A/N: Second chapter for this week. The regular posting day will be Sunday. Hopefully. Bear with me as I settle into a new routine with my two littles.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, WB or any of its characters.
That night, I had brought back some brownies for the girls, which had a small amount of sleeping draught in the frosting. I didn't need anyone waking up, depending on what time I got back from the Order meeting tonight. I heard them sleeping soundly after a few minutes, Lily falling asleep with her book under her face. Slipping out of bed, still dressed, I pulled Harry's cloak and the map from my purse.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," I whispered to the parchment, before moving to shift Lily's book so she'd be more comfortable.
"Alright," I sighed, seeing the boys were in their beds as well. No one in the common room, no one heading towards it… the coast was clear.
I stole away, down the stairs, and out the door. I only had to wear the cloak once, sneaking past Filch, and then I was home free until the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore was waiting for me at the railing, smiling up at the night sky.
"Hermione, are you ready?" He asked, and I nodded, "I'm ready sir. But there is something I have to tell you afterward. It's important."
"Alright, my dear. Take my arm, and hold on," He smiled, holding out his right arm.
We Disapparated with a small 'pop', reappearing outside the boundary of a stately looking home.
"The Boneyard," He mused, as we walked up to the gate. A man came out to greet us, dressed in Ministry robes.
"Albus," He greeted, before looking at me, "And who are you?"
"Mr. Bones, this is Miss Hermione Ross," Dumbledore introduced me, "Our newest member. Miss Ross, this is Mr. Edgar Bones."
"Call me Edgar," He smiled, opening the gate, "Come on in, tea is on. We've got a bit of a new lead regarding the deaths over the summer."
"Pleased to meet you, Edgar," I smiled, stepping into the yard.
"And I am pleased to meet you, Miss Ross," He bowed his head with a smile.
"Please, call me Hermione," I urged him, as we walked to the front door. There were at least fifteen people in the room, and I could identify at least seven from looks alone. Moody, Aberforth, Frank Longbottom, Arabella Figg, Elphias Doge, Emmeline Vance, and Edgar of course. I noticed two redheads and for a brief moment expected to see Fred and George.
As the group sat down to start discussing the latest events, Dumbledore continued to stand and smiled softly for their attention.
"Before we get started, we have a new member to induct into our group," He announced, gesturing to me, "Miss Hermione Ross, a distant cousin of Minerva McGonagall."
"Hello," I gave a small wave, as everyone nodded at me.
"Miss Ross has been an invaluable wealth of knowledge, regarding new members to be inducted upon graduation. She, however, is slightly older than the rest of Hogwart's believes, which is why I have brought her here tonight. She has immersed herself into the school, and is our eyes on the students when I myself cannot be."
"Hermione," He looked to me, and I startled for a moment, "Oh, right, yes. We know so far that certain Pureblood families are following Him, and are beginning to bring their children to Voldemort to be granted into the ranks of the Death Eaters. I will be attempting to get closer to certain ones marked for being inducted. I know it can seem like they want to join, but really they are being forced or coerced into it with threats to their loved ones. A few, in particular, could be turned as spies for us."
"How do you know which ones?" Moody spoke up, and I smirked, "Classified."
"Nothing is classified here, girly," He grunted.
"In this case, it is to protect vital information from being leaked to Voldemort, lest any of you find yourself on the wrong end of a Cruciatus curse. Dumbledore knows and will be the only one until he decides it is public knowledge. I don't want to start a war in the school, to protect innocent students from becoming their targets. And if you want to keep your tongue, I suggest you don't call me girly," I snarked. He was quiet for a moment, before the redheaded man beside him smirked, "I like her. She's got balls."
"I'll say Gid," The one of the other side of him smirked, a near copy of the redhead.
"Gideon and Fabian Prewitt," They spoke in unison, smirking at me.
"Hello," I greeted them.
"Gentlemen," Dumbledore chided them, "We shall have introductions afterward."
Moody sat there, regarding me carefully as Albus talked, no doubt watching as I stayed on guard even while Dumbledore spoke. Three exits from the room I was in, one leading to a backyard, where 50 feet from it, was the edge of the property. I'd be able to Apparate from there.
And Dumbledore was right; I was introduced to everyone afterward. Moody gave me a stiff nod, still not totally trusting of me, but I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't trust me either.
When Dumbledore and I left, we appeared right back on top of the Astronomy Tower and he turned to me asking, "Now, what is this important business you wished to discuss?"
"I was going to grab a book, for Lily Evans, that she left in the Divination classroom. Professor Heisted grabbed me and… spoke a prophecy," I spoke, unsure of the words I was using. I hated Divination, hated the uncertainty of the future, and the prophecy had spooked me more than I cared to show.
"Do you remember it?" He asked and I nodded, pulling out the Map quickly and seeing no one was around.
"A Muggleborn shall rise from within the place she calls home. Her mind vaulted with the power to bring the Dark Lord to an end… Her spirit worn from grief but steadfast in her quest… She who brings with her the power to end the Dark Lord will change the fabric… rewrite the future… Nothing shall be as it was when the battle ends… for neither can live while the other survives," I quoted, watching him.
"Well, this means that you have changed the future already. Your friend was not even born when his prophecy was spoken years from now, and he was fated to challenge Riddle. Now… you have truly taken his place," He nodded sadly.
"Sir, no one overheard it. I made sure, and I'm very sure that Professor Heisted doesn't remember either."
"That's good," He nodded, turning as he started pacing slightly.
"Sir, what does it mean? I can't be…"
"The Chosen One," He finished for me.
"That wasn't my fate! I can't just take something from someone. I even have the same core that was meant for Harry's wand. It's a twin to… Voldemort's wand core. That was meant to be Harry that carried Fawkes's feather, not me!"
"But you chose to. Hermione, you chose to come back here, to fix what had happened to many who didn't deserve it. You wished your friend had a normal childhood, with both parents. You wished to take his burden, to use your keen mind and knowledge to finish Tom Riddle off before he could kill anyone you knew," He implored.
"I'm not strong enough," I shook my head, "I was never the one with power. Harry had the stomach for all of this, I just read books to help him. I made a terrible mistake thinking I could do this by myself. How could I be so stupid?"
"Hermione, no one is ever truly alone. Think, what is your happiest memory, the one you use for your Patronus?" He asked seriously. I thought about it, the three of us laughing in front of the fire in the Common Room after Harry discussed kissing Cho Chang.
"Expecto Patronum," I spoke firmly, watching the light emitting from my wand, coming to form my otter. Except, the form kept growing, but I didn't lose my connection to it. It settled finally as a lioness roared, before rubbing up against me, much like Crookshank's would.
"I take it, your Patronus has changed," He smirked, clearly amused as I watched her pace around the room, languidly surveying and almost stalking.
"It was an otter," I whispered, feeling confusion. Had everything about myself changed? My wand and now my Patronus?
"A lioness, a true Gryffindor," He continued, smiling at the Patronus, "Did you know that the lioness represents the greatest predator? The females are the hunters, protecting the young. They emulate strength and courage. To you right now, your friends have not been born, and are vulnerable to not existing altogether."
"Yes, I suppose," I agreed, not quite understanding where he was going with this.
"Most peoples Patronus' will not change, unless the witch or wizard experiences a personal trauma, bereavement, or falls in love. In this instance, you are experiencing all three. The loss of your friends, the journey you took here that ripped you away from the world you knew, and the love you have for them, wishing to give them a better world."
"I believe you are strong enough. For only the strong of heart could have the courage to do what you have done, to face the unknown as you are."
"If… if that is to be believed, neither of them will know me as a friend," I whispered brokenly as my Patronus faded.
"Do you need to be of the same age to be friends? Can friends not be family also? My dear, if you continued to work here and now, you may be closer to Harry in the future than you could dream. He could see you as an Aunt, a mentor. You three, from what I've seen of your memories, were a family. And that was proof that you didn't have to be blood to be family," He smiled softly. I sighed, sitting down on a bench.
"When do you feel we should deal with the Basilisk? It won't be easy. We've got some time, but I'd rather get it out of the way and have what we need," I spoke up, looking at him. He nodded, "Next week then?"
"It would give me some time to work on a plan of attack. We need to blind it first, I thought about dropping something heavy on it, like one would a spider," I smirked, as if it was totally normal for me to be discussing how to kill a giant snake.
Actually, this was the most normal thing I had ever spoken about, since jumping back in time.
"Very well," He nodded, "But we should try to come out of it alive. We wouldn't want you to miss your birthday."
"Oh," I pursed my lips, "I'd forgotten about that."
"Have you told your friends?" He asked as he gestured for us to leave.
"No," I shook my head, "I don't feel like celebrating this year."
He stopped and turned to me, "My dear, you cannot live in the future. You live in the present, and that means living each day to its fullest."
"I may die before I ever face Him. I don't know how I am going to get half of the current Horcruxes. It just feels wrong, to celebrate. I didn't come here to have a party," I sighed, "When the rest of our world is at war."
"But, one never knows when they will pass. We can only-"
"Live in the moment. Well, my moment is telling me to go to bed while my dorm mates are still passed out."
"Passed out? Did you give them something?" He chuckled.
"I may have, slipped a small amount of Sleeping draught into some brownies I made tonight. I gave them to the boys as well, to ensure no one noticed my absence on their copy of the Map," I held up the parchment.
"Smart thinking. Will you be drugging them frequently?" He teased.
"Only when I have to and in small doses," I shrugged. I wasn't above using my knowledge to sneak around, but I wouldn't harm anyone. I grabbed the cloak and swung it around my shoulders, "I must grab something before I head to bed. Goodnight Professor."
"Goodnight my dear," He smiled, as I started my way down the stairs.
I stopped at the RoR, giving the first batch of Remus's Wolfsbane a stir, before stealing away to the Gryffindor Common room. I was silent as I crept into the dorm, where all five girls were still sleeping soundly. It was half-past one and I found myself still thinking about my Patronus.
"I will protect them," I whispered to myself, watching all the girls. My friendship with Harry and Ron was unique. Circumstances led us together, and made us stronger. My circumstance led me here, and I would fight with every last breath in my body to bring down the psychotic wizard who threatened the very happiness of my friends.
Old and new, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.
"Hermione," Lily's gentle voice roused me. I blinked in the low light to look at my watch, seeing that it was my normal wake up time.
"Good morning," I greeted her.
"I know you normally like your mornings to yourself, but would you like to walk down to breakfast together?" She smiled at me, sitting on my bed.
"Of course. Let me up and I'll go change," I nodded, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
"I'll wait for you downstairs," She agreed, leaving the room quietly. I got ready for the day quickly, grabbing my book bag before shutting the door behind me quietly.
"Ready," I smiled as I hit the landing. Lily was perusing a book on the couch, before closing it and getting up, "Alright, let's go."
"So, how was your sleep?"
"Honestly, I feel like I could have slept until noon," I sighed, "I'm not normally like that. But how was yours?"
"Refreshing, though I am sorry yours was rubbish," She replied.
"It's alright. I couldn't sleep, so I reviewed the texts a bit," I shrugged, "Are you ready for the morning Post?"
"I am. The First Years love it, letters from home after their first nights of homesickness. I like to keep up on current events, however, and the Daily Prophet, while sometimes outlandish garbage, gives the best view on them," She explained.
"I can understand that. There was a reporter in America, constantly trying to pass off sensationalistic gossip as 'news'. It was revolting to read, especially when it started affecting the teachers and students. Discrediting them," I sighed, shaking my head, "I should have kept her in there longer."
"Who? In where?" Lily asked, confused.
"The reporter. She snuck into the school, disguised as her illegal animagus, a beetle. I trapped her in a jar and kept her there for nearly a year threatening to oust her to the papers and the government if she didn't stop trying to discredit the teachers I loved."
"Remind me never to get between you and your next victim," She teased, making me laugh.
"No, promise me that you will stay behind me. I don't want you getting caught up in my messes," I replied in a teasing tone, but in truth, I was hoping for just that. Not to keep her at arm's length, but to ensure I was her shield.
We chatted about our teachers, and what subjects we liked best as we sat down in the Great Hall. Remus joined us partway through our meal, and I slipped him the potion while Lily wasn't looking. More students filed in, as I reviewed my textbooks, pointing out things to Lily that looked like they would be fun to learn.
"Ah, here's the post," Remus announced, and I waited for my copy of the Prophet to be dropped onto my plate, unrolling it carefully. I perused the paper while Lily groaned beside me.
"Potter," She muttered, "Just strolling in like he owns the place."
"Better than Malfoy a few years ago," Marlene offered as I watched James and Sirius joking around with Peter, "At least he's handsome."
Lily scoffed, sparing a glance up at James.
"I think the Lady doth protest too much," I whispered to Marlene, who giggled madly.
"Ah yes, another for the bandwagon," She smiled, "She wouldn't shut up about him, and how many points he is going to cost us this year, or how much detention he will get. It's like she's obsessed with him."
"It couldn't be because he's an immature toe rag?" Lily chimed in, before bracing herself.
"What's she doing?" I whispered.
"James likes to profess his love to her at almost every meal," Dorcas explained across the table.
"Much like Black did to you yesterday," Mary piped up.
"Ah. Well, I'm not sure he is going to today," I shrugged, as we all watched James. He was actively ignoring Lily, much as I told him to. I know Lily was waiting, but she may be waiting a while.
"Do you think they are planning something?" She asked us, turning back to study the boys with a shrewd eye, "Hermione, they adopted you as well. Have they mentioned anything?"
"No. I heard Sirius ask James about Quidditch tryouts this year, but no big plans. But maybe they knew I messed up their plan yesterday and won't talk about pranks in front of me now. Probably afraid I'll ruin it, or turn them in," I shrugged, winking to Marlene. She bit her lips to stop from laughing as Lily angry stabbed a piece of ham on her plate.
"For once, I'd just love to know what they are up to," She sighed.
"I'll do a little investigating, but I can't promise anything," I baited Lily, who turned and replied, "Would you? Oh, Hermione, you are wonderful!"
"I try," I smiled, as Marlene and Mary held back their laughter. It was obvious to them that I was in full knowledge of what I was doing to Lily, but it was to get James and her together, so they were on board with my plan.
"Do you have any more of those brownies?" Alice asked, picking up a muffin.
"I don't, but I have a tutor session with Peter tonight, so I can make more. I just won't share with the boys this time, until they give up information," I teased, making the girls laugh.