Hermione frowned in thought. While it was true that giving the Headmaster information on the Hallows could prove a nuisance, it could also gain his trust. Only, what would he do if he gained access to all three Hallows? To be used for good or evil is the question. Hermione sighed and shook her head. Turning to Draco she frowned.

"We have to destroy them," she said. Draco's eyebrows shot up, obviously not expecting that as an answer to their plights.

"These are instruments from Death himself, they were never meant to last in the mortal world for so long, returning them to him can restore balance and allow for no other witch or wizard to use them. We know the Elder Wand is a bane on the mortal world, the power and destruction that wand has caused was never meant to happen. The Three Brothers brought these items into the world when they outwitted Death, but the items were meant to return to Death upon the Brothers' demise, but they never did. We have the only option but to return them to him or destroying them." Hermione explained. "If they are returned, we can safely inform others about the Horcruxes without the fear of the Hallows becoming an issue."

"How would one return these items to Death, Hermione?" Draco asked, his head tilted in his curiosity.

Hermione sighed, "the only way to return these items to Death, is to meet Him ourselves."

"Either we hold them until we die, or find another way," Draco nodded.

"In our spare time, I suggest we research any Old Magic ritual that could summon Death or a way to call Him to us, besides killing each other," Hermione said, her lips twitching at the idea of purposefully summoning Death.

"I think we're missing the most obvious way," Draco offered, his eyebrows drawn in thought.

Hermione sat straighter, "Well? Don't keep me waiting."

Draco cracked a small smile at her impatience. "If we have all three Hallows, we'd be the Master of Death, right?"
"Obviously, Draco," Hermione scoffed, still not recognizing his train of thought.

Draco smiled, it was hardly ever that he knew something that Hermione didn't. Relishing the moment, his grin turned sly, but he continued on as Hermione was not known for her patience. Seriously, that witch had a temper.

"If one of us is the Master of Death, I'm positive we could summon him ourselves."

Hermione's face formed into one of shock. Of course! How could she have missed that? Scolding herself for being so oblivious she focused again on Draco. "How do you suggest we obtain all the Hallows. We can't just walk up Lord and Lady Potter going 'Oh Hello! You don't know us but give us your magic cloak so we can return it to Death! Cheerio!'"

Draco gave her a withering look. "I never said it was going to be easy, dearest Hermione. It'll be hell trying to get that Cloak away from Potter, he even sleeps with it sometimes."

Hermione frowned, "I don't think that's good for him. For an item that was never meant to be in this realm for so long, we have no idea the effects it could have."

"The only way I see that this is any sort of possible is to include an Elder, preferably from the Sacred twenty-eight. They can use their leverage to either convince the House of Potter that the Cloak, while a family heirloom, is most likely not the healthiest for their children or they'll have another idea."

"Who do you have in mind?" Hermione tilted her head.

"Who better than the finest wandmaker in the world?" Draco said with a smile.

oOo

"Come on!" Hermione urged. She tugged on Draco's robe and pulled him into the Three Broomsticks. Making her way to the back of the pub, they lingered, trying to seem inconspicuous. "We just have to get through that door, and we can use the apparition point." She pointed at the door behind the bartop, where Madam Rosmerta was serving drinks.

"Why can't just apparate or floo from anywhere else?" Draco asked impatiently.

Hermione sighed, "they put up anti-apparition wards up so students can't apparate out. The only way to apparate is through the previously approved points. Same for the floo, it's to open, but they wouldn't let us through."

Hermione sighed and surveyed the area, Rosmerta was too close to the door to just sneak in without a distraction. Even with a distraction, it was still a possibility that the other patrons would catch them.

"How-"

"Don't worry about it, I've got this covered," Draco soothed. He leaned up against the end of the bar before reaching into his pocket, bringing out a small black rock.

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?" Hermione asked, doubtful that he would've been able to find some in his spare time.

"Always have one or two on me. Courtesy of Fred and George," Draco smirked. He bent down and, aiming towards the floor on the other side of the bar, he tossed it.

Madam Rosmerta cried in alarm as the darkness filled the pub and other patrons were startled out of their drinking stupor.

"Quick!" Hermione said and pulled him through the doorway.

oOo

Garrick Ollivander stood in his world-renowned wand shop reading the cryptic letter in his callused hands.

Master Ollivander,

We would request a private meeting with you to consult your expertise on a sensitive matter. We will be in your shop this afternoon, if conditions allow, at two. We would prefer if this is kept private for the time being, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Signed,

Hermione Granger and

Draco Moreau

Garrick had remembered all those who had come into his establishment to purchase their wands. He could remember each wand and their specificities, but he had no recollection of these two students. He gathered that they were Hogwarts students from the Hogwarts Owl currently sitting upon the perch on his desk. He ran his fingers through her feathers and was rewarded with a contented 'Whoo.'

He absentmindedly wondered how two students would make their way from Hogwarts to Diagon Alley without detection but quickly dashed those thoughts. Students now-a-day where full of cleverness and mischief, and many knew how to utilize it to their advantage, particularly those sorted into Slytherin.

Garrick chuckled to himself, memories of his own time at Hogwarts resurfacing.

He supposed he should close the shop for the day, if this meeting was to be private and that important.

"I ought to put the kettle on, as well," Garrick though aloud, it wouldn't do not to have some tea for his guests during such an urgent meeting.

oOo

Garrick heard the shop bell ring at precisely two in the afternoon. He set the tea kettle down with the rest of the tea service, having just finished steeping a particularly tasty Earl Grey, and made his way to the front of the shop.

There stood two children dressed in black robes, the Hogwarts crest barely visible, most likely having been charmed with a notice-me-not.

"Master Ollivander," the girl said, dropping her head in reverence. Garrick's eyes widened slightly before he smiled. Many students didn't show the respect she had or used his proper title; it was nice to meet someone who still had manners.

"We are terribly sorry to have come at such a short notice," the boy next to her said, he face schooled into a perfect mask. No true sorrow showed through, and as Garrick looked closer, no emotions truly showed on his pale face.

Garrick smiled at both of them and waved his hand dismissively. "It is no matter, it wouldn't not have been a particularly busy day today, anyhow."

The girl smiled kindly, before her eyes widened faintly, "Where are our manners? We haven't introduced ourselves: I'm Hermione Granger and this is Draco Moreau."

Garrick smiled as the boy bowed slightly at his introduction. He was raised with the traditional etiquette, Garrick thought to himself.

"Pleasure to meet you both. Come in, come in, please. I have tea ready and we can settle so I can hear this important matter you wish to discuss."

Draco and Hermione glanced at each other as they followed the old Wandmaker through narrow shelving and into the back workroom. Ollivanders desk sat in the far corner and wand parts and supplies laid out on the nearby table in disarray. The rest of the room was in similar disorganization, but there seemed to be a method to the madness. Hermione was only slightly taken aback when she noticed to colorful peacock napping in the corner in a nest of loose papers.

Draco and Hermione settled into two chairs in the middle of the room, placed around a small black table laden with a full, well-loved, tea service. Garrick sat on the opposite side and started to prepare himself a cup of tea.

Hermione took a fortifying sip of her tea before she began.

"What we have to say is practically ludicrous." She started.
"I find that the most ludicrous things still have a grain of truth," Garrick countered.

Hermione chuckled, "Well, to put it bluntly, Draco and I are from the future. Twenty-one years to be exact."

Garrick's teacup clattered on to his saucer.

He stared at them intently, looking for any signs of trickery. Draco's face was as unreadable as an unstable wand. Garrick couldn't tell what the boy was thinking. Hermione, on the other hand, had a pleading expression, truly hoping he would believe them.

Garrick cleared his throat. "How did you come back? Accidental or purposeful?"
"On purpose with a spell from Old Magic. Essentially, we pleaded with the Goddess of Time and Magic herself and we were allowed to." Hermione replied, taking another sip of her tea.

"Why in the name of Merlin would you want to go back in time?"

Draco sighed, "The world in twenty years is much darker than now. Voldemort still reigns and not many survive him. We are of the few and we made the choice to leave the time we knew in order to save it."

"I see," Garrick said absentmindedly, when, in fact, he certainly did not see. "Why have you come to me?"

"Before we can tell you, we need to know that we can trust you with this information. It could mean life or death. For both us and others," Hermione stated.

"An Unbreakable Vow, perhaps," Draco suggested, staring calculatingly towards the esteemed Wandmaker.

Garrick coughed into his tea. An Unbreakable Vow was of the most drastic of Vows and even he was surprised that Hogwarts-aged children knew of such a ritual.

"Vow only to not share the information we share with you unless it is approved by both Hermione and I beforehand," Draco explained.

The old Wandmaker still looked apprehensive, his face twisted in thought and he played with a strand of his grey hair.

"Please, sir," Hermione said, "we really need your help, and this is the only way that we can safely ensure that this information doesn't get into the wrong hands. We came to you for guidance because your family's knowledge of wandlore would be essential in our cause and, we thought, you would believe us because of it."

Garrick nodded. "I agree to your terms. Who shall do the ritual?"

"I will," Draco replied.

Ollivander and Hermione clasped forearms, as Draco's wand whirled in the air in an intricate pattern, eliciting golden streams that wrapped themselves around Hermione's and Ollivander's arms.

"Do you, Garrick Ollivander of the Ancient and Noble House of Ollivander, swear to hold our secrets and our information and not share it with the public or anyone, unless otherwise approved by both Hermione Granger and I, Draco Moreau, beforehand?" Draco recited.

"I do," Ollivander replied, his voice strong. The golden stream grew bright and tightly entwined their arms and settling into their skin before disappearing from sight altogether.

"We need your help in getting all the Deathly Hallows," Hermione stated bluntly.

Garrick raised an eyebrow and folded his hands in his lap. His eyes turned sharp and there was a calculating glint to them.

"And why would you want the Hallows, if they even existed?" Garrick asked. "Such fabled power in the hands of one is highly dangerous and can easily be corrupted."

"We want to destroy them, sir," Hermione reassured. "They were supposed to be returned to Death upon the Three Brothers' deaths, but they remain in the mortal plane."

Garrick scowled, "no one just wants to seek out and destroy those artifacts, not without a good reason for doing so."
Hermione fidgeted with her teacup, and Draco looked to Garrick.

"Voldemort has made Horcruxes, sir," He said, "we believe five of them currently."

"Horcruxes?" Garrick exclaimed, his voice shrill. "And five of them? Dear Merlin." He wrung his hands and frowned. "That magic hasn't been legal or even been in use for hundreds of years. How could a student, who went to Hogwarts no less, be given access to such information. I could understand the access to the knowledge at a place such as Durmstrang, but at Hogwarts?"

Hermione let Ollivander ramble on for a moment or two before she brought his attention back to her.

"As a student, Tom Riddle was a charming young man, you remember him, of course."

"Yes, yes, I do indeed," Ollivander mumbled. "A charming young man, I was astonished when he came into my shop all those years ago. My father had just died, you see, and it was the first year I was running the shop entirely by myself. Phoenix feather core and a particularly dark yew, at thirteen and a half inches, if I remember correctly. With a wand like that, I knew that this child would be destined for some great deeds."

"I wouldn't classify the acts that Voldemort has committed as great, sir," Draco commented snidely.

"Terrible, yes, but great still," Garrick countered. "Not many would have the magical ability to split their soul five times if what you say is true."
"It is true," Hermione insisted. "In order to destroy his Horcruxes, we need to destroy the Hallows."
"How are those mutually related?" Garrick asked her, steepling his long, callused fingers and eyeing her thoughtfully.

"Albus Dumbledore organized a group called the Order of the Phoenix, created to take down Voldemort's regime," Hermione explained. "Dumbledore doesn't yet know about the Horcruxes, and he won't even suspect until after James and Lily Potter's deaths in 1981. We would like to inform him of this, but to do so we would have to keep the Hallows out of his grasp."
"You see, sir," Draco said, taking up the explanation, "Dumbledore and Grindelwald were friends, perhaps more but that's irrelevant. During their time together, they both were obsessed with the Deathly Hallows for the potential power it would bring them. Grindelwald even possessed the Elder Wand for a time. What caused the two to split was the differences in what they would use such a power for. Grindelwald wanted to destroy and subjugate the muggles, while Dumbledore wanted to bring harmony. This brought about an extensive duel between the two and Aberforth, and in the end, Grindelwald killed Ariana Dumbledore and Dumbledore had gained the Elder Wand."

Draco paused for a moment and took a sip of his cold tea. "Dumbledore blames himself over not being able to protect his sister, causing a strain in his relationship with his brother. So, during his quest for Horcruxes he found the Resurrection Stone, embedded in the Gaunt Ring. His guilt over Ariana's death and his relationship with his deceased family drove him to become obsessed with it. He tried to put the ring on, to use the Resurrection Stone to see his family again, but the Horcrux within gave him a slow-acting curse, withering away his hand."

"Ultimately," Hermione sighed, "Dumbledore's lifetime search for power, and his overwhelming guilt, killed him in the end."

Garrick sighed. He was certainly going to need another cup of tea.