A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

As night descended, the 24-hour restaurant sat in eerie silence. Waiters dozed off behind the bar, and the gray wall clock's hands pointed to ten o'clock.

Hermione sat by the bedside, gazing through the window into the bright, clear night sky. She estimated the time, wondering if the owl would deliver the letter by noon tomorrow. Would this unexpected time travel finally draw to a close?

Lowering her gaze to the time-turner necklace around her neck, the once-golden sand had turned pale, occasionally flickering a faint light. Hermione remembered vividly that this had been going on for quite some time.

After a moment's reflection, she retrieved a black notebook from under the pillow and made today's entry:

"Day 72 of time travel, Day 7 at this current time point: Sensory experiences are becoming more genuine as I approach the normal timeline. It's a welcome change from the aimless wandering that felt ghostly at the beginning... Feeling abandoned by the entire world is awful. The time-turner keeps flickering, preventing me from touching anything. If not for the food I packed in the bead bag, I wouldn't have survived the initial period... Two new cracks appeared on the time-turner today, reasons unknown..."

Hermione paused, studying the words on the page for a moment before placing the notebook on the bedside table. Quietly slipping out of the room, the black notebook flipped through its pages as the door closed behind her, an ethereal image murmuring, "The third item: a trophy, a door key, and the root of everything... So, it's you, young Crouch."

Meanwhile, Hermione cast a Disillusionment Charm upon herself. Standing at the staircase on the second floor, she observed the couple in the living room. They sat on the couch, watching TV and chatting.

"Tomorrow when we see Hermione, I must ask her properly. Helping? She's involved in the tournament!" Mr. Granger said, clearly irritated.

"She's always been headstrong since she was young. You used to praise her for being smart," Mrs. Granger replied, looking at him.

"Using that intelligence to deceive her own parents?" Mr. Granger looked visibly upset. "Do you know what it was like for me to ask a wizard about the tournament? It hasn't been held for centuries due to the high death rate. Just listen to this!"

"Hermione's letter mentioned that this year's security measures are robust... and we're at the final task. I saw security personnel in the footage too," Mrs. Granger intervened. "Maybe we should ask what the third task is tomorrow. If it's too dangerous, we'll discuss it with the school..." She pursed her lips, her frustration evident. "This girl has gone too far. After the tournament, we'll educate her together!"

They bickered for a while, turned off the TV, and headed upstairs. Hermione brushed past them at the corner, reaching out her hand, only grasping at thin air. In the silent stillness, her arm slowly dropped down.

The 24-hour restaurant.

The silver glint in Felix's eyes gradually faded. After a moment of silence, he retrieved two glass bottles, one large and one small. The larger one contained a viscous liquid resembling mud, slowly bubbling, while the smaller one held a handful of gray hair.

This was a potion and a lock of Minister Cornelius Fudge's hair. Felix's face broke into a faint smile. The origins of the hair were quite dramatic—two years ago, Fudge had accidentally poisoned himself while inspecting a snake carcass and was rushed to the school's hospital.

Felix took the opportunity to pluck some hair.

It had saved him a lot of trouble back then.

Felix unscrewed the bottle, dropping the hair into the larger glass container. The potion immediately boiled, turning an unattractive grayish-blue color, resembling a bottle of boiling cement.

"Cashier, settle the bill," Felix called out, pocketing the potion in his sleeve.

As he exited the restaurant, the time had struck half past ten.

The London night was eerily quiet yet riddled with pockets of noise. Felix walked alone down the streets, his footsteps echoing in the darkness. His figure flickered several times, appearing in front of a rundown red telephone booth.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside, dialing the number 62442, greeted by the indifferent voice of a woman within the booth.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit."

"Minister Cornelius Fudge. Verify my identity with the personnel on duty," Felix calmly replied. The potion had transformed his body into that of a short, stocky man with disheveled gray hair and a potbelly.

He waited for a few seconds before a noticeably more alert wizard's voice spoke up, full of surprise. "Minister Fudge? Is it really you? What brings you here at this hour?"

"That's not for you to know," Felix said sternly.

"Oh, of course... But why not use the dedicated fireplace?" the voice inquired.

"I'm visiting a friend nearby, had a sudden emergency to attend to. Do I need to complete any formalities tomorrow?" His tone turned stricter.

"No need, I'll let you in..." the voice replied, sounding apprehensive.

The telephone booth began its descent, the pavement outside gradually rising above the window. After a stretch of darkness, Felix regained his sight. He calmly surveyed his surroundings. The main hall was dimmer than his previous visits, the fireplace unlit, and the distant statues stood silently in the pool of water, the only sound coming from the fountain's flow.

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from a distance. Felix's gaze crossed the statues, looking at the wizard rushing from the security checkpoint.

Coincidentally, he knew this person.

"Eric Munch," Felix said.

"It's me, Minister," Eric Munch replied, accompanying his words with a smile, visibly honored.

"Glad to see you weren't dozing off in your chair," Felix scrutinized him.

"I would never—of course—not shirk my duty—" Eric stammered, his face reddening.

"Get back to your post, Mr. Munch! I'll depart from the fireplace after my task," Felix instructed.

"I understand, Minister," Eric replied, breathless.

Felix nodded at him, taking a few steps, then paused. "By the way, who else is still here in the department?"

"I... I'm not certain, Minister," Eric cautiously glanced at him. "I suppose Ms. Bones, Ms. Marchbanks, and Mr. Ogden should be here... and those odd people from the Department of Mysteries, uh, I mean, those silent folk. I can never tell where they are."

"It's this late—" Felix began, frowning, knowing Eric would provide an answer.

Sure enough, Eric's tone became more respectful and humble. "Ms. Marchbanks and Mr. Ogden are working late, grading the wizarding level exams. They're always busy at this time of year. As for Ms. Bones," he glanced at Felix, "you relocated a batch of Aurors as guards for the third task, and they're short-staffed there."

Felix fell silent for a moment, snorted

, then nodded slightly. "You've got some brains, Munch. Carry on."

"Thank you, Minister. Have a good night," Eric Munch replied, bowing slightly before hurrying back to his station.

Felix continued on his way. His steps echoed in the quiet hallway as he made his way to the Department of Mysteries. The magical lifts appeared to be inactive, so he took the long route via the marble staircase.

The door to the Department of Mysteries was ajar, and Felix cautiously pushed it open. The room was bathed in an otherworldly blue light, emanating from various containers and enchanted objects lining the shelves.

"Hello?" Felix called out, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous room.

There was no immediate response. Felix scanned the room, recognizing some of the objects. His gaze lingered on a series of floating orbs, each emitting a different hue.

He approached a dusty crystal ball nestled in the corner. This was the moment. He uncorked the bottle, releasing the boiling grayish-blue potion. With utmost care, he poured it onto the surface of the crystal ball.

The potion sizzled and evaporated upon contact with the crystal, emitting a faint bluish smoke that swirled around the ball. Felix watched intently, his eyes reflecting the orb's changing colors.

Suddenly, a vision materialized within the crystal. It was an image of the Hogwarts grounds, specifically the area surrounding the maze. He saw flashes of figures darting about, and amidst the chaos, a young girl moved with determination.

His lips curled into a smile.

The vision flickered, and just as quickly as it appeared, it dissipated into thin air. The crystal ball remained dormant, returning to its natural state.

Felix pocketed the empty bottle, his expression pensive. With one last glance around the room, he swiftly left, shutting the door behind him. As he retraced his steps, the corridor seemed quieter than before, the echoes of his footsteps fainter.

Exiting the Department of Mysteries, Felix glanced at his wristwatch. It was almost midnight.

He strode purposefully through the Ministry halls, his mind filled with thoughts of the impending task at Hogwarts. The future was veiled in uncertainty, but Felix had set his plans in motion. Now, it was a waiting game.

>

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