"You only told me not to try and change the past, but to learn to go with the flow of history and think about what you have seen…" Hermione began.
Ivan was baffled. He could understand the meaning of the words, but they were vague and did not help him much.
"There's nothing more specific?" Ivan asked, not wanting to admit defeat. He believed that if he had a chance to go back in time, he would write a detailed guidebook to ensure that his actions were correct.
Hermione shook her head, then remembered Ivan's last words to her, and stuck out her tongue. "Well, he said you wouldn't understand now, so you don't have to think about anything…"
'Think nothing of it? Do I have to go all the way?'
Ivan stared helplessly at Hermione, hoping to get some more important information from her, but the witch looked at him blankly, and that was all she knew.
"Don't try to change the past… by following the course of history?" Yvonne asked Hermione after a long hesitation.
"Come on, put on the cloak and let's get back!"
Go back? Where? Hermione wondered as she put on the Cloak of Invisibility and Ivan vanished.
The two then realised at the same time that they could not see each other.
Ivan had to adjust and temporarily hide his Cloak of Invisibility so that he and Hermione could share it…
They made their way back to the Dark Arts shop. This time, Ivan did not dare to get too close to the shop. Instead, he chose a high ground where he had a clear view of the alleys surrounding the shop.
As the shop was open, Ivan was able to see Alicia.
"Is she your mother? She's so beautiful…" Hermione whispered, turning to look at Isiah. It was the first time she had seen Isiah, whom she had never seen pick up at King's Cross Station.
"Right." Yvonne nodded, but didn't want to say too much.
"Now can you at least tell me what you're planning to do? Is it something to do with your mother?" Hermione asked Alicia.
"Didn't I tell you anything when I asked you to come?" Yvonne asked curiously.
Hermione shook her head again, indicating that she knew nothing.
Ivan hesitated. He did not want Hermione to get involved, but since the little witch was there, he explained.
"In about two hours, a group of Dark Wizards will attack the shop, and by the time I get home, the battle will be over…"
Yvonne closed her eyes, thinking back to three months ago, murmuring to herself, "I only had time to see her lying in a pool of her own blood…"
Hermione looked at Ivan in astonishment. She could tell who Ivan was talking about.
The little witch's eyes were filled with pity as she suddenly remembered how Ivan had lost control of the Dementors on the train and why he was so obsessed with the Time-Turner…
Ivan was still thinking about the past. He had relived that day in his countless dreams…
He sometimes dreamed that he had returned to the past with the Time-Turner, and that he had, like the pathetic wizard in Dumbledore's story, personally caused Alicia's death.
Or fall into a cycle of time and space…
There are so many visions of reality and fantasy that Ivan can barely tell what is real and what is not…
Although he used the hair taken from Alicia's body to verify its authenticity, it was not safe, unless he was willing to open the coffin in the basement and confirm the body for himself.
However, Ivan did not have the courage to open the library for verification, and he feared the worst that could happen, after which everything would be doomed and his efforts would be pointless…
"I'm sure you can change all that!"
Yvonne heard Hermione's voice.
Ivan opened his eyes. The girl's brown eyes were trusting in the small space created by the Cloak of Invisibility.
Ivan was moved; he could tell that Hermione genuinely believed he could do it, and not just offer words of comfort.
"I've never seen anything you couldn't do," Hermione said confidently.
Although Dumbledore told them about the various rules of the Time-Turner, one of which was that the past could not be changed, Hermione remained confident in Ivan.
He was so clever that he was able to easily learn advanced magic, foiled You-Know-Who's schemes, developed and improved potions, and even saw through the true colours of two previous Defence Against the Dark Arts professors, driving them out…
Ivan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There were so many things he couldn't do, other than to appear impressive among his students.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Hermione asked, looking expectantly at Ivan.
"No, I don't want you to care about anything… all you have to do is protect yourself!" Ivan's face became very serious.
Hermione pursed her lips, and Ivan continued before she could speak.
"This time the enemy is a group of Dark Wizards, possibly more than ten of them! They are extremely dangerous and skilled in all manner of deadly Dark Magic. Stay here and do nothing. I will deal with them!"
"How can you do that? There are so many of them, you can't fight them all alone!" Hermione's face was full of worry, and her words came out in a rush.
"I know lots and lots of magic, and don't you remember? We had a duelling class last term, and I even beat a lot of seniors on the duelling floor. I know how to fight…"
"It's not enough! It's far from enough!" Ivan interrupted, his eyes fixed on her, his voice sharp.
"You do not understand that a real battle is not a game in a duelling ring, but a defeat is death! Those Dark Wizards will cast the cruelest spells on you…
Do you know the Cruciatus Curse? It kills whoever is hit by it, and you can imagine what it would be like to have your bones ripped out of your body, one by one! It would only hurt more than that!"
"There are also dark magic spells that corrode the flesh and blood of the victim and fuse into the victim's body. Before long, the victim's skin will fester, crack, stink, and fester…" Ivan enunciated each word carefully.
Frightened by Ivan's words and wild expression, Hermione trembled slightly and tried to say that she was not afraid of such things, but Ivan beat her to the punch.
"Dare you kill someone? I mean, cut their head off with a charm!"