2014
"It's ridiculous." The red-headed boy shook his head, the auburn shaggy locks flying in all directions at a brisk pace. "Harry? Ginny? Mum?" Ron turned to everyone in Dumbledore's office. We sat in the home of a thousand artifacts, all at least a hundred years old. It felt like a sanctuary once you passed the moving Gargoyles that guarded the place. Under my Gryffindor crested robes, I relaxed in my striped pajama set. It was not yet an hour before midnight when Ginny Weasley abruptly shook me from my slumber. Along side Ginerva was Harry Potter, who looked both antsy and dreadful. When I arrived at the meeting, Ronald a few minutes late, I was automatically hit with the feeling that everyone knew something I didn't. Much of the Order had shown up that night, making his office seem a little smaller than it actually was.
Harry Potter, in all of his glory, stood towards the back with Ginny right beside him with their hands interlocked. "Hermione is brave, and it's ultimately her decision if what Professor Dumbledore has said is ridiculous or not." He shrugged, his glance lingering on my face longer than it ever did before. Ginny nodded in agreement to Harry's words, going against what her brother thought was clear as day.
The Order of the Phoenix was compiled of great, brave witches and wizards. I felt the eyes of Lupin, Tonks, and Moody on me at that particular moment. In my opinion, they were the bravest- but where intellectual power was needed, people like Molly Weasley, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall were prominent. So why was I, Hermione Granger, the chosen child to complete Dumbledore's task? I was a muggleborn, thrust into the world of magic six short years before. "I understand your worries, Mr. Weasley, fully." Dumbledore stood from his high throne and leaned forwards, toward us with his fingers splayed in front of him, supporting his leaning body. "This is not a whimsical plan, I assure all of you. It has taken deep consideration, and I've finally decided that Miss Granger is completely qualified and the best suited to do this." The mission was simply deemed 'time travel'.
"Professor, correct me if I'm wrong, but are you asking me to travel back in time?" My eyebrows knitted together. Everyone knew time-traveling was dangerous. One wrong move and the whole future could end up in a more horrible catastrophe than it was currently. Not that the world could get a whole lot worse, though; Voldemort had control of the German and Norwegian Ministries, and with Britain at war currently none of us had homes. America was littered with dead bodies, Canada's borders were officially shut off for the next two years, and Scotland was the last place on Earth safe for us.
"On behalf of the Order and the Light side, I am requesting your assistance in righting this wrong that has fallen unto the Wizardry world. You could very well be the answer to all of our problems; you have the potential to be the solution." Dumbledore's words struck a chord within me… I was smart and foolishly brave, but this? Time travel? Was I really capable of reshaping the world as we knew it? I nodded, having been pulled in by his twinkling eyes. His half moon glasses were gone, only to be replaced by an onset of defined wrinkles.
"Why must it be Hermione? Why must the traveler be a girl?" Charlie Weasley questioned bluntly, his earring shining in the soft glow of the candles.
"As I have mentioned, Miss Granger is both intelligent and has proven to be worthy of honor, earning full qualification for this assignment. As for the gender part, well…" Dumbledore looked down at his desk and then back to us, "I believe everyone knows that I was a professor here at Hogwarts when Tom Riddle began his first year at twelve years old, just a tad bit over the qualifying age. But that little information made all the difference. He was always a year ahead in his thoughts, his school management, and…his affection. As a Transfiguration professor, I never made it a priority to know every student's private life, but Mr. Riddle's was always much too private for the Headmaster at the time's liking. Headmaster Dippet kept a special lookout for Tom Riddle. His study proved that few girls ever caught Riddle's attention, and they were never ventures that lasted."
I shuddered at the thought of girls swooning at Voldemort's sight. Who in their right mind could not sense pure evil from that beast- even when he was part man? "You want Hermione to seduce him then?" Ron's voice cut into the silence that, in fact, was filled with all of our unspoken thoughts. Riddle's description seemed like an average Seventh year boy, enveloped in his schoolwork and spending some time snogging- not an evil madman hell bent on ruining the world.
I winced at his vulgar words. "No, Mr. Weasley, I merely foresee that Miss Granger will better connect with the young Tom Riddle in the event that she is a female." Mrs. Weasley and Tonks nodded, as if they knew exactly what Dumbledore was saying. Ron still shook his head, muttering profanities in a whisper. "I am going to send you with a letter that you are to hand deliver to the 1940's version of myself, but only once you have received a certain trinket from Tom Riddle. I cannot elaborate on what this trinket will be and neither can you allow your true identity to be revealed to myself before such a thing happens."
Molly Weasley cleared her throat and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "How long will sweet Hermione have?" she looked over at me with a dear smile. I noticed her rain boots still dripping, and her casual clothes extra starched. Molly was a woman that took care of her family, and all of the friends that came along with it. Harry and I were some of them- "the best of them!" as she once put it. To know Molly Weasley was to know a real woman, a real mother, a real saint.
"There is no timeframe. Up until he splits his soul- that is when you must take action." He looked directly at me. "Putting you into the past, adding your name to the seventh year Class of 1944, the next meal you choose- it all affects the future, Miss Granger. One wrong move and your future will be forever muddled. Also, the letter to myself will have the necessary requirements to send you back here to your appropriate time."
"And what do you mean by muddled?" I questioned my fear. Could I truly erase myself from existence in some way? It was so morbidly fascinating to consider.
He sighed and sat back down whilst his hand stroked his long, grey beard thoughtfully. "Once I cast the spell on you, your body will leave to 1944 almost like apparition, just to another time. Even though we are using time travel to fix our… problem, I could not do the same to another problem if something goes amiss in your mission. This spell can only be cast once-"
"Because if I die or cause the death of another that I wasn't supposed to, you putting me back in time would have never happened." I filled in the blanks, my mind clearing up the fog that settled when Ron began doubting Dumbledore's plans. Dumbledore proudly smiled and nodded. "Will I have any allies? Anyone to turn to?" I asked worriedly. "Who am I to trust?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes indeed, Miss Granger, you are spot on as per usual. It should be no problem avoiding your grandparents, or any other relatives in that time seeing as they are both muggles. But, as I have stated before, I have full belief in you." Professor McGonagall quietly agreed, while other murmurs of approval filled the room. "As for an ally, I have prepared a certain student for your sudden appearance. Her name is Lavinia Brocklehurst, and she was by far the smartest witch of her time. Also one of the few star pupils of that time to be void of any allegiances to Tom Riddle." He swallowed throatily before looking at with grave orbs of an old blue. "She will know of your situation, but she will not be able to tell another soul; I promise, that when the time is right, and only then, Miss Brocklehurst will approach you and become your greatest ally. As far as trusting… I advise you to trust no one. Think of this as a solitary mission- no one is what they seem, and it may be startling at first."
I summoned the strength to think it over, but my thoughts automatically went somewhere else… somewhere dark. I knew all about realizing people weren't what they seemed to be.
Three Months Before-
"Have you no morals?" I screeched at Ron, deflecting an onslaught of hexes. The Death Eaters were gaining in closer on us. It was Ron's bright idea to infiltrate the Death Eater post in Moscow, where I promised myself I would never go. Draco Malfoy controlled everything that went in and out of that camp; he ran it like a ship- always constant, clean, and completely under his control. I knew he was too risky to fight with, or overthrow for that matter. Like Ron, I wanted to absolutely crush Malfoy and all of his followers, to avenge our lives of misery at Hogwarts and our few first months as Auror Trainees in the War. Now, almost every member of Dumbledore's Army and The Order were fully qualified Aurors. "We can't do this!" I screeched at him, huddling behind the large Oak tree for protection. He dodged out from behind his bush and threw dozens of curses.
The differences between Ron and I were many, mostly being our patience levels. Harry and Snape journeyed off to catch a lead on another Horcruxe, leaving Ron to think he could whatever he pleased while they were away. Dumbledore didn't quite agree with Ronald's "brilliant" plan, but since Ron was an appointed General, there wasn't much arguing when he had already convinced the others that this would work. But at the moment where he and I were backed into a small cove, the others having attacked the busy capital from different angles, I hated Ronald for having no sense when he needed it most.
There was another major difference. I would never use an Unforgivable curse. I blocked out the rest of his mantra and left the comfort of the trees. That was the fourth time he used that curse in the last hour. How many did he want to kill with that horrible curse? We were here to capture and imprison, not murder!
I aimed my wand and shouted a little-known curse that caused your clothing to incinerate and cause the victim feel as if they were burning alive, also- a hallucinogen tenfold. I lifted my wand and cast it again on the same group, this time flicking my wrist a little harder for a greater effect. "Flamme Aturo!" I did the same to another cluster. This curse lasted awhile, and it eventually paralyzed the brain of its victim for a few days. Due to the lack of serious side-affects and very few fatalities, it was a legal curse. That was another difference between him and me. I took time to cast legal, effective spells rather than rambling off mindless curses that came with a life-sentence to Azkaban. I hated Ron for that.
"There!" I saw him point to a group of flying broomsticks that emitted golden smoke, signally the approach of Azkaban officers and the Ministries lackeys. Leaving this mess to them, we dodged the trees and undergrowth of the shadowy north part of Moscow. It was snowing heavily and the trees, including bushes and flower stems, were bare as the night.
Of what I could still remember all of those months ago, I faintly recall Ronald taking my hand and pulling me into a warehouse-type building. Everything looked and smelled bran new. "Keep quiet-" He didn't finish his sentence before a swift paralyzing curse was placed unto him. I squealed like a bleeding pig and shot into the dark.
"Granger, please." Draco Malfoy's voice cut into the air. I heard his footsteps near my hiding place and struggled to keep my panting silent. Easy breathing was gone. I was an unsuspecting victim when he bent down and yanked me to a standing position by my hair.
"Poor Weasley always had a big mouth." He shrugged nonchalantly and took me with him to a rather large room, with no windows and paper scattered everywhere. "Your little weasel boyfriend thought it smart to ravage all of my belongings first. How stupid! All he did was give my men time to prepare." Malfoy chuckled and tossed me carelessly on a seat. For good measure, he snatched the wand from my hand and ordered a nonverbal spell to lock the door. He turned his back to me and began going through paper, grabbing some and stuffing them in his expensive carry on.
"What are you doing?" I eyed him critically. He captured me, and only took me to his office a hallway away from my petrified boyfriend, that would be waking in the next hour? It didn't make sense. "You're not going to kill me." It was more of a statement rather than a question. "You could have done that instead of petrifying Ron. You could have done a lot worse things to him than-"
"Are you trying to encourage me?" He sneered and stuffed a few articles from the table into his bag. "I'm collecting important things from my former office. I give those Ministry goons fifteen minutes to locate this spot and move in. All I can tell you is that Weasel has some things to do before a Death Eater finally kills him. Imagine if I had been just another Eater- I would have killed your little boyfriend, given you just enough time to slip away." He rolled his eyes at the prospect. "All a prophecy, Granger. I'm not supposed to kill you. Not this way, not this time, not me. In the higher power that believes in an end to this war, I don't believe I am suppose to murder you or that Weasley." I didn't buy his act, but I didn't question him any further. I merely allowed him to keep packing. "Count this as my paying you back for saving my life in fifth year against that nasty Centaur attack. If we cross paths again, I will only assume that it is my destiny to kill you, and so I will." He approached me and lifted me up by my hand; soft, like a gentleman's touch. I was caught in the moment and walked out into the hall.
He thrust my wand into my hands and kicked Ron for good measure. I was going to pull out my wand in a stance, when he flicked his wand and caused both of my arms to feel like lead, dropping my wand to the hard, linoleum floor. "Goodbye, Granger. I do hope, for your life, that we never see each other again."
I snapped back to the present time and stood from where I sat. "I will do it, Dumbledore. I will travel back in time to halt Riddle's madness and his 'decontamination' of my kind." He nodded, almost having had expected my compliance. "I will do everything in my power to make sure Voldemort stays human as long as possible. And I will make it back here to you all." I forced a tight-lipped smile on my lips as I looked around the room and then settled on Ronald. He didn't know me anymore, and I sure as hell didn't know him. This world was quickly going to hell- I could be the solution to all of our troubles, whatever that meant.