"In short, if you intend to take every single elective course, you must be prepared to expend significantly more energy than your peers. As for the inevitable scheduling conflicts, Hogwarts will provide you with a solution."
Hermione asked curiously, "What kind of solution?"
She had already calculated the math in her head. Taking every elective ant she would physically need to be in two classrooms at once. Unless she figured out a way to clone herself, the schedule was entirely impossible to balance.
"A Ti-Turner," Professor McGonagall said, not bothering to build suspense. "It is a highly restricted magical artifact strictly regulated by the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry only grants limited usage permits to exceptional students after Hogwarts submits a specialized, highly detailed application."
'A Ti-Turner?'
Maurise's interest was instantly piqued. Any artifact associated with the manipulation of ti was guaranteed to be extraordinarily complex and powerful.
Professor McGonagall retrieved two plain wooden boxes and placed them on her desk. "Because we required two Ti-Turners this year, we submitted the applications well in advance. These artifacts are incredibly rare, and the waitlist is typically quite long."
She opened one of the boxes. Inside lay a small, hourglass-shaped device suspended on a fine golden chain.
Maurise examined it closely but failed to spot anything particularly extraordinary. He could not detect even the faintest ripple of magical energy radiating from the tal.
Professor McGonagall proceeded to thoroughly explain the operational chanics and the strict regulations regarding the Ti-Turner. Simply put, turning the hourglass allowed the user to travel back in ti, with each complete revolution representing a single hour.
After listening to the explanation, Hermione looked absolutely thrilled. "This ans I can attend two conflicting classes simultaneously! All I have to do is use the Turner after my first class, travel back in ti to before the period started, and walk to my second class... This is absolutely brilliant! What do you think, Maurise?"
"Er, right. Brilliant."
Maurise's expression was incredibly complicated. His imdiate reaction was sheer disbelief. They were utilizing a profoundly powerful, ti-altering magical artifact... just to resolve a middle school scheduling conflict?
Talk about using a sledgehamr to crack a nut. It was absolute overkill.
"Before you are officially allowed to use them, you must undergo mandatory training," Professor McGonagall added. "The Ministry of Magic will send an official instructor in two days. I will notify you when it is ti."
---
Two days later, in the late afternoon, Professor McGonagall led Maurise to a rarely used classroom on the east side of the fourth floor.
The windows in this classroom were heavily draped with thick curtains, and the room was entirely bare save for a few ordinary desks and chairs.
Before letting him inside, Professor McGonagall gave him a brief update. "Hermione completed her evaluation this morning. Now it is your turn. The instructor inside is an official from the Ministry's Departnt of Mysteries."
Maurise nodded and pushed the door open. Professor McGonagall did not follow him inside.
Waiting in the classroom was a highly amiable-looking middle-aged man. He had thinning brown hair, a round face, and thick black-rimd glasses. He was sitting leisurely in an armchair near the podium, casually flipping through a book.
Seeing Maurise enter, he imdiately snapped the book shut and stood up.
"Good afternoon. You must be Maurise Black. I am Vaughan Hardy, representing the Departnt of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic."
He stepped forward and offered a highly enthusiastic handshake. "No need to be nervous. Today's evaluation is rely to ensure you can safely and responsibly operate a Ti-Turner."
"Understood, Mr. Hardy," Maurise replied politely.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the man was being slightly too enthusiastic. Furthermore, the way Hardy was looking at him was incredibly strange.
Hardy pushed his glasses up his nose, his smile deepening with a hint of hidden aning. "Excellent. Before we officially begin, I would like to ask you a quick question. Mr. Black, how much do you actually know about the Departnt of Mysteries?"
Maurise shook his head. "Absolutely nothing."
What exactly was the purpose of this tangent?
Hardy clapped his hands together, looking delighted. "Allow to give you a brief introduction then, my boy."
"The Departnt of Mysteries is a highly specialized branch within the Ministry of Magic dedicated to conducting top-secret research. Ah, you must forgive for keeping it vague. The nature of our work is strictly classified."
'Pure nonsense.' Maurise raised an eyebrow. That explanation was literally no different from saying absolutely nothing.
"Let us get straight to the point," Hardy leaned forward slightly. "What are your thoughts on our departnt? Would you perhaps be interested in joining us as an Unspeakable in the future?"
'Huh?'
That was incredibly abrupt.
Maurise paused, slightly bewildered. He spoke carefully. "Mr. Hardy, I am only a second-year student. I am still in school, and..."
"Oh, of course, of course!" Hardy nodded vigorously, his cheerful smile unwavering. "That is a minor logistical hurdle, but nothing we cannot solve. We could simply sign a preliminary letter of intent right now. Once you graduate from Hogwarts, you would imdiately transition into a full-ti position at the Departnt of Mysteries. Look, I even brought the paperwork with ."
As he spoke, he pulled out a thick roll of heavy parchnt from rlin-knows-where. It even had elegant, gold-leaf lettering.
'He actually ca fully prepared for this?'
Why on earth was the Ministry of Magic aggressively headhunting a perfectly ordinary second-year student?
Maurise felt a surge of genuine confusion. "Mr. Hardy, what exactly does the Ministry see in ?"
"Allow to correct you," Hardy shrugged easily. "It is not the Ministry as a whole. Specifically, it is the Departnt of Mysteries that believes you possess extraordinary potential. Though, to be perfectly frank, you are the absolute youngest individual to ever receive such an invitation."
Maurise stroked his chin. "Could you elaborate on how exactly you evaluated my potential?"
"I honestly have no idea," Hardy spread his hands helplessly. "It likely involved so form of highly complex, specialized magic. Perhaps a prophecy of so sort. Now then, let us sign this contract so you can secure a guaranteed career post-graduation!"
He enthusiastically shoved the parchnt toward Maurise.
Highly amused, Maurise took the contract and scanned the contents.
It was a remarkably standard employnt agreent. Aside from the noticeably low starting salary, there wasn't much to complain about. Considering it was a guaranteed position at the Ministry of Magic, a highly coveted workplace with fierce competition, most students would have signed it blindly.
However, Maurise had absolutely zero desire to live the miserable life of an underpaid corporate wage slave. He had vastly higher aspirations.
Furthermore, this entire recruitnt pitch felt incredibly sketchy. He didn't even know what the departnt actually researched. What if he accidentally joined a wizarding pyramid sche? That would be a complete disaster.
"I must respectfully decline," Maurise handed the heavy parchnt back.
"Ah, well," Hardy didn't press the issue, taking the contract back easily. "You are more than welco to change your mind at any ti. Oh, Mr. Black, I have another proposal. Would you be interested in touring the Departnt of Mysteries soti? Our doors are always open to you."
"A tour?"
"Exactly. Just to broaden your horizons," Hardy winked.
"I will certainly keep it in mind," Maurise replied politely.
'Maybe I'll drop by if I ever find myself dying of boredom.'
"Excellent," Hardy said briskly. "Enough idle chatter, let us get down to business. Professor McGonagall entrusted your specific Ti-Turner to . Let just find it... ah, here it is."
He reached into his left pocket and pulled out the golden hourglass.
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