"There's been an accident."
Those words had turned Hermione Granger's blood to ice. Even during the coldest winters at Hogwarts, she'd never felt that way before.
It was late spring and one month before she and her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, would be graduating from Hogwarts. She had been sitting in the library working on her resume to attend, arguably, the most prestigious university in the Muggle world: Oxford. Harry and his girlfriend of eight months, Ginny Weasley, and Ron and his girlfriend of ten months, Luna Lovegood, were at the lake. They had decided earlier that day that they would take a boat to the other side of the lake and then have a picnic. Hermione had been invited but the idea of being around the two lovey-dovey couples made her nauseas. She had been diligently working when Neville Longbottom, another one of her good friends, came running in.
"Hermione!"
The terror was evident in his voice as called her name from across the room. She looked up and by the look on his face; she knew something was definitely wrong. Hermione stood up as he rushed over to her. She saw the panic in his brown eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She'd never seen Neville like this before.
"Nev, what's wrong?"
"There's been an accident."
Though at this point, she wasn't sure, she knew he was referring to Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna.
"What happened?"
Neville took a deep breath and wiped tears away with the back of his hand.
"It's...the four of them...they weren't expecting it. Malfoy just...I guess he thought it was a joke.... Hermione, they're gone. Dead."
Hermione couldn't breathe. It was as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She caught a glimpse of Neville rushing forward before she blacked out.
"Ms. Granger? Ms. Granger, can you hear me?"
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into the grim face of Professor Dumbledore. She bolted up and turned to him.
"Please tell me it isn't true. Please tell me I'm just sick and dreamed it all."
Albus Dumbledore shook his head and placed his hand over hers. He looked at her with teary eyes.
"I'm sorry Ms. Granger. We were just too late. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle have all been taken to Azkaban. They will be held there until their trial. They are Death Eaters and will be punished for their unforgivable crimes."
Hermione closed her eyes. Her friends were gone. She now had no one. She opened them suddenly and glared back at the older man.
"They were Death Eaters? Did you know this?"
Dumbledore sighed, "I suspected."
"You suspected! You suspected that these...these...bastards were Death Eaters and yet you did nothing? How could you?"
"Because Ms. Granger, there was no proof. There still isn't. They have no Dark Mark and they are still children in the eyes of the ministry...even though their fathers are who they are."
Hermione lay back down and Dumbledore stood up. He pulled something out of his robes and placed it in her hand. It was cold yet felt familiar. He removed his hand and she looked down. It was the time turner. The same one she'd used four years ago during her third year. She looked back up at the Headmaster, waiting for an explanation.
"There is something you need to do."
"I can't fight Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle on my own. Crabbe and Goyle might be stupid but they are brutes and Malfoy is as intelligent and cunning as his father, maybe even more so."
Dumbledore shook his head, "No, Ms. Granger. I need you to go back further than that. Back to when Harry's parents and their friends roamed these halls. Hermione, did you ever wonder why you felt so out of place here?"
She was taken aback. He had not only used her first name but also mentioned something that she'd never voiced to anyone. Nothing felt right at Hogwarts. She loved it here and it was her home but there was always...something...she couldn't place. Hermione couldn't speak but just nodded.
"This isn't your time Hermione Granger. Before Voldemort and Harry Potter, there was Voldemort and you."
Those words had turned Hermione Granger's blood to ice. Even during the coldest winters at Hogwarts, she'd never felt that way before.
It was late spring and one month before she and her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, would be graduating from Hogwarts. She had been sitting in the library working on her resume to attend, arguably, the most prestigious university in the Muggle world: Oxford. Harry and his girlfriend of eight months, Ginny Weasley, and Ron and his girlfriend of ten months, Luna Lovegood, were at the lake. They had decided earlier that day that they would take a boat to the other side of the lake and then have a picnic. Hermione had been invited but the idea of being around the two lovey-dovey couples made her nauseas. She had been diligently working when Neville Longbottom, another one of her good friends, came running in.
"Hermione!"
The terror was evident in his voice as called her name from across the room. She looked up and by the look on his face; she knew something was definitely wrong. Hermione stood up as he rushed over to her. She saw the panic in his brown eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She'd never seen Neville like this before.
"Nev, what's wrong?"
"There's been an accident."
Though at this point, she wasn't sure, she knew he was referring to Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna.
"What happened?"
Neville took a deep breath and wiped tears away with the back of his hand.
"It's...the four of them...they weren't expecting it. Malfoy just...I guess he thought it was a joke.... Hermione, they're gone. Dead."
Hermione couldn't breathe. It was as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She caught a glimpse of Neville rushing forward before she blacked out.
"Ms. Granger? Ms. Granger, can you hear me?"
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into the grim face of Professor Dumbledore. She bolted up and turned to him.
"Please tell me it isn't true. Please tell me I'm just sick and dreamed it all."
Albus Dumbledore shook his head and placed his hand over hers. He looked at her with teary eyes.
"I'm sorry Ms. Granger. We were just too late. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle have all been taken to Azkaban. They will be held there until their trial. They are Death Eaters and will be punished for their unforgivable crimes."
Hermione closed her eyes. Her friends were gone. She now had no one. She opened them suddenly and glared back at the older man.
"They were Death Eaters? Did you know this?"
Dumbledore sighed, "I suspected."
"You suspected! You suspected that these...these...bastards were Death Eaters and yet you did nothing? How could you?"
"Because Ms. Granger, there was no proof. There still isn't. They have no Dark Mark and they are still children in the eyes of the ministry...even though their fathers are who they are."
Hermione lay back down and Dumbledore stood up. He pulled something out of his robes and placed it in her hand. It was cold yet felt familiar. He removed his hand and she looked down. It was the time turner. The same one she'd used four years ago during her third year. She looked back up at the Headmaster, waiting for an explanation.
"There is something you need to do."
"I can't fight Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle on my own. Crabbe and Goyle might be stupid but they are brutes and Malfoy is as intelligent and cunning as his father, maybe even more so."
Dumbledore shook his head, "No, Ms. Granger. I need you to go back further than that. Back to when Harry's parents and their friends roamed these halls. Hermione, did you ever wonder why you felt so out of place here?"
She was taken aback. He had not only used her first name but also mentioned something that she'd never voiced to anyone. Nothing felt right at Hogwarts. She loved it here and it was her home but there was always...something...she couldn't place. Hermione couldn't speak but just nodded.
"This isn't your time Hermione Granger. Before Voldemort and Harry Potter, there was Voldemort and you."