CHAPTER TWO
Summary: Hermione's life is changed forever when she is saved during The Final Battle at Hogwarts by her Father. A man she didn't recognise. A man of great power. A man legends were written about. A man that gives her a new mission. A man that most certainly wasn't Richard Granger. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: All canon events and characters belong to J.K Rowling. I'm not making any financial gain from posting this.
AN
Bloody hell! I wasn't expecting the response this fanfic has gotten, especially since it's only been twenty-four hours since posting. You guys have blown me away with all of your follows, favourites and reviews. And for that, I couldn't help but give you the next chapter so soon.
As I said before, I only have the first few chapters written, but I also have a fair few chapters written which I plan to use in the middle of the plot line. I do this all the time. I suddenly get an idea and I'm able to write an entire chapter on it, and despite it not following on from the previous chapter written, I know that I absolutely want to include it, so I have to wait until I can slot it into the fic at the right time. I have six chapters written that are to be used somewhere in the middle. It sounds strange, but I promise it actually works for me.
Also, I think the story line for this fic is probably going to go at a faster pace compared to my others, at least, judging by what I've written so far I do.
And before I forget, this is a Hermione/Tom pairing.
Q&A
Ash – Yes, Hermione is going to travel to the past, as you'll see in this chapter, and Grindelwald has not yet been defeated. He is still a problem that needs to be taken care of.
Hitsugaya Ren – Yes, this is a Hermione/Tom pairing. There will be no Newt Scamander appearing, you are correct about Tom trying to seduce Hermione, and I'm going to have a little fun with that. And whether Dumbledore is a bad guy, at the moment I'm trying to have him stay neutral, but that may change either way later in the fic so we'll see.
Guest - I promise, I'm still working on Pack Life, after posting the last chapter the muse is now being very uncooperative but I'm hoping to have another chapter written and posted within the next couple of weeks.
Sab81790 – In this fic it'll be Tom that has to try to keep up with Hermione. Tom is going to be dark, but I don't have the talent for writing that sort of character, so it'll likely be less so than in other fics you may have read with him in. I'm going to have a lot of fun with him trying to seduce her to the dark side and Hermione constantly rejecting him. If you've seen my other fics, you'll know have much I love writing a sassy, bossy and no nonsense Hermione.
SereniteRose – I'm happy to be able to do this for you. Like you said, it was your idea, I've just helped you bring it to life. You've been with me from the very beginning and I love reading your comments on each of my fics, and I thought it about time I made a start on your request to thank you for your amazing and continuous support.
Wizards N Dragons Realm – Way ahead of you on Merlin's vaults. I guess great minds really do think alike. I plan for Hermione to stay in the past, and to have her paired with Tom.
Page count: 10
The Meadow
"I am proud of you, My Daughter," Merlin said with a smile and Hermione smiled at him in return.
It was time for her to leave for her mission. She had spent a year with her Father, Merlin, not that it felt like it, time didn't pass in the meadow, the place that had become her safety, her serenity.
She had finished her training and she knew more about her magic than she ever thought possible. But not only did she understand her own magic better, her Father had also taught her everything he knew and everything he had witnessed in the millennia he had been both dead and alive. She knew magic that most didn't even know existed; she knew magic that had long since been forgotten, magic that would more than certainly protect her from Tom Riddle, her target.
The plan was to go back to the time of Tom Riddle's Hogwarts years and stop him from making Horcruxes. Then she was to stop him from ever instigating a war and killing so many innocent people. Simple. Okay, not really, but her Father had faith in her which made her feel better.
"Thank you, Father." She had never seen someone look so happy at the mention of that one word.
"You have completed your training and now it is time for you to leave. You will be sent back to September 1st 1942, this gives you plenty of time to complete your mission. You know your cover story?"
"Yes, I will be a transfer student. My parents were killed by Grindelwald's men and I escaped. I was homeschooled and I am now completing my education at Hogwarts, whilst staying with a cousin," she recalled and he nodded.
"Do you have the de-ageing potion?" She nodded in reply. "Clothing, school supplies and books are already waiting for you at Hogwarts, along with anything else you require. Arrangements have been made and you have access to your inheritance at Gringotts, a few drops of your blood against the vault door will reopen the accounts and it will all be yours. King Arthur paid me very well for my services," he answered the question she had been about to ask him. "The goblins are bound by magic to not reveal your identity or existence once the records show that the vault has been activated. You do not have a vault key as you will not need one. Ask to be taken to vault zero-five-phoenix-camelot." She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"The goblins may not treat you kindly until it is proven you are my heir. They will provide you with a silver dagger, which you will use to place a small cut on your left palm and you should press it against the vault door. No one but you will be able to access the vault, and once it has been reactivated, your presence alone will open the vault, hence the reason for a key not being needed. Now it is time, Good luck, Hermione."
"Thank you, before I go, what will my name be?"
"Hermione Nilrem," he answered.
She raised an eyebrow. "Could you be any more obvious?"
"People are not as observant as they once used to be," he chuckled and then he clapped his hands and his staff appeared.
Hermione took the opportunity to search her surroundings one last time, knowing she would never see the beautiful meadow that had been home to her again. She would miss the soft, warm grass tickling her feet, she would miss the peaceful sounds of the birds singing and chirping, she would miss the smell of the flowers, and the feel of the sun warming her skin. But most of all, she would miss the time she had spent with her Father.
"What's your first name? I've been here a year, I've learned a lot about you, but I don't know your name."
"That has long since been forgotten, people once referred to me as Emrys."
With that he raised his staff and with a tap against the floor, Hermione vanished.
"Call for me and I will come."
She heard his voice call in the distance as she felt herself spinning and spinning, being pulled into a black abyss.
~000~000~000~
Hogsmeade Village - Monday 18th September 1944
Hermione landed on her feet and wobbled slightly.
"Ow!" She muttered, bringing a hand up to her aching head, she felt slightly dizzy and wobbled on her feet again, but she regained her balance quickly and the pain and fuzziness vanished moments later.
She looked around and a small smile lit her face, she would recognise Hogsmeade anywhere, it was exactly the same as it had been in her third year. Quaint little shops, eye popping displays and passersby slowly perusing the shops. The only differences being the buildings didn't look as aged and the distinct lack of dementors and Death Eaters. She slowly walked down the pathway until she came across a discarded newspaper.
She caught something in the corner of her eye and she rushed over to the newspaper and picked it up. She cursed with what she saw.
"Father!" She called, making sure no one was around. Her Father suddenly appeared in front of her.
"My Dear Child, you have been gone but ten minutes, what trouble could you have possibly gotten yourself into?" He asked, sounding amused.
She handed him the newspaper, he looked at her confused before his eyes focused on what had caught her attention. The date.
Monday 18th September 1944
"Ah, that is problematic," he commented.
"Problematic? I'm two years later than we planned."
"Time is a tricky subject that not even I can master."
She sighed. "What are we going to do? By 1944 Tom Riddle has already created two Horcruxes, which means he's already killed two people. He has already formed his Death Eaters in training and is Head Boy."
"We'll have to change the plan slightly, prevent him from making anymore and try and find where he is keeping the Horcruxes and find a way to destroy them, preferably without killing him."
"I already know how to destroy them."
"Yes, but it would kill him, we don't want that," he reminded and she sighed. "The rest of the plan is as normal, keep your head down, don't get in trouble, don't get noticed. You will be a shadow, a fly on the wall which nobody pays attention to."
"I know."
"Now, let's try this again," he chuckled and he disappeared from sight.
Hermione sighed and made her way up to the Hogwarts gates, which magically opened for her, closing when she stepped through.
~000~000~000~
Hogwarts
She made her way through the grounds encountering no students or professors. When she reached the gargoyle statue, she stood there, not knowing the password.
Thankfully someone she could only guess was a professor came walking down the corridor towards her.
He was wearing electric blue robes with neon red stars and a matching pointed hat, he had long auburn hair and a long beard and bright blue twinkling eyes hidden behind half-moon spectacles. Something was familiar about him.
"Ah, My Dear, you must be our new transfer student, I'm Professor Dumbledore, Deputy Headmaster; I'll be your Transfiguration Professor."
Hermione's eyes widened slightly, 'bloody hell,' she thought.
"Yes, Sir, I'm Hermione Nilrem," she said, making sure to shuffle on her feet so that she looked nervous in a place she hadn't been before.
"I am sorry that we are meeting under these circumstances, I am sorry for your loss, Miss Nilrem."
"Thank you," she muttered.
"Perhaps we should meet with Headmaster Dippet," he suggested and Hermione nodded.
Dumbledore stepped around her and whispered the password and the gargoyles spun, revealing the staircase. Dumbledore took the lead, and knocking on the door when he reached the top of the staircase.
He entered and Hermione followed after her, her eyes scanning her surroundings. The office she entered was nothing like Dumbledore's cluttered but organised mess, with bowls of candy littering his desk. Headmaster Dippet's was virtually empty, with simple furnishings and the portraits of every headmaster before him covering the walls. There were a few piles of parchment sat in front of him on his desk, but the rest was empty except for some ink and a quill.
"Armando," Dumbledore nodded in greeting.
Hermione turned her attention to the man sat behind the desk in the wingback chair. He looked old, far older than Dumbledore had in her time. He didn't stand when they entered; she wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to or if he physically couldn't. He wore what looked to be a black sleep hat and brown striped robes, his hair a silver-grey colour and his eyes brown, with many a wrinkle surrounding them. He looked so frail Hermione wasn't surprised that Dumbledore would take over as Headmaster within the next few years.
"This is Miss. Nilrem."
"The transfer student," he croaked.
Godric! He sounded like he would kick the bucket right then and there.
"We don't get many transfers," he commented.
"I was home schooled, Sir," Hermione replied quietly.
"Tragic what happened to your parents, it seems they prepared for the worst. We have received your OWL results, twelve subjects; that's very impressive."
"Thank you."
"You will be allowed to continue with your studies, but first you must be sorted, it's tradition," the old Headmaster spoke, before nodding to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore retrieved the sorting hat. "The sorting hat will determine which house you will be most suited to," he explained kindly.
She nodded. "I know, Hogwarts a History is my favourite book," she said shyly.
He was surprised by her statement but he didn't respond as he placed the hat on her head.
"Well, Miss. Granger, or should I say Merlin? You have travelled a long way from home haven't you? And for such a task, I am impressed. Where should we put you? You have to be cunning to pull off this task, however, you need to be unnoticeable and a new snake in the snake pit will surely turn heads. Slytherin is not a viable option. You are undeniably brave and I see you were a lion in your time; however, a Gryffindor that keeps to themselves will also be obvious, Gryffindor's not for you this time around. Hufflepuff – you do have kindness in you, but you have been affected by what you have seen and what you have done, an unhappy Hufflepuff cannot be possible. That just leaves, Ravenclaw. You have undeniably one of the most knowledgeable minds I have ever had the pleasure of seeing into. You thrive on learning and a Ravenclaw that doesn't interact will go unnoticed, students of the house may not even notice your arrival. This is good; this is the place where you will be safest."
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat bellowed.
Dumbledore removed the hat from her head and put it back on its stool in the corner of the room, and it went into hibernation until it was needed once more.
"Congratulations, Miss. Nilrem, I dare say after seeing your OWL results, Ravenclaw will suit you well," Dumbledore said.
"Thank you."
"Unfortunately, there is no space in the Ravenclaw dorm rooms as we only received word of your arrival five days ago and all dorm rooms are full. As a result you will be given your own dorm room, which you will not have to share; we feel that it is best to give you some privacy in regards to your tragic circumstances. You will still have access to the Ravenclaw common room, if you so wish," Dumbledore spoke and she thanked them shyly.
It just made her mission a whole lot easier.
Dumbledore waved his wand over a blank piece of parchment and her class schedule appeared and he handed it to her.
"This is your class schedule, as you can see you have several independent study periods, we assume that being an only child and being homeschooled, that you are used to independent learning and it seems to have benefited you greatly, as seen with your examination results. We did not want to overwhelm you and with you taking twelve subjects, we thought it best to allow you some time for independent study."
"Thank you, Professor, I appreciate the kind sentiments," she spoke quietly and with her eyes locked on the floor.
Merlin! It was hard to pretend to be a shy, anxious little thing. She was Hermione Granger...Nilrem; she was bossy, opinionated and as far from a push over as someone could possibly be.
"I will take you to your dorm room; it must have been a long journey. It will give you time to change into your school robes before dinner."
Hermione thanked them and she followed Dumbledore through the castle until he reached the third floor. The castle had the exact same layout as it did in her time; nothing was different, not even the cobwebs and fogged up windows. Except she knew that most of the secret passageways still existed, which she would be taking full advantage of. Knowing the secrets of the castle came in very handy and could only benefit her.
Dumbledore led her over to a painting on the wall. It was a painting of a meadow scarily similar to her meadow, with a young girl, maybe seven or eight years old. She had long brown curls and bright brown eyes, her skin was pale and her face had a smattering of freckles over her nose and cheeks. The young girl was skipping through the grass with her white dress floating about her. She spun on her heel, laughing lightly and that's when she noticed their presence.
"Password?" she squeaked out, apparently excited to have a visitor.
"Corvum Nigrum," Dumbledore spoke. The little girl giggled before spun in a circle, her hair and dress floating around her and the painting swung open.
"This is where I leave you, Miss. Nilrem, dinner starts at six o'clock sharp. It is now two in the afternoon. That should give you plenty of time to unpack and explore your rooms and to find your way to the great hall. Your belongings should already be inside."
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," she muttered, shuffling on her feet.
"We are in hard times, Miss. Nilrem, some of us have witnessed the darkness first hand."
He gave her a look that had her feeling like he was gazing into her very soul and she made sure to strengthen her newly learned occlumency shields as a precaution. No one was to know of her identity or mission, especially Dumbledore, and that had been her Father's wishes. Dumbledore may have been classed as a 'light' wizard, but no one could deny that he was a manipulative old fool, and should he discover her secret, it would not end well for her. No doubt he'd have her doing things for the greater good, rather than completing the mission she had been given. She couldn't risk it, so as far as she was concerned, Dumbledore was not an ally, but he was not an enemy either. She had to tread very lightly.
"Until Transfiguration, Miss. Nilrem." He tipped his head slightly and then turned and disappeared down the corridor.
Hermione sighed in relief and stepped through the portrait sized hole in the wall and the painting swung closed behind her, finally allowing her chance to breathe.
She was surprised by what met her sight, she had assumed she would have her own bedroom, and possibly a bathroom, but she hadn't been expecting an entire suite to herself.
She had her own common room and it was a decent size too and decorated in neutral colours which surprised her. The walls were cream and chocolate brown, the cream walls had chocolate brown accents and the chocolate brown walls held cream coloured frames with empty spaces, which she supposed was for her to put up her own photographs. She had a large fireplace which was unlit but she imagined it would look beautiful during the evenings and it would warm the room up nicely, especially during the winter months. She couldn't wait to curl up in front of it with a good book. She had a comfortable looking brown leather couch and a matching arm chair, with cream cushions and a cream wooden coffee table sat in-between them.
There was a brown carpet and a soft cream rug in front of the fireplace. Off to the left of the room was a small kitchenette and there was also a study desk with a chair and a dark bookcase beside it. There was a staircase off to the right and she left the common room to explore the upstairs.
She entered the room to the right, which was the bathroom. It was decorated in the same cream and chocolate brown as the rest of the suite, keeping to the same colour scheme. She had a large stand up shower and much to her delight, a bathtub she couldn't wait to take advantage of. She had a sink with a cupboard underneath it and a mirrored door cabinet above it, and there was a small linen closet which held towels and spare bed sheets.
She left the bathroom and headed into the final room, her bedroom.
It was beautiful. The walls were a calming blue and she had a soft white carpet. There was a white wardrobe and chest of drawers next to each other on the left wall. There was a large mirror in the corner of the room and her queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room, the headboard against the wall with a small bedside table.
She walked over to the bed and she gingerly touched it. Silk sheets. She shook her head, obviously her Father had sent more comfort items, more than she needed but she had spent a year in a tent, she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The soft white silk sheets covered her mattress and the quilt cover was made of the palest blue silk she had ever seen, with matching pillows, she could only image what it would be like to sleep in. She noticed that 'Hermione' had been sewn into the silk in the corners of the sheets and pillows and she chuckled with a shake of her head. Well, the house-elves certainly wouldn't mistake her belongings for another's if they were all monogrammed.
She caught sight of the mirror and curiously walked over to it; she had never been a vain person, but she wished to see what she looked like in the fashion of Wizarding 1940's.
She was wearing a soft floral dress that fell just below her knees and had capped sleeves. The material appeared to be white cotton with red flowers positioned strategically, on her feet she wore white shoes, with a two inch heel she would never wear again. Her hair was left down her back in ringlets, but pulled back from her face showing her slender neck and chocolate brown eyes. She knew that her hair would be considered odd, seeing as it was longer than most girls in Wizarding 1940's, who tended to have their hair shoulder length at best, whereas hers fell to her mid-back, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. It might make her stick out, but she could just wear her hair up and no one would notice.
The uniform though, that was one thing Hermione would have trouble wearing. She went to her trunk and pulled out the black robes, a grey blazer, a grey v-neck jumper, her grey skirt, a white shirt, a plain black tie and her grey knee high socks and she found her black and appropriate t-bar shoes.
With a wave of her wand she was out of her dress and wearing her uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She didn't like it; it was weird.
Her robes now had blue lining the edges and the Ravenclaw crest on the right side breast. Under her robes she had on the grey blazer which she didn't like; it was itchy and heavy, making her look bigger than her petite frame actually was. Her skirt was longer than she was used to, it falling to her mid-shin and she hated it. Absolutely hated it! The material brushed against her skin every time she moved and she knew it was going to get on her nerves.
Her knee high socks were made of the same scratchy material that her blazer was and she realised that she would have to do something that too. The only items she didn't have a problem with were her shoes which were actually quite comfortable, her tie which had changed to blue and bronze stripes, her cashmere jumper and her white cotton shirt. She would have to change the blazer, socks and skirt in some way.
And so she decided to skip dinner, not really being that hungry anyway.
She went about unpacking her trunk and she was grateful that she found her beaded bag in there; it contained everything from her previous life, the only anchor to her time.
She sent all her clothing into her wardrobe and she almost squealed when she still had many pairs of jeans and jumpers, that wouldn't be appropriate in the 1940's but she could still wear them in the privacy of her rooms, and she hung up her uniforms and newly purchased dresses and robes, before promptly changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, feeling like herself and much more comfortable. She sent her undergarments to pack away in her chest of drawers as well as the silk night gowns, flannel pajamas and several pair of short suits.
She then flicked her wand and all her books, from her beaded bag and trunk, followed her downstairs to the bookcase. She had to perform some Enlargement Charms and Warding Spells, but all the books soon fit into the bookcase. She had her school books, but also many a book on dark and grey magic that she knew were illegal, but it seemed her Father had found a way to get them into Hogwarts undetected.
She then flicked her wand and all parchment, ink pots and quills were organised on her study desk neatly and precisely. She then dug through her beaded bag and found several old photographs which she would put up in the photo frames surrounding the room.
She found a photograph taken at Grimmauld, with every Weasley present, along with Harry, herself, Remus and Sirius. She promptly enlarged it and placed it in one of the two photo frames over the fireplace. She continued the process around the room until she came to a photo she wasn't even aware of being in possession of.
It was a photo of Hermione and Merlin taken in the meadow. She didn't know how he did it, but he had. He had been trying to teach her an elemental spell and it hadn't gone to plan, the results of the spell pulling them both in a fit of laughter. She could see the happiness in their eyes when they turned to her and waved, acknowledging her presence. A smile pulled at her mouth, and she enlarged the photograph and placed it in the other frame above the fireplace, next to the one taken at Grimmauld.
She was done. She had been careful and made sure to only use photographs that wouldn't reveal anything about the future or locations. Of course she had to do a few charms to distort the clothing somewhat, but most of the time they had been wearing plain robes.
Hermione smiled at her completed work. She then turned on her heel and headed to her bookcase, pulling down the oldest copy of Hogwarts a History she had, luckily it was from 1939, most recent to her current time frame.
She spent all night reading and when she had found her answer to her uniform problems, she went to bed a happy witch.