I am where all light is mute

with a bellowing like ocean

Dante's Inferno

in perpetual motion

AN: This is my take on a time-turner fic. I know it's been done to death, but I love reading them type of stories regardless. Hopefully someone will like my take on it. Also, this fic will be dark and only meant for those over 18 years of age. I won't be including any trigger warnings before each chapter, but this story will contain some non-con, torture and death. My Hermione will be a bit OC, and if you need clarification on anything please just drop me a message.

Enjoy!

Everyone was dead. Everyone Hermione cared about and loved was dead. Unable to think, she ran.

She ran from the battlefield at Hogwarts, vaulting over dead bodies and debris, straight into the forbidden forest. She ran past trees that ripped her skin open. She ran past so many trees that they all blurred together in a mix-match of green. Her legs pumped, the pain was forgotten as she retreated into her mind.

Harry came back only to once again fall. Ron who had stood next to her ran at the death eaters until a green flash of light signaled his end too. Those still alive on the side of the light fought again against the volley of spells bombarded at them from the dark. Hermione stood still. She was frozen in time. A voyager of the battle, as friend after friend, dropped to a foe. No spells hit her. It was like she wasn't really there. The blood roaring in her ears finally stopped when the 2nd to last Order of the Phoenix member dropped. It was just her left. All she could now hear was white noise as she looked up to the sky, facing the dawn's encroaching rays. Her wand was limp in her hand by her side. She wanted just to drop down, but she felt the tell-tale surge of adrenaline spike through her veins. So she ran. Not looking back.

After what might have been hours or minutes, she skidded down a bank and fell head first into a shallow stream. The blood and dirt of the night washed slowly away as she turned and faced the sky again still laid in the shallow water. Everyone she loved might be dead but the world surged on. The birds still sang, the fish still swam and she was still alive. And that was a problem.

I don't want to live in this world anymore.

Raising her wand she wondered if it was technically possible to avada herself or if her wand would rebel. Shouting the incantation, she tried. Nothing happened. She didn't have the rage- but the intent was there. Her useless wand just didn't want to cooperate. She was left an empty husk.

Something inside of her snapped and she wailed into the air with a sound no human should make.

Hermione lay there bruised, battered and broken and cried. Cried for the world that would never exist, cried for all the death and horror, and cried for herself.

A soft humming and a golden light came from her chest. Reaching into her shirt Hermione extracted her time-turner. Not thinking, she started to spin it. Back one hour. Back another. Back another. She kept going until her arms and fingers cramped and then kept going. The scene around her flashed, but she kept her eyes glued on to gold watch's dials. She had modified it in 3rd year to show the date and year when turned back. And so she watched it as the years trickled down one by one. She had no idea when to stop. What did it matter? Time was fixed in a loop so she couldn't change anything. What happened will always happen. Time would sort out the kinks and changes at a later date if she meddled- as it did with Sirius. Whatever would happen would always happen. She repeated this over and over but kept turning.

Finally, she reached a date. September 1st, 1944.

Voldemort would be going into his final year at Hogwarts as Head Boy.

If there was no point trying to change time. She was here for revenge. Obviously, she wouldn't kill him, she didn't even think it was possible. The ramifications were mind-boggling. Her mission was unsure, but she had to try. Had to reach deep down for that fearless determination that had kept her alive so far. Rising from the ashes she would be the Phoenix. The first true member of the order of the Phoenix, as she was the last.

She was skilled at legilimency- maybe even better than Voldemort. She was not a natural occlumens, but her technique to counter that was to invade the attacking mind and inflict devastating damage before they could see anything in hers. No one would know the future, and here she could be whoever she wanted to be.

Maybe she was mad. Maybe she had snapped too far to be fixed. She wanted to usurp Voldemort from his self-made throne.

The broken girl lifted herself from the stream and made the steady walk back to Hogwarts, limping, but with a strong gait. Hermione waved her wand and transformed her ratty ripped clothes into a plain Hogwarts uniform worn in the 40s and cleaned up the rest of the dirt and blood. She used episkey to repair a couple of broken ribs and dislocated shoulder. The pain and aches would have to wait. She also added a beauty charm to tame her hair into soft waves. Appearances were everything, and you couldn't redo the first impression. Here she wasn't Hermione Granger. That girl was dead. Here she was a girl born of fire and ash.

The castle loomed closer and she made her way up the steps to the entrance and pushed open the great wooden doors. Making her way to the headmaster's office, she heard a hum of noise coming from the great hall. The welcome feast was in full swing. She would have to wait for the headmaster then.

As she neared the gargoyle statue, a tall dark-haired boy neared her from the opposite end of the corridor. His head boy badge gleamed in the light from the fire sconces. Riddle.

"Miss? Can I help you?" he called out as he neared.

Hermione swung back her fist as she saw red. Unable to think past her rage, she had acted. It connected with his nose and blood spattered over her knuckles. He reeled back in shock clutching his nose. He doesn't need it in the future anyway Hermione mused as she stepped around him to the gargoyle.

A hand shot out to grab her elbow and she growled.

"Now see here, what is the meaning of this?!" he shouted with a burning gaze of fury as blood trickled out his nose. He lifted his wand to stem the flow and an episkey fixed the break. Not even blinking at the pain that must have caused, Riddle narrowed his eyes at her.

"Ah Tom, who do you have there?" a voice called from further down the corridor. Riddle quickly dropped his hand and stepped back to a more appropriate distance, but still stared at Hermione with hatred.

"Headmaster Dippet I was just doing some preliminary rounds before I go to brief the prefects, and I came across this young lady," Riddle answered with a polite tone which belayed the fury in his eyes.

More like probably checking on his pet in the chamber of secrets, Hermione thought. The old man neared and Riddle's calm facade came down like a shutter.

She turned to greet the short man with a thin grey beard. He looked about 80 years old and had a pot belly that was wrapped up like a present with a gold sash over his magenta floor length robe.

"Miss Evermore, sir. I hope you received my transfer papers?" she queried demurely. On the walk to the castle, she had decided on a name. Evermore as a nod to her favourite poem 'the raven' by Edgar Allen Poe.

He looked confused and answered, "Oh maybe they are in my office. Follow me dear I didn't realise we had a new student". He muttered the password and wobbled up the stairs.

Hermione followed him, not even turning back to Riddle. The eyes she could feel boring into her back told her that she would pay for that punch later.

The headmaster's office was similar to Dumbledore's of her time, though with less obscure ornaments, and with more papers and books dotted around. She took a seat on the chair across from Dippet's desk as he searched it for the imaginary papers.

"My dear I can't see to find them. Which institute are you transferring from?" he asked still shuffling through more papers on his desk.

"Durmstrang. My parents died in the war and it wasn't safe for me to stay with Grindelwald's forces getting more powerful". She knew passable German and thanks to Viktor Krum, she knew some facts about the school, how it looked (although 50 years in the future) and what the classes were like.

Dippet stopped his search and looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"My condolences. War is hard on everyone. I hope you settle in well here and think of Hogwarts as your new home. No matter, I'll owl to request new documents when you leave. Let's what house you should be in shall we?" Not waiting for her to answer, he pulled the sorting hat off the shelf behind him and onto her head. The feast must have ended then, she mused.

"Ah Miss Granger, a little lost are we? Yes lost indeed. Not to worry I know you have big plans and I know where you will achieve them. SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellowed. Hermione was surprised how quick its decision was for once, but that worked in her favour as she silently and wandlessly sent Dippet a confundus charm to forget to owl for her transfer papers. She also added her name to the school charter with imaginary OWL results while she waited for Dippet to lose his dazed expression.

"Right wonderful! What course electives would you like to take?" he looked confused again and added, "Ah at least your OWL results have been sent through. All O's wonderful! Well, you might give our own head boy a run for his money!" he smiled jovially.

"I would like to take them all apart from Divination and Muggle Studies. And if it's possible I would like to take Alchemy, though I've never studied it before."

"Oh, I dare say you've got the brains for it, my dear."

"I take my studying very seriously."

Dippet clapped his hands, "Well I'll let you get settled in. Our head boy Tom Riddle will escort you to the dungeons where Slytherin House has its dormitories, and in the morning he will show you around and hand you your timetable before class. Any problems or queries don't be afraid of coming to see me."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate that," Hermione rose and gave the headmaster a smile before turning to leave.

"Good evening Miss Evermore," he called.

"Good night Headmaster Dippet".

Coming down the stairs she saw Riddle leaning against the wall opposite the entrance. I bet he didn't even leave.

He pushed off from the wall and stalked towards her like a predator. Hermione stood and held her ground as he reached her.

"Miss Evermore care to tell me why you assaulted me when I've never seen you before in my life?"

"No," she answered as she felt the first sign of him trying to enter her mind. Picking up an imaginary sledgehammer she walloped her mind back at him and saw him first at the welcoming speech giving a gracious bow when he accepted his head boy badge, and later when he was walking towards her in the corridor. Realising what had happened, he pushed her out of his mind before the events of the punch could playback. He bodily pushed her against the wall behind her. He grabbed her wrists with both hands and pushed them into the stone beside her body and leaned forward to stare into her eyes.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded.

"Language," she chided with a blank face.

He lent more into her body, pushing it fully against her as he lent down to whisper in her ear, "Miss Evermore you do not want to cross me."

She was about to respond when voices could be heard from around the corner. Riddle pushed back and stepped away. A tick in his left eye gave away his fury even though his face was blank like hers.

"Riddle who is this?" a tall white blonde haired boy asked, crossing his arms as he came to stand next to Riddle with two other boys. One of them had dark hair and blue eyes and leered at her, while the other just looked bored.

"Malfoy this is Miss Evermore. A transfer student-" Riddle answered.

"I've been placed into Slytherin house so could you show me the dungeons? I'm awfully tired from my journey and would like to lay down" Hermione interrupted.

"Listen here, you little hussy-"

"Avery there is no need for that. Of course Miss Evermore, we are all in Slytherin house so would be delighted to show you the way," Riddle said gesturing for the other boys to walk ahead.

As they walked, Hermione brought out her wand to transfigure the Slytherin crest onto her blazer and her tie to be green and silver.

"You know wordless magic?" Riddle inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, don't you?" Hermione asked back sweetly. She wasn't going to pander to his curiosity or downplay her skills. The boys' steps in front faulted as if they expected Riddle to lash out. He wants to but he knows he can't. Yet.

"Miss Evermore I think we got off on the wrong foot so to speak. Which school did you previously attend?" Riddle asked politely again.

"Yes, you could say that after I socked you in the nose."

This time all three boys in front stopped, but Hermione walked in between them and carried on strolling ahead, pretending to have no idea where to go.

After a few minutes, an arm dragged her back and into an abandoned classroom on her left. Riddle was already sat perched on the edge of the teacher's desk facing her, while the bored-looking black haired boy pulled her towards him.

"Oh no we can't have you saying things like that to your betters," Riddle voiced with mock sadness.

"Oh when you see them, tell them I'm sorry," Hermione quipped back. After everything she had been through in the last 12 hours, she had no patience to be intimidated by a schoolboy. Yes, it was Voldemort, but if he killed her he would have to sacrifice his head boy badge. Probably. The lack of food, sleep, and energy was catching up to her and she felt reckless but mostly stupid.

"Crucio," Riddle said in a bored drawl pointing his ugly yew wand at her.

Her knees buckled and she slammed to the floor withering and spasming. Biting her lip until she tasted blood, she silenced her screams that were bubbling in her throat. After a minute he lifted the spell.

"Miss Evermore you really are making enemies with the wrong people. And on your first day... how tragic" Riddle drawled. "Let's try again, shall we? Where do you come from?" He asked the question slowly as if speaking to a child and leaned forward to grip her chin in his hand.

Hermione spat blood in his face and he back-handed her so she flew to the side, sprawled on the floor.

"No? I guess Avery here can help you answer then."

Riddle nodded to Avery who licked his lips and strode towards her. Hermione frantically checked her wrist and pockets for her wand. Of course, they had taken it. Feeling even weaker after the crucio and after all the magic depletion from fighting at Hogwarts, she just hoped she had enough power and energy left to wandlessly get out of this.

Hermione kicked and punched as Avery grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head. He was probably twice her weight and size. As one hand pinned her wrists together, the other tugged her robe out of the way and pushed up her skirt. He straddled her and reached down to rip her underwear and stockings in one move. He then reached his trousers to undo them.

Hermione panicked, her breathing was erratic and she tried to buck him off, gnashing her teeth together. She reached deep within her magical core for anything that might help her get out of this. Getting prepared to blast him off her she realised he had frozen. Becoming aware again of her surroundings, she noticed a light coming from the doorway. A tall, muscular boy stood in Gryffindor robes was frozen in shock with his wand out. Then time started to speed up again. Hermione blasted Avery off her as she skidded backward towards the boy, just as Riddle threw a spell his way. In reflex, she produced a non-verbal shield over them both, as they barreled back into the corridor. Raising her hand she summoned her wand and then slammed the classroom door shut, keeping the Slytherins in, and pushed the last trickle of her magic to ward it. That should buy us some time to get away before they broke through.

Physically and mentally drained, she struggled to rise and shouted, "Come on!" at the Gryffindor before limping down the corridor. He seemed to come to his senses and followed her. He threw his arm under her shoulders and raced them to Gryffindor tower. He muttered the password and dragged her into the empty common room. Seeming to think, he turned and then walked them up a small flight of stairs and into a boys dormitory room that housed four single beds. He sat her down gently on the one directly opposite the door and knelt in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he anxiously asked, checking her over for injuries.

Hermione had a split lip and bruises were forming on her wrists, as well as her torn stockings and scuffed shoes. The after effects of the cruciatus curse meant she was also occasionally spasming.

"Thank you for your help, I'm fine now".

He looked at her in disbelief.

"You don't look fine. I'll go get a professor and we can tell them what happened before I take you to the hospital wing," he said as he started to rise.

Hermione grabbed his hand quickly, "No please don't. It's my first day and I don't want any trouble. Please."

He looked very unsure so she continued, "it would ruin my reputation, even though he didn't succeed. Please, I have no family left and this would ruin me," Hermione pleaded. She would have loved to report it to a professor, but she knew they would get away with it somehow. Riddle was a crafty bastard. He probably had plans to get out of any trouble. Also letting them believe they had frightened her into silence would work well for her plans.

"I don't like it, but okay" he conceded. "My name's Marcus, what's your name?" he asked as he sat next to her still holding her hand.

"Nyx."

"Is that short for something...or? I know you're a Slytherin, but you can't stay in the dungeons tonight with them around. Riddle and his gang are always up to something. They're no good and I don't understand why no one else sees it. I can ask the 7th year Gryffindor girls if you can stay with them if you want? Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital wing at least?"

A potential ally. "Thank you, I'm quite recovered. Just a split lip," Hermione said pulling down her sleeves to hide her wrists. "If you could ask your friends to let me stay with them tonight that would be lovely though," Hermione smiled relieved. No good going to the dungeons now and getting myself killed or worse.

"Okay, let me just see if anyone is about yet." He jumped up and exited the room.

She wouldn't let Riddle and his followers get away with this. They would regret the day they laid a hand on her again. Hermione laid back against the soft red bedspread as she formulated a plan. She needed friends. No- she needed allies. Safety in numbers. Maybe time wasn't linear and by coming back she could change things. Maybe this was just a branch of time she had created- like an alternate timeline. Meaning events would be different now she was here. The butterflies wings were crushed in her hand. The future would be hers. It was time to be vicious. It was time to win.

Riddle thought himself the big player. The King on the chessboard. Hermione was here to prove him wrong.