The Aftermath

It's seems that everything was hopeless. I'd lost my best friend and my boyfriend and my parents are somewhere in Australia. I'm definitely alone now. I was walking towards the Dark Forest passing numerous dead bodies and rubles of brick that used to belong to the ancient castle when thoughts started running through my mind.

How did things become so bad? Harry never told me much about Voldemort's past only that there were heaps of similarities between him and Voldemort like calling Hogwarts their home, their abilities to speak to snakes and of course, the major and the most obvious thing, they had no family. Tears blurred my vision. It was Harry who I had always loved ever since he rescued me from the mountain troll in first year. I'll admit that I did date Ron for a while, but that was only to get my mind off Harry when I knew that he liked Cho and then Ginny. I cursed myself for my stupidity.

Without realizing where I was going, I went deeper into the forest than I intended to. I saw thestrals grazing on the plant life. It was the first time I've seen them, they looked like Death in horse form, and they were magnificent but eerie. I kept walking deeper into the forest despite that I wasn't thinking straight. Dawn was coming nearer as came to a clearing. Something caught my eye a few meters away, it was a silvery shimmer on the ground. I picked it up and recognized it almost instantly, it was Harry's invisibility cloak. I couldn't help but put the material against my cheek. Memories came flooding back. The first time I used it was when I was in first year and was with Harry and Ron to save the *Philosophers stone from "Snape". I put the cloak in my beaded bag and looked back down to the forest floor, a black stone was shining through the dirt. When I picked it up I noticed that it was engraved with a crest that had faded over the years. I put it in my bag, I would figure out whose crest was engraved on the stone once my mind was clear.

I had no idea what time it was and, honestly, I didn't care. I kept on walking further into the forest seeing the occasional unicorn and centaur armed with a crossbow. I didn't want to come out of the forest, there was nothing for me in this world anymore. No, I couldn't think like that. I kept on walking, surprisingly, I wasn't getting tired.

Why won't anything distract me from my grief? I can't his beautiful emerald eyes out of my mind. Gosh, Hermione get a grip on yourself, he's dead. D.E.A.D. DEAD! And there's nothing you can do to change that. I was going mad and for the first time in my life, I didn't have the vaguest idea of what to do next.

I sat down on a large rock nearby and sobbed for what seemed like hours before something grabbed my attention. A ghostly, silver cat was standing there and turning its head back towards the school. It was a patronus. At first I thought it was Umbridge's then I realized that it looked like McGonagall's animagus form. I stood up and followed the cat through the forest. I didn't realize how far into the forest I went, it took over an hour to get back to the Black Lake. The sun was high above in the sky, the blue sky certainly did not ,and I emphasize the word "not", set the mood. Dead bodies were still being carried by stretcher or by men from the courtyards into the great hall.

The merpeople's heads rose above the surface of the lake and screeched, I recognized the sound from the egg the contestants of the Triwizard Tournament had to rescue from a dragon almost four years ago. I knew that their song would sound beautiful but, at the same time, sorrowful if they were underwater. The sun was reflecting off Professor Dumbledore's tomb by the lake's edge. I felt bad for the teachers and possibly students that saw the old Headmaster's body after Voldemort broke into it to retrieve the elder wand.

I kept on following the cat through the entrance courtyard and to the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster/ Headmistress' office. The cat just walked through the stone, but I had no idea what the new password was.

"Uh, can I see Professor McGonagall, please" I asked the statue. It leapt aside revealing a staircase.

"Sure, who's going to stop you? I'm certainly not" it said. I thanked it and made my way up the staircase.

Why would Professor McGonagall want to see me? The thought finally came to mind, I can't have been in trouble. The only things I've done in the past twenty four hours was fighting a few death eaters, see my friends die and destroy one of Tom Riddle's horcruxes. I'm sure those things can't be punishable now that I'm not a Hogwarts student anymore.

I entered the office it didn't look any different since Dumbledore was Headmaster, only Fawx's perch wasn't there and there was now a portrait of Dumbledore above the desk in the centre of the room. A pensieve was placed on the desk top.

"Miss Granger" the old woman's voice startled me. Professor McGonagall had just entered the office she looked exhausted and in pain.

"Professor McGonagall, did you want to see me about something?" I asked. The Headmistress limped over to the desk and sat down on the chair and then summoned another.

"Yes, please sit" she said offering the chair in front of the desk. I sat down but I was worried about the old witch.

"Professor, if you want to rest, I'm more than-

"- Thank you, Miss Granger, but I'm fine, besides this can't wait much longer, I was going to give this task to you at the beginning of the school year but seeing as you didn't show up. Now I think it's better late than never"

"What is this task, Headmistress?" I said. It must've been important. If it wasn't McGonagall would've forgotten about it.

"Go back to the year 1942"

*Sorcerer's stone