Your support has carved the path for these bonus chapters—may they bring you joy.
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The best way to treat a Time-Turner is the same way Hermione does: use it only for learning and nothing else.Then, when the moment is absolutely critical, bring it out to turn the tide.
Otherwise, pretend it doesn't exist.
Bruce raised a skeptical brow at Kathoom's words.
"Is it really that serious?"
He held up the instructions for the Time-Turner.
"Look, it even says here:"
'Anything a time traveler does in the past will not change the present, as those actions are already part of the timeline.'
"In other words, whatever you do when you go back in time was always meant to happen."
Kathoom shook his head emphatically.
"It's not that simple," he said. "Time is a mystery that the wizarding world has studied for over a thousand years without unraveling. A Time-Turner is one thing; time magic is another."
"Let me give you an example: there was once a witch named Eloise Mintumble. She worked as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries and used a Time-Turner in an experiment. But she exceeded the safe time limit and died as a result."
"She was stuck in the year 1402 for five days."
"When she finally returned to the present, her body had aged by five centuries and suffered irreparable damage. She died shortly after at St. Mungo's."
"Her meddling in the past disrupted the lives of everyone she encountered. At least 25 of their descendants vanished from existence—completely 'unborn.'"
"Not only that, but her return caused bizarre anomalies in the present: Tuesday lasted two and a half days, while Thursday was shortened to just four hours."
"These temporal paradoxes remain unexplained to this day. So, take my advice and don't mess with time."
Kathoom's tone was almost fatherly, but Bruce's curiosity only deepened.
"Just because no one else has figured it out doesn't mean I can't," he said. "If I understand how it works, I could use time magic to prevent so many past tragedies!"
"Prevent, my tail feathers!" Kathoom snapped, exasperated.
Teenagers. So full of themselves.
He wanted to ask Bruce, Can you try acting your age for once?
When Barry Allen tried to save his mother by traveling through time, Batman had stood firm and said, "The events of the past shape who we are today."
That was such a mature and insightful stance. Why couldn't this Bruce grasp that yet?
"Bruce, let me give you a scenario," Kathoom said, switching tactics to a gentler approach.
"Let's say, hypothetically, there's a boy who loses his parents as a child…"
"You're mocking my orphan backstory again, aren't you?" Bruce immediately went on the defensive, sensing ill intent.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kathoom shot back. "I'm talking about Harry Potter!"
"You'd better be talking about Harry Potter," Bruce warned, his gaze sharp.
"Of course it's Harry! Now, stop interrupting and let me finish!"
Kathoom sighed, his carefully crafted narrative momentum ruined.
"Anyway, let's say Harry loses his parents as a child—oh wait, no need to imagine that. It's his actual backstory."
"So, imagine Harry gets his hands on a Time-Turner. After using it a few times, he has a wild idea."
"He realizes that while the Time-Turner is supposed to have a five-hour limit, if he ignores the physical toll, he could potentially travel much further back."
"And all he has to do is return to Godric's Hollow thirteen years ago and warn his parents—or Dumbledore—about Voldemort. He could prevent their deaths and grow up with his family."
"Once the thought takes root, it spreads like a virus. Overwhelmed by desire, Harry takes action."
"He succeeds. He goes back to 1981 and saves the Potters from Voldemort."
"Now, here's my question, Bruce: what happens to the present after Harry does that?"
Bruce, who had been listening intently, suddenly found himself stumped.
"What happens to the present?" he murmured. "Well… if the Potters didn't die, Voldemort's Killing Curse wouldn't have rebounded, so there'd be no Boy Who Lived."
"In that case, Voldemort's reign would continue…"
Bruce's mind raced, trying to work out the consequences.
Surely Voldemort's reign couldn't last forever. Wizards would rise to oppose him. But Kathoom interrupted his train of thought.
"I'll tell you the most likely outcome: nothing changes for us."
"What? That's impossible!" Bruce's eyes widened. "There'd be so many variables…"
"Parallel worlds, kid!" Kathoom declared. "When you tamper with the timeline, you don't necessarily alter your reality. Instead, you create a new, parallel universe branching off from that point in history."
"That's why when you change the past, your 'present' doesn't change—it splits into a separate reality."
Kathoom was being purposefully vague about whether this rule applied to the wizarding world, but he knew for sure it held true in the DC universe.
Otherwise, the Flashpoint wouldn't exist.
His caution about the Time-Turner stemmed from this knowledge.
In fact, there's an unrecognized Harry Potter spinoff, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where Harry's and Draco's kids repeatedly use a Time-Turner to save Cedric Diggory during the Triwizard Tournament.
Each attempt fails and creates bizarre futures: one where Cedric becomes a Death Eater, one where Hermione is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and another where Voldemort kills Harry.
That's classic Flashpoint logic.
If his hypothesis was correct, the "Harry saving his parents" scenario could easily spiral into:
Harry saves his parents.
Another Harry goes back to stop Harry from saving his parents.
Yet another Harry from a parallel world intervenes to stop Harry from stopping Harry.
And so on…
Eventually, the question becomes: How many Harry Potters are running around Godric's Hollow on Halloween 1981?
The thought was terrifying.
Hearing this, Bruce finally grasped the gravity of tampering with time.
"Time has a way of messing with those who mess with it," Kathoom said solemnly. "Treat the Time-Turner as nothing more than a study aid. Don't even think about using it for anything else."
Bruce considered this for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Fine, I'll promise you that."
Then he smirked. "But really—there's no way to go back more than five hours without creating parallel universes?"
Of course, there is.
Kathoom thought, but he wasn't about to tell Bruce.
If Bruce found out, he'd definitely try it, and Kathoom didn't want to get dragged into that chaos.
Would it kill him to just enjoy a peaceful life for once?
Hermione's excitement over the Time-Turner was evident.
She'd probably already experimented with it a few times, as Bruce occasionally noticed her suddenly appear by his side without him realizing it.
But she obeyed the Ministry's rules—never allowing two versions of herself to be seen at once.
---
In no time, summer was nearly over, and it was time for Bruce and Hermione to visit Diagon Alley to shop for their school supplies.
Unlike last year, Hermione seemed especially upbeat.
"I can finally get a pet of my own!" she exclaimed. "I've wanted to bring a pet to school for two years, but Mum wouldn't let me!"
Her three closest friends all had pets: Harry had Hedwig, Ron had Scabbers, and Neville had Trevor the toad.
While she wasn't keen on rats or toads, an owl like Hedwig—or even Kathoom—would be perfect.
"Tell your cousin to pick out a lady owl," Kathoom whispered into Bruce's ear during the car ride. "Your godfather's getting old and wants a companion to settle down with."
"Get lost!" Bruce shot him a withering glare. This hyperactive owl showed no signs of aging—where was this nonsense coming from?
If Kathoom bullied Hermione's owl, Bruce would be the one apologizing. And he wasn't interested in that hassle.
From the back seat, Hermione was excitedly imagining what kind of pet she might choose.
It was just like two and a half years ago when she first received her Hogwarts acceptance letter—her excitement hadn't dimmed one bit.
"Owls are great," she mused. "But maybe I should consider something else. A big cat might be nice!"
"No cats!" Kathoom squawked indignantly. "That'd be like stealing my look!"
Bruce glanced at him. By that logic, there were plenty of owls at Hogwarts that "stole his look," yet he still ruled over them like a king.
Turning back to Hermione, Bruce pointed at the doll perched on her shoulder. "I thought you already considered Mewn your pet."
"Mewn isn't a pet—she's my friend!" Hermione declared firmly.
Not just any friend, but one who'd helped her teach Ron a lesson and debated Lockhart's merits.
"And it's obvious Mewn has a mind of her own. I suspect she's not really a doll but a cursed witch," Hermione added, laughing.
"Right, Mewn?"
She found the idea amusing and laughed to herself.
But no one else in the car was laughing.
"Actually, I think Mewn might know magic," Hermione continued. "I've caught her hiding in corners a few times, talking to… someone."
What!?
Bruce's expression sharpened instantly.
---
Greetings, esteemed Readers,
Your steadfast support throughout this journey has been as constant as the tides and as enduring as stone. In the spirit of gratitude, I am pleased to announce the release of bonus chapters, a reflection of your unwavering dedication and enthusiasm.
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[patreon.com/WiseTL].
Even the humblest contribution becomes part of an enduring legacy, a cornerstone for tales yet to unfold.
With utmost sincerity,
— Zhongli