Chapter 797 - 798

"Which kind do you think this will make you feel better?" Kronos inquired, his expression mirroring Hermione's.

He now sported a thick, brown shawl over his shoulders, his eyes a lively shade of brown. His chin was slightly raised, giving him a touch of Hermione's trademark arrogance, but in a very endearing way. Had Evan not witnessed his transformation firsthand, he would have struggled to distinguish him from the real Hermione.

It appeared that Kronos, the Titan, had a shape-shifting ability that rendered gender meaningless to him. Evan would have been delighted if the real Hermione were here. However, seeing this individual assuming Hermione's appearance and wearing that loose, masculine robe made him somewhat uneasy.

"You've changed," Evan commented, addressing the person who now looked like Hermione, a statement that left him feeling strangely unsettled. There didn't seem to be any other option but to change his appearance. As Evan contemplated the mystical existence that called itself Kronos Titan, he couldn't help but be astounded by the name.

In ancient Greek mythology, Kronos was one of the original Titan gods, representing the mastery of time and the creation of order and chaos. His power transcended all, existing before all else, and was responsible for creating everything. Evan couldn't fathom whether the Titan before him, now masquerading as Hermione, matched up to such a lofty existence.

However, the events unfolding before him were beyond his comprehension, leading him down an unpredictable path. Kronos interrupted his thoughts, "I know you're full of questions, Evan, but time is short, and we can't go through them one by one. Just understand that this isn't our first meeting and won't be the last."

"I'm not sure. I've never seen you before," Evan replied, studying the peculiar individual before him.

"A long time ago, we met, you and I, along with other Titans, fighting to save this world. In terms of time, that should have been our first encounter," Kronos gestured casually. "To you, it may seem like our first meeting, but for me, who constantly moves through past and future, it holds no significance."

Evan fell silent, struggling to digest the information presented to him. In the temple beneath Charybdis Whirlpool, under different circumstances, he would have thought the person before him was playing a prank—using magic to assume his and Hermione's appearances while uttering these unbelievable words.

"Let me get this straight," Evan said, still inconceivable. "We met in the past, so it's a past experience for you. But for me, it's an event yet to happen in my future?"

"That's exactly right," Kronos confirmed, his silver radiance matching the look in his eyes. "But keep in mind, time is a complex web. Don't try to decipher every thread."

Evan was increasingly taken aback by these revelations. The first part of the timeline Kronos described, involving Harry Potter and Hogwarts, was eerily familiar. It mirrored events from the original Harry Potter story—Harry's narrow victory over Voldemort, the loss of numerous lives, and Hermione's eventual marriage to Ron.

For Evan, it was disheartening to hear about the deaths of so many beloved characters in a brutal war. However, these events had not yet occurred in his timeline.

After a pause, Evan asked, "Do you know Harry and Hogwarts?"

Kronos met his gaze, his enigmatic silver form exuding an air of mystery. Evan had wanted to pose this question when Kronos had assumed Hermione's appearance earlier, and it seemed like this mysterious being possessed knowledge beyond what should be possible.

"I don't possess omniscience. I only oversee time," Kronos clarified. "I have no direct experience, but within my realm of influence, I have knowledge of everything you've done—the past, the present, and the future. It's a part of my time-manipulating abilities."

"That's quite a formidable ability," Evan acknowledged, his unease growing. While Kronos claimed not to be all-knowing, the depth of his knowledge about Evan's life made it impossible to hide any secrets.

Unlike Dumbledore or dark wizards who could read minds, Kronos had access to Evan's timeline. He knew about Harry, Hermione, and Hogwarts intimately, as Evan did. The mention of Harry defeating Voldemort and the world ultimately meeting its demise left Evan deeply troubled.

Moreover, Kronos had hinted at a significant event in their past—when they, along with other Titans, fought to save the world. Evan had never seen himself as capable of such a responsibility, even if it was only to prevent the arrival of dark forces. The weight of this duty felt overwhelming for a mortal like him. Defeating Voldemort and mastering the magic world did not necessarily equate to the world's destruction.

"I have experienced countless timelines, and this is just one of them, a time you don't belong to," Kronos continued, observing Evan's expression. "Don't look at me like that, Evan. I know you're bewildered, but I don't know why you can't exist here. It wasn't my doing, but that of my companion, another Titan..."

Evan was well aware of why he didn't belong here. He wasn't a native of this world, and that was his biggest secret. Judging by Kronos's words, it seemed that Kronos also possessed space-manipulating abilities.

Evan wasn't sure what to say. His arrival in this world hadn't been as straightforward as it seemed. Initially, he had been an ordinary observer, much like a Harry Potter fan, unaware of the existence of magic. Only after enrolling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry did he realize this world was not just the Harry Potter universe.

As a Muggle-born wizard, his biggest adversary had been Voldemort. He had done his best to influence events, striving to save those who met tragic fates in the original plot. Evan vividly remembered his unease during his first year at Hogwarts when the basilisk had wreaked havoc. He had known everything—anticipated the impending danger, recognized the true identity of the concealed murderer, and understood how to access the Chamber of Secrets. But he was too afraid to reveal his knowledge or speak to Dumbledore.

He had carefully navigated this world, trying to make subtle changes. However, even his smallest interventions led to significant alterations in the plot. For example, by attempting to save Ginny Weasley, he inadvertently caused Ron's injury during the intrusion of the basilisk into Gryffindor's common room.

This wasn't his original intention, and at times, Evan had felt his actions were foolish. He had often made matters worse; the Chamber of Secrets incident was just one example. He had created chaos instead of preventing it.

With time, Evan had become more cautious. He couldn't reveal too much or make substantial changes. He understood that even the smallest adjustments could have far-reaching consequences. The outcomes were often different from what he had hoped for. For instance, Professor Lupin had left Hogwarts prematurely, and he and Hermione had faced a werewolf attack in Hogsmeade. Professor Trelawney had made new predictions, Ron had been repeatedly controlled by the Imperius Curse, and Peter Pettigrew's plot had unfolded differently.

These were not outcomes Evan had envisioned, but they seemed to be the inevitable results of his presence in this world. Fortunately, Evan had experienced the power of friendship and the true meaning of courage. With Harry and Hermione's help, they successfully capture Pettigrew and clear Sirius's name. Evan had started to take a more proactive role, moving away from merely preserving the original plot and seeking to change it.

As he delved deeper into the mysteries of this world, the scale of the changes he initiated grew. Dark forces and ancient magical civilizations emerged, along with hidden secrets. However, this could be traced back to Evan's use of the Time-Turner, which had allowed him to travel back a millennium in Hogwarts history and interact with the four founders.

In doing so, he had become entwined in the complex web of events set in motion by the founders. Evan initially believed that the secret treasure he had sought was meant to oppose Voldemort, containing weapons left behind by the four founders. However, as he delved deeper into the treasure's mysteries, he realized it was more than that.

It was part of a grand plan the founders had set in motion to combat the looming threat of dark forces and evil deities. The intricacy of this plan exceeded Evan's imagination. He had thought he understood the whole picture, but Kronos's revelations had shaken his perception.

Kronos had claimed that they had met long ago, an epoch spanning perhaps tens of thousands of years—a time when Titans still existed. From Evan's perspective, his use of the Time-Turner to travel to that era had altered subsequent events. His encounter with Kronos and guidance from Rowena Ravenclaw, whom Kronos mentioned, had not been part of the original timeline.

As Evan tried to piece everything together, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. The situation's complexity was expanding rapidly, and he couldn't fathom what lay ahead. As Kronos had said, time was an intricate web, and the distinctions between beginnings and endings were blurred. Countless timelines intersected and influenced each other, forming the fabric of the entire world.

It was like trying to untangle a web of threads, each clue leading to more questions and, in the end, losing oneself in the ever-shifting currents of time...