought back Dumbledore, this artifact would no longer appear.

"Do you have any questions?"

Kyle noticed Rowena Ravenclaw looking at him.

"Do I need to do any preparation?" he asked quickly. "I recall you telling me to stay away from the Time-Turner as much as possible."

"That advice still stands," Ravenclaw said. "However... if you insist on going, remember to maintain a clear mind. But it seems you've already prepared for that with the Reset Potion... or whatever name you've given it."

Kyle glanced at Nicholas.

"Yes," Nicholas nodded in agreement. "It's the potion you drank before, which allows your thoughts to remain unaffected by time, ensuring your mind remains independent even with two 'selves'."

"Then I should be fine."

"Just a moment.

"But now it seems that someone has already taken these into consideration." Ravenclaw glanced at Nicholas again before her figure disappeared from the portrait frame.

No one saw how she left, just as no one had noticed her arrival.

Beyond the door, the voices of Professor McGonagall and Minister Bones arguing could be heard once more.

Kyle lifted his head.

"Don't worry about them," Nicholas said as he picked up the Time-Turner and gently pressed on it. "You have more important matters to attend to."

As he did so, a strand of red light emanated from the Sorcerer's Stone within, creeping along the intricate patterns on the surface until it evenly coated all five hands.

"Alright," Kyle said, a hint of tension in his voice as he took the pocket watch. "When should I go to find Professor Dumbledore?"

"Go back to the very beginning," Nicholas whispered. "If Albus is being rejected by time, you're sure to find him there."

"What should I do?"

"Just turn the longest hand for a full circle; I've marked it for you." Nicholas pointed to the Time-Turner, where a new mark had been drawn, clearly visible.

"This is the time I've calculated. You might not be able to turn it as precisely, but as long as you don't deviate too much, it'll be fine. At worst, you'll just have to wait a few more days."

"Okay."

Kyle took a deep breath and placed his finger on the longest hand, gently applying force.

The hand began to turn smoothly at first, but as it reached the halfway point, resistance built up, and the closer it got to the mark, the greater the resistance became.

"Don't stop..." Nicholas reminded him from the side. "You can go slowly, but don't stop turning it."

Kyle pushed the hand all the way to the mark in one breath... Not bad, it seemed to be right on the mark.

As he released his finger, the red light on the hand seemed to have found an outlet, rushing into the corresponding mark. The Time-Turner began to vibrate violently, breaking free from Kyle's hand and hovering in mid-air.

However, Kyle wasn't surprised, as he had witnessed this scene once before... When Albus Dumbledore had used the Time-Turner, it had behaved in the same manner.

Nicholas took a small step back and suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Oh, I forgot, he shouldn't have returned here."

"What's wrong?" Armando asked.

"Because he'll probably appear in the Headmaster's office in 1899, the year Albus graduated," Nicholas frowned. "Who was the Headmaster back then?"

Everyone turned to Phineas Black.

"What are you looking at me for?" Phineas took two steps back instinctively.

"If I'm not mistaken," Armando narrowed his eyes, "you were the Headmaster back then, as I only took office in 1927."

"Yes, it was me," Phineas said, "but even so, I can't go back... "

"Oh!" He exclaimed suddenly. "I think I've seen him, that Kyle... No wonder I always felt that kid looked vaguely familiar."

"You didn't give him a hard time, did you?"

"How would I know, that was a hundred years ago. I meet so many people every day, how am I supposed to remember who they all are... Wait, what are you doing?"

Armando immediately drew his weapon. "Kyle is going to save Albus. If you dare cause any trouble, we won't let you off the hook."

...

However, by this time, Kyle could no longer hear their voices.

He felt his surroundings begin to blur rapidly, with countless scenes flashing by in quick succession, as if he were watching a movie being fast-forwarded a thousandfold... Nothing was clear, only a multitude of lines of different colors streaked across his vision.

It was a lengthy and unpleasant process, and Kyle felt his eardrums swelling, an irresistible urge to shout overwhelming him. Perhaps he had already shouted, but he couldn't hear his own voice.

Finally, after an indefinite amount of time, he felt his feet touch solid ground once more, and everything came back into focus.

He found himself in a familiar yet unfamiliar Headmaster's office.

The layout was similar to what he remembered, but the conspicuous silverware and the large photograph behind the desk were gone, replaced by several ugly statues and a terrible color scheme.

"Who are you!" A stern voice shouted from behind him.

"You must be a seventh-year student. It's exam time, so why are you here in the Headmaster's office instead of the exam hall? Are you here to steal something?"

Kyle turned instinctively and saw a face that was both unfamiliar and familiar.

Phineas Black... Much younger than in his photographs, with black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee.

But his attitude was just as punchable.

His first reaction to seeing a student in his office was to accuse them of theft; such a baseless and malicious accusation.

"No, I am indeed a seventh-year," Kyle said, feeling relieved that Phineas had indeed mistaken him for a student. At least he didn't have to make up an excuse.

"Then do I know you?"

"Why would I know you?" Phineas snapped. "Why should I know who you are? Now tell me, which house are you from?"

"Hufflepuff," Kyle answered.

Upon hearing 'Hufflepuff,' Phineas' face twisted into an even more unpleasant expression, and he lost interest in continuing the conversation. "If you're not here to steal something, then scram! Otherwise, you won't be graduating... Oh, and by the way, for barging into the Headmaster's office without permission, Hufflepuff loses fifty-seven points!

"Congratulations, thanks to your antics, Hufflepuff is now the only house with zero points." Phineas sneered, his face even more punchable than ever.

"It's fine as long as you're happy, Headmaster," Kyle said with a smile, turning to leave the office.

He never expected that the younger Phineas Black, in his heyday as Headmaster, would be a hundred times worse than his portrait, and he blatantly looked down on Hufflepuff without any attempt to hide it.

Was this really the attitude befitting of a Headmaster?

Kyle turned to glance at the door to the Headmaster's office, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Fifty-seven points, huh? He'd remember that... No problem, he'd settle the score once he returned.

But thanks to Phineas, Kyle now had a better understanding of the exact time period.

It was exam time for the seventh-years, so it should be around June 1899. According to the information he had gathered, Dumbledore's incident should take place in August, which meant he was two months early. He was certain to appear during this period.

Not bad, the timing was just right.

Kyle strolled leisurely down the corridor, taking in the surroundings.

He had experienced two different eras of Hogwarts—his own time and a thousand years in the past.

This would be the third... Hogwarts a hundred years ago, and also the period he felt least comfortable with.

Due to the end-of-year exams, everyone was busy scurrying around, walking quickly but trying to keep their footsteps quiet, and no one dared to chat along the way. Even if a younger student wanted to speak, they would be immediately shushed by their peers.

"I bet Filch would have loved this," Kyle thought to himself, unable to resist quickening his pace to leave the area.

Hogwarts a hundred years ago felt overly oppressive, no wonder Phineas Black was known as the most unpopular Headmaster in history.

As Kyle passed by a row of classrooms, with students waiting nervously outside for their exams, he was about to head downstairs when he suddenly heard a female witch's voice.

"Next, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, it's your turn for the Transfiguration exam."

Kyle stopped in his tracks.

He turned around and saw a handsome young man stepping out from the crowd.

At this time, Dumbledore was only around seventeen years old, younger than Kyle, with a youthful face and short reddish-brown hair. He exuded a vibrant and confident aura.

"Here I am," he waved and said politely, "Thank you, Professor McGonagall."

"I've heard a lot about you, the genius student of Hogwarts," the middle-aged witch, who would become Professor McGonagall in the future, nodded with a smile.

"But remember, I won't lower the standards just because of your reputation. On the contrary, I might even make it more difficult."

"No problem," the young Dumbledore said confidently. "I'm sure I can pass your test."

With that, he strode into the classroom.

Professor McGonagall seemed to sense something and turned her head, spotting Kyle staring at them.

She looked down at her list and then at the queue of students, frowning. "Why is there an extra person here? Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm a sixth-year student," Kyle quickly replied. "Just curious about the exam, so I came to take a look."

"I see," Professor McGonagall nodded.

"So, can I watch the exam up close?" Kyle asked.

"Of course not!" Professor McGonagall snapped, her face stern. "Absolutely no disturbances are allowed during the N.E.W.T. exams. There's nothing to be curious about, so..."

"It's fine, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore poked his head out of the classroom, "It's just someone watching, and it won't affect me at all. Besides, letting the younger students observe the exam process can give them some experience.

"Also, this is a practical spell exam, so he can't cheat for me anyway, right?"

(End of Chapter)

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