Chapter 99: The Last Test

Lockhart found himself in a dilemma. As Lynn had pointed out, his so-called method of "incorporating textbooks into the classroom" was to have students come up and re-enact scenarios from his books in situational dramas.

After yesterday's disastrous Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Lockhart fully realized he had no real ability to deal with the dark creatures themselves. So he planned to steer the class to his home turf - his own literary works - to avoid exposing his insufficient magical skills. 

With his true thoughts laid bare, Lockhart no longer had the heart to spar with Lynn. He said perfunctorily, "A professor naturally has his own ideas for instruction, Mr. Rowle needn't worry! It's no matter if you lack the books, but it's a pity you can't fully experience the beauty of Defense Against the Dark Arts alongside your classmates!"

Seeing Lockhart retreat, Lynn smiled, refusing to prolong the confrontation and giving Lockhart a path to withdraw.

Soon the bell rang, and Lockhart fled the classroom. 

Lynn shook his head, stuffed his alchemy tomes into his bag, and stood to depart.

Unlike Irina, naturally gifted in magic alone, Lynn had now achieved a high level of mastery in both magic and alchemy. He no longer needed to endure tedious lessons and grind out development as he had in first and second year. 

After all, his magical skills were enough to take down elite Aurors single-handedly. And in alchemy, no one in the entire British wizarding world could match him except Professor Dumbledore. Even among the alchemically-rich French magical community, Lynn ranked among the first tier!

Therefore, when facing a charlatan like Lockhart who had deceived the world and stolen renown, Lynn saw no need to feign being an ordinary student as he once had with Quirrell, wasting time on such useless classes. 

That time would be better spent studying another alchemy volume or two!

Soon Lynn returned to the Slytherin dormitory. 

The Malfoy trio was absent, their class schedules differing from Lynn's year. An advantage - Lynn could track Irina and the others' whereabouts through the Slytherins' timetable overlap with Gryffindor.

"It's time."

Lynn took out an exquisite alchemical wooden box from his desk drawer - the box he had specially crafted before term started, with two locks hanging where it opened, one cold and one hot. 

After a year, Lynn and Irina had come to believe, in their hearts, that the other was also a time-traveler. 

But the two had kept this secret closely guarded, never outright exposing the other's time-traveler identity. This unspoken rapport between them had lasted a full year.

Now, Lynn decided to take the initiative and break this invisible barrier.

The alchemical box in Lynn's hands was his final test for Irina. 

Lynn left the dormitory, box in hand, and headed towards the Gryffindor common room in Gryffindor Tower.

Outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, Lynn stopped a fourth or fifth year Gryffindor girl. "Senior, could you please deliver this box to Irina Lowell of Gryffindor for me?"

The girl gave Lynn a startled look. "I recognize you - you're Lynn Rowle, right?" 

At last year's end-of-term feast, Professors Dumbledore had awarded both Lynn and Irina extra points, and word of the two fighting off Voldemort's lingering soul had spread among the upper years.

Once Lynn confirmed his identity, the Gryffindor took the alchemical box and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll pass it along to Irina."

After handing over the box, Lynn returned to the Slytherin dungeons to practice alchemy, intending to review the skills he'd learned from Teacher Green over summer. 

For Lynn now had ample free time. 

This year, as a third-year at Hogwarts, he needed to select electives to continue his studies.

Unlike Hermione, Lynn had no intention of signing up for all twelve subjects. In his opinion, focused mastery of a few key abilities was preferable to shallow, scattered learning. 

Therefore, in addition to the core seven classes of Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Astronomy and History of Magic, Lynn only elected to take Ancient Runes.

For an alchemist like Lynn, Hogwarts' Ancient Runes curriculum amounted to independent study. After all, the runic knowledge covered was what Lynn had needed to grasp when first delving into alchemy two years prior - deeply imprinted in his mind long ago. 

Professor Bathsheda Babbling herself may not have mastered as many runes as Lynn!

Compared to other students juggling electives, Lynn avoided racing between classrooms daily. And since electives impacted professors' scheduling, the original seven core classes now met less frequently each week. 

This course reduction gave Lynn ample study periods to devote to alchemy. Time passed quickly, and soon it was the lunch hour. Students flooded the Great Hall, then returned to their common rooms for the mid-day break.

Irina gave the Gryffindor password to the Fat Lady's portrait and, taking Hermione's hand, entered the common room.

Just as Irina was about to head up to the dormitory, an upper-year Gryffindor stopped her. "Lowell, this is what Lynn Rowle asked me to pass along to you."

The student handed Irina the alchemical wooden box. 

"From Senior Lynn? Okay, thank you, Senior Sister!" 

Irina accepted it gratefully, examining the strange yet familiar markings adorning its surface. 

Her initial smile fell away as she trembled, gaze locked on five beautifully rendered glyphs that were meaningless to Hermione, Harry and Ron - but very familiar to Irina.

They were five Chinese characters, and those fifteen spelled out: Beijing Olympics.

[The 'Beijing Olympics' here refers to a major future event. This establishes a clear link to the characters being time-travelers.]

(End of this chapter)