Chapter 430: The Time-Turner
Neville Longbottom was being bombarded with letters from various family members, each offering a conflicting set of advice on which electives he should choose. He sat at the table, looking utterly overwhelmed, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he pored over the course list. He leaned over to whisper to Justin, asking if he thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than Ancient Runes.
Over at the Gryffindor table, Dean Thomas and several other Muggle-born students were taking a different approach. Like Sean, they lacked a family history to guide them, so they eventually simply closed their eyes and jabbed their wands at the parchment, letting fate decide their academic future.
Sean looked over and saw Hermione. After meticulously reading through the summaries Justin had provided, she had signed her name across every single available subject.
"Hermione, are you sure about this?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.
"Merlin's beard..." Ron added, staring at her list.
Hermione ignored them both, briskly tucking her selection form away. She then spared a brief, meaningful glance toward Sean—a look that suggested they were sharing a secret known only to them.
Sean didn't notice. He was currently frowning at the timetable. He was loath to miss even a single subject. Ancient Runes was the bedrock of Alchemy; Care of Magical Creatures was a necessity given his new post as Assistant; Divination held the key to unlocking his final prophetic instincts (especially once Firenze took over the post); and Muggle Studies offered unique perspectives for alchemical integration.
But the schedule was a disaster. Arithmancy conflicted with Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination overlapped with nearly half of the Muggle Studies lectures. Sean felt the weight of time pressing down on him.
"Still thinking it over, Sean? Are some of the options not quite up to standard?"
Hermione, who was sitting beside him, whispered the question. Her suspicious gaze was currently fixed on the Divination entry. Before Sean could answer, another voice spoke from behind them—it was Percy Weasley.
"It all depends on where you want to go in life, Mr. Green, Miss Granger," Percy said pompously. "One must plan for the future early. I personally recommend Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a 'soft' option, but I disagree. A wizard should have a thorough understanding of non-magical society, especially if they intend to work in a department with high Muggle contact.
"Look at my father; he deals with Muggle affairs every hour of the day. My brother Charlie, on the other hand, always preferred the outdoors, so he focused on Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths, everyone."
Having delivered his "senior advice," Percy marched off with an air of immense self-importance.
"What do you think, Sean?" Hermione asked. She didn't find Percy's logic particularly compelling. She only trusted the opinions of the two boys in her inner circle.
"I think..." Sean's brow cleared. He had thought of a specific, powerful artifact.
"You think taking all of them is the right move too?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Mmm," Sean nodded.
If he could secure a Time-Turner, his choices would no longer be limited by the linear flow of the day.
"Good. That settles it," Hermione said, gathering her books and heading for her next class.
Time-Turner.
The term echoed in Sean's mind. He pulled out his notebook and added a new entry to his list of ongoing projects:
[Apply for a Time-Turner]
Below it, he saw his previous plans—some completed, some still in progress. One thing was certain: every line written in that book eventually became a reality.
As the furor over course selection died down, the students turned their chatter toward the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. It was one of the few occasions they were permitted to leave the castle grounds. Hogsmeade was filled with enticing shops, including the newly opened Green's Bookstore and the Hogsmeade branch of Wizard Wheezes. The third-years and above were busy planning their shopping lists, while the second-years discussed what they intended to do next year when they finally earned the right to walk that "sacred path" themselves.
Sean tuned out the noise until a specific voice caught his ear.
"I rarely see you looking so contemplative, Sean."
Penelope Clearwater had arrived shortly after Percy. After giving a brief orientation to a group of first-year Ravenclaws, she made a beeline for Sean.
"Penelope," Sean acknowledged.
"I suspect you're like I was at your age—unwilling to let a single scrap of knowledge escape you," the Prefect said with a small, knowing smile. "Roger has been badgering me for weeks. The Ravenclaw team needs you, Sean. The Seeker position is yours whenever you want it. But I didn't come here to talk about Quidditch. I have a piece of... specialized news for you.
"If you were to agree to play for Ravenclaw, I would do everything in my power to help you obtain 'it'..."
Sean met her gaze with his calm, green eyes. The beautiful Prefect continued:
"It's a powerful magical object. It looks like a tiny, sparkling gold hourglass on a long, fine gold chain. Each turn represents one hour backwards in time. To own one, a professor must write numerous letters to the Ministry, vouching that the student is a model pupil who will never use it for anything other than their studies...
"It's a secret passed down between the top-ranked students. Do you know what it is?" She gave him a playful wink.
"A Time-Turner," Sean answered.
"Ah—you already know. Well, I suppose Roger is going to be disappointed then. I won't ask if you already have one; we both know the vows involved."
Penelope walked away, looking a bit despondent. She spared one last, meaningful look at Sean's bag, as if she expected the device to be sitting there already.
Sean felt a similar sense of disappointment. His bag currently contained only his Wizard's Tome—housing Will, Iffa, and a vast expanse of artificial wilderness.
He made his way down the corridor toward the dungeons. His discharge from the hospital wing meant his official detentions were back in session. From September 1st to September 1st, no holidays, for a total of seven years. Having started in his second year, Sean technically still "owed" Professor Snape a year of penance.
Professor McGonagall, who had originally opposed the sentence, had shifted to approval. Dumbledore, who had cheerfully authorized it, now looked slightly regretful whenever it was mentioned.
Sean reached the heavy wooden door and stepped into the gloom of the Potions classroom.
Inside, Snape was standing in the shadows, staring into a bubbling cauldron. As the door creaked, he habitually looked up. The "dunderhead" currently being led by the nose by Dumbledore's ideals looked as irritating as ever to him.
Snape's hands were behind his back, clutching an object on a chain. His face went stone-cold. He found it profoundly bitter that the boy lacked even the basic sense to complain about how unfair his life had become.
[End of Chapter 430]
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