Hermione read the book carefully. This was a very complicated, hard, and dangerous form of magic, and if she made one wrong mistake...
She sat cross-legged on the floor, five black candles around her in a circle, each set at the point on the star in the pentacle she had drawn on the floor with white chalk.
"Reetay, krusha faar," Hermione read from a book that lay open in the circle in front of her. He closed her eyes and reached forward, arms straight palms up. "Allow me to change it. For the better." She took in a deep breathe and opened her eyes.
the halls of Hogwarts now surrounded her, not the safety of her bedroom.
"Miss? Hey…hey!" Hermione turned her head around. There was a boy about her age coming towards her. "Are you alright?" Hermione nodded, looking down. The chalk marks were gone, but the candles still surrounded her, their flames extinguished. Then she looked back up at the boy. She had never seen him before…but his amber eyes were familiar…
"Remus?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.
"Uh…yeah. Do I know you?" Hermione shook her head. She shoved the book into her bag along with the candles and stood up. Dizziness overtook her and she sank back down to her knees.
Remus stepped forward and touched her shoulder. "Let me help you…you should go see Madame Pomfrey. Powerful magic like that can make you a bit weak."
"How did you-?" Remus grinned.
"Never you mind. C'mon, lets get you to the hospital wing." He pulled her to her feet.
"I-I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore first. Please," she added, catching his eye. Remus nodded.
"This way." When they got to the entrance Remus said the password. "Blood lollipop." Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione shook her head.
"You could wait for me, though." Remus nodded. "Thanks," she said, before walking in. "The names Hermione, by the way. Hermione Granger," she said, taking on least glance at him. "Professor Dumbledore?"
"Yes?" Dumbledore came into view. "Ah. Miss Granger."
"How did you-?"
"That, my dear, is of no importance. What I'm wondering is why you are here." And so Hermione explained everything, leaving out any dangerous information, of course. "I see. I would like to see this book that you got the spell from." Hermione pulled it out from her bag and turned it to the correct page. "Hmmm…I'm sorry to say that from what I do know of this brand of magic, is that there quite possibly may not be a way for you to get home.
"Needless to say I do believe you are stuck here. My advice would be to blend in. continue your classes as though you're from here. Finish the year and graduate with the rest of the seventh years. I'll tell the faculty that you are from Salem's Witch Institute in the states." Hermione nodded. "You best go now. I dare say that a young Mr. Lupin is waiting for you." There was a slight twinkle in his eye. "But one more thing; I'll find out what I can, and will send word to you in two days tops. If there is for sure no way for you to get home and I cannot personally let you know; I will send a message with Professor McGonagol. She'll alert you that your parents are dead, for that would also be a good cover up story for why you never hear from your parents. Good-night, Miss Granger.
"Thank you, sir." Hermione found Remus waiting as he said he would. She was a bit teary eyed at the thought that she might not be able to get home, but shook it off.
"Hey."
"Hey." Silence. "So, umm…do you think that you could show me to the Gryffindor Tower? I'm a transfer from Salem's."
"How do you know I know where it is?"
"Dumbledore."
"Oi."
"Thanks for waiting for." Hermione shifted her bag higher onto her shoulder.
"No problem. How did you know my name, by the way?" he asked, a hand on Hermione's back and the other one showing her the direction as they walked.
"Um…guess?" she said, more question than statement. Remus' hand fell to his side as he laughed.
"Okay. Well, it's Remus Lupin," he said, holding out his hand. Hermione shook it.
"I believe I've introduced myself." Remus nodded.
"Chudley Cannons," he said, stopping Hermione in front of the painting of the Fat Lady. "After you," he said as the portrait opened; and he followed her in.
Twenty years in the past and the Gryffindor Common Room remained exactly the same. Hermione stopped, looking around, amazed at the little change.
Remus laughed. "I take it they don't have common rooms like this in Salem's?" he said. Hermione shook her head, heading over to the couch in front of the fireplace. Remus sat down beside her. "So tell me a little about yourself."
Hermione bit her lip; thinking. "Well I'm muggleborn. Originally from here in England; London, actually, hence the accent. When I was ten my dad got a job transfer to the States, and…now we're back." Hermione was shocked at herself for how easily that all came out.
"I'm a half-blood," said Remus matter-of-a-factly.
They continued talking and were laughing at a story Remus was telling when someone entered the common room.
"Remus? I just got a letter from Dumbledore…what's this about a new girl?" Hermione looked up over the back of the couch as a red head girl walked over in their direction. "Oh. Hi. I'm Lily." Hermione felt a weird pulsing in her head. This was Lily. Lily Evans. Hermione's best friend's mother.
"H-Hermione Granger," Hermione replied, holding out her hand. They shook, and Lily spoke.
"Um…sorry to interrupt you two, but Dumbledore wants me to show Hermione to her dorm."
"Oh…well…thank you for everything, Remus," said Hermione as she pulled herself off the couch.
Remus watched her, his eyes following her every move. The way she put all of her weight on her right foot, how she straightened her cloak with her one hand as she reached for her bag with the other…
"No problem…" he said, wrenching his gaze from her movements and up to meet her eyes. "I'll…I'll talk to you tomorrow, Hermione."
Hermione followed Lily up the stairs to the dorms. "You'll be in a room with me, Lacey Walters and Toni Farre," said Lily. "Your stuff arrived just before the letter from Dumbledore." She pointed to an empty bed where a trunk was set at the foot of it. "Tomorrow is Saturday; classes start again on Monday." She slipped back into her bed, and Hermione walked over to hers.
She kneeled in front of the trunk and slowly opened it. Inside were all of the books she needed along with some extra clothes. Hermione pulled out a nightgown and changed into it. She carefully folded her clothes and set them in the trunk neatly along with her bag. She set her wand on the stand beside the bed before sliding into it and slowly dozing off.