Although Sean knew that using a Time-Turner essentially meant borrowing time from his own future, the Four-School Friendship Tournament was approaching. He didn't mind borrowing a little time from the future if it meant learning several advanced spells beforehand.
However, applying for a Time-Turner was far more difficult than he had imagined. Only after being thoroughly lectured by Snape did he gain a deeper understanding of how the device actually worked.
After the final Potions class on Friday, Sean once again went to Snape's office. Lately, he had been visiting the place quite frequently.
Snape had just returned from class when he saw Sean follow him inside. His brows immediately furrowed. Although he had told Sean he could come to him with questions, Snape clearly wasn't the type who enjoyed being a patient mentor.
"Grells, you're certainly a diligent and inquisitive student. What is it this time?" Snape asked.
"Professor, I just feel like there isn't enough time in the day lately. After classes I have training, and at night I still have to study the Flight Charm. If only my day had a few extra hours," Sean sighed dramatically.
"Stop daydreaming. Instead of thinking about nonsense, go read a book," Snape replied without even looking up.
"It would be great if there were some magic that could create a clone of me—or turn back time. Then I could learn so much more," Sean hinted heavily.
Snape paused while holding a Potions textbook. He slowly turned his head and looked at Sean. Then he walked toward him, his gloomy eyes peering through the curtain of his dark hair.
"Have you heard something from somewhere again? Stop entertaining crooked ideas. If you have nothing better to do, go train."
"Professor, I heard that the Ministry of Magic has an alchemical device called a Time-Turner that can reverse time. Is that true?" Sean asked, determined to play the role of a curious student to the very end.
"So that's what you're after—a Time-Turner. Do you know how troublesome it is to apply for one from the Ministry? Do you know how much it costs? Or how long it takes?" Snape fired three questions in quick succession.
Sean shook his head. Those details weren't something he could easily find out. In fact, he had just learned that getting one even required payment.
"Is it expensive?" Sean asked sincerely.
"Ten Galleons per hour," Snape replied coldly. "What do you think?"
"Professor… when you say 'per hour,' do you mean the time you possess the Time-Turner?" Sean asked, confused.
Snape snorted and looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"No. It's the time you travel backward. However many hours you rewind, that's how much you pay."
Time is money—there was no phrase more appropriate here.
Hermione's use of a Time-Turner had likely been reimbursed by Professor McGonagall under Hogwarts' name. In theory, Sean could receive the same treatment.
But Sean suspected that Snape simply didn't want to deal with the troublesome application process. For a moment, Sean envied the Gryffindor students for having a head of house as approachable as Professor McGonagall.
Still unwilling to give up, Sean persisted. In his mind, this shouldn't have been that difficult. If McGonagall could secure a Time-Turner for Hermione, Snape could do the same if he tried.
But Snape soon began lecturing him coldly while explaining just how precious Time-Turners were and how strictly the Ministry controlled them.
First, the material used to create a Time-Turner was called Moon Gold, a rare magical metal mined in Uganda, Africa.
Moon Gold was mined and traded only through official channels. Its management was extremely strict—so strict that even the most resourceful black markets had never seen it. The British Ministry of Magic could only purchase small quantities each year.
And the rarity of the raw material was only the beginning.
A Time-Turner involved both time and spatial magic. Only highly skilled alchemists who mastered both disciplines could forge the magical frameworks into the device.
Alchemists of that level were extremely rare, and all of them had sworn Unbreakable Vows to the Ministry of Magic. They worked exclusively for the Ministry to produce Time-Turners.
For nearly two centuries, there had never been an illegal Time-Turner in circulation. Even during the ten dark years when Voldemort dominated the wizarding world, the Ministry's management of Time-Turners remained perfectly intact.
Originally, Time-Turners were used by the Ministry to investigate accidents. Officials could travel back in time to observe events directly.
Later, their uses expanded.
One of those uses was allowing exceptional students to borrow time from the future in order to study additional elective courses.
Each turn of a Time-Turner reversed time by one hour.
But what Sean only learned now from Snape was that each Time-Turner had a limited number of uses. After being turned one thousand times, the magical frameworks inside the device would collapse.
"One thousand turns… one thousand hours… about forty-one days," Sean calculated silently.
"So even a brand-new Time-Turner can only take someone back forty-one days at most."
"That's actually about right. A thousand hours is enough for Hermione to use for an entire school year."
Hermione didn't use the Time-Turner every day. Most of the time she only needed one or two extra hours for elective classes. One thousand hours was more than sufficient—especially for someone as disciplined as Hermione, who would never waste the device on trivial things.
What Sean didn't know was that Tom Riddle himself had once obtained a Time-Turner with the help of Horace Slughorn. Slughorn, as everyone knew, had a soft spot for talented students.
"Professor, if I had a Time-Turner, I think I could master the Flight Charm before the Valley of Shadows event begins," Sean said.
"I think you're dreaming," Snape replied bluntly.
Sean felt troubled. Since Snape was the Head of Slytherin, the application had to go through him. Only after applying could Sean be placed in line—and even then, they would have to wait until the Ministry had a spare Time-Turner available.
"Professor, if I fail to learn it, I'll cover the ten thousand Galleons myself," Sean declared, raising the stakes.
Ten thousand Galleons was no small amount.
Snape sneered.
"And how exactly will you pay that?"
Snape knew Sean's financial situation well enough. His uncle Hurns barely earned enough to support them—he couldn't even afford to buy Sean new clothes.
"Professor, I may not have money now, but after graduation I'll earn enough to repay this student loan," Sean said confidently.
Sean was treating the ten thousand Galleons as an educational loan. In a way, that's what it was.
Of course, in order to avoid paying such a huge sum, he would have to work twice as hard to master the Flight Charm.
For the second time, Snape softened slightly. Hearing a child speak with such determination made it pointless to argue about money.
"Enough. Go to your training," Snape said impatiently. "I'll discuss this with the Headmaster."
Sean's eyes lit up.
That meant there was hope.
Snape wasn't the kind of person who made empty promises. Now all Sean had to do was wait for the Time-Turner.
How long that wait would be, however… no one could say.
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