Hello everyone, this is my submission for Season 6 Finals Round 1 of the QLFC. Thank you to TheOptimisticRover for betaing this. I do not own any rights to Harry Potter; the rights belong to J.K. Rowling.

QLFC Season 6 Finals Round 1: Theory of Relativity

Team: Kenmare Kestrels

Position: Chaser 1

Task: Back to the Future

Optional Prompts used:

(emotion) – gratitude

(dialogue) – "What, have you changed your mind now?"

(word) - mindless

Rating – K

Word Count: 1150


July 16th 1996

It had been a month since the battle in the Department of Mysteries and Harry had remained quiet and withdrawn since the loss of his godfather. When he did speak, it was to snap. Everyone knew he was grieving Sirius' death; it had hit him hard. In the end, it was Hermione who had decided to do something about it. She could no longer sit and watch as her best friend became almost mindless with sorrow. She wanted the old Harry back. While it was a shame that she didn't have a time-turner handy, she could, however, use something else.

It would be reckless, but if Harry and Ron had been able to fly the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts in their second year, she saw no reason why she couldn't use the modified blue Citroen Saxo, that Arthur Weasley was studying, to go back in time and save Sirius.

Arthur had brought the car back to the Burrow two weeks ago; it had been seized from a Muggle home, the owner of which had actually succeeded in adapting the car into a time machine. It had been taken away so that the Wizarding World could better understand the possibilities of muggle science, and also, by doing so, they had stopped the owner from changing his own timeline.

Pulling her clothes on, she slipped out of the room she was sharing with Ginny, who thankfully was out for the count, snoring. When she reached the landing, she stopped and listened for any signs that she wasn't the only one awake in the house, but all she could hear was snoring coming from the majority of the bedrooms. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and went downstairs. Once she was outside, she cast a Lumos with her wand and made her way to where the car was parked a little further down on the dirt track.

As soon as she was seated in the driver's side, she turned the ignition with the car key and felt the hum of the engine purr to life like a contented kitten. Glad that there was enough plutonium for a return trip (she had no intentions of being stranded in the past), Hermione set the date for the 18th June 1996, the time for midday and the destination for London before pressing the button on the steering wheel.

Thankful that she had her seatbelt on, she clung on to the wheel, her knuckles going white as the car accelerated forward towards the forest before disappearing into thin air.


June 18th 1996

The next thing she knew was being blinded by bright light that came through the windscreen, looking around at her surroundings she noted that it was in fact around midday and found herself on a quiet street in what she presumed due to the big fancy houses to be west London. Exiting the car, she glanced at both ends of the street, seeing that there was no one about she cast a disillusionment charm on the car before going into a back alley and Disapparating once she had memorised the street name.

When she appeared outside of 12 Grimmauld Place, she was both nervous and excited at the thought of seeing Sirius again. She knew it may alter the timeline. By how much she didn't know but at this point she didn't care. What was important was making sure he survived at the Ministry.

Walking up the stone steps, she knocked on the front door before waiting, fidgeting with her hands.

Sirius opened the door, his grey eyes taking the sight of the young witch in and lighting up. "Kitten, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts? Is Harry alright?"

Without thinking she threw herself into his arms, hugging him as tears of happiness fell down her cheeks.

"Hermione, it hasn't been that long since you've seen me," he said, returning the hug and wiping her tears away, concern in his eyes for her. He led her inside; closing the door behind him, wondering what the hell was going on.

Once they were both seated in the living room, he looked at her curiously. "So, are you going to tell me why you're here without Harry and Ron?"

"There's no easy way to say this, Sirius, but later today you're going to die in the Ministry."

Noting the sadness in her chocolate brown eyes, he said, "You aren't joking are you?"

Hermione shook her head. She began explaining how she had travelled back in time to try and change things, which was why she was here now, that by doing so she wouldn't encounter her past self. She told him what had happened when he went to the Ministry. Seeing the slight nervousness in his grey eyes, she asked, "What, have you changed your mind now?"

Sirius frowned at her slightly. "About what?"

"About going after Harry, to the Ministry."

"No, I'm still going to go, from what you've said, I have to go. I won't leave Harry to fend for himself nor will I let you and the others come to harm, kitten. But I will keep in mind what you've told me, Hermione, thank you."

"I had to take the risk, Sirius, I couldn't bare to see the way Harry is any longer."

He stood up and hugged her, kissing her forehead softly he met her brown eyed gaze. "You better get back to your time, now, kitten. I'll see you again soon, I promise."

Hermione nodded and left Grimmauld Place, returning to where she'd left the car. Once she was inside, she set the destination back to the Burrow and to the time she belonged, before taking a deep breath.

Please let him be alive, she thought, before disappearing.


July 17th 1996

When she awoke the next morning she went downstairs to find Harry was nowhere to be seen. Turning to Ron, even as hope swelled in her chest, she asked, "Where is Harry?"

"He's at Grimmauld Place with Sirius, they're coming over for lunch for the Quidditch game, you know that, Mione, it's been planned for like a week," he said around a mouthful of eggs.

"I must have forgot," she replied, ignoring his curious glance.

Sirius is alive! It worked!

When Harry and Sirius arrived at lunch she couldn't stop the smile from forming on her lips.

"Hello, kitten," Sirius said, winking knowingly before embracing her in a hug.

Turning to Harry, Hermione noticed his usually bright green eyes were glassy. "What you did, Mione, I don't know if I can ever repay you."

"You're my brother, Harry. That's enough."

"Thank you, Mione," Harry said, gratitude clear in his tone as he hugged her.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Harry," she replied, smiling, happy that she had given him back the part of his family that he had been missing.


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I'll see you all soon,

Sunset Whispers x