Charlie's heart tightened. Could this person see him through the invisibility cloak?
However, judging by his tone, he didn't seem to have gotten a clear look at Charlie.
"Put down your wand and put your hands up." The voice carried a hint of impatience.
"Don't think you can get away. No one escapes my sight."
To lower the opponent's guard, Charlie slowly raised his hands.
When the person saw that Charlie's hands were empty, he visibly relaxed a little.
Just then, people from the Ministry of Magic chased after them, and hurried footsteps sounded from the direction of the telephone booth.
"Mr. Moody, did you catch him?"
Moody opened his mouth to reply: "I got him—"
Now!
Charlie seized the moment of his distraction and wordlessly and wandlessly cast Lumos.
The Spell, normally only used for illumination, was blindingly bright in Charlie's hands, like the sun.
A dazzling white light instantly erupted, turning the entire street into daylight.
"Ah!"
The surrounding Wizards screamed in unison, covering their eyes.
Moody reacted the fastest, closing his right eye the moment the white light appeared, but his left eye, a magical prosthetic eye, could not be closed.
The blinding light poured directly into the eye that could see through everything.
"Damn it!" Moody roared, pointing his wand at Charlie's original location, and a red light shot out.
But Charlie had rolled to the side the moment he cast the Spell. The Spell flew past the edge of the invisibility cloak, blasting a scorched pit in the ground.
Charlie glanced back.
Moody's right eye was tightly shut, his left hand covered the magical prosthetic eye, and the scars on his face looked particularly ferocious under the streetlights.
Charlie guessed that it must have been that eye that saw through the invisibility cloak.
"Don't let him run!"
The Wizards from the Ministry of Magic all raised their wands, but their eyes were injured by the intense light, and they couldn't find Charlie.
Charlie hesitated no longer. With a thought, his figure instantly vanished from the spot.
The loud crack of Apparition echoed down the street.
Moody slowly lowered the hand covering his eye. The magical prosthetic eye spun wildly, trying to track Charlie's movements.
But it was too late... Late at night, in the Headmasters Office.
The flames in the fireplace suddenly swelled up, bursting into a shower of red sparks.
Dumbledore was holding a cup of hot cocoa, preparing to enjoy a rare moment before sleep. Seeing the change in the flames, he sighed and put down the cup.
"Is something important happening this late?" Dumbledore gathered his dressing gown around him.
"Disturbing an old man's sleep is not a good thing, Fudge."
Fudge's face appeared in the flames, his forehead covered in sweat, and his hair messy.
"Dumbledore! Something terrible has happened!" Fudge's voice was urgent.
"Someone broke into the Ministry of Magic and stole the time-turners!"
Dumbledore's heart stirred.
It seemed Charlie had understood his meaning. He was very clever.
He maintained his composure, and the blue eyes behind his spectacles twinkled: "Did you catch the person?"
"No, the person was wearing an invisibility cloak. Moody spotted him, but he escaped."
"Do you have any suspects?"
Fudge sighed.
"Still none. Moody only saw a back, and invisibility cloaks are sold in many places, making it difficult to determine who it was."
"What is the extent of the Ministry of Magic's losses?"
"The losses are severe!" Fudge's face was flushed red in the firelight.
"All the time-turners were stolen! Not a single one remains!"
Dumbledore picked up his hot cocoa and blew on it lightly.
All of them?
He was slightly surprised, but it was also expected. Taking a few extra time-turners was better safe than sorry.
Dumbledore was unconcerned about Fudge's claim of severe losses.
Charlie was generally sensible in his actions; he probably wouldn't have caused too much of a stir.
Fudge took a deep breath: "The door to the Department of Mysteries was blown up! The whole door!"
Dumbledore's hand paused.
"Many facilities in the twelve halls were affected by the blast's aftermath," Fudge continued.
"More than a dozen Obliviators were injured and knocked unconscious. They are currently still lying in St Mungos."
A few drops of hot cocoa spilled onto his dressing gown.
Dumbledore was silent for a few seconds.
It seemed he wasn't very sensible after all... In the dormitory, Justin and Ernie were sound asleep, their snores rising and falling.
A faint crack sounded, and Charlie Apparated back to his bedside.
He had randomly Apparated to more than a dozen locations outside, flying several kilometers before each Apparition to ensure the Ministry of Magic could not track him.
Charlie sat on the bed and pulled the golden time-turner from his robes.
Moonlight streamed through the window, shining on the delicate hourglass.
Tiny golden sand grains flowed slowly inside the glass tube, emitting a faint glow.
He recalled Dumbledore's words in his office—that it was the energy of the time-turner that protected those traveling through time from being erased by the rules.
Hermione's time-turner likely ran out of energy, which led to the accident.
Charlie turned the time-turner in his hand, rapidly considering possible solutions in his mind.
The most direct method would be to use a time-turner to go back to the day Hermione disappeared and replenish her energy.
But this idea was almost impossible to execute.
Firstly, he had no idea when Hermione disappeared. Was it in a classroom? In the Library? Or in some deserted corridor? And what time? Morning or evening?
Secondly, the safe travel limit for a time-turner was only five hours. But Hermione had been gone for days. If he actually used a time-turner to travel back, would he even be able to return?
Finally, how could he replenish Hermione's energy? Would giving her a new time-turner work directly?
These were all problems.
Compared to the sheer number of problems, the time available was pitifully short.
Charlie rubbed his temples.
Although tonight's mission was successful, the real challenges were just beginning.
He tucked the time-turner into his robes and lay down on the bed.
Exhaustion quickly washed over him.
Traveling from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic today, and then escaping all the way back from the Ministry of Magic, had been physically draining.
His consciousness gradually blurred, and Charlie fell into a deep sleep.
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