HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

The third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a busy year.

Because there are more magic courses to study this year, and in order to prepare for the OWLS (Exam Level Test), as well as the certificate and magic diploma resume after graduation, young wizards need to choose to take several additional magic courses.

Hermione, who had always been working hard, chose all the magical subjects she could within her limited time, because she knew that she was a witch and wanted to achieve something and gain status in the magical world.

The fact that Teach Carr died in her arms in Boggart's hallucination was not just an imagined fear, but a possibility that could actually happen. Hermione could not allow this to happen, so she was determined to graduate from Hogwarts with straight A's and then rise to prominence.

Professor Mack had witnessed Hermione's efforts in magic and was deeply proud of Hermione Granger of Gryffindor.

So, out of a desire to help the outstanding student, Professor Mack gave Hermione a 'Time-Turner' after obtaining permission.

In the secret laboratory that day, Teach put down his experiment and then said to Hermione, "Hermione..."

"Hmm, teacher, did you call me?"

"Yes, I'm asking you, did Professor Mike give you a very magical little thing?"

Upon hearing this, Hermione completely disregarded Professor Mack's words and took out the Time-Turner: "Teacher, is this what you mean? This thing is truly amazing. With it, I can complete the study of every magical subject."

Teach held out her hand, and Hermione readily handed over the Time-Turner.

After looking at the rotating instrument with an hourglass in the middle, Teach tossed it back to Hermione and asked with unusual seriousness, "Hermione, have you traveled back in time?"

Under the stern gaze of her teacher Teach, Hermione nodded somewhat fearfully.

Having received an answer, Teach stood up from the sofa, circled Hermione suspiciously a few times, and then asked, "...Hermione?"

"Are you really Hermione Granger?"

Before Hermione could have a moment to doubt, Teach snapped, "Answer my question: Are you really Hermione Granger?"

"Teacher... what's wrong? Of course I'm Hermione, your student."

Teach couldn't determine whether the Hermione in front of him who had 'time traveled' was really Hermione, nor could he verify it with magic, so he could only rely on his intuition to determine whether it was real or fake.

After carefully confirming that Hermione was real, Teach explained to her, "Hermione, time can be manipulated, but it cannot be toyed with."

"Do you know what time is?"

Although Hermione traveled through time using the Time-Turner, she was unable to answer and could only shake her head blankly in front of Teach.

Seeing his disciple's bewildered expression, Teach shook his head and sighed at Hermione for the first time, then composed himself and explained, "Time does not exist in any dimension."

"Time can only move forward, it cannot go backward."

The next sentence left Hermione completely bewildered: since she had traveled back in time to learn other magical courses, why couldn't time be reversed?

Seeing Hermione's question, Teach continued, "Time is like a thread, a thread that runs through everything. This thread is unbroken and cannot be severed or exist independently."

"You did go back in time, but tell me, what precautions did Professor Mike give you when he handed you the Time-Turner?"

Hermione thought for a moment and then replied, "Professor McGonagall said that when the hourglass of the Time-Turner reaches zero, it must return to the point where I traveled back in time."

"Have you thought about why you absolutely have to go back to the starting point? Have you thought about what the consequences would be if you didn't go back to the starting point?"

Hermione shook her head blankly.

For the first time, Teach got angry at Hermione, who hadn't thought of anything. He lowered his voice and yelled, "Foolish! Hermione, when did you become such a fool?"

"Time is a line, a line that can be bent and stretched. When you go back to the past, your original timeline will stop, but it won't go back with you. Instead, it will be stretched and bent from the point where you traveled. When you return to the origin point, the timeline will stretch and retract, and only then will this bent timeline continue to move forward."

"But if you don't return when time resets to zero, you'll be trapped in the past timeline, and your main timeline will be erased by time."

"This means... you can never go back to your original timeline."

"That's what Professor Mike meant when he told you that you have to go back to the beginning."

Trapped in the timeline, Hermione suddenly understood, but still didn't realize the seriousness of the problem, so she asked, "Teacher, what... what are the consequences of being trapped in time?"

Teach took a deep breath and patiently explained, "You're trapped in a past timeline, so does that mean there are two of you in that past timeline?"

"Everyone is a unique being; that's the rule of the world. So, do you think the rule would allow two of you to exist at the same time?"

Hermione shook her head, then looked horrified: "Teacher, are you saying that time can only allow one of me to exist, me or my past self?"

Teach nodded irritably: "Yes, trapped in time, you'll be manipulated by time. Even if you deliberately avoid meeting your past self, the rules of time will force you to meet, then fight each other, leaving only one of you in the end."

If you survive a fight between two people, then you are still you.

"If you die at the hands of your past self, then that past self will take your place and become your true self."

"At this point, only your past timeline will become the main timeline, regaining a future and extending forward into the future."

"That's why I'm asking you, teacher, if you're the 'real' Hermione."

Seeing Hermione's terrified face, Teach warned her sternly, "Hermione, every time you use this Time-Turner, you risk being trapped in time and dying."

"Every time you use it, you are playing with time."

"The final result is that you are trapped and erased by the rule of time, and then someone else takes your place."

"Don't be naive enough to think that you can kill your past self on the past timeline and then monopolize the timeline, turning it into your main timeline. That's impossible."

Upon hearing this, Hermione was immediately gripped by a soul-crushing terror, so frightened that she quickly threw the Time-Turner aside: "If I'm not careful, I'll be killed by my past self and then replaced."

By then, although I will still be myself, will I... still be considered myself?

[After I die, that "me" will enjoy everything I have, call my parents "Dad" and "Mom", call my teachers "Teacher", and take over everything I have.]

Having fully grasped the cause and effect of time, Hermione collapsed to the ground.

After catching his breath, he calmed down and then pestered his teacher, Teach, "Teacher, could you tell me the time in detail?"

Teach, holding little Hermione's hand, sat down on the sofa and began to say, "Traveling back in time and changing the past can change the future. That's true."

"But how do you determine whether the future that you altered from the past is on your primary timeline or on a secondary timeline?"

"Assuming the timeline is divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' sections..."

"The main timeline is 1, and the secondary timeline is 2..."

(Dear readers, feel free to leave comments to discuss your thoughts on the 'Time-Turner's' interpretation of time in the original Harry Potter stories.)

(Author, I want to get this for free, hehe~)