Chapter 397

Chapter 397: Chapter 397

After learning that he might not be able to return to his own time, Lynn felt surprisingly calm.

There were always more solutions than problems, and he had believed that for as long as he could remember.

Since he had managed to travel through time and arrive in this era, time clearly was not an impenetrable wall. It had gaps, and the damaged Time-Turner was proof of that.

If someone could create such an artifact, then someone else could repair it. If it could be activated once, there had to be a way to activate it again.

The only thing Lynn did not know was how long finding that solution would take. It might be a day, a week, a month, or even an entire year.

He could not be certain, but he could wait.

Lynn sighed, no longer in the mood for idle conversation. Taking the initiative to end their discussion, he rose from his chair, straightened his robes, and nodded politely to Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

"I’ll take my leave, then."

When he turned to go, Hufflepuff hurried after him and caught up at the door, where she grabbed hold of his sleeve.

"Why are you wandering around the castle alone?" she asked with the natural authority of a Head of House telling one of her students to behave. "I’ll show you around."

Lynn opened his mouth to object, but no words came out.

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Professor."

As Hufflepuff led him through the simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar corridors of Hogwarts, the students they passed occasionally stopped to stare. Their gazes carried curiosity, scrutiny, and a trace of envy, as though they were all wondering the same thing.

Who did this newcomer think he was?

Professor Hufflepuff had set aside her valuable time to personally act as his guide and accompany him around the castle. Just where had this fellow come from, and how had he managed to receive such treatment?

Still, Lynn had always believed in making the best of whatever situation he found himself in, so he temporarily settled down at Hogwarts.

Hufflepuff arranged a private room for him in the tower on the eastern side of the castle, with a window overlooking the Black Lake.

The room was not large, but it was exceptionally clean. It contained a wooden bed, a desk with a matching chair, a wardrobe, and an oil lamp. The bedding was new and had been neatly folded, while an unfamiliar green plant sat on the desk, its thick leaves gleaming faintly in the light.

That evening, Lynn stood beside the window and watched moonlight shimmer across the surface of the Black Lake.

For the time being, he planned to familiarize himself with Hogwarts as it had been when it was first established. Once Ravenclaw finished examining the Time-Turner, he would ask whether she had discovered a way to repair it.

Sometimes, one simply had to trust in the wisdom of the ancients.

Much of the magic Lynn had learned a thousand years later, along with the books he had read and the legends he had heard, could ultimately be traced back to this era. Moreover, the four founders represented the pinnacle of magical knowledge in their age.

If even they could not find a solution, Lynn was unlikely to discover a better path in the near future.

And so, his identity underwent yet another magnificent transformation. He had gone from being a Hogwarts student a thousand years in the future to becoming a Hogwarts student a thousand years in the past.

What difference did it make where he studied magic?

That was how Lynn comforted himself.

The professor teaching his first class was a white-haired old man who appeared extraordinarily ancient. His withered face was covered in age spots, while loose skin sagged beneath his chin.

Professor Binns?

Lynn recognized the History of Magic professor the moment he stepped through the doorway.

He had never expected Professor Binns to be such a veteran that he had already been teaching at Hogwarts shortly after its founding. Lynn had always assumed Binns joined the school much later.

For a moment, an indescribably complicated mixture of emotions surged through him.

"Whose student are you?"

Professor Binns stood behind the lectern, staring at Lynn, who had entered the classroom but had yet to take a seat.

Lynn quickly returned to his senses.

"Professor, I’m a new student under Professor Hufflepuff. My name is Lynn."

Professor Binns nodded before shifting his gaze toward the open doorway behind him.

"Then hurry and take a seat. The lesson has already begun."

Only then did Lynn realize that he had been standing in the doorway for quite some time.

He surveyed the classroom and soon noticed Andrew, whom he had previously encountered in the Entrance Hall.

Andrew’s hair was no longer standing upright as it had after the explosion, but it remained unusually disheveled, as though it had not fully recovered from being blasted.

He sat beside the window in the second-to-last row, with a thick book spread open before him. His head was lowered, and he appeared to be reading with remarkable concentration.

Lynn walked over and dropped into the empty seat beside him.

The instant he sat down, nearly every student in the classroom turned to stare at him.

Andrew also looked at Lynn in surprise. After hesitating briefly, he leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Did you just say that you’re Professor Hufflepuff’s student?"

Lynn nodded, unable to understand what the problem was.

"Then why are you sitting in the section reserved for Professor Slytherin’s students?" Andrew whispered. "According to the school rules, you’re supposed to sit over there."

He pointed toward the opposite side of the classroom, where several students were seated together and leafing through their textbooks.

Lynn stared at him in disbelief.

Students from different houses were not allowed to sit together? What kind of ridiculous school rule was that?

He had attended Hogwarts for five years in the future and had never heard of such a regulation. Slytherin and Gryffindor students might despise one another, but they were still perfectly capable of sitting in the same classroom. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students had an excellent relationship and frequently sat together to discuss their lessons.

When had Hogwarts ever possessed a rule forbidding students from different houses from sitting beside one another?

In any case, Lynn had no intention of moving. He leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and looked calmly at Andrew.

"I’ve already sat down," he replied quietly but firmly. "I can hardly stand up and change seats now."

Andrew looked at Lynn, then at the Hufflepuff students on the other side of the room who were staring in their direction. Finally, he glanced toward Professor Binns, who was opening his textbook behind the lectern.

"Fine," Andrew conceded. "It isn’t a serious rule anyway."

Fortunately, Professor Binns did not appear particularly concerned by the seating arrangement. He gave Lynn a brief glance to confirm that the new student had finally taken a seat, then began the lesson.

"Today, we will be discussing Emeric the Evil."

His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the quiet classroom.

"Emeric the Evil ruled over a region in southern England during the early years of this century. He was a cruel and violent wizard who gathered a large following of Dark wizards and committed countless atrocities, including murder, pillage, and the burning of entire settlements. For a time, no one could stop him, and very few dared to resist."

Professor Binns paused, his gaze sweeping across the young faces before him.

"Nevertheless, Emeric was eventually slain in a duel with Egbert the Egregious, who claimed his wand after defeating him."

Beside Lynn, Andrew suddenly raised his hand.

Lynn had expected Professor Binns to reprimand him for interrupting the lecture. A thousand years later, the ghostly professor rarely tolerated anyone disrupting his monotonous narration.

The living Professor Binns, however, displayed neither anger nor impatience. He simply looked at Andrew’s raised hand and gave a slight nod.

"Mr. Andrew Ollivander?"

Andrew stood, bowed respectfully to Professor Binns, and asked, "Professor Binns, was the wand taken from Emeric the legendary Elder Wand?"

The classroom fell silent for a moment before whispers began spreading among the students.

"What is the Elder Wand?"

"I heard it’s a wand capable of defeating any wizard."

"Does something like that truly exist?"

Several students simply gasped as though they had just learned an extraordinary secret.

Professor Binns did not answer immediately.

"Legends concerning extraordinarily powerful wands have existed for centuries," he eventually explained. "The Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny—such weapons have appeared under many names throughout history, usually in the possession of Dark wizards who boasted of their invincibility."

He paused thoughtfully.

"Emeric and Egbert were no exceptions. Whether the wand involved in their duel was truly the Elder Wand, however, I cannot say with certainty. Too little reliable information concerning those events has survived."

Professor Binns surveyed the classroom once more before his gaze returned to Andrew.

"Nevertheless, I believe that no matter how powerful a wand may be, it can never be more powerful than the wizard who wields it."

Lynn looked at Professor Binns with surprise.

While alive, Binns taught in a completely different manner from the slow, monotonous ghost Lynn knew a thousand years later. His lesson was engaging enough that Lynn actually felt the desire to study properly.

Unfortunately, Lynn did not yet have a textbook. His copy would not arrive until the following day, so for now, he could only listen.

He turned his head and glanced at the book on Andrew’s desk, only to be stunned by what he saw.

A copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard lay open in front of Andrew.

More specifically, it was opened to a Chapter titled The Tale of the Three Brothers.

Andrew’s finger rested directly upon the words Elder Wand.

At that moment, Andrew noticed where Lynn was looking. His body stiffened, and he hurriedly slammed the book shut before stuffing it into the drawer beneath his desk.

Moving with remarkable speed, he pulled out another book. This time, it was an ordinary History of Magic textbook.

He spread it across the desk, hurriedly flipped to the section Professor Binns was discussing, and pressed his finger against the page as though he had been following the lesson all along.

Lynn stared at him without saying a word.

Andrew only became more uncomfortable beneath his gaze. After gathering his courage, he leaned closer and whispered so softly that only Lynn could hear him.

"Please don’t tell Professor Slytherin."

He hesitated before adding in an even lower voice, "In exchange, I can design a wand specifically for you."

Lynn remained silent.

The distrust in his expression was unmistakable.

Andrew immediately looked offended.

"What is that expression supposed to mean? You don’t believe me?"

Lynn silently nodded.

Andrew’s embarrassment instantly transformed into indignation.

"You may question my magical ability, but you cannot question the Ollivander family’s wandmaking craftsmanship! The Ollivander family has been making wands since—"

Before Andrew could finish, he felt an icy gaze settle upon him.

He turned his head stiffly and discovered that Slytherin had appeared at the classroom door at some point. The founder stood there in silence, staring directly at him.

Andrew swallowed hard.

"P-Professor, I can explain."

"Hmm."

Slytherin nodded with an expressionless face.

"Come to my office after class."

After delivering that sentence, Slytherin gave Professor Binns a courteous nod and departed from the doorway.

Andrew felt as though his entire future had plunged into darkness. He turned toward Lynn, who was openly enjoying the spectacle, and gritted his teeth.

"This is all your fault."

Lynn shrugged.

"You should worry less about blaming me and more about what you’re going to tell Professor Slytherin."

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