Chapter 1064
Investigation Permit
Chapter 1064 Investigation Permit
It wasn't until lunchtime that Wade left Professor Flitwick's office.
He glanced at the schedule and found that Professor McGonagall had a short break before 4 p.m., so after lunch, he took his notebook and headed toward Professor McGonagall's office.
The notes contained questions about transfiguration that Vader had accumulated.
But actually, answering questions is secondary. The most important thing is that Wade wants to ask—can he still get the time converter this semester?
The corridor was quiet, and almost every classroom was in session. Wade even cast a silencing spell on his shoes, making his footsteps so faint they were almost inaudible.
After turning a corner, Professor McGonagall's office was not far ahead, but Wade stopped in his tracks.
The sound of conversation came from the corridor ahead.
“...I am truly grateful that you have allowed me to access the student register, Professor McGonagall.”
Percy said politely but distantly, "This is very helpful for my work."
Professor McGonagall stood ramrod straight, her hands clasped in front of her, and said calmly:
"This is in cooperation with the Ministry of Magic."
"But if I remember correctly, your reason for accessing the data was 'for the safety of students, to ensure that children with magical talent—especially those from non-pure-blood families—receive the education they deserve in a timely manner'?"
“Of course.” Percy nodded. “Considering Iphamoni’s criminal record…”
He talked on and on for five minutes before stopping, and then Professor McGonagall said in a flat voice:
"You don't need to explain this to me. Your reasons were already emphasized at the opening banquet."
"But since that's the purpose, I won't give you the family registration book for students who have already enrolled normally."
"After all... it's all for the students' safety, I'm sure you can understand that?"
Percy's expression stiffened slightly, and after a moment he nodded reluctantly, saying, "Of course... I can understand."
He scribbled something quickly above the parchment he carried with him using a quill, then looked up and stared intently at Professor McGonagall.
“Also, if possible, Professor McGonagall,” Percy said respectfully, “I would like to consult the archives of entry and exit records for Hogsmeade Village, as well as the records of large parcels sent and received.”
Professor McGonagall frowned and said, "Hogwarts doesn't have a penchant for prying into students' privacy. You've studied here, don't you know that?"
“Well…” Percy said hesitantly, “I thought the school’s owl sheds would at least have some records, even if they were incomplete versions…”
“No, that’s not true,” Professor McGonagall interrupted him rudely.
“Alright then.” Percy sighed and said helplessly, “Well, surely there must be records of Hogsmeade? Mr. Filch always carefully reviews the list.”
“Of course, you can look up that information.” Professor McGonagall immediately wrote him a handwritten permit. “Go to Filch, and he will take you to the archives.”
Percy took the parchment with both hands, his eyes sparkling with joy.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall."
This time, his gratitude sounded much more sincere. He said, "I will definitely seize the time to organize and complete the review as soon as possible, so that the materials in the archives will not be damaged or missing."
Professor McGonagall glanced at him and reminded him, "That's a huge amount of data, preserved since the school's founding. I hope you won't find it troublesome."
Percy's smile showed no hesitation or fear; instead, he puffed out his chest and said with great pride:
“Professor McGonagall, how can a Ministry of Magic official complain about hard work? These tedious desk tasks are the best way to understand the students!”
Professor McGonagall looked at him with mixed feelings, recalling how Percy had been just as enthusiastic, sincere, and dedicated when he took on various tasks from her as a prefect or student council president, never complaining about the trouble or the fatigue.
Despite Percy's consistently low standing among his classmates, Professor McGonagall always considered him one of her most worry-free and outstanding students.
But now...
She sighed inwardly, but her expression remained unchanged.
Percy seemed oblivious to the professor's silence, or perhaps he noticed but chose to ignore it. He simply looked at the permit again more carefully, leaned forward slightly, and asked in a more humble and cautious tone:
"By the way, I wanted to confirm... the student application form for Hogsmeade... the one with the parent's or guardian's signature confirmation letter, it should be in there too, right?"
His voice was very soft, as if he had just remembered it and was casually asking about a trivial detail.
Professor McGonagall looked at him intently, a question almost escaping her lips—
"What exactly do you want to see by having all this?"
But she swallowed what she was about to say, her voice as calm as ever: "Yes, they're all in there."
Percy's face immediately broke into a very happy smile.
He nodded and said in a light voice, "Okay, okay, then I'm relieved... Thank you so much, Professor McGonagall."
"Then I won't bother you any longer. Time waits for no one. I'll go find Mr. Filch now."
He turned and walked away, the heels of his dragon-skin boots striking the ground with a crisp sound.
The sunlight chased his silhouette, bathing him in a warm glow, as if highlighting the young official's vigor and enthusiasm.
Professor McGonagall stood there, watching him walk away.
Only after the footsteps had completely disappeared did she turn around and wearily walk towards her office.
Wade waited patiently in the corner for a few more minutes before going over and knocking on the door.
"Come in."
Professor McGonagall's voice came from inside.
As soon as Wade entered, he saw the professor sitting behind his desk, not busy processing documents as usual, but rubbing his temples with his fingertips. He only looked up when he heard the door open.
In that instant, Wade saw the expression on her face.
That wasn't the Professor McGonagall he knew, the one who was strict yet caring.
Her face showed weariness mixed with a hint of wariness and a touch of irritation. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to say, "Mr. Weasley, what is it now?"
—Then she saw Wade.
Her expression changed instantly.
The vigilance faded, the anxiety dissipated, and a warmth and gentleness appeared in his eyes.
She lowered her hand from her temple, and her straight back seemed to relax a bit.
"Oh, it's you, Wade."
Professor McGonagall said, "Come in, and close the door behind you. I was just looking for you."
She reached into the drawer, pulled it open, and took out a brown package with Wade's name written on it in thin, cursive script.
Professor McGonagall pushed the package in front of Wade.
“For some reason,” Professor McGonagall said softly, “the school didn’t apply for a Time-Turner for you this year. This is something Dumbledore left for you; take it back and take a good look at it.”
"Professor Dumbledore has already left the school?" Wade asked.
(End of this chapter)