Everything belongs to J.K. Rowlings. I just make a different version of her world. Note at the end.

0o0o0o Always 0o0o0o

Chapter 3

I walked outside without seeing anybody else and walked out towards the sandy beach. The sun was almost setting and the air was cooling. I looked at the waves softly rolling before disappearing. I tightened my hand around the wand I'd won and softly said, "Dobby." I wasn't sure if he had heard me but a moment later I heard a crack and a little figure stood beside me.

I looked down at him, "I need you to take me to the Forbidden Forest.." His already big eyes went even bigger and he gently took my hand. The hand attached to the cursed carved word. "Miss Hermione wishes to be taken to the bad forest?" I nodded and looked away from him as the sun gave a few more rays of sunshine. "I would ask you to take me directly into the kitchens but I don't know if they have those warded against non-elfs. I don't want to risk it."

Dobby nodded and tightened his hold. He was about to say something when I heard footsteps running towards us. I quickly turned my body, wand ready to strike. It was Ron and Harry. My boys who I had always looked after.

"We came to see you off, Mione," Harry said as he neared me. Ron wouldn't look at me. He stopped a couple of feet away and looked at the finally setting sun. "I won't say goodbye Harry. I don't want to." I couldn't say anything after that. He seemed to understand.

I looked away from them and looked down at Dobby. "I'm ready." I never saw Ron hesitantly raised his arm as if to reach for me. I didn't see Harry wince and take a step towards me either. All I saw last was the setting sun.

I felt the world twist harshly and with a loud crack we were in the Forbidden Forest. It was dark already and I could see the top of Hagrid's' Hut. The lights were off but I couldn't be sure if anybody was inside. I turned to Dobby, "You need to go back. I know where I am going from here."

He stepped back and softly said, "Miss Hermione be safe," he left with a crack. I pulled the robe closer to my body. I had shrunk my beaded bag before I had left so I touched it to make sure it was still there. I cast a Disillusionment charm before stepping away from the hut to get near the Black Lake. I tried not to get too near it but close enough to be at least a couple of feet away.

I tried to quicken my pace and right when I would have gone inside the bridge when I saw a tall shadow grab me around the waist and hoist me up against it. My face was pressed against the side of the wooden bridge. I gasped and held up my wand trying to cast a curse when a cold and husky voice said, "Don't move unless you want me to kill you." I shivered and stopped trying to move away. I recognized the voice. Severus Snape. The man that killed Dumbledore. The man that had taken the title of the man he killed: the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. His body pinned mine with no gentleness.

"Now drop the charm and your wand." I did as I was told but I didn't drop the wand far. He grabbed both of my wrists in one of his large hands and raised them above my head and turned me harshly to face him. I heard him and inhale sharply as I started up at his sickly thin face. I tried not to show any emotion but I guess I wasn't as successful as I thought since he instantly narrowed his eyes on me.

"Miss Granger," he whispered threateningly as he looked deeply into my eyes, "I believe you don't' attend this school anymore. Why are you here Are you here to spy for Potter?"

I closed my eyes for a second before opening them and looking him in eye. "I am here for my own reasons. But since you seem to have caught me I think that anything else I say is irrelevant. As to Harry, I don't know where he is." I replied as I gazed into his cold eyes.

He tightened his hold and whispered, "Legilimens." I knew exactly what he was trying to do and I pulled up my occlumency shields before he could see inside my mind. I pulled everything behind a wall of black vines and thorns. I hadn't had anybody try this on me before so I didn't know how long it would hold. I kept my mind blank and pulled myself further and further away. The further I went the colder it got. I finally felt him break through and reach for me and my memories.

I couldn't let him find out about the mission that Dumbledore had given Harry so I tore myself away from him and pushed him out with all the magic inside of me. He gasped and flew back several feet before landing on his back. I didn't waste time, "Accio wand!" I yelled and ran away back towards the forest. I was compromised either way so I couldn't go back. I was almost there when a black shadow swirled around me and caught me up in it.

One moment my feet are touching the floor and the next my body is airborne. I struggled and kicked but he didn't budge. I felt my stomach drop as we swerved left and right. I remember the death eaters doing the shadow flying in the Department of Mysteries. I guess he really is one of them.

That shot down a cold and ugly feeling down my body as my carved mark pulsed and throbbed. After what seemed forever he dropped me down. It took me a moment to figure out where we were when I heard the voice of the dead.

"Miss Granger!" exclaimed Dumbledore. I looked up at his portrait and realized that Snape had taken me to the office that belonged to the headmaster of the school. How we got in I wouldn't know. I got up and trained my wand at Snape, "Call your master Snape. He can't do more damage than what has already been done to me by his slaves. What are you waiting for you traitor!" I bellowed as I stood with my back to Dumbledore. I faced Snape who had frozen for a second before moving closer to me. "What will you do Miss Granger is I do call him? I should just kill you myself if you have such a death wish!" He yelled as he stood in front of me with my wand at his throat.

"Severus! Stand back and calm yourself! Miss Granger, please lower your wand. I can explain. He is not a real Death Eater. I'll explain everything dear." said Dumbledore from behind me. I frowned and moved to the side making sure I didn't move away from Snape. I didn't lower my wand but just stepped back a couple of feet. I glanced back at Dumbledore who was frowning at me in concern.

Snape had taken a couple of steps away from me too and turned slightly away from me to pinch the bridge of his long hooked nose. I took a closer look at him and realized that he looked so skinny and gaunt.

I probably didn't look any better.

"Miss Granger-" I looked at my old headmaster, "Hermione, sir," I said as I glanced back at Snape. He was glaring out the window into the night sky. "Hermione, Severus is not a traitor. At least no more than me." Snape snorted rudely and walked away towards the desk on top of the steps. " He did what I asked him to do. He is innocent. You see Hermione, I was already dying and I would have gone insane if he hadn't killed me. I asked the impossible of a man who was already broken from doing something just as bad if not worst."

I had lowered my wand but didn't say anything. Not wanting to believe a word he was saying. I was still looking at Snape who had turned around to glare at Dumbledore. "There is no reason to tell her anything Albus! I did what I had to yes, but there is no need to tell her every detail! She won't believe you anyway. She will follow what that brat Potter says no matter what."

At that, I stiffened, "Don't you dare assume anything Snape! You don't know me so don't make it seem like you do! I will only believe what I can see with my own eyes not what anybody says." I said in indignation. He looked away but not a second later he gasped and grabbed his arm. He looked at Dumbledore then at me and bit out, "Don't leave this room or answer if anybody calls." before disappearing in a mist of shadows.

I felt my jaw tighten as I turned to Dumbledore, "You said that he was innocent and yet he leaves like a dog running back to its owner when called." As I said that something inside me swirled and left me feeling malicious about saying that. I frowned at that. I shouldn't be feeling this way but I couldn't seem to fight it.

Dumbledore looked at me in silence before he closed his eyes and whispered, "The bookcase directly behind you Hermione, pull the third book on the second to last shelf." I looked behind me to look for the book he was speaking off. I walked towards it and pulled it.

There was a slow hiss and then the whole bookcase moved back and slide to the left. I looked back at Dumbledore but he wasn't in his portrait anymore. I realized that the rest of the portraits were empty as well.

I walked in and the shelf slid out and back into place. The first thing I noticed was that the room was cold and dark with nothing but except a pensieve in the middle of the room. Right, above it was a blue misty swirl that floated above it. I walked up to it and the mist slowly dropped into the pensieve.

I put my wand away and grasped either side of it and plunged into whatever Dumbledore had wanted to explain before.

After what seemed hours of watching scene after scene I was able to get out of the pensieve. I fell to the floor in shock and disgust.

Shock because after all that had happened in the past with Harry made sense. Shocked because it was true what Snape had said to Dumbledore about Harry. He had to die in order to live. I felt angry tears stream down my face. I couldn't believe it. Snape did kill Dumbledore but only because he was forced to. Disgust because of the things I had shouted at him and about him.

I stiffened all of a sudden when I felt that something else swirl inside of me again. It was stronger too. It whispered to me. Making me feel raw and open. I gasped and tried to stand up. I didn't like the way it was making me feel. Like I could rage through this castle and kill anybody that stood in my way or completely have no reaction or feeling as I did the same thing.

Emotion without reason could get me killed instantly. Reason without emotion would make me do the unthinkable. The second one seemed more...appealing.

The odd feeling inside of me seemed to agree with me as it slowly faded away. I shivered and finally stood up. I pulled out my beaded bag which had I had shrunken. "Finite," I whispered.

I pulled out a large vial and used my wand to get all the memories into it. I cast a charm so it wouldn't break and put into my bag. I wiped the stray tears from my face and as I got close to the back of the bookcase it opened. I walked out to see Snape leaning against the stairs beside his desk. He had been looking Dumbledore before setting his gaze on me.

I looked him in the eye, "I'm sorry for what I had said before Professor Snape." I said as sincerely as I could. Just because I knew a little bit more about his situation didn't mean it would erase years of dislike and the fact that he had killed.

Snape looked like he was about to sneer but instead nodded his head before looking at Dumbledore again. "Are you sure you want me to give it to her?" Confused I glanced at Dumbledore. He nodded, looking gravely at me. Snape got up and moved towards me. He stopped a foot away and held out his arm. I lifted my hand up, palm facing up. He dropped a silver looking necklace. I gasped, "A time turner?" I stepped away from Snape and walked up to Dumbledore.

"Why?" I asked. He looked down at me with no twinkle in his old eyes. There will be a war fought Mis-Hermione, one where children will have to fight instead of the adults. The adults are blinded by prejudice. By pride. By fear. We have more to lose than them. Families will be broken apart. Children will die trying to save each other. I never wanted that. No matter what you may think of me from those memories."

He looked away before continuing, "I want you to use it an hour after the battle and go back and try to save those that will have no impact on the outcome unless you have to. Hogwarts is alive and it will let you know who is in danger the most. All you have to do is ask it. If we lose this war will be ruled by evil so profound it will destroy the very essence of who we are."

I slowly got down on my knees as the weight of the responsibility fell on my shoulders. I didn't know whether to cry out in rage or in sorrow. My hands rolled into a fist so tight I felt them throb. I closed my eyes. "You want me to watch them die first and then if I can save them? You do know I will have to kill in order to save them. I will have to dirty myself." I said softly as I opened my eyes to look at him. He suddenly looked older, graver as he answered. "Yes, I am sorry my child."

I heard Snape snarl and I turned around to see him in the same position as me. He glared up at the said portrait, "She will never be the same Dumbledore! You are asking too much of a child-" I cut him off before he could finish. "So where you Professor Snape! We were all just born at the wrong time. I am no more child than you are a traitor. It has been years since I have been a child. I don't even know what it feels like to laugh without worries. I am no child." He looked at me with

I turned back to Dumbledore, "I will do what I have to, sir." He gazed down at me sadly and nodded his head. All of a sudden all the other portraits filled up with people again. All the old headmaster's looked down at me with respect and sorrow. They nodded at me once and sat down as one.

I looked down at the time-turner with a blank face. I had the control to decide who lived and who died. My carved mark grew colder as I gazed at the necklace. A large part of me didn't want to do this. But that ugly feeling stirred up in me again. It felt cold as it moved within me. So cold, it helped clear my mind. Wiped out all troublesome emotion. It left me feeling secure in my decision.

0o0o0o0 Always 0o0o0o0

I don't know who to pair her up with. A large part of me wants it to be Severus but….

Reviews are welcomed.

-Nessa