A/N: Next part! Rejoice! And read! And review! (Warning: it gets a little scary, but not as much as the next part! ;)



"What? Me?" Hermione gasped after a moment of stunned silence. "Why not you? You're a much more powerful wizard than I am!"

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "Right now," he said, "for this battle, he needs you, and you alone. I cannot explain why now. I assume, of course, that you are willing to go?"

"Of course I'll go!" Hermione said. "But - but why -"

Dumbledore put his hands on her shoulders and she looked up into the piercing blue eyes. "Hermione, you are going to experience great danger if you go on this trip. Perhaps, though I most sincerely hope not, death. But I need you to go, and more importantly, Harry needs you to go. This is one battle that I cannot help him with. He needs someone who loves him more deeply than anyone else .. and unless I am much mistaken, you are that one."

Hermione blushed. "So you've noticed."

Dumbledore grinned at her for a second. Then he sobered. He took the Time-Turner from her hand and placed it over her neck.

"Hold on!" said Ron. He picked up Harry's wand from the floor and handed it to her. "You might need this."

"Thanks, Ron." Hermione slipped Harry's wand into her pocket and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a sweetie, Ron. It's too bad I'm already taken."

Ron snorted and grinned at her. "See ya later, sweetheart," he tossed a thumbs-up at her and winked, reminding her intensely of Fred and George. "Take care of yourself, you hear? I want Harry back unharmed. And you too."

Hermione turned to Cho.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this, Cho."

Cho didn't meet her eyes. "So am I, Hermione." Slowly, she looked up at Hermione. "But maybe you could tell Harry sorry for me when you see him?"

"I will." Hermione checked for her own wand. "I guess I'm set, Professor."

"All right. Miss Granger, fifteen turns should do it. You know the drill."

Hermione smiled. She took one last look at Ron, Cho, and Dumbledore's office, and turned the tiny hourglass.

Years flew by. Bright colors, half-formed images, wild forests, dark streets, bright sunny fields, all mixed together into a sort of wonderful terrifying collage. Hermione blinked, dizzy. She'd never gone back this far in time.

And suddenly, the scenery formed itself into a dark street, a few streetlights the only source of warmth. Houses lined the street, mostly dark, surrounded by great trees. Heart pounding, Hermione spun around.

There was no one there.

Did something go wrong? Hermione wondered, automatically tucking the Time-Turner back underneath her blouse. How come no one's here?

She looked around and checked the numbers on the houses. She followed the numbers until she came to the dead end of the street. The last house on the street was small but cozy-looking; it was surrounded by a great deal of trees and a charming little stone path.

Although she already knew it was so, she looked for and saw the neat little number on the house. 13 Godric's Hollow.

Hermione looked away, her eyes prickling with tears. Lily and James were inside there right now .. with baby Harry .. alive ..

And then, she caught a glimmer of light from far away down the opposite end of the street. Something bright green, glowing steadily in the dark street. It seemed to be moving closer.

Hermione, afraid she would be seen, scrambled to hide behind another neighbor's large, hideous plastic Halloween pumpkin that someone had apparently thought was cute and had set up in their yard.

The green light drew closer. She could make out the shapes, now of hooded figures .. at least ten or twelve of them.

Two flames of red shimmered out of the darkness, and Hermione felt coldness creep up her spine and threaten to overcome her.

It was Lord Voldemort's eyes.

He was head of the procession, leading the Death Eaters, and between him and the Death Eaters, under guard of two of them, was a bright green ball that floated a few feet off the ground. There was something odd about the green .. it was ..

it was .. holding someone inside .. curled up into a ball ..

it was Harry.

Hermione's heartbeat quickened. It was Harry, indeed (how could she not have seen?) curled up into a ball inside the green sphere. He appeared to be unconscious. His hair floated freely inside the green, like he was underwater.

What had they done to him?

As the Death Eaters drew closer, Hermione reached into her pocket for the wands. But something seemed to tell her, not yet. Not yet.

The procession halted a few houses away from the one at the end of the block. Voldemort turned to face the Death Eaters, a wide grin on his face. He raised his arms.

"My fellow Death Eaters," he began, and his voice was ringing with triumph and a coldblooded passion that brought a shiver to Hermione's frame, "our ultimate moment of jubiliation is upon us. In a few minutes, we shall be returned to our former glory, through the help of my young friend here, and we shall be re-raised to heights of power never yet seen in the world. We will be the ultimate rulers of the world, and no one, not the Muggle-loving freak Albus Dumbledore, not the bumbling fool Cornelius Fudge, not even my ultimate nemesis, who was kind enough to join me .. yet again .. for my ceremony of renewal!"

What is he going to do? Hermione thought, creasing her brow. Why does he need Harry for this? He could've just gone back and killed the baby Harry himself... There must be something he's going to force Harry to do..

The Death Eaters were cheering. Voldemort's grin, half-hidden in the shadows, curled across his white snake-face. He raised his wand and gestured for the Death Eaters to move away from Harry.

"Coccica!"

The green sphere shimmered and began to lower itself to the ground. Harry's feet touched the street, then the bubble burst. Harry tumbled to the ground and lay there, unmoving.

Voldemort's laughter rang through the night.

Hermione clenched her wand, her ears full of a strange ringing ..

And slowly, Harry gathered himself off the ground, his face hidden in shadows as he stood stiffly up, looking around him in confusion.

Harry! Hermione thought.

But the eyes that swept past her when he looked her way weren't green.

They were red.



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A/N: There's nothing to say. Review! ;)