Hermione Granger and Sky Vortex

Chapter 13. The Stranger.

With the arrival of winter and Christmas approaching, the number of children in the Hogwarts library noticeably decreased. Most students preferred holiday preparations and winter games, forgetting about their studies. In the castle courtyard, lively snowball fights erupted around impressive forts built from ice and snow.

Hermione was among the few who still stayed in the library. She sat surrounded by piles of books, holding a thick volume titled 'The Greatest Wizards of Modern Times.' Quickly flipping through the pages looking for the information she needed, Hermione quietly muttered to herself, "Okay, wizards starting with F, Fa, Fe, Fi..." Stopping at Fi, she quickly skimmed the page:

'Finnegan Millennium, born 1937. Master Finnegan was born in Limerick, Ireland. His childhood was steeped in a rich magical culture shaped by local history and family traditions. According to Millennium himself, the stories his grandmother told him about ancient sorcerers and magical creatures particularly influenced him, sparking his creative imagination and interest in the magical arts from an early age.

Finnegan Millennium is one of the most famous wizards, renowned for his creative abilities. His magical creations decorate numerous magical exhibitions and galleries worldwide. His most famous works to the general public are 'The Mirror of Parallel Worlds' and 'The Illusion of the Starry Ocean,' which attract large numbers of visitors annually to the British Museum of Magical Art...'

Hermione noted the names of these magical creations. She hadn't yet attended any significant magical art exhibitions, although her interest was sparked after her first encounter with such creativity in Diagon Alley. Turning the page, she sighed in disappointment: there was no information about Flamel here either. The next entry after Finnegan mentioned someone named Foster.

'Foster Terry, born 1921. The future professor of Transfiguration, Mr. Foster was born in the suburbs of Liverpool. From a very early age, he showed outstanding magical abilities. A Hogwarts graduate from Ravenclaw, he achieved some of the best academic results in the school's history.

Despite specializing in Transfiguration, Professor Foster dedicated himself to studying the effects of magic on time. He is one of the most controversial figures in modern magic. Professor Foster undoubtedly had great talent, but many wizards considered, and still consider, his work a waste of the very time he was studying.

In the late sixties, rumors began to spread that Professor Foster had created the so-called Time Turner, which supposedly could transport its holder several hours or even days backward or forward in time. However, most modern wizards believe these rumors were started by Mr. Foster himself, trying to attract the Ministry of Magic's attention for more funding for his failed experiments. In 1969, after yet another failure in his research, the bankrupt Mr. Foster packed up his belongings from his home in Kent and left for an unknown destination. His whereabouts have been unknown ever since.'

'Why do people waste their time and talents on such things? There are so many real problems to solve...' thought Hermione after reading the article about Foster, '...though having a Time Turner would be interesting.' Hermione wrote down the intriguing title in her notebook under the 'leisure reading' section. 'Well, there's nothing about Flamel in this book,' she concluded, setting the book aside and reaching for the next one.

Harry and Ron sat at another table, not far from Hermione. They were also surrounded by stacks of books, pretending to be deep in research. But in reality, they were playing. Harry used his wand to guide a paper ball through the books at the other end of the table, while Ron enthusiastically created magical barriers, trying to block it. After successfully deflecting another of Harry's attacks, Ron let out a triumphant shout. He immediately clammed up, but it was too late.