Hermione Granger and the Headmaster finally arrived at the seventh-floor corridor where a single gargoyle stood against the wall. Hermione smiled despite of the situation she found herself in. She knew everything would be alright as long she was near Dumbledore.
"Chocolate Frogs" said Dumbledore.
The gargoyle immediately leapt aside and a moving spiral stone staircase appeared. Both climbed upstairs still in silent as they had been during the whole way.
"Sit down, if you please," said Dumbledore smiling. The spherical office looked just the same way as it did in the future.
Hermione nodded and sat down; she placed her trembling hands on her lap. Her heart started to accelerate as she began to panic.
What if he didn't believe in her?
"May I ask your name, young lady? And, if it isn't too rude, what brings you here?" The elder man inquired.
"Er…" began Hermione awkwardly. "My name is Hermione Granger and I'm from the future." After she had answered she felt somewhat embarrassed, for her words had sounded ludicrous.
"So, Miss Granger" said Dumbledore, in a methodical voice. Nothing, in his serene stare denunciated whether he believed her or not. "Why have you come to the past?"
Hermione shook her head slowly. "That's the thing sir, I don't know."
Dumbledore motivated the bushy haired witch to carry on. After she was done telling him what had happened since she entered that compartment, there was a long pause.
The headmaster finally got to his feet and walked around the desk, past her, who turned eagerly in her seat to watch Dumbledore staring intently to one of his antique shelves.
When the wizard turned around, he was holding an odd dark tome.
"There is an old tale about the Hogwarts express that few know about it" said Dumbledore as he sat back down and adjusted his moon spectacles. "I assume that you have never heard of such thing?"
Hermione nodded reluctantly. A part of her was excited and eager to know about this tale Dumbledore was speaking of. The other was still confused about her whole situation, screaming for help to take her back home.
Dumbledore smiled at the bushy haired witch. "Very well then," The professor began opening the dark tome. Hermione chocolate brown eyes studied the old yellowish pages. "Hogwarts express was created by a great power, combined by the greatest wizards and witches of our time-"
"The founders." Concluded Hermione absorbing each word said by the Headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore nodded and smiled. He seemed animated about this story.
"This book was found right here at this very same office, right on this desk." Hermione lips parted in surprise. Was he implying that that book belonged to one of the founders? Or that one of the founders wrote it? "It's a sort of diary, notes left behind I suppose. It mentions this compartment that you speak of."
The old man blue eyes seemed to sparkle as each word that he spoke. He looked over Hermione to study her reaction. She was confused but above all she was curious. She wanted to know what this tale was about.
Dumbledore skipped some pages a head and read out loud. "The compartment." Hermione held her breathe, her stomach had a strange feeling, almost as same as butterflies. It was roaring with excitement. She inclined herself towards the desk waiting the headmaster to carry on. "We have created a special compartment at the Hogwarts express, invisible for many but also revealing for few. It seems that we gave it its own core of magic; it has the ability to pick the one who is worthy travelling in it. When I say travelling in it, I don't mean the normal train travel; I'm referring to time travel."
The headmaster paused for a few seconds. Hermione took a deep breathe, she had to know more.
"The compartment will only reveal itself again when it's time to go back home. Ones might never return home."
Hermione felt like she was going to stop breathing anytime soon. The thought of never being able to return was unbearable.
"I- b-but… h-how… j-just-"
"Yes, I understand that might be a shock, Miss Granger." Dumbledore told her apologetically. "There is no other means to travel in time; our time-turners are disappointedly very limited. I'm afraid you are stuck here in the past for now."
Hermione nodded, her mind still not convincing that this was actually happening, especially to her. It had to be a dream, a very odd and scary dream.
"Sir, how will I-"
"Ah yes, I assume you are in your 6th year?" Hermione nodded and Dumbledore smiled pleased.
"I was in Gryffindor, sir." She told him, her eyes were starting to water up. She did not want to go through her sixth year without her two best friends.
"Excellent! You shall remain in Gryffindor then." His blue eyes realized her sad look. "I know this will be extremely hard, miss Granger. Just keep in mind that if that compartment chose you, it was because it had a strong reason to do so."
Hermione smiled weakly and nodded, she stood up ready to leave when something hit her.
"Sir, there is something you ought to know." said Hermione with a grave look on her face. "I have important information about the war."
If Albus Dumbledore was surprised he did not showed it. He looked over the small girl and wondered what damage had Tom Riddle caused in the future. Against his curious side he shook that thought out of his mind and smiled at her.
"Please do not go any further." He told her sadly. "I think it's for the best not to reveal anything from the future, nor do anything that might change it, just yet"
As Hermione had predicted it had not been a dream, it was pure, cruel reality. She woke up with the sun rays flashing across her face. Her eyes began to open lazily and she let out a sigh.
She didn't want to get up. If she could she would spend forever lying there, at the hospital wing. Hermione smiled at herself as she remembered all the times she had visited Harry at the hospital wing. But Harry wasn't there; she wouldn't be seeing him that soon.
Annoyed, she rolled out of the bed and prepared herself to walk towards the Gryffindor common room when she realized she had no clue what the password was.
She kicked herself mentally for letting that slip completely away. Suddenly she felt something heavy on her shoulder.
Hermione jumped startled and turned around letting out a small scream. She saw a red haired girl wide eyeing her. Hermione cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Err… sorry about that." Hermione said feeling rather foolish.
The red haired girl laughed "It's alright; the headmaster has sent me to help you with your first day." Hermione nodded and smiled at the girl. Her eyes were very much just like Harrys.
"Hermione Granger." Hermione said as she started to relax.
"Lily Evans, I'm in sixth year just like you." Hermione stopped walking and looked astonished. "Is something wrong?" Lily asked looking over Hermione.
"No, I j-just… forgot something, that's all." The bushy haired added quickly causing the red haired girl to raise an eyebrow.
"Okay.."
As the two girls walked through the corridors, many heads turned in their direction. Hermione could tell they were glaring at her, not that she could blame them, not after the disaster entrance of last night. She owed it all to Argus Filch. If she disliked him before, she could for sure say that she hated him now with a passion
"Don't mind them; the gossip will be over in a week or two." Lily told her smiling brightly. Hermione forced a smile. "Here… that's your schedule, I- well… I noticed you have transfiguration class first, I- er, I thought I could keep you company if you want."
Hermione looked up towards the red haired girl and gave her a genuine smile. "I would love that."
Lily nodded and agreed to wait for Hermione while she changed her muggle clothes to the school robes.
The red haired girl said the password and the Fat Lady swung forwards to reveal the portrait hole. Hermione took a deep breathe and stepped inside the packed common room.
Everyone stared at her with curious eyes.
"Look isn't that girl-"
"Goodness, you're right."
"She is sort of an ugly one, isn't she?"
Hermione jerked her head towards three girls that sat next to the fireplace; they stared back at her with raised eyebrows. She didn't notice Sirius Black that stood between the girls staring at her.
When Hermione arrived to the dorms Lily had indicated, she threw herself at the empty bed.
"Harry…Ron…" Hermione whispered her best friend's names as she fought the urge to cry.
The entire class was in absolute silence reading the book that professors Binns had assigned them too. Hermione just could not concentrate the slightest bit.
She had been re-reading the first paragraph for almost twenty minutes now. At her side Lily seemed highly concentrated. She had almost finished the whole chapter.
Hermione looked over the red haired girl. A sad smile crossed her features as she thought what Harry would give to be there in her place.
"Well this book is boring." Sirius Black who was sitting behind Hermione's desk said as he shut it down. "I'm off to the loo." Every single girl except for her and Lily giggled.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Who would have thought that Sirius Black was this immature?
"Mr. Black! MR BLACK! Where do you think you're going?" The ghost asked outraged by his student behavior.
"Eh? To the loo?" Sirius answered mockingly.
"Again?" said James Potter as he too shut his book down. "I think I'm going too."
"What?! I think Mr. Black can go to the bathroom by himself, Mr. Potter sit down." Said Professor Binns irritated.
"But Sir! Sirius and I suffer from this odd syndrome that usually only girls have it, we love to go to the bathroom together." James said earning some giggles from the girls.
Lily snorted and turned around to look at James. He gave her a nervous smile while she gave him a cold glare. Hermione could swear if glares could kill, James Potter was a dead man.
"50 points from Gryffindor! Sit down now, or I'll be deducting more points." Professor Binns threatened the boys. Sirius looked shocked while James sat down and stared at Lily who ignored him completely.
"He's such a jerk." Lily whispered at Hermione.
The rest of the class passed rather quickly. Hermione finally was able to read more than one paragraph; Professor Binns only took 30 points more from Gryffindor because of Sirius and James who had been doing turns on who was able to hypnotize Peter.
Hermione noticed that Remus was nowhere to be found.
A/N: Wow, thank you all for reviewing. Hope I did not let you down with this new chapter. I think it was a normal chapter, I feel that I probably could do better… but I was really tired so I apologize for all the grammar and typos. Also to Sirius fans, he will become more active in the following chapters. Don't forget to review please.