"We grow apart,
I watch you on the red horizon
Your lion's heart
Will protect you under stormy skies"
James Bay - Scars.
Hermione feared she would be physically sick if she did not stop spinning in these flames soon. The heat was hot enough to burn and she could feel sweat forming under the grime of the battle she had just been in. It was an immense relief when she fell from the flames and landed in the office once again. The flames burned prettily within the grate and now that she was not stood amongst them she could admire them for what they were. She looked around the room decorated in blues and silver, the white oak bookcases standing tall as they circled the office. Old tomes that were probably priceless and Hermione hated herself for having agreed to destroy them all.
She took a seat at the rather feminine desk, resting in the surprisingly comfortable chair and withdrew the scroll that had been pushed into her hands. It was with a wince then that she remembered the rather deep cut on her hand. "No wonder McGonagall didn't want to have to do this, blood magic demands a heavy price. Hermione dreaded to think exactly what that price would have cost her old Professor.
"Miss Granger,
If you are reading this then it means that I have had to ask the impossible of you, our only hope is for you to change our fates. Know that I have done so with a heavy heart. Harry was Dumbledore's hope, I need you to be mine. The future as you know it lies clear, what you know to have happened has yet to pass, and as such can be changed. Use this knowledge to save us from that dark future, do whatever you must to see that it happens as it should.
Make allies from the friends that you will make in this time, let them help you in bringing down Voldemort, and do not weep for those who have gone, they may yet live with your help. You may seek out my younger self if you need an ally I know I would be delighted to help you my dear. Do not however tell anyone of who you really are, for there are those who would use your knowledge for dark deeds.
To gain access to the memories of your new life simply place your cut palm upon the parchment and use the revealing charm. Once the memories of this new life have come to you, this parchment will transfigure back into an ashwinder egg that you must throw into the Phoenix flames and run before you are consumed within the room. Do not worry about Hogwarts, it will protect itself and its occupants from the fire.
Yours
Minerva McGonagall.
Hermione read the letter three times, and with great reluctance set her bleeding palm upon the parchment and muttered "Aparecium". For a moment nothing happened, and then her palm started to sear, the pain radiating from her hand and up her arm, sizzling the dark brand placed there by Bellatrix Lestrange and making her scream. As the pain reached her mind Hermione arched from the seat and fell to the floor as thousands of images seared passed her eyes. She saw herself as only four or five being chased through gardens by her middle aged father who was dressed in Auror robes, giggling hysterically. She then saw herself in the mirror at age six playing dress up in her mother's wardrobe and twirling around as she made flowers fall from the wallpaper. She saw countless birthdays spent blowing out candles with a dark haired boy, of being teased for fearing to fly on brooms.
She heard the sorting hat in her mind sorting her into Gryffindor and rushing down the hall to sit beside her twin. She saw her first kiss take place at Christmas party and remembered the feel of those warm lips against hers and he pulled her tight against him as though he wanted to be as close as possible to her. She saw so many memories that she felt her mind would burst. Her nails sank into the arms of the chair and the scroll fell upon the desk top as Hermione felt a wave pass over her and the suddenly everything was still again.
She drew in a deep breath and winced as she noticed her hands were shaking. She watched as the scroll turned itself back into an egg and rock a little before steadying itself. When she looked across the room she noticed the flames were starting to die. "Oh Godric No!" Reaching for the egg she tossed it and threw it into the flames whimpering as the heat from the now transfigured egg burned her already bleeding palm. Rushing for the door as she heard it crack and sizzle as the phoenix flames heated the already scalding hot egg. She was pulling the door shut behind her as Ashwinder and Phoenix flames began to spread and burn the contents of the room to the ground. Pulling the door shut she pointed her wand at the door and yelled "Colloportus" locking the door so that no one could enter before the flames could die out.
She rushed down the hall and up towards the trap door using the ascending charm to raise herself into the room above. She reached the next door and called "Alohomora" pulling the door open and escaping into the third floor corridor. She ran up the steps and fled into the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor, having guessed correctly that in the summer months there would be no password.. Hermione pressed her back against the door and caught her breath, feeling her heartbeat thud against her ribcage. She could already hear people heading to investigate the smoke coming from beneath the trapdoor, Filch's voice echoing through the empty halls.
When she heard no steps coming her way she sagged in relief and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror ahead of her. She was covered in soot and grime but something else was different about her reflection. Her hair, although it was tied back, she could see was much darker than it had been the last time she checked. Stepping closer to the mirror she could see her eyes and face were the same, and freckles still graced her cheeks and nose but her skin was a little paler. She was also covered in small cuts and burns and with a sigh, Hermione realised she would need to clean these and herself before trying to remember where she was meant to be.
She looked longingly at the large bath before heading towards the showers, knowing she could not waste the time it would take to truly bathe. She ran the water as hot as she could manage, and setting her torn and singed clothes aside she stepped into the spray. Hissing as the water found every cut and burn she set about cleaning herself. Yet in this first moment of peace she found tears streaming down her cheeks, unable to hold back the pain and mourning what she had lost. As she bathed away the dirt and grime of the day's events she cried for everything and everyone she had lost. She cried in fear that she would not be enough to change the tides of the war. She scrubbed at her tender skin until the pain reminded her she was alive and that she had something to live for. She would change everything so that Harry could grow up with a family that loved him and have the life he should have had instead of being forever haunted by Voldemort.
As she dried her hair and treated her wounds she searched her new memories as to know who she was and why she was in Hogwarts over the summer. Her memories with some effort told her that her Mother was meeting with the Headmaster and had offered to let her come with her and save her from the tedium of her brother and his friends antics. She knew she was meant to be in the library looking for clues as to what she would study in her sixth year having not made that decision yet. She found her small beaded bag still attached to her ripped jeans and began rooting around within to find something to wear.
Sighing she found the only thing she had that wasn't ruined by months on the road was the red dress she had worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding. Transfiguring one of her shirts into a black cardigan to go with it she changed and replaced everything back into her bag. She walked to the mirror once more and was surprised and pleased to see she liked the new colour of her hair, although darker she had to admit that it suited her well. Her eyes were still the colour of melted chocolate and seeing familiar things in herself helped to calm her over what lay ahead She reached within the bag that now hung from her left wrist and plaited a red ribbon through her hair, the feminine touch somehow making her feel more like her old self.
Making sure she had left nothing behind she made her way down through the castle to the library and began browsing the shelves for anything that would be useful but wouldn't arouse suspicion. She knew anything truly useful would be in the restricted section but she could never explain why she needed it, so instead she wandered to the alchemy section and picked up the heavy tome entitled 'Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science' deciding instead to research the magics that had brought her here. Blood magic she knew was a form of alchemy, the same kind that Voldemort would one day have Wormtail use to reunite him with his mortal form. It took her a few minutes to find Madame Pince within the library, with no students here it seemed she did not feel the need to stalk the shelves for those that would tarnish her precious books. After promising that it would be returned at the start of term she jumped when someone called her name.
"Hermione, Dear I understand that you are anxious about your NEWTs but I did not think you were serious when you said you wanted to read from the library," Hermione turned and blinked for a second at the woman before her. There was no mistaking that she was beautiful, silver eyes set into a feminine heart shaped face, with dark greying curls swept back from her face as she smiled at Hermione. The memories told her this woman was her mother and she was surprised at the rush of affection she felt for the woman before her. With a smile she walked towards her mother who raised an eyebrow at her outfit. "I need to keep ahead of my studies, wouldn't want anyone lumping me with my delinquent brother after all." Hermione, adjusted the dress and linked her arm with her mothers as they headed from the library, through the castle and into the grounds."
"Well as interesting as I am sure that book is not, I am rather bemused as to why you felt the need to change my dear? What happened?" Hermione's cheeks flushed red and deciding it would be best to stick as close to the truth as possible Hermione sighed. "They were ruined, so I had to transfigure something else to wear. Something set fire on the third floor and the halls were filled with smoke, I was covered in soot." Her mother laughed and reaching the gates she winked before apparating them home. Hermione felt queasy and had to be steadied by her Mother before following her into the large manor house before her. "Well run up and change into something suitable dear, they will be here soon and your father is anxious enough already."
Before Hermione could ask what she was speaking about she summoned a house-elf who began pushing Hermione up the rather grand and ostentatious staircase. "No problem Miss, Minnie sees to it Miss Hermione all dressed for the meeting, yes Minnie does. Terrible dress, Minnie might burn it too." Before Hermione could protest the elf continued "Mistress Dorea best not be thinkings Minnie won't be checking on you too, at least Miss Hermione's hair is done. Mistress Dorea needs a good combing, yes she does.
"Naughty Potter women, never do as Minnie tells them too, thinks they can do as they please but Minnie knows better yes she does. Minnie will make them behave just like she makes young Master Jamie keep his pranks at school only. Minnie is a good house-elf, Master Charlus says so daily." Hermione found herself in shock as all the memories fell into place and she realised where McGonagall had sent her. She was James Potter's twin sister, and now Harry, her best friend, was to be her nephew. "Bloody hell" she cursed under breath only to receive a swot on her rear from the house-elf pushing her towards her dressing room and shutting the door. "Miss is a lady, no swearing like potion master's wife!"