Prologue:
Hermione had never experienced pain like this before. As each curse swelled and new pain rolled over her entire body she began to feel her mind unhinge.
She could hear Ron's screams from the basement below her, but as the pain consumed her once again, her own screams drowned out his cries of her name, and her hope for rescue diminished.
"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts-" The pain consumed Hermione so that she could no longer hear the Death Eaters accusations. She knew this was important, she knew she would have to direct Bellatrix Lestrange's anger elsewhere, knew that she had to lie, but how?
"ANSWER ME" the deranged woman scream, before casting yet another curse towards Hermione.
She tried, oh how she tried to formulate words, but all that came were tears. "It's a fake, a copy!" She screamed in pain, "we've never been inside your vault!" Time seemed to stand still, nothing around her was moving, only pain existed in this place.
And then, blissfully the pain stopped, her vision blurred, and started to go black. But no! She needed to stay awake, Harry needed her, Ron needed her, she could not succumb to the blackness, no matter how blissful it seemed.
And then, she heard Ron as he scream "NO!" But Hermione could not move, she felt herself be lifted up, supported, but it was not the familiar weight of Harry or Ron, no this was a smaller, more sinister support. There was a coolness, and slight prick upon her neck. The blackness threatened her once again, but she could not let the blackness win, she needed to stay awake, she needed to stay alive.
She was dropped, as a loud crash reverberated around her. Instinctively she tried to cover her head with her hands, but found she could not move. She again was lifted, and felt the familiar sensation of Apperition. A voice screamed, and yet again Hermione felt pain, it seemed to be concentrated in her chest, and not radiating over her body as it had before, and finally she succumbed to the blackness.
"Hermione! Hermione?" She heard Harry shout, "Help, someone help, Hermione, no!" Hermione tried to reach up to comfort her friend, but as she did so a brilliant light surrounded her.
She was standing, although she didn't remember standing up. As Hermione's eyes adjusted to the bright light, she realized she was not anywhere she had ever been before. Looking around she noticed three figures staring at her. Uncomfortable with their gaze she lowered her head, trying not to meet their gaze. She felt, rather than hear, one of the figures speak.
"Hermione Granger." It was not a question, but a statement, "Hermione dear, please look up."
Hermione did as instructed, and before she could stop herself she found the question slipping out of her mouth "where am I?"
The women gave a humorless laugh, "why dear, you are in our place of residence, the 'in-between' as some would call it."
"The in-between?"
"Why yes, the place in-between life and death, the place one must stop before they travel onwards."
Hermione lost the breath in her chest, "but that means"
"That you are dead? Yes my dear. You have passed between the world of the living."
"But," Hermione wasn't sure what question she had, or what she wanted to ask, "who are you?" finally came out,
The women smiled, "We are the Fate triplets, we see what will happen, and cut the lines of life when we must. Your line was not meant to be cut at this time." The women gestured towards a silver line that seemed to extend beyond Hermione's eyesight. "Your death causes a great shift in the Dark War, one that cannot be allowed to happen."
"What, what happens?" Hermione was almost afraid to ask
"Harry Potter loses. He cannot finish his mission without you. We are occasionally allowed to interfere in deaths that cause great stress on the world, and we have asked if we can interfere in yours."
"So, I get to go back?" Hermione asked, hopefully
"In a way," the woman spoke. It was hard for Hermione to tell which of the three Fates was speaking, the voice seemed to come from all of them at once. "We cannot send you back to the time at which you died, as that is already set in stone. We can, however, send you to a different time."
"A different, I'm sorry, what?"
"We have found a family, where another child would have perished, we can place you there, and you can help to prevent the tragedy your death would have caused. If, of course you are willing to?" The Fates asked, all three tilting their heads towards Hermione.
Hermione was surprised, "I have choice?"
"Of course, dear child, there is always a choice. You can choose to go on, remain tied to the earth as a ghost, or to go back, as someone else."
"But, where would I go?" Curiosity got the better of Hermione, if she could help Harry, well there wasn't really a choice was there? She would always choose to help him, she had been willing to die for him.
The Fates gestured towards a body of water at their feet, one which, until now, Hermione had not noticed. In the pool was an older couple, watching a girl and boy, Harry, play around a large expanse of land. "Harry?"
The women shook their heads kindly, "no dear, that would be James, James Potter. You see, he was to have a twin sister, but she didn't survive the birth. We can, of course, place you in what would have been her life. Then there is no lost soul. Her soul would still be here, and yours would take her place."
Hermione stared at the pool for a moment longer, before looking up at the three women, "and this, this will help Harry?"
All three women smiled, "it can, it all depends on your choices."
Hermione nodded, "then of course. Of course I will do it."
And then the bright light surrounding her faded, and she heard the desperate cries, "Hermione? Hermione! Mum, Dad come quick, somethings wrong with Hermione!" Before blackness enveloped her once more.
