Tale of a Smart Witch: Rebrewed (formerly Back to Black)
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes. Warnings: completely AU. Time travel.
It was a cold evening in early spring at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione Granger, fourth-year Gryffindor, resident bookworm and according to her Potions professor insufferable know-it-all, was sitting alone in the library deeply engrossed in her homework. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were not on speaking terms due to Harry being a champion in the Triwizard tournament, and she was thoroughly fed up with them. Nevertheless, she badly missed her best friends and hoped that they would get around to see reason soon.
All of a sudden, Professor McGonagall addressed her from behind. "Miss Granger, please follow me to the headmaster's office." Her voice was stern causing Hermione to wonder which school rule she might have unknowingly violated.
HP
Hermione hurriedly followed her head of house, wondering what the headmaster wanted, as they went. Just when they came to stop in front of a gargoyle that demanded a password, Harry and Ron arrived, causing Hermione to inwardly groan. 'What have they done now?' she speculated in annoyance.
"Excuse me, Professor, are we in trouble?" she enquired, worriedly.
"No, you are not in trouble." McGonagall cast her a look, which Hermione understood as one of pity, before she uttered "Yellow gummy bears."
Only when they were seated in the headmaster's office, which she found absolutely beautiful, the reason for the pitying look became evident.
"Miss Granger, I am afraid that I have bad news," Professor Dumbledore spoke up in a soft voice wearing a grave expression.
'Oh no, did they finally realise that I haven't returned the time turner yet?' she wondered with deep regret, before the headmaster informed her that her parents had been killed, while they were on a dentists' conference in Australia.
A world broke down for Hermione. Yes, she was living in a different world now, as her parents had been muggles, but still she had been very close to them. She stared from the headmaster to her head of house in shock. "What is going to happen now?" she asked, tear-stricken. "During the summer holidays…" She slowly trailed off.
"As far as I know, you have your father's sister and her family as your only relatives. Is that correct?" Dumbledore cast her an assessing look from over his half-moon spectacles.
"Yes sir, but they absolutely hate me because I am what they believe to be a freak."
"Sounds like Harry's relatives," Ron said, grimly. "Professor, can Harry and Hermione both stay with me during the summer holidays?"
The old wizard slowly shook his head. "As generous as the offer is, I am afraid that that's not possible. Your parents already have to look after more children than they can really afford."
"Albus!" McGonagall sounded annoyed.
"Among other reasons," Dumbledore amended. "I shall speak with your relatives and see to it that they will be happy to have you as a member of their family during the summer."
Harry let out a snort, which the professors ignored. However, Hermione cast him a grateful look.
HP
By the time Hermione returned to the library to fetch her belongings, accompanied by her two best friends, she made a decision. 'At the end of the school year, I will try to use the time turner to travel right to the beginning of our fifth year. I will never live with them.
She only informed Harry about her plan a few months later, after the school year had ended with Voldemort's return, knowing that he would understand.
"Do you still have the time turner?" He asked in obvious disbelief.
"Yes." During their third year, she had needed the time turner, a very rare object that was restricted and regulated by the ministry of magic, to be able to attend all of her classes, part of which had taken place simultaneously. Fortunately, the responsible persons seemed to have forgotten to request it back at the end of her third year.
"I'd come with you," Harry admitted in a soft voice, "but I hope to be able to spend most of the holidays with Sirius."
"Have fun." Hermione smiled. "I am very happy that you've got him. He seems to love you very much." She pulled him into a light hug, knowing that Harry had slowly learned to tolerate light hugs over the years, which they had spent at Hogwarts together.
"I'll see you on the first of September then. Are you going to ride the Hogwarts Express with us?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I need to get my school supplies for the next school year. I've already asked Professor McGonagall for the book list."
Harry's eyes widened in apparent surprise. "Does she know?"
"No, Harry, no one but you knows, and I want to keep it at that."
Harry nodded, reassuringly. "Show me the list. Things might still change, and if something is different, when I get mine, I'll buy a copy for you, too."
"Thanks, Harry, you're the best." Hermione felt very much comforted by her friend's support. "Professor McGonagall told me that I'm going to be a prefect," she added in delight, more to herself than to her friend.
"Wow, that's cool. You're the obvious choice though."
"Why Harry, thanks." Hermione chuckled, happily.
HP
A few days later, Hermione boarded the train together with everyone else, trying to hide her excitement from everyone but Harry. 'Today, I'm going to do my first real stunt,' she thought, as she hurried through Diagon Alley collecting her school supplies. Later the same evening, she took the night train back to Hogsmeade, pondering where to use the time turner. 'I better do it out on the grounds,' she finally decided, knowing that she had to remain unnoticed by the staff.
During the last few months, she had spent hours calculating how many counter clockwise turns were needed to travel so many days into the future. Aware that the time turner would only work over hours and not weeks, she had even developed a rune that would enhance its abilities. Just to be sure that it would work as supposed, she had even discussed her invention with Professor Babbling, her Ancient Runes teacher. Of course, she had not told her about the time turner but had chosen a fictive surrounding, for which the professor had confirmed the efficiency of her rune.
HP
Instructing Crookshanks, her kneazle cat and familiar, to remain in her lap and hold on to her tightly, she made herself comfortable in the Gryffindor stands on the Quidditch pitch, grinning, as she imagined her friends' expressions if they could see her willingly sit in the stands. As she was not fond of flying let alone Quidditch to say the least, Harry and Ron usually had a hard time to convince her to attend any of the games. She never did them the favour except for the matches in which Harry played Seeker. Firmly holding onto the rune at the back of the device, she diligently began to move the time turner carefully counting each turn.
Hermione had expected for the travel to take a few minutes: however, it seemed to last infinitely, and even if she kept her eyes closed, holding on to Crookshanks like a lifeline, she could not help feeling utterly sick. She was not even able to keep herself upright and slipped out of the seat, before the world around her stopped moving.
She remained lying where she was for a moment, not caring that the kneazle jumped off, before she dared open her eyes only to sit up in shock. A couple of students were flying above her. 'I must be late,' she realised, horrified. 'The school year has already begun.'
She hurriedly cast a tempus charm at the seat that she had occupied earlier, only to cry out in shock, as she took in the date. '19 September, 1976.'
tbc...
Please tell me what you think about my story line. Thank you.
