But in the afternoon, Hermione felt somehow magically attracted again to the library. Well, okay, actually she had always been attracted to the library, but this was different.

She knew, she just knew that the answer to all her and Noctua's questions could be found there. Somewhere, somewhere between all those old and slightly well-thumbed books stood the book, the one book that would give her an answer. But how could she- even she, who probably knew the library better than Madam Pince herself!- ever find that one?

She didn't have a clue.

Again and again she repeated the little riddle, softly muttering in as she vaguely stared at the shelves before her.

But she couldn't solve it and it irritated her. She was Hermione Granger, star pupil, first class know-it-all, but she couldn't solve such a small, easy riddle.

For it was easy. She was sure of that.

"Your first name tells it all…"

That she had solved. Noctua, night owl.

"You parents always bond."

But by what? What bound Noctua's parents? Noctua did, of course, but what else?

"In animal and symbol."

An owl was an animal. So that solved the first part. In owl and… symbol? What symbol was Professor McGonagall talking about here? What kind of bloody symbol…

"The first is the second."

So was the animal the symbol and the symbol the animal, then? But that didn't make sense, of course… animal and symbol, symbol and animal, what was the difference?

She sighed as she closed the book that laid before her. This would not solve the mystery.

But perhaps- perhaps she had to go to the "origin" of the whole riddle? Perhaps she could pay Professor McGonagall a visit?

Yes. Why not?

And she had the perfect excuse.

~*~

"So, Miss Granger." Minerva spoke in her usual, brisk way.

"You really intend to keep on using this Time Turner?"

Hermione nodded.

"Yes. I can never…"

"Yes," Minerva interrupted her. "Yes, I know, you can never follow all those classes without it. But, Miss Granger, be warned, only one student before you has ever tried to do the 6th year that way. And even she has given it up in the end…"

She smiled faintly, and Hermione asked.

"Who was "she", Professor?"

Minerva smiled again.

"It was me, Hermione. I-"

But here, she was interrupted by a soft knock on her door, as a very small 1st year looked inside, obviously death frightened.

"Yes, Mr. Kettleburn?" Minerva asked.

"P-professor," the child muttered. "Someone has… a dung bomb, and it…"

Minerva sighed and stood up.

"Good, good, I am coming." she spoke quiet impatiently, and then, looking at Hermione

"Miss Granger-"

"It is alright, I'll wait." answered Hermione with a grin.

So Ron and Harry had done as she had asked them.

But she knew she only had five minutes to look around. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she did know that if the mystery could be solved, then the answer was here.

In Minerva McGonagall's rooms.

She looked around quite helplessly. But what now?

And suddenly, as if by magic, a small photo, lying upside down on a small table in the corner of the room, caught her gaze.

She turned it and looked.

On the picture were two people, an auburn-bearded man and a young woman with blushes on her cheeks and dark, wavy hair. Obviously Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. They were smiling.

But the writing on the backside of the picture was more interesting than the picture itself.

"From your Transfigurations teacher, Albus Dumbledore.

To-"

And Hermione gazed. Her eyes were full of surprise, and as she heard footsteps, she almost automatically sat down again.

Minerva entered again.

"So, Miss Granger-"

"I will think about it, Professor. But I have to go now- I just remember I… Goodbye."

Minerva nodded, yet looked quite surprised as Hermione almost ran through the door.

But the girl didn't bother.

My god, if this was true… Then everything was solved. Well, not everything, but almost everything. It was so simple, yet so complicated… How could this be true?

Could it be true?

But it had to.

The first was indeed the second.

~*~

Author Note:

Come on, my dear readers! Guess! Solve the mystery before our dear Hermione does!

I challenge you… mu ha ha ha ha ^-^!