Chapter Five

Disclaimer on chapter one

Ruby was alone in her garden that night. The only other living thing awake was Mars, arms crossed, silently guarding the moment Ruby walked in. She looked up at the dragon, and started to cry.

"I don't know what to do. I thought, maybe, I could help my friends back at Hogwarts, but maybe I'm just feeding the dark forces." The dragon turned its head and looked down at Ruby. "I don't know what will be next, what to do next, or can I do anything." Mars, lowered its head to Ruby's level, and hugged the giant dragon's nose. His nose tapped the time turner around her neck. "Ah, yes, Sabo gave it to me." The beast's eyes met Ruby's. "You think I should?" The beast nodded. Ruby looked to the ground and Mars slightly nuzzled her head. I must speak with Sabo then, and prepare." She turned to walk away, then quickly turned back to Mars. "You will follow her correct?" He nodded. "You will tell Asta and Petra?" He nodded. She hugged his snout again. "Thank you, Mars." He nuzzled her again.

Ruby ran into the common room of her chambers and found Sabo waiting for her already.

"I figured, after tonight, you couldn't pass up an escape."

"Oh Sabo," she through her hands around her maid.

"Nope, I believe you will address me as Lady Ruby."

Ruby laughed, "Of course."

They made the switch and met again in the garden.

"How many turns do you think," Ruby asked Sabo under the watch of Mars.

"Not sure, maybe fifteen, or twenty?"

"You remember how to summon if you need to, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Good luck. I will be back."

"You better." They laughed as Ruby turned the time turner around her neck, and suddenly, she was on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ruby found herself in the main hall of the school. It was quiet, unsually quiet. Then the bell sounded and the once quiet hallway was boisterous with the sounds of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins. Ruby quickly moved to the side, not wanting to confuse any one if two Rubies were in the hall at the same time.

"Hey, Potter," she heard a familiar voice yell. She looked at the boy who yelled, and the boy who responded, expecting to see Harry's messy hair and glasses. Well she saw the hair and glasses, but it was not Harry at all.

Potter responded, "Lupin, where you been." Lupin? Ruby thought she then walked into the middle of the hall and looked at the faces that passed her. Not one was familiar. Not one. Someone bumped into her and looked through her.

"Sirius, what are you looking at," asked the one named Potter.

"Peeves must be up to something again, I know I hit something,"

"Well," Lupin said, "Peeves is always up to something."

"Guys," said a whiney boy, "We can't be late for potions again."

Sirius laughed, "oh no, we mustn't miss potions!" The group walked down to the dungeons slowly.

Ruby still stood in the hallway as the late bell rang. Looking around she said, "What the hell is going on?" She couldn't understand how she had gone back in time so far. Maybe the time turner was different then the one Hermione had told her about. "Well, I'm away. That's all that really matters. When life hands you lemons...go make a potion." She trotted down the all too familiar stairs to potions class.

She entered the class room as quickly and quietly as possible, since her presence could be made known. She looked around while a teacher she didn't know lectured on sleeping drafts. Gryffindors and Slytherins still separate. She was glad to know it was tradition. She walked up to the front of the room and looked at the books on the table. She recognized them all, which made her wonder how long they had been in that room. She picked up one of the books and started looking through.

"Alright, who forgot that this is not a charms class," The teacher yelled. Potter and Sirius laughed. "Sirius Black, is this you're doing?"

"Sir, I wish it were." Ruby finally dropped the book realizing what was going on.

"20 points from Gryffindor!" While the Gryffindors started an uprising, Ruby caught the eye of a greasy haired boy in the front, who seemed to be looking straight at her. It couldn't be she thought. She silently walked over to the boy and sat on the floor next to his desk. He looked down at her from the corner of his eye.

She whispered, "Can you see me?"

He cocked his head a bit, and slightly nodded. Ruby stayed in that spot till the end of the period and followed the boy to the Slytherin common room, and then to the boys dormitory, where it was quiet, just the two of them.

"Who are you? Why can I see you? Are you a hallucination," he asked quickly.

"I am Ruby, I don't know why you can see me, but I'm not a hallucination. I came here using a time turner."

"So I suppose I am to believe you are from the future?"

"Yes."

"Well you know what I think," he said getting into her face, "I think you are a trick, a phantom that Potter and his little clan have put together to fool me."

"First of all, get out of my face," she said sternly. "Second of all, I don't even know this Potter, or his friends. If I was friends with them, I wouldn't know that you did not make the sleeping draft you were supposed to today."

"What?" He stopped, slightly perplexed.

"You made a Draught of Peace."

He thought, "You looked at me paper."

"How could I, I sat on the floor by your desk the whole time."

He thought some more. "Then you looked in my caldron."

"Again, I never moved, and you know it." He couldn't seem to figure it out. She smiled deviously and he snarled at her.

"How then?"

"Maybe I'll tell you one day."

"Tell me now."

"No. First tell me you name."

He sighed, exasperated. "Severus Snape."

"Well, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Severus Snape."

"I have practice, so if you don't mind..."

"Practice?"

"Quidditch practice."

"Fine, Let's go."

He sighed heavier, "Are you serious?"

"What?"

"Great, just great, I'm being followed by a girl only I can see."

And Ruby thought, maybe now, I can be somewhat useful; I can stop Severus from becoming a deatheater.