A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

Harry suddenly looked embarrassed.

Ron glared at her and said sullenly, "Thanks for reminding me, your analogy is brilliant."

“The problem is, I don’t know what to do now,” Hermione said helplessly. “Maybe I should ask Professor McGonagall to cancel—”

“No!” Harry said hastily. “You’d better tell them the truth. I think they definitely don’t want to miss this important moment.”

Ron agreed with Harry. "Just imagine, if next year they find out from the Flourish and Blotts clerks that their daughter participated in a dangerous event with a very high mortality rate... they'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth, or at least send you a howling letter."

“Oh, they won’t,” Hermione said casually. “At most, they’ll threaten me that they’ll never straighten my teeth for the rest of my life.”

In the portrait by the door, Violet, who had come to visit, whispered to the fat lady, "Do the Gryffindors always talk like this?"

“I’m just a portrait,” the fat lady said with a shrug.

"Banana fried dough." Hermione's face flushed slightly. "The password is banana fried dough."

“My favorite,” the plump lady said with a smile, moving the portrait aside in front of them. As they walked inside, they could still hear her talking to her best friend, “Gryffindor students are quite nice, except they’re a bit oblivious to everyone else…”

After they entered the dressing room, Ron said with dissatisfaction, "Is she talking about herself? You should really ask how she sings opera so nonchalantly, uh, better not to ask—she wrote me into the opera too."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ron had sneaked into Room Seven to try and get an invitation to the prospective champions, an incident the Fat Lady had written into her new song.

Afterwards, Fred and George discussed the song, and they both agreed that the Fat Lady had the habit of exaggerating facts, as writers do—if the protagonist wasn't their brother, they would have thought it was an adventure of King Arthur in his youth.

Sitting in her chair, Hermione pulled out her textbook, but she couldn't write a single word. Before lights out, she finally made a decision: "You're right, I'll write home tomorrow."

……

Felix flipped through the new day's newspaper; today's headline was "Trouble Abounds! Minister of Magic in the Eye of the Storm."

"Ever since the bribery scandal involving current Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge broke at the beginning of the month, he has been in the eye of the storm. It is an open secret that Fudge is involved with several pure-blood families. He has boasted about his personal friendships with those ancient families more than once, using their intricate networks and influence to consolidate his power."

Fudge repeatedly reiterated that he did not abuse his power for personal gain.

'I have indeed received some generous donations, which have been used for noble causes! I can provide evidence; you have no idea how much effort I've put into the Quidditch World Cup and the Quidditch Championship!'

But when asked by reporters what he had done, aside from the contributions of former Director of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch, and Director of Sports, Ludo Bagman, Minister Fudge avoided the question.

Five months after the Dark Mark appeared, the Ministry of Magic, aside from plastering wanted posters for a dead man all over Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, produced little convincing evidence. This inevitably raises the question: is our Minister truly fit for the position? Does he possess even half the ability he boasts?

The reporter then interviewed several people, and their opinions seemed to represent a certain trend.

Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of The Quibbler, claims that our minister has a secret army composed entirely of Heliopas—rumored to be fire spirits, enormous creatures engulfed in flames, capable of burning everything to ashes. This army will play a crucial role in critical moments, and of course, it cannot be ruled out that it will secretly eliminate rivals;

Professor Gelselda Marchban, head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, said that Fudge's first few years in office were like Dumbledore's tail, "but once his power was consolidated, he completely aligned himself with the pure-blood families."

Tiberius Ogden, a elder of Wizengamor, didn't hold Cornelius Fudge in high regard either. He preferred to call him "Lucky Fudge," citing the sudden scandal that the leading candidate for Minister for Magic was revealed to have a family member who was a Death Eater. However, considering Mr. Lovegood's testimony, it's possible that Fudge had more than one secret army.

Furthermore, the imprisonment of the former director of the International Department of Magical Cooperation appears highly suspicious. Reporters found that he was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, and no one knows whether this was a blow from political enemies. However, a few days ago, Wizengamo secretly interrogated Barty Crouch and reduced his sentence to three years, on charges of abuse of power and misuse of public authority.

……

"Nonsense!" Fudge roared in his office, gritting his teeth as he read out the names: "Lovegood, Marchband, and Ogden, very well..."

“Minister,” Umbridge said in a sickeningly smug tone, her eyes half-closed, “these clowns’ words won’t shake your position at all. They have no evidence whatsoever!” She added with a smile, “On the contrary, you can hold them accountable.”

“What can I do? They can say whatever they want—” Fudge hesitated.

“Isn’t it easy to find fault, especially with Marchban and Ogden? They both work at the Ministry of Magic. As long as we just—” Umbridge suddenly stopped, her broad, toad-like face turning towards the door. She said in a soft voice, “Yaxley? You seem like a different person since you came back from your vacation. You should have knocked first.”

“I’m sorry, Minister,” Yaxley said, without a trace of apology on his face. “I’m in a hurry to deliver a document, the guard list for the third event of the Championship. Scrinker and Ms. Burns have already signed it, and it’s just waiting for you.” He slowly walked forward, placed the document on the table, and glanced at the two silent men out of the corner of his eye.

He slowly withdrew his arm, straightened up, and said, "You know what? I just happened to overhear your conversation."

Fudge's eyes widened.

“I’m one of your men, Minister,” Yaxley immediately reassured him.

“You’re one of my men?” Fudge repeated, staring intently at the person opposite him as he signed the document without even looking at it. “Dolores has a point. You seem to have changed. You wouldn’t normally say things like that.”

Yaxley shrugged. “The situation is different now, Minister. I was neutral before, but… I thought a lot during my two days on vacation, and I think it’s time to make a choice.”

"You're doing this because of Felix Heap—"

“Not just, Minister,” Yaxley said, “not just because of him. This isn’t a personal grudge, but a confrontation between two opposing camps—purebloods and non-purebloods. I sense the impending final battle. Hyp is playing the role of a ruthless pawn. If we do nothing, we might all disappear in a few decades.” He was unusually talkative today. “As one of the twenty-eight pureblood families, although the Yaxley family has declined, the foundation of purebloods has never been wealth, but rather the ancient magical contracts passed down through generations… To this day, the Yaxley family receives a share of the profits every year. Although the amount is small, I can use this contract to enter the doors of any pureblood family.”

“Wait! Gringotts should be one?” Fudge said slowly. “I’ve read some information. When we were fighting the goblins the most fiercely, both sides suffered heavy losses. Some families facilitated peace talks, and the goblins also gained a special status.”

Yaxley smiled but didn't say anything.

"Which families stand behind you?" Fudge said, suddenly interested because of the previous revelations that a third of the families closely associated with him had left him, and without their support, his insecurity had reached its peak.

“That’s not important,” Yaxley said mysteriously. But now Fudge didn’t dare to underestimate him. Fudge’s mind flashed through the names of various families, especially those with the most vehement attitudes towards Muggles. Although they had suffered heavy losses in the last war, they were still a powerful force when united.

"Who is your target?" Fudge asked.

Yaxley looked somewhat surprised. "Alright," Fudge said impatiently, "don't tell me you have no conditions."

Yaxley smiled.

"Your Excellency Minister Fudge, have you ever played Wizard's Chess?" he said softly. "The most annoying piece on the board is the pawn that touches the opponent's back rank. It can be promoted to a knight, a bishop, a castle, and even... a rampaging queen."

“No!” Fudge cried. “You have no idea how aggressive he is, and Dumbledore will definitely protect him—”

“Then use the most legitimate reason,” Yaxley said, looking at Fudge. “Minister, don’t forget, you represent the order of the British wizarding world. If the reason is sufficient, even Dumbledore will be at your beck and call.”

“A legitimate reason.” Fudge said thoughtfully, handing him the signed documents.

……

“We still need to find a solid reason to oust Fudge.” Felix sighed and put away the newspaper. He knew very well that his previous actions could only annoy Fudge and lower his public image, while 'Future World' could use the opportunity to get rid of trouble.

But to bring Fudge down in a short time, Voldemort would have to throw a party at the entrance of the Department of Magic, or he could storm their door.

If such a thing were to happen, Dumbledore would be the first to object. If things escalated, everything he currently possessed would vanish: his professorship, the Order of Merlin, his membership in Wizengamor, the 'Futureworld' corporation, and all the people he knew…

"Is there any way to solve this once and for all?" Felix pondered. He and Fudge shared a strikingly similar thought: they were both afraid of failing to kill the tiger and suffering harm instead.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Felix said, and the door opened, revealing a hairy head peeking out.

“Hi, Professor,” Hermione said, popping in.

"You wish to borrow Mr. Nick Flamel's materials on the Time-Turner?" Felix asked with interest after Hermione explained her purpose. "Why?"

“Oh, uh—” Hermione looked at him hesitantly.

Felix smiled and made several plates of candied fruit fly out from a cabinet in the distance and land on the small table. "Have you come up with a reason?"

Hermione sat on the sofa, feeling utterly dejected.

"Well, the Christmas present Valen gave me—that broken time converter—may...probably...maybe it can be fixed, and I want to give it a try."

Felix looked at her in surprise.

"So, you've found time energy?"

"Time energy? What's that?" Hermione's eyes widened, her heart filled with excitement. Sure enough, every time she came to the professor, she gained something new; she had heard another new term.

“I named it myself,” Felix said. “Well, to be precise, it was inspired by Mr. Nicolas Lemaître’s notes.” He recited:

"The Time-Turner contains a unique energy, hidden within each grain of sand in the hourglass; they themselves are the most precise containers. This is the conclusion I reached after repeatedly disassembling and attempting to repair it. Unfortunately, I have no way to verify it; perhaps the answer lies with the Department of Mysteries at the British Ministry of Magic..."

“Wait! The Department of Magical Affairs?” Hermione said in surprise. “I’ve heard that name before. Mr. Weasley mentioned the Silent Men who worked at the Quidditch World Cup camp…”

Felix nodded approvingly.

"So the energy of time is hidden in the Department of Mysteries?" Hermione asked.

“I’m not sure, Miss Granger,” Felix said. “The Department of Mysteries is the most mysterious department in the entire Ministry of Magic. Mr. Nicolas Flamel has spent a considerable amount of time—perhaps longer than a normal person’s lifetime—exploring the secrets of time. But he is missing the most crucial thing, which is time itself.”

Hermione felt enveloped in a solemn atmosphere, and her voice involuntarily softened, "I've tried time travel many times, back in my third year."

"The longest time rewind that wouldn't cause serious harm to travelers or time itself is five hours, requiring a spell known as the 'Hour Reversal Charm'—this is information obtained by Mr. Nicolas Flamel, but both he and I have serious doubts about this claim, because it implies a stable technology for manufacturing time converters. And abundant evidence shows that the total number of time converters is decreasing..."

"Then why are they still—"

"Send them to the students?" Felix asked with a smile.

Hermione nodded slightly.

“I suspect it might not be very useful, and they also need students to use the time-converter’s data for minimal research.” He stood up, went into the inner room, and came out a while later. Felix held a magic journal in his hand. “These are some cases Nick collected. Trying to change time will backfire. Once the energy protecting you disappears, the outcome is often not pleasant.”

"Elois Mintab used a time-tamper to travel back five centuries in her time, but a serious error occurred. She was ejected from the time-tamper only after the time-tamper's energy was exhausted. Her body suffered severe damage, and she died at St. Mungo's not long after. This was not the first experiment conducted by the Ministry of Magic, but it was the last, and all related experiments have ceased since then."

"Is she from the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione asked in a shrill voice.

“The Silent One, I suppose so,” Felix said. “Besides the effects on herself, the disruption of time spread outwards, severely altering the life trajectories of some people, turning them into people who were never born. And—in the days following her ejection, the first Tuesday lasted two and a half days, while Thursday was only four hours long…The Ministry of Magic had to deceive the world with an asteroid that had never existed in history, and paid a huge price for it.”

Hermione looked extremely surprised. "I read in a book that a rare celestial phenomenon occurred at the end of the 19th century, which not only caused the midnight sun and subsequent torrential rains, but also caused temporary time distortion and instrument malfunctions in a large number of people..."

Felix shrugged. "Fortunately, technology wasn't very advanced back then, and it was raining non-stop... I suspect that rain was also caused by the Ministry of Magic."

Hermione felt that some of her beliefs had been overturned.

"So, why do you think you have a chance of fixing the time-tamper?"

“Harry has an hourglass he got from Varen, from the altar of the vile Horcrux…”

"Varren?"

Just then, Valen came out of the bedroom and, hearing someone call it, couldn't help but look up in confusion. "Chirp?"

Chapter 472 Rules

Tempted by the strawberry preserves, Valen quickly recounted what had happened. However, he was clearly a step behind Hermione and hadn't yet realized the seriousness of the situation. Hermione awkwardly fed him a few pieces of dried fruit before leaving with the magical journal Felix had given her.

“Professor, I think Valen just made a mistake unintentionally.” She tried to make amends before leaving.

Valen blinked. What does "unintentional mistake" mean?

“I understand,” Felix said, hugging Varen. Hermione hesitated for a few seconds, tiptoeing to leave, when he called after her. “Miss Granger, you can try to repair the Time-Turner by referring to Nick’s Magical Notebook, but whatever the outcome, remember, do not use it, and do not put yourself in danger.”

“I assure you, Professor,” Hermione said.

Felix watched the door close, then turned his gaze to Valen, who was sitting on his lap. Valen, with half-closed eyes, patted his thigh with obvious enjoyment. "Chirp! (Keep feeding me!)" Felix chuckled at Valen's leisurely demeanor.

“Aren’t you reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard?” he said.

Valen looked at him suspiciously.

“You were pestering me to tell you the story of ‘Fountain of Good Fortune’ the other day,” Felix said. “Actually, you’ll find that the story behind it is just as fascinating, called ‘The Wizard’s Hairy Heart’…”

"Chirp!" Valen jumped in surprise. "Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp! (Don't lie to me! That's a horror story!)"

“It’s true, every story of the Bard Beedle has a metaphor,” Felix said with a smile. “For example, the wizard uses dark magic to separate his heart from his body and lock it in a crystal box, using this method to escape the harm of worldly emotions… Perhaps this is the Bard’s artistic expression of Horcruxes; not to mention, this story warns us not to arbitrarily tamper with the deepest secrets of life—”