20 minutes previously.

"So your positive you want to go through with this? Again?" Ron questioned Hermione for the fifth time and she rolled her eyes.

"Thoroughly convinced."

The trio swept through the castle's corridors and headed toward the great hall to fetch breakfast. Harry and Ron enabled themselves in conversation of Quidditch tryouts and Hermione thought numbly of Ron's inquiry. Was it wise of her to take possession of a time-turner after the great amount of stress it had caused her? Their pace quickened as they neared their destination.

"I could eat a dragon." Ron rubbed his belly and Harry laughed at his eagerness.

"Oh curse me." Hermione stopped walking. The duo followed her gaze to their potions professor who was gathering speed toward them. "He's found me again."

Harry looked slightly amused and Ron, interested.

"I need to get out of here." Hermione said exasperatedly. "I'll be there in 10 minutes subsequent."

Ron opened his mouth to object but Hermione had already disappeared into a sea of first years.

"Miss Granger, is that you?" Professor Slughorn called after her. The large man struggled feet behind Hermione's heels and she pretended not to hear him. She rounded a corner and took off in a run towards her Transfiguration class where she met head on with Minerva Mc. Gonagall.

The two women tumbled along the floor in a tangled heap. Professor Mc. Gonagall stood to her feet and began to dust off her robes, infuriated. It all happened at once. Hermione was about to apologize when a blinding white light shot out from the front of her clothes. It only took a brief moment for her to analyze what had happened and what would happen next. Her brown eyes widened and she looked at Professor Mc. Gonagall soundlessly for help. Then, everything around her became a blur and she felt dizzy. Really dizzy.

Present time.

Hermione could hear voices from behind her curtained bed. She tried to stretch her ears to hear them more clearly.

"Leave us, I shall speak with her." One said, it was familiar but Hermione had trouble deciphering it. Her head pounded in pain.

The white drapes were pushed to the side and there stood Professor Dumbledore. It was the same old headmaster and yet everything seemed to be different. His hair and beard lacked length and it was no longer pure white but a light auburn. His face was free of some of the smile lines Hermione had been so used to. Yet, the same child-like amusement could be found in his bright blue eyes.

"What happened?"

The altered man stared at her with curiosity and she felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Why am I here?" She pressed on. "Can't remember a thing, only..." She bit on her lip, unsure of what to say.

"I think an introduction is due." Professor Dumbledore extended his hand. "I'm Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Hermione took his hand, completely confused. "I know who you are and you, I."

"Is that so?" Professor Dumbledore questioned and he took the opportunity to sit on the foot of her bed. She scooted back upon the headboard to provide extra room.

"Yes. I'm Hermione Granger, remember? 7th year. Head Girl."

"Strange." He said with the corners of his mouth twitching. "I was under the impression that our current Head Girl was Lily Evans."

"Evans?" Hermione whispered in disbelief and broke their eye contact. Her hand shot to her neck which she found, in horror, bare.

"Miss Granger?"

"May I burden you with the date?"

"September 2nd, 1978."

So it was confirmed, her bloody time-turner had sent her back 20 years! She felt as though she might cry. "1978. Lily Evans, really is... and James Potter," She massaged her temples. "Sirius and Professor Lupin."

"Miss Granger, I found this upon your arrival at Hogwarts." He closed his hand around hers and dropped something into her palm. It was her time-turner. She didn't have to look, she already knew. Only it was broken, glass shards were missing and sand had spilled onto her fingers.

"My-"

"Time-turner. Where do you belong?"

"September 5th, 1998." Hermione frowned and explained how the time-turner may have broke.

"Ah, Professor Mc. Gonagall?" Dumbledore chuckled. "I presume you do not know and would like a way home."

Hermione nodded vigorously and Professor Dumbledore frowned.

"I'm afraid that until I can research the topic thoroughly, your stuck."

"You mean?"

"Yes. You have but no choice to stay here in this time period."

It was now that tears left her eyes.

"Oh come now, Miss Granger. I'm sure everything will fall perfectly into place." He looked her square in the eyes as he reached in his pocket for a spare handkerchief.

She dabbed at her eyes. "So, I'm to stay here? Surely my friends and family..." Hermione trailed off.

"Will figure out what happened."

"Professor, you don't seem to understand. I can't be here, there has to be a way back!"

"I'm sure there will be, but for now, you stay."

"I know things, Professor." Hermione argued pointlessly. "Things that are going to happen... I can't just stay here."

Dumbledore held an apologetic smile. "I'll do everything in my power to return you home. Until then, you'll continue your education. You've spoken of being a 7th year?"

"Professor, I don't think I'll be able to handle this. I'll be completely friendless and I haven't any clothes or supplies. No magical or muggle currency!"

"There are always friends to be made at Hogwarts. Everything else, I can assure you will be taken care of."

"My classes..." Hermione trailed off and he eyed her sternly, convinced she was looking for a loop hole.

"Miss Granger."

"Okay." She smiled softly. "I suppose I can't lock myself up in your office."

"Surely not!" Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands together, thankful he was getting somewhere.

"So, I guess I should head to the common room?"

If you said things couldn't feel any worse...

"Of course not. You'll have to be sorted again. It would be highly questionable if we didn't. Tonight sounds appropriate."

It was decided that they would have research meetings as often as possible. Also, that she should work on a fictional background that she had no trouble keeping to. Hermione agreed, only she asked to keep her rightful name. She explained to Professor Dumbledore it would be too much of a mess if somebody discovered her true identity by some sort of magical means. She thought of the Marauders' Map.

This also brought her thoughts to the people she would encounter in this time period. 1978. She thought of her classmates' parents and relatives, all of which she had already met 20 years into the future. Most of all, she thought of Harry's parents.

"I was under the impression that our current Head Girl was Lily Evans."

Surely she couldn't avoid seeing them and honestly she didn't think she wanted to try. Yet, how overly privileged did it make her to meet Lily and James Potter, when their son can't even provide himself with a proper memory of the couple?

So involved with thoughts of the Potter's, Hermione forgot about the others. A young Professor Lupin and Snape, a carefree Sirius Black, and a still innocent Peter Pettigrew.