Chapter 9

Hogwarts Library

Draco had sneaked into one of the classrooms on the way out and managed to find a wand. It was small and didn't look particularly powerful, but it would have to do.

Hermione desperately wanted to go and find Lily, James or Sirius, feeling that she was wasting an opportunity, but it was too risky. As they had used Harry's time turner to get here, there was no connection to their enemies and therefore any interactions were unnecessary.

"Who….when are we going to jump to?" she asked Draco who was standing holding a time turner.

"I don't suppose it matters; we just need to get back to a time where we know they are jumping to." He looked over at her, his expression changing. "Let's go straight to the top and enter the numbers next to Malfoy."

Hermione sighed. "No, that's too risky. You can't see yourself."

"All the time we have jumped we've never landed in the thick of anything. There's no reason to think this would be any different."

"I don't know – maybe we should play it safe."

"But you said yourself, Malfoy blood is important. Unless we want to risk jumping all the way back to Gaunt and after hearing what happened to that wizard who did that, I'm not keen to!" Draco put his head to one side. "I know you think I'm an egotistical maniac but pretend you're not with me – who's timeline would you be jumping to?"

Hermione knew he was right. The lead she would follow would be Gaunt but having heard that the wizard who went there hadn't fared well, the next choice would be Malfoy. "Yes, you're right."

"Okay, so read me out the numbers next to Malfoy, please," Draco twisted the dials on the time turner to match the numbers Hermione was reading out, until suddenly she stopped. "What's the matter? Why have you stopped?"

"It's the initial," Hermione said, scrutinizing the parchment.

"It isn't mine?" Draco stepped closer, peering over her shoulder. "Is it father?"

Hermione handed him the parchment. "It's an 'S'. Who do you know in your family whose name begins with 'S'?"

Draco frowned. "No-one."

"Are you sure?"

"I think there was a Septimus but he was generations ago. He had some high-ranking role at the ministry. Made a name for himself," Draco shook his head. "It can't be him – why would they want him?"

"How many generations back?" Hermione asked.

"A few – I'm not sure but at least a few decades ago, I think."

"I can't imagine it would be him – you heard what happened to the wizard who jumped back too far."

"If only we understood the time turner better – everything would be easier!" Draco sounded frustrated, defeated.

Hermione suddenly gasped, an idea coming to her. "We're at Hogwarts!"

Draco stopped pacing and turned to look at her. "I hope there's more to that than stating the obvious."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Hogwarts has a library full of books! There must be some that will help us fathom out the time turners!" She saw Draco's expression change and grinned at him. "Seems to me that the best Auror in our department is seriously lagging behind me! Not only am I the hero saving your life, but I'm also the one having all the best ideas!"

"Watch out or you won't be able to get your big head through the doorway," Draco said, acerbically. "Come on genius."

It was the weirdest she had felt being back in Hogwart's library. It would have felt weird visiting here from home – like a journey into the past. The added complication of being in the past, made it even more of a head trip!

It was midafternoon and the corridors had been quiet, so getting down to the library had been uneventful. But Hermione was mindful of the time. Lessons would soon be over, and the corridors would be swarming with students and the library would fill up.

They separated and began hunting frantically for any book relating to time turners. After a few minutes, Hermione dragged Draco to the forbidden section, which thankfully they could enter. They resumed their frantic search, having slightly more success. Draco continued to scour the shelves while Hermione did her best to speed read the books they had found. It soon became apparent that it would be impossible to find anything helpful unless they read the books from cover to cover. There was too much other information, none of the books focused entirely on time turners and it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Hermione found a whole chapter about time turners in a book titled Magic and Time, but it all referred to the type of time turner Dumbledore had given her.

"Any luck?" Draco whispered, looking around nervously. "I don't think we have much time."

"No, nothing at all!"

"We're just going to have to risk it and enter the numbers on the parchment, we don't have a choice. Unless you want to join Harry's parent's gang which I really do not!"

"No, you're right, we don't have a choice," Hermione stood up, gathering the books together but before she could take a step towards the shelves a spell skimmed past her, knocking the books from her arms.

Draco moved towards her again, holding up his newly found wand, which looked comedically small and in other circumstances would have made Hermione laugh.

"Did you see anyone?" he whispered.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but it came from the end of the shelf."

"Let's just jump now," Draco said. "Is the time turner already set?"

"Don't move!" A young voice called out from the end of the shelf.

Hermione was fumbling around in the bag for the time turner that had already been set. Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright light, shining right in her face. She could see shadows behind the light, advancing closer but nothing else.

"Drop the bag!" The voice instructed.

Hermione saw Draco raise his wand out of the corner of her eye and put her hand out to lower his arm.

"That's a student! We can't fire spells at students!" Hermione whispered, before raising her voice. "We aren't here to do any harm. If you let us leave, you will never see us again." She spoke clearly towards the bright light, trying to shield her eyes.

"Who are you?"

"How exactly do you intend to answer that?" Draco's voice was in her ear.

"We are just visitors, from another school. We were using the library to find some information." Hermione tried to sound calm and soothing.

"What's in the bag?"

"Just stun them." Another youthful voice joined the first one.

"No!"

"I will then!"

"James! No!"

A bright spell hit Hermione full on, knocking her off her feet and she saw Draco raise his wand again.

"Draco! Don't! They're children!" Hermione shouted, trying to stand up but feeling a bit wobbly.

"Draco? What kind of a name is that!" One of the voices said and she heard them both giggle.

She saw Draco fire a spell from his wand and protested again.

"Calm down! It's only a Pet!" Draco said, using the shortened name they adopted at the ministry for the Petrificus Totalus spell. "I missed anyway; I can't see, and I can't hit anything with this bloody thing!" He waved his newly acquired wand in the air at the same time, pulling Hermione to her feet. "We need to jump now!"

Hermione grabbed the bag and began frantically searching for the time turner, but another spell shot past her, this time hitting Draco who suddenly froze, his legs and arms snapping together as he fell stiffly to the floor.

"Good idea thanks – thought I'd use that one as you mentioned it!" One of the voices called and both students laughed again.

The light began to wobble and suddenly it disappeared, leaving Hermione staring at two boys, around 14. They were tall, easily as tall as Hermione and despite being young, they were fairly intimidating.

There was no way she could find the time turner, fight the two of them off and jump with Draco still cursed. She had a feeling of déjà vu! Hadn't she just faced another attack without Draco!

"So, what are you going to do now?" The darker boy with unruly hair asked.

"Nothing," Hermione put her wand on the table and held up her hands. "I told you, we are visitors. There is nothing sinister going on."

"What's in the bag?" The other boy, who was taller and broader than his companion repeated his question. "I think you need to hand that over."

"Please revive my companion," Hermione said. "You will be in trouble when the headmaster finds out what you've done. If you release him now, I won't say anything."

"Aah, that'd be Draco? Who the hell names their child Draco?" Both boys laughed again.

The curly haired boy went over to Draco. "He looks familiar."

Hermione frowned, knowing this couldn't be so. There was no way they could know who Draco was.

The other boy joined his companion, still aiming his wand at Hermione. "What do you mean, familiar?"

"I don't know! It's his hair."

"I know who you mean – it's that 7th year. Malfoy."

Hermione felt her stomach do a flip. Lucius was still here? Draco bore a striking resemblance to his father, no wonder they boys had spotted it. A thought had formed in Hermione's mind – one she didn't quite want to believe. Both boys looked vaguely familiar to her. The one holding the wand also sounded familiar. It couldn't be? Could it?

"Are you James?" she asked and the boy holding the wand whizzed round to look at her.

"What if I am?"

"Are you?"

James stepped closer, peering at her. "Do I know you?"

"No – I just noticed you earlier when we were touring the school," Hermione improvised frantically, trying to distract them while she thought of a plan. "One of my closest friends, his father was called James, that's why I noticed."

James, who up close looked so remarkably like Harry it was disconcerting, put his head to one side. Hermione gulped, not quite believing she was talking to James Potter. "See, I find it hard to believe that you remembered my name when it's so ordinary, but you didn't remember my friends here. He's the one who's name you'd take notice of."

"Sirius." Hermione took a punt, and she could see by their expressions she now had their attention. She had James Potter and Sirius Blacks attention. This was surreal!

"Maybe she's telling the truth," Sirius approached Hermione who had an overwhelming urge to hug him. She knew him, the adult version. He was Harry's family. She missed him still.

"Maybe."

"I am! Why don't you release my friend, and we can all go to see the headmaster and clear this up?"

James laughed, showing perfectly white, straight teeth. He was a very good-looking boy. "I don't think so."

Sirius looked more nervous; he was twisting his wand anxiously in his hand. "We should let them go."

"They'll run straight to a professor!" James said.

"I won't!" Hermione said. "Honestly! It was a genuine mistake; you were only protecting the school."

They both eyed her suspiciously. They weren't really children and there was a chance they could easily see through her pretense.

"I still want to know what's in the bag," James went to reach for it, but she kicked it away.

"That's confidential."

"Confidential?" James grinned at her. "All the more reason we should take a look!"

Sirius laughed and skirted around the back of her, grabbing the bag. "Got it!"

He shook the contents onto the table, picking up the parchment. "What's this? It's got Malfoy's name on this and some others we know."

Hermione was watching James who still had his wand aimed at her. She was sure he was a competent wizard, but he was still just a 14-year-old boy and she was an experienced Auror. She was sure he wouldn't use anything other than basic curses on her. She was going to have to risk it.

"We're selecting some students for a trial," she said. "Let me see if you're names are on there." She snatched the parchment back from Sirius who glared at her indignantly but did nothing more.

"What sort of a trial?" he asked.

Hermione could see her wand, still on the table. If she stretched for it, she could reach it, but she'd only have time to use it on one of the boys before the other defended him.

"A sports trial."

"Sports – you mean Quidditch?"

She could see she now had James's attention and knew this was her chance. She stretched backwards, elbowing Sirius hard in the ribs whilst grabbing her wand and aiming 'Levicorpus' at James.

James levitated in the air, protesting loudly and she turned her attention to Sirius who was coming towards her holding his ribs. She sent the same spell at him, resulting in the two boys being suspended upside down.

"What spell was that?" James protested. "Levi what?"

"Levicorpus," Hermione answered. "You might hear of it in a few years."

She approached Draco and released him from the binding spell. He got to his feet, groaning.

"James Potter!" he said. "Of course, it's Harry's bloody father causing us trouble."

Hermione glared at him. "Shush."

"Harry's father?" James asked, still wriggling furiously. "Who's Harry?"

"Never mind," Hermione said. "One day you'll know who Harry is."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" James asked.

"Don't use bad language, you're 14," Hermione admonished him, and Draco burst out laughing.

"You're telling him off for saying 'bloody'?"

"Are you Lucius's dad?" Sirius asked Draco who did a double take.

"Hmm. Not exactly," he answered.

"I've found the time turner; we need to leave!" Hermione said.

"Time turner?" Sirius asked. "You have a time turner?"

Hermione stopped for a moment, surprised he knew what a time turner was. "How do you know what a time turner is?"

"We have one."

"Had. We had one." James corrected him. "He lost it!"

"Well, I also know you have a map and a cloak," Hermione said. "I suggest you take care of those as you're going to need them." She paused and flashed a grin at Draco. "And so am I incidentally."

Draco chuckled. "That's funny, Granger."

"Have you been using the time turner?" Sirius asked from his upside-down position.

"Never you mind," Draco said. He turned to Hermione. "Do you want to obliviate or shall I?"

Hermione turned to look at him. "Maybe we shouldn't?"

"No, Hermione."

"Hermione? You two have the weirdest names ever!" James commented.

They both ignored him, staring at each other. Hermione knew it was wrong to not obliviate the boys. Wrong for them as they would always have knowledge of this weird encounter and obviously wrong for the timeline. No one should ever have knowledge of their future, that is what could really mess things up. This didn't stop Hermione wanting to let the boys remember their visit. Maybe, just maybe it might help save one of them, might change the awful things that were going to happen in their future. It was awful seeing them like they were now, happy-go-lucky, joking, full of life.

"I just thought….." Hermione started to explain but Draco interrupted her.

"I know exactly what you thought. I also know that you would regret it."

"It might change something, even if it was just a little thing," Hermione knew what she was asking was entirely wrong, but this was Harry's dad and godfather. Imagine Harry's life if he still had them both in it!

Draco stepped closer, surprising her by gently taking her by the shoulders. "I get it. Of course I get it! Believe it or not, I'm tempted too! If certain events don't happen, then maybe that would change my life too. But we can't. You know we can't." He was speaking gently, his eyes sincere.

Hermione nodded. "I know," she said, sadly. "But I can't do it. You'll have to."

Draco nodded, took out his wand and walked closer to first James, who he seemed to whisper something to. Then he repeated this with Sirius. There was no wand waving or shouting the spell. Hermione felt a little emotional that he had done it this way, obviously making it less traumatic for the boys and for her.

He then gently lowered the boys to the floor who were now both asking the same questions they had five minutes ago, because they had no recollection of it. Draco ignored them and took Hermione to the end of the shelf where they both placed their hands on the time turner and jumped.