Title: Breaking Up The Girl
Character/Pairings: Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter, Oliver Wood
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling & Bloomsbury, et al. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Rating: R
Word Count: 2,583 words
Spoilers: PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP & DH.
Summary: Given the chance to turn back time, would you take it? Midway through her third year at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger finds herself with the knowledge to change everything. With the help of surprising new allies, can the smartest witch of her age find a new way to thwart destiny?
Notes: Will eventually introduce new characters as chapters progress. Will contain spoilers for all the books, but will continue in an alternate universe.
Chapter One: Anachronism
"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future." – Professor Sybil Trelawney to Hermione Granger, Chapter Six, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Breathe.
Turn.
Once, twice, three times.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
Look around. Mustn't be seen, can't be seen. The dim lighting in the rarely used hallway relaxed her, a little. The fact that she could feel eyes on the back of her neck didn't. Bugger, Merlin, damn it all to hell.
It was over.
Miss Granger, I can't press upon you enough the importance of this matter. No one can know. You must not be seen.
Her hands curled around her wand, the smoothness of the vinewood grounding her. She would not let this all go to waste, not before she'd even started.
You cannot fail, Hermione. You know what is at stake here.
"Who are you?"
The voice sounded familiar, the thick brogue bringing back faded memories – think Hermione, you know him, who?
"An anachronism."
"A what?"
She knew who it was then and felt relatively safe turning around. Oliver Wood had never paid enough attention to a 14 year old Hermione to recognize her now.
"Something that is out of its natural time."
Her words were cryptic. The puzzled look on Wood's face was almost enough to amuse her. Careful Granger, he's not as stupid as everyone thinks he is. Don't give him too many hints.
"Do I know you, then?" She almost smiled, but then she wondered how he'd died, the first time round. Her hand rose to her neck, drawing her robes over the glint of gold.
"No, I don't suppose you do." He tilted his head, and the boy she never really took notice of at fourteen suddenly looked endearing.
"You look familiar. Are you sure we haven't met?" The twinge of unease she felt is fleeting. She looked different from how she looked, and she knows that he will not notice the resemblance. He stared at her, brow furrowed. She sighed in regret, before lifting her wand slowly. She hated this, but no one could know that she was here. No one but her. Alarm registered on his face, quick and fleeting, before the soft whisper of her words calmed him.
The memory charm was quickly followed by a well practiced disillusionment spell. He wouldn't notice her unless he was looking for her, and he definitely wouldn't remember anything of the last few minutes. She walked away from him, but couldn't resist turning around for one last look. He looked confused, and vaguely scared. She felt the guilt, but continued walking. She'd had to do it.
Three hours later, she was about to scream in frustration. She'd forgotten how busy she'd been back in third year, and now she couldn't seem to track herself down. Brilliant, Hermione. She wondered what the date is back now, and tried to calculate. If they had timed it right, she should have a few more weeks.
A few more weeks until the beginning of the end.
I do not think I need to tell you what is at stake here. If you should fail, Miss Granger, it will have all been for nothing
She would not fail. She was smart, she was reasonable and most of all, she was logical. If she ever found thenHermione, the fourteen year old would do what she had to. There were simply no other options.
A quiet sniffle broke her out of her musings. She walked through the deserted stacks in the library, following the sound before looking down at the bushy haired girl sitting with tears dripping down her face with a wistful smile on her face. She hadn't cried in years. Hadn't been able to, not even at their funeral.
She stayed silent, unsure how to proceed. Finally, she simply removed the disillusionment charm and waited to be noticed.
"Who are you?" The younger girl looked up at her, eyes wide. Her face was red and blotchy, her nose was running and her hair was as wild as ever. She watched as recognition filtered over her younger selves' face, and sat down at the table, swiftly forming a quick charm around the two of them, before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm you."
----------- // ------------
Two hours later, fourteen year old Hermione Granger stared blankly at the empty seat in front of her. Her hands were trembling as she reached for the gold necklace that hung there lightly. She clutched at it, eyes wide and dark with shock. Her arithmancy text book sat in front of her open, ignored, while the ink from her quill soaked into her almost finished essay.
There was a brush against her mind, a feather light touch that unnerved her. She bit her lip, tugging at the soft flesh even as she felt the tugging in her mind, the pull of memories being shifted, of ideas, thoughts, and her magic, being twisted and turned and melded until she knew. Until she remembered what she (that is, her fourteen year old self) hadn't experienced, hadn't learnt, hadn't known.
Her mind sifted, thoughts floating through a sieve until they resemble normal (what's normal, anyway?). She remembered being eighteen years old, remembered the shredding of nerves that accompanied the Cruciatus curse, remembered blood on her hands, thick and dark, red, Harry's blood.
Merlin. She half moaned the word, unsure if she meant it as a prayer or an expletive.
They could send her to Azkaban for this.
Her hands tightened into fists around the hourglass, hiding it from view even as she brought it closer for inspection. She counted the little circles on the frame, watched the glass shine even in the dim light of the library while hours worth of research flooded into her brain, forcing a gasp from her lips.
The memories flooded faster, leaking through the sieve until they'd torn a gaping hole through her brain. Blood rushed through her veins, her pulse thrumming in her ears even as she gasped for air. She could feel her eyes burning, a low flash of dull heat that somehow stoked itself into an insistent roar, scorching her skin.
That was the future?
A pervading sense of iciness chased the heat away, chilling her skin until she shivered violently under the strain. She half expected a Dementor to be hovering by (she could cast a corporeal Patronus charm!) and the fourteen year old girl that was still inside her somewhere (could four years change a person, change her, that much?) wanted to know if she'd still be able to do the same amount of magic now that she could have back then.
Later she'd look back on the day and remember the throbbing headache that came with even thinking about the semantics of her situation, but for now, Hermione Granger was quite literally, frozen to her seat.
What the bloody hell could she do?
----------- // ------------
The next day, she sat in Potions, her mind wandering. Professor Snape stalked through the aisle, the ever present sneer marring his face while Ron and Harry sat on either side of her, glaring into their potions' texts. The time turner lay heavy against her chest, taunting her, even as the Potions Master docked Neville ten points.
Merlin, sometimes she wished that she'd never received her Hogwarts letter. This, of course, usually only lasted long enough for her to realize how stupid that was, because really, learning that she was a witch had been one of the best things to happen to her.
"Are you okay 'Mione?" Harry's hissed question broke her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, deciding that the novelty of one of the boys actually noticing that something was wrong was enough to not mention that her name was Hermione.
"I'm fine Harry." She cast an eye out for Professor Snape, all too aware of what would happen if he caught them talking in his class.
"Are you –" Muffled knocking on the door caught Hermione's attention, students around her looking up with interest. Professor Snape's sneer deepened as he strode to the door, cloak billowing behind him. The door swung open with a creaking shudder that had Neville jumping and the Slytherin's smirking. The tiny blonde that walked in had a dreamy expression on her face as she passed a slip of paper to the ghost.
"That's Loony Lovegood – wonder what she wants?" Ron's hushed whisper cut into the silence and Harry shrugged, turning to look at Hermione.
Hermione ignored her two best friends, instead staring at the Ravenclaw that was now looking around at the class curiously. Her breath hitched as images flitted through her mind, leaving her reeling.
Hermione spun around, wand twirling through the air. "REDUCTO!" Her voice was hoarse, but the curse did its job, blowing apart the shoulder of the Death Eater holding Luna. The blonde winced as blood splattered over her face before joining the fray again.
"Hermione, look out!" yelled Luna. Hermione dropped to the ground, watching the bolt of green fly over her. Her wand was pointed at Dolohov instantaneously. He'd almost killed her in the Department of Mysteries, had felt no remorse in attacking a sixteen year old girl. He'd killed little Natalie, laughed while the young Gryffindor had screamed.
"Sectusempra!" Lips curving into a grim smile, Hermione watched Snapes' curse slice into Dolohov, ribbons of blood spurting as she nicked an artery. Luna pulled her up so that they stood back to back, wands at the ready. Bellatrix Lestrange appeared in front of her, a maniacal smile on her face.
"Avada Ke --"
"Hermione!" Flinching from Harry's touch, Hermione gasped, blood draining from her face. The entire class was staring at her, confused. "Hermione, are you sure you're alright? Why does Dumbledore want to see you?" She avoided Harry's questioning stare, caught up in silvery eyes.
"Get out, Miss Granger, and twenty points from Gryffindor for your blatant inability to pay attention." Hermione scowled, shoving her books into her satchel and getting up. The stool scraped against the ground as she rushed out of the room, two glaring facts hammering into her thoughts.
Snape was a Death Eater. Snape had killed Dumbledore.
"She was wrong, you know." Luna's breathy voice cut into her thoughts, stopping her in her tracks.
"Who was wrong?" Hermione avoided Luna's gaze, instead concentrating on the finger twisting through blonde locks.
"The Sinaspa's were blocking your aura before." Luna blinked. "That's why Professor Trelawney thought you had no sight." Hermione looked at her askance until she remembered the Divination lesson. "They've gone now, so your aura's starting to leak through." The blonde tilted her head. "You know what's to come, don't you?"
Hermione stiffened, muscles tensing before she remembered that the other Luna had had the Sight. They continued walking, Hermione so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice Luna disappearing into a classroom. Arriving at the stone gargoyle, the brunette realized that nobody had thought to give her the password. She sighed, staring at the stone creature.
"It's my fault, Hermione. If it hadn't been for the DA, he'd still be here!"
"Harry, if anything, this is my fault. The DA was my idea, I'm the one who wrote the parchment, and I'm the one who left it in the room." Hermione looked at her best friend, a pleading expression on her face. "But, Harry, even if this hadn't happened, she'd have found a way to do it anyway. That's been their plan since the beginning."
"Aah, Miss Granger, there you are." The Headmaster walked up beside her, uttering a cheery "Cockroach Clusters!" She followed him up the stone steps, looking around curiously. This was the first time she'd been in his office, after all.
"I destroyed his office Hermione." Shocked, Hermione glanced up at Harry.
"What? Why?" Even as she asked the questions, she had a feeling she knew why.
"It was after the Department of Mysteries." Here he paused, and her heart ached at the fact that he couldn't say his godfather's name. Merlin, even after summer had passed, it still hurt to think of Sirius. "Not even a day after, and he sits me down and tells me about the prophecy."
"Prophecy? But it was destroyed!"
"Yeah, it was. Only Dumbledore had heard it before." Harry shuddered, his eyes darkening. "Do you know what it said, 'Mione?" The dreaded nickname and she hadn't the heart to reprimand him, not while he was shattering in front of her. "Kill or be killed. That's what it said, that's what he's been keeping from me these last five years. If I don't kill him, he's going to kill me." A gasp left her lips, her heart breaking for the boy in front of her. "What am I supposed to do, Hermione?"
"I don't know Harry." She looked at him then, eyes steely with determination. "But I'm going to be right there with you."
"Miss Granger?" She started, realizing that the headmaster had already sat down and was motioning for her to take a seat. "Would you care for a lemon drop?" The incongruity of the statement and the thoughts running through her head almost made her laugh.
"The Headmaster wants me to learn Occlumency, with Snape, of all people." Harry snarled, gritting his teeth.
"Professor Snape, Harry." Ron rolled his eyes at the predictable response. "Merlin, so that's how he always knows everything!" At the confused looks from both boys, Hermione continued. "Professor Dumbledore's a Legilimens!"
Oh, but this was becoming annoying. How was she supposed to do anything when the bloody memories insisted on playing in technicolor? "No thank you, Professor." She avoided his twinkling eyes.
"As you wish." He leaned back into his chair, running his hand through his beard. "And now we come to the reason why I called you here."
"Sir?" Looking at the bridge of his nose questioningly, Hermione stopped herself from clutching at the time turner.
"It's a heavy burden to bear, Miss Granger." He looked at her, the twinkle in his eyes dimming a little. "However, for one so young, I must say, that of all people, I think you will handle it particularly well."
"I don't think I understand." Peering at her from behind half moon glasses, the headmaster smiled suddenly, as if he'd found the answers he was looking for.
"Ah, but that will come later." She blinked, unsure as to where this was going. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, your fellow Gryffindor's are awaiting your presence in Defence Against the Dark Arts." Apparently, it was going nowhere. She walked in the direction of the classroom, utterly confused.
He'd pulled her out of Potions for that?
----------- // ------------
The common room was far, far too noisy.
Hermione pressed her fingers to her temples in a half hearted attempt to ward against the oncoming headache. The time turner lay cold against her skin, it's presence shadowing her thoughts.
How was she supposed to concentrate on Ancient Runes when she had all this to deal with?
"Hermione, keep your bloody cat out of the dorms! How is Scabbers supposed to get any rest when he has to keep an eye out for that beast?" Ron's bellow silenced the room, half of whom glanced interestedly at Hermione, hoping to witness one of the infamous blow outs. Hermione had other things on her mind.
Scabbers.
Sirius.