WRITTEN FOR THE GOLDEN SNITCH FORUM CHALLENGE, OLLIVANDER'S WAND SHOP and the Through the Universe challenge.
Prompts:
Cosmology — (character) Gellert Grindelwald
Hornbeam: Write about an important moment for your OTP
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot.
AU, so don't take it too seriously. And NO, Hermione is NOT being shipped with Slughorn.
Ludicrous. This was downright just plain LUDICROUS.
Hermione had touched a mysterious object.
After the second Wizarding War, Hermione had stayed at Hogwarts to complete her education. Ron and Harry had not. That was the first time she learned about her soulmate, one Severus Snape. But that was the first drop in a rainstorm. After she had learned that Ron was not her soulmate, and was actually an evil slimeball, she learned, to her utmost horror, that not only was the surprisingly handsome Severus Snape NOT dead, but that Draco Malfoy was another soulmate of hers. However, Draco was dating Pansy Parkinson, and they intended to be hitched after he got out of Azkaban. AND then there was Filch.
Filch!?
At this point, Hermione had had enough.
Hermione did miss one Fred Weasley. She missed him. He only cared about her as a friend, but she felt sure that she loved him. And Fred died, never knowing Hermione's secret.
So she decided to go back in time and save him in the Battle of Hogwarts. The Time Turner malfunctioned.
Now, she was in 1926.
It was truly ludicrous.
Thankfully, she had less soulmates there. Not even Filch had been born at the time. Sadly, however, Hermione could not cherish her single independence. She had a less ludicrous amount of soulmates: just one. But alas, he was not her first or even last choice.
However, things were different. Upon her arrival, Hermione had seen Wizarding newspapers saying that Albus Dumbledore was bent on ruining the whole entire universe, with his plan to take over all Muggles, or No-Majs.
Dumbledore!?
So, seeking answers, Hermione headed to Hogwarts. And she got a job as one of the librarians of Hogwarts. (An astronomical job.)
At Hogwarts, there was one person that was of help to her:
Horace Slughorn, the Slytherin Potions Master.
And there he was, filling her in on everything. One rainy evening in Hogsmeade...
"So," said Hermione, "Albus Dumbledore is..."
"yes," replied Slughorn, grimly. "Albus Dumbledore has lost his mind, dear. He's gotten insane about three legendary objects, the Deathly Hallows."
Hermione thought better of telling him how NOT legendary the Deathly Hallows actually were.
"Miss Granger," said Slughorn, "perhaps you've met him. Our Dueling professor. I keep telling him you ought to get to know each other."
Hermione HAD met him. The professor, who taught sixth and seventh years how to disarm each other, was quite good at disarming females. However, Hermione was quite shocked to learn his name. Gellert Grindelwald, dueling professor.
Grindelwald?!
But, as long scrolls are never very likely to say anything you want them to say, Hermione and this professor were SOULMATES.
Soulmates?!
However, one of these was interested in Hermione. That's right, it was Grindelwald. Ever since the first day the met, he was full of pity for her confusion in a strange time, which he knew NOTHING about, and he was moved by her, you read that right. He was moved by her beauty. And he could tell that she was saddened and perplexed about something.
However, Gellert would have had a hard time finding out anything worth knowing about the enigmatic Miss Granger, if it had not been for Caroline, the Hogwarts librarian, and friend of Hermione.
Caroline was also a friend of his, and she was a wealth of information about people's emotional and romantic lives. (Caroline, being a Slytherin, embodied the the Slytherin trait of fraternity.) But anyway, he had only spoken to Hermione once. Slughorn had told Hermione to talk to the dueling professor, and that he was probably in the courtyard. So Hermione and Slughorn made their way to the courtyard. Caroline was especially encouraging of this.
Horace Slughorn mad a hasty retreat, and Gellert and Hermione were alone. They were not aware of this, however. Hermione didn't think she liked him, but that was what she learned from her textbooks. However, he looked at her and she saw the pity in his eyes. "Hermione Granger?" he said. "That's me," said Hermione. She felt more stupefied than she usually did whenever somebody actually Stunned her. So they began to talk about, well, everything. Not noticing the gawkers. He led her to a bench, and asked her if she wanted to sit down. They did sit down, and talk. People gawked.
Later, Gellert did talk to Caroline. Caroline said more about Hermione than either of them knew. So Hermione and Gellert spent as much time as they could talking to each other. And one day, they held hands for a full five minutes without knowing it. A few weeks later, Hermione finally understood her own heart. Now, when Grindelwald could resist it no longer and kissed Hermione . (Hermione and her newfound love were snogging in the Dueling classroom, as a boatload of Slytherins slithered in.) Needless to say, Hermione accepted Gellert's proposal.
(The Slytherins had a hard time paying attention that day.)
Of course, this did change things. Dumbledore was hell bent upon, well, you can guess what it was. However, a certain Tom Riddle was adopted by certain people.
But some things did not change. Many years later, Hermione was born and attended Hogwarts.