I've been so distraught since the war, Ron got back together with Lavender Brown after I told him I just wanted to be friends, Harry and Ginny are together, and it seems like everyone who loved me has paired off with someone else. I'm not quite sure how to deal with this, so instead I decided I would help what's left of the Hogwarts staff rebuild Hogwarts.
Today I am supposed to be clearing out Dumbledore's office. Others, and myself, have already repaired the damage done to the Great Hall, most of the staircases, the towers, etc. Everyone's been wary of clearing out the Headmaster's office because nobody knows what we'll find. I knew I had to get this over with, so I volunteered to this morning, the conversation went something like this, "So, anybody up for cleaning out the Headmaster's Office?" asked McGonagall
"Sure, why not. I mean, we have to do it sometime, don't we?" Everyone nodded then scurried back to his or her tasks. I sighed and began walking to The Office as I have now dubbed it.
It pains me to see the school like this, I mean even the gargoyle's guarding The Office seem to be off. It's horrible and I really wish things could go back to the way they were Before. Before everything got so out of hand, Before Voldemort, Before everyone died, Before everyone left me friendless and homeless. I know it's probably selfish, but I hate It. I hate that the cost for winning this war was so high! I just hate it. I've just been standing here in front of the gargoyle's waiting for me to say the password, but I don't know what it is, so I say, "Please open, all I'm trying to do is help." And I think the gargoyle's can see the defeated look on my face and that is most likely why they are letting me in at all.
It looks exactly as it did the last time I was in here, before the Final Battle. I start crying, I just can't stand it anymore. I'm sobbing and all the Headmaster's portraits have congregated just over my shoulder tying to calm me down, the only ones not attempting to stop me from bawling are Dumbledore and Snape. I pull myself together and Dumbledore beckons me to come forward to his desk and sit in the chair directly across from his portrait, so I do.
"Hermione, I have a very important task for you if you choose to accept it, but choose wisely for this may affect the world as you know it." I gasped at this last bit that Dumbledore's portrait said, I couldn't believe he still had some trick left up his sleeve that he hadn't revealed before.
"Sir, what is it?"
Even his portrait-eyes twinkle, I can't believe him! "There is exactly one way to reverse the damage that has been inflicted upon our world, and I believe you know exactly what I'm talking about." Does he always have to be so mysterious? "Well… you see... what I'm really trying to say is…"
"Out with it! What can I possibly do to change the past?! Oh my God, you don't mean… but I thought it was impossible… how far are we talking about here?"
"Yes that is exactly what I am talking about, and over 20 years. That should be sufficient time to destroy Voldemort before the prophecy about Harry is ever made and allow you to befriend whomever you may need to finish your quest. Now, I must warn you that there will be no way back to this time, and if you did find one, there may not be a future to come back to. And no there will not be two Hermione Grangers running around when you are born, because there will never be a Hermione Granger. You will have to live out the rest of your life in that time period even if you do complete your quest. Yes, I know that things will be hard, but do you, Miss Granger, accept?"
I was petrified with my mouth hanging wide open. How was I even going to travel 20+ years into the past, I mean it's never been done before, has it? I realized I must look like a complete idiot so I decided to say something, "Sir, how would I even be able to travel that far back? Has it ever been done before? What if I mess up? How would I be able to live with myself if we somehow didn't win this war because I changed too much? What would I do then?"
I was incredibly confused and not completely sure how to voice everything coherently. Oh well. "Miss Granger, it just so happens that there are other ways to time travel than by using a ministry-approved Time-Turner. There are many other ways, they just aren't approved because they could 'change too much' or some nonsense like that. Honestly! The nerve of some people! Anywho, you would have to offer a small ritual sacrifice, chant the incantation, and pray for the Great Magics to respond. The Great Magics will question you and if they deem you worthy, then you shall be able to make your request. You have to be very specific about where you want to travel to, or else they could throw you all the way back to the Founder's Era instead of the Marauder's Era, but that's just the way things work. Are you willing to accept?"
I was completely dumbfounded and I couldn't believe there where other forms of time travel available to people. Wait, what was that about a ritual sacrifice? "Whoa, whoa, wait a second. You said something about a ritual sacrifice, what do I need to sacrifice? Is it a blood sacrifice, or a human sacrifice, or something else entirely?"
"Nothing to worry about too much, dear. Just you giving up your identity and becoming a whole different person, no big deal." He said far too calmly.
"No big deal? NO BIG DEAL? I would have to give up my identity and you say NO BIG DEAL? What the heck does that even mean?" I was more than angry, in fact, I was furious. How could he say that giving up my IDENTITY was NO BIG DEAL?
"It really isn't that big of a deal when you consider how far back you'd have to travel and if you give up your identity now then you most likely won't have to go through the hassle of dealing with everyone on your own. This way, you'll have a family there who will already know you by the time you get there and they can help you with all of this, including but not limited to, defeating Voldemort. I know it's been hard for you to no longer have your parents with you because of them turning their backs on you after you restored their memories, but this will be a chance for you, and the entire Wizarding World, to start fresh. To defeat Voldemort once and for all in his early stages, without too many casualties, and then you can live out your life happily without having to deal with death around every corner. You can make friends and allies who will help you use your intelligence as opposed to them taking it for granted. What do you say?"
I really had to think about this. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to start my life over, and I knew it would be great for the Wizarding World to have someone who knew what happened in the timeline which she wasn't inwho would help them to make it better. I had made my choice. "Yes, I now just need to know the incantation and I'll be ready."
His eyes were twinkling again as he said, "Magicis invocato magno assistricem sapientium potentium et in malis (I invoke the power and wisdom of the great magics to assist me in my need)." He sighed and said, "That is the incantation you will need to call upon the Great Magics. Goodbye."
I decided to do it now before I lost my nerve, "I revoke all rights to my identity and relinquish control of this life to the Great Magics so they will help me. Magicis invocato magno assistricem sapentium potentium et in malis." And then I closed my eyes.