Authors Note: Thank you for the reviews I got on Time Turner, I love reading them and they inspire me to make another chapter :) x
Chapter 2 - An Old Friend.
The library was quieter today, there'd be the odd few students rushing around finding books to complete their homework, while the rest of the library stood still. The door opened slightly letting a gash of wind through; students looked up to distract themselves from the studying. Hermione Granger walked through with a smile on her face; she'd never seen the library so different before. The wood certainly looked new, nothing compared to what it was like in her time. And the books, they weren't as dusty as before.
"Hermione" a voice whispered, as she turned around she saw Tom Riddle sitting on a table reading a book on dragons. "Did you know they actually do dragon fighting in this school?" he gasped as he placed the book in front of her.
She nodded and sat next to him, "How come I've never seen this book before?" she asked as she flipped to the front cover.
"Because this is your first time in the library?" Tom laughed as he put the book down and stood up.
"Urh, yeah" Hermione said as she followed Tom.
"I need to show you something" he replied, pulling her arm before Hermione even got a chance to speak. He rushed into an isle where no students were and turned to face her.
"What is it?" she asked, unaware. He took a deep breath before looking into her eyes, his eyes as hard as stone.
"I'm different" he answered, scared of her reaction. But instead, Hermione pulled a confused facial expression.
"What do you mean, different?" she addressed.
"I'm different from you, and every other living thing in this world" Tom stated, his eyes started to tear up slightly. "I don't want to become friends with you, if I end up harming you" he added.
Just then, Hermione realised what he was talking about. She already knew so much about him, that he didn't know already. But she must have been sent back 50 years for a reason, right? To turn Tom Riddle good, to direct him onto the right path. That must have been it.
"Tom, you won't harm me. I know you to well already enough to know that your a sweet boy, you wouldn't harm me" she admitted.
"But you just don't understand" he gulped, "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. I can make them hurt if I want to...I can speak to snakes too. They find me, whisper things" he admitted.
Hermione didn't know what to say or do, in fact she had never felt like this before. For once, she had nothing to say.
"That's why you can't be my friend Hermione, I don't want to hurt you" he said.
"Tom, stop saying that. I know you wont hurt me, therefore I'm going to be your friend no matter what you say" she smiled, pulling Tom into a hug.
Weeks had gone by, Hermione and Tom had grown stronger as friends. It was potions class, and Tom had taken a keen interest in this subject the most.
"Ah, Rubeus. Would you care to explain why you're late?" Slughorn asked, as the boy walked in. Hermione turned to see a familiar face, Hagrid.
"Hagrid?" she said out loud, the boy noticed her and pulled a confusing face, before looking back at the teacher.
"Ugh, Urm. I went to the toilet sir" he replied taking his seat, in front of Hermione. The lesson continued before he turned to face her.
"How come you know my last name?" he asked, looking her in the eye.
"Oh, your last name, right" Hermione stuttered, unaware of what to say, "I saw it written over your book, of course" she announced.
"Nobody's ever called me that before, especially not anybody like you" he stated.
"Not anybody like me?" she asked, confused.
"Yes, your one of the most popular kids in Slytherin. You and that, Riddle fella" he admitted.
It was true, with Tom's extra ordinary smartness, and how sweet he was to the teachers, he was bond to be one of the popular kids. Hermione was just a side kick, she guessed.
"Thanks, but your Hagrid. One of the most trustworthy people I've ever met" she smiled, she soon realised what she had said, and sunk her head in her book.
"But I've never met you before; this is our only lesson together. We've never talked since now" Rebeus pointed out.
"Yes I know that because, Urm. Well, you see. I've heard a lot about you" she sighed.
Just before Hagrid tried to ask another question, Slughorn interrupted him and made him turn around, before continuing back with teaching the class. Tom stared at the opposite end of the room, he noticed how Hermione strangely looked comfortable around Hagrid, he almost felt... jealous.
"Class dismissed" Slughorn called out, students smiled and stood up from their seats. Before leaving to go to another lesson.
"Never knew you were into people like him" Tom hinted to Hermione, as he glared at Hagrid.
"Hagrid?" Hermione asked confusingly, "no! He isn't my type at all. Besides, I'm not focusing on boys right now, I'm focusing on Hogwarts, and learning" she admitted, jamming a book into her bag.
Tom smiled, that was good news in fact.
"What have we got next?" he asked, looking at Hermione's big brown eyes.
"Broom class, this is so exciting. We're learning how to ride a broom" she laughed, Tom smiled watching her giggle to herself. As they both entered the grass area of the school, they were all lined up and a broom was placed in front of them.
"Now class, I believe this is your first time riding?" the broomstick teacher called, watching the class nod. "Well, you can't be taught how to ride; you need to learn that bit yourself. So, by bringing your broomstick in your hand, simply say up" she said, as her broomstick flew into her hand magically.
"Up" Hermione said, she had been through this in her first year at Hogwarts in 1991. She said it several times, before the broomstick finally arrived in her hand.
"There's an easier way of doing this" Tom smiled, looking at her. He pulled out his wand, and pointed it as the broom. "Wingardium Leviosa" he whispered, the broom magically started to rise, Tom wrapped his legs around it, as it started to fly.
"Where did you learn that spell?" Hermione asked, scared for Toms safety. He just laughed at her, as the broom hang in mid hair, carrying Tom.
"I read it in Slughorns book" he smiled.
"Tom, get down, you might hurt yourself" Hermione pestered.
"Urm, Mr Riddle. Get off your broom, I haven't explained the most important bit yet for flying" the teacher called.
"But you did say that you cannot teach us to fly miss" Tom winked.
"Mr. Riddle, do it before I call the head master" she shouted. Tom instantly put the wand back on the floor and stood in line.
"Sorry" he whispered, looking as innocent as a lost puppy in the rain.
"You looked through Slughorns book?" Hermione asked, curiously.
"He let me, he said that I was smart enough to learn a few more spells, a great wizard needs show knowledge, not lack it" he said.
"Well I guess that's good then, but you shouldn't be using them for your own advantage Tom" she reminded.
"It was only to help me" he smiled.
A couple of days had passed before a gathering was made in the Great Hall. Hermione walked in several minutes late while Tom waited for her, saving her a seat.
"I can't believe a semester has gone already, that went by so quickly" Hermione cheered, she then noticed that Tom wasn't smiling as usual, but he had a frown on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him, putting her hand on his back.
"Nothings wrong just eat" Tom sighed as he took a deep breath.
"I know something's wrong Tom, I've known for months now, and I can tell when you're upset, did somebody say something?" she asked. Tom finally looked at her, with tears in his eyes.
"It's just, when we go back home, I'll get put back into the foster house, I don't have family to spend Christmas with, I never do" he hissed.
"It'll be okay, it's only for a week anyway. I'm sure it'll fly by" Hermione promised as she placed a piece of chicken on her plate. He sighed before he started to tuck in to his dinner, Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty for him.
"I could ask my parents if you could come round on Christmas day. I'm sure they won't mind, they'd love to have more visitors on Christmas" she hoped.
"Really?" Toms face filled up with joy, "That'd be really cool, thanks Hermione" he smiled.
Hermione dropped her fork on the table; almost every Slytherin looked at her in shock as her blood looked like it had drained from her face. She had just realised, that she had no parents. Her parent's hadn't even born yet, she had no home here. No family. She had nothing to go back to. She stood up and ran out of the Great Hall; a couple of student's whispered things to each other. Tom followed Hermione, and over by the Gryffindor table, Hagrid had noticed, and followed them both.
Hermione slammed the girl's bathroom door and rushed into one of the bathrooms. Tears ran down her face, she couldn't live like this anymore. She wanted to go back, back to her time.
"TAKE ME BACK!" she yelled as she pulled the time turner out of her robe, "TAKE ME BACK NOW!" she cried. She tried to work it again, but nothing happened. "Please" she begged again, looking at the time turner.
Meanwhile, Tom was rushing looking for Hermione. He opened some doors of classrooms, and turned around to see Hagrid standing there.
"What are you, my new stalker?" he asked, bitterly to Hagrid.
"I just came to help you look for her, she looked pretty upset. What did you say to her?" Hagrid replied.
"I said nothing!" Tom yelled, it was almost like he was a different person. Rage spilled from him.
"She went into the girl's bathroom" Hagrid pointed out, as he walked away to the girls bathroom. Tom barged passed Hagrid, and entered the girl's bathroom.
"Hermione, Hermione I know you're in here" he called, as he heard a few weeps.
"Please Tom, just go away. I'm okay really" Hermione mentioned, wiping her tears and placing the time turner back in her robe pocket. She opened the door and saw both Tom and Hagrid standing there.
"I'm fine, honestly. Go back to the hall, I'll be there in a second" she answered, "Please Tom" she begged, he nodded and Hagrid turned his back on her. "Hagrid, wait" Hermione called.
"Yes, Hermione?" he asked.
"You need to help me, I've got nowhere to go back home to. My parents, there not in this time, they weren't born in this time" she sighed.
"I don't understand" he questioned, "Your trying to say you're from a different time or something?" he asked confused.
"Yes, a time turner took me back 50years, you can't tell anybody. But it's broken Hagrid, and I'm stuck here. In the holidays, I've got nowhere to live, you need to help me" Hermione pleaded.
"Is that why you called me Hagrid? Because you know me in the future?" he asked. Hermione nodded and smiled.
"You're the one I mostly trust, in this lifetime and the next" she smiled. "Please let me stay with you" she asked.
"My old dad wont mind if I have a little visitor stay, he kept saying that I need few more friends" he agreed.
"Thank you so much" Hermione said, finally this time her tears stopped. She hugged Hagrid tightly before leaving the girls room.
As they both entered the Great Hall, Hermione took back her seat next to Tom.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Piper asked, reaching out her hand.
"Yes, I'm fine. I don't know what came over me" she smiled. She turned back to Tom and he smiled back.
"I'm glad you're happy again, I don't like it when your upset" he smiled.
It was late at night, and students from Hogwarts were leaving. Many teachers said goodbye to Tom, wishing him a good Christmas. Hermione, Tom and Hagrid all got on the train and entered the cabin.
"Tom, about the Christmas parents thing. I wont be spending it with my parents this year, I'm spending it with my cousins, so I don't think you'll be able to come, I'm so sorry" Hermione lied, frowning.
"Oh" he sighed; "Well least I'll see you after right?" he smiled.
"Definitely" she promised.
"Well then, this is my stop. Bye Hermione" Tom smiled hugging her tightly, "Hagrid" he said, as he left the cabin. As the train passed him, Hermione waved out of the window, shouting goodbye to him again.
"So, what's this future like then Hermione?" Hagrid asked, curiously.
"Its... promising" she said, unsure of what to say. "I can't reveal to much, I don't want to change anything" she confessed.
"I understand" Hagrid smiled, "Who's got the better job, me or old Riddle?" Hagrid laughed. Hermione put on a smile, there was so much to say, however could she tell him that Tom Riddle would grow up to be Voldemort. She just couldn't.
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see" Hermione smiled.
"Come on then, this is our stop" Hagrid said, as he picked up his suitcase and they both got off the train.
