She couldn't make the distinction between when she stopped feeling as though her world had fallen apart… And when it had started to feel almost normal again. But sometime, between the freshly broken ribs, and the healed ( but still tender) rib cage. She had started to feel as though the world made sense again… almost.

When exactly it had happened she wasn't sure. But one thing that she was positive of, was that nothing would never be the same again. There was no way of knowing what spell had broken the time turner as she had turned it. She had even used Dumbledore's pensive in an attempt to relive the experience. But she hadn't heard what was said. She couldn't, over the roar of the rain, and the fighting. It was impossible, unless guess work was involved. Unfortunately Guess work and time travel weren't things that went hand in hand. And Hermione wasn't someone who was willing to play guessing games.

She had done her job, in essence… She had warned them of the attack. Although it was many years before the attack ever happened. They had still been warned. Time worked in mysterious ways. She should have known better than to attempt to alter it. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

Lately Hermione had taken to helping James with his potions homework on a regular basis. Despite knowing that she could potentially alter his future, she has slowly grown to adopt the opinion that sometimes… in order to hide something, it was best to keep it out in the open. So that was what she had done. She had opened herself up to the general population. She had become Hermione Lane. The mysterious girl attacked by dark wizards, running to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry for protection. She provided minimal details about her past. Being muggle born made it much easier to come up with a plausible cover story. She hadn't been forced to lie (as much) about her background because of this.

Although the lies she had told were starting to pile up higher and higher, she was having trouble keeping track sometimes, but it was easy enough to cover her tracks because of all the rumours floating around.

"Hermione?" James's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She realized that a few people were looking at her and suddenly she realized she'd obviously missed something. Blushing slightly she poked at the eggs on her plate with her fork.

"Sorry, lost in thought I guess. What'd you say?" she took a mouthful and tried her best to pay attention to the conversation going on around her. It was too normal for her to focus sometimes. Normal conversations, about normal things, during a normal school day… except… she looked at the faces of those who surrounded her. Sirius, Remus, James, Peter. All of them were extraordinary in their own way. Even Peter despite his obvious faults. Extraordinary people living an ordinary life. She suddenly wanted to cry. That's what thinking too much gets you she mused.

"Hermione? Earth to Hermione?" Sirius was waving a hand in her face from across the table.

Laughing quietly Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't stop thinking about that transfiguration essay. I'm going to pop over to the library so I can get this out of my system before class. I'll see you all later."

When had her voice gotten so small? She wondered. It wasn't everyday that the witch formerly known as Know it all seemed so meek.

Waving goodbye she left the great hall, pretending to blink away imaginary dust, she couldn't for the life of her figure out why her eyes were stinging so badly.

James watched as she walked out of the great hall. Regardless of if she was actually going to the library or not they all knew she wasn't going to research the transfiguration essay. "Think I should go after her?" he asked, still watching the doors she had just passed through.

There was silence from his friends for a moment. "Everyone needs to be alone sometime. Perhaps its best if she has a moment to herself, after not speaking to anyone for so long It's a surprise she's warmed up to everyone so quickly." Remus offered. "We should be heading to class now anyway."

"Yeah…" James responded.

Remus shared a look with Sirius who shrugged in response. He didn't think too much of the new girl. But he wasn't about to stop James from going after her if he really wanted to.

"She's alright mate, we'll see her in class." Peter said standing and gathering his things. The other boys followed suite, grabbing their books and heading off for their first class of the day.

Defence of the dark arts was a particularly touchy subject. Not only was the professor a bit loopy, but she was a tad bit dangerous as well. Truth be told it was a surprise to many that she had managed to keep the position for more than the first month of the term. Professor Lector had a peculiar air about her, there was always something new, fascinating, and particularly deadly that she would attempt to share with her students. Today would be no different they assumed.

All of the students had arrived in class, Hermione being one of the last ones in sat in the front where the last available seat was located. She glanced over her shoulder at the marauders sitting further in the back. Looking to the front of the class again she felt dread wash over her.

There was a tall narrow cabinet standing alone where the Professors desk would usually reside. It shuddered violently making many students jump. As soon as she had walked into the classroom she knew she should have skipped the class entirely. She was positive that there was a boggart in that cabinet, and she had absolutely no desire to know what her greatest fear was. She was positive this time around it wouldn't be a professor telling her she'd failed all her courses.

She picked at her nails and flipped through her textbook in a fruitless attempt to distract herself. Maybe there's something else in the cabinet. Your overreacting. She chanted this to herself over and over again until Professor Lector came sweeping.

"Welcome children! I have a special treat for you today!" she practically squealed and she strode towards the front of the class. "Can any of you guess what it is?"

"Something to do with that dusty old thing I'd assume" someone chimed, getting a couple laughs from the students.

"Something to do with this dusty old thing indeed!" Lector was gazing at the cabinet. "Today children you will see a boggart!"

There were murmurs amongst the students. Lily Evans raised her hand and asked a question simultaneously. "Professor, isn't it impossible to actually see a boggart in it's true form? Shouldn't it take on the form of what you fear the most?"

"Why yes Ms. Evans, excellent! I see you've been keeping up with your readings! 5 points for Gryffindor. A boggart is a magical creature that will take on the intended victim's worst fear. Now that being said there is a incantation that will repel the boggart and reduce it to nothing more than the silliest thing you can possibly imagine! What a wonderful creature! Now! We will all be taking turns facing our fears today children…"

The room grew quiet except for the rustling of the boggart inside the cabinet. Professor Lector grinned like it was her birthday and she'd just found out she was a millionaire. "Who wants to go first?"

Hermione was glaring at the table top. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't leave, she had a front row seat someone would definitely notice if she tried to sneak off.

"No volunteers? We'll start from the front and work our way to the back then. Ms. Evans come forward please. I'll explain the counter curse which will repel the boggart then you'll give it a go."

It was at this point that Hermione almost slid to the floor in panic. Lily was only five seats to her right. There were only 4 more people between her and that blasted boggart. I could always kill it. She thought, then shook her head, she wasn't about to kill anything.

Hermione was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed Professor Lector show the class how to perform the counter curse. She didn't notice at all what Lily and the next four did, she missed their boggart turning into their worst fear, then into the silliest concoction their minds could come up with.

"Ms. Lain!" Hermione jumped out of her seat. Professor Lector had called her name multiple times and Hermione had forgotten for a moment that that was her name. She was Hermione Lain. Hermione Lain. It was her turn to face the boggart.

She hesitantly stepped forward, feeling the blood drain from her face as she neared the cabinet. The room was entirely silent. Or perhaps she just couldn't hear anything over the sound of her own heart beat, she couldn't be sure. What do I have to fear? I've faced the worst of almost everything. She thought to herself, only moments away from the boggart emerging.

She stood before the cabinet, holding her breath. She was morbidly curious about what she would see, but at the same time terrified beyond all words. The cabinet shuttered, then slowly the door began to creek open.

It didn't take a genius to see that Hermione was absolutely horrified at the thought of seeing that boggart. Whispers had broken out as soon as she had risen from her seat to stand in front of the cabinet. What would she see? Would it shed any light on just who the mysterious girl was? Or would it be some incredibly normal fear? Maybe she's deathly afraid of mice. James thought to himself.

The cabinet had shuttered, then the door began to creek in an almost painfully slow motion. Necks craned to see what was about to emerge from within. Suddenly the door slammed open, there was a flurry of materials falling to the floor, a thud, then silence. Everyone was standing in an attempt to see what had fallen.

James and his friends pushed through the crowd of students who had slipped out of their desks into the isle to get a closer look. Lying at Hermione's feet was a girl, no older than them. A Hogwarts banner was tangled around the young girls body, blood was pooling around her, spreading outward and seeping into the cracks in the stone floor.

Hermione was staring with a stony expression at the form the boggart had taken. She took slow deliberate steps towards the girl, who's red hair was becoming soaked in her own blood. Although it was a boggart it was no less real to those looking on, everyone's eyes were trained on the scene before them, James silently wondered why Professor Lector hadn't intervened yet.

With Hermione's next step she found her feet in the pool of blood, slowly she knelt down next to the girl, reaching out she touched the fabric of the Hogwarts banner playing with it between her fingers. Her eyes searched the face of the girl on the floor then slowly, thoughtfully, she pulled the lose fabric of the banner forward to cover the girls face.

Her chest heaved as she stood, breathing was becoming difficult. You've killed us. She heard their voices as plain as day. Why did you leave us? They asked her. I had to. She answered silently. I had to. I wasn't given a choice. This wasn't supposed to happen. Staring down at the boggart posing as a dead Ginny Weasely she suddenly realized that she was still in the classroom. The next thing she realized that she had an audience. Panic over took her again. This was her worst fear she realized. The boggart had hit the nail on the head. It wasn't Ginny, it wasn't that her friends were facing death, it was the thought of these people finding out her secret that she was truly terrified of, and the boggart's form had opened up a whole new set of questions that would be aimed at her. They were that much closer to finding out. She ran.