Prologue Part 2: The Mission
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, unable to believe what I was seeing. The girl who stared back at me looked like a complete stranger. My long bushy brown curls were gone. I now had a reddish-brown, smooth, bob. Well, almost a bob. I couldn't quite bring myself to cut it past my shoulders.
The eyes that should have been dark brown were now a mixture of blue and green, with tiny gold flecks. My brand new robes were lavender, and had a small emblem baring the name Stone Crest Witches Academy over the right breast.
I said the alphabet, amazed at hearing the strange accent that rolled easily off my tongue. So, the linguistics spell had worked.
Professor Snape had given me the spells to make the transformations, and offered no help. At first I was upset, but now I feel proud at his faith in my abilities as a witch.
All in all, I felt very pretty and sophisticated. I no longer felt like Hermione Granger.
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I went back to the bedroom, sat on the bed, and watched him pack a bag. He was going through a large stack of books discarding some in a pile on the floor and stuffing the others into the small bag. It took ten books before I realized the bag had been enchanted to hold more than the laws of physics would allow.
I laughed at my stupidity.
He turned to look at me for the first time since I came in.
I resisted the urge to fidget as he looked me over from head to toe.
I flushed with pride as he nodded his approval, remembering that he was the one teacher who had never approved of anything I did.
He walked back to his chair by the bed, sat down, and gave a weary sigh.
The silence was thick and suffocating, and I was grateful when he finally began to speak.
"I've known this day was coming for six years now. Albus and I both knew it. We'd been preparing for it for so long… more so in the past few months."
His eyes rested on a spot behind my left shoulder as he tried to collect his scattered thoughts.
Then he gave me a wry smile.
"As usual, you were right, Miss Granger. I am old. I've aged about thirty years in the past month."
He was silent, waiting for me to make the connection.
I forced my numb mind into gear, trying to remember my encounters with the Potion's Professor lately. It came to me in flashes….
I had been in his office a few weeks ago, being reprimanded for helping Neville, again. I noticed that he had a closet filled with time-turners of various shapes and colors.
I also remembered nearly running into him in the library after hours one night. Harry had loaned me his invisibility cloak, so that I could get some extra study time in. His arms had been full of books on time travel, and manipulation…
Well, what do ya know?
"Time" I stated simply, as if answering a question in class.
He nodded a flash of what could have been hope brightened his eyes. He jumped up and started pacing in front of me.
"I always assumed it would be Potter that I had to send back. He's the one I was preparing for. It was only last week that that I realized I was mistaken."
Snape motioned toward the bag he was packing.
"Useful potions, references… I've packed a bag of things to send with you..."
"Back in time?" I interrupted,
unable to keep the wariness out of my strange new voice.
Even after all the unusual things that I had seen and experienced since coming to Hogwarts, the very idea seemed suddenly ludicrous.
"You've used a time-turner before, this won't be much different." He said, brushing off my skepticism.
He began muttering things to himself that didn't make any since to me, but I wasn't really paying attention.
What was I supposed to do? In order to stop Voldemorte, I'd have to go back more than just a few hours.
Snape seemed to be reading my thoughts.
"You will be going back to my sixth year at Hogwarts, 1974. Now, please don't interrupt, Miss Granger, I'll give you time to ask questions when I'm finished."
He commanded in his 'teaching' voice.
I sat up a little straighter, and focused intently on his words.
"We had two transfer students that year, Megan and Margo Lane. Identical twins from an American school, both were placed in Ravenclaw. They transferred from Stone Crest Witches Academy; it was a very prominent all-girls school in Dallas, Texas. Albus and I have been able to set this up, were there will be three girls transferring. As they were, ur, will be a year younger than you, it won't be odd that they will have never met you before."
"All of my research has led me to believe that this year in history is the most pivotal. A few subtle changes will make the difference between the end of the world, and something else entirely.
You will have certain tasks, some simple, and some complex. If you mess up, you'll find yourself re-living the day, over and over until you get it right."
"How?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.
He gave me an indulgent smile.
"Time is a living entity, Hermione. It will not let just anybody mess around with it. I was allowed to go back and forth several times, but not without a price. You, however, have been chosen for this task…"
"Why? Why am I, or you, or anyone for that matter, allowed to go at all? What if I do something that destroys everything?"
"Somebody has to. If Voldemorte succeeds, everyone will die, and time cannot exist without anyone to recognize it. You are the one person who will do what has to be done, and not for your own sake, but the sake of the world. And like I said, if you do anything that messes-up the natural order of things, then you'll have to do it over."
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.
"But why me? Why can't you do it? I don't understand."
He sat beside me on the bed and put an arm around my shoulder.
"Time has rules, Hermione, and though they are bendable, they are not breakable. Only a self-less, courageous person would be allowed to attempt this. I am too emotionally involved in the events you must change. I fear I will be unable to resist doing anything self-serving. And that would send me right back to where we are now."
"You've already tried haven't you?"
He ignored my question.
"I'm not saying it will be easy, but you won't be completely alone."
Professor Snape was trying to comfort me; I wish I had a camera.
I gave him a skeptical look.
"Well, I've made a potion, which will link us telepathically. Don't worry; it takes a lot of energy on both our parts to make it work through time, so we'll only do it when you really need it. Also, you've got this."
He handed her a small, leather book.
"It's my diary. An account of everything that happened my sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts. You'll see that I have recently been going over it and adding notes in the sidelines. I think you'll find it very useful in helping yourself get oriented."
"Albus, of course will know a little of what is going on, but don't be surprised or hurt if he tries to avoid you as much as possible. It is very dangerous for one to know too much about his own future, and he is wise enough to know that. You should only go to him as a last resort."
I nodded starting to feel an excitement and a strength I didn't know I had begin to warm my heart. I just might be able to this. Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore might not have to fall under Voldemorte.
As I stared at Professor Snape I saw in his eyes how much he believed in me, and in that moment I felt I could do anything.
Then he became very serious.
"Hermione, there is one thing that you must never forget! Do not under any circumstances allow yourself to get lost in the past. Always remember that that is not your time, your friends, or your world. If you do, we all lose everything."