The Invisibility Cloak: Chapter One
It was just a dusty old tome. It did not have that familiar library scent most books had. It smelled like it had been sitting on the same, grimy shelf, for the past hundred years. The pages were worn, and the corners were bent. The binding was loose. It looked to be nothing special; just a collection of children's tales.
Silly.
Useless.
And it drove her mad.
There was a reason Hermione had not been sorted into Ravenclaw. She did not lack the drive, she lacked the imagination. She rejoiced in reality. Facts. She did not thrive on solving riddles the way she thrived on being able to recall text verbatim. She did not lack intuition, but it was not among her strengths.
But this? She tossed down the sodding lump of paper and ink with a huff. It landed with a soft thud on her sleeping bag as she threw her head back, cradling her aching brain between two delicate hands.
This? This was some next-level hell.
What was the meaning?
She knew Professor Dumbledore intended her to utilize this tool he left her. She was able to infer that much, at least.
She stared at the ceiling of the Great Hall, trying to drown out the hundreds of sleeping people around her; trying to drown out the sight of the castle in ruins in her peripheral vision. Wishing she could move past this book, and just be glad Voldemort was finally defeated. But she could not.
Clearing images of the dead from her mind, once more she recalled the story of the Deathly Hallows—the story of the three brothers and their three gifts from Death. She tried to imagine if she had not known of their existence, and came to the quick realization that it would not have made a bit of difference in the war.
Professor Dumbledore left her this book for a reason though. He sketched that symbol for a reason. He meant for them to know of the Hallows, but for what purpose?
He could have never known his wand would take up allegiance with Draco Malfoy. Could have never guessed Harry would disarm Malfoy, therefore becoming the owner of the Elder Wand.
Did he only leave Harry with the Resurrection Stone as a fail-safe? Just on the off-chance that Harry really did wield the Elder Wand?
Hermione shook her head. No.
Dumbledore did not work on possibilities. He was meticulous and precise, and she knew there had to be more to it than that.
Her heart stopped for a beat.
Two.
Three.
Air filled her lungs as she bolted up right, her eyes wide as a long-forgotten memory filled her mind:
It had been yet another wild year at Hogwarts. She had hoped to go home and not have to lie about how much danger she faced this term, but was beginning to think that being friends with Harry and Ron meant constant trouble. Nevertheless, she was ready to go home for the summer, and leave out all the details about almost being eaten by a werewolf, and freeing a most-wanted criminal. She would tell them it was a great term, and she had excelled at academics once again.
Top of her class.
Barely, she thought.
She glanced down at the time turner in her palm as she approached the great gargoyle, outside Professor Dumbledore's office. She certainly was not going to do another year of classes with the time turner. It was too much to keep track of, and she had already aged a year beyond her classmates. If she kept it up, she would be in her twenties when she finished school at Hogwarts. She knew she would be better off to focus more energy on fewer classes anyway, and was more than happy to hand the time turner over.
She climbed the stairs, only to see the door was already open for her.
"Ah, Miss Granger," blue eyes peered across half-moon spectacles, "Come in. Sit. Lemon drop?"
He gestured to the high-backed chair across from his desk.
"No, thank you, Headmaster," she took her seat with a smile. Professor Dumbledore was always so warm and welcoming.
She glanced past his shoulder to take a peek at Fawkes. She had read more about Phoenixes after Harry told her how Fawkes saved him in the Chamber of Secrets.
Professor Dumbledore noticed her interest and said, "His feathers are a bit thin at the moment. He's nearing the end of this life. It usually happens around this time of year."
She took a closer look, noticing he did look a bit frail, "I read they're quite rare. It's just incredible to be able to see him up close."
Professor Dumbledore gave Fawkes an affectionate scratch under his chin.
"Do I detect an interest in Care of Magical Creatures?" He inquired.
She gave Fawkes one last look and then turned her full attention back to the Headmaster. "Actually, Sir, that's what I came to talk to you about. I don't think I can take as many classes next term."
He nodded in understanding, almost as if he had expected as much. "I daresay, none of the other students at Hogwarts possess the integrity and drive to manage a similar course load and earn the marks you did. Well done, my dear."
"Thank you, Sir," she gently pushed the time turner across his desk. She was surprised, however, when he pushed the tiny gold device back to her.
"Keep it," he insisted, turning back to Fawkes, who burst into flames, "Just in case there comes a day you wish to go back and change something in the past."
She hesitated, but accepted the offer, and placed it back in her pocket. "Thank you, Sir."
She wanted to ask if he was sure, but he was Professor Dumbledore. Of course he was sure.
"Life," he mused just as baby Fawkes began to crawl from the ashes, "Is such a mysterious phenomenon."
He shot her a mischievous wink.
The memory faded, and she struggled to breathe through the sudden adrenaline rush. Thoughts raced through her mind.
It was he who pulled her into his office, at a mere twelve years old, to discuss the possibility of using a time turner to take a full load of third-year classes. He who insisted she sit hours upon hours that summer, learning all there was to know about time travel. And then, at the end of a year of practice using said time turner, told her to keep it "just in case."
Was that why he had left the Resurrection Stone hidden in Harry's golden snitch? Had he wanted them simply to know that he was in possession of two Deathly Hallows, at the time of his death? If Professor Dumbledore was one invisibility cloak away from being alive, was it not her duty to go back in time and fix it?
Hermione had never believed in destiny. She never believed in a greater purpose. But she had to wonder: was this what she was meant to do? Had Professor Dumbledore given her the tools and the experience necessary to take on this task?
Bad things happen to witches who meddle with time.
She knew that. She knew the rules.
Was she willing risk it? If it meant saving so many others?
Faces quickly flashed through her mind. Fred. Remus. Tonks. The list went on and on.
There were so many factors to consider, and she carefully but quickly went through each one. She knew she would have to lay low, so as not to be seen by herself in the past, or anyone else. That was the number one rule of time travel. Don't be seen in two places at once.
She knew her journey to the past had to remain secret, so she would have to find a way to sneak Harry's invisibility cloak to Professor Dumbledore. Sharing details about the future with him, or anyone else, could severely alter the future.
A wave of anxiety rushed over her. She was risking everything they had accomplished, to save Professor Dumbledore.
And everyone else, hopefully, she reminded herself.
She knew Harry needed his invisibility cloak, and she would have a hard time getting it from him in the past. It played such a crucial role in the timeline; she could not take it from him. She decided the best plan was to take Harry's invisibility cloak now, in the present, and simply have it on her person when she used the time turner. That way Harry in the past would have his cloak, and she would have one too.
With Professor Dumbledore in possession of all three Deathly Hallows, he would survive the curse on his hand. He would no longer require Professor Snape to prove his allegiance to the Dark, by pretending to murder him.
She imagined Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore could protect Hogwarts, and the students inside. And since Professor Snape would not have to appear to be on Voldemort's side, and would not have possession of the Elder Wand, he would not be killed by Voldemort for it.
There's two lives saved, she thought.
Voldemort would not have control of Hogwarts, so the final battle would not happen there. It would happen on their own terms: away from the children, and when they were prepared.
She could drop subtle hints to Harry about where to find Horcruxes, if she needed to, but would otherwise lay low until the time turner caught back up to the present.
She knew it was a risk. She knew anything could go wrong. But it felt worth it.
It felt right.
She went over it all once more in her head. She thought of the difficulty of the task; the impossibility of avoiding herself in the past, and the risk of going mad if she was to see herself on accident. She weighed the pros and the cons, and she knew, with certainty, that her entire life had been leading up to this moment.
She reached for her beaded bag, quietly, so as not to disturb the others sleeping in the Great Hall.
She whispered, "Accio time turner."
She carefully crawled out of her sleeping bag, and gathered her things. She found Harry sleeping next to Ron and Ginny, and held her breath while she snuck his invisibility cloak from his pocket.
The silvery material caught under his arm, and she gave it a gentle tug. He stirred in his sleep, and she froze. Her heart pounded in her chest as she gave it another gentle tug. He rolled to his side, and she dropped it on the ground in an instant. Ready to pretend like this never happened, and just climb back into her sleeping bag, to form a new plan. But he did not wake, and the cloak was no longer stuck under his arm. She collected the material, and made her way out of the Great Hall.
She found an unlocked broom cupboard, close to where the stairs to the dungeons used to be. She stepped in, accidentally walking through a spider web. Normally, the feathery feeling of a spider web across her skin would give her uncomfortable chills, but she was too focused on her mission to care. She closed the door behind her and stood in the middle of the tiny room.
She had her beaded bag on her hip, and her wand in her hand. She draped the invisibility cloak over her shoulders, making sure she was completely covered. After all, it would not do to have someone discover her in the broom cupboard, half-way on her journey back in time.
What she knew of time turners, was the first twelve turns were reserved for one-hour increments. Each turn after that was for an entire day, and after seven "day" turns, she would be turning by the week. After four "week" turns, she would be turning back in time by the month.
She was not sure how many "month" turns would result in a longer jump back in time, and prayed to Merlin she did not end up much earlier in the past than she wanted to. She intended to arrive around the end of term, sixth year; just in time to slip Professor Dumbledore Harry's invisibility cloak. That was only around one year in the past.
She did a quick calculation, and held the time turner up to her eyes, so she could see the time. She would have to remember her body would disappear into thin air, at this exact time, on this exact date. And if everything went according to plan, she would not be standing in a broom cupboard planning to change the past. Hopefully she would be sleeping somewhere, and not surrounded by too many people. Regardless, she would need to be nearby to replace herself, when time catches back up to her.
With trembling hands, she wrote down the time and date, and slipped the piece of parchment into her pocket.
She suppressed her nerves, and carefully began turning the time turner, hoping fate was on her side. When she reached the correct number of turns, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let go.
Suddenly, time was passing her by. She could see the light of day change under the cupboard door, voices and noises blended together, different smells filtered in through the door, but miraculously, nobody ever opened the cupboard.
In an instant, it was over. She suddenly felt queasy, and dropped to the floor. A cool sweat broke out across her forehead, and she cradled her head against her knees. She allowed herself a moment to regain composure. Glancing up, she saw a small black spider spinning a fresh web.
Careful not to run into the web this time, she tightened the invisibility cloak around her, and creaked open the door so she could see if anyone was in the corridor. She stepped out quickly, closing the door quietly behind her.
She ventured toward the Great Hall, and as she neared, she could smell the most delightful aroma, which could only be from a large feast. Perhaps she had just been hungry and on the run for so many months, food in general smelled good.
She took in another deep breath, and as she rounded the corner, memories of her years at Hogwarts flooded her mind.
The Great Hall was a sight to behold. The great magical ceiling showed a clear, starry night above. Students littered the tables, which were overflowing with food and drink. In the front of the Hall sat Professor Dumbledore, sharing a laugh with Professor McGonagall.
Hermione thanked the stars above, she made it this far.
Scanning the room, she noted many other familiar faces. She saw Professor Slughorn making conversation with Professor Flitwick, and breathed a sigh of relief that she had landed in the correct term.
She spotted Luna Lovegood at Ravenclaw table, lonely but seemingly happy. She scanned Gryffindor table, and quickly found Neville and Ginny sitting across from Harry and Ron. She saw herself wedged between the two boys, telling what looked to be a very animated story.
She searched her memory, trying to recall what occasion this must be. Did they have a feast of this magnitude, right before end of term, sixth year?
Her eyes examined the Great Hall once more, taking in what she had missed before. The Yule trees. The Fairy lights. The mistletoe. She realized it was the final feast before Holiday break.
Anxiety began to creep its way into her chest, as she realized she had travelled back in time a bit further than she had intended.
She shook it off, and thanked Merlin she was here. She dreaded to think of the consequences if she had ended up any further in the past.
Suddenly feeling incredibly tired, she decided to venture to the Room of Requirement, where she could get some much needed sleep. Her legs ached as she climbed the Grand Staircase, and her eyes became heavier with each passing moment.
Just as she heard a crowd of students pouring from the Great Hall below, she reached the sixth floor corridor.
The Room of Requirement presented her a small room, with a draped ceiling. It reminded her of the tent she shared for so many months with Harry and Ron. There was just enough space for a chair in one corner, and a small cot in the other corner. A wooden storage cabinet and a shaggy rug separated the two.
Hermione dropped her belongings into the armchair, and used her last burst of energy to cast the wards she had grown so accustomed to using.
Her wand was still in her hand when she fell to the cot, and as her eyes drifted to a close, she had one final thought:
How would she pass the time in the months to come?
Disclaimer:
I write works of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. All characters used in the stories were created and are owned by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim them as my own, or claim the world they are represented in as my own. The stories I write are invented by me, and are not portrayed or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story. These stories are simply for entertainment purposes, and I seek to make no profit from them. I would like to thank J.K. Rowling for creating the magical world of Harry Potter, and introducing me to a story which continues to make an impact on my life today.
A/N:
I know about 97.6% of you don't read Author's notes, so I figured I'd stick this at the bottom! You're welcome ;)
I figure the best stories are the ones you don't have to explain, so I try to get all the details in the actual story. Sometimes an idea strikes me though, and I get real excited, and it can be easy to assume readers are all on the same page as me, since I know how this story goes. However, if anything looks confusing to you, please feel free to PM me or leave a review. I check regularly, and will fix any mistakes promptly. Text is informal to let Hermione's personality shine through.
Thanks for reading :)