The sharp click-clack of heels on stone echoed throughout the silent halls. High arches surrounded Hermione as she walked through the empty aisles of what used to be her safe haven. Now all it held is the memories of Ron, Harry, and her, running down staircases, figuring out how to save those at Hogwarts, and, Merlin forbid, finding out who was really on their side. With a derisive snort Hermione shakes her head, flipping her loose curls down her back as she continues walking to the Headmaster's office. With unseeing eyes, Hermione looks up at the staircase going up to the third floor, in her mind's eye she saw Harry, Ron, and her running into the locked room away from Flich. As she continued on her way she couldn't help but feel her heart break as memories of her life passed her way.
With a sigh Hermione finally rounded a corner and saw the gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office.
"Password?" The one on the left asked, closest to her.
"Uhhh..." racking her brains Hermione bit her lip. "Fizzing Whizbees? Chocolate Frogs? Pepper Imps...?" She trailed off as the gargoyle gave her a look. "Please, I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore."
"Nope." The gargoyle popped the 'p' as he spoke.
"Stupid old man." Hermione growled at him. "Stupid Honeydukes candies." Kicking the wall next to her, Hermione put her hands on her hips. "I should have looked there more often with Ron and Harry." She sighed.
"Miss Granger." Dumbledore said. His blue eyes twinkled slightly. A slight pressure hit at Hermione's temples. With a glare at the man she once trusted she gestured for him to open up his office.
"Well…?" Hermione said, "Unless you want to have a conversation in the open, which I highly doubt you want to have a very, very, important conversation in an area where anyone, or anything could hear us." Crossing her arms in front of her body, she stepped back.
"As you wish." Dumbledore swished to the side, facing the gargoyles. "Lemon drops." Hermione could have hit herself, how did she not guess that? With a small shrug she followed the Headmaster up the winding staircase. A murmur of voices suddenly stopped as they opened the doors leading to his office. "Lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked as he settled himself behind the desk.
"No thanks." Hermione said, her eyes darting around the room, taking in each portrait, each one pretending to be asleep. "Lets get to business shall we?" Pulling her wand out of the hollister on her thigh she whipped out her wand casting muffliato as she did. "Now where were we?" Pretending to look around she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face at the outraged looks on the portraits faces when they realized they couldn't hear anything. "Oh yes," Fingering her wand lovingly she looked at the old man in front of her. "Obliviate." Effectively erasing his memories of meeting her this time and prior to this time watched the Headmaster's eyes go glassy she didn't hesitate before twirling her wand again and adding memories of her transferring from Durmstrang, thanking Merlin that Victor had told her basically everything about his school. Putting a look of fake interest on her face, Hermione waits for Dumbledore to come back to his senses. Obliviating the memories of the portraits as she backtracks to the door of his office. "Professor?" She asks, watching as Dumbledore stirs slightly before looking up at her.
"Sorry miss..?" Dumbledore trailed off at the end.
"Granger sir." Hermione replied, "My previous Headmaster sent you a letter about me transferring for my last year."
"Oh yes, Miss Granger," Fumbling around with letters and other papers on his desk he looked confused when he couldn't find the one from her 'previous' Headmaster. "Please sit down," With a quick gesture to sit down at the seat across from him, "Now, tell me about yourself." Steepling his fingertips together, Dumbledore peered over at Hermione as she quickly strode across the room to the chair she previously had evacuated.
"Is there a problem sir?" Forcing her voice to be timid, Hermione put a worried look on as she leaned slightly forward.
"No of course not, I just seem to have lost the letter of your previous years and scores." Dumbledore's face never changed, but the slight pressure in her head gave him away as his eyes twinkled. Forcing herself to stay calm Hermione opened up enough of her mind to him as to not arouse suspicion whilst at the same time showing him her previous score for last year. "Ah but everything seems to be in order, and if everything fails, I can always just send a letter to Professor Karkaroff." Even though Hermione knew that he saw all he needed to see. But if not, well, she could always intercept the letter and forge whatever needed to be forged. "Now," Rubbing his hands together he stands up. "Follow me please."
Together they walked to where he kept the Sorting Hat, still as battered as ever. Feeling dread, Hermione stopped when Dumbledore did and shoved her hands into her pockets, grasping onto her wand for support.
"This is the Sorting Hat, normally would wait and sort you with the First years, except you are a seventh year correct." Dumbledore turned to Hermione, who only nodded, "Excellent." WIth a wave he conjured a three-legged stool motioning her to sit down on it. Fighting a laugh at how he was going through a ton of troubles to make it look like she was a first year being sorted. Sitting down on the chair Hermione held her breath as the hat slipped over her head.
"My, my, my," A silky voice whispered in her head, "What have we here? Hmmm, someone who has been thrown back in time by three things all at once? Such an anomaly even for someone who is out of place in the timeline."
"Please just hurry and place me, please." Hermione thought, gripping onto the stool as hard as possible.
"Fine," The Sorting Hat grumbled, "Plenty of courage I see, perfect Gryffindor, yet… Extremely loyal as well, not to mention wise and cunning, especially this plan of yours… Hmm where to put you?"
"Please just say Gryffindor. please." Practically begging in her mind for the hat to yell it out.
"Why?" The hat snidely asked.
"Because no one suspects a Gryffindor, no one suspects a Mudblood Gryffindor at that to be a spy. You should have thought of that yourself. Ha and they call you the smartest hat out there." If she didn't know better, Hermione could have sworn that the hat chuckled slightly.
"Oh alright." With a grumble, "Better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat roared out as Hermione pulled it off of her head and placed it on the stool behind her now. Moving out of the way she looked at the Headmaster who looked stunned.
"As school will be starting in just a few days, would you like to stay here with us at the castle?" Dumbledore sounded hopeful, too hopeful for Hermione to trust him.
"Thanks but no thanks, I actually have to get back to my parents, after all, you did say this was going to be a short visit."
"Indeed." Dumbledore muttered. Nodding, Hermione stood up and walked to the fireplace before grabbing a pinch of floo powder and throwing it in as the name of the place was drowned out by the cackle of the fire as she disappeared.
I know, I've been gone for so long that you want to throw rotten fruit at me, I know... I would do the same were I in your postition. I know it's short, like... really short, and I'm sorry I have had major writer's block lately so... I'm sorry if it isn't up to your standards. Forgive me?