"In short, if you want to take all the classes, you'll have to put in more effort than other students. As for the issue of class time conflicts, Hogwarts will provide solutions for you."
Hermione asked curiously, "What's the plan?"
She had already calculated in her mind that if she really wanted to take all the elective courses, unless there were two of her taking them at the same time, it would be impossible to manage the time in any way.
" Time-Turner." Professor McGonagall didn't keep them in suspense. "It's a special magical item strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. Only with a special application from Hogwarts will the Ministry of Magic grant limited permission to use it to qualified, outstanding students."
Time-Turner?
Morris immediately became interested.
Anything that involves time is never simple.
Professor McGonagall took out two simple-looking small wooden boxes and placed them on the table. "Because we need two Time-Turner this year, we applied in advance. These kinds of items are rare, and there's usually a long waiting list."
She opened one of the boxes, inside which lay a sandglass-shaped device, strung together by a thin gold chain.
Morris examined it closely but couldn't see anything special about it.
He did not sense any magical fluctuations from above.
Professor McGonagall then explained in detail how to use the Time-Turner and the precautions to take.
Simply put, it means you can travel back in time by spinning an hourglass, with each spin representing one hour.
After hearing this, Hermione seemed very excited. "This means I can take two conflicting classes at the same time, as long as I use the converter after class to go back to the time before class and then take the other class... That's awesome, Morris, what do you think?"
"Uh, yeah."
Morris's expression was somewhat subtle.
His first thought was, "Such a powerful magical artifact, is it just used to resolve class conflicts?"
Isn't that a bit of an overkill?
"You'll need to receive training before it's officially used," Professor McGonagall added. " The Ministry of Magic will send someone over in a couple of days, and I'll let you know then."
Two days later, in the afternoon, Morris, led by Professor McGonagall, arrived at a rarely used classroom on the east side of the fourth floor of the castle.
The windows of this classroom are usually covered by thick curtains, and inside there are only a few sets of ordinary desks and chairs.
Before entering, Professor McGonagall explained the situation to Morris: " Hermione finished her test this morning, now it's your turn. Inside are staff from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic."
Morris nodded and pushed open the door to enter; Professor McGonagall did not follow.
Inside the classroom was a kind-looking middle-aged man with slightly thinning brown hair, a round face, and black-rimmed glasses. He was leisurely sitting in an armchair next to the podium, flipping through a book.
Upon seeing Morris enter, he immediately closed his book and stood up.
"Good afternoon, Morris Black? I am Vaughn Hardy, from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic."
He stepped forward to shake hands, his attitude very friendly. "Don't be nervous. Today's test is mainly to ensure you can use the Time-Turner safely."
Morris replied politely, "Yes, Mr. Hardy."
He felt the other person was being a little too enthusiastic.
And... the way he looked at me was weird.
Hardy adjusted his glasses, a deeper meaning creeping into his smile. "Very well, before we officially begin, I'd like to ask you a question— Mr. Black, how much do you know about the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic?"
Morris shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea."
What does the other party want to achieve by bringing this up?
Hardy clapped his hands and said happily, "Then let me introduce you, sir."
" The Department of Mysteries is a division of the Ministry of Magic, specializing in clandestine research. Ah, please forgive me for not saying too much, as our work is highly classified."
Pure nonsense.
Morris raised an eyebrow.
What's the difference between this and saying nothing at all?
"Let's get straight to the point," Hardy leaned forward slightly, "What do you think of the Department of Mysteries? Would you be interested in joining us and becoming a Unspeakable?"
Um?
Was it that sudden?
Morris paused for a moment.
He said somewhat uncertainly, " Mr. Hardy, I'm only in second grade, I'm still in school, and..."
"Oh, of course, of course!" Hardy nodded repeatedly, his smile unwavering. "That's a problem, but not a big one. We can sign a letter of intent first, and after you graduate from Hogwarts, you can come directly to work for the Department of Mysteries. Look, I even brought the agreement with me."
As he spoke, he pulled out a thick piece of parchment from somewhere, one that was even embossed with gold.
They actually came prepared?
Why would the Ministry of Magic target an ordinary second-year student like him?
Morris was immediately puzzled. " Mr. Hardy, what does the Ministry of Magic see in me?"
"Please allow me to correct you," Hardy shrugged, "It's not the Ministry of Magic that has taken a liking to you; to be precise, it's the Department of Mysteries that believes you have special potential. But frankly, you're the first person at your age to receive an invitation."
Morris stroked his chin. "Can you tell me how you assessed my potential?"
"I don't know," Hardy shrugged. "It's probably some kind of special magic, like a Prophecy."
Okay, let's sign the agreement. That way, you'll have a job right after graduation.
As he spoke, he handed over the agreement.
Morris took it with great interest and scanned the contents.
It's a perfectly normal agreement; aside from the relatively low salary, there's nothing to complain about.
Keep in mind that this is the Ministry of Magic; the competition for a job there is usually extremely fierce.
However, Morris was not willing to live the life of a wage earner; he had higher aspirations.
Moreover, this job doesn't seem very reliable at all; he doesn't even know what this department does.
What if I accidentally join some pyramid scheme? That would be disastrous.
"I refuse." Morris handed the agreement back.
"Alright," Hardy didn't press the issue, "But you can always change your mind. Ah, Mr. Black, I have a suggestion: how about we visit the Department of Mysteries sometime? We'd welcome you anytime."
"Visit?"
"That's right, just consider it broadening your horizons." Hardy winked.
"I'll consider it," Morris replied.
Let him go take a look around whenever he's bored.
"Very well," Hardy said, "Enough of the small talk, let's get down to business. Professor McGonagall gave me your Time-Turner. Let me find it... Ah, here it is."
He pulled a Time-Turner from his left pocket.