Chapter 1: Hope

Disclaimer: I own nothing..except the plot. Don't sue me please. You won't get anything but some nice clothes and lots of shoes. That's all I've got.

Authors note: This story is being written alongside many others right now. Be prepared for frequent stops in this journey. I would just also like to point out that every time you see a sentence in italics it's a thought from one of the characters. I'm not going to write he thought or she thought every time. I think it ruins the effect.

Chapter 1: Hope

Taken from the diary of Hermione Granger:

September 1, 1997
Today was the start of my final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have taken many classes this year. Perhaps more than I took in my third year. I just can't stand the thought of leaving Hogwarts without taking everything it has to offer. Ron and Harry have both called me exceedingly senseless but I feel if it doesn't make sense to them then it's probably the best thing to do.

The load of class work has me worried though. Professor McGonagall gave me a time turner again to allow me to attend all of my extra classes. The classes I took were; Ancient Runes, History of Magic, Advanced Arithmancy, Advanced Potions, Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Charms, Herbology, Care of Magical Creature, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies. Basically, I've taken every class Hogwarts provides except flying.

I may feel a little worn out by the end of the term but I have every confidence in myself. I have confidence in me as the song goes that mother used to sing to me as a small girl looking brightly to the future. As long as I pass my N.E.W.T.'s I'll be happy. I plan on attending the Bullford Universitate of Magical Maladies next fall. I hope I'll get accepted. I've already drafted an essay for the application. Well, Crookshanks is asking to be fed so my dear Journal I guess I must be off for tonight.

Hopefully,

Hermione J. Granger

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Taken from the diary of Hermione Granger:

September 23, 1997

Oh goodness, it's been a long time since I've wrote to you my dear Journal. Well, firstly, my school days are jammed pack and my weekends are left for homework and studying. I hardly have time for Ron and Harry. I've been an absolute prat to them. Ron has twice told me I am foolishly dimwitted and nonsensical in all things logical. I do believe he has spent too much time with the pretty Ravenclaw girl in sixth year. I don't know her name. I feel bad, of course, but my school work is more important. Being friends with the famous Harry Potter may get a girl into tabloids but it won't get a girl into university.

My time-turner is malfunctioning! Just my luck. Today I turned it back just one hour and got sent back four. I don't want to tell Professor McGonagall though. She will probably take it from me and I will have to drastically cut down my courses, which is something I could not bear. The thought of not over achieving sickens me. It is the only one in the school. I just can't do that. It would be dreadful. Well I'm late for Potions. Professor Snape is going to be angry. Of course, he always has a snoot on his face like he smells pungent farts all day. Ha. Maybe he does the poor man is middle aged he could have bad indigestion. Maybe I'll just set my time-turner back for ten minutes and I won't be late. Yes, that seems good to me.

Hopefully,

Hermione J Granger

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Severus looked around the classroom at the dunderheads who had made it to N.E.W.T.'s level potions. All of the faces he could recall and had to endure for the last six years. Nevertheless they would be gone soon and he'd never have to breathe their foul smell of undesired knowledge again.

The class was rather small. Of course, it was small every year. The students in the Advanced Potions class had to pass a test in order to be submitted into the class. Snape made sure the test was hard. He had spent weeks perfecting the test after his first year of teaching Advanced Potions. Every apothecary equation and double named ingredient was in the exam. The test was used to weed out the men from the boys so to speak. This was his favorite class of the year. If he did have a favorite class he still very much doubted he did.

As he was looking around the room his mind registered the numbskulls sitting silently before him and there were many to be sure. There was the boy-who-wouldn't-just-go-away Harry Potter. Oh how he hated him. The feeling was mutual of course. Severus couldn't care less if the little four eyed puke liked him or not. He certainly didn't lose any sleep over it. Severus looked at his class roster and sure enough the Potter brat was on the list. It was the third week of classes but he checked every day just in case the Gods decided to give him a break. Yeah right never in your lifetime old man.

He continued checking through his roster. He had scribbled a few of the names quickly as if even writing them would cause his hand to catch fire. Each time he checked the roster his head would pop up to scout the room for the following student. The last name on the list was the Gryffindor know-it-all Hermione Granger. He rolled his eyes. She like Potter was a thorn in his side that he wished would disappear from his existence. There was no denying she was utterly brilliant anyone with half an ounce of wit could determine that but she liked to showcase her intelligence in an utterly unamusing, annoying nails on the chalkboard kind of way.

Severus looked up and his eyes explored the class room for her frizzy hair. And frizzy it most certainly was. Severus surmised bitterly amusing himself that the witch must scrub her hair with a brillo pad daily to keep the rats nest in check.

On the first try he did not see her. She was not someone to be overlooked. She always wore the same cheeky eager expression that he found completely repulsive. Brat. He quickly researched the room and once again found that she was missing. Not exactly who I wanted gone but it'll do. He thought nastily sparing a glance towards the heavens.

"Mr. Potter," Snape began roughly, "Where is the other half of your ménage trois?"

"I don't know, sir" Harry said sheepishly looking down to his notebook.

He really didn't know where Hermione was. It was not like her to skip class. Ever. He had seen in her the common room before he had left for class. She had been sitting at the back table scribbling in her journal that Ron and he had bought her for Christmas a few years ago as a joint present since neither one of them were able to afford a gift alone. She usually wrote in the journal in the free period before Potions.

They were going to go down together but she had left at the last minute and told Harry she would meet him here. He had not questioned her because she had been acting a little funny since the beginning of the term. He had figured it was just the upset of the war and NEWT's.

Snape rolled his eyes at Harry and stalked towards his desk. It was cluttered with various papers and tests and books and journals and anything you could possibly think of that a potions professor might need. He took out his daily House Point parchment, which he took extra special care of, and began scribbling on it.

"Mr. Potter, inform your fellow Gryffindor's and Miss Granger that five points have been taken from your House because of her absence. Now let's begin."

Snape pulled down the black chalkboard and with a flick of his wand notes began to form. They were in his own handwriting of course. The class groaned silently and the lesson continued uninterrupted. All that could be heard was the scribbling of quills and the racking of young minds.

Once the class was finished Snape dismissed the class and went to his fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and headed for the Headmasters office.

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Dumbledore was just entering his office when Severus stepped out of the fireplace. He brushed the soot from his shoulders and waited for Dumbledore to offer him a chair. The Headmaster smiled at the younger wizard and immediately motioned for Severus to take a seat. Albus conjured a tea pot and poured Severus and himself a glass. Severus never knew why Albus poured himself a cup of tea. He was after all a ghost. Albus had always insisted that it was for warmth and being dead was always so cold.

"Lemon drop?"

He held out a gold plated candy dish encrusted with garnets. Severus simply held up his hand and shook his head no. Dumbledore took his chair behind his desk and waited for Severus to begin.

"Headmaster, I wanted to discuss with you the absence of one of your beloved Gryffindor's, Miss Granger. She was not in my class today and whilst I was exceedingly elevated by her absence I must express concern. This is the first time she has ever missed my class or any class for that matter. I know the insufferable girl well enough to believe something is wrong."

Severus finished and the Headmaster just simply smiled. Severus scowled at the old wizard. He could tell something was definitely up.

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Hermione woke up lying in the Hospital wing. The bed was plastic covered and not very comfortable. She looked around for someone but to her surprise no one was there. No Ron or Harry or Madam Pomfrey. She had a momentary feeling of abandonment. She tried to sit up and realized her body ached worse than it ever had before. She tried to think of the last thing she could remember. She remembered sitting in the common room and writing in her diary. She had been late Potions so she had decided to set her time turner back ten minutes. It was the simplest of tasks and yet that was the last thing she remembered.

She looked around the room again. Something was out of place but she just couldn't figure out what it was. Everything was right and yet everything was wrong. Suddenly, she heard clattering to her left and very slowly turned her head towards the noise.

Even the minor movement caused a searing of pain throughout her neck. She reached up involuntarily to cradle her head in her hand. She saw Madam Pomfrey enter through her office door. She looked different. Her hair wasn't gray but a dark mahogany. The medi-witch wasn't as plump either. Hermione scolded herself. I must have hit my head harder than I thought.

Madam Pomfrey made her way over towards Hermione. She hadn't noticed the young girl was awake yet which just showed how much the elder witch was paying attention since Hermione was sitting straight up in her bed with her head cradle in her hand. Hermione made a small gasping sound to catch the older woman's attention. It worked.

"Oh my heavens child I hadn't realized you were awake." Poppy tutted as she fussed over the girl. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"I'm very sore. Do you know what happened?"

Madam Pomfrey gave her a sheepish look and continued briskly with her medi-witch duties. Hermione who had been smiling now frowned and tried to catch the woman's eyes but failed to do so.

"I was hoping you could tell me. According to Mr. Black you seem to appear out of thin air."

"Mr. Black? You mean Sirius? He was here in the castle?" Hermione said her eyes wide and filling with tears. Her good friend and Harry's godfather Sirius had been killed two years prior.

"Yes, dear, that's exactly who I mean. Sirius Black the same seventh year Gryffindor."

Hermione looked up at Poppy amazed. Surely, she has gone mad. Or maybe I have. Seventh year? She thought to herself. In the middle of Hermione's mustering the door opened and a young Albus Dumbledore walked in. Hermione's eyes glazed over as she stared at him. He was very alive and very well.

He approached her with the same twinkling that he had had before Professor Snape had been forced to kill him much against his will she might add. The ghost Dumbledore just didn't have the same twinkle although he tried.

"I see our little mysterious young woman is awake. How are you feeling dear?"

"Other than being very sore I'm fine sir"

"Well Miss..." he paused not knowing her name which quickly told him. "Well Miss Granger, one of our seventh year Gryffindor's found you in the Gryffindor Common Room. According to Mr. Black, he was sitting on the couch staring at the fire contemplating life" At this Dumbledore's smiled knowing very well that Sirius had probably been thinking up another prank" and you just happened to appear in his lap. I do believe he was quite pleased where you chose to make your entrance. Do you know how you got here Miss Granger?"

"First of all, sir, I don't know where here is and secondly no I don't know. I was in the common room and I was late for a class. That was the last thing I remember." She lied.

Dumbledore searched through his pockets and finally managed to pull out the time turner. It had rusted as though it had been sitting out in the rain for years well twenty years to be exact.

"This was found with in your hand. Do you know what it is Miss Granger?"

Hermione bowed her head looking guilty. No one could ever fool Professor Dumbledore she should have known better.

"Yes sir, it is my time turner."

"Am I correct in guessing you're from a different time?" Dumbledore said. His eyes never lost their twinkle.

"Yes, sir. The day I was late for my class was September 23, 1997. I can only guess this is 1977. Am I right sir?"

Dumbledore just looked at her for a moment his eyes held warmth and nothing else.

"Yes you are quite correct. Now all we need to do now is figure out what to do with you. Of course, we do not want the true nature of your situation known to the entire school. I must impress the seriousness of this request, Miss Granger. If the students were to know you were a girl from the future they will, of course, do everything in their power to manipulate you into telling them. This must remain a secret. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir"

"Good. Now I think as far as schooling is concern you were already sorted into Gryffindor house in your own time; you shall remain there. Now what classes were you taking?"

"All of them except flying." Hermione stated proudly. Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock.

"Good gracious Miss Granger. I'm sorry but you will not be able to take all of the classes on the list here. You can keep all of your N.E.W.T.'s level classes."

Hermione bowed her head in defeat. She really had been looking forward to taking all those classes. Sometimes she had the worst luck.

"Yes, sir" she mumbled.

"Very well, if Madam Pomfrey feels you are well enough to leave the hospital wing I believe it is time to return to Gryffindor tower and get acquainted with your new classmates." He rose to leave.

"Professor Dumbledore" Hermione said softly to stop him. He turned to face her. His eyes were sad as if he knew what she was going to ask. "Am I going to be able to go back?"

"Right now Miss Granger I'm afraid not. We haven't the means to send you back. Here in 1976 we do not have time turners that turn back years only hours."

Hermione sighed and bowed her head. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She heard movement beside her but didn't bother to lift her head. Dumbledore had moved to stand beside her. When she didn't look up at him he laid his gentle hand on her shoulder and she looked up.

"Do not give up hope Miss Granger for hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all."

With these parting words he quickly left the room leaving Hermione to finish her examination with Poppy who gave her the clearance to leave. Hermione jumped off the bed and slowly walked out of the hospital wing. Her entire body hurt and her eyes ached with tears waiting to be spilled. She could only think of Harry and Ron but most of all her parents. She hadn't even got to say goodbye to anyone. If she ever made it out of this mess she was going straight home and tell her parents how much she loved and appreciated them. She was going to quit studying all the time and spend as much time with Harry and Ron as she could.

When she entered the Gryffindor common room there first person she saw was James Potter. It was true what everyone always said about father and son, they were identical in every way except for the eyes. She looked to the next face and glimpsed the blue eyes of Lily Potter. Her tears immediately began to spill over. She put her head in hands and ran towards the girls dormitories.

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Ok that's the end of chapter one. Please do not think that this story is going to be a cliché time turner fic because it's not. I don't want it to be. You'll see what I mean soon enough. I would like to say that the quote about hope is from Emily Dickenson. Also please please please read and review. PLEASE REVIEW! I don't care what you have to say. Don't be a smuck and read my story without saying something about it. I would like at least five reviews for now. 5 people that's pretty good. Alright well I got a winterguard competition tomorrow so I'm out. I hope my girls win tomorrow. GO KARNS CITY!!