Chapter Three:
In Dumbledore's Office and Beyond
During the sorting ceremony Professor McGonagall called Ron and Hermione together to tell them that Dumbledore needed to see them right away. He had decided to ask Ron to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a keeper since Oliver Wood had graduated the year before, and he needed to speak to Hermione about preparing herself for being a prefect next year. He had decided over the summer that those who were to become prefects needed to learn more about the responsibilities of the job, at least a year before they acquired it. Hermione and Ron tried to anticipate why Dumbledore needed them in his office on their way there.
"Ooh, I hope you're not in trouble Ron," Hermione frowned at him.
"Hey, I didn't do anything to Malfoy, and if I was in trouble for threatening him, why would you have to come too?" he demanded an explanation from her.
"Simple. I could be coming with you for moral support."
"Why not Harry?" he asked, challenging her idea.
"Ron, you are so stubborn, do you always have to be right to be happy?" Hermione crossed her arms and turned away from him.
"No, do you?" he taunted her.
They muttered the password Professor McGonagall had given them. Then they climbed the winding staircase into the cave like office full of wondrous objects that their headmaster had attained throughout his long life. Dumbledore was no where to be seen at the moment, so Ron and Hermione decided to explore his ofice. The two began to examine various things, and they both stopped at a shimmering diamond which was the largest jewel they had ever seen. Hermione was fascinated by it.
"My Mum has a couple of diamonds but nothing to rival this!"
Ron laughed rudely. "Well obviously only a wealthy person could own anything like this," he scoffed.
Hermione chose to ignore him. She bent down to touch the intricate jewel and in a flash of sapphire light, she had disappeared.
"Mione!" Ron gasped. Where was she? He pondered going after her, or calling for Dumbledore. He decided to hastily write a note explaining things to their headmaster, and then returned to the diamond. He took a deep breath, and then cautiously placed his hand on it. He felt a peculiar sensation, and when he opened his eyes he saw dates flashing past him as he spun around in circles. 2000, 1990, 1988.
Ron stopped spinning like a top, and collapsed onto the ground, dizzy. Standing before him was a short witch, with long bushy brown hair.
"Mione?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's me. Why are you here?" she looked curious.
" Do you honestly think I would leave you alone, wherever you went?"
"No," her voice faltered. "Anyway I know when we are. It is 1988."
"Caught that. But where are we?" He had not yet forgiven her for her insulting behavior toward him, so he decided to be discourteous in return.
"I don't know," Hermione's eyes scanned the landscape until she saw a sign. It read "Godric's Hollow."
"Oh my God!" Ron muttered under his breath, looking reverently around. This was where Harry's parents had lived before they died.
Hermione screamed, and fainted. Ron heard a sharp thud and gazed down at her, immediately forgetting the grudge he had held against her since their arrival at Dumbledore's office. Her head was lying near his feet, and her hair was spread out all around her head.
"The straightener wore off," he thought, and then laughed softly to himself. "At a time like this I'm thinking about her hair?!" He bent down and lifted Hermione into his arms. She was light as a feather and he wondered how he could so easily lift her. When he looked up he saw a man with messy black hair whose face clearly resembled Harry's, clutching his friend's feet. Without thinking he gasped, and whispered. "James Potter?"
"Yep that would be me!" the man grinned. "Let's get the girl into the house. Poor Lily heard someone shriek, and she sent me outside to see who it was."
Ron was in a complete daze. Harry should be here, not him. After all they were his parents, not Ron's. Poor Harry deserved to meet his mum and dad at least once before they were ruthlessly murdered by Voldemort. Ron felt oddly like crying, because he knew that there had been a terrible mistake. "I wish Harry was here." he thought, and tried to ignore the large lump in his throat.
During the sorting ceremony Professor McGonagall called Ron and Hermione together to tell them that Dumbledore needed to see them right away. He had decided to ask Ron to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a keeper since Oliver Wood had graduated the year before, and he needed to speak to Hermione about preparing herself for being a prefect next year. He had decided over the summer that those who were to become prefects needed to learn more about the responsibilities of the job, at least a year before they acquired it. Hermione and Ron tried to anticipate why Dumbledore needed them in his office on their way there.
"Ooh, I hope you're not in trouble Ron," Hermione frowned at him.
"Hey, I didn't do anything to Malfoy, and if I was in trouble for threatening him, why would you have to come too?" he demanded an explanation from her.
"Simple. I could be coming with you for moral support."
"Why not Harry?" he asked, challenging her idea.
"Ron, you are so stubborn, do you always have to be right to be happy?" Hermione crossed her arms and turned away from him.
"No, do you?" he taunted her.
They muttered the password Professor McGonagall had given them. Then they climbed the winding staircase into the cave like office full of wondrous objects that their headmaster had attained throughout his long life. Dumbledore was no where to be seen at the moment, so Ron and Hermione decided to explore his ofice. The two began to examine various things, and they both stopped at a shimmering diamond which was the largest jewel they had ever seen. Hermione was fascinated by it.
"My Mum has a couple of diamonds but nothing to rival this!"
Ron laughed rudely. "Well obviously only a wealthy person could own anything like this," he scoffed.
Hermione chose to ignore him. She bent down to touch the intricate jewel and in a flash of sapphire light, she had disappeared.
"Mione!" Ron gasped. Where was she? He pondered going after her, or calling for Dumbledore. He decided to hastily write a note explaining things to their headmaster, and then returned to the diamond. He took a deep breath, and then cautiously placed his hand on it. He felt a peculiar sensation, and when he opened his eyes he saw dates flashing past him as he spun around in circles. 2000, 1990, 1988.
Ron stopped spinning like a top, and collapsed onto the ground, dizzy. Standing before him was a short witch, with long bushy brown hair.
"Mione?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's me. Why are you here?" she looked curious.
" Do you honestly think I would leave you alone, wherever you went?"
"No," her voice faltered. "Anyway I know when we are. It is 1988."
"Caught that. But where are we?" He had not yet forgiven her for her insulting behavior toward him, so he decided to be discourteous in return.
"I don't know," Hermione's eyes scanned the landscape until she saw a sign. It read "Godric's Hollow."
"Oh my God!" Ron muttered under his breath, looking reverently around. This was where Harry's parents had lived before they died.
Hermione screamed, and fainted. Ron heard a sharp thud and gazed down at her, immediately forgetting the grudge he had held against her since their arrival at Dumbledore's office. Her head was lying near his feet, and her hair was spread out all around her head.
"The straightener wore off," he thought, and then laughed softly to himself. "At a time like this I'm thinking about her hair?!" He bent down and lifted Hermione into his arms. She was light as a feather and he wondered how he could so easily lift her. When he looked up he saw a man with messy black hair whose face clearly resembled Harry's, clutching his friend's feet. Without thinking he gasped, and whispered. "James Potter?"
"Yep that would be me!" the man grinned. "Let's get the girl into the house. Poor Lily heard someone shriek, and she sent me outside to see who it was."
Ron was in a complete daze. Harry should be here, not him. After all they were his parents, not Ron's. Poor Harry deserved to meet his mum and dad at least once before they were ruthlessly murdered by Voldemort. Ron felt oddly like crying, because he knew that there had been a terrible mistake. "I wish Harry was here." he thought, and tried to ignore the large lump in his throat.