Summary: What if some of Hermione's teachers didn't know she was using a time turner to attend her classes? Professors Trelawney, Burbage, and Vector start talking about their classes, they all mention Hermione, and they're all confused. One-shot.
AN: I was watching the 'Prisoner of Azkaban' movie the other day, and I was wondering what would happen if some of Hermione's teachers didn't know that she was using a time-turner. I turned to the book for more inspiration, and this was born. Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series (that right belongs to J.K. Rowling), and am not writing this for a profit. I just want to. Isn't that kind of the point of fanfiction?
"'But look,' said Ron, laughing, 'see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And' – Ron leaned closer to the schedule, disbelieving – 'look – underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?'
'Don't be silly,' said Hermione shortly. 'Of course I won't be in three classes at once.'"
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, pg. 98, First Scholastic (US) trade paperback printing
Professor Trelawney, during one of her rare excursions from North Tower, found herself in the teachers' lounge. She had discovered that she was out of tea leaves for her third years to practice reading, and needed to get more from the school's stores.
"Sybill! My, I haven't seen you out of your tower in quite some time! How are you?" Sybill Trelawney, who had previously been peering into an upper cabinet to find bags of loose tea leaves, jumped and turned around. As she did so, her numerous shawls and scarves shifted and her jewelry clinked together.
"Hello, Charity. I'm doing well; you scared me just a bit, there. Thought no one else was in here. I was just getting more tea leaves; the third years are reading them this term. I thought I had enough, but it seems this group needs more practice than most." Professor Trelawney had only met Professor Charity Burbage a few times, mostly through passing in the halls.
However, the Muggle Studies teacher had come up to North Tower once before, during the summer, to ask Sybill where she could get a Muggle contraption called a "magic 8 ball". She had heard of it recently and thought it a potential learning tool about how Muggles pass their time. Charity had gone to Albus first, seeing as how he was the headmaster and knowledgeable about many Muggle inventions, but he had redirected her to Professor Trelawney, saying that "they are how Muggles practice Divination, of a sort."
"Oh. Do you have a large group? Sometimes having a larger group of students makes the class as a whole move more slowly through the curriculum. I, myself, have a smaller class of third years," said Professor Burbage.
"Is that so?" Professor Trelawney had resumed her search for tea leaves, rummaging through more cabinets and drawers.
"Yes. I had thought I would have more interest in the subject, but I suppose I can consider myself lucky. The Arithmancy class is even smaller. I think I heard Septima say she had only seven in her third year class. Ah! Here she is now! Hello, Septima, dear." Professor Septima Vector had just walked into the teachers' lounge. She made her way to the tea station, and set a tea bag to steep in a steaming mug of water with a flick of her wand.
"Good evening, Charity. How are you doing?" the professor asked her colleague.
"I'm doing well. Sybill and I were just discussing our third year classes. I had mentioned how my class was smaller than I had expected, and how yours was even smaller," the Muggle Studies teacher said.
Professor Vector retrieved her mug from the counter and carefully took a sip of the warm beverage. "Yes. Only seven third years this year. Honestly, it's more than I expected. I have four Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs, and a Gryffindor. Usually it's only the Ravenclaws who sign up for, and excel in, Arithmancy. Many of the others don't even bother to sign up, or drop out before the end of first term." She sank into the well-used couch and took her second sip.
"I see." It only being her first year of teaching at Hogwarts, Professor Burbage hadn't really thought about students who might drop out. True, her upper-year classes were smaller than her lower-year classes, but she had put that down to chance. "Does that, ah, happen often?" she asked.
At this point Professor Trelawney, who had found the tea leaves and was now clutching four bags of them, said, "One or two third years might drop out, but then most stay on though their fifth year. After that, it's only those who're thinking about a career that involves that class who stay on."
"I suppose that makes sense," Professor Burbage said. She turned her attention to Professor Vector, who was adjusting the temperature of her tea and seemed to be having trouble with the charm. "I'm sorry, Septima, but something you said confused me. You said that usually only Ravenclaws sign up for and excel in Arithmancy, but you implied that there was another student who excelled as well." Professor Burbage had one student in particular in mind, a Gryffindor, who she thought had signed up for Arithmancy in addition to Muggle Studies as her third year electives.
"Bothersome temperature charms. I'm sorry? Yes, a Hermione Granger. She's doing exceptionally well. I'm surprised she wasn't Sorted into Ravenclaw, with brains like hers, but the hat thought she belonged in Gryffindor." Professor Vector, who had finally gotten her tea so that it was warm, but not scalding her mouth and throat, said in reply.
"It doesn't surprise me Miss Granger excels at Arithmancy. Very much book work. It suits her." Professor Trelawney said. Even though she had gotten the tea leaves she needed, she was now searching for something a bit stronger for herself.
"Do you have Miss Granger in your Divination class?" Professor Burbage asked.
"Yes. Though Divination can't be done with books and essays like the other classes. I have Seen that one of my third years will leave the class by Easter, and I feel that it may be her." Professor Trelawney straightened up after finding what she was looking for behind some Potions ingredients.
Professor Burbage was confused at this point. "But if you have Miss Granger, and so do I… and Septima has her as well. Don't we all have our Gryffindor third year classes at the same time?"
Professor Vector spoke. "I don't know, we might. Though how Miss Granger could get to all of our classes if they were occurring simultaneously, I don't know." She tilted her head back and drank the last of her tea. She Vanished the teabag and sent the mug over to the sink where it began to wash itself. "Perhaps we're confusing the days. The beginning of the school year is always when I'm most forgetful. Anyway, I must get going; I have an appointment with a student." She was just about to open the door of the teachers' lounge when it was opened from the other side by Minerva McGonagall.
"Hello, Septima, Charity, Sybill." Professor McGonagall nodded to each woman as she said her name, and went to sit in an armchair.
"Hello, Minerva. I was just leaving. If you will excuse me…" Professor Vector said while making to open the door again.
"Oh! Maybe Minerva knows something about this," said Professor Burbage. She motioned for the Arithmancy teacher to stay. Professor Vector caught the hint and though she stood by the door with her hand on the knob, she did not leave.
"Know something about what, exactly?" asked Professor McGonagall. She had just had a rather trying day (entirely too many students had forgotten what they had learned in previous years) and just needed to sit down for a moment away from the students.
"Something to do with Hermione Granger. Her classes and how she plans to attend all of them this year," supplied Professor Trelawney. After finding everything she needed, she had set to making herself a cuppa with sherry added, and, when finishing that, had sat down on another couch.
"Yes. Do you know how Miss Granger is getting to all of our lessons? Charity thought we all had our Gryffindor third years at the same time, but my memory is going and I can't remember. And anyway, do the third years have room in their schedules for more than two electives?" Professor Vector asked Professor McGonagall with her hand still resting on the doorknob.
"Most third years don't take more than two additional classes, that is true, but Miss Granger expressed the want to take five electives during our consultation last year. I figured her trustworthy and responsible enough to use a Time-Turner to attend all of her classes," Professor McGonagall explained. "You must just have her at the same time. Didn't I tell you before?"
The three other women shook their heads.
"Ah. Well, now you know. I should probably go tell Remus and Filius about the situation as well, then. It certainly wouldn't do to have all this confusion about! I'll see you later tonight at dinner," she finished. She rose from the armchair towards the lounge door. Professor Vector opened the door for her, and the Deputy Headmistress offered her thanks.
Professors Trelawney and Burbage sat on their respective couches, thinking about what Professor McGonagall had said.
"Miss Clearwater will be wondering where I am. Good bye, Sybill, Charity," said Professor Vector. As she was walking down the corridors, she could be heard muttering about time travel and how it just made everything more complicated for those involved.