This is my first time-travel fic. The memories of Harry's are from prompts on Tumblr and not mine. As always, I unfortunately do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 1 - Memories
Hermione always knew Harry's home-life had not been great, but seeing it now, through his eyes, her heart broke. She saw memories that Harry had probably never shared with anyone, memories Dumbledore was showing her as he attempted to convince her to go back and save them all, to change it all.
Hermione found herself standing in the kitchen of Privet Drive. She saw two young babies in high chairs, and a younger Petunia standing by the stove over a pot.
"Mama mama mama" chanted young Dudley, banging his spoon on the tray attached to his high chair. Harry could not have been more than a year and a half old, it must have been shortly after he had arrived at Privet Drive. He looked at Dudley with his soft, curious green eyes.
"Ma?" Harry echoed Dudley, turning his face towards where Petunia stood. As Hermione watched, Petunia's back stiffened, and she whipped around.
"What did you say?" she whispered looking straight at Harry.
"Ma...ma.." Harry tried again, a bubbly smile crossing his face as he looked at her. Petunia walked swiftly to Harry, and gave his cheek a firm, rough pinch.
"I am not your mother you little orphan brat" she growled. Harry looked at the anger and disdain on her face, and his young face looked confused, before he began to cry. "Enough," Petunia growled. She lifted his highchair and removed him from the kitchen. Hermione followed as she placed him in the hall and walked back to the kitchen, closing the door behind her. Her heart broke as she looked at young Harry and the tears still shining on his cheeks, she moved to brush them away but instead found herself surrounded by swirling clouds of grey.
When the world settled around her again, Hermione found herself in what looked to be a preschool. She looked around and easily spotted Harry, sitting at a table off by himself. He looked up, and gazed sadly across the room. Hermione followed his gaze and saw Dudley surrounded by a group of children, all laughing and pointing at Harry. She felt a tear fall down her cheek and strode over to Harry. She looked over his shoulder and smiled sadly when she noticed what he was drawing. There were four stickmen on the sheet, one had a jet black bob on its head, which she knew was supposed to be hair, while the other three sticks had yellow hair, a slightly brighter shade than the Dursley's she had met.
"Dudley, your mom is here" Hermione watched as Harry quickly scribbled on the top of the picture, my family it read. Harry dropped the crayon on the table and ran to meet Petunia. Hermione followed along as they drove home, she saw how Harry hid the paper under his shirt, like he was waiting for something. Time passed and Hermione followed Harry to his cupboard where the four-year-old grabbed his toy soldier. He set the drawing beside him.
"Maybe this will make them like me again Frank" Harry spoke softly to his soldier, tilting him as if he could see the picture. "I know they aren't my mom and dad, but they're all I have." Hermione heard the door slam, and a short while later, the bang on the cupboard door.
"Dinner time boy, hurry up," came the gruff voice. Harry grabbed the picture and quickly proceeded to the dinner table. The Dursley's soon sat in their chairs, and Petunia placed plates in front of them all. Vernon began to eat and then Petunia looked across at Harry, who had not yet moved, and was still looking at Vernon with something akin to hope beginning to glow in his eyes.
"Well what is it Harry? What are you hiding in your hands" Petunia asked exasperated. Harry looked at her, then back at Vernon. He placed the picture in front of Vernon, a shy smile crossing his face, his gaze never wandering.
"I drew it in class today, I thought maybe it could go on the fridge with Dudley's pictures" Harry said gently. As Hermione watched Vernon took the picture and stood up from the table. He walked over to the garbage can, and Hermione felt her anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. Vernon turned back, looked directly at Harry, and tore the picture up, letting the bits fall into the trash.
"You thought wrong." He spoke coldly, returning to his seat and his dinner. Harry's eyes filled with tears, and he looked at his aunt. Hermione thought she saw a hint of remorse in Petunia's eyes, but it was soon replaced by a sneer.
"May I be excused," Harry asked, voice breaking, "I'm not that hungry."
"Fine, but don't expect anything later if you can't eat your dinner." As Harry slid from his chair and back towards his cupboard, the world around Hermione once more became indistinct.
Hermione reappeared in the garden, what appeared to be the same year, but closer to Spring instead of the Autumn. Looking around, she found Harry squatting in the flower bed under the window. He had a collection of flowers in his hand, all petunias Hermione noticed. Once Harry deemed he had enough flowers he turned and walked into the house. Hermione followed him into the kitchen, where Petunia appeared to be making sandwiches for lunch. Harry walked up and tugged gently on her shirt. Petunia looked down and turned to face him, and Harry handed her the flowers. Petunia took them, a look of disgust crossing her face as she felt the dirt still on the roots.
"Happy mother's day," Harry spoke hesitantly, as if not daring to hope she would welcome the present. He peeked up at her from under a fringe of his hair. Petunia bent down to his level, and Hermione watched the hope blossom in his eyes, and the brilliant smile that cascaded across his face as he thought she was going to thank him.
"Where did you get these?"
"From the flower bed. I heard Uncle Vernon telling Dudley he was going to pick you up some flowers on the way home for mother's day, and I wanted to get you something too."
"From my flower bed?" Harry nodded, smiling excitedly that he hadn't been yelled at. "You mean to tell me that you want me to be happy that you pulled up the flowers I spent hours planting," Harry's brow furrowed and he seemed to realise that maybe he had made a mistake,
"I'm sorry Auntie Tuney-"
"Don't call me that" Petunia shrieked, her face going white. "Do not use that name, I am your Aunt Petunia" she stressed the full name. "You know what, I think you get to fix the mess you made" she growled. She grabbed Harry by the back of his shirt and dragged him out the front door. She dropped him at the flower bed and went and grabbed her tools from the shed. She tossed the flowers at Harry's feet.
"You best find a way to make it look the same before your Uncle gets home if you know what's good for you," she dropped the tools by him too and turned back to the house, leaving Harry on his own. Hermione watched as Harry looked after Petunia, a lost look filling his eyes. His eyes filled with tears, and Hermione watched as the flowers replanted themselves, before the scene faded away.
This time the scene was in the Dursley's living room. Judging by the photos on the mantle place, Hermione assumed that a few years had passed. Her sadness was at its breaking point when she noticed that none of the photos had Harry in them, by all appearances, only three people lived in this household.
"Petunia it's time for the photo, the photographer is here" Vernon's voice rang out. Hermione turned towards the sound and noticed the man in question heading into the room, trailed by a now 9-year-old Dudley and a man who must have been the photographer. Petunia followed shortly after. Hermione noticed Harry standing in the hall, looking in longingly. He entered the room stealthily; none of the Dursley's noticing him as he scampered onto the back of the sofa.
"Alright young man, move in a little closer to the rest of the family" the photographer spoke.
"Closer? Dudley is already squeezed between us, how much closer do you want him?" Vernon asked impatiently. The photographer rolled his eyes.
"Not the blonde one, the dark haired one." Vernon's head whipped around and Hermione saw his eyes bug at the boy sitting above Dudley's head. Vernon grabbed his shirt and carried him out of the room, dropping him unceremoniously on the floor.
"You are not welcome in our family photos Potter. They are of my family, not you, you ungrateful brat." Vernon slammed the door behind him, and once more the scene went grey.
Hermione found herself sitting on Harry's bed in the cupboard while he sat at the desk, playing with the toy soldier from all those years ago. The 10-year-old reached up and brushed a spider from his shoulder.
"Maybe this year Frank. Maybe this year I was good enough. Can you imagine? It doesn't have to be much, even another toy soldier, then we can have battles. Anything is better than a coat hanger again. Maybe this is the year. I've been really good, so maybe they'll get me another toy soldier for my birthday."
"You've made your point," Hermione screamed, looking up to where she hoped the Professor could see her from the pensieve, "No more, please I don't want to see anymore." The world faded to grey around her.
When Hermione's surroundings settled again, she realized that she was back in the headmaster's office. She looked past McGonagall's head to where Dumbledore's portrait was.
"You've made your point, Harry's childhood was horrible, he deserved so much more than what he got," Hermione's mind drifted back to her deceased best friend. "But he won the war for us, and you know the consequences of messing with time Professor, you are the one who told me I could never be seen when I was using one in my third year. Bad things happen to those that mess with time you said."
"You call this war won Miss Granger? There were so many losses, on both sides. The war went on too long. Sometimes dire paths must be taken in order to right the wrongs that have been made. I have run all the arithmancy for it and it's the only way to minimize casualties. It's only you who can succeed in this. If I send anyone else, the mission will fail, and time will be changed for the worst. You can do it. You can change the past and give Harry a proper family. You can make sure your best friends never die. You can make sure young Teddy will never be an orphan. You can save your parents. You can save us all. I know what I am asking of you, you will never be able to come back to this time, you will remain stuck in the past. But I also know that you are the only one I can entrust this mission to." Hermione looked at him, as if searching for another option, and felt her shoulders slump as she sensed the truth in his words.
"I'll do it" she said gently. She felt McGonagall's hand on her shoulder and looked back up to meet her old Headmaster's eyes. "Tell me what to do."
Hermione spent the next two weeks preparing for her journey, locked up in Hogwarts with the headmaster. She created a notebook and recorded the deaths of all the order members, looked at what missions the order did successfully and which they didn't. She created a timeline within the notebook of all the important events of the past including when Voldemort would have created his horcruxes, what they were, and where they were hidden. Hermione learned spells well beyond anything she had ever seen from Dumbledore's collection. Hermione had already mastered Occlumency, having decided to learn alongside Harry, but Dumbledore showed her how to perform Legilimency as well. Hermione had packed her bag with various books she thought she would need, including one with the Wolfsbane potion. When Dumbledore felt she was ready, Hermione asked for one more night, to which he agreed. She left the stuff she would need in his office, and taking just her wand, apparated to the Burrow.
"Molly?" her voice carried in the quiet house. When she received no response, Hermione walked towards a specific tree by the lake, a tree she knew too well. She fell to her knees at its base and let her fingers run over the gravestones.
Here lies Harry Potter; saviour of the wizarding world, beloved friend, and brother. Died to protect his loved ones
Here lies Ron Weasley; beloved son, brother, and friend. Died the way he would have wanted, protecting the woman he loved
Here lies Fred Weasley; beloved son, brother, twin, and friend, went out laughing
Here lies Ginny Weasley; beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Died peacefully in her sleep after a long battle with a mortal curse
Hermione's tears fell freely. "I'm going to save you all, I promise."
"Hermione?" she turned her head and saw George approaching. He had never been the same since Fred died, and still only talked to a few people. Hermione knew it had only been a few months since the battle, but somehow she knew that without Fred, George would never be whole again, and that only strengthened her resolve to do what she knew she must.
"Hey Georgie, I was just, well, saying goodbye. I guess I should tell you too. Dumbledore is sending me back in time. So I can fix all this. I'm going to save them all. I promise you George"
George turned pale, "Hermione you can't leave me. Please, Merlin, please stay." Hermione's heartstrings tugged, after the battle George and Hermione had turned to each other for comfort, they had become each other's best friends.
"You won't even notice George, if I succeed, none of this will happen and you'll have Freddie back and another Hermione, one who's whole," Hermione's tears fell rapidly, and George reached out and wiped them away.
"I'm not going to convince you to stay, am I?" George looked at her with his sad, sad eyes, but she knew she couldn't break her resolve. She knew if she spoke her voice would break, so instead she shook her head gently. "Then be safe Hermione, don't you dare die back there. You kill the bastard and stay safe. Please" Hermione looked up at him with tear filled eyes,
"I promise I'll try George, I promise to try." She looked up at him with tear filled eyes and George pulled her tightly to him in a bone-crushing hug, which Hermione quickly returned.
"Don't tell your mom, unless nothing changes, then tell her where I went, but I'm hoping that this reality will cease to exist, that you will all be happy. Okay?"
"You can do it 'Mione. I believe in you." Hermione nodded, and then pulled away.
"Well, I guess it's time to be off. I just came to say goodbye." George nodded sadly. Hermione stood on tiptoe, and kissed him quickly on the cheek before she apparated back to Hogsmeade. Hermione returned to Hogwarts and walked back up to her common room. It was the end of August, the children would be returning soon, she noted in her mind dully. Instead of the girl's dormitory, Hermione walked up to the boy's dormitory, and found Harry's bed.
"Oh Harry," she whispered sadly, "I'm going to change it all, you'll have a better life, I swear it." Hermione fell on top of the bed, and curled up for her last night of sleep in the future.
When she woke, Hermione returned to Dumbledore's office where Minerva and Dumbledore both waited for her.
"I'm ready." Minerva smiled fondly at her favourite student and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "I will succeed sir, you won't die, Harry will have a better life." Hermione picked up her belongings, putting on her coat and slinging her beaded bag over her shoulder. Hermione grabbed the time turner from the desk.
"Now remember Miss Granger, it has been modified so that one spin is equivalent to one year, not one hour." Hermione nodded her head, and put the time turner around her neck. Hermione turned the dial twenty-two times, and before releasing looked around the office one more timing, gracing both of her professor's with one last smile, before releasing the dial and letting the world spin around her.
"Good luck, Hermione Granger" Albus spoke gently as the aforementioned girl disappeared.