Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0191 Time-Turner

"Well, since we already know that Animagus refers to a wizard or witch who can transform into a certain animal at will, while retaining the ability to cast magic spells–" 

At the end of the Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall quickly flipped through the brief essays on Animagus that the students had handed in, her lips getting tighter and tighter, looking at the nonsense words on the paper, as a professor who had been working at Hogwarts for most of her life, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart, in recent years, the average grades of the young wizards had dropped sharply. 

"So who can tell me why the Ministry of Magic strictly controls this convenient and magical spell?" 

She asked in a stern voice, hoping to elicit some response from the class. But to her dismay, the classroom was silent, as if no one had heard her question. 

Shh! Including Professor McGonagall, the young wizards in the classroom had been trained by Hermione to have an instinctive reaction, they all looked at the little witch sitting in the front row of the professor who was lowering her head, and when they found that Hermione did not raise her hand as usual as if she could reach the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, everyone's eyebrows unconsciously raised half an inch. 

"What's going on with her?" 

Ron, who deliberately chose a seat far away from Hermione, glanced at the swaying head in front of the professor, and asked in a low voice with some uneasiness. 

He felt a twinge of guilt, as he remembered the harsh words he had said to her last night.

'Isn't it obvious?' 

Harry also pursed his lips like Professor McGonagall, and said nothing. 

Last night before going to bed, because of Scabbers inexplicable disappearance, Hermione and Ron had a big fight in the common room, although they stopped under the persuasion of everyone, but before leaving, Harry saw the tears on Hermione's face falling like pearls. 

Hermione tried to explain that she had nothing to do with Scabbers' vanishing, and that her cat Crookshanks was innocent, but Ron refused to listen. He accused her of being a liar, and said that he hated her and her cat. He stormed off to his dormitory, leaving Hermione sobbing on the couch. 

At this time, Harry felt Neville tap his back lightly. There was no need to turn around and ask more questions. The experienced Harry secretly withdrew his right hand that was placed on the desk, pretending to scratch his armpit, and took a note from Neville's hand. 

'She cried all night and didn't sleep!' 

The short text on the note was very neat, not written by Neville, but by Hermione's roommate Parvati Patil, Harry only glanced at it, and his mood suddenly became heavy. 

'After class, we should go talk to Hermione.' 

Harry picked up the quill and quickly wrote this sentence, and then handed it to Ron, who was obviously eager, but pretended not to care, and Ron, after seeing the messages written by Patil and Harry, did waver for a moment, but, thinking of the tragic 'death' of Scabbers, Ron's heart hardened again, 

'No, unless she apologizes first!' 

He wrote back, and passed the note to Harry, who shook his head in disbelief. 

"Oh, what's going on?" 

Professor McGonagall frowned and walked down the podium, looking at the students and said, 

"You have not shown such a commendable tacit understanding ever on my class?" 

She was puzzled by the lack of participation and enthusiasm from the students, especially from Hermione, who was usually the first to answer any question. She had noticed that Hermione had been unusually quiet and withdrawn today, and that she had not even looked up from her desk. She wondered if something was wrong with her, or if she was feeling unwell. 

Sitting in the last row, Malfoy was also a bit puzzled by Hermione's performance, he subconsciously glanced at Harry's position, but Pansy Parkinson sitting next to him suddenly raised her hand. 

"Miss Parkinson?" 

Professor McGonagall called out the name with some surprise, "Well, let's have you answer this question." 

She was not very fond of Parkinson, who was a rude and snobbish girl, and who often made fun of other students. She doubted that Parkinson knew the answer, but she decided to give her a chance, as she was the only one who had raised her hand. 

"Becoming an Animagus requires very harsh conditions, the whole process takes months, and even if one step is done wrong, you have to start over, so it may take several years, so it is very easy to cause wizards to go mad, therefore, the Ministry of Magic strictly controls this spell!" 

Parkinson said the answer in a shrill voice, as if she was reciting from a textbook. Her answer was very standard, even Professor McGonagall couldn't find any mistakes, just as she was about to give Slytherin five points, Parkinson, who stood up, suddenly pointed at Hermione's position, and said with a sneer, 

"Professor McGonagall, I found Hermione Granger sleeping in your class!" 

Hermione, who had a head full of last night's talk in today's classes, about the dead Scabbers, and Ron's accusations, suddenly heard someone calling her name, and she woke up in a moment, instinctively, she slammed the chair and stood up, Her swollen eyes looked at Professor McGonagall with a frown, 

"Sorry, professor, I didn't hear your question clearly!" 

The classroom was quiet for a moment, and then, the sound of shaking of tables and chairs and laughter came from the Slytherin's side. They had been waiting for an opportunity to mock  Hermione, and they seized it with glee. 

"Don't worry, Miss Granger," 

Professor McGonagall glared at Parkinson, who was slapping the table, and quickly walked to Hermione's side and held her arm, looking down at Hermione's goldfish-like eyes, and said with concern, 

"It looks like you are seriously lacking in rest, Miss Granger?" 

She asked in a gentle and sympathetic tone, as she noticed the dark circles under Hermione's eyes, and the pale and exhausted look on her face. She felt a surge of pity and worry for Hermione, who had always been a diligent and brilliant student, and who had never caused any trouble in her class. 

Hermione, who was ashamed and embarrassed by the mockery, heard Professor McGonagall's worried inquiry, and suddenly shuddered, she widened her red eyes, and pleaded in her tone, 

"No, professor, I-, I just had a nightmare last night, professor, so." 

Hermione lied, as she avoided Professor McGonagall's gaze, and tried to act normal. She knew that the professor would not believe her, but she had no other choice. 

"Well," 

Professor McGonagall wouldn't believe such an obvious excuse, but, seeing the pleading look and determination in Hermione's eyes, Professor McGonagall who was already planning to take back the Time-Turner, softened a bit, and after hesitating for a moment, she said firmly, 

"I think you need to go to Madam Pomfrey now, she has some ways to help you recover your spirits, Miss Granger, there's nothing much left in this class, you can go now." 

She said, as she decided to give Hermione another chance, and to trust her judgment. She knew that Hermione was a responsible and mature girl, and that she would not abuse the privilege of using the Time-Turner. 

Squeak! 

After the heavy door closed, the laughter and uneasy discussion in the Transfiguration classroom disappeared. The students were stunned by the scene they had just witnessed, and they did not know how to react.

There were still a few minutes left before the last class of the morning, and there was not a single teacher or student in sight on the crowded floors of the classroom, Hermione leaned on the handrail of the stairs, dragging seven or eight thick books, one step at a time, stumbling down the stairs to the hospital wing.

'Crookshanks couldn't have killed Scabbers. Ron and Harry-' 

The embarrassment in the Transfiguration class soon faded from Hermione's mind, she thought about last night's things sadly. She replayed the scene of the fight with Ron, who had blamed her and her cat for the disappearance of his rat. She remembered the hurtful words he said to her, and the angry look he had given her. She also thought about Harry, who had sided with Ron, and who had also believed that her cat was guilty. She felt alone, and misunderstood, and unloved. She wished that they would listen to her- 

Splash! 

The backpack strap finally couldn't bear the weight, each book had two inches thick of magic books fell to the ground, Hermione clumsily squatted down, one by one into the backpack, there was a book in a few steps below the position, Hermione holding the open backpack busy reaching out to grab, but, the weight of the backpack made her body suddenly lose balance! 

Thump! 

After a short and panicked scream, Hermione rolled down seven or eight steps, her forehead hit the opposite wall, her eyes turned, and she fainted. 

In the third floor office, Bryan, with a solemn face, saw this scene. He strode to the door, and slammed the door open. 

Standing at the corner of the fifth and fourth floors, Bryan looked down at the little witch who didn't know if she was fainted or asleep, his right foot was in the air, and a flash of light appeared in his eyes, he looked around the empty corridor, and after a brief silence, his figure gradually blended with the wall. 

A few seconds after a hidden spell light entered the little witch's body, Hermione, who fell to the ground, suddenly whimpered, she struggled to support her body with her arms, her red eyes were full of confusion. She felt a surge of dizziness and nausea, as if she had been knocked out by a powerful curse. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision and make sense of her surroundings. 

"Oh, how long have I slept!" 

Hermione, who was confused, didn't notice that the bump that should have appeared on her head had disappeared, and she forgot Professor McGonagall's instructions, and after a frantic confirmation of the time, she quickly pulled out the fine gold chain from her collar. The exquisite little hourglass that was shining, she looked around furtively, turned the hourglass over, and then, with a pop, disappeared from Bryan's sight. 

"Sure enough–" 

Bryan reappeared, he stared at the place where Hermione disappeared, shook his head and smiled, "I've been worrying about it. I didn't expect it to be yours, Miss Granger" 

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