At first, Tom didn't pay attention to them. They were so far away, on the other side of the Black Lake, that they appeared no bigger than small black dots to Tom and naturally went unnoticed in this vibrant lake.
But soon, they made some noise and caught Tom's attention.
The four stood by the lake, gesturing around for a while, before one of the burly men walked toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest and stood in front of a large tree as thick as a person. He drew a shining silver sword from his belt and struck it against the trunk, breaking it at the waist.
As the tree fell, he pointed his sword at it, and the fallen trunk floated toward his companions. A witch dressed in a blue robe waved her hand, and the tree turned into a pile of planks that moved on their own, fitting together to form a boat.
Tom saw what they were doing and was surprised: those four could perform magic! He hurriedly tugged at Hermione's sleeve, signaling her to look at these four people.
The story of the four wizards crossing the Black Lake in a boat... it sounded so familiar to him! Tom felt like he was witnessing the story.
Once the boat was assembled, they launched it into the water, and when all four were aboard, the boat started moving on its own, heading toward the opposite shore of the lake.
The distance between the four and Tom began to shrink, and Tom could distinguish their attire: a strong bearded man with a sword at the forefront, and a man dressed in green with a staff standing beside him. Behind them were two women, the one who had transformed the tree trunk, clad in a blue robe and a crown, and the other wearing a gray wizard's robe.
Tom's gaze traveled to the man at the forefront, who raised his head in the next moment and looked toward Tom's direction. The man's movement made them spot Tom and Hermione. Apparently, though, Tom and Hermione hadn't alerted them to their presence. The burly man glanced at Tom and then looked away, more interested in the lake's wildlife than the two passersby.
He had just heard the dragon's roar clearly, and it had excited him a bit: fire-breathing dragons were a treasure, and Salazar could make interesting potions with various parts of the dragon, while Helga could make delicious meat dishes. And while eating, he could ask Rowena to tell everyone stories about that dragon...
But his absent-minded gaze also put Tom under a lot of pressure. For a moment, Tom had the feeling of being observed by a beast. Judging by how the four were dressed, Tom was almost certain they were the Four Founders of Hogwarts. However, he didn't want to talk to them. There was a high chance they wouldn't speak the same language, and if Tom's conversation with them caused any strange butterfly effect, he would get into a big mess. So Tom took a step back, out of sight, and uncovered the hourglass, letting the top layer drip down to the bottom.
When the last grain of sand had also slipped away, the goldfish appeared in his hand, transporting him back to his time.
Godric Gryffindor looked up again and saw that the two on the cliff had disappeared, so he turned to Rowena Ravenclaw, who was behind him, and said, "Rowena, I think if we're going to build a school here, we must find a way to banish the Muggles from the neighborhood."
The witch named Rowena nodded. "No problem, just in time to test my new spell, but this one will only banish wizards."
She said meaningfully.
"No matter, if they're a wizard, we'll surely meet again," Gryffindor didn't worry about this, gently stroking the hilt of his sword. "If they're a friend, then give me the strongest wine..."
...
Tom and Hermione returned to the broom closet, and the goldfish fell into a deep sleep. Hermione checked the clock and saw that it was exactly the same time they had just left, not a second less.
They stepped out of the broom closet.
Hermione was so excited that she felt the walls of Hogwarts and remembered what she had just seen with a sense of absolute unreality.
"Come on, it's time for Muggle Studies." Tom's voice brought Hermione back to reality. She had discovered a terrible truth: they were going to be late.
Her instincts had been right. When she and Tom arrived at Muggle Studies, the students and the professor were already there.
Fortunately, the Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage, was so kind that she wasn't bothered by their lateness. Instead, she gestured for them to take a seat.
Tom looked around and saw that almost everyone in the class was a half-blood or pure-blood wizard. Even Ron, who had been raised in the enlightened Weasley family, hadn't attended the class. He had signed up for Divination and Care of Magical Creatures.
Professor Burbage waited for both of them to sit down and began her class.
"Class, let me guess, there are still no pure-bloods among you this year, right?" She stood behind the lectern, and her opening words left the students unsure of what to say.
Instead of continuing on that topic, Professor Burbage pointed to a boy in the front row and asked why he was enrolled in the course.
Tom recognized him as Justin Finch, from Hufflepuff.
Justin Finch seemed a bit confused when he was called upon, but he quickly responded and began to boast.
"Professor, I'm glad you asked me that question. It's a good one, undoubtedly, and I'm happy to answer it. As you know, these are times of change, the world is changing rapidly, magic can make a real difference in people's lives, and the quality of life is becoming increasingly important..."
"It's also a very easy class to get a good grade in," Professor Burbage interjected.
"Well, it's very brief-" Justin Finch continued, accidentally saying what he had in mind.
"Oh no, Hogwarts: The Muggle Studies professor highlighted his main point!" His heart skipped a beat, and he felt a twinge of regret for letting it slip!
But Professor Burbage didn't mind; she simply told him to take a seat.
"I understand perfectly well what this student is thinking, but he has a very true statement: magic can indeed change human life..."
Professor Burbage continued with the topic.
...
After class, Hermione and Tom walked through the hallway, discussing the lesson they had just had.
"The professor's idea is good..." Tom suddenly stopped.
A glove appeared in front of him, floating in the air, moving on its own, pointing towards an empty classroom.
"Dumbledore..."