Title: Little Spark of Madness

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, that belongs to JK Rowling's. I don't make any money from this either. I just do it for fun :) All original characters are my own, those would be the ones that you don't recognize from the books.

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'Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

Martin Luther King

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July 19th, 1975

Hogwarts Grounds

'Pain. So much Pain.' That was the only intelligible thought running through her head at the moment. Hermione tried stretching out her arms but for some reason nothing felt right to her.

Blinking her eyes slowly seeing white puffy clouds moving across the blue sky above her. Gingerly sitting up after a moment she looked around and saw Harry curled up next to her facing away.

Turning her attention to the unmarred castle she smiled a bit thinking that Dumbledore must have sent them back in time to before the attack. Maybe they could get the younger kids from the castle before it was too late. Get more reinforcements.

Her excitement was only slightly dampened by the small fact that nothing seemed right to her. Everything still seemed slightly off to her down to how her clothing felt on her body. She knew she lost weight over the last few months, but she felt as if they were far larger on her than normal.

Her body ached, but as she looked at her arms the small cuts and bruises were gone. Hastily flipped her palm to point up as she ripped the sleeve of her jumper up her arm revealing now pale unblemished skin where once a dreadful word had been carved into her skin.

Tears of pure joy rolled down her cheeks as she put her free hand on Harry's back and started shaking him to awake. "Harry wake up! You need to see this! Wake up!"

Harry grumbled before rolling over, "Hermione what is…." He stopped as he saw her sitting there, her hair still pulled back into a messy bun, although it was slightly puffier, her jumper hanging much looser, no longer showing the curves or chest that she normally had. It was still Hermione, it was just a slightly younger Hermione. A 14 or 15 year old Hermione perhaps.

Hermione had stopped as well seeing Harry's slightly rounder face and shorter form. "Harry… you look younger…."

Harry leaned back slightly in shock as he saw her green eyes, "Your eyes Hermione. They…. They are green." He paused for a moment as he remembered the moment Voldemort cast his final curse at them, "Like the curse…"

Hermione leaned over tugging Harry's glasses from his face to get a better view of his eyes. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the difference for herself, "Yours are green, but not like before. I think you're right, they match the curse. Dumbledore said there would be changes, maybe because it killed us? You were hit by the curse as a baby, but didn't change, I don't even know where to begin researching that."

Harry was too shocked to say anything as he came to terms that the one feature that he had shared with his mother was now gone. Getting up he half stumbled to a small puddle on the grass to see his reflection. Sure enough his eyes were now a bright, almost electric, green. Studying his features as he felt his face, there was no stubble. "Hermione, I think we were put back a bit farther than we expected. Fourth or maybe fifth year?"

Hermione stood and came over letting out a whimper of disappointment as she saw her younger expression. "I already outgrew this stage."

Stopping she looked around nervously as panic began rising in her gut. "Wouldn't this be a paradox? With the time turner, I could never let myself be seen by anyone, especially my past self. What are we going to do Harry? We can't just wait for time to catch up this time. We are talking about 3 or 4 years here!"

Harry took her gently by the shoulders, "We need to trust in Dumbledore, Hermione. He wouldn't have sent us here just for everything to be destroyed."

Hermione was halfway through her nod as she froze hearing a familiar voice speak up behind them, "Well I must say it is a relief that you trust in me so greatly. However, I must say that I am at a loss for your names."

Both Harry and Hermione turned slowly only to be faced with their old Headmaster who was now alive and well. Like their own appearances, he was younger as well. Most likely years before they had ever met him.

Hermione was in pure shock and could only kneel with her jaw dropped open gripping Harry's hand so tightly that his fingers were slowly turning white

Harry was gripping her hand as well when his shaking voice could only get out four words. "What year is it Professor?"

Dumbledore tilted his head forward in intrigue, "1975. I do believe the more relevant question would be what year should it be for you two?"

It was now Harry's turn to freeze as he averted his eyes to the ground. No sound was made until Hermione's voice could be heard at barely a whisper, "1998…"

The headmaster looked over his crescent spectacles at the two young students on the ground, "Well, that might pose a little problem."

A fourth worried voice caught them off guard from the direction of the school, "Albus? What are those children doing here on Summer hols?"

Harry and Hermione stared up at their former Head of House in awe of her more youthful appearance as she bustled towards them. The two were leaning on each other in support, while their scars and injuries were gone they were still emotionally drained from the battle, their deaths, and then to be brought back before either of them were ever born.

Hermione gained her composure first, but had no idea what to say to the woman would had been her mentor.

Luckily for them both Dumbledore raised his hand, "Let's get these two inside, I fear this will take some time to explain."

Harry nodded as he took Hermione's hand following the Headmaster and their Head of House towards the castle.

No one spoke as they walked down the silent stone halls until they reached the griffon that guarded the Headmasters office.

Dumbledore stepped to the side, "Razzles." He smiled at the children, "I do love sweets, don't you?"

Professor McGonagall looked at him wide eyes, "Really Headmaster?"

The old man simply chuckled to himself as the concrete statue groaned turning to reveal the opening to the stairs. Professor McGonagall entered first before Dumbledore motioned for Harry and Hermione to follow.

Harry couldn't help but feel nostalgic remembering the last time he had seen this staircase it had been all but blown apart during the battle.

Once everyone was in the office Dumbledore walked over to his desk after giving a small treat to Fawkes who was perched on his desk as always. "Lemon Drop?"

Harry turned red for a moment as if was going to burst before doubling over in laughter. No one else in the room spoke for a while until he managed to compose himself only to see two faces of confusion and Hermione's look of sad understanding. Looking back to the Headmaster he shook his head as he tried composing himself, "No thank you. You always ask… no matter what is going on. Sorry."

Professor McGonagall thought about his words for a moment before nodding her head, "You do Albus." Looking back to the children with a stern look, "About the explanation. Who are the two of you? I don't have either of you in any of my classes, yet you both look to be about 15? How did you get here during the summer hols?"

Dumbledore just raised his hand to Minerva, "We already have somewhat established that they are in the wrong time I believe. It is 1975, however the young woman has stated that it should be 1998 for them. It seems like they are 23 years misplaced."

Professor McGonagall turned to look at Harry and Hermione with wide eyes. She stuttered her words for a moment as she tried to vocalize the many questions that were swarming in her head. "How? That is impossible. Time travel cannot go this far back."

Hermione looked down at the carpet as she remembered the battle that they were in only moments ago. All her friends and loved ones were dead. Her hand clenched Harry's as she tried not to let her emotions run away with her.

Harry watched Hermione knowing that he was going to need to be strong as he sat up right, "We died actually, we didn't use a time turner. It was May 2nd, 1998."

Dumbledore looked over at the two in thought for a moment, "I am terrible sorry, but we never got your names children."

Hermione looked up at Harry knowing he was trying to be strong for her, "I am Hermione Granger, and this is Harry Potter." She stopped briefly seeing the name recognition pass over both of their eyes at Harry's surname before she continued. "We had been fighting in a battle on Hogwarts grounds. The same spot that Headmaster Dumbledore found us I suspect, although we are different. Curious, but we appear to have lost a few years. When we died… we saw you Headmaster in Diagon Alley."

Harry squeezed her hand as his other nervously wiped on his leg, "You gave us the choice to either pass on, or come back to help. We didn't understand how we could help by coming back, the battle was lost when we died. We had failed. It was Voldemort, he…"

Professor McGonagall gasped at Harry using Voldemort's name and Hermione narrowed her eyes, tired of all the fear she had felt in the past. "Fear of a name only gives more power to it."

Professor McGonagall's face and neck colored slightly before she nodded her head, "You are very right my dear." Looking back to Harry, "Please continue young man."

Harry swallowed and managed to tear his widened eyes away from Hermione for snapping at the woman he knew she admired. "Right. Um, Voldemort attacked the school with his Death Eaters, but not just them. Vampires, Werewolves, Giants, there were so many different things attacking it was hard to think at all. Hermione and I lost everyone. When he came for us, I knew we failed. I failed."

Professor McGonagall looked as if her heart would stop, "You're just children."

Dumbledore rose his hand and then stood; Walking around his desk, "I think we need to stop. Minerva, is there someone you can trust in the Ministry that can help us?"

Pulling her shocked eyes from the two battle worn children she thought deeply for a moment, "Yes I think I do. Elphinstone Urquart, he works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He would also know who he can trust in other departments."

The Headmaster nodded, "Contact him immediately then please. We will need someone trustworthy from records as well. Please have them come to Hogwarts." Looking back to Harry and Hermione, "In the meantime. Chipy."

A small house elf appeared, "You called Miss Chipy Headmaster?"

Nodding he smiled at the small house elf, "Could you please bring supper here for myself and my two young guests."

Nodding her head happily, "Oh Chipy be happy to Headmaster! Right Away." and with that she disappeared with a pop.

Harry was sitting back lazily in his chair with Hermione resting her head on his shoulder as they had done so many times at school and on the run.

The Headmaster watched them closely for a moment before speaking, "Miss Granger you said something earlier that caught my attention. You'd mentioned that you were different and might have lost a few years. Were you referring to going back in time? Or something else?"

Hermione sat up, "I was 18 when I died, Harry was 17. He would have been 18 in a few months, but we look much younger than that now."

Harry nodded as he looked nervously at Hermione, "We lost scars and wounds as well, not that it is a bad thing to lose them. They were horrible, some worse than others."

Nodding his head Dumbledore clapped his hands together softly, "I don't know what to make of your de-aging. But assuming the scars happened to you after you turned 15 it would make sense that they are gone." He waited for a moment before continuing after seeing the two of them nod hesitantly. "They never happened to you. I would assume someone from the Department of Mysteries would be able to answer that better, but it would be best not to involve that Department."

Hermione nervously rubbed an invisible mark across her chest before she looked up, "Will they come back?"

Dumbledore looked at Hermione with a serious expression, "No Miss Granger. Even if you received the scar in the same manner; say you fell and skinned your knee. The same knee that you had a scar before, it would never be identical. Similar, but not identical."

Hermione nodded right as Chipy returned with their dinner, "Thank you Chipy."

Chipy beamed at the praise, "Oh you welcome Miss. I will bring dessert too!" With that she was gone leaving Harry to chuckle, "You didn't ask her your questions?"

Hermione nodded, "I will. But I know The Hogwarts Elves are cared for."

Once Hermione smelt the food she couldn't think about anything else, it had been nearly two days since they had eaten. Almost a year since they had a decent meal, and the roast, potatoes, and broccoli on their plates looked like the best meal in the world currently. Digging in neither Harry or Hermione paid mind to anything else beside their food.

After all was eaten and their bellies filled, fatigue started to set in while they waited for the people from the ministry. Dumbledore stood and walked over to them, "Here are some Pepper Ups, I thought you might need them. Don't worry it is just enough for about an hour, and then we will find you two beds."

Harry nodded before drinking the vial as he watched Hermione do the same, both of them were used to the drink after so long on the run. "Yes Sir."

It was only a moment later when a knock was heard on the door. "Come in."

Looking up they saw Professor McGonagall along with two gentlemen. One was short and rather plump with a wiry beard adorning his flush face. The other was a tall lean man who held himself straight in a business manner. His eyes, however held a kindness that put both Harry and Hermione at ease.

Professor McGonagall spoke first, "Apologies Headmaster, I had to call both Mister Urquart and Mister Mistle from their suppers." Turning back to the men the Headmaster nodded, "My apologies gentlemen, but I feel the matter is most urgent to be taken care of quickly. And quietly."

Both men nodded as the taller man stepped forward, "Yes, Professor McGonagall told us it was urgent. My name is Elphinstone Urquart, I work in the Department of Law." The man looked over at the children in the room, "Has something happened to the two of you? I have never heard of students being on campus during the summer."

Harry looked back to the headmaster and then to Hermione silently. How much should they say? Would they believe them?

Hermione sat up taller than she had been previously knowing that Harry wasn't good at the talking part. "Yes. We were sent here. It is hard to explain, you may wish to sit."

Mister Urquart raised his brow as the young girl spoke with a confidence beyond her young year. "Alright Miss?"

"Granger." Headmaster Dumbledore supplied, "These are Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

The three other adults in the room turned and stared at the Headmaster. Finally, Mister Mistle spoke up, "I work in the Department of records. The Potter's are a very well known family, and I can say with confidence there is no Harry Potter."

Harry nodded even though no one was looking at him as he looked at the man, "Yet." The entire room looked directly at Harry, "We were sent from 1998." Harry looked at Hermione wondering if he had said too much.

Hermione adjusted herself as the pepper up kicked in, "Well, we died in 1998 during a battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. We don't know where we were sent from precisely. I was 18, Harry was almost 18 when we died, we don't know why we were sent to this date or why we de-aged. We were given a choice to go back and help or pass on, however we didn't realize 'going back' meant going back twenty-three years. Harry and I are both fighters, and we knew if we could do something to help we would do it. However, even I am at a loss about being sent here. We have no family or friends that know us here, while we know the Headmaster and the Professor they have no idea who we are. We are not born yet, we are essentially alone."

Harry glanced around the silent room proud of her, she still had it in her to shock a room.

Mister Urquart came out of his shock faster that Mister Mistle, "Your time travelers, accidental time travelers." He nodded his head before continuing, "I think the best place for us to start will be if the two of you would be willing to let us pull some memories. Just a portion at a time, and they would be returned to you once viewed. I think it would help us understand your past, and we wouldn't need to ask you a million questions."

Harry looked to Hermione nervously, before turning back to the others. "Um, I guess so, but they can't leave here. We do know that Voldemort had spies in the ministry right now. Hermione probably has a few memories she won't want to share. It was war, and there are personal things that either I can tell you or show you. But I won't force her to relive things. Neither of us entered the wizarding world until we were 11, so we won't have first hand knowledge before that."

Mister Urquart stopped as he frowned sadly as he nodded. "Even at 17 and 18 respectively, you were both far too young to be fighting in a war, but I do understand. Do you know who are spies currently, or enemies?"

Hermione thought for a moment, "We do know names, however being 1975 we don't know if they have turned yet."

Urquart nodded, "Let's start at the beginning then. Can you show us when you first entered the wizarding world? You said you were both 11? I thought you said your name was Potter how did you only enter the wizarding world at 11?"

Harry just nodded, "I was in hiding. Let's start, shall we?" Harry sat down remembering the first moment that he received his first Hogwarts acceptance letter that was ripped in half, through Hagrid coming for him, and then his first trip to Diagon Alley. He figured that was a good place to start. Up until then he had only been told his parents died in a car accident.

For the next thirty minutes Harry and Hermione had memories of their first year pulled from their minds. Then memories were still there, but now they were more of a dream.

Harry looked at Hermione guilty knowing that everyone would know how mean he had been to her first year. She'd forgiven him long ago, but he knew he'd been horrible to her.

Once the memories were placed in vials Dumbledore called for Chipy once more and had her show Harry and Hermione to the Head girl and boy room to get some sleep while they went over the information. They knew this would take a week just to get all the memories, and much longer to go through everything.

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Well then that is it for Chapter 2 :) Thank you all for the lovely reviews on the last chapter! I am looking forward to reading more of them.