A quick glance at the staff table revealed that, apart from Headmaster Dumbledore and the new professor teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, was also absent. Everyone assumed that the old professor had retired.
The young wizards were not surprised at all. On the contrary, they wondered why he was retiring now.
Kettleburn was a Hufflepuff, but his reckless nature often made it seem like the Sorting Hat had made a mistake by not placing him in Gryffindor. His relationship with the former Headmaster, Armando Dippet, had always been tense due to his personality. He had gone through sixty-two trial periods during his time at the school! It was like teaching in between being fired. When the old professor retired, he only had one arm and a half-leg, probably the price of recklessness and daring. But despite that, he still traveled to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary in his free time...
This fierce man finally retired this summer. Given that the position of a Hogwarts professor is permanent, the young wizards thought the professor would teach until he died! However, strangely enough, two professors had left, but there was only one new face on the teaching staff.
Professor McGonagall extended her hand towards Lupin's position, "The first is Professor Lupin, who has agreed to fill the vacancy for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Professor Lupin stood up, acknowledging the audience. However, the applause in the Great Hall was sporadic, due to his shabby clothes and the unreliable predecessors.
Lupin sighed inwardly, still pessimistic about the future of the job. In fact, he wouldn't have come to Hogwarts if Dumbledore hadn't promised to provide him with a Wolfsbane potion every month. Lupin had never been involved in education and had no idea how to teach, so he tried to remember what his teachers had taught him when he was in school and drew inspiration from them.
He was so inspired that he decided to go to the castle after the opening ceremony to find a magical creature that would be perfect for the first lesson.
But after a few seconds, the applause at the long Gryffindor table suddenly grew louder, because Snape showed a mix of anger and hatred, and his thin yellow face almost twisted.
The reaction from the Gryffindor lions also made Lupin feel better.
As if she hadn't seen Snape's reaction, Professor McGonagall continued after the applause for Professor Lupin had died down: "I regret to inform you that our Care of Magical Creatures professor, Professor Kettleburn, retired at the end of last term. In order to have more time to enjoy his old limbs, his position has been filled by none other than our gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, who will also be teaching."
The Great Hall erupted in applause. Hagrid's large face turned red, and a big smile hid behind his thick black beard.
"Well, that's all the announcements, everyone, let's eat!" Professor McGonagall said. The next moment, the plates in front of them were filled with food, and the cups were filled with drink. When the last of the cake disappeared along with the pudding, Professor McGonagall announced that everyone could return to their dormitories.
Tom and Hermione left the Great Hall together, but Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared behind them.
"Yodel, Granger. You'll have to accompany me to my office first."
Hermione shivered, unconsciously thinking that Professor McGonagall was going to interfere between her and Tom, but when they arrived at the office, she realized that Professor McGonagall was going to talk about something different than what she had thought.
When Professor McGonagall entered the office, before Hermione could say anything, she waved her hand and conjured two pieces of parchment.
"I have received your registration forms. It seems you have chosen all your classes. Why did you do that? Some classes seem unnecessary to me, like Muggle Studies. You two must already know a lot about Muggles."
Hermione felt relieved and explained, "Professor, it's because I'm a Muggle that I wanted to take Muggle Studies. I wanted to know how Muggles are perceived from a wizard's point of view. I've also heard that these classes can affect our future careers, so I believe all classes should be taken with caution. It takes at least a semester to understand their content! Besides, since the school does not prohibit taking all the classes, it's only fair that I take them all."
A flicker of appreciation gleamed in Professor McGonagall's eyes as she looked at Tom.
Tom: "Me too."
Professor McGonagall: ...
She felt a bit perplexed, but there was nothing she could do about it. It was true that Hogwarts did not have a maximum number of subjects that students could take in one school year, and with Tom and Hermione's good grades, it really allowed them to take advantage of the situation.
She adjusted her glasses and took out an envelope from her desk drawer.
"Indeed, Hogwarts will not reject your request." She opened the envelope and pulled out a long, thin golden chain with a small, shining hourglass pendant. On the surface of the hourglass, there was a small inscription: [I mark every inch of time but never beyond the sun. My worth to you is measured by your purpose.]
"A Time-Turner," Professor McGonagall said gravely, "An alchemical device for time travel. The number of turns of the hourglass represents the number of hours back in time, but remember, you must not go back more than five hours without causing unpredictable damage to both the Time-Turner and its user."
"You must not tell anyone about its existence. I dare say I had to write a hundred letters to the Ministry of Magic to obtain this Time-Turner... just so you could attend multiple classes at the same time!" Professor McGonagall placed the Time-Turner in Hermione's hand. "Miss Granger, promise me you will not misuse it, that you will never use the Time-Turner for anything other than your studies, and Mr. Yodel, you too!"
Hermione looked at the Time-Turner in her hand. It didn't feel magical or special at all. She had been exposed to time travel, the Ministry of Magic's only went back five hours. She had seen the pharaoh directly five thousand years ago!
She still had a Time-Turner made by the pharaoh.
Seeing Miss Granger's indifferent face, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "This is something that can manipulate time. The Ministry of Magic has made hundreds of laws regarding it..."
Hermione: Well, yes, you're right. I swear I won't abuse it.
Professor McGonagall sighed. "Behave yourselves. Time-Turners are extremely dangerous. In the past..."
She recounted a few stories of wizards who had paid a terrible price for abusing the Time-Turner, and finally, as she escorted Tom and Hermione out of the office, she looked them in the eyes and said, "Respect time, and may no one ever see you using it!"