Chapter 7: The New Job
Zaman was gone for a long time. In his absence, Neville busied himself reading reports. After their talk, he had found a new interest in them. The files in the room were real, first-hand accounts of thousands upon thousands of events in the history of the planet and the people inhabiting it. Many of them are of critical importance to answering why the world is the way it is today.
He read about natural disasters, such as volcanoes erupting, earthquakes, floods and typhoons. He read about wars, sporting events, musical events. He read accounts of the lives of famous people. The list of things seemed to be endless. He imagined a reading addict like Hermione would consider this place to be a sort of heaven.
Just as Neville was finishing some delicious herbal tea that tasted like freshly-picked blackberries, and very chocolatey brownie, Zaman reappeared. He was smiling and his purple eyes were twinkling.
"Ah, Neville," he said. We had a very interesting meeting. What did you do while I was gone?
"I read some more reports," he answered, wiping brownie crumbs from his face and robe. "They are truly fascinating.
"Excellent. You should read as many as you can. They are a great wealth of knowledge about your world. You can never know too much."
Neville had a flash of Hermione smiling at that statement as he nodded in agreement. However, the meeting had been about him. That was still lodged firmly in the front of his mind. What was going to happen to him? He wanted to know but was afraid to ask.
"I suppose you are anxious to know about the meeting," said Zaman.
"Y-y-yes, sir. I am very interested."
"Well," he began. "The last time this happened was on a different planet before civilization even arose on Earth. The recorders on that planet met at the library with the head librarians. It was decided to make the visitor an apprentice. It seemed a great risk. The situation was unprecedented. However, as it turned out, that solution worked out fine. As a matter of fact, that person is still a Recorder to this very day. They want to do the same with you. They want you to become an apprentice recorder. You will work with me."
"I-I-I'm going to be a recorder l-l-like you?" he asked, trying to get his mind wrapped around what he had just been told.
"You're going to be an apprentice. I will watch you and train you. If you learn well, then you may become a recorder sometime in the future. It will still depend on you, and how well you do."
This was all quite scary. He had not considered this possibility. He was glad they were not going to kill him. But he had hoped for some kind of plan that would return him to life as Neville Longbottom, second-year student at Hogwarts. Apparently, that was too much to hope for.
"So, Neville, we may as well begin," said Zaman, walking toward the table, which now had two chairs and a second set of tableware. "Sit down and I'll explain things.
Neville took his place at the table in the new chair. Both of their cups filled themselves with hot tea. Zaman's plate had some shortbread biscuits that were half-dipped in what looked like strawberry icing. Neville's plate held a very large chocolate donut covered with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
"Okay, first we need to begin with the basics. We are the Council of Recorders, Earth Group. We are part of a larger network of Recorders that span the entire universe. I have no idea as to the actual number of teams, but it is enormous…too many to count. Each group studies a planet with a culture advanced enough to warrant recording."
"Our headquarters, well, you have been there, is the Grand Encyclopedic Compendium Universal Library. All of the Recorder groups from throughout the universe report there. All of the collected records of all recorders are there, in the library. They can be accessed by anyone needing information. All you need is a library watch," he said, pointing to the one on his wrist."
"Am I going to get one of those?" asked Neville.
"Not yet. First you will have to complete your basic training. The people on Earth are not ready for the ability to access the knowledge collected in the library. We will have to watch the progress of people here. I suspect that Earth will be ready for that knowledge in another thousand years or so. Making that decision will be part of what we do as a group. When we feel Earth is ready, we meet with the heads of the Council and present our case. They will render the ultimate decision."
"You are saying there are people on other planets that are more advanced than Earth?"
"Yes, a vast number of them. But they all went through similar growth to Earth. We have recorded, or are actively recording their journey through time. The point is they survived the self-destructive tendencies that still exist here. There are great differences in them, but the common element is that they have learned to peacefully exist with themselves and their neighbors. Alas, there are also unfriendly cultures throughout the universe, but they will never get access to the library until they give up their evil, destructive nature. The library is dedicated to spreading peace through its information, not evil."
"Wow. This is almost too much to believe."
"Yes, I imagine this is overwhelming. No one from a culture at your level of development has ever been given access to all of this. You will just need to be patient and listen and learn. It will take time, but now, you are going to have an almost unlimited amount of it."
"Okay. I promise I will do my best. I am a good student."
"I am sure you are," continued Zaman. "Now, before we go any further, I need to explain to you the single most important thing you will need to know as a Recorder."
"What is that, sir?"
"Never do anything that will change the timeline. We are there to observe and write a report, nothing more. If you see a person about to get run over by a trolley, let it happen. If someone trips, and spills their packages, let them deal with them. The simplest thing could have grave results," said Zaman, trying to impress the seriousness of his words upon Neville. "Stopping someone from being killed, hurt or embarrassed could cause a chain of events that will totally destroy the timeline. It is our responsibility to observe and record history, not change it. Look, but do not touch."
"Yes, sir," said Neville. "We only observe and record."
"Now, if you feel ready, we can try one. Here is a notebook and pen," he said, taking them from the shelf by the ledgers and handing them to him. "Write down your observations, and we will compare them when we return back here."
"Where are we going?
"I have selected a sporting event. They are usually pretty easy to report on. This one is American Football game called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. It takes place on January 15, 1967, in Los Angeles, California in the United States. They now call this game the Super Bowl. So this will be called Super Bowl 1 in the future of that time. It should be entertaining."
"I think I will like this. I like watching sports."
"Okay. Just remember the rules," said Zaman, who was looking at Neville as he nodded in the affirmative. "Now watch how we do this."
Zaman went to the ledger for 1967 on the table and opened it to January 15. He picked up a paper and wrote Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – 1967 on it.
"Now we fold it in half and go to the clock. Grab my arm so we are connected. Then put it in the slot."
Neville did as instructed. There was a slight pause, and then the clock came to life. The numbers spun and rotated as clicks and whirring noises filled the air. Suddenly, they were standing in a sunny, warm place. Their clothes had changed to fit in with the others attending the event, but to not draw attention. Zaman was wearing a dark blue suit with a white shirt and blue tie. Neville was attired in slacks like he might wear to church and a light blue t-shirt and and open neck white dress shirt. They purchased event hats to help blend into the background.
People were hurriedly scurrying about. Many of the people were dressed in outfits of green and a yellowish gold theme with emblems such as a large G or the word Packers on them. Other people were in red and yellow, often with an arrowhead with KC in it.
Neville looked at Zaman. He was already taking notes. "We are trying to capture the entire event," said Zaman. "You should start by noting the atmosphere, weather, everything going on."
The weather is sunny and mild, wrote Neville. The fans are very excited, walking around in the team colors of forest green and a yellow like a fine cheddar, or bright red and gold. Vendors are selling all types of souvenirs and food. It is like a trip to a professional quidditch match.
They secured tickets and entered the game. Zaman had a pouch that would give him money of "any and all types" according to him. He paid for them and they entered, eventually finding the seat near the top of the stadium on the 25-yard line. The view was quite acceptable.
The first half of the game was very competitive. Green Bay led by a score of 14-10. The fans on all sides of them were exceptionally boisterous, making for an exciting event. They sampled the snacks from the vendors. Neville liked the Cracker Jacks, but said they were a bit boring compared to wizard candies. Zaman said the sausages, called hotdogs, were tasty if you covered them with some mustard, onions and relish.
Green Bay controlled the second half of the game, preventing any scoring by Kansas City. The game ended with a score of Green Bay 35 – Kansas City 10.
"It is time to return home," said Zaman, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal his watch. The green light on it was glowing brightly. "I will get you one of these after we have done a few more trips. Once I am comfortable with your abilities, I will need to send you out on your own to a few places I have already visited. Then we will get to see how you do on your own."
Zaman looked around to see if they were being observed. He once again had Neville grasp his arm as he pushed the button on the side of his watch. They were instantly back in the Recorder's Office. Zaman pulled the paper out of the clock and looked at Neville. "There you go," he said. "How did you like your first time trip?"
"It was fun…uh, uh…really cool," stammered Neville, at a bit of a loss for words. "We saw something that…that happened more than ten years before I was born."
"Yes, the first time is a bit overwhelming. My first trip on Earth was to see Abraham Lincoln read his Gettysburg Address in 1863. My second trip was seeing him assassinated in 1865. That was a real tragedy. A major event in the history of the United States and the entire world. We may do them again for a comparison of reports. Now, let's look at our reports from today."
Neville opened his notebook. It had a couple pages of notes scribbled in it. Zaman opened his, as well. His notes were more extensive and were much more orderly. They both placed their books on the table.
Zaman read over Neville's notes, going "hmmmmm" and "okay, okay." Neville looked on, hoping that his review would be favorable and that Zaman would not treat him like Snape, chastising him for the smallest of errors.
"This is a good first effort, Neville. You caught all of the facts about the event…scores, crowd size, big plays, standout players. What you need to make this a finished report is more of the surroundings that will color this into a complete picture of the event. You should describe the clothing of the fans, their behavior. You should talk about the food and drinks available. It would be good to mention the entertainment between the halves. The bands were good, and that trumpet player, Al Hirt, could really play. Do you see what I am saying?"
"Yes, I see. I will be sure to get more of that next time," said Neville, feeling pretty good about his first try at being a recorder.
"We should try another one, but let's have a bite to eat, first," said Zaman as their cups filled with tea smelling distinctly of peppermint. Both of their plates contained a Reuben sandwich and a pickle.
"Are we going to another American football game?" inquired Neville.
"No, I have something else in mind. I think you will approve. I found it very interesting the first time I viewed it. You should better understand it, and enjoy it."