A/N: Back for another chapter, the last one wasn't my favourite, a lot of summarizing the entirety of the series, but I got you with that cliffie didn't I? I had some difficulty with this chapter too, unsure how I wanted to play the reveal to the Order etc. But I hope you like this one, and after this it will be onto 7th year Hogwarts!
Edited: August 2021
oOo
"Because, Miss Evans is currently, and has been for the last five years, dating Mister Remus Lupin."
"What?" sputtered Hermione, this was not what she was expecting at all.
"Well, I say five years, but really it is four years, they are going into their fifth school year together as a couple," Dumbledore explained further. Hermione's mind was whirling, Remus had told her that history was not as they were told, but this was the last thing she was expecting. Remus was with Lily, probably was in love with her, how would Harry have felt about that? He had a hard enough time getting it in his head that his dad wasn't perfect, that he really was quite arrogant. If he learnt that Remus Lupin was in love with Lily Evans and James Potter somehow stole her affections.
This explained why Remus Lupin only appeared in Harry's third year, and had disappeared after his resignation. He had only reappeared when Sirius was locked up in Grimmauld Place and the Order restarted. Even then, he only really spent time with her, Harry was always with the Weasley's or Sirius if he wasn't alone. Looking back, Hermione only noticed him interacting with Harry after he married Tonks and he had Teddy.
What would splitting up Remus and Lily accomplish, if that was Peter's plan?
Remus told her that without Peter there would be more love. Thinking back to her conversation she remembered that Remus could barely say Lily's name, he still loved her. Why would this be Peter's plan exactly? Dumbledore watched the gears turn in her head as she thought about why Peter Pettigrew would break up Lily and Remus.
Remus would lose his love of four years who probably helped him accept his condition, the Remus she knew took years to come to terms with Tonks and a relationship. James would lose the brother bond with Remus to an extent and his bond with Lily would irrevocably change to something they couldn't come back from or likely find true happiness in. While Sirius Black would watch as a woman tore his brothers bonds and he would never settle with a woman thinking it could destroy all he has. This would cause the distrust, James and Sirius wouldn't trust Remus because they would think he wanted revenge from stealing Lily, plus add that he went to the werewolf packs. Peter wouldn't have been involved in the break up and since Sirius was the obvious choice, their second choice would be Peter.
Through one plot to break up a couple he would break the tight bonds of the Marauders, plant seeds of distrust, and set the path for his ultimate betrayal that destroyed them completely. Lily and James dead, Sirius framed and in Azkaban, and Remus left completely alone.
"Professor, he needs to be stopped before he does whatever it is that breaks up Remus and Lily, and sets up James and Lily. That break up is the start of it all," Hermione finally spoke. Dumbledore nodded.
"Do you know when he takes the Mark?" Dumbledore asked.
"I believe either just before Seventh year term, or during Yule hols," she replied, "Remus and Sirius told me that his Seventh year he became very distant, but he told them that he was behind in his NEWTS so he was studying or working with a tutor. Looking back they think that he had already started to pass information, I know he is the reason a lot of Order members died because he relayed locations of Muggleborns and Blood Traitors," Hermione hated this man with everything, only three other people were on her list with the rat. Bellatrix. Dolohov. Voldemort.
"We will ensure he does not succeed in his plans. For now however, we must discuss your future. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you are going to have to share part of your story with certain people I trust, the Order and people affected. Peter will not be invited, but the others deserve to know the truth, and it is too much to ask of you to lie to new friends and keep your story straight for the entirety of your time here. I will have vows taken to never share your background because if the Death Eaters hear of you, you will be a prime target," he stated, she nodded her head slowly. She knew she would be a target, but looking into the eyes of people and telling them they would die or be betrayed would be hard to do.
"Thank you professor, I don't know how I would hide my scars or nightmares from people if the ones closest to me didn't know. Even if I'm not best friends with them, being in the Gryffindor tower, they will likely wonder why I zone off or randomly cry about something, or know a secret about them I shouldn't," she said thinking of the Marauders being animagi and werewolf. Even looking at James or Lily would make her emotional, Harry's double, and a woman with his eyes, she would likely break the minute she looked into those emerald eyes.
Dumbledore stood and led her out of his office towards the right away from Gryffindor Tower, "I will show you to a guest room to sleep off your exhaustion and eat some food. Tomorrow I will bring the main Order members, James, Sirius, Lily, and Remus to explain everything. If you need a calming draught for the meeting I will have one sitting for for," he explained as he led her from the office to a portrait a just around the corner from his office.
"Trust" he spoke to the portrait, it was an old woman sitting in a chair gazing at the fire on a cold winter day. The snow could be seen out the window beside the fire, she almost looked like a woman sitting waiting for something, or someone, that would never come. When Dumbledore spoke she turned to look at them with sad eyes and nodded, she opened the portrait hole and turned back to the fire.
"Widows of War; it is a sad painting but a true reflection of those who wait behind for their loved ones. You are not alone Hermione, this new time may be filled with people of your past that you knew before, or people you have no knowledge of. However, you could find yourself to have a true chosen family here, without the pain and destruction," Dumbledore led her through to the guest space and showed her the living space, "Call upon Hokey if you are hungry or thirsty, she will happily assist you in anything. She will be happy for someone to care for before term starts, she does miss her Hogwarts family when they are gone," He smiled at her and turned to leave. He was at the portrait hole when he turned once more, "Miss Granger, tomorrow afternoon I will send for you, get some rest and do not let the darkness overtake you" and with that he left her alone in the room.
It was a beautiful space, the walls were pale blue, the fireplace was a stunning black brick holding a roaring fire. The couches were black leather and were so big and comfy you could sink down and never leave for days, perfect for reading. She made her way to the bedroom and found the four poster bed, which had white sheets and a black duvet in a slate grey room. It was the complete opposite of Gryffindor tower or the Burrow, yet it still gave off a feeling of comfort, something she needed plenty of.
"Hokey?" she called out hesitantly.
"Oh miss need help? Hokey will help the beautiful miss! Oh miss you are dirty, do you need a baths?" The little House Elf was jumping up and down, she was wearing a clean pressed blue toga and it was held with a gold pin with the Hogwarts crest.
"Hi Hokey, no I will have a bath when I wake up. Right now could I have something light to eat? Soup or toast? Nothing too heavy please"
"Oh yes miss I will bring you soup and bread for you! Hokey is so happy to have miss here to look after. Hokey misses her family when they go homes" her ears drooped slightly at the mention of her Hogwarts family.
"I miss my family too, but they didn't go home. If you want, I can be your Hogwarts family for now?" Hermione asked the Elf. She had crouched down so she was eye level, she never wanted to talk down to a creature.
"Oh miss, yes please miss! I would love to have you join Hogwarts family! You be miss Hermy that Dumbles telled us of before you call. Miss Hermy will be happy in Hogwarts!" The Elf squeaked happily before disapparating and returning with chicken soup and buttered bread. The smell wafting from the soup had Hermione salivating, thankful to put living off mushrooms, and anything they foraged, behind her.
Hermione thanked Hokey profusely, ate up her soup and bread and climbed into the big comfy bed and passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Unfortunately sleep did not stay long for Hermione, nightmares woke her late morning the next day. Reliving Malfoy Manor but in this particular nightmare, Dobby had not come to the rescue with Harry and Ron, no, in this nightmare she experienced what would have happened if Fenrir had gotten to her. She woke in a cold sweat, face soaked with tears from crying and a sore throat from the screams she was sure rang out.
She dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, and looked at her reflection. It was quite frightening, she hadn't looked in a mirror at herself since Bill's wedding. No mirrors on the run, and if she did look it would be to check that her Polyjuice worked. Looking at herself she grimaced, she couldn't look long at herself, it was horrible. She saw that her hair was matted to her head yet her curls were somehow still alive, pointing in all directions. She tried to run her fingers through her hair but knots, tangles, blood, brambles, so much was mashed into what she liked to call her nest of her hair. Now that's what it was, quite literally. Her skin was pale and gaunt against her skin, the bags under her eyes were so dark they looked like black eyes. Her eyes themselves were so bloodshot from lack of sleep, crying, and all the smoke in the Battle.
She was a shadow of herself, a shell of Hermione Granger. The difference was comparable to the Sirius Black pre-Azkaban vs the one she met in the Shrieking Shack all those years ago, or all those years to come? No matter, she would save Sirius of her timeline's fate, he didn't deserve to become a shell, he deserved the family he never had, he deserved the chosen family that was taken from him, and she would give him that. Never in her time would she see the haunted look in Sirius' eyes, remembering the Dementers and the 12 years he spent locked away, guilt overcoming him that he told the Potter's to choose Peter. She was already a shell, she was already broken, she could protect Sirius from that fate, and save Remus from reverting back to his self hatred.
She removed her clothes when she turned from the mirror, that was a reflection she wasn't ready to see.
Hermione wasn't a vain girl, she cared about her intelligence and so much more than her beauty, however, seeing her curves and smooth skin gone, replaced with skin and bones covered in scars was devastating, who could ever love her?
Pushing those thoughts aside, she needed to concentrate on a war, not her love life.
She ran a hot bubble bath and slid in. Hermione rubbed her skin raw trying to remove all the blood and filth she could see and feel. So much blood of her friends, her family, her enemies.
Hermione started sobbing, she was so alone. She could share her story and listeners would understand what she went through, but the truth was she had lost everyone. Everyone who really knew what she went through. Everyone who suffered with her. Everyone she laughed with. Everyone she grew up with. She lost everyone.
She tried to hold back her sobs as she stared at her forearm, no amount of scrubbing would remove that word.
Forever tainted.
Not only had she lost everyone, she was left branded, reminded she didn't belong.
No one could love a girl this broken, she was a warrior now and nothing more, her life would be for the fight and if she died, then so be it.
Hermione pulled herself out from the tub and dried herself off with a soft, fluffy towel and wrapped herself up in a robe. She walked through to her room towards her little beaded bag that still contained everything she had left, quickly pulling out some muggle clothes and threw them on. Her clothes barely fit her now, her jeans hung loose on her hips forcing her to transfigure a belt for herself to hold them up. Her white long sleeved shirt hung loose around her chest and arms, looking two sizes too big. She wished she could pull the sleeves up but she wanted to hide the repulsive scar from everyone's eyes. No one needed to see it. Not even her. She quickly looked in the mirror once more, she resigned herself to forcing nourishing potions into herself the next few months. She needed to gain the weight back from being on the run, when she consumed only the minimal food amount she could survive on. The boys needed it more, especially Ron, he was so used to Mrs Weasley's cooking that he left them because he was hungry! Tears pricked her eyes remembering her hot headed best friend.
"Couldn't he see I was hungry? Couldn't he see I gave up so much for them?" she cried out to the room. She gave up her parents, albeit shitty parents, she gave up her existence in their lives, she gave up her place in Hogwarts, in the magical world, she gave up her place in TIME! She had fallen to the ground and sobbed once more, clawing and hitting at the floor thinking of everything she had lost.
She had nothing, literally nothing and no one, no family, no friends, they weren't born or didn't know her. She couldn't do this, how Dumbledore thought she had enough Gryffindor in her to do this, she was a bookworm, the know-it-all, Harry was the fighter.
But Harry was gone.
Dead.
Killed right in front of her, blood bursting everywhere, her best friend ripped from her in such a violent manner.
Hokey appeared in front of her scaring her out of her cries.
"Miss Hermy?" Hokey asked quietly, reaching out her little Elf hand to touch Hermione's cheek. She summoned a handkerchief and wiped Hermione's cheeks of her tears.
"Hokey?" Hermione sniffled.
"Yes miss Hermy, Dumbles has asked for you in his office. Does miss want to walk or Hokey can take you? Hermy can wait if she is sad?" The Elf looked at Hermione with her big wondrous eyes and continued to wipe the tears from Hermione's face.
"Thank you Hokey. But can you take me? I don't think I will have the courage at the door," she admitted. She could walk there but the moment she saw the door she would be too afraid to push through. Her Gryffindor courage non-existent in this time it seemed. Hokey smiled at her and held her hands out, Hermione quickly stood so she wouldn't appear in front of The Order as a broken, sobbing girl.
oOo
Meanwhile in Dumbledore's office, Charlus and Dorea Potter stood with their son, James, and adopted son, Sirius. Remus Lupin stood beside them, with Lily holding his hand very tightly. Also in the room stood Molly and Arthur Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, the Prewitt twins; Fabian and Gideon, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones, Alastor Moody, Alice Brown and Frank Longbottom, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Aberforth Dumbledore and Ephias Doge.
"Albus, why have you invited us, it is one thing to ask your Order members here, but another to ask our children," asked a beautiful black haired woman with grey, silver eyes, Dorea Potter nee Black.
"I apologize for not sharing the reason for inviting you all. A great development has come to my attention regarding the future of this war, the future that will involve the children in this room, to my utmost regret," Dumbledore said to the room. Murmuring started at this as James, Sirius and Remus exchanged a look.
"Professor, can I ask, you invited all three of us, but what of our fourth? Peter is always with us, why is he not here too?" Albus Dumbledore looked over to James who spoke. Sirius and Remus nodded in agreement, to not have Peter here felt wrong. He was a Marauder, if it was important they had to share it with him, he couldn't be the odd man out, he already felt like he was trailing behind them.
James noticed the twinkle gone in Dumbledore's blue eyes and replaced with hard gaze over his eyes, surprising the three boys.
"All will be revealed when my guest arrives. She will be telling her story, and it may be difficult and unbelievable to hear. Do not distrust her, she has given up everything she holds dear, and when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything she is, to be here,"
James' interest piqued and he forgot about Peter for now. Who could this woman be? He looked at Sirius and Remus, they too were intrigued to who could help them. It wasn't even a minute later when the cracking noise echoed in the room and Hokey the House Elf appeared with a young woman. James couldn't take his eyes off her, this girl looked like she had been through hell, but she could barely be older than him. Her hair was freshly washed but her skin was red from cleaning and she had some cuts on her face, deep black shadows under her eyes, and clothes hanging off her petite frame. But it was her eyes that he saw.
The woman glanced around the room but when she saw James she did a double take, when his eyes connected with hers his breath hitched. She had beautiful brown eyes with flecks of caramel throughout them, they almost looked like she had gold flakes in her eyes. They were stunning but held such power and sadness, she could fight the world for everything but still have an innocent sadness to them. She shouldn't need to fight the whole world, shouldn't have to bear that weight on her shoulders. James didn't know this girl but he knew she needed people, she needed someone to tell her it's okay, someone that she could turn to and he wanted to do that for her. He didn't know why, but he could see how broken she felt and he wanted to help.
He glanced at his friends and he saw Sirius staring at her with a hard look, a look he recognized. Sirius knew what she had been through to some degree, he could relate. He had a shitty family that took everything from him, or tried to, tortured him to bend to their will, almost killing him before he ran and was blasted off the family tree. Sirius hid it well in his mischievous ways or all the loving of the ladies that they went through, but James knew Sirius felt broken and he could see Sirius knew the girl was the same.
Remus also looked like he understood, he used to hate himself, and for some reason he related to the girl. He didn't hate himself as much now that he had Lily, he had love, but his early days at Hogwarts he felt so alone, so unaccepted and doubting he deserved love. Unknown to them why, this girl before them held the same look, and Remus could see right through her.
Lily looked more intrigued and confused by the girl, James knew she didn't have much pain in her life, she came from a good family, a rotten sister but no torture like Sirius, or werewolf bite like Remus. She hadn't had to heal Sirius, like James, after he ran away from home and escaped to Potter Manor. No, this girl made Lily curious, she could see she was hurt but she didn't see what the boys saw immediately, she saw a girl with a story she wanted to hear.
"Ah Miss Granger, I hope you slept well after yesterday," Dumbledore greeted the girl.
Hermione looked around the room once more to take in the faces, so many faces, she gaped at Sirius and Remus. After catching James' eyes at the start she actively avoided looking at him once more, she wasn't sure what look he had but it was a fierce protectiveness that she was not expecting. James was nothing like Harry and she only looked at him for a moment, his eyes showed so much expression and emotion, it was slightly overwhelming. She also avoided looking at Lily, knowing that if their eyes met she would tear up just seeing the emerald green of her best friend. However, the moment her eyes landed on Molly and Arthur her resolve broke and she broke down, the tears falling freely. She wanted to run to them and hug them with all her strength but she couldn't, they didn't know her. No one knew her. She quickly tried to compose herself so as not to appear the crazy, deranged, sobbing stranger.
"As well as expected," Hermione croaked. Her voice was hoarse from screaming and crying in her room, she had lost so much and now she was facing some of those she had just lost hours ago.
James couldn't take his eyes off her, her voice was so much more gentle than he expected, even when it was obvious her throat was scratchy and her voice was hoarse, it was still so gentle, you could hear the kindness in her voice.
"Albus, tell us what is going on this moment. Who is this girl, why is such a young girl your answer to this war. She looks like she went through hell and no girl this young should have suffered so much," said Molly Weasley, the mother in her wanting to reach for this poor girl. She had no daughters of her own but she had her boys, William, Charlie, Percy, and only discovered she was pregnant with her next child, she knew when a child needed a mother, and this girl was screaming for some motherly affection.
"All will be explained Molly, I assure you, she is young and has been through what you explained as hell, but she has willingly come to us to save us," said a very serious Dumbledore. Molly eyed the girl and desperately wanted to hug her, so she did what her instincts told her.
"Oh my dear child, come here," Molly stood, disregarding everyone in the room, and opened her arms to the girl, Miss Granger as Dumbledore referred to her.
Hermione didn't even hesitate, her adopted mother wanted to hug her even though she didn't know her. She embraced her tightly and cried what little tears she had left and savoured the feeling of arms hugging her close. The room was quiet in observation, no one wanted to speak and interrupt the moment. This girl needed love and they would allow her to have it, even if they didn't know why they were trusting her, Albus Dumbledore did and that was enough. All the women in the room had tears in their eyes watching the affection being shown to the strange girl, the Marauders glanced at each other and nodded. A silent agreement that they would look after her, make sure she felt safe around them, no more harm would come to her if they could help it.
"Thank you Mrs Weasley," she sniffled, the room froze, how did she know who Molly was?
Hermione backed up and saw the confused looks on everyone's faces and winced at her slip of tongue. She wasn't supposed to know anyone. She sighed and sat in the chair Dumbledore conjured for her and looked down at her hands playing with the ends of her sleeves.
Sensing her discomfort, Dumbledore decided to start the meeting and introductions.
"Now as I stated before Miss Grangers arrival, everyone in this room is trustworthy and very much entangled in the future that is this war. Miss Granger has come to us through a particular magic I created five years ago when I realized how difficult this war may become. I created fail-safe. A portal was created that only the pure of heart who wished to save us could use it. It was only to be used if the Dark won, yesterday Miss Granger stepped through my portal," said Dumbledore. Silence filled the room.
'The Dark won? No that's not possible,' thought James. He looked around the room and saw everyone trying to understand just what Dumbledore was trying to say.
"Albus, what are you talking about? A portal? What kind of portal?" asked Charlus Potter.
"Through multiple years of research and discussions with Unspeakables I managed to produce a very complicated magic that would produce a portal through the Mirror of Erised. A time portal, that when the user looked into the mirror and saw who they could save and had a pure heart, could touch the portal and go to the time I instructed. When I created it five years ago it was to bring the person to 4 years ago, 1 year after its creation. However, it seems in my future I have updated it to open to yesterday, meaning this year is crucial to what caused the loss of the Light. We are to be saved by this young woman here," he gestured to Hermione who was still looking down.
"A child? You expect a child to save us all?" demanded Moody.
It was then that Hermiones head shot up, anger in her eyes.
"Yes Moody, me. But I am not a child, I am eighteen years old and have fought this war since I was eleven. And in my time everyone in all of the Wizarding world put their trust not in a child, but a baby. A one year old baby, so do not speak of what you do not know," she glared at him with a look that left most of them squirming in their seats. This quiet, crying girl suddenly became a force to be reckoned with. Fighting since she was eleven? How could this be?
"You girl, should be careful who you speak to," Moody grunted, everyone in the room knew how paranoid Alastor was, never having lost a duel to anyone in the room he always argued every point.
"And you Moody should realize I know your name, a mere girl who knows that you sir are a paranoid fool. Spouting constant vigilence yet somehow caught and stuffed in a trunk for a year," she laughed, "I am Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, born 1979 and the first girl to beat you in a duel, my sixth year. I would duel you here and now if not for the room filled with people, my exhaustion from a war I finished yesterday, and people here who are using their time to listen to a girl they don't know tell her story. So, maybe you should be careful who you speak to," Hermione was now standing with her magic crackling through her hair, you could feel the anger coming off of her.
"Now, now, Hermione please sit and calm down, Moody will not bother you any longer," Dumbledore gave Moody a pointed look advising him to back down. For the first time for anyone in that room, Moody backed off of the girl who had challenged him.
"I'm sorry, but did you say you were born 1979?" asked Arthur Weasley.
"Yes, I was born September 19th, 1979 and attended Hogwarts from 1991 until 1997, I could not complete my seventh year," replied Hermione
"Why ever not?" spoke Dedalus Diggle
"The war. The second Wizarding war" she replied.
"Second?" gasped Professor Minerva McGonagall. Hermione looked up at her favourite professor and smiled, so happy to see her professor once more. Minerva caught her smile and returned it, she must have taught this young girl.
"Yes Professor McGonagall, the Second. The First ends 1981 with Voldemorts destruction" the room winced at You-Know-Who's name but then the word following hit and smiles went around all, Voldemort was destroyed. Her next sentence had everyone the smiles disappear.
"He returns 1994, but it takes a year for the Ministry to admit he had returned, the Second War officially began 1995,"
"I think you should begin your tale Missy," growled Moody. Hermione shot him a snarl before beginning.
"Before I begin, know that Professor Dumbledore has already informed me of history that was manipulated. Stories weren't told correctly and changes happened that shouldn't. I am here to correct those changes, this future will not happen," she looked around at each face as they all nodded in understanding. She looked at the Marauders and Lily for longer, which everyone noted. It made them nervous.
"In 1980 a prophecy is made, a child born as the seventh month dies to parents who thrice defied him would be marked as his equal and neither could live while the other survives. Part of this prophecy was heard by a Death Eater, who relayed it to Voldemort," the room winced at his name once more "Ugh! Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself! It's just a name, Merlin!" Hermione rolled her eyes at the adults in the room, he had such a stupid name! Might as well call him 'Moldywart' she snorted.
"Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbldedore pulled her from her thoughts.
"Sorry Professor," she smiled at him and turned back to the room, "Voldemort had a pick of two children, a pureblood and a half blood. As Voldemort himself is a half blood with a muggle father, Tom Riddle, he chose the half blood, Harry."
Hermione launched into the story of Halloween night, how Harry's mother sacrificed herself and saved him with her love.
"Voldemort fulfilled the prophecy, and Harry was marked as his equal and through Voldemort's destruction because known as the Boy-Who-Lived. My first year I became best friends with Harry and Ron, through multiple years of adventures we learnt that Voldemort was working on returning, which he succeeded in in our fourth year, we learnt that the Ministry would rather ignorant peace than truthful chaos. It was discovered that Voldemort had a spy in the Order, that spy led Voldemort to Harry's parents, that spy led to the fall of many in the Order. We fought Death Eaters throughout our school years, different magical creatures.
"Harry was never told much about his past, he grew up with his aunt and uncle. The first time he saw a picture of his parents was at the end of first year. Third year he overheard that his godfather was the spy that betrayed his parents, that his godfather escaped Azkaban to kill him. This was a lie, his godfather was framed and escaped, not to kill Harry, but to find and kill the real traitor. The traitor escaped and returned to his Dark Lord, resurrecting him"
Hermione didn't go into detail of her years as she did with Dumbledore, the bare minimum was all they needed.
"Voldemort recruited an army under the Ministry's nose, the Order tried but no one believed he had returned. Harry, Ron and I were sent on a mission our last year. Due to Voldemort recruiting, he turned to students. He used his Death Eaters as leverage, their children forced to join him by threatening to murder their parents - his followers. One boy, you likely know his father, Draco Malfoy, was recruited not by choice. He was left broken, and forced to do a task lest his mother be raped, tortured and killed in front of him, before he himself suffered the fate. He was forced to get Death Eaters into the castle and kill Albus Dumbledore, the plan succeeded," silence filled the room, the tension could be cut with a knife but Hermione ignored them all.
"The Second War was fought by children, children forced to pick sides before they were even of age. Draco had no choice, Harry had no choice, I had no choice. Draco would have been murdered along with his mother, Harry was a target from birth, and I am muggleborn. With Dumbledore gone, Hogwarts was no longer safe, so we spent our last year hunting Voldemorts horcruxes"
Alastor Moody, Dorea and Charlus Potter, and Sirius Black all sucked in a breath at the word. James looked at Sirius questionable and he just shook his head in reply, telling him not to ask.
"Horcruxes, not horcrux?" asked Charlus.
"Yes, multiple," was her reply, she saw the questioning looks and explained what they were, putting disgusted looks on everyone's faces. "Harry, Ron and I went on the run, we lived in a tent and foraged for food. We discovered one horcrux but couldn't destroy it, so we took turns wearing it. It brings out your worst thoughts, it perpetuates your insecurities and makes you hate yourself and distrust everything around you. Ron left us, it affected him more, he was jealous over Harry and my bond,"
James for some reason agreed with this boy Ron, he could feel jealousy in the pit of his stomach and he didn't like the feeling at all.
"We were like siblings," James felt the jealousy disappear, thank Merlin, "We were both new to the wizarding world, both had upbringings we wish were different, and both only children. Ron returned after a few months, but that's besides the point. During our year, we suffered a lot, made many plans, most of which failed and we were left scrambling, a taboo was put on his name, any who spoke it their wards would fail," She started to have flashes to that night, the night at Malfoy Manor, and subconsciously grabbed her left forearm. As soon as she did it she realized her mistake, she was sitting in a room with the most paranoid auror ever.
"Listen here girl," Moody stood and went to grab her wrist, however Hermione's reflexes were still strong from the previous days battle. She instantly had her wand in her hand, disarmed him and pointed her wand at his throat.
"No, you listen here Moody," she growled, the entire room was holding it's breath, they had never seen Alastor Moody be disarmed so quickly, "In case you are forgetting, pure of heart to get through the portal. What Death Eater would have that?"
"You're not proving your innocence here," he retorted. Hermione pressed her wand in a little harder before dropping her arm.
"No, I guess I'm not. However, lesson learnt here, don't test me. Now sit, and I will show you I'm not a Death Eater," Moody glared at her before walking back to his chair and sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for her to show her arm.
"I like her," stage whispered a Prewitt Twin.
"She got balls brother," replied the other. Hermione frown disappeared at their interaction, it reminded her of Fred and George.
She sat back down, sighed and slumped her shoulders, her lips trembled as she looked up at the ceiling. Sighing she fingered with the sleeve before sighing once more, trembling, this was it, she had to show her disgusting scarred arm to these people. She closed her eyes tight feeling the tears escape her tear ducts, sliding down her cheek.
James thought she looked so small, so terrified, but he couldn't help that a part of him was paranoid like Moody. This girl came out of no where, had somehow caught his entire attention, she couldn't turn out to be a Death Eater! But the left arm, that left everyone second guessing this girl.
Hermione forced her Gryffindor courage to appear, opened her eyes, and looked straight ahead, glazed eyes not seeing anyone in front as she pulled up her sleeve. She kept her forearm facing in and slowly rotated it towards the room. She knew when they all saw it. A collective gasp. Someone gagged, someone actually threw up, Molly let out a sob. She waited a few moments before looking around at everyone's reactions, she would need to get used to people seeing it. Moody was staring at her arm, an anger directed at some unknown entity. Molly was crying into Arthur's chest who had his arm holding her tightly, a pained expression on his face. The Prewitt twins had lost the humour in their faces and anger had taken over, she looked at the Marauders and almost jumped back. Remus' eyes had gone amber as he stared at her arm, Sirius had gone pale and his knuckles were white against his chair, his teeth gritting angrily, James surprised her. It wasn't the anger she ever saw on Harry's face, this was pure loathing. Harry had been in the dungeons when it happened, he was obviously angry that she bore it, blamed himself, but he refused to look at it. James however, he was staring straight at it. She felt self conscious that he was seeing it, she couldn't place why, but his anger at the person who did this made her feel safer with him watching over her.
The look in James' eyes showed pure hatred, he loathed whoever had done marred her skin, the fire in his eyes made it seem he was going to storm out the room and find whoever it was there and then.
Lily was staring at the word, she was so upset for this poor girl, it made her story of Severus seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. He had called her that word in a fit of embarrassment, James had gone too far and humiliated her friend but his anger had been taken out on her. Hermione, she now had to live with that word on her arm. Dorea and Charlus were disgusted someone could do such a thing, it was one thing to believe muggleborns were lesser, but to physically torture them for it?
"Who did that to you?" demanded James, his voice was cold, Sirius, Remus and Lily looked over at him, never had they heard his voice so cold. Even when he had to save Severus from the Shrieking Shack, his tone with Sirius told him he was angry. Beyond angry. Livid. But still held that undertone of mischievous James, or as his friends teased him 'joyful James tone'. James couldn't pretend to be angry with anyone, but this, this was a James they would never want to come across. There was no underlying mischievous James.
Of course he had to ask a question Hermione didn't want to answer, Sirius was going to blame himself, she knew he would. Adult Sirius blamed himself for his family, he despised being related to them. She had to answer them, she looked into James eyes and held the stare for a minute before turning to Sirius who jumped slightly at being singled out.
"Some families are dark, some families follow in their parents foot steps and some start new paths away from the darkness of their family," James looked between Hermione and Sirius, she knew Sirius? Did she know him in her future? Or just knew of Sirius' family? "When Harry's temper led to the Taboo, we were taken straight to Voldemorts headquarters. I was the most famous mudblood-" intake of breath.
"Don't call yourself that," seethed Jamed, Hermione looked at him and everyone else.
"That is what I am" anger erupted around her, she held her hands up "To many I am nothing but that word. I will never be recognized as deserving of my magic. I stole it, somehow as a child I managed to take magic from a pureblood," she rolled her eyes, "since the age of 12 I was taunted as Harry's pet mudblood, the know-it-all mudblood, the famous mudblood, and now? Now I'm branded as a fucking mudblood. If anyone, anyone can use that word it's me. I was the brightest witch of my age, number one in all of my classes, all to prove I belonged. Look where it got me. The famous, branded, scarred for life mudblood. I am a muggleborn, and to many they see me, but to others, Lily and I are nothing but dirt on their shoe, I could beat them in duels, I could withstand their torture but to them I am nothing but a filthy, waste of space mudblood," she angrily spat.
Years she had fought against that word, years she tried to prove them wrong, and they fucking branded her for it. Shocked silence met her. No one knew what to say, because in a sense she was right, if anyone could say it, it was the girl with it branded into her arm.
"We were caught and were taken to be questioned when Bellatrix Lestrange-" Sirius slouched his shoulders in defeat, his head dropped into his hands, his cousin! "A maniacal bitch who you are nothing like," she gave Sirius a hardened glare, as if challenging him to disagree with her. Sirius nodded slightly before sitting back up, he was still devastated hearing his cousin did this, but if the tortured girl didn't blame him, well he would listen, for now.
"Out of all three of us, I was chosen to be interrogated. We had an item on our person she believed we had stolen. Blood Traitors trump mudblood, so I got the honour of death first. If I were to die under torture, well Ron would be next. I was under the cruciatus for hours, it felt like days. I held on. I lied under her curse. I held myself together, I didn't let the curse break me. If I broke, Harry would die, Ron would die. I was in between them and death and I would stay there as long as I could protect them. She noticed this however, I was fighting, so the curse wasn't fun enough for dear old Bella," she grimaced, remembering the sound of the knife coming out and slashing through the air, Bellatrix's laughter, the deep growl of Fenrir Greyback by her ear. It was almost like she was there once more, it sounded to real.
"The blade came out. Fenrir Greyback-" this time Remus groaned and dropped his heads in his hands. Lily leaned over and rubbed his back and gave him a kiss on the shoulder. Hermione threw her memories aside, she didn't want to admit currently that she knew Remus in the future, but she refused to let him feel somehow responsible for his makers actions, "Fenrir is a monster, not because he is a werewolf. He is a monster because he is more wolf than man. In his human form he enjoys ripping throats out with his bare teeth. Not all werewolves are monsters and their mistreatment and discrimination is no different than the discrimination I feel as a muggleborn," she pointedly did not look at the Marauders, but James didn't need her to. She knew about Sirius, and now she was defending werewolves after mentioning Fenrir, Remus's sire.
James had listened for anything he could learn from her recollection, he had noticed she deliberately avoided family names or descriptions of people. He really hoped she tied this all up, he had so many questions for this girl. Her story was incredible, and she had survived torture, and lied and tricked during it.
"Fenrir held me down while Bellatrix played with her canvas," Hermione scowled and rubbed her arm, she noticed her sleeve was still up so she quickly pulled it down covering it once more. James frowned. He didn't want her hating her own skin, he had to help her see her own beauty, past the scars.
"We finally finished our hunt and it led us to Hogwarts, where the Final Battle was to begin. Before it began I was pulled aside by an old friend, he informed me that something happens this year, a betrayal. While my timeline believed only one happened, that Harry's parents were given up by the traitor, it turned out his betrayal went further back to this year, the graduating year of the Marauders, something changes everything.
"I didn't understand his message at first, how could something in 1977 help me before the battle? He gave me a letter to read if the worst happened, which it did. I watched everyone I loved die, Harry defeated Voldemort because we did find all the horcuxes, but Death Eaters overpowered us in the end. The letter I was given before the fight led me to the mirror, to 1977 to fix the wrong of one man"
"Rather interesting story there lass, now I noticed you avoided using names. Get to it," barked Moody. Hermione rolled her eyes at the man, she was getting very tired of this Moody.
"This is going to be hard to hear, you may not believe me, but I have articles and memories if needed, " she sighed, "My best friends were Ronald Bilius Weasely, sixth son of Molly and Arthur Weasley," she looked at Molly and Arthur who were shocked.
"Six sons?!" Molly hiccuped, so many!
"Six sons, and one daughter," Hermione grinned.
"Seven children, Arthur, seven?!" she almost choked at the thought. At least she had her brothers, the Prewitt estate would help, her brothers would help her look after 6 boys. She relaxed at that thought, smiling to Hermione.
"My best friend, brother in all but blood, Harry. His full name was Harry James Potter," James gasped, his son? He would die protecting his son? He had a family? "Harry was the son of James Potter and his wife Lily Potter nee Evans"
Lily started choking, James burst out laughing, Sirius went pale and Remus' eyes flashed amber his knuckles white from gripping the arms of his chair.
"No, no way do I marry Lily! What? She's with Remus! She's like my sister!" laughed James. This was ridiculous how could he get together with Lily? What about Remus?
"You do. And it's because of this year. Changes happen that shouldn't. Harry, Ron and I, we were told stories. Stories of James and Lily's love," James and Lily went pale, they wanted to barf, "we were told that first year James fell in love with Lily but she rebuked him constantly. She was friends with Snape who the Marauders hated, she hated their pranks and James' overzealous attitude and cockiness," explained Hermione.
"Sounds about right, except the falling in love bit. It was a declaration of protection, and overzealous attitude was just to embarrass me and make me laugh when I felt sad or lonely. My only friend was in Slytherin, friends with boys who called me that word," Lily spoke up, Hermione smiled at Lily in understanding and nodded.
"The story went on, fifth year OWLS you fell out with Snape, and by seventh year you had caved to the advances of James Potter. Head Boy and Head Girl romance, engaged after graduation, Harry in your life by twenty. This was the story we were told. The moment I landed here, and learnt the truth, what my old friend told me made so much sense. I was told to fix it, change it, stop the person from breaking up the Marauders,"
"Why us?" Asked Remus quietly, he hadn't reached back across for Lily yet, his doubt in himself coming back tenfold. Lily had so many other choices, why pick a werewolf.
"Wait, you said Harry's godfather was believed to have been the traitor, who was it?" asked Sirius, Hermione gave him a sad look, "You said he was in Azkaban!"
"Framed and sent for 12 years," she replied. Sirius paled and slumped against his chair once more, his future was horrifying.
"Who is the traitor?" asked Lily quietly.
"Remus, you asked why you? Why the Marauders?" He nodded, "because, Lord Voldemort wants you in his collection. A Black, a Potter, and...a werewolf," Remus shot her a look
"You know?" Sirius asked, glancing between Hermione and Remus. Remus looked sick, he hated that this was who he was.
"Yes, Professor Lupin was our third year DADA Professor," Remus head shot up and he stared at Hermione in disbelief, "I figured out a couple of months into the year, but I never told anyone. I respected you as a professor, you were a kind man, and cannot help an affliction that changes you once a month. Women become banshees once a month, you become a wolf," she laughed, and Remus chuckled awkwardly with her.
"The best way to break up a tight group of friends is to find their weakness. Remus, you have had a hard time accepting yourself for as long as I've known you, if this happened I can understand why. If Lily left you for James then, well you would revert back would you not? Sirius would watch as his two best friends fell out over a girl, and Lily and James would be in a relationship that neither felt satisfied in. Which leaves one more member with really no ill effects to any of it," Hermione left that in the air for a moment, she saw the gears turning in their heads as it clicked, "Peter Pettigrew."
"You're joking right? Peter? Little tail around Peter?" Laughed Sirius
"A friend who likes to tail after powerful friends?" Hermione replied with a quirked eyebrow. James gulped, and looked to Sirius and Remus, their confidence swayed.
"1981 James and Lily go under the Fidilius, as does Frank and Alice Longbottom," Frank and Alice froze when she spoke their names, "you are the parents of the second child that Voldemort does not pick. You pick your secret keeper, while James and Lily picked Sirius. Everyone knew it was Sirius, but at the last minute he told them that he was too obvious, they would come after him, and if he died then anyone who had been there would become a secret keeper too. So Sirius pushed Pettigrew of the Potters, pretty sure he pissed himself in excitement at how easy he could hand them over," she spat.
"You said you had memories?" asked Molly, "and clippings?"
"Yes, I brought articles of Order deaths to prevent them, and proof to corroborate my story," Hermione lifted the clippings from Dumbledore's desk and rifled through them looking for two particular ones she knew were in there. Finally she found them, "This is the article that Sirius knew Pettigrew was alive and not dead as everyone thought," she passed the article of the Weasley's in Egypt, "Pettigrew is on Ron's shoulder." she passed it to Remus.
The Marauders and Lily looked down at the article, nine faces smiling up at them, and right there on Ron's shoulder sat a rat that looked exactly like their best friend.
"And this is proof that Sirius Black was framed as a mass murderer," and she slowly handed over the article with Sirius' Azkaban photo screaming. Sirius went pale looking at it, he was so broken looking, the Black madness looked like it had taken over. James put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, reminding him that this won't happen.
"I only have two memories that I think need to be shared, one is mine, and one is Harry's" Dumbldore pulled out his pensieve and she dropped two silver vials of memories into it. Dumbledore cast a spell to project the memory for everyone to see. She first played the night of the Shrieking Shack, Sirius and Remus discovering Peter and his confession.
The Marauders stared at the image of their brother, he was so cowardly, and squeaky on the floor begging Harry to show him mercy. Lily and James stared at Harry, James saw his spitting image, he seemed to hold himself like Lily but looked exactly like him. Lily saw a James copy missing everything that made James who he was, the confidence was missing, the massive grin on his face nonexistent.
Remus stared at proof of Lily choosing another, he could see how protective he was of Harry, he knew it was because he still loved Lily, he knew that love would never die even if she chose another.
Sirius stared at himself, the haggard man missing all his muscles and smiles, he was old. Old and broken. Left to rot in Azkaban by his best friend, framed for betraying his best friend, his brother.
Molly, Arthur, and the Prewitt twins stared at the red-headed boy, Ron, he was so brave standing up to a mass murderer for his friends with a broken leg. He looked so much like Arthur's father, Septimus. Molly and Arthur held each other tightly knowing their son would be a strong, loyal boy.
The images shifted into the second memory, to the night of the graveyard. They watched Pettigrew kill the Hufflepuff boy, and watched as Harry witnessed the resurrection of Voldemort. When the memories came to an end the room was silent.
No one could argue the future now, Pettigrew had to be stopped.
"Miss Granger, I think you have shared enough. At our next Order meeting we will go over your clippings and each Order death we can prevent, we will meet shortly after school resumes. The boys and Lily do not need to be there for that, this was simply to inform them of their part in this war," Dumbledore spoke up. Hermione nodded and slumped back on her chair thankful that her part was over.
"Can I go?" she asked quietly. Dumbledore nodded and she stood, "I'll be in my quarters,"and with that the girl from the future, Hermione Granger, walked past the Order and the Marauders and left the silence of Dumbledore's office.
James watched her leave and caught a whiff of her scent as she walked past, lavender and parchment, his heart fluttered at the scent he knew would now be his Ammortentia. He glanced back at his brothers and sister, and they each nodded to one another, this girl was their responsibility now.
They took in Remus the werewolf, Lily the muggleborn, Sirius the disowned Black, James the cocky blood traitor, and now Hermione the warrior.
A/N: Please read and review!