CHAPTER TWO

-We're Where?-

When the smoke cleared, everything appeared normal, save for the fact that Hermione was short one Time Turner. "Way to go, Malfoy," the Gryffindor said, and coughed once. "I hope you're ready to explain to Professor McGonagall why the Time Turner's gone.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Cedric.

"Yes, we're fine," Cho said after glancing at Draco and Hermione. "Come on, you two. We'll walk you to class."

Hermione and Draco glared at each other, but followed Cedric and Cho in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom without protest. Their destination wasn't far, just down the hall and around the corner.

Cedric knocked on the door. There was no response from inside. "That's strange," he commented.

"Maybe they're taking a test," Cho offered.

Hermione shook her head. "We just had a test yesterday. Not even McGonagall has tests two days in a row."

"Knock again," said Cho.

He did. "Professor McGonagall?" he called after knocking. Again, there was nothing. He looked at Cho. "Do you think something's wrong?"

"She probably just doesn't want to be interrupted," Cho replied, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Draco groaned. "Oh, for Pete's sake!" he said, and pushed the door open.

The students gasped. The room was completely empty.

Cedric swallowed hard and glanced at Hermione. In a hopeful voice, he asked, "Field trip?"

"In Transfiguration?" Hermione said. "I don't think so."

Once again, Draco took charge and stepped inside. "Very funny, everyone," he said, and walked up the center aisle to the middle of the room. "You can all come out now."

Hermione, Cho, and Cedric walked over to him. Cho glanced around the room and said, "You know, Draco, I really don't think there's anyone in here."

Cedric looked around the room, and a confused expression crossed his face. "Where's the blackboard?" He turned his gaze back to his peers and said, "If this is Professor McGonagall's classroom, I am going to eat my socks."

Suddenly, a voice behind them said, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Identify yourselves!"

The four students raised their arms into the air and slowly turned around. Pointing a long white wand at them was a woman. She was tall, slender, and very beautiful, with long, dark hair and eyes the color of rich soil. She wore blue robes with bronze accents, and Hermione swore she recognized her from somewhere. "Identify yourselves!" the woman said again, this time louder and more forcefully.

"This is Cho Chang, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy," Cedric said, "and I'm Cedric Diggory. We're students here. Hermione and Draco-"

"Impossible," the woman interrupted. "The last students left three days ago."

"I know you!" Hermione suddenly announced as she realized why this woman looked so familiar.

The woman's expression went from stern to confused. "I've never seen any of you before."

"From one of the portraits in the History of Magic classroom," Hermione explained to Cedric, Cho, and Draco, who also had confused looks on their faces. She turned her gaze back to the woman and said reverently, "You're Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Yes, I am," she confirmed. "Why does this surprise you?"

Hermione looked at Draco with a horrified expression on her face. "Malfoy, WHAT DID YOU DO?!?"

"What's going on?" asked Rowena.

"The Time Turner!" Cho realized. "When the Time Turner exploded, it transported the four of us back in time!" She shook her head and whistled. "Holy cricket, Malfoy, what did you do?"

"'Holy cricket'?" a very confused Rowena repeated.

"A phrase used to indicate surprise and/or reverence, depending on the situation," Cedric explained. "What year is it?"

"It is the year eleven hundred and five."

"Eleven hundred five!" Hermione said. "Draco Malfoy!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Draco said.

"Actually," said Cho, "it was."

"So you broke a Time Turner and wound up here," Rowena said. "How interesting. The others will be most pleased to study this event. What is the year where you came from?"

"Nineteen ninety-three," Cedric answered. He looked at Draco. "Wow, Draco, what-"

"Don't even say it, Diggory," Draco grumbled.

"So you are students from the future?" Rowena asked. She had gotten over her initial surprise and was now quite intrigued. She was an intellectual, and loved anything that would enable herself and others to learn. "This is most fascinating. What classes are offered? Has it changed much? What houses are you all in?"

"From what we've seen, the setting hasn't changed much," Cedric said. "It took us a while to realize this wasn't Professor McGonagall's classroom when we got here." He then summarized the events that took place from when he and Cho saw Draco and Hermione up until when she arrived.

"Interesting," Rowena said. She looked at Draco. "So it was you who broke the Time Turner, a very dangerous move. It was also you who took the initiative and came in here to investigate the reason why the room was empty. You must be a Slytherin."

Draco looked mildly impressed. "That's right."

She turned her gaze to Cedric next. "You have stepped forward as a figure of authority among your peers. You put the safety of your friends above your own, and you have remained humble through all your heroism. You were sorted into Hufflepuff house, were you not?"

Cedric nodded. "Yes, I am a Hufflepuff."

"And you," Rowena said, looking at Cho, "used your intellect to put the facts in place and come to the conclusion that the Time Turner brought the four of you here. You're one of mine, aren't you?"

Cho grinned. "It looks like you're three for three."

"I'm very glad to meet all of you, but I'm afraid you've picked a most inopportune time for your visit," Rowena said. "We've been forced to close the school because of the danger of certain witch named Lady Darbarec."

"Lady Danae Darbarec?" Hermione asked.

Rowena nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Hermione gasped. "Holy cricket!" she exclaimed. "Now it makes sense! I remember reading once that in the year 1105, a dark witch named Lady Danae Darbarec was defeated by the Hogwarts Four… with the assistance of four unknown students. The only thing they know about the students is that there was one from each house." She looked at Cedric, Cho, and then Draco with a look of unmatched excitement on her face. "Don't you see?" she said. "The reason they never gave the names of the students is because they were from a different time! We are those students!"

Rowena smiled knowingly. "Quick, intelligent, and ready and willing to embrace your destiny. You must be a Gryffindor."

Hermione replied in the affirmative.

"What's going on in here?" came an authoritative male voice.

Walking into the room with a quick, confident stride was a tall, handsome man wearing robes of red and gold. He had dark blond hair, a short beard of the same color, and bright blue eyes. A sword with rubies in the handle hung at his waist. Hermione instantly recognized Godric Gryffindor.

Rowena greeted him and explained the situation, while Hermione, Cho, Cedric, and Draco commented when necessary. By the time she was finished, Godric was excited as Hermione had been. "Then it is true," he said. "The prophecy that help would arrive in our darkest hour in a most unexpected way… it's true."

"Lady Darbarec will be defeated," Rowena said, "and they will help us find a way."

"Good job, Draco," Cedric said. "It looks like your little slip-up was just fate doing its thing."

"That may be true, Mr. Diggory, but fate is not the end of all things," Godric said. "It merely guides us along the way to our destiny, which must ultimately be a choice. Nothing, not even history, is set in stone."

"But if I was able to read about the defeat of Lady Darbarec in the future," said Hermione, "does that mean she will be defeated no matter what?"

Godric glanced at Rowena before answering. "If we all put our best effort into this, then yes, I believe we will beat her. If we give everything we have, nothing can stop us." He smiled warmly at them, and then said, "Come, you must meet Helga and Salazar."

Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin were both surprised and excited to meet the four students, who were in turn blown away by the fact that they were really meeting the famous founders of their school. Helga was shorter than both Godric and Rowena, but still a good three inches taller than Cedric, who was tall even for his sex. Wavy golden brown hair hung down to about the middle of her back, and her emerald green eyes were bright and friendly. Salazar Slytherin was also very tall, taller than Rowena, but still an inch or two shorter than Godric. He had pale skin, dark hair and eyes, and a surprisingly soft and gentle voice.

An eerie feeling ran up and down Hermione's spine when Godric introduced her to Salazar. She knew about his feelings toward people like her – Muggle-born wizards and witches. She knew he would ultimately get in an argument with Godric over the issue of whether or not non-purebloods could attend Hogwarts and leave the school. For some reason, it made her sad. First impressions lasted forever, and although she knew about him from an objective historical perspective, it was nothing like actually meeting the person. Now, she had that privilege, and discovered she actually liked Salazar Slytherin. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't find out that she wasn't a pureblood.

Then, she had another thought: Draco Malfoy. Draco hated her. He probably wouldn't think twice about telling Salazar what she really was. What would she ever do if he found out? Cedric, Hermione decided. I'll ask Cedric to ask Malfoy not to tell him. Everyone liked Cedric, even Draco. It was worth a shot.

Hermione didn't get a chance to talk to Cedric for several hours. When she finally saw him alone, he was sitting on a bench just outside the entrance to Hufflepuff house. "Hi, Hermione," he said. "What's up?"

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to him on the bench.

"I'm waiting for Helga," Cedric answered. The Founders insisted that the four of them call them by their first names, as it was pretty much a given that they would all become close friends. "She wanted to show me something, and went in there to get it."

So that meant she wouldn't be gone much longer. She had to hurry. "Cedric, I need you to do me a favor," she said.

"Name it," Cedric replied with a friendly smile.

"Draco hates me," Hermione began. "He'll do whatever it takes to see me fall. If Salazar Slytherin finds out that I'm not a pureblood, he won't have anything to do with me. You can't let Draco tell him. He'll listen to you."

Cedric's expression became serious, and he nodded. "All right. I'll ask him."

Hermione was so relieved she thought she was going to cry. "Thank you!"

In another part of the school, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were walking down a hall and discussing various things. The main topic was what to do about their foe, Lady Danae Darbarec, whose power and influence was growing by the hour. Lady Darbarec was a formidable enemy who was more powerful than either of them realized. What they did know, though, was that her defeat would not come easily. That was why they were so delighted when it appeared that an ancient prophecy was coming true before their eyes. If nothing else, it gave them hope.

When the topic of the four students from the future came up, Godric noticed that Salazar seemed to withdraw a bit, and he inquired if anything was wrong. "Oh, it's nothing," Salazar said in response to Godric's question. "Just… it seems like one of the students is a little bit different than the other three, that's all."

"Is that so?" Godric asked. "Which one?"

"The one from your house, actually," Salazar replied. "Hermione Granger."

"I think she's delightful."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I do, too," he said. "She's a brilliant young woman, and a perfect example of what your house stands for."

Godric smiled. "I almost mistook her for a Ravenclaw when I met her. She's very intellectual."

"You value intelligence very highly, too, you know," Salazar said. "The only real difference I can discern between you and Rowena is that you prize courage just a little bit more than intelligence. You two have a lot in common, you know."

He nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I know."

"Anyway, about Hermione. I don't know why, but I have a feeling she's different."

"Of course she's different," Godric said with a grin. "She's a Gryffindor."

"Very funny," Salazar said, smiling a little bit himself. "It's probably my imagination, but I think I'll ask just the same."

Draco Malfoy was sitting on a couch in the Slytherin common room and skimming through a book on potions when who should come in but Salazar Slytherin himself. "I thought I might find you here," the founder of the house said.

Draco set the book down and looked at Salazar. "Is everything all right?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question," Salazar said, and walked over to the couch. He sat down. "May I?"

He didn't see why not. "All right. Go ahead."

"The girl from Gryffindor, Hermione Granger," Salazar began, and Draco nodded to signify that he was following along. "Is there something different about her?"

A/N: What do you think? Is this story worth continuing? If one unfortunate soul stumbles across this story and by some miracle thinks it's worthwhile, I will continue. If not, you'll never find out what answer Draco gives Salazar. *evil laugh* I promise, no more blackmail after this… at least on my part.