The story was ridiculous and she couldn't fathom how any intelligent person
would even remotely believe it. She was going to be Hermione Granger, an
orphan from Beauxbatons. Her family had been in a boating accident while
she was in the middle of her sixth year. She spent the rest of that year
at school and then that summer, the Headmaster from Beauxbatons sent her to
live with her grandfather, Albus Dumbledore. Hermione wasn't quite sure
how Professor Dumbledore was going to let his younger self know about his
"granddaughter" or how they were going to have a whole school believing
this...crap...but she trusted the older man.
Now, she stood alone in the hospital wing with her trunk containing all her belongings, sitting on the bed. Dumbledore had talked with her parents though they hadn't spoken to her in two years. As much as they loved her, they were much like their ancestors and were afraid of what Voldemort was capable of. They walked away from their only child without turning back. It had bothered Hermione in the beginning, when they quit speaking to her and just had her mail returned unopened. But eventually, a letter came telling her why they were doing what they had been, and surprisingly, she understood.
A cold chill came over her, making her shiver. She put her hands into her sweaters pockets and found herself gripping a piece of paper. She pulled it out and opened it, discovering the resume she had been working on for Oxford. She felt the tears stinging her eyes. Hermione could have gotten into any Wizarding University in the world but instead, she had chosen to go to the one school she'd have the most challenging time getting accepted to. Crumpling the paper back up, she sighed. She had wanted to prove to her parents and friends that she was more than just a know-it-all witch. Maybe, she wanted to prove that to herself too.
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione turned around and forced a smile at the Headmaster.
"I'm ready sir."
He nodded and she followed him to his office. Five house elves appeared and dragged her things behind her. The halls of the school were empty. Hermione guessed they were all at dinner in the Great Hall. Hermione paused briefly as she passed a window that overlooked the lake, feeling a pang of loneliness. She had no one to turn to right now. She missed Harry's nonchalant nature, Ron's cluelessness, Ginny's cynical sense of humor, and Luna's crazy imagination. Despite the fact that most of the time, they didn't have enough time to spend with her; they were still her best friends. She loved them with all her heart and it hurt her so much now that they were gone. The day after their murder, Hermione was finally told what happened. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle and snuck up on the two couples and cursed them. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Luna were not prepared and their only warning of the attack was the simultaneous yell of "Avada Kedavra." Hermione gritted her teeth. She hoped those three boys rotted in Azkaban. Because of their blind hatred, she was alone.
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione turned to Dumbledore.
"Sorry sir. I'm coming." They stopped in front of the statue that led to his office.
"Fire Water."
The statue moved and opened to a staircase. He stepped aside.
"After you."
Hermione drew in a deep breath and smiled thinly at him.
"Thank you."
Hermione was surprised to see Arthur and Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape sitting in Dumbledore's office. They all stood up as she walked in. Molly and Arthur both looked as though they've been crying. Molly rushed to her and enveloped Hermione in her arms. She couldn't hold back anymore and began to cry.
"I'm so sorry Mrs. Weasley. I wish there is something I could do."
Molly shook her head as she pulled back. She tried to smile.
"Hermione. Hopefully, with this trip, you will. Everything happens for a reason. Remember, we love you."
She walked back to her husband and Arthur kissed his wife on the forehead. He then turned to Hermione and smiled.
"You be careful, Hermione Granger."
Hermione couldn't speak. She was amazed at the fact that they weren't mad at her. Professor Snape was the next person to walk up to her.
"Ms. Granger. Do be careful. The time you're returning to is...rough. Things are worse there. You may not see much of it since you'll be in school but...just know that they are. I will see you "
He was her only family left. He was her blood. The man that she spent six years hating was now her relative. She tilted her head to the side, trying to see if there was any resemblance. That was when he did the craziest thing she'd ever seen Severus Snape do...he smiled.
"I didn't know your parents since they died when I was your age. But my father, your father's cousin, kept pictures. He never spoke of Damien and Jaeda but kept the pictures in a box that he kept in his closet. I had been looking for, Merlin, I don't remember, but I found the box and looked through it. There were at least twenty photos of your parents and a few of you. You were only a few months old at the time; it was obvious though, that they loved you. You do look so much like Jaeda."
Hermione couldn't help herself...she hugged him. Severus did not hesitate to hug her back.
"Go. Do what you need to do. And please, be nice to the younger me."
Hermione laughed and kissed his cheek.
"I'll be seeing you, cousin."
Professor McGonagall didn't step forward to whisper words of advice to the young girl. Instead she stepped behind her to where Dumbledore was standing. She whispered so quietly and quickly, Hermione thought it sounded like wind blowing through the open halls of the school.
When the talking seized, five sets of eyes were on Hermione. Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"It's time. Forty turns should do it; you will end up in this office. Good luck to you and we will leave you alone. See you in the past, Ms. Granger."
Hermione watched them all walk out and then began to turn the Time Turner before she could find a reason to talk herself out of it. After the fifth turn, she started to feel light headed. The forty turns seemed to go by quickly and before she knew it, she was done. She turned all around, trying to find some little thing that was different that could tell her she had done everything correctly. But, everything in the Head Master's office looked exactly as it did in the future.
"Welcome Ms. Granger. I've been expecting you."
Hermione turned towards the door and was face to face with a younger version of the Old Professor, Albus Dumbledore.
Now, she stood alone in the hospital wing with her trunk containing all her belongings, sitting on the bed. Dumbledore had talked with her parents though they hadn't spoken to her in two years. As much as they loved her, they were much like their ancestors and were afraid of what Voldemort was capable of. They walked away from their only child without turning back. It had bothered Hermione in the beginning, when they quit speaking to her and just had her mail returned unopened. But eventually, a letter came telling her why they were doing what they had been, and surprisingly, she understood.
A cold chill came over her, making her shiver. She put her hands into her sweaters pockets and found herself gripping a piece of paper. She pulled it out and opened it, discovering the resume she had been working on for Oxford. She felt the tears stinging her eyes. Hermione could have gotten into any Wizarding University in the world but instead, she had chosen to go to the one school she'd have the most challenging time getting accepted to. Crumpling the paper back up, she sighed. She had wanted to prove to her parents and friends that she was more than just a know-it-all witch. Maybe, she wanted to prove that to herself too.
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione turned around and forced a smile at the Headmaster.
"I'm ready sir."
He nodded and she followed him to his office. Five house elves appeared and dragged her things behind her. The halls of the school were empty. Hermione guessed they were all at dinner in the Great Hall. Hermione paused briefly as she passed a window that overlooked the lake, feeling a pang of loneliness. She had no one to turn to right now. She missed Harry's nonchalant nature, Ron's cluelessness, Ginny's cynical sense of humor, and Luna's crazy imagination. Despite the fact that most of the time, they didn't have enough time to spend with her; they were still her best friends. She loved them with all her heart and it hurt her so much now that they were gone. The day after their murder, Hermione was finally told what happened. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle and snuck up on the two couples and cursed them. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Luna were not prepared and their only warning of the attack was the simultaneous yell of "Avada Kedavra." Hermione gritted her teeth. She hoped those three boys rotted in Azkaban. Because of their blind hatred, she was alone.
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione turned to Dumbledore.
"Sorry sir. I'm coming." They stopped in front of the statue that led to his office.
"Fire Water."
The statue moved and opened to a staircase. He stepped aside.
"After you."
Hermione drew in a deep breath and smiled thinly at him.
"Thank you."
Hermione was surprised to see Arthur and Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape sitting in Dumbledore's office. They all stood up as she walked in. Molly and Arthur both looked as though they've been crying. Molly rushed to her and enveloped Hermione in her arms. She couldn't hold back anymore and began to cry.
"I'm so sorry Mrs. Weasley. I wish there is something I could do."
Molly shook her head as she pulled back. She tried to smile.
"Hermione. Hopefully, with this trip, you will. Everything happens for a reason. Remember, we love you."
She walked back to her husband and Arthur kissed his wife on the forehead. He then turned to Hermione and smiled.
"You be careful, Hermione Granger."
Hermione couldn't speak. She was amazed at the fact that they weren't mad at her. Professor Snape was the next person to walk up to her.
"Ms. Granger. Do be careful. The time you're returning to is...rough. Things are worse there. You may not see much of it since you'll be in school but...just know that they are. I will see you "
He was her only family left. He was her blood. The man that she spent six years hating was now her relative. She tilted her head to the side, trying to see if there was any resemblance. That was when he did the craziest thing she'd ever seen Severus Snape do...he smiled.
"I didn't know your parents since they died when I was your age. But my father, your father's cousin, kept pictures. He never spoke of Damien and Jaeda but kept the pictures in a box that he kept in his closet. I had been looking for, Merlin, I don't remember, but I found the box and looked through it. There were at least twenty photos of your parents and a few of you. You were only a few months old at the time; it was obvious though, that they loved you. You do look so much like Jaeda."
Hermione couldn't help herself...she hugged him. Severus did not hesitate to hug her back.
"Go. Do what you need to do. And please, be nice to the younger me."
Hermione laughed and kissed his cheek.
"I'll be seeing you, cousin."
Professor McGonagall didn't step forward to whisper words of advice to the young girl. Instead she stepped behind her to where Dumbledore was standing. She whispered so quietly and quickly, Hermione thought it sounded like wind blowing through the open halls of the school.
When the talking seized, five sets of eyes were on Hermione. Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"It's time. Forty turns should do it; you will end up in this office. Good luck to you and we will leave you alone. See you in the past, Ms. Granger."
Hermione watched them all walk out and then began to turn the Time Turner before she could find a reason to talk herself out of it. After the fifth turn, she started to feel light headed. The forty turns seemed to go by quickly and before she knew it, she was done. She turned all around, trying to find some little thing that was different that could tell her she had done everything correctly. But, everything in the Head Master's office looked exactly as it did in the future.
"Welcome Ms. Granger. I've been expecting you."
Hermione turned towards the door and was face to face with a younger version of the Old Professor, Albus Dumbledore.