Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0190 Monitoring

A long night passed, and with the help of Filch and Lupin, Bryan finally reinstalled the modified panoramic telescope, which could capture every corner of the castle and its surroundings. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, once again, appeared in front of him in such a clear and vivid way, as if he was standing on the highest tower and overlooking the magnificent scenery. 

Late last night, the sky began to drizzle, and it gradually stopped until dawn. By the time the faint sunlight could penetrate the gaps in the clouds, it was already ten o'clock in the morning, and the drowsy Bryan stood at the window, still being hit by the cold wind mixed with heavy moisture, to invigorate his spirit. He felt the chill seeping into his bones, and he rubbed his hands together to warm them up. 

He turned around, and a parchment with the title 'Permit' was spread out on the desk. At the end of the paper, it was the signature of the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, written in elegant and curly letters. 

This was what Dumbledore gave him privately after the dinner last night:   

 Permit: 

I, 

The Minister of Magic, hereby grant the Director of the Student Safety Office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Bryan Watson, the right to monitor the behavior of all personnel in the public areas of the school, including but not limited to students, faculty, headmaster and deputy headmaster, in the event of a serious threat to the personal safety of the students of the school, recognized by the Board of Governors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Ministry of Magic. 

This right will expire immediately when the threat is lifted, and a new application is required to activate it again. 

Cornelius Fudge 

Bryan stared at the words on the paper again, and smiled silently. 

To be honest, if it were the situation last year, Fudge would never sign such an absurd Permit. If this thing were to be spread out and known by the wizarding world, it would mean that Fudge's political career was over, and he could pack up and prepare to step down. 

The Permit was tantamount to admitting that the Ministry of Magic was incompetent and powerless to protect the students from the notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black, who had escaped from the most secure prison in the world, Azkaban. 

But the situation now is uncontrollable. After all, Black's escape from Azkaban was the result of the Ministry of Magic's poor supervision. If Black was not caught for a long time, or if someone inside or outside the school was confirmed to have fallen victim to Black's hands, Fudge would also face the same fate. He would be blamed and criticized by the public, and his reputation would be tarnished beyond repair. 

Of course, an important reason why Fudge was willing to do this kind of authorization was that the authorized person was Bryan Watson. From donating the basilisk in the first half of the year to helping take care of Harry during the summer vacation, he had a good impression of this young and promising wizard. He also believed/(had to believe) that Bryan had the ability and integrity to handle the situation, and that he would not abuse his power or expose the secret of the Permit. 

Holding a cup of steaming bitter tea, Bryan sat on the edge of the desk, quietly examining the dazzling pictures on hundreds of screens. He could see every detail of the castle, from the paintings on the walls to the cobwebs on the ceilings. He felt like he had a pair of eagle eyes, and nothing could escape his sight.

It was the first class in the morning, and the castle was empty and there were not many people. In the revolving tower, Dumbledore, who had also stayed up for most of the night, wore a starry nightgown and a matching hat, and went downstairs to get hot chocolate. He looked tired but cheerful, humming a tune under his breath. Filch, who was afraid of failing the Student Safety Office's assessment, led his Mrs. Norris, who had suffered a lot, to walk around the corridor like the wind, trying to find out the young wizards who violated the school rules, but in fact, there was not a single ghost in that corridor except him and Mrs. Norris. He looked frustrated and angry, muttering curses under his breath. 

Except for a few exceptions, the ghosts mostly stayed in their territory, Whether it was the Chamber of Secrets or Black, it was as insignificant to them as guessing what flavor of pudding the house-elves had prepared for after dinner. They had their own affairs and entertainments, such as planning the next Deathday Party or playing tricks on the students. 

In the first half of the year, Bryan laid down the monitoring network to find the Slytherin heir hidden among the young wizards, which required him to stay in front of the monitor almost all the time, observing the student whose behavior and actions were contrary to common sense. But this time, it was just to prevent Black from breaking into the castle, and the panoramic telescopes themselves also had an alarm function, which would alert him if there was any suspicious movement or intrusion. This undoubtedly made his work much easier. He could relax a bit and enjoy the view, or even take a nap if he wanted to. 

Ding-dong-dong– 

The crisp bell announced the end of the first class in the morning for the little wizards. The professors stayed in the classroom waiting for the next wave of visitors, and the students had to hurry up and pack their things, and rush to the classroom for the next class. The corridors were filled with noise and movement, as the students chatted and laughed, or complained and groaned, depending on their mood and schedule. 

Bryan, who had planned to sneak out of the secret passage that Filch had closed and go to the shrieking shack to study the soul curse, had to wait a little longer, and leave quietly after the young wizards returned to their cages. 

His bored eyes locked on the monitor screen, until the picture was clear again, Bryan spit out the tea leaves and prepared to leave, but- 

Suddenly, something a bit weird made Bryan squint his eyes, and the steps he was about to take were taken back again. He felt a surge of curiosity and suspicion, as he noticed something that didn't make sense. 

The first class in the morning for the third year of Gryffindor was Charms with Hufflepuff, and the second class was Transfiguration with Slytherin. Bryan watched Harry and Ron rush into the classroom, followed by Malfoy and Crabbe, Goyle and Daphne. Hermione hung far behind everyone, and walked into the classroom a bit absent-mindedly. She looked tired and stressed, as if she had too much on her mind.  

But, just as Hermione entered the Transfiguration classroom with Harry, at the corner of the corridor on another floor, another Hermione Granger suddenly popped out. She looked around and ran into the classroom of Ancient Runes taught by Professor Babbling. 

'What's going on?!'

Bryan suddenly stood up straight, his sharp eyes locked on the doorways of the two professor's classrooms.

"The Hermione who walked into Professor McGonagall's classroom with Harry....... Sirius Black who drank the polyjuice potion?!"

Bryan muttered in astonishment, but in a very short time, he overturned this conclusion that was illogical. Black couldn't still be in the castle.

In just a few seconds, several possibilities popped up in Bryan's mind, but none of them were very reasonable. He wondered if there was another explanation, or if he was seeing things. 

Bryan narrowed his eyes and walked quickly to the front of the monitor. After waving his wand, the picture on the monitor screen began to rewind like time flowing backwards. He wanted to see if he had missed anything, or if he could find any clues. 

'Not two Hermiones, but three!' 

There was another Hermione Granger who followed the crowd into the Arithmancy classroom taught by Professor Victor. 

Staring at the three Hermione Grangers who appeared almost simultaneously at the doorways of the three professors, Bryan said nothing, his eyes became narrower and narrower, and a solemn light flashed in his pale purple pupils. 

Doo, doo, doo    

Time passed by minute by minute, Bryan gave up the idea of going to the shrieking shack to study the soul curse, and his fingers tapped the desk anxiously, his eyes only falling on the doorways of the three professors' classrooms where Hermione was. 

"So–" 

The memory that was sealed in Malfoy's dormitory reappeared in Bryan's mind. 

Every picture, every dialogue in the memory was very clear in front of Bryan's eyes. He never forgot the content of the memory. 

'Just, try to avoid it-   

The butterfly effect, the past and the future, the immeasurable impact' 

Finally, after a long time, Bryan's tense face showed a faint smile, 

"So, the time turner is yours, Miss Granger." 

He whispered to himself, as he recognized the magical device that could manipulate time.

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