A Christmas Carol: Harry Potter Style Prologue

Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her. "And what are you two doing?" he added, catching sight of Harry and Ron on the path ahead.

"Oh, nothing Professor," Harry shrugged as he turned around and walked back toward the Great Hall, Ron in toe.

"I know you're up to something Potter," Snape sneered to his retreating figure. And indeed he was right, Harry was up to something. He walked up to Hermione and faced Viktor Krum.

"Erm, Viktor, Could I talk to Hermione for a minute?" Harry asked politely. Krum nodded sullenly and walked over to dance with a Beaubaxtons student. Hermione looked at Harry questionably.

"I was, ah, wondering if you had ever read the muggle novel 'A Christmas Carol'?" Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"By Charles Dickens? Why of course I have! Why ever did you ask?" Hermione saw a glint in his eye.

"I've never read it myself, but I've seen a couple of movie adaptions. Next question, do you still have your timeturner?" Harry asked the last part in an undertone.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

Harry shrugged, "I just wanted to borrow it, and research it."

"At this time of night?" Hermione was suspicious, it was about 9 o'clock.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed happily, Hermione walked over to Ron and gave him a questioning look. He shrugged.

"Hey, isn't that Madam Pince?" Harry asked, looking at the strict librarian dancing with. . .Filch.

"Yes, it is!" Hermione said shocked.

"Good, let's go. Ron, we're going to the library," Harry started walking towards the door, where Hermione and Ron caught up with him. Little did they realise there was a shadow in the distance following them to their destination.

Once they reached the restricted section, Harry skimmed his finger over the book spines, pulling out a large tome on the physics of time travel. Hermione then stated that she would go and get the small, gold device from her dormitory, and quickly walked out of the dark library. Harry looked at the contents page and opened it up to page 78.

'Advancing the Time Difference of a Time Turner.'