Changing Times

Ok. Heh... probably wondering about *why the hell* it took me so long??? Well, in my defence, I had the finals, my birthday, more finals, my mother's birthday, even more finals, a *huge* writer's block, and some finals. Explanation enough? No? SORRY!!! And this is not even a long chapter! Well, it's ok, just to show you that I was, in fact, out there. This was originally a two-parter, but I changed my mind. :) I can't tell you how sorry I am for not updating.... very sorry... :(

Thank you, thank you, thank you:

Amy Potter = You're welcome. I can't reveal anything, really, except that nothing you asked for is going to happen in this part of this chapter... I will email you, if you still exist (I haven't updated in *ages*!)
Sparrow2279 = (x7) Ok, you reviewed a lot... that's fine though! :) Thank you!!! You really puffs up my ego. :) Though I doubt you'll be very impressed with this chapter... I'm still suffering under a writer's block, but I *had* to write something... :)
E. C. R. Potter = Ohh, cliffhanger... continued very, very weirdly! I did realize that you were not JKR, but you're definitely good!
Angel-Undercover = (x2) Great! Glad you liked it! Yay! :)
X-Nina = Yay! You actually read my story! Go you! *LoL* I know... I have no ego, but thanks to you and Sparrow, I'm getting closer... :) I guess no one can really judge their own work, as o them it's really boring, because they already know what happens. :)
Linz = Yeah, I know, for a H/H fic, this is very much *not* H/H at the moment... will, though. (Maybe... I guess we'll never know. We'll see if I'm in the mood. :)
Peep Geek 101 = Thank you!!! The MM thing was kind of a tricky, not supposed to be expected... :) cool though, huh?
Magsambis = (x2) Yeah, the pillow this was when Hermione and Ron helped train Harry in the fourth book... very confusing indeed. YES, YOU CAN THINK OF STUFF LIKE THIS!!! You just think of other stuff like this. It can't all be the same you know! :)
Lady Alendrial = Thanks. I won't. - Uh, I mean I will. :) I will, but I'm probably not gonna; knowing me. :)

Thank you. I would like to say a special sorry to you guys who reviewed... I'll try to update quick, I really will!

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Chapter 14 = Nightly Encounters

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He stared at the map in disbelief. Can you blame him??? Here I was, out at night, being Hermione Granger...

"I... I..." ...I had no idea what to say!

"Let me guess... you're not really French, are you? Or, or maybe you are, and you're just a spy! Or maybe you're from Durmstrang! Oh, or, or a Death Eater! You're a Death Eater!!!" he rambled. There was a side I'd never seen of Harry before. It was kind of scary, and... kind of not.

I knew I had to tell him the truth.

Or, a revised truth. A fake truth. An almost-true-truth.

Ok.

Here goes...

Still going...

"James, I... I'm from the future."

I can't believe I actually said that.

He looked at me.

Kept looking at me.

He laughed. Wait, laughed?

"Yeah right, and I'm from the past, right?" he snorted, not at all convinced.

"Well, from my perspective, then technically speaking..." I rambled. "No, James... ok, do you want to hear my story?"

"Ok," he said.

"Fine... Do you know what a time-turner is?"

"I think Professor McGonagall mentioned it once. Continue," he said impatiently.

So, I told him the story, leaving out the parts with Harry being James' son, and with James and Lily being dead in my time. He didn't have to know *everything*.

When I finished, he reacted just like everyone else I had explained it to. His mouth was practically hanging down beneath his ankles. Maybe I had just gotten used to the idea, but I didn't think it was such a big thing. So, I was from the future. Pfft! Ok, maybe that was a little... how were they supposed to know? Guess I would have reacted the exact same way myself.

James blinked a couple of times, before finally speaking: "So... you are indeed Hermione Granger... but you began- will begin at Hogwarts in 1997? And you have already graduated, but you went back to your fifth year to save your friend Harry, who will also begin in 1997, and who in fact is not even born yet?"

"That is correct."

"And you accidentally went back another time, this time back to now?"

"That is true."

"And now Dumbledore is going to send you and your friend Wil- Ron back to... where?"

"Uh..." I honestly didn't know. "Our own times I guess," I told him gravely. Dumbledore had said 'solve all this together' and that would mean to reverse all of this... wouldn't it?

"Oh. Without saving your friend?" he asked.

"Without saving my friend," I said.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Oh, I have to ask... you know about the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders' Map?"

"Uhh, yes?"

"How?"

"From my friend. Harry. He got the map from some friends, and, uh, found the cloak."

"...Oh... Well, since you know about the cloak, do you want to get under it?"

"Excuse me???"

"...So we can get safely to our dorm?"

"Oh... sure."

We got under the cloak and started walking. Slowly at first, but faster and faster in fear of meeting someone. It was a little hard for the cloak to cover us both, I didn't even know if it did.

Fortunately we met no one on our way, and soon, I could see The Fat Lady sleeping in her frame. We got closer, and closer, and...

"Hey! Stop!" sounded a familiar voice...

James and I froze in our steps. This couldn't be, it just couldn't be him. Well, it was, anyway. But I thought we were invisible... how could Filch have seen us???

We stood deadly quiet, none of us moving a muscle, not to say even breathing. Filch moved closer, closer, we could hear him behind us... closer, closer... but then he moved farther away. Farther, farther... it took me quite a while before I realized that he was moving down a different hallway. Was he even talking to us???

"Mr. Filch, be quiet!"

Apparently not.

Was it just me, or had I heard that voice before?

"What is mr. Claws doing out here at night?" James whispered. Of course, it was mr. Claws!

"I don't know," I whispered back. "Let's follow," I added.

We started moving very, very quietly down the hallway, following Filch. Mrs. Norris was nowhere to be seen, which was good. Professor Claws and Filch were standing in a corner, whispering with each other. Soon, James and I were close enough to hear what they were saying.

"What is it, Filch? I am tired, and I need my sleep!" Claws hissed.

"Is it true?" Filch asked.

"What are you talking about?" asked Claws, though it looked like he already knew the answer.

"You know what I am talking about. You have just seen Dumbledore, I know it! Rumours fly quickly around the castle, you know that. Just tell me:" Filch paused for a moment before continuing. "Is it true? Is *he* really coming?"

"I- I really don't know what you are talking about," Claws said nervously. "Now get out of my way!"

"No!" Filch hissed. "If what Dumbledore have heard is true, then *he* shouldn't be allowed at school property! You don't think that Dumbledore will..."

"I think Dumbledore will do what Dumbledore believes is the right thing to do. Now, let me go, unlike you, I have a real job, and I need my rest. Those filthy kids aren't going to play any tricks with me just because I didn't get any sleep. Goodnight," Claws said, and went to the teachers' dormitories.

After a while, Filch sighed and went down another corridor, leaving James and me in the darkness.

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So, that was Nightly Encounters... please wait for the next chapter! I will hopefully have it up faster than this one. :)

Be kind, review.