Tom Riddle was sitting in Headmaster Dippet's office on his first day back for his seventh year at Hogwarts. He had been made head boy and the buffoon was telling him all of his duties. A knock interrupted him, and Professor Dumbledore peeked his head in.
"Armando, might I have a word?"
"Of course Albus, let me just finish with Mister Riddle and I will be right with you."
He never got to finish his thought as a crack rang throughout the office and a girl fell from nowhere. Dippet got up and went around to look at her, but Tom got there first.
She was plain looking; she had bushy brown hair, no curves, and was ridiculously skinny.
It was then that he noticed her appearance, her hair had matted blood, a huge gash was across her forehead bleeding profusely. Her arm was standing at an odd angle, no doubt broken, and her shirt was stained with blood. She was wearing trousers that were torn up, there was another cut from her mid-thigh to her knee. She looked like she had been tortured for hours.
She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly at him. Analyzing his face with her dull brown eyes, he saw a hint of recognition in the back of them before she looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore.
She whispered "bloody fucking hell" before she fainted again. He almost laughed; most girls would never even think those words, let alone say them.
Dumbledore moved closer to the girl and picked up a weird necklace she was wearing. It looked like a broken hourglass, but Dumbledore was staring at her with fascination.
"This has to be my niece."
Dippet gasped, "What?"
Tom was interested, how was it Dumbledore had a niece? Better yet, it seemed he did not even know what she looked like.
"Aberforth had a daughter years ago, but he never allowed me to meet her. I sent her this necklace as a birthday gift. Let us get her to the Hospital Wing, she badly needs attention."
"What do you think happened to her Albus?"
"Knowing her, she was probably fighting in the war."
They rushed out the door with Dumbledore's niece floating behind them. Tom was very curious about this girl. She literally fell out of nowhere, half dead, and is discovered to be a mysterious Dumbledore heir.
Determined to find out more, Tom followed along behind them.
"She needs rest Albus. Three broken ribs, her arm was shattered at the elbow, bruises all over, two huge cuts, and residual dark magic. It looks like she was tortured for days. She is starved, probably has not had a decent meal in months it seems. Why wake her now?"
"Madam Winfrey, she is my niece. I sent Armando and Tom outside, could you please join them?"
Hermione heard huffing then the scurrying of feet before heavy doors slammed shut. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up, then whimpered in pain and laid back down.
Dumbledore's head popped around the curtain and he smiled.
"Ah, my dear, you are awake. How are you feeling?"
"As well as I'd expect to be considering my injuries."
He nodded, "Understandable. What I find curious is this necklace," he picked it up from her side table, "I have warded this room so no sound will be heard. Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
Thank Merlin for Dumbledore.
"Yes sir," she said, "it's quite a long story. What year is it?"
"1944."
She sighed, "So the Chamber of Secret's has already been opened?"
He looked bewildered, "Yes, two years ago."
"Okay, so it's started already. I was born in 1979, I'm eighteen now, almost nineteen, and there was a war. A dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort was said to be defeated two years after I was born, but as he had seven Horcruxes made he stayed barely alive. My best friend Harry Potter was called 'The Boy-Who-Lived' because he survived the killing curse from Voldemort when the curse rebounded and hit Voldemort instead. My fourth year Voldemort rose again and we've been fighting him ever since. Harry was killed in the final battle, so the light has lost. I ran to your office, well the Headmaster's office, you become Headmaster but you died my sixth year, so I went to talk to your portrait."
She paused to catch her breath, Dumbledore smiled encouragingly.
"You gave me this time-turner my third year when I took extra classes so I could attend them all. I remembered it when Voldemort came and found me, then as I was turning it I was hit by two killing curses and it just sort of spun on it's own."
Dumbledore patted her hand, "My dear, I do hope you do not mind, but I had seen the necklace and wished to talk to you in private. What is your name?"
She smacked her forehead, "Of course sir, forgive me, I'm Hermione Granger."
"Are you a muggleborn, dear?"
"Yes sir."
"Well I hope you do not begrudge me for this, but I have claimed you as my niece. My brother Aberforth owes me a favor and has agreed to magically adopt you as his daughter. It is very unsafe to be a muggleborn in times like these."
"Thank you sir," she whispered, "Is Grindewald still in power?"
He nodded and she grimaced, "Sir, he's defeated in February 1945. Actually the muggle war is won that year as well. I would like to offer my services, I have been trained to fight and I remember all the main battles from my History of Magic classes."
Dumbledore's eyes started twinkling madly, giving her a sense of unease.
"Hermione, I will allow you to fight on one requirement. You stay here as a seventh-year transfer student. Say yes, and Aberforth will be here in an hour to adopt you." He grinned at her, and she knew she had no choice. Manipulative bastard.
"Yes, Uncle Albus."
"Perfect, I shall owl your father now."
"Oh! Uncle, I should tell you. The student who becomes Voldemort is Tom Riddle."
"I suspected as much," he sighed. "Unfortunately he was in the office when you fell, no doubt he will be curious."
"What should I tell him?"
"Just say you were cursed during a battle and the necklace transported you to me. I explained that I had never met you before but had sent you the necklace; naturally I placed protection runes on it."
Hermione nodded, "Sounds realistic to me."
"I will go explain to Armando what is happening, expect your father and I in about an hour."
"Thanks Uncle Al, I really appreciate this," she smiled at him.
"Anything for my favorite niece," he said winking, "now get some rest."
She laughed and closed her eyes as Dumbledore took down his silencing wards and he left.
Closing her eyes, she was left to silence for a few minutes when the chair beside her creaking quietly.
Her war honed skills kicked in and she grabbed her wand from the side table and pointed it at the person. She froze as she realized why the boy from the office was familiar: he was Tom Riddle.
Tom snuck inside and was planning on watching the girl as she slept. He was curious why she showed up almost dead, and now no one was taking care of her.
He sat down quietly and instantly had a wand pointed in her face. Interesting, he thought as he raised his hands up by his head in a harmless gesture.
"I am terribly sorry Miss Dumbledore, I never meant to frighten you."
She stared at him contemplating, as if she did not believe his words. Well it was half true, he thought, I did not mean to scare her, although I certainly am not sorry.
Finally she nodded and lowered her arm, but kept her wand in her hand, pointed towards him.
"My name is Tom Riddle, I was in the Headmaster's office when you fell in. How did that happen, by the way? I had been under the impression one could not apparate within Hogwarts grounds."
She mulled over his words before gesturing towards the necklace Dumbledore had given her.
"My Uncle seems to be over-protective, even before meeting me. Apparently he had runes that would bring me to him if I were ever dying. Seeing as he was in that office I appeared there."
Tom nodded, "Yes your Uncle seems the sort to do something like that. I only hope you have fully recovered?"
She kept her face stoic, showing no emotions whatsoever.
"Thankfully I have. I appreciate your concern Mister Riddle."
"Oh you can call me-"
"Mister Riddle!" the mediwitch Madam Winfrey came bustling over at that moment, "Miss Dumbledore needs her rest! She will be here tomorrow, but for now you must leave so I can give her potions to sleep."
Tom cursed inwardly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl have a relieved expression on her face, only to be replaced by the same blank one she had given him before. Did she not like his company? Ridiculous, every girl fawned all over him, regardless of if he paid her any mind or not. This girl obviously was in shock or something, she would be in love with him by tomorrow, he was sure of it.
"Of course, Madam Winfrey. Goodnight Miss Dumbledore, I will hopefully see you tomorrow. Sleep well."
He was surprised to find an annoyed glimmer on her face before she smiled slightly and nodded.
As he walked out of the Hospital Wing he decided one thing, the witch had caught his interest.
"Ah, Hermione dear, I am glad we caught you before you fell asleep. Let me acquaint you with your father, Aberforth Dumbledore. Aberforth, this is your daughter Hermione."
Hermione sized up Aberforth, and it seemed he was doing the same to her. They stared at each other for a moment longer before nodding and turning their attention back to Dumbledore, who was chuckling to himself.
"I see you two already have similar personalities. Let us get started, ready to become a proper family?"
"How exactly does this work Prof- Uncle Albus?"
"It's quite simple actually, all we need is a pint of both your blood, then we swirl both into a potion which you will drink Hermione. You will become a pure-blooded Dumbledore, and your appearance will most likely change some."
Seeing as it was her only way to find a way back to her time she sighed and nodded.
Dumbledore clasped his hands together, "Wonderful!"
He waved his wand and both adoptive parent and daughter alike grimaced as a small cut in their arm appeared and began taking a pint of blood from both of them and swirling together in mid-air.
Dumbledore pulled a flask out of his robes and directed the blood into the potion, then swiveled it around to mix the contents. He handed it to Hermione, who downed it and attempted not to gag.
She felt her appearance changing slightly, her limbs grew four inches and her body became fuller, her hair flattened out to be very attractive tight curls, and her eyes prickled, making her think the color had changed. Dumbledore conjured a mirror, and she looked in with relief that none of her features had changed except her eyes and hair.
Her hair was now shone different shades of brown and gold when she turned her head, it appeared like a waterfall when she shook it. The eyes were what threw her off most, instead of a murky brown, now they were a twinkling bright hazel that were mesmerizing, even to her self. She had to admit, and she was by no means a vain girl, that she was now quite pretty.
Aberforth, her father, coughed and she glanced up at him.
"Well, you resemble me somewhat now," it was true, she shared the same hair color as he, "I expect you to visit me soon. We have a lot to discuss about the war. Albus says you are staying here to finish your schooling? Good, keeps you close. How old are you anyway?"
"Eighteen, I will be nineteen in two weeks, sir. What do I call you?"
He laughed loudly, "Call me dad or father. Don't expect me to give you alcohol though."
"But daddy," she pouted, "wouldn't you rather I get it from you then be forced to find it somewhere else?"
"Oh she's good Albus, perhaps I won't mind you being my daughter after all."
Rolling her eyes, she snorted, "I'll keep that in mind daddy dearest."
Grinning, Aberforth nodded and waved goodnight to her as Uncle Al and he exited the Infirmary.
This very well could work, she thought as she slipped into unconsciousness.
