"How the hell did you know that," breathed Sirius.

But Hermione was no longer listening. She turned on her heel and ran out of the common room. She ran all the way to the Whomping Willow and panned the school grounds, but couldn't see Snape anywhere.

Then a horrible thought occurred to Hermione, maybe he was already down there. Maybe James wasn't going to do what he had always been meant to do. Maybe her mere presence had somehow changed the future without her meaning to.

Hermione knew she was going to have to make sure Snape wasn't down there. She searched for a stick to prod the notch on the Whomping Willow so it wouldn't attack her. There was one a few feet within the trees reach. She darted to it and then lunged out of the way of a swinging branch. She jumped in and out of the swinging branches and just as she was about to prod the notch, a particularly long branch swiped and hit her shoulder. She fell backwards and the stick flew from her hand. Thinking quickly, Hermione whipped out her wand and lunged at the tree reaching the base and stabbing the notch.

Immediately, the tree stopped swinging and Hermione could see the opening. She quickly jumped down into the hole and crawled to the bottom. She lit her wand with a faint, "lumos," then scanned as far as she could into the tunnel, but her wand light wouldn't penetrate too far into the darkness.

"Snape, are you in here?" Stooping low, she stopped a few feet in. "I don't remember the tunnel being this small in third year," she said to herself. "Then again, I was a bit shorter back then."

Step by step she inched deeper into the hole straining to listen. Her heart was beating wildly and she was beginning to have second thoughts about going any further. "Damn it all to hell," she said a little too loudly. Hermione wished desperately that Harry and Ron were with her. She had been in many dangerous situations before, but she had always been with them. Somehow being alone only made the danger that much more real to her.

She glanced back toward the entrance of the tunnel. "James, where are you," she whispered? Then she heard a loud growl and what she thought was a muffled scream. "Snape," she called, and then with more resolve than courage she rushed further into the tunnel. She couldn't let anything happen to Snape no matter how much she disliked him. If he wasn't around, Harry would be dead before first year was over.

She was nearly to the end of the tunnel when her wand light fell on an enormous form. The only other time Hermione had ever seen Remus in werewolf form was during third year and as scary as that had been it was nowhere near as chilling as seeing him framed in the small tunnel, lit by the faint glow of her wand tip.

Hermione couldn't move. The werewolf Remus bared his teeth and approached painfully slowly. The he lowered his whole body as if prepared to pounce. Hermione screamed and covered her face. All of a sudden she felt arms wrap around her waist and was thrown against the wall. Then she felt an enormous something with hair push past her.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," came James's voice near her ear. Hermione still couldn't move. Terror had made her immobile. James, whose arms were still wrapped around her waist, did his best to drag her backwards to the tunnel entrance. Hermione could hear growls and breaking glass from behind, but couldn't see anything. James, finally reaching the entranceway, pushed Hermione through and crawled out after her. He pulled her past the reach of the Whomping Willow and set her on the ground.

"Peter," he called. Peter, who had been standing yards away from the tree, came running.

"Stay with Hermione," commanded James. "I have to make sure Sirius is ok." Peter nodded obediently and knelt next to a shaking Hermione.

James ran back to the hole and disappeared, but moments later he reappeared followed by Sirius. They ran from the tree, Sirius cradling a bleeding arm and flopped down on the ground next to Hermione and Peter, breathing heavily. Nobody spoke. They just stared at the now still tree.

Finally Peter spoke. "James," he whispered tentatively. James looked up and Peter nodded at Hermione. She was shaking slightly, her breathing hitched, and staring blankly ahead.

James pulled off his robe and wrapped it around Hermione. "Come on," he said tucking his head under her arm and pulling her to her feet. "We have to get her inside." He half carried Hermione all the way back to Gryffindor Tower and deposited her on one of the couches. The common room had long since been deserted.

Sirius collapsed into a chair, still cradling his bleeding arm. Peter disappeared up the stairs to the boy's dormitory and returned quickly with a towel. He handed it to Sirius who wrapped it around his arm.

"You didn't get bit, did you," asked James in concern?

"Nah, just some broken glass," replied Sirius.

"Good."

James then pulled one of the comfy chairs in front of the couch Hermione was sitting in and looked at her, waiting. Hermione was no longer shaking, but she refused to meet his eyes. After a few minutes, James spoke, "Hermione." Hermione forced herself to meet his eyes, but didn't speak.

"Hermione," he repeated. "How did you know?"

She shook her head. "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I promised I wouldn't."

"Promised? Promised who?"

"Bunbo," she mumbled.

"Who," James repeated?

She cleared her throat. "Dumbledore," she repeated more clearly.

"I don't care who you promised," growled Sirius from his armchair. "I want to know how you knew about Remus."

"I already told you I can't tell you," said Hermione loudly.

"James was right. There's something wrong about you."

"Sirius," said James warningly.

"First," he continued ignoring James, "you come out of nowhere. James finds you unconscious on the floor and less than an hour later, you're a student. Then you act all chummy with Remus and then we find out you know his secret, when everyone in this room knows full well that he never told you." Sirius got up and advanced menacingly. "Who are you working for, The Daily Prophet?"

"No," Hermione shouted.

"Maybe she's working for Him."

Sirius, James, and Hermione whipped around and stared at Peter. James and Sirius turned and stared wide eyed at Hermione. Hermione's face glowed with anger. She knew exactly who Peter was referring to.

Hermione had spent a good deal of time in the library trying to figure out where Voldemort was and how much of a stronghold he had in this time. Unfortunately most of what was known about Voldemort was thought by the general public to be wild rumors. Hermione knew better. She had long ago read The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. She knew Voldemort had already made inroads in the Ministry of Magic and his followers were already out recruiting. Sirius would know this, Hermione remembered with a jolt. His whole family was full of dark wizards.

"How dare you," Hermione whispered, through barely concealed rage. "You of all people!" Before she even knew she had stood up, she was on top of Peter. "It's all your fault," she screamed. Peter was yelling and Sirius and James were trying to pull Hermione off him. "They're all dead because of you," she screamed. "It's all your fault. It's all your fault. You ruined his life. He lost everything because of you. You murderer," she spat.

Finally, Sirius gave a heave and he fell back with Hermione on top of him. "James, go get some help." James turned and ran through the exit of the dorm.

"I won't let you do it again," Hermione kept screaming.

Noise was coming from all over Gryffindor Tower. Students began streaming from both the girls and boys side.

"Sirius, what are you doing," yelled Lily emerging from the girls dorm pulling a robe around her body. "Let go of her." She bent down and pulled Hermione to a sitting position.

"Lily, stay away from her. She's crazy," said Sirius.

"I am not crazy," choked Hermione through a sob. Then she broke down, burying her head in Lily's shoulder. The Gryffindor's stood at a distance, buzzing with frenzied whispers. Lily wrapped her arms around Hermione protectively and then looked questioningly from Sirius to Peter and then back to Sirius.

"Everybody please return to bed," came the voice of Dumbledore from the door. "Everyone except you four," he said pointing to Sirius, Peter, James, and Hermione. Lily looked reluctant to leave Hermione, but she knew she had to. She gave her a final squeeze and followed the rest of the Gryffindor girls back to bed.

"Please explain what happened here tonight," said Dumbledore. Nobody said a word. "Miss Granger?" Hermione looked nervously at Dumbledore, but didn't speak. "Sirius, what happened to your arm?"

"I cut it on some glass, sir," lied Sirius easily.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Sirius didn't answer. He looked down at his feet uncomfortably.

"Boys," continued Dumbledore. "Please go to bed." James, Sirius, and Peter silently trudged up to bed leaving Hermione and Dumbledore alone.

Dumbledore watched them head upstairs, waited a few moments, and then turned his attention back to Hermione. "Mr. Potter was quite adamant that you were in hysterics, but you seem relatively calm to me."

"I am now, sir," she replied.

"And what was it that put you out of sorts before."

"I'd rather not say sir."

"May I ask why?"

"Because I couldn't tell you the whole truth and I don't want to mislead you."

"Very well, I cannot force you. If that is all you have to say then I suggest you get to bed."

"Umm... Please sir, I can't... I mean that is to say, have you found a way to send me home?"

Dumbledore turned with a saddened expression. "That is a discussion best left 'til morning."

"Professor, I can't stay here anymore," said Hermione desperately. "I should have told you, but I didn't want to risk altering the timeline. I know what's going to happen in the next five years to James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Lily. I think I changed something tonight and I'm afraid if I stay any longer I'll change more than I should. You have no idea how hard it is not to warn them all."

Dumbledore took hold of one of Hermione's hands and led her to the couch. "I'm sorry Miss Granger, but I don't believe we'll ever be able to send you back."

"What," whispered Hermione?

"You are going to have to remain in this time."

Hermione stared at him open mouthed.

"Are you familiar with time turners, Miss Granger?"

"Yes," Hermione said finding her voice. "I used one in my third year."

"Then you're aware that you can go back in time, but you always have to allow time to catch up with you. Unfortunately, I have been unable to discover a way to reverse the process. I'm sorry. Your future is oddly enough in your past. But I must warn you against trying to change what you remembered. Things are meant to happen. You carry an awesome responsibility on your shoulders. Be wise and do not act out of emotion. Now, I know it will be difficult, but try and get some sleep. If you need someone to talk to, my office is always open to you." Dumbledore gave her one last penetrating stare and left.

Hermione sat for a long time allowing the shock to pass over her. She was never going back. She would never see Ron or Harry again. She would never see her parents again. Everyone she ever loved was out of her reach forever. 'But you will see them,' a voice in the back of her head said, 'in just a few short years.'

"Yes," she whispered to herself. "And this time, things will be different."

Hermione never made it to bed that night. She stayed awake in the common room until about five in the morning and then left to take a walk. She walked down to the lake and could see Hagrid's cabin in the distance. She had seen Hagrid a few times wandering the grounds and attending his duties as Grounds Keeper. She hadn't gone up to him because she didn't want to risk anything. Now that she was stuck, one of the first things she wanted to do was reacquaint herself with him. Instead of cheering her, the idea only brought tears to her eyes. It wouldn't be the same. She had lost every friendship that had ever mattered to her. Hermione had never felt more completely alone.

From her vantage point by the lake, Hermione could see Dumbledore approaching the Whomping Willow. He disappeared down the hole. About fifteen minutes later he emerged with a thoroughly exhausted Remus. She imagined it must take a lot out of him to transform. She wondered what the boys would tell him about the previous night.

Suddenly, Hermione was too tired to care. She just wanted to be alone. She didn't want to face James, Sirius, Peter, Lily and especially Remus. She didn't want to have to deal with Professors or Dumbledore or anything.

She decided to go back down into the Shrieking Shack. No one would look for her there. She managed to get past the Whomping Willow with ease. 'It probably gets easier with practice,' she thought to herself and slipped down into the tunnel for the second time in less than twelve hours, only this time she didn't feel overcome by fear. She made her way through the tunnel and into the shack. She scanned the room. There were bits of broken furniture everywhere and in the corner was the bed Ron had collapsed onto with his broken leg. The memory overwhelmed her and she dropped to the bed burying her face in the folds of the old worn comforter and sobbed. Some time later, she fell asleep.

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A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers, Lalo, Mione Riddle/Malfoy, Becky, K.M. Grzechnik and especially Hearts for her two reviews. Keep em coming, they're lovely little bits of inspiration. Hope everyone enjoyed the latest chapter.