The Founder's Medallion
Chapter 1: Great Need
I do not own Harry Potter and I am not profiting from this, so lawyers you can go away now. The later chapters will be longer, I promise. And thank you brilliant beta, H3RM1ON3.
Sparks flew as the battle of Hogwarts raged on. Each turret of the ancient castle was alight with the glow of a thousand spells. The order of the Phoenix, the Aurors, and everyone else in the castle fought bravely, but now as the battle waned only a few people were still left fighting. Ron, Harry, and Dumbledore had all perished in the furious showdown, but Hermione was still very much alive, if not caught in the best of circumstances.
She and McGonagall were being shoved roughly up the stairs, and the Transfiguration teacher furiously demanded, "Where in the world do you think you are taking us, you-?"
"Mm…," grunted the burly Death Eater by way of a reply as he continued to half walk, half drag then along the passage.
When they reached the top of the staircase, they were locked into an empty classroom, which was remarkably untouched by the fighting. As soon as the Death Eater had closed the door, Hermione inquired, quite calmly considering her situation, "Professor, can we, umm, do anything?"
"I'm afraid not. There are magical safeguards on the entire room, and they aren't anything we can penetrate, especially without wands," McGonagall said sadly, leaning heavily against one of the walls. "Miss Granger, whatever happens, I am very proud of all of you," she said sincerely with the faintest trace of a smile. "You have done the names of the Founders an honor."
Hermione's heart sunk. If McGonagall couldn't do anything, what was left?
"Thank you," said Hermione wearily. A million thoughts spun through her head like bubbles. Each one was trying frantically to push it's way to the surface, but they kept getting in each other's way, so her mind consequently remained a frantic blur, not organized enough for coherent thought or processing of emotion.
The next moment, another Death Eater opened the door and looked at his captives. He silently flicked his wand in their direction, sending McGonagall and Hermione flying in different directions. With a hard thump, Hermione landed on the cold stone floor of a dark, wet room.
Hermione was confused, and she absolutely deplored being confused. Everything usually made such perfect sense to her, but not now. She had no idea where she was- all she knew was that she was a captive of Death Eaters in some prison that could be absolutely anywhere in the world. If she had been Ron, she would have been throwing curses at any living thing she could find in an attempt to get free, and if she had been Harry, well, she wouldn't be thrown into some cell, she'd have in all likelihood been taken directly to their
Well, not exactly anywhere. Faintly, she could hear waves crashing hard against the side of the building and huge claps of thunder roaring in the dark sky, which was illuminated for a split second every few moments by a bright bolt of lightning. Combined with the freezing temperature of her pathetic shelter, she decided that this must be the old Azkaban fortress. Built by the Ministry, it used to house Death Eaters, and it sickened Hermione to think that it was now being used by them.
She was startled out of her thoughts by a hollow banging noise. When she looked up, she realized that she wasn't the only person there, and that her cellmate was hitting his head against the wall.
"I am such an idiot," Draco Malfoy growled.
Thump, thump, thump.
"Malfoy, what on earth," Hermione began questioningly.
Thump, thump, thump.
"I am an idiot," he repeated. "I ruined so many people's lives, and now look at me, stuck in this stupid prison. And to top it off, I am such a damn screw up and I can't do anything about it!" Malfoy yanked an ancient looking medallion off his neck and, with a loud snap as the clasp broke, threw it violently at the wall.
Hermione listened and was more than a little shocked. He obviously wasn't a Death Eater any more or he wouldn't be in prison, and he seemed to feel guilty about it all, which was more than a bit unnerving. Then again, maybe he was just tricking her, although she didn't see what good that would do, as anything Malfoy could trick her into doing, Voldemort could force her to do far more easily.
"Malfoy, calm down and stop hitting yourself," said Hermione firmly, crawling over to get whatever he had just throw. The stupid ceiling isn't even high enough to stand, she thought angrily.
"Granger, shut up and don't bother me," Malfoy said stubbornly. "Forget it."
"Its fine," Hermione assured him. "Here's your thing." She pressed it into his palm. Being nice to him was extremely uncomfortable, but she knew that it was the right thing to do, at least until she had the whole story
"Mmm," he grunted as her rolled the medallion over and over in his hand, absentmindedly.
Hermione glanced at him and caught sight of the medallion. She took it from him and held it in her hand, examining it carefully. It was large and round, and it looked many centuries old. On the front was the Hogwarts crest, with a serpent, lion, eagle, and badger to represent the four houses. A million possibilities ran through her head, each more fantastic and in fact more plausible than the last. "Draco, do you know what this is?" she asked, awed.
"A necklace I found in my basement?" He looked at her questioningly.
"This is the Founder's Medallion!" Hermione exclaimed as she shoved it under his nose, resisting the urge to add 'you idiot'.
"The what?" Draco asked as though she had just told him that he was the Heir of Gryffindor. He took it from her, turned it around and even held it up to the feeble ray of light reaching in through a high window, but he still saw only a round circle of gold with an ornate engraving on either side.
"The Founder's Medallion can send you back in time," Hermione explained to a shocked Malfoy. Never in her life had she been so glad to be a bookworm, because now it may just be what saved the day. "But only in a time of great need."
"Well I'd say the end of the Wizarding world was 'great need'," Draco said with a note of bitterness. "But are you sure about this? I mean, what if this isn't the time, what if that isn't the right medallion, what if," He stopped and continued with a new idea. "Granger, you'd better know what you're talking about," he said finally.
"No, I'm making it all up," Hermione said this sarcastically, but Draco didn't comment. She pulled a cube out of her pocket and tapped it with the tip of her wand. Instantly, it became a copy of Hogwarts, a History. "Here." She flipped a few pages and set the book in front of him.
The Founder's Medallion
The Founder's Medallion is an etched gold disc created by Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw, the legendary founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It has the power to transport a person back in time, but only in times of the most desperate need. The time a person goes back to is based upon what time period they will be able to do the most good in. There is no record of the Founder's Medallion ever having been used, and in fact is whereabouts are unknown as of the year 1954.
"Okay, however much I distrust you, you aren't making it up. But, how do you make it work?" Draco said. Hermione could feel a confused mixture of anger, relief, trust, and indeed distrust, a jumble of emotions not much unlike her own.
"So you're in?" asked Hermione, still unable to fully trust him.
"I'm in," he said. This convinced Hermione that he was sincere, because she was sure that Voldemort had no reason to send a Death Eater into the past with her.
Hermione read the text on the back of the medallion and thought for a minute. Then she said to Draco, "Hold out your hands". He obediently did so although he did shoot her a very nasty look and what may have been quite a rude gesture as they both took hold of the disc. "And don't let go." Draco nodded. Neither one knew what they were getting into, but they knew some action was better than none.
"One," Hermione counted slowly. "Two," No turning back now, she thought. "Three."
As soon as she said three, they found themselves flying through a dark tunnel of time and space while holding onto the medallion for dear life.