"I did it! I did it!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly in Alaric's arms.
"Fantastic!" Alaric praised loudly. "
Fantastic! Hermione, this is a great start. I always believed you could do it."
He gently stroked Hermione's fluffy curls, and Hermione smiled foolishly.
Even Cho Chang and Penelope couldn't help but admire her—threatened by the Dementors, she had collapsed twice in a row, yet she stood up again and eventually succeeded.
It took her quite a while to regain her strength.
"Can we try it again? Just one more time, please?" Hermione looked at Alaric expectantly, her confidence soaring after their recent success.
"Not now," Alaric said firmly. "Tonight has been taxing enough for you. Here..."
He handed Hermione a large piece of chocolate.
"Eat it all, or Madam Pomfrey will come after me. We'll practice again next time. Now, let's give Cho Chang and Penelope some chances."
Perhaps stimulated by Hermione's success, Cho Chang and Penelope practiced especially hard.
Despite being terrified by the Boggart transformed into a Dementor, they gritted their teeth and persisted time and again.
Even Cho Chang, not known for her resilience, insisted, "Let's do it again."
Until Alaric stopped them.
"That's enough, girls, that's enough!" After locking the Boggart back into the closet once more, Alaric persuaded them.
"Your performances tonight were excellent. Look, you're already able to produce silver smoke with your wands when facing a Dementor.
That's more than most people can do. Even Harry fainted when faced with Dementors."
At the mention of Harry, laughter filled the Room of Requirement, lightening the atmosphere instantly.
"Yes, even the Chosen One is afraid of Dementors, isn't he?
But you've already shown the courage to face them head-on and produce the Patronus Charm in front of them—though it's just some smoke, it's still a significant breakthrough."
"That's because we have you to protect us," Penelope interjected, and both Cho Chang and Hermione nodded.
"Yes, but that doesn't diminish your bravery, does it?" Alaric encouraged them with a smile.
"They say Gryffindors embody courage, but today, you've shown more bravery than them.
At least I haven't heard of any Gryffindors casting the Patronus Charm in front of Dementors—even the ones who can produce a little bit of air."
Listening to Alaric's words, the girls couldn't help but blush.
"So," Alaric concluded, "everyone has made significant progress today."
"Hermione can now summon an almost complete Patronus, and with one or two more tries, she should be able to summon a corporeal Patronus proficiently.
Cho Chang and Penelope have also done well; being able to make the Patronus Charm work while facing Dementors.
Although it's basic, it is just one step away from casting a corporeal Patronus.
Everyone, you've performed exceptionally well—something many adult wizards can't achieve. What more could you ask for?"
Finally, persuaded by him, the girls gave up further practice. But as they relaxed, both mentally and physically exhausted, they immediately slumped down.
So Alaric and the slightly recovered Hermione each supported one, escorting them back to the dormitory.
...
It was breakfast time again. Starting today, the third-year wizards would begin their new courses.
Some elective subjects they had never studied before, such as Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and so on.
Students usually chose one or two elective subjects, but Alaric noticed that Hermione had chosen all of them.
"You got it, didn't you?" Alaric asked Hermione seriously.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione looked puzzled.
"I'm talking about the Time Turner!" Alaric said, somewhat annoyed.
"Look, they've scheduled you for ten classes in a day. See this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination, followed by Muggle Studies at nine o'clock, and then..."
Alaric leaned in closer to the schedule, unable to believe it.
"Look here, Arithmancy, also at nine o'clock. Besides applying for a Time Turner from the professors, I can't think of any other way you could manage this.
You got it at the beginning of the school year, right?"
He still remembered when Hermione and Professor McGonagall left for a while.
Magic related to time is unstable, and serious violations of the laws of time can have catastrophic consequences.
Therefore, the Ministry of Magic conducts strict reviews before approving the use of Time Turners.
In order for Hermione to have a Time Turner, Professor McGonagall had to apply for a special permit from the Ministry of Magic, and Hermione's excellent grades ensured her approval.
"You actually know about this." Hermione was somewhat surprised.
"You won't tell anyone, will you? I promised Professor McGonagall not to mention this to anyone."
"The Time Turner is too dangerous for you," Alaric advised solemnly.
"Using it won't alleviate mental fatigue. If you continue like this all day long, you'll eventually collapse from the pressure."
Hermione opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something. She thought Alaric was being a bit too serious.
Professor McGonagall had already told her how to use the Time Turner correctly last semester, and she believed she could handle everything.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she only said, "You'll keep it a secret, right?"
"Alright," Alaric shrugged.
"Of course I won't tell anyone. But if you can't handle it, or if you encounter any trouble while using the Time Turner, you can come to me."
"Thank you," Hermione nodded happily.
When she realized no one was paying attention to them for the moment, she planted a quick kiss on Alaric's cheek and then hurried away.
Watching Hermione's retreating figure, Alaric shook his head helplessly.
She really didn't know any better. The paradox of time exists in any world.
For these time travelers, simply using time travel for studying or gathering information has little impact.
But if they try to alter history, there are only two outcomes for these history changers.
Either their changes become part of history, which is the better scenario, or more likely, these individuals attempting to alter history disappear before they can cause any significant impact.
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