Prologue
Sitting on the Hogwarts Express, Persephone Stranger gazes out to the
platform. She didn't understand why Hogwarts still insisted on using a
train of all things. Trains were so old school, according to her and her
friends. She thought it funny that some people said that wizards were
higher in education and knowledge than the average muggle. If that was
true, then why were they still using old time trains to travel from place
to place?
Persephone scratched her head. She was getting tired of waiting for her friends to arrive, and it was getting boring. She took out her wand and began twirling it. She knew this was dangerous, but she couldn't help it. It was a bad habit for her to get out of, but she knew she would never get out of it.
'One of these days,' she kept telling herself. 'One of these days you'll be either permanently damaged or dead.'
Sighing, she put her wand back in her robe. What was she going to do for...ten minutes...until her friends arrive or the train leaves? She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. Sleep always made things go much quicker, as she knew by experience.
Finally getting relaxed and thinking about the coming year, there was a knock on her door. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked out through the window. She didn't understand why whoever was at the other side insisted on knocking, for they could see almost clearly that there was someone sleeping inside.
She stood up, and looked, puzzled, at one of the figures. She couldn't see much except for a fuzzy head of brown, and three fuzzy bodies. She didn't remember there being anyone at her school with people with fuzzy brown hair. Unless, of course, these were newbies.
She slowly slid open the door, and was surprised. These three persons couldn't possibly be first years. Two of them were taller than she was, and she was a seventh year! The girl with the fuzzy hair looked at her the same.
"May I help you?" Persephone asked.
"There aren't any other compartments with room in them for us," the tall, black haired boy said. "Can we sit in here?"
Persephone opened her mouth to say that she was saving the space for her friends, but a shiny badge on the girl's robes cut her off.
'HEAD GIRL?' she thought. 'What's going on? I never even saw this girl before. Hogwarts doesn't take in late starters, especially in their last year and make them HEAD GIRL instantly. I'll invite them in and get some answers.'
"Sure! Why not?" she said. She moved back in the compartment, and sat down back at her seat. She looked out, and almost yelped. Everyone was different. She didn't see anyone of these people before. What was going on?
"I don't believe we've met," the girl said. "I'm Hermione Granger. Head Girl." Hermione smiled and held out her hand.
Persephone looked at her, a bewildered expression on her face. 'Certainly she did not just say her name was Hermione Granger? It couldn't be her!'
Hesitantly, Persephone took Hermione's hand, and shook it slowly. Nervously, Hermione took her hand back after shaking it with the girl for a little more time than necessary.
"Are you new?" the red haired boy asked.
Persephone looked at him. 'If she is Hermione Granger, then he must be-'
"Ron Weasley, at your service,' the boy said, smiling.
"I'm Harry Potter," the last one said.
Persephone looked like she was about to faint. Surely it couldn't be these three! They were the three of the most famous magical beings in the history of magical beings! If she was meeting them now, in person, there had to be two conclusions, even though Persephone hated jumping to conclusions.
One: Three of the students she knows well (most likely her pranking buddies) were playing a trick on her. Though, that wouldn't explain why she didn't recognize anyone outside on the platform.
Two: These were the real wizards, and she traveled back in time.
Slowly, drawing in a long breath to calm her nerves, Persephone tried to clear her mind. She couldn't have traveled in time. How would she have done it? Nothing she did led her to go through time travel.
She would really love it for Mike to jump out and say 'April Fools Day!' She knew that wasn't likely. It wasn't even close to being April.
Then, something came crashing into her like a bludger on a crappy weather day.
'If these are the real Hermione, Ron, and Harry,' she concluded, 'then that means...Lord Voldemort hasn't been killed yet! And that means...'
"Are you a first year?" Ron tried again.
"Are you a seventh year?" Persephone whispered back.
Ron nodded.
Persephone shook her head. 'Shit! This is not good! I somehow traveled back in time to the year the war against Voldemort is at its worst! Not good! Maybe this is some kind of lesson I will be learning later on. Why oh why didn't I pay much attention enough to know how much danger this really means? All I know is Voldemort has risen, and these guys are famous for fighting in the war against him. I didn't have a care in the world for this war! That past is history! Who cares? I need to talk to someone. Why aren't we at Hogwarts yet? I need to speak with...what was the headmaster in this time...Dumbledore! I need to speak with Dumbledore! I really hope I don't die! I hope I go home before I meet Voldemort face to face...don't cry! They'll think you're psycho.'
Persephone scratched her head. She was getting tired of waiting for her friends to arrive, and it was getting boring. She took out her wand and began twirling it. She knew this was dangerous, but she couldn't help it. It was a bad habit for her to get out of, but she knew she would never get out of it.
'One of these days,' she kept telling herself. 'One of these days you'll be either permanently damaged or dead.'
Sighing, she put her wand back in her robe. What was she going to do for...ten minutes...until her friends arrive or the train leaves? She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. Sleep always made things go much quicker, as she knew by experience.
Finally getting relaxed and thinking about the coming year, there was a knock on her door. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked out through the window. She didn't understand why whoever was at the other side insisted on knocking, for they could see almost clearly that there was someone sleeping inside.
She stood up, and looked, puzzled, at one of the figures. She couldn't see much except for a fuzzy head of brown, and three fuzzy bodies. She didn't remember there being anyone at her school with people with fuzzy brown hair. Unless, of course, these were newbies.
She slowly slid open the door, and was surprised. These three persons couldn't possibly be first years. Two of them were taller than she was, and she was a seventh year! The girl with the fuzzy hair looked at her the same.
"May I help you?" Persephone asked.
"There aren't any other compartments with room in them for us," the tall, black haired boy said. "Can we sit in here?"
Persephone opened her mouth to say that she was saving the space for her friends, but a shiny badge on the girl's robes cut her off.
'HEAD GIRL?' she thought. 'What's going on? I never even saw this girl before. Hogwarts doesn't take in late starters, especially in their last year and make them HEAD GIRL instantly. I'll invite them in and get some answers.'
"Sure! Why not?" she said. She moved back in the compartment, and sat down back at her seat. She looked out, and almost yelped. Everyone was different. She didn't see anyone of these people before. What was going on?
"I don't believe we've met," the girl said. "I'm Hermione Granger. Head Girl." Hermione smiled and held out her hand.
Persephone looked at her, a bewildered expression on her face. 'Certainly she did not just say her name was Hermione Granger? It couldn't be her!'
Hesitantly, Persephone took Hermione's hand, and shook it slowly. Nervously, Hermione took her hand back after shaking it with the girl for a little more time than necessary.
"Are you new?" the red haired boy asked.
Persephone looked at him. 'If she is Hermione Granger, then he must be-'
"Ron Weasley, at your service,' the boy said, smiling.
"I'm Harry Potter," the last one said.
Persephone looked like she was about to faint. Surely it couldn't be these three! They were the three of the most famous magical beings in the history of magical beings! If she was meeting them now, in person, there had to be two conclusions, even though Persephone hated jumping to conclusions.
One: Three of the students she knows well (most likely her pranking buddies) were playing a trick on her. Though, that wouldn't explain why she didn't recognize anyone outside on the platform.
Two: These were the real wizards, and she traveled back in time.
Slowly, drawing in a long breath to calm her nerves, Persephone tried to clear her mind. She couldn't have traveled in time. How would she have done it? Nothing she did led her to go through time travel.
She would really love it for Mike to jump out and say 'April Fools Day!' She knew that wasn't likely. It wasn't even close to being April.
Then, something came crashing into her like a bludger on a crappy weather day.
'If these are the real Hermione, Ron, and Harry,' she concluded, 'then that means...Lord Voldemort hasn't been killed yet! And that means...'
"Are you a first year?" Ron tried again.
"Are you a seventh year?" Persephone whispered back.
Ron nodded.
Persephone shook her head. 'Shit! This is not good! I somehow traveled back in time to the year the war against Voldemort is at its worst! Not good! Maybe this is some kind of lesson I will be learning later on. Why oh why didn't I pay much attention enough to know how much danger this really means? All I know is Voldemort has risen, and these guys are famous for fighting in the war against him. I didn't have a care in the world for this war! That past is history! Who cares? I need to talk to someone. Why aren't we at Hogwarts yet? I need to speak with...what was the headmaster in this time...Dumbledore! I need to speak with Dumbledore! I really hope I don't die! I hope I go home before I meet Voldemort face to face...don't cry! They'll think you're psycho.'
