A few days later, the front-page headline of The Daily Prophet exploded.
"Peter Pettigrew Appears! Sirius Black May Be Innocent!"
In the black-and-white photograph, Peter's wretched face took up the entire page.
The magic world instantly split into two factions.
The argument lasted a whole day, spreading from Diagon Alley to the Ministry of Magic.
Some dug up old newspapers from twelve years ago for comparison, some wrote to the Ministry of Magic demanding a retrial, and others insisted it was a hoax, an attempt to exonerate a Death Eater in prison.
Regardless, everyone was waiting for the same thing—the trial.
Sirius therefore left Hogwarts and was temporarily staying at the Ministry of Magic.
With Dumbledore present, and many Aurors at the Ministry of Magic having been Sirius's comrades, no one dared to do anything to Sirius before the verdict was announced.
Hogwarts outwardly returned to calm; students went to class and gossiped as usual.
But Hermione's condition was becoming increasingly strange.
The dark circles under her eyes were heavier than Snape's, she walked with a whirlwind of speed, and her temper had become unusually volatile.
Because she had too many classes, she was simply too tired.
Although she had applied to Professor McGonagall to drop Divination Class and Muggle Studies Class, the new timetable would not take effect until next year.
Harry and Ron had learned to steer clear of her, terrified of accidentally getting a severe dressing-down.
The Divination Class classroom was filled with a rich scent of incense, and Professor Trelawney, wearing thick spectacles, drifted around the room.
"Now, my dears, gaze into your crystal balls and tell me what you see." Her voice was ethereal.
"Relax your Inner Eye, and allow visions of the future to surface naturally."
When it was Hermione's turn, she stared at the crystal ball for a long time.
Many people had actually told her that she could just babble about death and doom to pass, but she didn't want to do that, so she said honestly:
"I'm sorry, Professor, I don't see anything."
Trelawney floated in front of her and sighed.
"There's no need to force it. Divination truly requires a certain aptitude, which not everyone possesses."
Hermione's face instantly flushed.
For a top student who had never fallen behind in her studies, the most unacceptable thing was encountering something she couldn't learn.
She had been bottling up frustration for a while, and being provoked like this immediately made her feel somewhat overwhelmed.
"Perhaps the problem isn't aptitude, Professor." Hermione's voice was cold.
"Perhaps your method of Divination is fundamentally wrong; Arithmancy is the true form of Divination."
Trelawney's spectacles reflected a strange light in the candlelight:
"Miss Granger, I can see that you truly lack the Inner Eye; you are merely a poor, ordinary person."
"I've had enough!" Hermione grabbed her satchel.
"This is a complete waste of time!"
She turned and rushed out of the classroom, slamming the door shut.
Ron and Harry were stunned; they had never seen Hermione lose her temper like this.
"Hermione actually snapped at a Professor," Ron stammered.
Harry swallowed: "Why does it feel like Hermione has been possessed by Charlie?"
In the corridor, Hermione leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
She regretted her impulsiveness, but mostly she felt the satisfaction of having vented.
But quickly, she realized a problem—where should she go now?
She checked her watch; she still had an hour until her next class.
This hour was time she had gained using the time-turner, specifically for attending Divination Class. Since she wasn't attending Divination Class anymore, this period was now free.
The time-turner could only travel a maximum of five hours a day; she had already used three hours and could not waste any more time.
Thinking this, she subconsciously touched the gold chain around her neck, ensuring it was hidden beneath her clothes.
"Whoa, you shouldn't be rushing around this frantically."
Hermione looked up and saw Charlie leaning against the wall, watching her with a smile.
"Seriously, you'll drop dead if you keep this up."
Hermione was still in a mood where she'd kick a passing dog, and she said unceremoniously:
"If you were willing to do your own homework, I wouldn't have to push myself so hard."
Charlie gave a dry laugh.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"But an alien is inviting me to dinner, so I have to go. Bye."
After saying this, he bolted, moving as fast as if a Dementor were chasing him.
Hermione clenched her fists, resisting the urge to chase him down and beat him up.
Then she relaxed her hands and shook her head helplessly.
Never mind, she might as well use this time to do Charlie's homework.
There was nothing else to do anyway.
Evening, Gryffindor Common Room.
Hermione finally finished Charlie's last piece of homework; her quill dropped onto the table, and she leaned back entirely against the chair, her eyelids too heavy to lift.
The firelight from the fireplace flickered in her vision; she shook her head, forcing herself to stay awake.
She hadn't even started her own homework.
She spread out the parchment, dipped her quill in ink, and just as she wrote the title, her gaze fell upon the clock hanging in the corner.
It was almost nine o'clock.
Hermione stopped writing and calculated her schedule for the day.
In the morning, she had only used the time-turner to go back and attend Divination Class.
She rubbed her temples; her mind felt foggy.
How much time was left, again?
Two hours? Or three hours?
Hermione stared at the densely packed to-do list on the parchment, growing more irritable the longer she looked.
Never mind, it must be three hours. An extra hour to finish her homework meant she could sleep longer tonight.
She hid in a corner, pulled the time-turner from beneath her collar, the golden chain gleaming faintly in the firelight.
The hand turned, one revolution, two revolutions, three revolutions.
The surrounding scene began to distort; the fireplace flames burned in reverse, and the students in the common room moved backward as if rewound.
After the dizziness subsided, Hermione stood in the same spot, and the scene was still the Gryffindor Common Room.
She glanced toward the table and saw herself sitting there, writing furiously—it was Charlie's homework she was doing.
Hermione quickly lowered her head and headed toward the door, clutching her satchel.
After traveling back, she absolutely must not be seen by herself; Professor McGonagall had stressed this point.
She slipped out of the common room and hurried toward the library.
Madam Pince was organizing the bookshelves and said nothing when she entered, only gesturing with her eyes for her to be quiet.
Hermione found a corner seat, spread out her parchment, and began writing her own homework.
The tip of the quill scratched against the parchment, and before she knew it, two hours had passed.
Hermione was still writing furiously when her chest suddenly felt hot.
She paused and looked down at her collar.
The gold chain was burning hot; she could feel the heat through the fabric.
Hermione's face changed, and she quickly pulled out the time-turner.
The golden sand in the hourglass was flowing wildly, nowhere near its normal speed. The entire time-turner was trembling slightly, and fine cracks were appearing on its surface.
Her mind went blank with a crash.
She hadn't had three hours left today—she'd had two.
She had overused it.
"No..."
Before she could finish the word, the time-turner exploded.
A golden light instantly engulfed her; the parchment, quill, and ink bottle on the table—everything she had brought to this point in time—was glowing.
Madam Pince spun her head around, but the corner was already empty.
Only the chair was still rocking slightly.
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