Remember Hermione does have the timeturner, hence why I'm writing her in two places at once from time to time. (No pun intended)
Walking into the great hall for breakfast the next morning, the first thing they saw was Malfoy telling a group of Slytherins what appeared to be a funny story, as he did an impression of a swooning faint.
"Ignore them guys." Hermione said shortly.
"Oh Potter! Both of you look out! Dementors behind you! Ooooooooh!" Pansy Parkinson cried mockingly.
Dementors don't even sound like that... is that all you've got? Harry asked.
"Parkinson! Look out behind you! It's animal control!" John replied, referring to her pug-like face.
The non-Slytherins nearby roared with laughter, and the Slytherins in Malfoy's entourage looked at John with loathsome looks (as per usual), but chose not to confront him - John was getting quite large.
They proceeded to the Gryffindor table and sat near Fred and George, who passed them some pieces of parchment.
"Your timetables." said Fred.
"Oh good, it looks like we have some new subjects today." said Hermione.
"What was all that noise about at the back of the hall?" George asked.
"Oh, just John putting Malfoy's entourage in their place." Ron said, buttering some toast.
"What was he doing this time?" George asked.
"Making fun of us about the dementors." said Harry, grumpily.
"Little git. I could have sworn he wet himself when the dementors got to him." said Fred.
"I said this yesterday, but imagine him trying to take on the basilisk last year." said Delilah.
"That'd just be sad to watch... he'd piss himself, cry and get eaten." said George, bluntly.
"All that aside, looks like we've got Divination first. What have you got?" Harry asked John.
"Ancient Ru...Hermione, you have both of them. Literally right now. And you've got Muggle studies and Arithmancy at twelve. What are you going to do about that?" John asked.
"I told you, it's all been worked out with McGonagall." said Hermione.
"Right..." said Ron, suspiciously.
The five of them headed off towards their lessons (Hermione, Ron and Harry being led to the Divination tower by the crazed painting of a knight named sir Cadogan).
Ancient Runes was largely a standard introduction to a subject which Hermione and Delilah found fascinating. John enjoyed it for what it was, but wasn't blown away or anything.
The divination lesson, however was completely different. Their professor looked like a five and a half foot tall glittering butterfly, and spewed out very exaggerated rhetoric about "the beyond!" or how the students must "broaden" their minds. Whatever that meant.
More troubling though, was how Professor Trelawney saw something called the Grim in Harry's tea leaf readings. The grim was supposed to take the form of a giant dog... it was an omen of death...
They headed down to Transfiguration next, which was still compulsory, Harry in a significantly worse mood when he headed down there. In fact, most of the students there were looking somewhat glum.
They seemed to not care when Professor McGonagall transformed into a cat and back again into her human form, whilst explaining the concept of animagi.
"Really, what is the problem with you all today? Not that it matter, but that is the first time my animagus transformation has not elicited applause or some sort of reaction." said McGonagall.
Hermione wanted to raise her hand and explain how they had a divination lesson, but realized that Delilah and John were also present; she had also attended Ancient Runes with them.
Dean raised his hand.
"Mr. Thomas?" McGonagall said.
"Professor, we've just had Divination, and-" Dean started.
"Ah, say no more Mr. Thomas. Which one of you will be dying this year?" McGonagall asked.
The class collectively gaped at her.
Harry spoke up.
"Me." he said.
"Alright. Well you should know Mr. Potter, that Sybil Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since her appointment at this school. Not one of them has died. You should feel quite safe." McGonagall explained.
Harry's mood was immediately lifted.
"True seers are extremely rare, and Professor Trelawney..." McGonagall started, before remembering her professionalism.
"Whatever the case, if you should find yourself in a coffin, you need not hand in your homework on Thursday." said McGonagall, causing Ron and John to both let out a bark of laughter.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. McGonagall is the unsung hero of Hogwarts." John said, laughing after the lesson was over, as they headed off towards Care of Magical Creatures, which they were all looking forward to.
"Yeah, and an animagus too!" said Delilah.
"So anyway, how was Divination? Harry's death prediction aside." John asked.
"Weird. Like... really weird. Trelawney I'm pretty sure is just loony, and she speaks in this crazy mystical way. I don't even know what to expect when it comes to homework and stuff." said Ron.
Hermione continued to stay silent on Divination and Ancient Runes to keep her secret.
Care of Magical Creatures started out very well, but unfortunately, ended disastrously. Whilst working with Hippogriffs was nothing short of exhilarating, Malfoy had royally destroyed the lesson by disobeying the first thing Hagrid said, causing Buckbeak, one of the Hippogriffs in the lesson, to attack him, ending with a Hagrid with his new job at risk, and Malfoy with a broken arm.
They attempted to comfort Hagrid later on that evening, to little avail. It seemed as if he was going to tone down the excitement of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons in future as well, based on the fact that he was mumbling about how he shouldn't have started with Hippogriffs.
Defence against the Dark Arts the next day however, was a far more entertaining lesson. Lupin had put Peeves in his place, given Neville a bit of confidence when it came to Snape (by clothing a Boggart which had transformed into him in his Grandmother's clothes), and allowed everyone to face their fears and quite literally make a mockery out of them.
Harry wasn't allowed to face his own Boggart, something he planned on asking Lupin about later. The same went for John. They and Hermione were the last in the queue and didn't even get to see what their worst fears were. But Harry and John already knew what it was. Flashes of rotting skin, and a ten foot tall, hooded and cloaked figure would enter their minds.
Hermione, meanwhile had more ideas than just facing Boggarts when it came to Lupin's intentions.
"I mean of course they're on the syllabus, and we need to know about them, but I think the way he taught us was ingenious. All of us may not have had the chance, but a lot of us faced our fears, and just turned them into something amusing. I think he's trying to tell us something deeper than just how to handle Boggarts." said Hermione.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." said Delilah, quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous inaugural speech.
"That's what I was trying to remember!" said Hermione.
"Sounds a bit vague though. I mean, why would you not be afraid of... say a man pointing a gun at your head?" John asked.
"It's about thinking with a clear head. Fear clouds our judgement. Plus we only have this life and we can't waste it by being afraid."said Hermione.
"So I get why you two would figure that out and thanks for telling us as usual, but I don't think everyone else is going to figure that out." said Ron.
"It puts the concept in the back of their minds I'm sure." said Hermione.
"Don't you have to have brains for that to apply?" John asked.
"What are you getting at?" Harry asked.
"Well Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were in the lesson..." John said, causing the others to laugh.
The three aforementioned Slytherins were also in the potions lesson which was later on that day.
Malfoy was predictably using his injury to his advantage, in situations such as having Ron cut his ingredients up.
Seamus however, came to Harry with news - Sirius Black was sighted by a muggle even closer to Howgarts than last time.
"Thinking of trying to catch him yourself Potter?" Malfoy asked.
"Yeah, that's what we want to do." said John sarcastically.
"Of course if it were me, I wouldn't be staying in school like a good little boy, I'd be out there. Trying to get some revenge." said Malfoy.
"Rev-what are you talking about?" Harry asked.
"Oh, you don't know?" Malfoy asked, with a very sadistic looking smile on his face.
"Or perhaps you want to leave it to the dementors. I'd just want to get square myself." said Malfoy.
"Malfoy, what are you on about?" John asked, before Snape cleared his throat to instruct the class further.
After the lesson, Ron insisted that Malfoy was trying to goad Harry or John into doing something stupid, which Hermione and Delilah both agreed with.
However, what was on their minds more was the fact that Hermione was constantly carrying around an inordinate amount of books, despite the fact that Defence against the Dark Arts and Potions were their only lessons for the afternoon. Furthermore, Hermione had seemingly vanished at the top of a staircase, only to reappear at the bottom.
"I'm getting the idea that she's hiding something." said Ron to John, who agreed wholeheartedly.
Defence against the Dark Arts, unlike previous years had very quickly become a collective student favourite class. Lupin's teaching skills were seemingly on par with even the likes of Professor McGonagall, but combined with a great deal more enthusiasm and interest elicited from the students. The jazz music he would play in classes didn't hurt either. In fact, it got John somewhat obsessed with older music; he vowed to buy a copy of Benny Goodman's 'sing sing sing' as soon as he returned to the muggle world.
As for the creatures they studied, they were just as interesting as Boggarts, such as Red caps, which would wait in areas of long-forgotten bloodshed, hoping to bludgen passers by, and Kappas, which looked something like scaly, water dwelling monkeys with webbed hands, ready to strangle any unwitting visitors of their ponds.
This level of satisfaction was not met by other classes. After Malfoy's stupidity, Hagrid had lost his confidence and got the class caring for Flobberworms, which were arguably the least interesting creatures known to mankind.
Snape had undoubtedly heard about what Neville did to his Boggart which took the form of the feared Professor and had taken to bullying Neville more than ever before.
Almost as bad as Potions was Divination for Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had grown to dread the hours spent in the humid, stiflingly hot classroom of Professor Trelawney, who would spend half the time pointing out ways in which Harry could die the next day.
However, the start of the sports seasons lifted their spirits dramatically. John was surprisingly made captain of the third and fourth year Gryffindor team for rugby in spite of him being the joint youngest player on the pitch with Harry, and Quidditch practices were going better than ever.
Moreover, Hogwarts was gearing up for their first match with another school, again with first and second years, third and fourth years and fifth to seventh years grouping together. The girls rugby was not popular enough for it to be competitive - instead, they played amongst themselves as they did the previous year.
John was not the captain of the Hogwarts boys third and fourth year team, but he, Ron, Harry and Dean did make it into the team, which they were especially proud of given the sheer amount of competition.
Somehow Malfoy made it into that team. Malfoy was by no means a bad rugby player, but John could think of two Hufflepuff fourth years who could take his position and perform better.
Whilst Quidditch practices for Gryffindor were largely just business as usual (high quality, but relaxed) rugby practice for the school team was beyond high intensity.
Some of the girls would come to watch (for obvious reasons - the rugby players tended to be the most physically fit students), but all of them were slightly taken aback by how seriously the training was being taken. John for example, did not even hold back in tackling drills against Ron or Harry, and Cormac McLaggen, a big, heavily buillt Gryffindor in the year above Harry could be seen truly putting Malfoy through his paces physically.
Clearly Hogwarts desperately wanted to win their first inter school sports match.
"Do you think they're going to hurt each other?" Hermione asked Delilah worriedly.
"They are hurting each other. That's the point. But John was telling me how it's either this, or get even more badly hurt during a match, whilst losing the match to boot." said Delilah.
"I know, it's just not easy to watch if you care about some of the people playing." said Hermione.
"Nothing compared to Ron's infamous chess game though. Especially when he made that self sacrificing move." said Delilah, feeling a chill go down her spine at the memory of that night.
"Of course, but touch wood, we won't be putting ourselves in situations like that any more. But seeing them enjoying such a rough sport makes me wonder..." Hermione started.
"Wonder what?" Delilah asked.
"If the boys... get off on danger." said Hermione.
"In some ways I think they do. Especially John. But mostly for the adrenaline. And I doubt they like the danger aspect, given that they fought a basilisk." said Delilah.
"I know that, but it just doesn't make me too comfortable." said Hermione.
"But it makes them happy, just like learning makes you happy." said Delilah.
"Yes, but I just don't understand why. How could putting yourself in potentially harmful situations be fun?" Hermione asked.
"Boys are different to girls. I'm sure John has some evolution-based explanation for why boys like risk taking more than girls." said Delilah.
"John would have an explanation? Really?" Hermione asked.
"He hides it well but he's really interested in animals, and that sort of got him into reading about evolution this summer." Delilah explained.
"Interesting..." Hermione mused.
"I know... John reading of all things!" Delilah joked.
"Well I was actually wondering whether he's grown up enough to have something of an intelligent conversation." said Hermione.
"Now that you mention it... most conversations with him and even the other two are just crude, about homework or funny." said Delilah.
"Well whatever the case, my point is that I'll watch their matches but... it's not going to be easy watching them pummel and get pummeled." said Hermione.
"Oh I agree. They enjoy it though, so I won't say anything. By the way... all of us have been meaning to ask you something." said Delilah.
"Oh?" Hermione asked.
"Ancient Runes and Divination are at the same time. Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle studies are on at the same time. I can't vouch for muggle studies, but both John and I saw you at our first Ancient Runes lesson. Harry and Ron must have seen you at Divination, else they'd have asked about where you went. That would put you in two places at once after all." said Delilah.
"Don't be ridiculous, how could anyone be in two places at once?" Hermione asked, trying to play it off, but Delilah saw straight through the act.
"They'd ask you how." Delilah quipped.
Hermione looked alarmed. She didn't expect anyone to notice that quickly, given the fact that she was so silent regarding the matter.
"Wha-but-" Hermione tried.
"Come on Hermione, it's me. I know you're doing something to be in two places at once, not telling me what you're doing isn't going to do you any good. The boys have noticed too. We're the only ones, so your secret is safe with us." said Delilah.
Hermione stayed silent, before sighing and coming clean.
She pulled out some form of locket from around her neck.
"This is a time-turner. McGonagall gave it to me on the first day. I can travel through time for short periods, enough to get to all of my lessons." said Hermione.
"Time travel... why not?" Delilah commented wryly.
"I already know that I'll be telling John, Ron and Harry, I mean if I don't, you will, but can you promise to keep it between us?" Hermione pleaded.
"Absolutely. It's us, you can trust us." said Delilah, reassuringly.
Indeed, Hermione did tell the boys after their rugby training session as they relaxed under a tree near the pitches. Despite being September, it was still hot outside.
"What?!" Harry asked, upon hearing Hermione's confession of time travel.
"I knew you were up to something but... what?" Ron said.
"Should've known if anyone was going to use something as powerful as time travel for school it'd be Hermione." John quipped.
"You aren't going to tell anyone, are you? I told McGonagall I wouldn't tell anyone!" Hermione said, worriedly.
"Of course. But blimey Hermione, aren't you going to get tired?" Ron asked.
"I suppose I will as the year drags on, but I haven't been affected yet." said Hermione.
"If it starts getting to you, just drop some classes." Delilah said seriously.
"But I couldn't! There's so much to learn!" Hermione replied.
"Muggle studies?" John asked sarcastically.
"Learning about them from a wizard's perspective is fascinating!" Hermione said.
"Yes, but what does it amount to? What do you get out of it? A mixture of correct and incorrect information." said Delilah, bluntly.
"And you said Divination's really dumb too." said Harry.
"That was more due to Professor Trelawney's theatrics." said Hermione.
"You also said that Divination was a 'weak discipline'. Not much to actually learn." said Ron.
Hermione stayed silent.
"The point Hermione, is that you're doing too much, and not all of it is necessary. You can cut back on all this you know?" said Delilah.
"I will if the stress gets to me and I feel overworked, but I'm fine so far." said Hermione dismissively.
Lessons continued as usual, but Harry, Hermione and Delilah were feeling a bit more depressed day by day, as the first Hogsmeade weekend was looming and they did not have signed permission forms. John tried asking McGonagall, but to no avail, and it seemed as if they'd have to just deal with being the only students in third year and above stuck in the castle from then on.
Ron and Hermione meanwhile, weren't getting along as well as normal. Crookshanks had tried to attack Scabbers more than once, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. It was putting a strain on their friendship, and making Harry and Delilah feel awkward. John, however, decided that they were both being stupid.
"You two are being idiots." John said, bluntly.
Ron looked sheepish, but Hermione gave John a challenging look.
"Ron, cat's chase rats because they're natural predators and prey. You have to expect it, and Crookshanks can't help himself." he said. Hermione looked at Ron smugly.
"But Hermione, you're acting as if it'd be perfectly fine if Crookshanks ate Ron's pet. Think about it this way. What if Fluffy ate Crookshanks?" John asked, referring to the giant three-headed dog that Hagrid owned.
The smug smile was wiped off Hermione's face.
"You've got to keep Crookshanks under control when Scabbers is nearby. Your pet, your responsibility. No two ways about it. And let's face it, it's harder to keep track of a tiny brown rat than a giant orange cat." said John.
"When did John start acting like their dad?" Harry muttered to Delilah.
"I... don't know. He's supposed to be the immature one." said Delilah.
The day of the Hogsmeade visit came finally, and despite the attempts to cheer them up, Harry, John and Delilah felt awful. Once they'd seen Ron and Hermione off, having received promises of honeydukes sweets upon their return, they dragged their feet up the grand staircase.
Halfway up, they ran into Professor Lupin.
"Oh, I didn't see you there, how are you?" He asked.
"Well... we've been better I guess." said Harry.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Lupin asked.
"Hogsmeade." Delilah said gloomily.
"Ah." he said, looking at the three youngsters carefully.
"Well I've received a delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson. Would you care to join me in my office for a moment?" Lupin asked.
They didn't see the harm in it. Having some company would certainly help.
Upon arriving at Lupin's office, they saw a tank in the corner, with the grindylow inside. The youngsters looked baffled at the odd little creature.
"Water demons. But after the kappas, they shouldn't prove too challenging. You see their elongated fingers? They are strong, but very brittle. The trick is to break their grip." said Lupin.
"Brittle... it's OK for us to just break their fingers?" John asked.
"You won't. They know when they should let go. If you put strain on their fingers, they will let go of you." said Lupin.
"Interesting..." said Delilah.
"I certainly like to think so. Do you want some tea? I was thinking of making some." said Lupin.
"Alright, thanks." said John. Harry and Delilah also agreed.
"I only have teabags with me. Though it would appear that you are sick of tea leaves." said Lupin, a knowing smile on his face.
"How did you-" Harry started.
"Professor McGonagall told me. You aren't worried, are you?" Lupin asked.
Harry considered telling Lupin about the dog on Magnolia crescent, but didn't want Lupin to think him incapable or cowardly, especially after his disallowing of him even facing a boggart.
"No." Harry said finally.
Some of Harry's thoughts may have betrayed themselves on his face, unlike John, who appeared stoic as ever.
"Is something troubling you?" Lupin asked.
"No." Harry lied, thinking of the boggart and the dementors.
"Yes." Harry said finally.
"You remember the day we took on the boggart?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Lupin said slowly.
"You didn't let me face it, but never told me why." said Harry. John perked up upon hearing this.
"I would have thought that was obvious." Lupin said, taken aback.
"I thought the Boggart would have taken the shape of Lord Voldemort. It wouldn't exactly do for someone like him appearing in a school classroom, boggart or not." said Lupin.
Harry, Delilah and John all looked surprised.
Aside from Dumbledore, Lupin was the only person to say his name with no semblance of fear that they'd met.
"I was wrong clearly." said Lupin.
"Well honestly, Voldemort didn't even come to mind. I just kept thinking of the dementors." John said, finally.
Lupin looked to Harry.
"Me too." said Harry.
"Well, I'm impressed. This suggests that the thing you both fear more than anything else is fear itself. Very wise." said Lupin, smiling.
"Were you thinking that I didn't think you capable of handling a boggart?" Lupin asked, looking mildly amused.
"Well... yeah." said Harry, grinning.
"Actually, about the dementors-"John started, before a knock came at the door.
"Come in." said Lupin, and Professor Snape entered the room.
Snape was carrying a goblet which was releasing some form of faintly green smoke. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Harry, John and Delilah. Clearly, four of Snape's least favourite people were all in one room.
"Ah Severus, thank you. If you could leave that at my desk, that would be wonderful." said Lupin pleasantly.
Snape did so.
"You should drink that directly. I have made a cauldron full of it should you require more." said Snape.
"I will, and I should take some tomorrow, thank you." said Lupin.
Snape gave Lupin a curt nod and swiftly left the room, his eyes stopping on Harry and John once more before he left.
Lupin picked the goblet up and saw the three others staring at it.
"Professor Snape has kindly brewed this potion for me." said Lupin.
"Why?" John asked.
"Well I've been feeling somewhat off-colour lately. This potion is the only thing that helps. I'm not much of a potioneer myself, and not many wizards are even good enough to make it. I am lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape." said Lupin, as he drank from the goblet, making a disgusted face as he did so.
"Professor Snape is really interested in the dark arts." Harry blurted out without thinking.
"Really?" Lupin asked.
"Well we've been told that he is interested in the defence against the dark arts job at least." said Delilah, trying to put as much nuance into her statement as possible.
"And some people think he'd do almost anything to get it." John said, without any semblance of subtlety.
"Interesting. Oh, look at the time! I think I'd better get back to work, I'll see you at the feast." said Lupin.
"There you go." said Ron, cheerfully later on in the common room, as a shower of brightly coloured sweets fell onto the table in front of Harry, John and Delilah.
"We got as much as we could carry." Hermione said, happily.
"Wow, thanks!" said John, looking at Ron and Hermione, both pink-faced from the cold winds, but looking as if they'd just come back from the most entertaining day of their lives.
They immediately launched into a long discussion about all of the things Hogsmeade had to offer, but the discussion then turned to the goblet that Snape gave Lupin.
Whilst Hermione said that Snape wouldn't try to poison Lupin with three witnesses, she didn't seem entirely convinced.
After the feast, they headed back to the common room to see at least a hundred Gryffindors waiting outside.
Percy decided to stamp down his head boy authority and pushed his way to the front to see what the problem was, but Hermione had already spotted it.
"The fat Lady! She's gone!" Hermione said.
"Someone immediately fetch Professor Dumbledore!" said Percy, and Katie Bell did just that.
Dumbledore arrived at the scene with Filch and McGonagall.
He took one look at the portrait, which was slashed very heavily, chunks completely missing from it.
"Round up the ghosts Mr. Filch. We must search every painting in the castle to find her." said Dumbledore.
"No need your headship." said Peeves, who was watching the scene unfold with obvious amusement.
"Tell me what happened Peeves." said Dumbledore, an uncharacteristic amount of force in his voice. Clearly he took the safety of the students extremely seriously.
"Well he was trying to get into the common room, but didn't have the password. So he just lost his temper and attacked the painting. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."