Changing Times

A/N: YES! Chapter!!! I have to apologize to all of you, I have *so* not been as fast as I promised with these chapters... But I've been busy, VERY busy. Plus, I have a writer's block, which you probably all know all about... And besides, I don't think this story is really going the way I wanted it to... it's actually pretty boring - well, not this chapter, not in my opinion. :)
We will soon be at the climax of this story, which means it will all be over soon... Buhuu... But don't worry, as slow as I am writing, it will be a while. *LoL*

Like the X-Files??? You should go read X-Nina's fic Flenched. I read it the other day, and it's really exciting... I wish I could write like that! Plus, she's my good friend, so be kind and review... :)

By the way, am I the only one who noticed that Seamus Finnigan got blowed up all the time in the first Harry Potter movie??? It was like 'bang here' and 'bang there'... What was that all about?

Special thanks to:

AznGolDragonGod = Oh man, I should have thought about that... well, you can keep giving me ideas if you like, I could definitely use them! *LoL*
hermioneharry4ever = Well, since... now. :) Besides, wouldn't you like to chat with Lily Potter??? :) Thanks.
E. C. R. Potter = See, I told you she'd change... Yeah, the cliché was kind of the point... A littly stupid, i know. I'm sorry about my review, but I promised to do her a favor.
Hermione Elizabeth Potter = Oh DAMN IT! I was so content on getting everything right, and making Dean muggle and Seamus not... Isn't Dean ony muggle-born in the movie? Thanks for mentioning it, anyway. And I'm sorry about not getting the chapter up... well, at least this one's a long one. :)
SilverInochi Briefs = Great, I love compliments! :) I will, if you'd all review X-Nina's story, because I feel so lousy being one of the only ones who reviewed... Ok, I'll stop begging now. :)
Amy Potter = Oh, wait n' see... by the next chapter, I promise (almost) that I'll have some Lily/James action for you... At least hints and confessions. :)
CherryLips = Oooh, thank you! And I see you added my story to your favorites... Yay! :)
Nimbus = Oh, well, I told you so. Want action? Read X-Nina's fics! (SORRY!) :D But don't worry, mission not impossible. Hermione will get back on track...
Allicat8318 = Oh, thank you!!! You really like my story??? :D
DreamCloud53 = Uh-oh... HELP!!! Please don't hunt me down, cause if you do, I won't have time to write more chapters! Ha! :) I read your fic I Want To Love You... But I Can't... She Does, and I LOVED it! Long title, though. :) Hurry up with more chapters, or I will hunt YOU down! :P
X-Nina = Yes, I know, I'm such a mama's girl, apologizing for what other people writes in their reviews... even though the fic is about Shrek Erotica! And you seriously read it??? Bad, bad Nina! :)

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

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Chapter 12 = Goodnight

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That night, I had the strangest dream. That dream was going to change my life drastically, but of course I didn't know that yet.

I was in the dungeons of Hogwarts, in my fifth year. Harry was with me. We were looking for Ron, who apparently had got lost. Suddenly we heard a loud cracking sound, and the floor started to split! Harry and I stepped a few steps back only to find ourselves showed up against a wall. Then we heard it: a high-pitched, evil laughter! Harry screamed; falling down, holding his scar!

I woke up suddenly, completely bathed in sweat.

..................................

I caught Ron at breakfast. Lily and the others were not there yet, so I went to sit with him.

"Hi," I said, while I grabbed my plate and helped myself get some cereal from the bowl on the table. I tried my best not to think about the horrible nightmare I'd had the night before. Because wasn't it a nightmare? It was not something that had ever happened, that's for sure. But yet...

"Hi," said Ron. He was looking very sleepy, but, looking back over our time together, it dawned on me that Ron always looked sleepy if he was awaked earlier than lunchtime. "Where were you last night? I looked for you in the common room, but-" He suddenly stopped dead as he realized who had just entered the great hall. "Harry??? Look, Hermione, its Harry!!!"

I had to stop myself from smiling, but that was only because I knew that it was not Harry, but James. If I didn't, I would be as amazed as Ron.

"Ron, he's not Harry, but I'll explain later," I whispered. James had already seen us, and was moving our way.

"Hi guys," James said, beaming at us. Annoyingly, he seemed to be quite the morning person.

"Ha- " Ron started, still completely dumbstruck. I quickly realized what he was doing, and kicked him under the table. "-llo!" he finished quickly, rubbing his leg.

"I don't recall meeting you before," James said. "You must be William. Nice to meet you, I'm James Potter."

Ron's eyes went wide in an instant, and he started opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. At least he kept silent now... However, I am sure I heard him mumble something sounding a lot like "Wicked..." as James sat down next to me.

"Hi guys," said Lily. James jumped, apparently he hadn't seen her. Lily was soon followed by Remus, Sirius and that filthy Pettigrew. Of course, at that time, he really wasn't filthy, was he? I honestly didn't know that.

"Hi," I said. Ron just looked at them. "Oh, everyone, this is William. William, this is Lily, Remus, Sirius and Peter," I said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

It took Ron a minute before he realized who they all were. He now stared at them all, and for a minute I thought he was going to tell on us. But, amazingly enough, he lowered his stare and said, casually, "Nice to meet you," before returning to his scrambled eggs.

..................................

Ron and I had talked. I told him about the Marauders, but he was less shocked than I thought he would be. But then again, we already knew James Potter went to school in this time, as Dumbledore told us when we first got here. I told Ron about my dream too, and he told me to go and see Dumbledore. So that's where we were heading now.

We reached the secret passage up to the headmaster's office, when I suddenly realized something.

"Oh, bullocks!" I said to myself. Ron turned to me, curiosity painted on his face. "Oh, I just remembered that we don't have the password... what are we going to do? Wait?" I asked him.

"We might just have to," he said, looking disappointed. Luckily it was Saturday, so we didn't have any classes.

We stood there for about twenty minutes, when suddenly we heard footsteps! Hoping it was Dumbledore, we turned around- it wasn't Dumbledore. It was James.

"Hey James," I said, slightly disappointed.

"Hi guys... what are you doing here, waiting?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "We need to see Dumbledore, but we don't know the password. Do you by any chance know it?" He added. Harry had been to the Headmaster's office quite a few times, but it wasn't sure that James had...

"No," James said. "But I know someone who has. He told me what the password was, but I don't remember now... besides, it was years ago. Dumbledore could have changed it a hundred times since-"

"SWEETS!" Ron suddenly yelled. Both James and I jumped a few steps back, surprised at Ron's sudden outburst. We looked at the door, but it didn't open.

"Ron, that wasn't the right password," I told him carefully.

Ron just rolled his eyes and said, "I know that, but I remember something. Harry once told me that Dumbledore always has the name of a sweet for a password. Maybe he also has now."

"Oh God, I remember that!" I said, glad that for once, Ron used his brains the right way. We both started remembering different sorts of sweets, when we were interrupted:

"Who's Harry?" James asked.

(Oh, no!)

"Uhh," I said. "An old friend from Beauxbatons. Yes, Harry... Lee. As in clothing. Or do they only make jeans? Let's find a teacher and ask, shall we?" I blurted out, trying to get away.

"Wait," said James, holding us back. "How can your old friend from Beauxbatons know which kinds of passwords the headmaster of Hogwarts is using?" He said suspiciously.

Think quick, Hermione, think quick...

"Uh!" said Ron. "Because of Madam Maxime! Dumbledore told her under the last... Triwizard Tournament! Yes, and since Harry is Madam Maxime's favourite, she told him! Yeah," he said, proud of his own cleverness.

"Yeah... Ok," said James. I couldn't tell if he believed us or not, but he started yelling different names of sweets at the door, whatsoever. As he got to "Peppermint Peacocks," I pulled Ron close to me and whispered: "God, how lucky can we possibly be???" he looked at me questioning, and I continued, "Madam Maxime was definitely not the headmistress of Beauxbatons when the last Triwizard Tournament took place! And besides, it wasn't even at Hogwarts!" Ron smirked at me and started naming different sweets like James.

We stood there naming sweets for about ten minutes, but nothing happened. "Dammit!" Ron said, and we decided to walk back to the common room. As we walked, I tried to remember my dream, but it was all so vague... I felt really stupid, running to Dumbledore like that for nothing... It was just a dream.

"Hey Cho, could I ask you something?" James said. He made a move as to make Ron leave. But Ron didn't move. I said, "William, could you please?" "What?" he said. "Oh, you know... go. Somewhere. Away."

Ron rolled his eyes, but left whatsoever. I turned to James. "What did you want?"

"Uh..." James started. "This is really awkward..." He blushed as red as Ron's hair, and I bit my lip. He was just not going to ask me out... "I... Have you..." he stammered. Then he took a deep breath and continued, "Ok, I'm going to ask you this once, I'll go straight to the point... You hung out with Lily last night, right? Well, Lily, did she... say anything about me?"

I gasped. This was *so* not what I had expected... James was staring intensely at something on his right shoe, and I couldn't help thinking he looked so much like my Harry... But should I tell him what Lily had said? I didn't know what had happened to bring them together; maybe it was best not to interfere... But then I remembered that if Harry hadn't broken the rules back in third year, I wouldn't even be here... "No," I said quietly. James looked up, and he looked slightly disappointed.

"Really?" he asked. "Not one word?"

"Well..." I said. It was just too much to see him suffer like this... "She might have... But I don't remember. I was really tired..." James looked really upset now. "Ok," he said. "That's fine... see you."

And then he ran off. I was left alone in the corridor, mentally kicking myself for what I'd done...

I quickly went to the great hall to have some dinner, and then I went to bed.

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"No! Hermione, get away from here!"

"I won't leave you Harry!"

"You have to! I can make it, I can pull him down into the hole in the floor, it'll kill him..."

"Harry, it will kill you too."

Harry grabbed my hands, tears in his eyes. "I can't watch you die, Hermione. I'd rather die than seeing you get hurt," he said.

"Then how do you think I feel??? Please Harry, please don't..." I was crying rivers. In the background I could hear Voldemort's high-pitched laughter coming nearer and nearer... "No, Harry... I love you."

Harry took a deep breath and kissed me. "I love you too," he whispered.

Voldemort moved our way, and Harry stood in front of me. The Dark Lord laughed.

"Well Potter, protecting your girlfriend... I must say you've got your father's bravery," he said. His voice did not sound human, and I winched at the sound.

"Let her go Voldemort," Harry said. "It's me you want."

Voldemort laughed again. "You know, you're right... her death would bring me little joy. - But of course sometimes, a little is enough."

He took out his wand and said, "Avada-" when Harry ran into him! Voldemort was so taken aback that he didn't get to finish his curse. Harry pushed Voldemort towards the hole, and with one last effort, he jumped... and took Voldemort with him.

"Noooooooo............." Voldemort yelled, as they fell deeper and deeper into the darkness...

"Harry, NO!"

..................................

I woke up with a start, crying softly. I suddenly remembered everything.

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Please review. And lead others to review. Pleeease... The more reviews, the sooner I will have my next chapter up- ok maybe not, but let's just say I will. :)

Until later, much later. Unless I can finally get my butt movin'! :D