Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter


New Beginnings

It had been precisely a week since Hermione had arrived in 1978 and so far her plan hadn't gone the way she had wanted, this was mainly due to her arriving in the Headmaster's Office semi unconscious. The effects from the war had been immense but the time travel had brought her to the extent of exhaustion, she had managed a weak 'help' before her world had gone dark. She hadn't woken once worrying the staff who were still clueless to the mysterious woman. The rest of the student body were unaware of the mystery only knowing that one side of the hospital wing had been closed off for construction reasons. The said construction was the unconscious body of Hermione.

Another day passed before Hermione begun to stir. With a groan Hermione rolled on to her side trying to block out the sun that was escaping from the parted curtains. "Five more minutes," she muttered scrunching her eyes tighter. When this failed to block out the light she reached down for the bed sheets and threw them over her head.

She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard someone enter her room. Her body froze under the covers and she slowly steadied her breathing carefully listening to what was happening from above the cover. She could hear soft humming, and she slowly begun to relax; Deatheaters didn't hum merry tunes.

Hermione slowly peeled back the covers to see a young woman, she watched the mediwitch quietly as she went about her business in away that seemed familiar to her. Almost like she had met this woman before, she silently urged her to turn around, from the back she couldn't tell who she was but her instincts were telling her to trust this woman. Hermione pushed the cover further down her body and slowly pushed herself into a seat position. Her body ached and she winced in discomfort as she rose, she quickly released her arm as a shot of pain ran straight up it. Holding back her cry of pain she rolled up her sleeve and stared at the the word etched upon her skin. Mudblood. That's what she was, she had been marked like a cow to his owner, marked like a prisoner, the carving in her arm would never go, the word would haunt her forever.

"You're awake!" came a voice from the other side of the room. Hermione rolled down her sleeve and smiled up at the woman, her face though fresh and youthful was the very same face of Madam Pomfrey, the very same witch who had healed her and her friends with a simple wave of her wand.

"Hello, can you please tell me what the date is?" She had to be certain the spell had worked.

"It's the 10th of September 1978, you arrived two days in to the school year." Madam Pomfrey said as she began to take results from different medicals.

"I've been here eight days already?" she asked alarmed.

"You arrived in Professor Dumbledore's office semi conscious you managed to ask for help before you collapsed, you've been unconscious since then."

"I guess I needed the sleep," Hermione muttered rubbing the ache in the back of her neck.

"I'd say so, we ran a few tests over you when you arrived and your body was suffering, you were under malnourished, dehydrated, underweight you have multiple scars in different degrees of heeling. Not only that but we were able to see the effects of the Cruciatus curse over your body." Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I know, Madam I really need to see Professor Dumbledore is there any chance you can get him for me?" Madam Pomfrey nodded and with a smile she left Hermione to her thoughts.

She sat quietly waiting for the curtain to pull back, she didn't have too long before the Headmaster walked through the curtains with a smile though his usual twinkle was missing.

"Professor Dumbledore, you might not believe what I have to say but I am from the year 1998 and I've been sent here by your future self to change the future." she said and waited tensely for the Headmaster to say something.

What seemed like forever he finally spoke, "I do believe you Miss?"

"Miss Granger, Hermione Granger." Dumbledore nodded

"Miss Granger, after all it's not everyday a wizard has a young witch appear out of nowhere in his office not far off death pleading for help. It's also not everyday a young witch arrives in my office holding one of the legendary coins of Merlin. So tell me why I've sent you here."

Hermione closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief before she retold her story to the Headmaster. Certain elements she left unsaid and she was sure he was aware she was keeping things hidden but right now he didn't need to know.

"So the future isn't a bright one, I will not pry any further into your mission Miss Granger but I must know this, can I trust you." Hermione loooked in to the Headmaster's eyes and rolled up her sleeve. She bared her arm for him to view, Mudblood clearly on view for him to see.

"I was tortured, the knife that carved that into my arm was cursed and the scar will always remain. I want a world where I can grow up safe and you have told me changing the lives of certain individuals will help this. I want my friend to have a family, I want him to know love and what it feels like to not have the entire Wizarding World on his shoulders. I want him to be a free teenager who worries about girls and homework and focuses far too much on Quidditch without having the fear of death hanging over him. I want to walk down the streets and not have the word Mudblood carved into me like I'm some animal. I want to make the world a better place, I want what you want because if I don't do anything Sir then majority of your students will be dead in 20 years time."

"Well then Miss Granger, it seems we need to make up a cover story for you. Do you have one in mind?" Hermione shook her head and pulled down her sleeve feeling very exposed.

"You are an exchange student from the Isle of Man, the school you attended was Fransans, you have transferred here to Hogwarts. What house were you in?

"Gryffindor Professor,"

"Very well I'll have you placed into Gryffindor, I assume you are now seventh year?"

"Actually I'm now in the year above but I didn't sit my NEWTs or attend my entire seventh year because of the war."

"Then you will be given the chance here. I'll have Professor McGonagall collect you this evening where you'll be introduced to the other students and you'll join your house." Hermione nodded and thanked the Headmaster for his time. As he stood to leave Hermione suddenly remembered the coin.

"Do you have Merlin's Coin Headmaster?"

"I do and I'll keep it locked away in my office until you need it." He said and he left the room leaving Hermione to her thoughts and the frequent visits of Madam Pomfrey.

Professor McGonagall arrived dead on half past six, her hair was still fastened tightly into a bun but the grey hair she was so used to was not insight, instead her hair was jet black. Her face, though it had wrinkles was younger in appearance but the familiar stern expression had not changed.

"Miss Granger, it's a pleasure but we shouldn't keep the students waiting. You can only imagine how uncontrollable they can be when food isn't on time." Hermione chuckled and stepped off the bed, a house elf had arrive half an hour earlier with her new school uniform, she had also been informed a chest of he clothes had already been moved to her new bedroom in the Gryffindor girls seventh year dorm.

They left the Hospital wing in complete silence and the silence continued until they reached the ground floor. "You had us all very worried when you arrived here my dear."

"I didn't expect to pass out on arrival," Hermione laughed a little though she could feel a twinge of pain in her leg from being laid in one position for too long.

"Yes when Albus informed me you had one of the Merlin Coins well I was flabbergasted to here you were from the future. When the results came back from your injuries I was terrified. You are no older than out Seventh years yet your body seemed to suffering."

"I've been in a war Professor and before that I was on the run for a year. My body has taken a pounding but I'm still standing after all I've faced so I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Yes, I've noticed the scars on you Miss Granger, now stand still for a minute." Frowning Hermione stopped where she was and watched Professor McGonagall waved her wand. In seconds she watched as the scars on her body slowly started to fade.

"Your story is to be kept private the last thing we need is for someone to question you on your scars." Hermione looked up at the Professor with a watery smile before they continued on their walk to the Great Hall. There was only two scars left on view, Bellatrix Lestrange's final reminder on her arm and her neck. Forged under a cursed blade it was impossible to remove or hide.

As they finally reached the Great Hall Hermione froze, stared up at Professor McGonagall who offered her a reassuring smile. "The Headmaster is informing everyone of who you are, the doors will open when it's time for us to enter." She explained and Hermione nodded though the feeling of nausea hadn't disappeared.

In what felt like forever the doors to the Great Hall opened and nine hundred pairs of eyes fell stared at her. Mustering up her Gryffindor bravery she walked into the Great Hall, she could hear the whispers of her fellow students and tried desperately to shut them out.

"Miss Granger has been sorted in to Gryffindor so if you wish to take a seat at the Gryffindor table Miss Granger dinner will begin." Hermione nodded and turned to the table searching for a familiar face. As her eyes scanned the table she spotted a boy with black hair round spectacles waving her over. She bit her tongue to stop her from crying out as she stared at James Potter. He looked so like Harry it hurt. Seeing nobody else acknowledge her she walked over to James, forcing a smile on her face.

"Hello I'm Hermione," she said holding out her hand for James to shake.

With a grin he took hold of her hand she shook it. "James Potter is the name, and it's a pleasure to meet you Hermione. And I'd like to be the first to welcome you to Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore bet you too it but thank you all the same." She laughed, he might have looked like Harry but his personality was far different. He'd only spoke one sentence and she could see he was much more confident then Harry. He sort of thrived in the attention of his peers the very opposite of his son.

"God damn that Dumbledore, who does he think he is." James joked with a wink.

"Stop hogging the new girl James," said a voice from beside her, turning to the voice she couldn't believe her eyes, in front of her was a very young and very attractive Sirius Black. She could feel herself staring and she knew he saw it too.

"Sorry, you are?" she asked trying to cover up the fact she had been starring but who could blame her, the Sirius Black she had known had spent 12 years in Azkaban and it had shown. To see him so young and so carefree was a shock.

"Sirius Black sweetheart." He winked and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You serious?" she asked and the three boys around him laughed. Sirius having heard the joke countless times just rolled his eyes.

"It's not like I've heard that one before," he said sarcastically.

Hermione looked away from Sirius and focused on the two boys in front of her. She had seen both boys before had known one for such a long time and the other she hated.

"I'm Remus Lupin it's really nice to meet and it's cool you've chosen to continue your studies here at Hogwarts. I'm sure you'll just love it." Hermione felt her eyes water as she looked at Remus, he had died too early. His life had just started, he had a son a little boy who would never know his father.

"It's nice to meet you Remus," she said offering her hand for him to shake. She blinked away her tears and turned to Peter who fidgeted in his seat.

"Peter Pettigrew, it's nice to meet you," he said and he offered her his hand. With the smallest pause Hermione extended her hand to Peter. She could feel a shiver slide down her back but she didn't pull away. She had to change his future, she had to stop him from joining Voldemort and to do that she would have to become his friend and earn his trust.

The food just as Dumbledore had predicted appeared on the table and everyone quickly dug in. The table was piled high with different foods; soup and bread, meat and roast trimmings, pies and pastries were spread along the table. In between them were several different desserts. Profiteroles stacked in towers, pumpkin pies sliced into even pieces, bowls of ice creams charmed to stay frozen, moist chocolate cakes.

It may have been 20 years but the food hadn't changed, Hermione quickly scooped up a bowl of chicken soup and a roll of bread. It had seemed forever since she had eaten and maybe it had. As she quietly drank her soup she tried to think the last time she had eaten a full meal. Shell Cottage, they'd just escaped from Malfoy Manor and Fleur had cooked for them while they had stayed with them. So much had happened since then that food almost seemed foreign to her now.

"There's all this food on the table and you pick soup?" said Sirius shaking his head as he took a bit out of his chicken drumstick.

"Well some of us are in shape and other's have let the food control them," she said looking down at his torso. He was slim and in shape that was easy to tell but the look on his face from being called fat was hilarious. "Sirius close your mouth when you're eating, not everyone wants to watch your food." Hermione said before taking a bite out of her bread. The other Marauders were laughing at Sirius who continued to gape at her.

"I'll apologise on Sirius's behalf he normally tries to keep his weight concealed and his mouth closed," Joked James, Sirius sent James a scowl before he turned back to his meal, his mouth closed as he chewed.

Once they had finished their food the Marauders escorted Hermione to the Gryffindor Tower, already aware of where it was located Hermione allowed the boys to point out all the different staircases and the facilities along the way. As they walked Hermione's gaze continued to drift on to Peter, he was the quietest of the four, more of a follower than a leader but Hermione quickly noted he didn't seem to fit in with the group. Almost as though he was apart of it to an extent.

"You'll eventually figure it all out Hermione," Peter squeaked with a small smile as he caught her looking down while they were on the staircases. "It takes awhile but I think you'll grasp it quickly."

Hermione smiled at Peter and nodded, "I do hope so."

They finally reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady and James approached Hermione. "Behind this portrait is the entrance to the Gryffindor Common room. To enter you need to give a password, the password for this year is Flibbertigibbet." explained James and Hermione felt a pang to her chest, it was the password from her second year.

Remus spoke the password and they walked through the entrance. The common room was the exact same as it had always been. The same comfortable chairs were in the centre of the room, the fire was roaring heating the room. There were bookcases lining the walls with two staircases leading to the bedrooms.

Realising she couldn't just walk up the stairs she turned to the boys, "It's been a really long day for me and I'm shattered, I don't suppose you could tell me how to get to the girls dormitories could you?"

"Sure, just head up the staircase on the left and keep going until you find the door that says seventh years on it." said Sirius pointing to the correct staircase.

"Great, I'm sure I'll see you all tomorrow, good night?"

"You sure will Hermione, good night,"

"Good night," chorused James, Sirius and Peter.

Hermione walked a step at a time up the stairs, watching as the numbers on the doors rose as she walked higher. She was older than everyone in the common room yet she'd never stepped foot in the seventh year common room. With a shaky hand she pushed open the door and stared at the room. It looked identical to the sixth year dorms and the fifth year dorm, the only difference being there was slightly more space. She quickly located her trunk and changed into her pyjamas. The day had worn her out, she was exhausted both physically and mentally. She lowered herself into her bed and drew the curtains around her. Now she was finally alone she allowed her tears to fall. She could finally grieve for the friends she had loved and lost in peace.


Woo chapter number three completely edited from scratch and I'm so much happier with this chapter now. It just seems to flow better and the grammar is so much smoother. It's taken me over three hours to just fix this one chapter but it's certainly time well spent.