Compared to calling it a change...
It was more accurate to say something was missing.
Within the innermost layer of the special pattern, nearly one tenth of it had vanished completely.
Dawn immediately thought of Flamel outside, then of the suspicious behavior of the twins. In an instant, realization struck him.
Part of his own mind was missing.
Could it return after leaving the archway of death?
Dawn felt uneasy.
Still, from observing his future self, he discovered two things that were at least somewhat useful.
First, by identifying the missing portions of the pattern, he could now distinguish which part was connected to thought.
That meant he could study it more precisely in the future.
Second, even with that loss, his future self still retained magic. That suggested that the absence of thought had no direct connection to magical power.
He did not know how important these conclusions were, but building knowledge on his own misfortune did not make him feel any better.
Dawn let out a quiet sigh.
He guided his levitating future self out of the room.
Originally, he had planned to explore whether the liminal illusion had boundaries, but now he had no mood for that.
He looked toward the distant stone arch and walked straight ahead, only sparing a brief glance at Nicolas Flamel, who still stood frozen in place.
The ground beneath his feet felt uneven.
The arch grew closer.
Then, in a single step, everything changed.
The sun fell away. The breeze vanished. Kent dissolved into illusion, replaced by drifting mist.
Dawn deliberately scanned his surroundings.
This time, there were no shadows.
No whispers.
No biting chill of death.
Though the mist looked similar, he could clearly tell that entering and leaving were entirely different paths.
As for why, there were already too many unanswered questions. He chose not to think about it for now.
Soon, he saw the veil hanging across the arch.
He lifted it and stepped through.
Darkness returned.
He was back inside the Department of Mysteries.
Dawn exhaled slowly. Then he looked again at the future version of himself floating beside him.
His expression tightened.
The missing portions of the pattern had not returned.
A bad feeling settled in his chest.
After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and pulled the white bracelet off his future self's wrist.
Then he immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm and retreated into a corner, hiding himself.
He waited.
Ten minutes passed. Nothing happened. His future self remained unconscious.
The worst case...
Dawn felt his heart sink. Even after leaving the arch, the missing thoughts had not returned.
He stood there, uncertain, at a loss for what to do next.
Should he try killing the Weasley twins?
The thought flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it almost immediately. A part of him was inside them.
Then another idea came.
A phoenix could be reborn from fire, restoring a broken existence to wholeness. If he used the Killing Curse on his future self, would that restore what was missing?
Dawn raised his wand.
Then slowly lowered it.
Even if it worked, casting a lethal spell on himself within a time loop felt like a terrible idea.
His thoughts grew tangled.
After a while, he made a decision.
He would return to Hogwarts first. Perhaps he could gather information. At the very least, he could observe Abel Davis.
Just as he prepared to Apparate, a sudden chill ran through him.
It felt like being watched by something enormous... Something that could swallow him whole.
His body went rigid.
The sensation reminded him of Anubis in Egypt.
He spun around.
Nothing.
Only a silent wall behind him.
The feeling faded as quickly as it had come.
Dawn pressed a hand against his racing heart. His expression shifted slowly.
Then understanding dawned. He reached into his robe and pulled out the golden hourglass.
Was this a warning from time itself?
He narrowed his eyes.
He knew himself well. Faced with this situation, his future self would have made the same choice.
Even if it meant risking greater consequences, he would still go back to the castle to investigate.
But within the loop of time, the most logical decision had become the wrong one.
Dawn tightened his grip on the Time-Turner, the chain rattling softly.
After a long silence, he sighed.
He accepted it.
Then, without hesitation, he turned and stepped back through the arch, bringing his unconscious future self with him.
If the body remained in this state, then leaving it in the liminal illusion was safer than leaving it outside.
Inside, it was protected.
The veil swayed gently.
Once inside again, Dawn did not linger.
°Apparate°
With a soft burst, the flames vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared in Hogsmeade.
Sunlight filled the streets. Shops bustled with life. Laughter drifted through the air.
Dawn avoided the main road and found a quiet corner. That faint sense of warning still lingered.
He placed a finger on the Time-Turner.
Then he activated it.
The golden hourglass flipped. The world blurred.
It felt like being dragged backward through a roaring tunnel. The wind howled in his ears as his body fell through time.
Even so, his hand remained steady.
He counted silently.
Then, at the exact moment, he stopped.
The noise vanished. Darkness settled around him.
Night.
The sun was gone. Snow covered the ground, reflecting pale moonlight.
Dawn took a deep breath.
His body shifted, transforming once more into Leia Hickman.
He stepped through the soft snow, passed the Black Lake, and walked toward the castle.
Inside the headmaster's office, Dumbledore stood by the window.
Seeing the figure approach, he let out a quiet breath of relief.
In the night sky, a white owl flew overhead, its wings cutting through the cold air.
Flap.
Flap.
The next morning—
Dawn woke in his office, finally able to sleep in a proper bed instead of branches or windowsills.
A small brown bear nudged him awake.
Sunlight spilled across his face.
He sat there for a while, still half asleep, before remembering his current identity.
Leia Hickman.
He had classes to teach.
"What was on today's schedule again..." He got dressed and walked to his desk, searching through his things.
It had only been ten days, yet everything already felt unfamiliar. He even had to think to remember where he kept his materials.
After tidying up, he opened the door.
Instead of fresh morning air, a wave of yellow-green gas rolled in from the corridor, carrying a foul stench.
Dawn's expression changed.
He stepped back instantly and cast a full-body Bubble-Head Charm, sealing himself off from the air.
Several students ran past, coughing and gagging as they fled the cloud.
Behind them, Peeves chased after them, laughing wildly and throwing more stink bombs.
But when he passed Dawn, he suddenly stopped.
Hovering in the air, he gave a formal salute.
"Wahahaha! Good morning, Professor Hickman! Have a wonderful week!"
Dawn had no idea Peeves had exposed his identity.
He simply nodded, returned the greeting, and waved his hand. A gust of wind swept the gas away.
Then he continued toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Behind him, Peeves burst into laughter again, tumbling through the air before resuming his chase.
Dawn shook his head.
Peeves was impossible to understand.
His thoughts drifted instead to the possible connection between Peeves and the castle's consciousness.
"What a shame... not a good time to study that."
He let out a quiet sigh.
Then he stepped into the classroom as the bell rang, beginning another ordinary day.
___________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/BloodAncestor