Prologue

The winter wind howled in the empty and derelict corridor. Large portions of the corridor had given away to the elements with sections of it all but gone, allowing for quite an ample view of the rest of the castle and the grounds below. A lake sitting just beyond the castle walls seemed to reflect the castle across the glistening water perfectly. The portions that had escaped the snow were covered with scorch marks, darker spots, and debris.

A young girl stood near one of the openings, overlooking the entirety of the grounds. Her bushy hair was covered in soot, ash, and mud that had caked up and dried. Her clothes, stretched and torn, provided no protection against the harsher winds of the upper castle. Despite this, scanning the grounds, her eyes were filled with awe as she took in the splendor of the castle.

"What is this place?" The young girl asked, looking at the man next to her.

Sirius, he had called himself. His long black hair flew wildly between each gust of the wind, but it didn't seem to bother him.

"It was called Hogwarts. It's where young wizards and witches, like yourself, would have learned."

"I'm no witch. Just a...mudblood." The young girl replied, shuttering as her body recalled the sensation of stabbing. The words of her torturers burned hot in her ear even now, both of which made her a bit dizzy.

"Hermione. Don't you ever call yourself that again!" Sirius said sharply. His voice was amplified by the howling of the wind, "You're a witch, and you'll be a strong one at that! Never forget that."

Hermione nodded, without thought, at the sudden outburst, before smiling briefly. She turned back toward a view of the grounds.

"What happened to this place? What happened to wizards like this?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the grounds of the castle, "Like you?"

Sirius' angered expression fell as he sighed, moving away from the view of the campus.

"Come," Sirius replied as he began moving down the corridor, "We're almost there."

Hermione followed him, looking back once more before venturing further into the castle.

"Before the Dark Lord was fighting muggle governments, he fought against the Ministry and a faction led by the greatest wizard to ever live. I, along with my best friends, were part of this faction dedicated to fighting the Dark Lord. We fought hard and-"

"You lost." Hermione finished quietly. The emptiness that sat in the pit of her stomach only grew as she could only imagine what a place like this could have been like in another world. A place where she wouldn't have had to hide. A place where she could be-

Nothing more than a worthless fucking mudblood.

The words filled her ears as the sensation began to flare up again, screams filling her ears. The castle floor seemed to shrink and a dizziness began falling over her, forcing her to find stability against a nearby wall.

"There is still hope!" Sirius said as they went up a turnpike staircase, unaware of Hermione's struggle, "Rumors of a prophecy that tells of a boy with the power to defeat he-who-must-not-be-named."

Hermione took a deep breath as she followed behind, struggling to make each step.

"Two boys were kidnapped years ago. They..." He paused for a moment as Hermione closed her eyes, "They will be the key to all of this once we get them back, and we will get them back."

"How do you...know they aren't…. dead?" Hermione asked, in between her labored breath. As they continued up, Hermione removed her hand from the wall. She was okay. She had to be.

"They can't be," Sirius said sternly, "They're alive. The prophecy must be-"

"Sirius, do not fill that young girl's head with such foolishness."

Upon opening her eyes, a tall, black-haired woman in purple robes stood directly in front of the two. Her wand was up and pointed at them, and her expression was quite prim and a bit off-putting to Hermione.

"Where were you on the night the phoenix died?"

"The Courtyard, fighting with pride," Sirius replied in monotony as the woman lowered her arm. With a more venomous tone, he continued, "and it's not foolishness, Minerva. It's true. It has to be."

The woman narrowed her eyes at Sirius before turning toward Hermione. "Hello, young one, my name is Minerva McGonagall. You may call me Madam McGonagall."

"Hello," Hermione said politely. "I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."

" Miss Granger, I know you must be severely tired, hungry, and dealing with a lifetime's worth of misfortune. I'm here to take you to safety."

"Good, she deserves it," Sirius said softly as he leaned against a wall, " Minerva, this one was- I hate to admit it- a close one. I don't know how long we can keep this up. I mean between the armed muggles and the death eater brutes, it's getting bad. "

"As long as we can," McGonagall said firmly. "Will you be accompanying us back?"

Sirius shook his head, "I have lead on them. I want to check up on it before the next rescue."

McGonagall gave a look of disappointment, "Sirius-"

"I know where you stand, but I know they're still alive. If they weren't, we would have found the bodies by now."

"Nothing I can say will dissuade you, I've given up on trying. I just want you to be careful, '' McGonagall replied.

"Thank you," Sirius said as he looked at Hermione, "Hermione, I'm sorry for what you've been through. You're going to be taken care of now. Be strong like you've been, and never lose hope. We can restore this one day. I promise. "

"I will. Thank you...for everything," Hermione said as she watched Sirius turn to head back down the staircase, leaving Hermione with Madam McGonagall. A wave of sadness washed over her as she watched him disappear into blackness.

"Alright, Miss Granger, follow me. We'll be going through something called a portkey. It will be a bit disorienting, but I find leaving your eyes open will ensure you don't vomit."

"Do a lot of people believe in what Sirius mentioned- The prophecy?"

"In trying times, People will allow themselves to devolve into an abyss of conspiratorial dribble. It provides hope, for some. Fear, for others. Anger, for the few." McGonagall said, turning her head slightly to face Hermione, "Ms. Granger, it's best to avoid it all together, and devote yourself to only actions that only you can control."

Hermione nodded.

"Now, let's get you to your new home."