Molly McKinnon wasn't supposed to have the Time-Turner.
Come to think of it, a lot of things weren't supposed to happen that day. The castle wasn't supposed to be destroyed. Her friends weren't supposed to be dying. You-Know-Who wasn't supposed to be winning.
But these things did happen, and that's how Molly found herself sprinting down a second floor corridor as lights flashed and ancient stone crumbled around her. The bottom of her stomach dropped as she heard footsteps drawing near, and she sped up with a rush of fear-fueled adrenaline. A pair of stately griffin statues stood at the end of the corridor, and without thinking Molly charged directly at them.
"DUMBLEDORE!" She screamed, and the griffins leapt apart to reveal a narrow spiral staircase built into the wall. Molly hurled herself through the doorway and landed hard on the staircase just as it began to move, causing her ankle to twist. She gasped in pain but kept moving up the stairs, her bad foot dragging slightly. Behind her she heard the doorway shut and muffled cursing from the other side. Good. She was safe for the moment, but it wouldn't last long. She needed help.
Molly hadn't realized where she was headed until she saw the griffins, but it seemed something in her subconscious had drawn her to the Headmaster's Office. The Headmaster wasn't here, of course; Dumbledore (whom Molly still considered the real Headmaster) was dead, and Snape (the bastard) had likely fled the grounds after getting chased off by McGonagall in the Great Hall. But there must be something up here that Molly could use.
To do what, exactly? Said a sharp voice in the back of her head. To beat You-Know-Who? To bring your friends back? Fred Weasley? Lavender Brown? Susan Bones? Molly choked back a sob as an image of her cousin Susan's lifeless body flashed across her mind. She shook her head, willing the voice to shut up, and rounded the final turn of the staircase.
The office was untouched and eerily calm compared to the rest of the castle. There was an occasional muffled boom or shriek from very far off, leaving Molly with the odd impression that she was underwater. Disconcerted, she looked around, wondering what to do. Fawkes's perch was empty; the doors of the Pensieve cupboard stood ajar, as though someone had been in there recently. And next to the cupboard –
"Ah!" Molly exclaimed in surprise. The Sorting Hat. Hadn't Harry Potter once pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from this very Hat in his hour of need? Well, she wasn't likely to pull that off – in fact, she thought she'd seen Longbottom running around with that same sword earlier – but maybe something else…
Molly stepped towards the hat, moving gingerly because of her ankle. She reached out to grab it but hesitated, suddenly unsure. A rip above the hat's brim opened up and whispered: "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
Emboldened, she grabbed the hat and pulled it down over her head. For a moment everything was dark and dusty and Molly felt deeply foolish. Then a dull glimmer appeared before her eyes and she stretched out a hand. Her fingers met with something cold and snakelike; she grasped it firmly and pulled. The hat flew off and Molly was left clutching a gold chain. At the end of the chain hung a small golden hourglass. A Time-Turner. She'd never seen a real one in person, but what else could it be? And more importantly, what the hell was she supposed to do with it?
Molly wasn't very up on time travel theory and regulation (not that regulation seemed to matter much anymore these days), but she was pretty sure there would be dire consequences if she went messing around with the space-time continuum. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have known how to start.
"Thanks a lot," she muttered to the limp hat lying on the floor. Just as she made to continue her search, however, she heard a loud bang and shouting from very close by.
"This way!" Rasped a man's voice. "I saw one head up here!"
Molly heard footsteps coming up the stairs; they must have blown through the door somehow. Breathing in panicked sobs, she hardly noticed that she was slipping the Time-Turner over her head. There was no use for it now, but its weight against her chest was comforting. She drew her wand from her robes and moved to the center of the office, facing the doorway, ready to die fighting.
"STUPEFY!" She yelled as a man's head came around the corner of the staircase. He fell back with a crash and Molly cheered internally. She was not expecting the second Death Eater, and by the time he'd climbed over his partner's motionless form she was too late to react.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" He bellowed, moving his wand in a wild slashing motion across the air. Molly screamed, feeling as though she had been ripped in two. There was a deafening roar; then everything went black.