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Chapter 832: Hogwarts a Century Ago
Chapter 832: Hogwarts a Century Ago
The golden pocket watch on the table gleamed, and through the hands and gaps, one could catch a glimpse of the even brighter red philosopher's stone within.
Kyle turned to Nico, "Is it fixed?"
"The process went smoothly," Nico smiled, "Even better than I imagined, without a single mishap."
Not just Kyle, but the surrounding headmasters couldn't help but lean in, craning their necks to get a better look at the table.
"Is this the time-turner?" Phineas mumbled.
"Duh," Armando Dippet glanced at him, "What else could it be, a fork?"
"I mean, such a tiny thing can really take us back a century?" For once, Phineas didn't argue with Armando, his gaze fixed on the golden pocket watch.
"So, you want to use it?" Armando mocked, "Too bad, portraits can't use time-turners."
"Who wants to use it, I'm just asking... Is that not allowed?" Phineas stomped his feet.
"It's possible," a female witch's voice came from behind them, "Even further back, it's not a problem."
"Impressive, truly worthy of Salazar Slytherin's creation."
"No, only the framework is, but most of it has been altered. Strictly speaking, this is considered a separate creation."
"And using the philosopher's stone as the core... Although it's a bit extravagant, it's a great idea to minimize risks. It's really good."
"To receive your praise is truly delightful." Nico smiled, "But there's one thing I must admit, without this crucial framework, I couldn't have replicated this time-turner."
"That's fair." Phineas said, "Salazar Slytherin's wisdom is unparalleled."
He held his head high, assuming an air of pride.
Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention.
"It's just a bit too extravagant," the voice continued, "It's merely a core providing magic, and there are many alternatives."
"But for now, finding the alternatives you mentioned is more troublesome than making a philosopher's stone." Nico shook his head, "At least we managed to gather the materials needed for the stone."
"You're not wrong... Salazar had also considered using the philosopher's stone as a source of magic, but at that time, the wizarding world couldn't find any trace of the phoenix. That's why he had to resort to other methods."
"Haha, you talk as if you were there." Phineas couldn't help but turn around, "Can't you stop boasting..."
Phineas' words abruptly stopped, his eyes widening, and his entire body resembling a strangled rooster, mouth agape but unable to utter a sound.
After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sound from his throat.
"Raven... Ravenclaw?"
"It's me." Rowena Ravenclaw nodded lightly.
Her gaze shifted from the time-turner to Phineas, "Are you also a headmaster of Hogwarts?"
"Yes, yes, about a century ago," Phineas said nervously.
"Oh." Rowena Ravenclaw nodded without saying a word.
Armando Dippet disdainfully dragged him to the back, "Lady Ravenclaw, I didn't expect you to be in the school..."
"You can act as if I'm not here," Rowena Ravenclaw's face remained expressionless, "And I won't interfere with any decisions made in the school."
"You're joking." Another female headmaster exclaimed excitedly, "We're all eager for your guidance, and I believe the current headmaster feels the same."
"No, I won't do that." Rowena Ravenclaw shook her head, "I'm just a memory that shouldn't exist here. I don't want to, and I can't interfere with any decisions in this time."
"Then why did you appear this time?"
"To resolve the issues left behind," Ravenclaw didn't explain further, turning her attention back to the time-turner.
The others were left puzzled, but Kyle seemed to understand to some extent.
This time-turner was left by Salazar Slytherin, and strictly speaking, it was also something that 'shouldn't exist'.
Rowena Ravenclaw's appearance was probably for this reason... If Kyle's guess was correct, once he brings Dumbledore back this time, this object will no longer exist.
"Do you have any other questions?"
Kyle noticed Rowena Ravenclaw suddenly looking at him.
"Do I need to do any preparations?" He hurriedly asked, "I remember you telling me to stay away from the time-turner."
"I still stand by that advice," Rowena Ravenclaw said, "But... if you insist on going, remember to keep a clear mind. It seems you've prepared for this, is it the mind-restoring potion... or some other name?"
Kyle looked at Nico.
"That's fine." Nico nodded, explaining, "It's the potion you drank before, which allows your mind to remain unaffected by time. Even with two 'selves', you can maintain your sanity."
"Then there's no problem."
"Wait a moment," Kyle whispered, "If it's a century ago, there wasn't a second me... Even my father wasn't born yet."
"The impact of this is far more than just having an additional 'self'," Ravenclaw patiently explained. "In a sense, returning to a past you didn't experience is more dangerous than normal time travel. Without the protection of the potion, you'll gradually forget everything and get lost in the past."
Ravenclaw glanced at Nicolas once more before disappearing into the painting, leaving no trace of her departure, just as no one had seen her arrival.
Outside the room, Professor McGonagall and Minister Bones' argument could be heard again.
Kyle looked up.
"Don't worry about them," Nicolas reassured him. He picked up the time turner and gently pressed a button on it. "You have more important things to do."
As he did so, a red light emanated from the philosopher's stone within the time turner, spreading along the grooves on its surface until it evenly covered the five hands.
"Alright," Kyle said, a bit nervous as he took the pocket watch. "What time do I need to go to in order to find Professor Dumbledore?"
"Go back to the beginning of it all," Nicolas whispered. "If Albus is rejected by time, you'll definitely find him there."
"What should I do?"
"Just turn the longest hand once around; I've marked it." Nicolas pointed to the time turner, where a newly drawn graduation was clearly visible.
"This is the time I calculated. You might not be as precise when turning it, but as long as you're not too far off, it's fine. It just means waiting a few extra days."
"Okay."
Kyle took a deep breath and placed his finger on the longest hand, gently applying pressure.
The hand began to turn, initially with ease, but as it reached the halfway point, resistance grew, increasing as it approached the mark.
"Don't stop..." Nicolas reminded him from the side. "You can take your time, but don't stop."
Kyle pushed the hand all the way to the mark in one go... Not bad, it seemed to be right on the mark.
As he released his finger, the red light on the hand seemed to find an outlet, immediately flowing into the corresponding graduation, causing the time turner to vibrate intensely, breaking free from Kyle's hand and floating in mid-air.
However, Kyle wasn't surprised; after all, he had witnessed this scene before when Professor Dumbledore had used the time turner.
Nicolas took a small step back, looking at Kyle, and suddenly slapped his forehead.
"Oh, I forgot, he shouldn't have gone back from here."
"What's wrong?" Armando asked.
"Because he'll probably appear in the Headmaster's Office in 1899, the year Albus graduated," Nicolas frowned. "Who was the Headmaster then?"
Everyone turned to Phineas Black.
"Why are you looking at me?" Phineas unconsciously took two steps back.
"If I remember correctly," Armando narrowed his eyes. "You were the Headmaster then, weren't you? After all, I didn't take office until 1927."
"It was me, yes," Phineas said, "but even so, I can't go back..."
"Oh!" He suddenly exclaimed. "I think I've seen him... No wonder I felt like that kid looked familiar."
"You didn't give him a hard time, did you?"
"How would I know? That was a hundred years ago, and I see so many people every day. How could I possibly remember who they all are... Wait, what are you doing?"
Armando immediately drew his weapon. "Kyle is going to save Albus. If you do anything unnecessary, we won't let you off the hook."
...
However, Kyle couldn't hear their words anymore.
He found that everything around him was rapidly becoming blurry, with countless scenes flashing by like a movie being fast-forwarded a thousand times... Everything was unclear, except for numerous lines of different colors passing swiftly before his eyes.
It was a long process, and not a pleasant one. Kyle felt his eardrums swell, and he couldn't help but want to shout, perhaps even doing so, but he couldn't hear his own voice.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time, he felt his feet touch solid ground, and everything became clear again...
He saw the familiar yet unfamiliar Headmaster's Office.
The layout was similar to his memory, but the silverware and the large photo behind the desk were gone, replaced by several ugly statues and poor color choices.
"Who are you!" a stern voice called from behind.
"You're a seventh-year student, right? It's exam time. Why are you in the Headmaster's Office instead of the exam hall? Are you here to steal something?"
Kyle instinctively turned and saw a face that was both strange and familiar.
Phineas Black... Much younger than in the photo, with black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee.
But his attitude was just as unpleasant.
The first reaction to seeing a student in his office was to accuse them of wanting to steal something—a truly baseless and nasty accusation.
Kyle smirked, flashing a standard smile. "Respected Headmaster Black, do you think I'm a seventh-grade student?"
"What else would you be?" Phineas replied impatiently. "Do you want to claim you're a first-year student?"
"No, I indeed am a seventh-grader." After confirming Phineas's thoughts, Kyle felt a slight relief, at least he didn't need to make up an excuse.
"Do you know me?"
"Why would I know you?" Phineas's face remained stern. "Why would I know you? Hurry up, which house are you from?"
"Hufflepuff," Kyle said.
Upon hearing Hufflepuff, Phineas's impatience became more apparent, and he lost interest in continuing the conversation. "You're not here to prepare for exams, what are you doing in the Headmaster's office? Are you here to steal something?"
"Of course not. I just happened to pass by and wanted to greet you, since I'm about to graduate..."
"No need." Phineas rudely interrupted Kyle, pointing towards the door. "Leave quickly, or you won't graduate... Also, for maliciously intruding into the Headmaster's office, Hufflepuff loses 100 points... Oh, sorry, I forgot you don't have 100 points left. Let's deduct 57 points instead! Congratulations, Hufflepuff is now the only house with zero points."
Phineas chuckled, his face even more detestable.
"No problem, Headmaster, if it pleases you." Kyle smiled and left the office.
He didn't expect that Phineas, as Headmaster, would be even more despicable than his portrait, openly looking down on Hufflepuff without any pretenses.
Was this the attitude a Headmaster should have?
Kyle glanced back at the Headmaster's office door, narrowing his eyes slightly.
57 points, he remembered... No big deal, he could settle this account later.
Thanks to Phineas, Kyle also understood the current time.
Seventh-graders taking exams meant it was June 1899. Based on his previous information, Dumbledore's target should be in August, which meant he had arrived two months in advance.
Not bad, the timing was just right.
Kyle strolled leisurely in the corridor, observing his surroundings.
He had seen two different eras of Hogwarts: his own and the one from a thousand years ago.
This was his third... a century-old Hogwarts, and the one that made him feel the most uncomfortable.
As it was the end-of-term exam period, everyone was busy, hurrying along the corridors while making minimal noise. Even students chatting with each other were scarce, and if any lower-grade students attempted to talk, they were immediately silenced.
"Filch would probably love this atmosphere," Kyle thought, quickening his pace to leave.
This era's Hogwarts was too oppressive, no wonder Phineas was known as the most unpopular Headmaster.
As Kyle passed a row of classrooms, he overheard a witch's voice behind him.
"Next, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, it's your turn for the Transfiguration exam."
Kyle halted immediately, turning around.
He saw a handsome young man, about 17 years old, with reddish-brown short hair and a vibrant aura, emerge from the crowd.
"I'm here," Dumbledore said, waving his hand politely. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall."
"I've heard of you, Hogwarts' genius student," the middle-aged witch, future Professor McGonagall, smiled, nodding. "Remember, I won't lower the exam difficulty due to your reputation. On the contrary, I'll increase it slightly."
"No problem," young Dumbledore replied confidently. "I'm sure I can pass your test, Professor."
With that, he walked into the classroom.
Professor McGonagall seemed to sense something, turning her head to notice Kyle staring at them.
She glanced at the name list, then at the queue, furrowing her brow. "Why is there an extra person? Who are you?"
"Ah, I'm a sixth-grade student," Kyle hastily replied. "I was curious about the exam content, so I came to take a look."
"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall nodded.
"May I take a closer look?" Kyle asked. "Observe the exam process up close?"
"Absolutely not," Professor McGonagall's face turned stern. "N.E.W.T exams must not be disturbed. There's nothing to be curious about... You..."
"No need, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore, who had just entered, poked his head out. "It's just someone watching; it won't affect me. Letting a lower-grade student observe the exam process can be a good learning experience, after all.
"Besides, this is a Spell Application Exam; he can't help me cheat, can he?"
(End of Chapter)
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