"Bookish" I whispered to the portrait, under the circumstances Dumbledore had allotted me my own private room. It wasn't nearly as fancy and glamorous as the head girl room I was supposed to be getting back when I was in school. My thought pattern always stopped when I thought of the past, well the future, geez it was all so confusing.
I climbed my steps and admired my room. Plain yet comfortable gray living room furniture seated around a small fire, a semi-worn desk, a four-poster bed, and a simple bathroom. I absolutely could not believe my luck. I had gone from scavenging food, and marking deaths on my leg… I stared down at the dotted flesh on my calf. To forging a new life.
"A New Life" I said aloud to myself in wonder, when actually it terrified me. I couldn't go home, not that there was anything left. I missed it all the same. The small campfires with Remus and Ron, I loved him once. I loved him dearly. Now he is dead and all I am left with is a bitter taste in my mouth.
It was nearly September and Dumbledore was pushing for me to do something other than eat sleep, and write the past. I had spent nearly a month in silence. I had tea with Minerva once, but I feel as though that was too uncomfortable for all party's involved to be a regular occasion.
I wrote down every date I could conjure, used Dumbledore's pensive, and was nearly able to piece together a timeline of wrongs that were committed. The first ones on my list were small in retrospect….. but every life is my mission. Not just to save but improve.
I grabbed my cloak and strode through the portrait once more and toward Minerva's office.
Two knocks and an answer later we were on our way. To Diagon Ally to procure a wand, and all other things I should need. Luckily for me the pendant Harry had gotten me after OWL's was still tied securely on my wrist. In the future it is worth very little, something sold by cheap venders in muggle shopping malls, however in this decade I have found it to be worth much more than the price given. It is made of Palladium, a semi-precious metal in the future that is worth so much more in the past.
In the late 80's muggles discovered massive deposits of it dropping it's value considerably, at this time it is very precious. Especially in the magical world, where it can be melted and used to create powerful potions ingredients. Dumbledore took care of the sale of the object. I am nowhere near as rich as most wizarding families, but was pleased to find a fairly large sum deposited into my account. Harry would have appreciated it's use, I think. It wasn't very hard to part with. It was the only thing that belonged to me from my past future…. But my memories are much stronger than any emotional attachment to an object.
I stopped just short of stepping on Minerva's heels as we entered Olivanders. I has been walking blindly caught in thought up until now.
"We are in need of a Wand for Miss Hermione Jean" she said tersely waving in my direction.
She still didn't trust me fully, which is understandable due to the limited information I provided to both her and Dumbledore. I wasn't safe to divulge more, until I finished my time line.
"I will be next door collecting your books, take your time" She said as she swept through the door with the purposeful walk I have always associated with her.
"Miss Jean, is it? A new wand…. Well lets see" a younger Olivander said with a thin smile.
"Yes, my strong point is Defense. I will also be using it for Charms and Transfiguration" I said as I ran my fingers over the multiple cases.
He began just as he did years ago, or years ahead. It was nice to simply watch him work.
"Try this" , "No, well this one then" , "No" he seemed to get more gleeful as we went through more and more unsuitable wands.
Finally when we had exhausted dozens and dozens he smiled and waved me to the back room.
"I have had a thought" he smiled leading me into a room no bigger than a large closet, filled with layers of dust.
"..That possibly none of the wands I have made will do for you, very interesting"
"What do you mean" I say slowly, looking around at the numerous boxes of wands in the room, all half eaten my moths.
"My father, whom I inherited my practice from, left behind some of his work. They were all so violently discarded by any who tried to … call for them that I finally moved them into the back room. You see the wand chooses the wizard, or witch if you please"
I picked up a purple box with a strange insignia on it… With a chance I pulled the strangely colored wand from it's dusty case and held it firm. Instantly I felt it, like we had been separated and reunited. Calm, ease, power…. It was wonderful.
"Well done Miss Jean, well done indeed, that wand has been looking for you for quite some time I'd say. Possibly…. Yes.. One Hundred and Eleven years it has been on this shelf. You see my father Emanuel Olivander, you see the E and O in the insignia in the wand? Yes, well he made this from materials he found in Belize. It's made from a quite exotic wood… Ziricote" He paused to touch the handle.
I couldn't help but admire the beautiful wand myself, It had a marbled pattern. Almost like looking through light and water. It was marked with brown, and an almost gold, with variations of the two colors where they met. The handle was quite small in relation to it's length.
"Why is the handle so small, my last wand was larger, like all others I have seen, I thought for balance?"
"Yes my dear, most wands must be balanced. You see, the power source, that would be your hand, is usually attached to a large base to even the power throughout the wand. You see, this is one of the things that made is so unique, and until now very useless. I never thought to get rid of it. Intriguing"
I urged him on "Please continue"
He stared back down at the wand, "Yes, it doesn't need the same balance… do you see where the black streaks throughout the gold. This is a very rare tree, as I said found in Brazil. This" he said while tracing the patter "Pattern absorbs the power, balances it"
"And the core?" I said almost startling him from his focus on the black streaks.
"Ahhh yes, this is where it gets more interesting. This was one of my father's more unique projects, It actually contains two cores a hair from a Brazilian Siren. They are kin to modern day Mermaids. Though with very little similarities, Very powerful all the same. Called… let me think… Icura… yes that is what the locals call them… and a strand from a Thestral tail"
Then a ding came from the front, revealing several small boys.
"I must attend to other matters now Miss Jean, that will be…. 32 Galleons"
"And a holster please…." I said filling out the Gringotts note and gathering my purchases. When I arrived at Flourish and Blotts Minerva was haggling with the shop owner over the price of Quills"
"Oh, whatever, just add them to the total." She said in a frustrated voice
I looked to the lengthy stack of books and smiled, some good comes from the bad.
With our purchases in hand we traveled through floo back to the Headmaster's office, where he sat smiling towards us.
"Have a good time? Tea anyone?" he said cheerfully
"Yes, I will take some" I said happy for something warm and a nice chair.
McGonagall declined and took her leave, giving us a chance to talk.
"So have you made any headway on your project?" he said eyeing me carefully
I look a long breath, knowing he would want something to accomplish. That was something no one knew of the old man. He always needed a project.
"Rubeus Hagrid, Gideon and Fabian Prewett" I said simply. They were on the top of the list. Early fixes to affect the ultimate outcome
He seemed to ponder this for a moment and then he sipped his tea and waved for me to continue.
"Gideon and Fabian deaths need to be prevented" I said picturing the sad face Molly always had during family discussions.
"Antonin Dolohov has a personal agenda against them. They will be dead within the year"
"I see, what do you suggest?"
"I believe they should be made aware of the threat, as well as Mad Eye. Dolohov should be killed. I know you have not yet stared making assassinations, but it is inevitable. Dolohov kills and tortures too many innocents for him to be a viable candidate for salvation. The greater good is what you will call it in the future."
He made a scratch on a parchment, shushed a portrait and turned back to me… seeming to except my decision. I could not believe that I had just ordered someone's death. It made me slightly sick. However, I didn't care. It was us or them… and this time it would be them.
"And Hagrid, whom I am sure you know is a dear friend… "
"Yes, he needs to be acquitted of all charges based against him and needs to regain a proper wand, and training. He is our link to the Giants, We must show them by example what fair treatment looks like."
"I wish I could, I have argued this very same point. But without proof of the actual criminal I fear my hands are tied.
I took a deep breath, and jumped into the Chamber of Secrets story full force. He just sat there taking it all in.
"…You see with the Basilisk as proof he is bound to be re-admitted as a private student. Not with the student population, that would be humiliating and degrading."
"Yes, this is very compelling truth. However we must have one last conversation before our tea is gone. You realize that with all these changes there will be no future to return too? That already the changes made will affect everyone; you could possibly be causing more deaths. Are you prepared to take responsibility for that?" his blue eye's hardened, taking in my expression; gently probing at my mind, enough to tell if I was being truthful.
"Yes, because as I have already shown you… everyone you know died… everyone good you don't know died… I would have died, you died. Can you take responsibility for that happening again if you don't heed my warnings?"
I stood and left in a storm. Packages in hand. Back to my room. Back to my solace.
Sleep is what I wanted, a warm bed and a dreamless drink. And that is how I spent the rest of my night.
