Disclaimer: Not J.K Rowling
Summery: Hermione has to discover a way to go back and change the past, therefore changing the future. Pairings: Canon except HP/OC.
Hermione was desperate. Her world had ended 10 months, 3 days and 6 hours ago. Everything she ever loved was gone. She had ended her relationship with Ron 4 months ago because there was no chance of anything working out and she cared too much about him to see him tortured and killed because of her and vice versa he assured her. She had lost all contact with him a month ago. She was in hiding and last week, Kingsley sent a speaking patronus saying that all members of the Order of the Phoenix had to lose contact. There was too high a risk of being discovered. She was living in a bungalow in east London; she had Obliviated the owners into forgetting about their property and they bought another. So she lived there, and hurried out every day, scared that she would be caught by passing Vermin Control. She kept up a routine- the only thing keeping her sane, up at 6 am, breakfast by 6:30, washed up by 7. She listened to the radio which was always carefully tuned into OrderNewsformely Potterwatch for two hours. She ran out for food and she carefully made her way through town, picking her way about, in disguise. She was back home after that. She read books through the afternoon, and at 6 in the afternoon, she would sit in her makeshift office and she would plot a way- any way to get herself out of the mess she was in. This night, 1st March she had found her solution. It was so deliciously simple; she had no idea why she had not figured it out before.
What Hermione had been doing was piecing together what had happened that night. She had a simple formula in her head and on paper. She had the outcome on one side and now she needed to know the events that, added together would give her the correct answer. She had worked harder than she had ever worked before, calculating. She had realised, that if the events to have unfolded as they had, then there would have had to have had some sort of intervention. She was certain of it. Hermione was certain that Harry would not have walked into a trap, and she was sure that Dumbledore, for all his fault would have had a plan of action and wouldn't have let Harry go out unprepared. Harry must have realised that the chain of events that led up to the Battle of Hogwarts were doomed to failure. He would never have allowed the wizarding world to fall into the hands of Voldemort, he cared too much. Voldemort knew that if he killed Harry, the wizarding world would be his, he would have won. So it was impossible, in theory for Harry to have run into a battle he was destined to lose, as Lord Voldemort kept saying.
"And the Potter boy, forever a hindrance, decided to run. After I caught him I attempted to kill him, it did not work. He decided to play dead, the Malfoy woman helped him. She was punished and severely. We brought him to the castle and he attempted to duel me. I beat him, being much more powerful than the boy." Voldemort's announcement directly after the battle.
She took a deep breath in. After months of work, she had a pretty good idea who had helped in his downfall. She had decided to take matters into her own hands, and chosen not to inform the Order. She knew that they would not allow her to fulfil her wishes; she knew they would tell her to move on, that it was not worth the risk. She knew better. As she reached the of her work, and knew the answer, she could see any more time spent working on it was pure procrastination. She remembered Harry's words about wasting time, and she knew this was just like breaking into the ministry. She had the image of the woman she would need to speak to. She took a deep breath and brought out the flask of Polyjuice Potion she had brewed. She looked at the long black hair, not at all dissimilar to the hair of Bellatrix Lestrange she had once added to Polyjuice Potion. She now knew for sure whose hair it was, not wanting to have a cat face (or tail) ever again, not only because it would be unattractive, but because she would be unable to seek any help from any healer due to her status as a wanted Mudblood and her strong ties to Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore which was now punishable by death. She added the hair into the potion, and watched as the potion turned a dark, unfathomable, velvety green. She gagged as she swallowed the foul tasting mixture. She rose in height, and her hair grew and became dark and smooth. She was pretty and had a willowy figure. Her eyes were as bright and determined as ever. The light and happiness in them had not been seen for nearly three years. Hermione changed into black clothes, typical of the clothes the girl in the mirror would normally wear. Hermione gently fingered the dark mark proudly emblazoned on the flesh of her arm, trying to imagine the pain of having it put there.
She looked at the determined look on the girl's face. She knew where to go. She had to pay Eva Fitzpatrick's house a visit.
A/N Please R&R. Will review your story (stories if I have time) if you review mine. Constructive criticism allowed no flames please.
