HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

Hermione, you need to understand two things clearly.

"First, time exists within space, destiny is contained within time, cause and effect are contained within destiny, and life and death are determined by cause and effect."

"Secondly, each organism only has two timelines: a 'main' timeline and a 'subsidiary' timeline. There are no multiple timelines."

"Your timeline is only your own, and it only affects your own life circle. It cannot affect the development of the world, or even the expansion of the universe."

"Because the world doesn't revolve around you alone, and the sun doesn't revolve around the earth. Do you understand what I'm saying, my disciple?"

After thinking for a moment, Hermione replied, "Regarding your first point, I don't quite understand, but I think I understand the second point a little better..."

"People always center their thoughts and existence on themselves, believing that they are the only ones. They do not think that others have the same thoughts and behaviors, and believe that everything should listen to and obey their own thoughts and existence."

Hearing the answer, Teach smiled with satisfaction and pinched Hermione's cheek: "As expected of my magic student, your mind is not bound by 'self-perception'."

“Every living being has only one ‘main timeline 1’. When they make decisions that deviate from their destiny’s predetermined path through their own thinking, this deviated path becomes the second timeline, also known as ‘sub-timeline 2’.”

Seeing Hermione's somewhat confused expression, Teach gave a simple example: "For instance, if you're walking down a road and a rock is blocking your way, and you want to go around it, would you choose to go left or right?"

"In the original timeline's predetermined fate, you would have gone to the left, but after your own consideration, you chose the right."

"At this point, one timeline is split into two: 'Main Timeline 1' and 'Sub-Timeline 2'."

"In the original setup, you would walk to the left, so the left line would be line 1, and the right line would be line 2."

"But you deviated from the original plan and went towards the second timeline (the secondary timeline). Then this second timeline became your main timeline, and the original first timeline became the secondary timeline."

At this point, Hermione opened her mouth and eagerly answered, "Teacher, teacher~ I understand, it means that whether it's Timeline 1 or Timeline 2, as long as it's the timeline in which I exist, it's the main timeline."

Teach flicked Hermione's clever head and continued with a smile, "That's right, you used the Time-Turner to travel from Timeline 1 back to Timeline 2. Since you exist in Timeline 2, Timeline 2 has 'your future' because of your arrival."

"Therefore, fate automatically set timeline 2 as your main timeline."

"When you leave the second tier, your future leaves with you and returns to the first tier."

"At this point, the second line, which has no future, will be erased by time, and time will revert to a single, singular line."

"When you make a choice that deviates from the predetermined path of fate again, the second path will be created once more."

"When you travel through time and stand on timeline 2, then this secondary timeline will appear and truly exist."

After listening, Hermione nodded repeatedly like a broken record, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she looked at her teacher, Teach.

Under Teach's tutelage, Hermione gained a profound understanding of the timeline in a 'surface' sense.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the secret chamber, and Dumbledore walked in from outside the Snake Gate.

Dumbledore picked up the Time-Turner that Hermione had thrown aside and then slowly walked toward Teach and his apprentice.

With each step Dumbledore took, he would recall in his mind the explanation of the timeline that Teach had overheard.

Undeniably, Teach's reasoning about time deeply shocked Dumbledore, leaving a profound and lasting impression: "[Throughout the long history of magic, since the Time-Turner was inexplicably created, there have been wizards who have traveled back in time, and there have been wizards who have studied time.]"

But... there was no result, only bewilderment and confusion about time. Even worse, some vanished from the world without a trace, never to be seen again.

[So it seems, as Teach said, that they are trapped in time, but...]

“Mr. Teach Carr, this old man doesn’t understand,” Dumbledore said, sitting down on the sofa opposite Teach and Hermione with the Time-Turner in hand, his expression full of confusion.

"As you reason, if you're standing on a timeline, then this timeline is the main timeline. So why haven't those people who vanished into thin air in magical history, or those trapped in timelines, reappeared?"

"Even if he was killed and replaced by the 'him' of the past, why hasn't the 'him' who replaced him reappeared in our world?"

Teach looked at Dumbledore's serious question and shook his head with a wry smile.

Teach, with a smirk, explained, "Because... the instant they were trapped in time, their timeline 1 was erased by time. Both he and 'him' are now trapped on the main timeline 2."

"Therefore, those of us on the first line naturally cannot see those on the second line, because... they no longer exist on the first line of our 'unified level'."

"Those who are trapped by time can never escape its imprisonment. They will be toyed with by time and by fate on the second line."

After hearing the explanation, Dumbledore looked at the Time-Turner in his hand and felt an immense sense of horror: [Time, it's too terrifying.]

This time converter should not exist.

Just as Dumbledore made his decision and was about to destroy the Time-Turner, Teach used Flash magic to snatch it away, saying, "Headmaster, don't be in such a hurry!"

"We should know that we should have a curiosity to explore everything, even things that are indescribable. Only in this way can we, as 'humans,' continuously progress and surpass ourselves!"

"Don't you think so? Mr. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the greatest and most powerful white wizard of the 19th century."

At this point, Teach continued to entice.

"Mr. Principal, having possessed a time-changer, you must have traveled back in time many times. Aren't you curious? Wouldn't you like to know? Wouldn't you like to experience it for yourself...?"

"When the hourglass reaches zero, you're stuck on line 2. What magical and interesting things will happen to you as fate arranges?"