"Madam, you really shouldn't say things you can't prove," Rowan said coolly. "I don't know Sirius Black. I'm not related to him. There's no reason on earth I'd help him. If you bothered asking Mr. Scrimgeour about my background, you wouldn't be making such ridiculous accusations."
He looked Dolores Umbridge up and down, his tone sharpening.
"And inventing new magic isn't some impossible feat. I created a flight spell in my first year. Creating something that harms Dementors isn't strange either. Don't compare your lack of imagination to actual talent."
White wings unfolded behind him.
Golden light spread outward, filling the carriage as his radiant field flared once more. For a moment, Rowan looked less like a student and more like a figure carved out of sunlight. Even the Aurors found themselves staring.
This wasn't the timid first-year they remembered. Rowan no longer felt the need to hide behind politeness. When someone crossed the line, he crossed it back harder.
And the best part was simple. No one could refute his claim. These spells didn't exist in this world. Only he could cast them.
Umbridge's face flushed a dangerous shade of pink. "Y-you—"
Scrimgeour, watching her stumble, looked positively refreshed.
He had never respected Umbridge. Everyone knew how she'd climbed the ladder. Flattery, favors, and gold. No skill. No substance.
Scrimgeour stepped in smoothly. "If this was an accident, then we'll leave it there. You should all rest. The train will depart shortly. Hogsmeade is less than an hour away."
"No!" Umbridge snapped. "He killed a Dement—"
"Deputy Minister," Scrimgeour cut her off, voice hardening. "We did not find Sirius Black. Stopping the Hogwarts Express and unleashing Dementors without informing the school was already a serious mistake. The Minister will be apologizing to Professor Dumbledore for this."
Umbridge froze.
"If you insist on pursuing a student now," Scrimgeour continued, "you'll make the situation far worse. I doubt the Minister wants that."
There was more left unsaid. Angry parents. Dumbledore's influence. A plan to place Dementors around the school that would collapse instantly if the headmaster refused cooperation.
Umbridge understood the implication.
She huffed, shot Rowan a venomous look, and vanished with a sharp crack.
Silence followed.
Scrimgeour turned back to Rowan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well done. Focus on your studies. With talent like yours, you may one day stand alongside Dumbledore himself."
"I'll do my best," Rowan replied, letting the wings and light fade.
The Aurors withdrew. The train lurched back into motion.
For the rest of the journey, Rowan became the center of attention. Students slowed outside his compartment, pretending to pass by while sneaking glances inside. Word traveled fast.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to see him as well. That was when Rowan learned Harry hadn't been attacked at all. The Dementors likely never reached his compartment before being drawn away.
A minor deviation. Nothing more.
Soon the train arrived. First-years crossed the lake by boat as tradition demanded, while the rest rode thestral-drawn carriages to the castle.
The Great Hall looked the same as ever. The Sorting passed uneventfully. Before the feast, Dumbledore addressed the school.
Dementors would guard every entrance until Sirius Black was captured. Students were warned to keep their distance.
He then introduced the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin, and the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Rubeus Hagrid.
After dinner, Rowan headed toward the Slytherin common room, only to be stopped.
Professor McGonagall quietly called Hermione aside.
At the same time, Professor Snape intercepted Rowan.
"Head of House," Rowan said evenly. "Is something wrong?"
Snape turned toward the stairs. "Dumbledore wants to speak with you. About the train."
That confirmed it.
Rowan glanced back at Hermione, now walking away with McGonagall. "And her?"
"She isn't going to the Headmaster's office," Snape replied. "Professor McGonagall has separate business with her. It's a good thing."
Rowan understood immediately.
A Time-Turner.
The most dangerous object sanctioned by the wizarding world. A device capable of reversing time by up to five hours. In the right hands, it could rewrite fate.
He had read everything available on time magic. Every book agreed on one point.
Time was unstable.
One mistake could erase past and future selves alike. In extreme cases, entire bloodlines vanished. Others were dragged into paradoxes they never escaped.
And yet, tonight, Hermione Granger was about to be entrusted with one.