161: Chapter 161 Two Class Attendance Records

"She was sitting in two classrooms at the same time."

Nott pressed the parchment in front of Allen, tapped it twice with the tip of his pencil, and lowered his voice.

Draco looked up. "Who?"

"Granger." Nott pushed the parchment over. "Nine o'clock in the morning, Transfiguration Class. Professor McGonagall called the roll in person, and Granger answered. Nine-oh-five in the morning, Divination Class, and Trelawney also signed her attendance record."

Draco wrinkled his face. "Can she clone herself?"

Zabini closed his candy box. "If she could, Weasley would have already been scolded by three of her at once."

Allen leaned against the window seat in the Library, his fingertips pressing down on the page.

There were two columns of times on the parchment.

Professor McGonagall, nine o'clock sharp, Transfiguration Class.

Professor Trelawney, nine-oh-five, Divination Class.

The two classes were at opposite ends of the Castle; the stairs moved, the corridors wound around, and an ordinary student couldn't make it even if they ran until their legs broke.

Nott said in a low voice, "I asked Ravenclaw. Padma saw Granger come out of the Divination classroom, and Parvati said she sat next to her the whole time. Over at Transfiguration Class, Weasley confirmed she was sitting in the first row."

Draco poked his quill against the ink bottle. "Did she use something illegal?"

"Not necessarily illegal." Allen turned a page. "Special permission."

Nott stopped his pencil. "You guessed the source?"

"Professor McGonagall." Allen said, "Granger's grades were too good last year, and this year her schedule is packed. The school made an exception for her; that's the only way it makes sense."

Draco's face was full of dissatisfaction. "Why? She's Gryffindor, Muggle-born, and she still gets special approval from a Professor?"

"Because she hands in all her essays on time." Zabini stuffed the candy box back into his sleeve. "While you hand your essays to me to check the format."

Draco glared at him. "Shut up."

Nott ignored them. "Special permission still requires tools. Hogwarts wouldn't let a student change time at will."

Allen closed the book. "A time-turner."

The three of them were silent for a moment.

Draco spoke first. "Ministry of Magic stuff? Given to Granger?"

Nott's pencil stopped on the paper. "Professor McGonagall guaranteed it, Dumbledore agreed, and the Ministry of Magic has it on file. No wonder she's always disappearing in the corridors lately, and when she returns to the dining table, her hair is as messy as if she'd just crawled out of a windstorm."

Zabini pulled out a piece of candy but didn't eat it. "Time magic. Sounds even more troublesome than the Chamber of Secrets."

Allen raised his hand and tucked Nott's notes into the book.

"Don't watch her directly."

Draco immediately retorted. "She has something that can change time, and you're telling us not to watch her?"

"Watch her schedule." Allen looked at Nott. "Record conflict points, Professor signatures, corridor movements, and fatigue levels. Don't go near her bag, don't ask her questions, and don't let her discover you're interested in time."

Nott nodded, his pencil writing "Schedule" in the corner of the old book.

Draco still wanted to say something, but Ron's complaints drifted over from the other end of the Library.

"Hermione, you were clearly in Divination Class just now, so why are you saying you didn't go?"

Hermione's voice was low and hurried. "Ron, don't shout in the Library. That class has no value; I just went to get some materials."

Harry followed beside her, his face full of confusion. "But Parvati said you sat there for the whole class."

Hermione hugged her books tighter. "You heard wrong."

Ron was unconvinced. "I might have heard wrong, but Parvati and Lavender both heard wrong too?"

Hermione turned and walked toward the bookshelves, moving faster than usual. She paused when passing the Slytherin table, her gaze sweeping between the old book in front of Allen and the parchment beside Nott.

Draco immediately lifted his chin. "Granger, you're busy attending two classes, yet you still have time to eavesdrop?"

Hermione retorted quickly. "Malfoy, if you can manage to understand one class, then come evaluate others."

Zabini laughed, head bowed.

Draco pressed his fingers onto the table. "What did you say?"

Allen pushed the book forward half an inch, blocking Draco's action.

"Library."

As the two words fell, Draco swallowed his words, his expression looking unpleasant.

Hermione glanced at Allen, as if she wanted to ask something, but in the end, she left clutching her books.

Nott waited until she was far away before lowering his voice. "She already suspects we've discovered something unusual."

"She suspects everyone." Allen said. "The difference is whether she has proof."

Draco bit the end of his quill. "How far back can a time-turner go?"

"Student permits are usually counted in hours." Allen looked out the window. "One cannot mess with major events. The user must avoid their past self, avoid being seen, and avoid interference."

Zabini opened and closed the candy box. "Sounds like a perfect way for Granger to drive herself to death."

"She'll hold on." Nott said. "She has resilience."

Draco scoffed. "Resilience doesn't let someone attend twelve classes a day."

Allen didn't respond.

In the Portable Space, the cracked pocket watch beside the ebony box suddenly lit up.

Blue light seeped from the cracks in the watch face, inching over the edge of the box lid. The Void was originally coiled beside the box, its silver eyes fixed on Peter in the cage, but the next moment its tail tip tightened, and its entire body retreated three steps.

Peter lay prone in the cage, his face pressed against the floor, his mouth sealed, but his eyes were wide open.

A soft click came from inside the pocket watch.

Click.

Allen's fingertips pressed against the page, and a short, sharp pain traveled through his fingertips.

The mist at the edge of the space rolled inward an inch, only to be pressed back by the anchor point. The gold patterns on the north side showed no reaction, but the blue light pointed directly outside the Library, toward the corridor where Hermione had left.

Nott noticed Allen pause. "What's wrong?"

Draco also looked over. "You don't look right."

"Sleepy." Allen closed the book. "Afternoon Potion Class, help me get the ingredients."

Draco looked at him suspiciously. "Every time you say you're sleepy, something is up."

"So ask less."

Zabini handed over the candy box. "Have one?"

"Too sweet."

Nott put away the parchment. "Should the time-turner be included in the third-year file?"

"Yes." Allen stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Don't write the full name. Write: Granger abnormal borrowing, schedule overlap, suspected appearance of time tool."

Draco stood up too. "Should we tell Snape?"

Allen paused in the shadow of the bookshelf. "Tell him Granger is attending classes with Ministry of Magic permission?"

Draco got stuck.

Zabini delivered the finishing blow for him. "And then Snape asks for your source, and you say Nott has been watching Granger's schedule for two weeks?"

Nott spun his pencil between his fingers. "I'm not taking the blame."

Draco irritably shoved his book into his bag. "Fine, I'll shut up."

Allen walked out.

At the Library entrance, Hermione was standing at the checkout counter, handing three thick books to Madam Pince for registration. Allen saw the names on the spines.

"Advanced Arithmancy Charts"

"Parallel Translation of Ancient Runes"

"Safety Regulations for Time Travel"

The last one was mostly covered by Hermione's hand.

Madam Pince looked up. "Miss Granger, Professor McGonagall's signature is complete. Don't fold the pages, don't write notes, and don't take the books near teacups."

Hermione took the books, nodding too quickly, a few strands of hair sliding down from behind her ear.

When she turned, she happened to meet Allen's gaze.

She hugged the books tighter. "What are you looking at?"

"Borrowing records." Allen said.

Hermione's expression tightened. "The Library allows students to borrow books."

"It also allows students to return them."

Ron chimed in from the side. "Allen Potter, are you trying to give Hermione trouble again?"

Harry pulled him back. "Ron."

Draco popped out from behind Allen. "Weasley, you'd better take care of your rat first."

Ron immediately exploded. "Scabbers is just fine!"

In the Portable Space, Peter in the cage shrank deeper.

Allen turned to look at Draco.

Draco shut his mouth, pursed his lips, and turned his face away.

Hermione gave Draco a sharp look, then looked at Allen. "What are you recording again?"

"Homework." Allen said.

"You don't look like someone who would hand in Divination homework on time."

"So I'm recording how others do it."

Hermione was stumped and left clutching her books.

Harry paused as he passed Allen. "Don't provoke her lately. She's already very tired."

"Then let her sleep."

Harry frowned. "She won't listen."

"Then she will run into problems."

Allen dropped this line and turned toward the underground stairs.

Draco caught up. "Are you warning Potter?"

"Reminding."

"Since when are you so kind?"

"If Granger falls, many threads will break." Allen walked past the moving stairs, pressing the gold pattern inside his sleeve. "She is currently the most suitable pathfinder."

Nott added from behind, "And the one most likely to dig up others' clues."

Zabini tossed a candy into his mouth. "Including ours."

Allen didn't deny it.

In the Portable Space, the blue light of the cracked pocket watch was still shining. The blue color pulsed along the cracks, and the dead-stopped hands on the dial twitched, as if trying to break free from their rusted positions.

The Void lowered its head, its tail tip pressing onto the new file.

time-turner.

Allen recited the four words in his heart.

"Laws of Time."

He didn't stop his pace.

"Finally touched the edge."