Chapter 141: The Gift of Time

"This is not very difficult to understand..." The past Zhang Qiu pondered slightly. "I originally intended to do the same."

"What?" Neville asked in surprise.

"Because the progress is not enough." She explained vaguely. "The development of the third year deviated too much from the divination; I can only come to the second year to see if I can dig a bit more. Simply put, I hope to witness every attack in the Chamber of Secrets on the spot."

"Witness?" Neville hesitated. "I originally thought, perhaps we could try to stop it."

"Don't try to change history; you will be targeted by the hounds." The future Zhang Qiu said seriously.

"In fact, you don't seem to know what I'm doing." The past Zhang Qiu slowly wiped the blood off the sword. "I returned to the first year, intending to witness the Dark Wizard attacking the unicorn, but the Dark Wizard didn't appear for a long time."

Harry covered his mouth under the Invisibility Cloak; he was a bit unwilling to believe it.

"So, I attacked the unicorn." The past Zhang Qiu said lightly, as if this were just a trivial little thing.

"That is to say, the first-year me saw the unicorn in a pool of blood in the Forbidden Forest." Neville said thoughtfully. "Not the riddle hint given by Deng Buliduo, but someone really attacked the unicorn, and the culprit is you, Zhang Qiu from the third year?"

"What does this have to do with Deng Buliduo?" Zhang Qiu tilted her head. "In the end, he is just a naive little old man, knowing nothing about the severe situation, and even blindly optimistic."

Harry felt that the Zhang Qiu sitting under the tree now was very strange; to describe it in her own words, perhaps she was a bit "darkened".

"So you understand now?" In Neville's confused eyes, the past Zhang Qiu slowly stood up. "I am not just going to witness the attack; if the attack cannot happen, I also have to complete those attacks."

"This is not necessary, what is it for?"

"Correcting fate, obtaining the gift of time, so as to help Harry survive the life-and-death crisis in the fourth year." The past Zhang Qiu said seriously. "I think I have already understood what the gift of time is about."

"That's right, next let me explain the will of time to you." The future Zhang Qiu took out her notebook. "Including how the black dogs named Hounds of Tindalos came to be, and what travelers should pay attention to."

"Wait, I think I have to record it." The past Zhang Qiu also took out her notebook. "So that when I come back again, I won't say it wrong."

"Take Neville as an example; I think you are traveling aimlessly." The future Zhang Qiu patted Neville on the shoulder. "Are you still thinking about changing history, but don't dare to really do it?"

"Uh, indeed." Neville scratched his head embarrassedly. "I vaguely feel that changing history might be a dangerous thing, but it's not easy to return to the past, and it's a pity if I don't do anything."

"Time itself is indulgent to wizards traveling; this means that we can return to the past at will to obtain information, can take the missed courses again, can investigate hidden truths, or simply find a place to relax and spend a period of time that belongs only to ourselves." The future Zhang Qiu said so, and this is actually the principle that the Professor has consistently followed. "But if you do things you shouldn't do, such as trying to change the past, or meeting your past self, and creating some strange things or even paradoxes, then it will bring bad luck, and you might die in some terrible accident."

"So, the Hounds of Tindalos are a kind of warning?" The past Zhang Qiu asked. "Those who died of bad luck after seeing the ominous black dog are actually because they triggered a paradox in time travel?"

"That's right, these hounds can be said to be messengers of time, but it's not that there is no way at all." The future Zhang Qiu said. "Just stop time travel immediately, and hide quietly in a place no one knows, waiting for time to flow again until before the travel."

"For the two of us." She shrugged helplessly. "We need to hide until the end of the third year."

"When did you return?" The past Zhang Qiu asked. "Compared to two Zhang Qius each finding ways to hide in different places, perhaps one Zhang Qiu finding a place to hide by herself would be simpler."

"Summer vacation of the first year." The future Zhang Qiu said. "I have already decided to hide in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Why is it the Chamber of Secrets... oh!" The past Zhang Qiu said indignantly. "That damn Marauder's Map!"

"Yes, if the Weasley twins find two Zhang Qius on the map, it's hard to say what kind of trouble will happen." The future Zhang Qiu said helplessly.

"But this is also very interesting; if you hadn't told me I could hide in the Chamber of Secrets, I originally intended to rent a house somewhere outside the school." The past Zhang Qiu calculated. "It is foreseeable that hiding in the Chamber of Secrets is definitely not as comfortable as renting a house."

"You can go to the Room of Requirement." Neville interjected. "It's in the corridor on the eighth floor, opposite the Barnabas the Barmy tapestry; as long as you whisper that you need a bedroom, it will appear."

"Ah, so there really is something strange on the eighth floor." The past Zhang Qiu said suddenly. "I followed Tang Nade many times in my second year, and I lost him every time on the eighth floor."

"This is to say, because of Tang Nade, we cannot stay in the Room of Requirement all the time, and can only go to take a bath occasionally." The future Zhang Qiu sighed. "But fortunately, at least we know Tang Nade's whereabouts like the back of our hand, so we won't be caught by him."

"This plan is quite clear, and in this way, the progress of the second year can also be filled." The past Zhang Qiu nodded easily. "I don't think I have any problems."

"Then can I ask a question?" Neville said. "The progress you mentioned, and what is the gift of time? Also, isn't what you are doing now also changing history?"

"Let me explain it to you bit by bit; first of all, I am not changing history, but correcting fate. Do you understand what fate is?" The future Zhang Qiu flipped to the first few pages of the notebook.

"So, what is fate?"

"You have also encountered it during your travels, those things that are neither here nor there?" Zhang Qiu said. "Then why do you think such things happen?"

"Oh yes, I had a fight with Buckbeak for no reason." Neville said helplessly. "It was clearly an unnecessary thing, but it happened inexplicably."

"This is not unnecessary; this is the choice of fate." Zhang Qiu flipped through her notebook. "Obviously, time has its own ideas; it hopes that things will run according to the script in its heart, and this script is fate. My master uses divination to foresee some fate; he needs me to witness them, so as to complete a complex magic ritual; this is the progress I mentioned."

"And divination shows that Buckbeak will suffer a lot because of attacking students, and even almost lose his life." She continued. "If things followed their original trajectory, none of this would happen. And at this time, you started your journey; time itself will not let go of the opportunity to use any traveler; you inadvertently corrected fate."

Neville was thoughtful.

"Then, how did you find the Room of Requirement? I think this is the gift time gave you; time will reward those who help correct fate, and the rewards are often some useful or precious information." The future Zhang Qiu emphasized the word "useful". "I have been trying to correct fate, so you can guess, how do I know so much?"

"You tell the past you," Neville pointed to the other Zhang Qiu who was writing furiously. "And the past you wrote it down; these... knowledge, all appeared out of thin air?"

"Exactly, this is the gift of time." Zhang Qiu laughed. "It's a pity that this gift only helps to continue correcting fate. Perhaps when I fill the progress of the second year, I will harvest more things, which is not necessarily the case."

"I roughly understand." Neville's body was fading. "I should return; then I wish you good luck."

"Wait, I need you to do me a favor." The future Zhang Qiu said hurriedly. "Basilisk! You come back again; we have to solve the Basilisk before I hide in."

"Okay." Neville left only this affirmative answer, and his figure disappeared completely.

"If I kill the Basilisk, doesn't that mean I have to complete all the attacks?" The past Zhang Qiu said with some distress. "But if I don't kill the Basilisk, I can't hide in the Chamber of Secrets. Can I not hide in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"No way, in order not to be discovered by the Marauder's Map, I can only hide in the Chamber of Secrets or the Room of Requirement, but the Room of Requirement is visited by Tang Nade from time to time." The future Zhang Qiu calculated. "If you want to hide outside the school, how to sneak into the school is a problem; we are not Animagi."

"Also, then the Basilisk is up to you." The past Zhang Qiu sighed. "I might be able to take this opportunity to return to the country to resupply."

"You can't return to the country!" The future Zhang Qiu said hurriedly. "If the master knows that we have caused such trouble, we will definitely be beaten."

"Ah..." The past Zhang Qiu scratched her head. "If I can't jump again, I'll find a hotel first; this is all money day by day."

"Go to Tang Dun." The future Zhang Qiu said. "First, you can find a place to sponge off food and drink for a few days, and second, you can secretly learn a few sentences of Parseltongue."

"Genius idea, worthy of me."

After the two Zhang Qius chatted for a few more words, the past her left first. And the future Zhang Qiu sighed and sat down on the spot to wait for Neville's arrival. ===== CHAPTER 142 =====