Chapter 2
Unfamiliar whispering voices were all around Hermione.
"Who is she? She's got a head girl badge, but I've never seen her before."
"Maybe she's new?"
"No way! She would've been sorted in front of everyone and would never have been given the head girl position because it's already taken!"
Hermione groaned and pressed her hands to her forehead, trying to get the voices to stop.
The voice that she heard next was familiar.
"Shut up you guys! She's waking up. Wormtail you'd better go get Professor Dumbledore."
"Why do I have to go?"
"Because Moony here can't take his eyes off her!"
"Shut up Padfoot! Go on Wormtail."
Hermione heard a sigh and then a closing door. When she opened her eyes and saw three boys standing at the side of her bed the realization struck her that the voices weren't inside her head. Looking up at the boys she opened her mouth to say hi to Harry, but something wasn't right so she closed her mouth. The boy that she first assumed to be Harry she saw the same messy black hair but his eyes weren't a sparkling green. Moving onto another boy she saw a tall boy with black hair and an air of mischief around him. It was when she glanced at the brown haired boy that was closest to her that the realization struck her.
Hermione closed her eyes. When she opened them she saw the three faces full of curiosity looking back at her. Giving a weak smile Hermione said "hello". Her small hello seemed to open the floodgates and all the sudden she was swept away in a torrent of questions about who she was and where she came from. Just as Hermione was getting worried about how much information she should tell the boys, the Headmaster walked in. He was a tall, lean, old man with long silver hair and a beard. As he approached the bed he greeted the boys saying "Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, and Mr. Potter, thank you for your assistance. I have already sent Mr. Pettigrew down for supper and I suggest you join them. I will expect all of you in my office after you eat and in the meantime I trust you to keep this incident to yourselves." Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, the boys took one last glance at the mysterious girl in the bed before sulking off the dinner.
Hermione lay fidgeting with her hair while she waited for Dumbledore to pull up a chair and sit down. When she looked at him next, he was studying her over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "Professor Dumbledore, I think maybe I should explain. As you can see I am in Gryffindor and am Head Girl at Hogwarts, but the Hogwarts that I belong to is in the future. I have a time turner in my use so that I can take a couple extra classes. While I was going down to the dungeons I slipped and fell. I guess when I fell, the time turner broke and well, here I am."
Dumbledore's eyes were serious as he looked at her. "Just exactly how much do you know regarding time traveling Ms…?"
"Granger, Hermione Granger. I know that I have to be careful because if I change anything in the past it will create a paradox that can seriously affect the future; but that's all. There weren't any books in the library that went into great lengths about time travel."
"Ah yes, Ms. Granger. Well the paradox is one of two very important rules of time travel, but I believe that we will not have any problem with a chance of a paradox? It is, however, the other rule that I am worried about. You said that you time turner was broken- did you keep the pieces?"
"Yes Sir. I thought maybe it could be fixed, and I didn't want to be caught leaving a mess in the halls by Mr. Filch."
"Good. The second rule concerning time travel is that when you travel through the past or future with a time turner you must have the same time turner to get back to your own time. If you will surrender you time turner to me I believe I will be able to present our current situation to the ministry and be able to have them make you time turner as good as new, although I must warn you that time turners are a recent discovery and it could take some time for the ministry to find someone with suitable credentials to fix it."
Plunging her hand into her robes she searched for the small bottle containing the shattered pieces of her time turner. A small frown crossed Hermione's face as she started to turn out all of her pockets. Before she started to panic she figured she had better check her bag, but there was one problem. She didn't know where her bag was. Looking up at Professor Dumbledore she asked "Professor, do you know where my bag is?"
Professor Dumbledore reached over to the side of the bed and grabbed Hermione's bag. Lifting it up, he deposited it on her lap and added "I do believe that Mr. Black retrieved this for you."
"Thank you." Hermione said. Dumping out the contents of her bag she stared at all her books. Carefully placing objects back into the bag, one by one, she made sure she didn't loose or miss anything. When finally everything was back into her bag she looked up fearfully at Professor Dumbledore. In a shaky whisper she said "It's not here. Where could it be? What if I lost it forever?" calming herself down she forced herself to breathe. Thinking back to the dungeons she couldn't remember putting the bottle into her bag or her robes. Then the inspiration hit her. "I think it got left in the dungeons, unless one of the boys picked it up and forgot about it."
"That's alright Hermione. I will search the dungeons and if I fail to find it, I will inquire about it when the boys come to my office tonight. Now I believe that there are a few other matters that we need to discuss. If you trust yourself enough to be around the students without letting anything slip you may attend classes for the duration of your visit. If so, your story will be that your have transferred to Hogwarts from a private school, in hmmm…lets say Canada, to stay with your relatives for a short while. I take it there are people here that you know in the future?" at Hermione's confirming nod he continued "Then we shall change you last name to a modified French version. Grangié. I think that will suffice. If you do not object I will send Mr. Lupin to you tomorrow to take you to Hogsmeade to buy you personal effects. Money and school supplies will be given to you, compliments of the school."
"Thank you, Sir. I would prefer to spend my time here put to something useful, but I have one question. I am already sorted into Gryffindor. Will I be resorted in front of the school or will you just let me join Gryffindor with an explanation of prior sorting?"
"I do believe that tomorrow at dinner you can go ahead and sit with at the Gryffindor table, but I will have to introduce you to the staff and school. If that is all I must be going to supper and I suggest you get a good nights sleep. Mr. Lupin will be here with a breakfast for you tomorrow morning before you leave for Hogsmeade. The current Head Girl will show you where you will be staying once you get back. Good night Hermione". With a soft swish of his cloak, Dumbledore rose and left Hermione to her thoughts.
When Dumbledore arrived to the great hall to begin his dinner, most students were just over halfway done eating. Striding between the narrow tables of feasting students he made his way up to the staff table. Taking his seat he merrily piled his plate high with food. Dumbledore made small talk with Minerva McGonagall about the events the day held. He asked her to join him in his office later that evening for a cup of tea to further discuss a situation that had arisen. Watching the four boys known as the marauders, he hoped that he hade made to right decision. He was slightly worried about the fact of the missing time turner but thought that all would become clear with time. Dumbledore finished his supper and started his desert at a leisurely pace before moving off to retire to his office.
Shortly after making himself some hot cocoa he heard a knock to his office door. "Come in." he happily called out. When the four boys that entered his office sat down he offered them lemon drops. "No? Well, I should've known. Tell me boys; is there a reason why everyone refuses my candy?"
"No sir. Well maybe it's because they are muggle candies" James hastily replied. All four boys nervously glanced at each other wondering exactly what Dumbledore wanted. They each hoped that he would tell them more about the mystery girl who was, at that moment, sleeping peacefully in the hospital wing.
Eyes twinkling at the boys' curiosity Dumbledore moved on. "I suppose you are wondering exactly why you are here. I would just like to explain about Ms. Grangié. She is an exchange student and I hope that you will make her comfortable for the time that she stays with us. Now I understand that she lost something that is very valuable down in the dungeons. Did any of you happen to pick it up? I do believe it was a small bottle."
James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black all chorused "No, sir" in perfect unison. Turning to Remus Lupin Dumbledore awaited his answer. As Remus opened his mouth to speak there was a sharp knock on the door.