CHAPTER 6: FAR AWAY
Hermione opened her eyes slowly and painfully.
"Are you alright?"
Looking up she saw three figures. The closest one came into focus and she breathed out it relief.
"You scared me there for a second Harry" she laughed shakily.
"Harry?"
"I think she's delusional"
"Ask her a question then"
"Um...In what countries is the Avada Kedvara curse used as capital punishment?"
"We're trying ot help her Moony, not cause her brain to melt!"
"Fine then you ask her something"
"What year is it?"
"It's 2005" she said simply, already knowing she could answer this question and the one before hand.
"Um...ok that was too hard, how about this, how many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three and what do you mean the other question was to hard?"
"Well...you kind of got it wrong..."
Hermione gave him a confused look before looking at the next person.
"Lupin?" she exclaimed.
Whoa! He looks so much...younger and healthier. Maybe after seeing him all pale and scarred after fullmoon...well...anyone would look different!
"Uh...yeah. Who are you?" he asked.
"You've got to be kidding me. It's me Hermione...you know, Hermione Granger" Hermione said, expecting him to apologize and say hello. He didn't, instead he looked at her just as confused as ever. Sighing Hermione looked at the last person for help. She was going to ask them to help her tell Lupin who she was but the words failed her instead she asked...
"Who are you?"
"Sirius Black at your service" the boy said. Hermione sat up painfully and looked around at all of them.
Not good...
"So...you're Remus Lupin, you're Sirius Black...and you're..."
"Not Harry"
"Then..." Hermione said, starting to panic, "Who are you?"
"James" the boy said.
"Not James Potter?" she asked, closing her eyes as she suddenly realised where she was.
"Uh...yeah...how did you know that?" James asked.
"Just had a feeling..." Hermione said, trying to concentrate hard on how she might have gotten herself into this situation. Or maybe she was wrong, maybe by that small chance she was wrong...
"Wonder where Wormtail is..." Remus said, looking out of the compartment door for any sign of the other boy.
Way to shred hope Lupin.
Ok...what was the last thing that happened that may have made me come...here She thought.
"The Deathe-" she stopped herself quickly as all of the boy's heads turned to face her.
"Deathe? Deatheater?" Sirius asked suprisingly cheerful for the topic.
"Uh...no, I meant Deathday party" Hermione said quickly.
"Ok, what about a deathday party?" Remus asked, now interested.
"Nothing" Hermione said, dropping her eyes to the floor.
The boys looked at her suspiciously.
"What?" She said innocently.
"It's just-"
"Oh Moony, give the poor girl a break" Sirius said, giving her a charming smile.
Soon the Hogwart's express pulled to a stop.
"Aw, so soon?" Sirius said, watching as Hermione stood to leave.
"Whether you'll believe me or not I don't know, but the whole point of the train is transport us here" James said. Sirius ignored him. Rolling her eyes Hermione left the compartment with her trunk.
Hopping off the train she made her way to the carriage nearest the castle. Pulling her trunk inside she shut the door and sat down. Outside the stars were not visible due to clouds, but thankfully it was not raining. Her thoughts were interrupted as the carriage door opened and a girl with soft red hair appeared.
"Is it alright if I sit in here with you?" the girl asked.
Hermione smiled and motioned for her to come in, despite the fact that she wasn't really in the mood for company. As soon as the red-head had wrestled her trunk inside and had sat down the carriage began to move.
"So..." The red-head said nervously, trying to make conversation.
"How are you?" This question was not entirely correct. For one, Hermione's facial expression showed that she felt confused and upset and secondly, she should have said 'Who are you?' because she had never seen this girl in her entire lfe.
"I'm alright" Hermione answered bluntly, not really in the mood for conversation. But the red-head wasn't giving up.
"My name's Lily Evans" The girl said.
Hi, nice to meet you Harry's mum.
"Nice to meet you I'm..." Her first thought was to tell her a fake name, after all she couldn't be known in the past as Hermione Granger, but what did it matter, hadn't she already accidently told James, Sirius and Remus her name?
"I'm Hermione Granger" Hermione finished.
"That's a lovely name" Lily exclaimed, "And it's not that common, I mean there are heaps of girls named 'Lily'"
Hermione laughed, "At least it's named after something beautiful"
Lily blushed at the unexpected compliment about her name.
"I suppose" she murmured.
There was silence for about a minute until...
"So what's your name mean anyway?" Lily asked.
"Strong I think, I'm not really sure, the book I looked up to find out was very old and not that good" Hermione answered.
"Hmm, well maybe I should lend you the book I own, It was only published 2 years ago" Lily said thoughtfully.
"That'd be nice" Hermione smiled. They talked about names and their meanings for the remainder of the trip. Hermione was actually sad at the fact that they couldn't continue talking, and apparently so was Lily.
"Well, Guess we have to get to the feast now" Lily said, her smile fading away. Hermione nodded, even though she had no intention of going to the feast straight away. The two girls started to walk up together only to be separated by the crowd of Hogwart's students. When at last Hermione made it to the entrance hall she broke away from the students and ran up the stairs. Three boys saw her.
Running at full speed and hoping that he hadn't decided to head down to the feast extremely early she ran towards Dumbledore's office.
Upon arriving she found a portrait there instead of a stone gargoyle.
The portrait was of the four founders of Hogwarts.
"Can we help you?" Godric Gryffindor asked, looking at the Gryffindor symbol on her robes with approval.
"Yes, I need to see Dumbledore" Hermione said.
"Very well, all we need is a password" Helga Hufflepuff said cheerfully.
"I...I don't know the password..." Hermione said helplessly.
"Oh how suprising" Salazar Slytherin said sarcastically.
Suddenly the potrait swung open and Dumbledore walked out.
"That will be enough Salazar" he said. Salazar gave him a pierecing glare before storming off.
"Hmm, I'm afraid Salazar and I have never seen eye to eye" Dumbledore said, sighing. "Now, I believe you wanted to see me, but first explain to me why I have never seen you and yet here you are wearing Hogwarts robes" Dumbledore said smiling kindly. Hermione took a deep breath before bursting into explanation.
"It's really complicated you see, some how I have ended up in the past..."
Sirius, James and an unwilling Remus followed Hermione, stopping when she halted in front of Dumbledore's office. They listened as she began to talk to the potrait.
"This is boring!" James complained. Sirius turned to say something but his eye caught something else. All of the trunks were lined up behind them, and one of the few he could see the names of said HG. He looked at James and then the trunk.
"No" said Remus sternly, Already knowing what they planned to do.
"Aww, C'mon Moony, we have to! She could be...a deatheater for all we know!" Sirius said. Remus rolled his eyes.
"For one, no-one is even sure of these Deatheaters or this Voldemort, It's probably just something to get the press all hyped up about nothing" Remus argued. Unfortunatly for Remus Sirius had completely ignored what he had said and had gone and opened the trunk.
"Nice clothes" Sirius said, while James gave a long whistle.
"Great, she has nice clothes, now get out of her trunk!" Remus hissed.
"Moooony!" Sirius whined.
"No seriously, Dumbledore has just come out of his office" Remus whispered, motioning his head around the corner.
Sirius and James closed the trunk and ran over to where Remus was standing.
"It's Really complicated you see, somehow I ended up in the past" Hermione was saying. "I'm actually from the year 2005"
"I can see what a problem this is for you" Dumbledore said, nodding his head in understanding. "And I am afraid that there is nothing we can do about it"
"Th-there's not?" Hermione almost yelled.
"No, I am afraid that time-travel is not studied greatly in this present age" Dumbledore said.
"Well what am I meant to do then?" Hermione asked.
"Attend class, sleep in your dormitory, make friends, live like you normally would" Dumbledore said. "Until we can do anything you are Hermione Granger, 7th yearof the year 1985"
They watched as Hermione looked atthe floor sadly. Dumbledore smiled at her and looked in their direction making all three boys hold their breath.
"Tell me, are the names James, Sirius and Remus familiar to you?" Dumbledore asked her.
"Yes" Hermione said, looking in the same direction as Dumbledore and nearly shouting out in suprise. The three boys walked over to them innocently.
"Good evening Mr Potter,Mr Black and Mr Lupin" Dumbledore said with a sparkle in his eyes. Hermione smiled at hearing Mr. Lupin After all she was only used to hearing him addressed as Professor.
"Evening Sir" they mumbled. Dumbledore smiled at them.
"I believe you heard every word of that?"
"Yes sir..."
"Then I expect you to assit Hermione with her new, temporary life" Dumbledore said, chuckling at the look on the boy's faces as they found out they were not to punished for being away from the feast.
"Now, I'm sure that we are all very late to the feast" Dumbledore said, and he began to leave.
"You were telling the truth about the year being 2005?" Sirius said, looking at her in pure amazement.
"No shit" she said smiling slightly, before following Dumbledore down to the great hall.
A/n: Ok this chapter was a bit over the place but i liked the end and everything, lol. Ummm, I'm not sure if any of you noticed, but Dumbledore knew her name without being told, i realise this and there is a reason for this, a very obvious reason that does not make Dumbledore out as some super mind-reader. Hermione is still wearing her Head Girl badge and I know they don't have names on them, but now they do:P lol. Ok well thats all, any questions, review, no questions, review anyway!