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Chapter 3: Stranger in this Town


Hermione slowly opened her eyes before closing them tight. Her head pounded like it held a visiting marching band, and tambourines sounded as light flooded her vision. She groaned not-so-softly, alerting the mediwitch across the room.

"Hello my dear. It's nice to see you awake. How do you feel?" the witch asked gently as she crossed the room to stand beside the bed and check Hermione's condition.

"Like I've been hit by a truck," Hermione returned quietly

"Well my dear there were no 'trucks' in Hogsmeade," a deep familiar voice said from her other side, "as far as I am aware, that is. If you would be so kind to inform me of your name and where you came from we might be able to progress from there."

Hermione turned and cracked her eyes open to see Dumbledore's familiar face and frowned.

Upon seeing the look of confusion on the young woman's face Dumbledore smiled.

"You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the date is June the thirtieth, nineteen seventy seven. Now that you have your bearings perhaps answering my question would be easier?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

Hermione stared, words evading her for one of the first times in her life. Flashes of memory passed in front of her. Ginny crouched over Ron, Harry yelling in warning and an unfamiliar indigo spell hurtling towards her.

"Um, Hermione," she started, looking around the familiar hospital wing. Nowhere in sight were other injured students that would have been bound for the hospital wing after the battle at Hogsmeade. Harry wasn't beside her side, neither were her parents who would have come as soon as word reached them. Looking back at her Headmaster, Hermione noted the smoother skin around his face, no lie nor humour resided in the familiar blue eyes and she accepted that perhaps she was truly in nineteen seventy seven. Taking a deep breath she continued.

"Hermione Thomas. I-I don't remember where I'm from, I…I" she improvised, her voice cracking as she remembered Ron's warm blue eyes staring blankly up at the sky.

"That's all right Miss Thomas. From the extent of your injuries you seem to have been through a traumatic ordeal. I recommend much rest before the young wizards who brought you here convince Madame Pomfrey you are well enough for visitors," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Hermione had a sudden image of Harry and Ron outside the large wooden doors arguing with the mediwitch. Sadness ran through her when she realised this was unlikely to be the case.

Dumbledore gave her a comforting smile and elaborated as he stood. "The young boys who brought you to the castle would like to see how you are doing, they've been causing Madame Pomfrey a fair amount of grief loitering in the corridor." He smiled down Hermione and patted her knee. "I'll see to finding you a place for you to stay during the holidays,"

"The holidays?" Hermione asked quietly.

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes sparkling, "Of course my dear, I feel that due to your current situation after the summer holidays you will return here, under Hogwarts protection. In the mean time I can have some contacts find your family perhaps?"

A small smile from Hermione confirmed that all of this would be okay.

With a small smile and a slightly nod of his head, Dumbledore exited the room, trying to place the look he saw in the young girls eyes. It was a look that no-one her age should have, a look that said her eyes had seen battle and loss. And Dumbledore knew the one person that might be able to help with this.


Hermione sat on the bed, staring blankly at the starch white sheets as thoughts tumbled through her head. Ron was gone. Hermione's throat constricted at the thought, remembering his laughter as he'd hoisted over his shoulder mere hours ago. She expected tears to flow as she thought of him, the ache in her chest almost unbearable as her cheeks remained dry.

Harry would be alone now, the trio split suddenly into three. Hermione wondered briefly if it was all part of Voldemorts plan, to break them apart and separate what made them strong.

A small cough brought her thoughts away from her friends as she focused on the source of the sound. Three boys in muggle clothing stood at the foot of her bed each holding a mixed expression of concern and curiosity.

Her brown eyes moved from one to the other, on the left stood a tall boy with sandy hair and scars running down his face. He was tall and lean and his amber eyes, though curious also held doubt and suspicion. Hermione knew who this boy was, and held Remus' stare for a moment before moving onto his neighbour. Black haired and silver eyed, Sirius looked down at her curiously, concern flickering over his face. He'd been the one to carry her to the school, that much she remembered, leaping out of his arms and all-to-easily securing his wand in her weakened state.

The final boy in the line, the one who had cleared his throat, made Hermione's breath hitch. James Potter stood in front of her, tall with wild hair and wire framed glasses. The resemblance to her best friend was remarkable, like Harry had stepped through time with her.

"Hello." James greeted, the corners of his mouth twitching as the brown eyed witch's gaze remained on his face. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione opened her mouth, blinking after realising she'd been staring.

James stepped around the bed and held out a hand, "James Potter at your service milady," he said, reintroducing himself to the speechless witch.

Remus stepped up next on her other side. "Remus Lupin," he stated, his hand warm and calloused in hers as he shook it politely.

She smiled at her young Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, "Hermione." She greeted, finding her voice after his familiar tones reached her ears. Her gaze shifted to the black haired boy that would be her best friends godfather. His grey eyes sparkled as he smiled at her.

"Sirius Black," he said offering her a hand.

She gave the boys the best smile she could muster, "Hermione Thomas." She repeated as her hand slipped into Sirius'.

"So where are you from Hermione?" asked James, testing her name on his tongue as Sirius relinquished her hand.

At this any sign of happiness at some level of familiarity was wiped off her face, she may have been twisting the truth about who she was, but the pain of what had happened real and raw.

"I….I," she choked, tears beginning to fall down her face as with the clear-as-day vision of Ron falling before her.

"Now really boys," scolded Madame Pomfrey as she walked into the room, seemingly unsurprised to see them there. "Stop upsetting the poor child."

"But…"

"No buts, Mister Black, she needs her rest you can come back and say goodbye before the train leaves in two days."

All three boys opened their mouths to launch a protest.

"Not another word. Now out…out." She ordered, shooing the boys towards the door. "Let her get her rest, the more rest she gets the sooner she'll be out of her bed."

This seemed to convince the trio as they bid Hermione farewell and good well wishes before leaving the room.

"Now dear, take some of this, it's a dreamless sleep potion and should help you rest peacefully."

Hermione nodded, slightly grateful for the witch sending the boys away. She didn't think she couldn't deal with their questions right now on top of everything else. Sighing Hermione drank the potion before drifting off into a peaceful slumber.


2 days later

"Hey Evans, wait up!" James called down the long hall as he spotted the familiar witch in front of them.

"You know Prongs, those fifty years that Sirius was talking about may be lessened if you actually called her Lily," Remus said with a crooked smile as Lily waited for the group to catch up.

"Shut up Moony," James retorted too distracted with a certain redhead not to put much effort into the retort. Remus and Sirius looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Hey Lily," James greeted. "Where are you off too?"

"Not that it concerns you, but I'm going to the hospital wing," she replied, her green eyes narrowing at her bane before her.

"What a coincidence, so are we," James said, his grin widening further than both Sirius and Remus thought possible.

Lily smirked at him, "What did you do now, you didn't singe off Sirius' eyebrows like you did to Peter last week?"

Remus and Lily rolled their eyes as Sirius looked mortified at this mention of his beloved eyebrows. His hand flew to his face just to make sure they were still there.

This gesture brought Remus' hand to the back of his friends head.

"Ow, Moony! What gives?" Sirius complained, brining his hand up to rub his scalp.

"Sirius, you would know if your eyebrows had been singed or not, you also know why we're going to the hospital wing." Remus explained.

Sirius glared at his friend for pointing out the obvious and attempted to swallow his embarrassment.

Lily rolled her eyes at the boys and kept walking towards the hospital wing with James on her heels.

Upon entering the hospital wing, they were greeted with the sight of Hermione packing a small bag.

"Hey Hermione," Lily said entering the room and moving to help her.

"Hi," came the soft reply. Hermione didn't look up from her task with the small greeting.

"Wait, you two know each other?" asked James.

Lily sent him a withering look, "As much of a disappointment this is going to be James, the universe does not revolve around you. You do not need to be informed about every little thing."

Sirius chuckled and moved to help Hermione pack a small amount of essentials the house elves had delivered into the bag.

James sent Sirius a glare before returning his attention back to the girls.

"Professor Dumbledore introduced us yesterday," Hermione explained quietly, looking up for the first time and immediately regretting it as her eyes fell on James, glancing back down she continued. "I'm staying with Lily over the summer."

The three boys looked up at Hermione, who finally managed to string a sentence together.

"Well that's great," said Sirius, trying to get her spirits up as he examined a tube of toothpaste before placing it into the bag. "Maybe we can all get together in the holidays after we do our apparition exam."

Lily saw the look of apprehension in Hermione's eyes when she glanced up. "Maybe we'll just send an owl a bit later."

James looked positively ecstatic at this.

Seeing this Lily sighed, "Potter please deflate your ego, I think Hermione might want to see people other than me," She ignored his falling smiled and turned to Hermione. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Right, then lets go to the train," Lily said picking up Hermione's bag and leading the way out. Hermione followed, favouring her left leg.

Sirius immediately moved to help "Need a hand?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, thanks." she said in farewell.

The boys stood and watched the two girls make their way down the hall.

"Guys, that's one sad young witch," commented James.

"Yeah, she's barely strung together two sentences," Sirius said his grey eyes following the pair.

"I'm sure she'll be okay," said Remus "If anyone can help her its Lily."

The others nodded in agreement and left to see if Peter had finally finished packing.