Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Friends (or Enemies) do not belong to me, they belong to the talented Ms. Rowling
A/N: Thank you for your reviews. This chapter is a little short but I hope you like it none the less. This chapter takes place is botht he present and the past.
Chapter Three: Aftermath
Unsteadily the potions master got to his feet. "Silly Girl! Stupid Beast!" Snape snarled through the now black smoke that filled the room. Automatically he covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his robe to avoid inhaling the possibly toxic smoke. He removed his wand and gave a quick wave to clear the smoke from the room. He looked at the twisted hunk that had been his cauldron and the potion in a puddle around it. He looked around for the girl, but couldn't find her. Startled he scrambled to his feet. "Bloody Merlin!" He cursed, though it was muffled by his sleeve.
Once outside his laboratory, he warded the door. He might be able to salvage the potion, but right now there were more pressing concerns, like where Miss Granger was. He removed his sleeve from his mouth and proceeded at a brisk pace towards the Headmaster's office, taking advantage of the many short cuts he knew.
"Gummy Dragons." He told the guardian Gargoyle who sprang aside. He stepped onto the spiraling staircase, but instead of waiting for it to take him up, he proceeded to walk up it. Once he reached the landing that held the Headmaster's office he knocked on the door.
"Come in Severus." Dumbledore called.
Snape pushed the door open and entered. He nodded politely to the Headmaster.
The old wizard looked up at his Potions Master. "Do take a seat." He said motioning to the row of seats. "Do you want a lemon drop?"
The potion master reluctantly dropped into a seat. "No Albus, I don't want a lemon drop." He said softly, but it was obvious by his tone that he didn't think it was the time for lemon drops.
"Ah oh well." Dumbledore said as he took one of the sticky treats and popped it in his mouth. He inclined his head towards the younger wizard indicating that he should speak.
"There was a slight mishap in the lab after I collected the fur from Miss Granger's part kneazle familiar." Snape began softly. "When the fur was added to the potion, the reaction startled the beast." He closed his eyes briefly. "The cat leapt towards the table and knocked a vial into the potion. It caused an explosion. Miss Granger was closer to the explosion than I, and there is no sign of her."
"Merrrow." Crookshanks crouched over his mistress's form. His tail was curled around his body as he butted his head against Hermione's cheek.
As Hermione regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was a familiar weight on her chest. "Crooks?" She asked warily as the memories of what happened flooded back to her.
Carefully sitting up, Hermione slipped her wand from her sleeve and murmured lumos. The tip of her wand illuminated the room. It looked like the room she has been in except for the fact that it was full of desks and boxes.
Something didn't add up; there was an explosion and when she came to she was in a spare classroom? She should have either been in the hospital wing or still in the lab, as she doubted Snape would have moved her to a spare room. He would have left her in the alb or took her to the hospital wing. As a matter of fact where was Snape?
Hermione shook her head. She shouldn't dwell on what happened right now, there was time for that later. She needed to find out where she was and how long she had been out before she did anything else. She gently pushed Crookshanks off her lap and then carefully stood up, holding the wand out in front of her. She made her way to the door, slowly as her body ached from hitting the floor.
She recognized the dungeons. "So we're still in Hogwarts Crooks." She told her cat. The part-kneazle turned and looked at her. As the pair of them walked, she noticed that the room they had left had indeed, been the laboratory Snape used. "I wonder what that potion had in it..." She thought out load. She figured heading to the headmaster's office might be best.
As she walked along the halls, she felt strange, as if she was walking through a place she had visited long ago and not a place she had walked through just yesterday. Although the walls were familiar, something seemed different.
When she reached the Gargoyle she smiled. Dumbledore would know what happened. She looked down at Crookshanks, her familiar, was still by her side surprisingly. The part-kneazle cat was usually very independent. She'd think about that later though.
"Gummy Dragons." She told the Gargoyle. It didn't leap aside. "Strange... oh well he must have changed the password recently, Harry said it's always been some kind of sweet. "Acid Pop." Still nothing. "Sugar Quill" nope "Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans?" No. "Come on Gargoyle, I need to see the Headmaster." She said annoyed.
Someone came up behind her. "Chocolate Frog."
Hermione spun around and came face to face with the person she wanted to see. "Hello Prof..Albus." She corrected herself remembering the Headmaster's kind reminder that he would prefer to be called by his given name.
The headmaster smiled at the young lady in front of him. "Hello.... I see you know me, but who are you?"
Hermione looked at him curiously. "I'm Hermione Granger." She said.
The headmaster looked at her blankly.
"Former head girl of the 1998 class. Your hired me to be the defense against the dark arts teacher." She said hoping to jog his memory.
The headmaster smiled at her sadly. "Ms Granger... the year is 1977." He said softly while leading her up the spiraling stairs to his office where he felt the conversation might be more comfortable.
Hermione paled. "Oh dear! I guess that explosion sent me back in time..." She said falling into a seat. Crookshanks jumped into her lap, curled up and started purring. She looked at the headmaster. She had always trusted him, and even if the headmaster might not know her, she felt he would help her.
The headmaster nodded absently. "Would you like a lemon drop?" He asked her politely.
Hermione shook her head, stifling a laugh that threatened to break free. "N-no thank you..." She said
He smiled. "Ahh." Dumbledore said as he took one of the sticky treats and popped it in his mouth. When he finished it he spoke. "This is a first... I can't recall any time traveling accidents before." He said looking at her. "It would not do to have it get out that you are from the future and as such I think it might be prudent that you take on an alias to help keep your identity secret." He said after a while. "Since we can't exactly send you back to your own time, you might be stuck here for a while... you said that I appointed you as the Defense teacher?" He asked
She nodded. "Yes. I was to start my first term September First."
He nodded. "Well you can still start it as we did have that vacancy." He said. "Would you be willing to do that?" He asked looking at her. "After all I don't think that it would be good for you to return to the wizarding world of the past, your references for a job wouldn't know you and might not even be alive." He said seriously.
She nodded. "I would... and I can try to research a way to send myself back.... I will also keep silent about what I know of the future, it wouldn't do for me to change it after all." She said with a smile. "And for an alias I think Jane Merrion would do."
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Alright Jane Merrion... I guess I should show you to your quarters then?" He asked. "And I will open you a Gringotts account so you can buy what you need." He said as they stood up. He led her to the third floor corridor. "This will be your classroom, and these your quarters." He said pointing them out to Hermione who nodded.
"Thank you." She said softly, her mind already on what she needed to do.
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Your welcome... and Jane Merrion, you are the youngest teacher we've ever had at Hogwarts... you are not much older than the oldest students... please remember that you are an authorative figure... several of the seventh year boys will flirt with you, do discourage it." He said kindly with a knowing twinkle what those said boys were like.
She nodded. "Yes sir. And if possible could you send up copies of the student records so that I might prepare for the classes." She said.
He nodded and was about to walk off.
"Sir... about my lesson plans, in the future, you gave me permission to focus on dueling and self defense against hexes and such, especially for the seventh years... I would like to include it in my curriculum still."
He looked at her thoughtfully. "Yes you may however you might change your mind when you see your students." He said. "If that is all?"
"Yes. Thank you professor." She said.