The Death Knell

"What the hell is this? You applied for me again? And you actually bribed the Minister of Magic?"

In the Room of Requirement, Hermione looked like a cat with fried hair, eyes wide open, staring motionlessly at the professor opposite.

However, he just opened the box in his hand, grabbed a golden chain and pulled out something like a pocket watch.

Its outer ring is a metal ring, with a rotating metal sign embedded inside. On the sign is embedded a small transparent hourglass that can be seen from both sides. You can see that the golden sand grains are motionless.

"Strength, Hermione, the rules of the wizarding world are not worth mentioning to me, not to mention that this is completely in accordance with the formal procedures."

Su Ming put the dial in his hand and spread it in front of the girl.

The fact is that time turners are not rare in the wizarding world. Some senior students in Hogwarts can apply to their professors to use them to choose more courses.

The professor also has the authority to apply for these things from the Ministry of Magic. They are usually kept in the archives of the Ministry of Magic. They can be loaned out as long as they are registered with appropriate reasons.

It's just that the British bureaucrats' method was too time-consuming, and Su Ming spent money just to speed it up.

The approval process originally took more than eight months, but with only £50,000 spent, the time was shortened to one week.

Even for the Supreme Mage, money can buy time and it is profitable.

There are many strange places in the Harry Potter world. For example, for many high-magic worlds, time and space are considered relatively high-end magical fields.

But here, space magic can be easily mastered by teenagers, there is almost no threshold, and time magic only requires this small prop. As long as it is not a squib and has a little magic power, you can use it.

"You haven't said what it is yet..." Hermione whispered. The shiny hourglass pocket watch looked very beautiful, and she liked it a little.

"It's a time machine, my silly disciple, this is a time machine." Su Ming hung the time converter around her neck, lit a cigarette and smoked it, admiring the cute contrast of the little girl wearing a big gold chain: " On the plate above, if you turn it around with your finger, the time will go back one hour, which is very easy to remember.”

"Is it really that magical?!" Hermione was still a little unconvinced at first, but other professors had even held a serious meeting about this in the principal's office, so it must be right.

Su Ming asked Hermione to sit next to him and put his head into the gold chain: "Don't you know if you try it? Turn it around."

Hermione did as she was told, her eyes still staring at the hourglass on the time turner, but before the first grain of sand fell, she suddenly felt like she was flying backwards very quickly, and all kinds of blurry things passed in front of her eyes. The shape of a cloud, something pounding in my ears, and I can no longer hear my heartbeat.

The next second, the professor's head slipped out of the circle formed by the golden chain, and then came to the door of the Room of Requirement, opening a crack to let Hermione look outside.

Within a few minutes, she saw another version of herself walking up the spiral staircase, knocking on the door of the principal's office and entering.

This is exactly what happened an hour ago.

If the professor hadn't covered her mouth, she might have screamed when she saw her other self.

The door to the Response Room was closed, and the professor took her back to the bench and handed her a bottle of soda to calm her down: "Now you see, this is the power of time."

"That's another me? How is that possible?"

Hermione looked confused. Although her outlook on life was not shattered, it was still difficult to accept for a short time.

Unlike in the original book, she was not at Hogwarts in the second half of her second year, and she was not a Gryffindor from the beginning. Flitwick was not as brave as McGonagall to dare to introduce this kind of prop to students.

This also caused a discrepancy. Hermione had no idea about the time turner before.

Su Ming sat next to her and smoked a cigarette, his eyes looking very melancholy: "If I tell you based on quantum theory... I don't know how to explain it. In terms of science, I am at the level of civilian science. In terms of magic, Speaking of which, you can think that by changing the timeline, you created a time tributary. You are not the only existence on thousands of timelines now, so you will see your past self."

But Hermione understood. She was silent for a while, touched the converter with her little hand, and raised her head to look at the professor: "I'm a little scared, professor, when you think about there being another you on many timelines, Aren’t you afraid?”

Su Ming held her hand and let her drink the soda, and then replied: "Actually, it's more than that. Different spaces will also create completely different you. We are called homotopics in different worlds. You can't even imagine that I saw another one back then. How confusing it is to be a female version of yourself.”

The little girl has no idea what the female version of the professor would be like. Is she also addicted to tobacco and alcohol and bragging every day? She couldn't help but smile.

She hung the watch around her neck again, picked up the soda and drank it sweetly: "Then I think we'd better change places, otherwise we might be stuck here in the past."

"Don't worry, I have a way to communicate with myself at different points in time, so I won't be blocked." Su was obviously very relaxed. He motioned for her to finish drinking the soda before leaving: "Besides, the reason why I applied for a converter for you is It’s convenient for you to study in the new school year.”

"ha?"

Hermione has always been a good student, but now she has a headache when she hears about studying. She suspects that she has become a bad boy and is starting to get tired of studying.

"You went to Beauxbatons in the second half of the semester last year. How did it feel?" Su Ming touched her head and told her to relax.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She began to wonder if she was going to another school this year: "It's okay... right?"

"I have told you before that there are a total of eleven internationally renowned schools in the world registered with the Wizards' Federation. In addition to Beauxbatons, which you have been to, and Hogwarts, where you studied, there are nine more. . The one in the Middle East doesn't admit girls, so I won't consider it. The one in Australia is not as good as Hogwarts, so you don't need to go. There is another one that flies around and you have to guess the address, so I won't consider it. There are six schools left that you haven't gone to. Pass......"

"Could it be..." Hermione's eyes widened in horror. When she mentioned this topic and added the time turner in her hand, she seemed to understand something.

"Yes, that's right. I was not idle in the second half of last year. I had already opened up the connections with the Ministry of Magic of those countries, allowing you to enter the third grade in those schools in the name of exchange."

Seeing this, Su Ming revealed his purpose and gave Hermione no choice at all, because it was all arranged and now he was just informing her.

"No! I won't do it! I'm exhausted!"

Hermione thought about using the time turner after class every day, turning back time to the morning, and then going to another school. Moreover, it was six schools at the same time, no, seven, and I'm afraid Hogwart was included. This is itself.

Just thinking about it makes me feel so weak.

"Listen to me, the time converter itself is a fragile item. As long as you study hard this year, Fudge and I will operate it at the Ministry of Magic and report accidental loss. Losing a converter will not hurt the Minister of Magic. It doesn’t itch...” The professor’s alluring demonic whisper sounded again: “Not only can it be used for studying, you can also use it to sleep and rest by turning back time in the future, or go out to play and do what you want. Things. You may be a little busier this year, but you still have a long life ahead of you."

Hermione pursed her lips and blinked a few times, it really made sense...

It’s been a hard year this year, but I can enjoy it in the future. It also has unlimited time than ordinary people. I can’t refuse it no matter what.

"But I'm worried that my body won't be able to hold on." She lifted up her sleeves and exposed her little arms to show that she was weak.

However, the professor just smiled faintly, took out a set of injections from his pocket, and sucked the air with a large syringe:

"I have been prepared for a long time. Throughout last year, Mr. Malfoy cooperated with me in conducting some experiments. I can now guarantee the absolute safety of these potions. You cannot use leech potions now, but the Mirakuru Miracle Serum and improved versions Which SSS serum do you prefer? If you take one shot, you can stay healthy even if you don't sleep for a month and eat more."

Hermione looked at the sharp needle and showed a forced smile. Why did it feel like his main purpose was to inject herself?