After leaving the headmaster's office, the day slipped forward again to noon.
Rowan Mercer ate a quick lunch in the Great Hall, attended his afternoon classes as usual, then turned the Time-Turner once more. Time folded back on itself, returning him to midday. This time, he headed far from the castle, into the Forbidden Forest, to practice magic in peace.
Dementors might intimidate ordinary students, but they were no obstacle to him. More importantly, Dumbledore had given explicit permission. Rowan wasn't breaking school rules. If a Dementor dared block his path, destroying it would raise more questions for the Ministry than for him.
He trained until dusk, returned to Hogwarts for dinner, and spent the evening reading spellbooks in his dormitory. He avoided the common room at night. That was when students gathered to chat and show off, and he had no desire to become the center of attention again.
Excellence, he had learned, came with its own inconveniences.
At ten o'clock, he turned the Time-Turner once more, rewinding the clock to five in the afternoon. He returned to the forest and continued training until nearly half past nine. On his way back, he passed the greenhouses, plucked a single mandrake leaf, and tucked it carefully into his mouth.
Tonight was a full moon.
As he entered the castle and headed toward the Slytherin dormitories, he unexpectedly encountered two familiar figures in the entrance hall.
Fred and George Weasley.
Ordinarily, Rowan would have ignored them. The twins breaking curfew was practically tradition, and he wasn't a prefect or a professor. It wasn't his concern.
This time, however, he stopped.
Because in the twins' hands was a parchment map.
And on that map, his position was clearly marked.
"Oi," one of them whispered. "That's Rowan. He's right here!"
Both twins turned and stared directly at the spot where Rowan stood under a Disillusionment Charm.
Since he had already been discovered, Rowan calmly dispelled the spell. His voice reached them through quiet mental projection.
"Good evening. You do realize wandering around at night is against school rules."
Fred laughed. "Breaking rules is what we do best."
George grinned. "Didn't expect you to be out after hours too. Looks like you're one of us."
Rowan's gaze dropped to the parchment in their hands. "What is that? It pierced my concealment."
He already knew the answer.
The Marauder's Map. A masterpiece created by four exceptionally talented students. It charted hidden passages, tracked every living being within the castle, and even possessed a crude sense of awareness. A prank tool on the surface, but in truth, one of the most advanced magical artifacts Hogwarts had ever seen.
In a castle saturated with ancient enchantments, it still functioned flawlessly.
From a defensive standpoint, it was terrifying. Any intruder entering its range would be instantly exposed, name and location laid bare. No invisibility, no disguise, no animal form would help.
Rowan didn't need it to spy on Hogwarts.
He wanted it to study it.
To unravel the spells, the enchantment layering, the alchemical logic behind it. With that knowledge, he could recreate similar tools in other worlds.
"This," he said mildly, "is an impressive piece of work."
Fred tapped the parchment with his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Ink lines burst forth like living veins, racing across the parchment until a complete map formed. A flourish of green script appeared, proudly announcing the creators of the map, before fading into a dense web of moving dots.
"Found it in Filch's drawer back in first year," George said proudly. "Long story involving a dungbomb."
They began recounting their exploits, but abruptly froze.
Filch and his cat had reached the second floor and were heading toward the entrance hall.
"We need to hide," Fred hissed. "Now."
"No need," Rowan said.
He reached out, placed a hand on each twin's shoulder, and stepped forward.
The world folded like glass.
They emerged inside the mirror itself.
The entrance hall remained visible, but inverted and silent. On the other side of the reflective surface, Filch strode past, completely unaware of them.
Fred's eyes went wide.
George looked like he might faint from excitement.
"What spell is this?" George whispered. "We've never even heard of it!"
"Imagine the possibilities," Fred added. "We could prank Filch and watch his reaction face-to-face."
"And photograph it," George said reverently.
Rowan smiled faintly. "It's called the Mirror World. A spell I developed myself."
Once Filch had gone, Rowan guided them back into the normal hall.
"Interested in learning it?" he asked casually.
The twins nodded so fast they nearly hurt their necks.
"Very."
"There's just one condition," Rowan said, smiling. "The map. I want it."