A/N: This story came up to me while reading our dear time travel fanfictions and I thought "why not?". So, here it is. It follows the original story until the end of Hogwarts' Battle. After that, it's pretty much AU. And to those of you waiting for a Leader and Follower update, I am happy to tell you that it is coming soon.
As you should know, I adore J. K. Rowling's amazing world and she is the owner of it all, the only thing I claim here is my love for her books.
Reviews are always welcome. Hope you like it!
Enjoy!
P.S. I just realised that I've been writing Gryffindor wrong my whole life, there are several occasions on Leader and Follower where I spelled it "Griffindor". So, I'll be more attentive this time 😉
Chapter One: did you know about this?
September 1st, 2003. Ambodifototra, Madagascar. 10 P.M.
It had been five years since the Battle of Hogwarts, the downfall of Lord Voldemort and the last time Hermione Granger had stepped foot on the school she called home. The place that had introduced her the wonders of magic, presented her with the friends she would cherish for life and turned her from a shy little girl to a confident young woman.
After living the end of her childhood and her adolescence fighting for her life and that of her loved ones, the Gryffindor, commonly known as the brains of the Golden Trio, surprised almost everyone when she decided she wouldn't come back to Hogwarts to study formally her seventh year. Instead, she stayed on the castle grounds during the summer to help with the repairs needed to enable its function on the term to come, but announced that she had no intention of coming back and had scheduled with Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress, to take her N.E.W.T.s in the Ministry of Magic a week before term begun and that, afterwards, she would move to Nepal to work as a volunteer on magical disasters for a few months.
She kept in contact with her friends, family and a few of her professors, mostly, but had a change of plans regarding her decision to take her time away and only volunteer when Thapa Magar, the infamous Charms and Transfiguration Master, who lived in a secluded site in Katmandu, offered her an apprenticeship in both subjects after seeing her abilities and efforts to build a safe and functioning magical community in the Himalayan without needing to transform it in an European based society. He understood that her aim was to learn from them as much as help and that fascinated the almost retired ancient man.
The masteries took her almost two years and, for that time, she was not allowed to travel back to Europe, use portkeys, speak through fireplaces or be physically absent from the country and her Master's site. It was a condition he imposed in order to have her full attention and to discipline her mental and body needs. Of course, she still communicated by letters, but since the owls had to travel from Britain and Scotland to her whereabouts and return, in the beginning she used to fell pretty alone. Surprisingly, with time, the young woman learnt to loosen her urgency to be so talkative and started to write shorter letters with all she wanted to say. Long gone was the needy girl she had once been.
After completing her apprenticeship in those areas, Hermione decided to apply for another pack of masteries, encouraged by her mentor, in Madagascar. She heard his wise advice that good opportunities didn't arrive out of the blue like her apprenticeship with him and that she should make good use of his connections if she wanted to further study her other areas of interest. So, logically, she should do it at that time, while Master Rakotomalala, who would soon be the leader of the Betsolona Majika tribe, of the Betsimisaraka ethnic group who lived in the east coast of the island, and was one of the most respected Arithmancy Master's in contemporary wizarding world and the Potion's Master that most contributed to mental healing potions in history, was still available to teach her, before taking her place as leader of the nomad tribe.
Following her studies with Master Magar, Hermione was surprised to find out that Master Rakotomalala had a method totally different from her Asian mentor. The African witch had studied, decades before, Transfiguration under the ancient Master and, to the Gryffindor's amusement, seemed to have developed an opposite working routine. While the Asian Master was very theoretical, even though Charms and Transfiguration were very practical and hands on studies, Master Rakotomalala was so invested in learning through experience and nature that Hermione had to frequently spend nights searching on her books the theory to support what she had learnt practically during the day.
On the other hand, communication was considered essential for her African Master and Hermione found herself weekly participating in rituals, social events, celebrations and projects with the community. It was so physically and socially demanding that the young woman almost missed the solitude she felt the previous two years. Her friends managed to visit her in the beginning of the year and were marvelled by her nomad lifestyle and newfound connection to nature.
Although she had lived almost four years away from Britain, the former Gryffindor star student still kept in touch with most of her school professors, especially the ones that taught the subjects she had mastered and was mastering currently, missing only someone to talk about Potions. Discussing the latest Transfiguration Weekley's articles with Headmistress McGonagall, her thoughts on duelling charms with Professor Flitwick and the theory of furthering the impact of time-turners she was currently studying in her Arithmancy mastery with Professor Vector became a regular and inspiring part of her week. Actually, the latest, who insisted to be called Septima now, was one of the people she became closest to in the last months and had taken her aback when announced that she wanted to retire before next term and was looking for a substitute. What surprised her mostly, though, was to be invited to participate in an interview with both the Arithmancy Professor and the Headmistress to apply for the position.
After a few meetings through fireplace, since travelling would require her to be absent for too long from her commitments and a few permits from the Madagascar Wizarding Government, she was honoured to receive the news that she was chosen to be the next Arithmancy Professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to attend to the Sorting Ceremony and first dinner of term tonight, since her last Mastery ritual was to take place on the full moon that would be on the highest point in their sky tonight at 10 P.M. and she would be unable to travel until the rite was over, at midnight. Also, her friends and colleagues had kindly arranged a small farewell gathering, so she scheduled her return to next day's early morning. Tonight, she would become Master of Arithmancy and would be a 1st level Master in four subjects. She knew already that she wanted to continue studying until she reached other levels of mastery, but she needed to work on projects to acquire them, a thing that would be enabled by her job as a professor in a school fully equipped with an extraordinary library and the Room of Requirement, where she could experiment and test her projects safely.
So, as she walked traditionally dressed to the mountain elected to be the one where her Master would perform the graduating ceremony and her farewell party, she thought about what her future would be like, hoping to adapt to the school's routine smoothly and to be able to share her knowledge and sense of belonging to different worlds to her students.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 7 P.M.
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, due to a time zone difference it was three hours earlier and Professor Flitwick, Deputy Headmaster, had just punctually opened the doors for the new students to enter the Great Hall where they would enjoy their meals and ceremonies for the next seven years of their lives.
As he did that, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall mentally reviewed her speech and watched the young children being guided towards the centre of the room where the Sorting Hat waited for them. When she realised everyone was ready and waiting, she stood up, welcomed all and signalled for her Deputy to start the sorting. There were about forty children to be sorted and a few she could already identify for she was sure she thought their parents and even their grandparents.
Not having any children herself, Minerva always marvelled at how tiny they were at age eleven. She remembered being taller when she was that age. As if on cue, she saw a girl with dark short hair stand up, after apparently tying her boots, who looked almost ten centimetres taller than her colleagues. The girl was wearing a Hufflepuff scarf as if she was sure that that was the house she should be sorted into and also looked confused, glancing around as if there was someone missing.
All names were called and the children were sorted, but the tall young girl stood still waiting patiently for the command to sit on the stool and join the house she was already cheering for. Seeing that Filius was apparently having trouble with the girl's name, Minerva rose a singular eyebrow and straightened her spine to see if there was anything wrong.
Uncharacteristically, Professor Flitwick approached the girl and all students and faculty could hear his questioning.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Could you please tell me your name? I must have risked it wrongly while calling the other students because there is no one left to be called in this list", he spoke gently to her, although knowing that there should be something out of sorts because the names were magically crossed as he called the students out loud and there wasn't any unmarked names.
"Hi, Professor Flitwick. Certainly. My name is Gwenora Ankh and I am eleven years-old. Could you please check again the list, sir?"
Intrigued that the student already knew his name and spoke as if he should know her, he absentmindedly said a "sure, dear" while trying with little confidence to check the list again. He gave a high-pitched shriek as he suddenly saw a name appear on the middle of the list as if it had always been there and read it out loud with a strange expression to his face.
"Gwenora Ankh McGonagall-Granger, please proceed to the Sorting".
The room was suddenly silent. Dead silent. But it seemed as though there was an orchestra playing because everyone's thoughts were loud and buzzing. Headmistress McGonagall was astonished to find out that one of her brothers had had children and hadn't spoken to her about it. Also, she was intrigued because the only Granger family she knew about was Hermione Granger's and they were currently in Australia and Miss Granger, now Master Granger, didn't have any other relatives in the United Kingdom as far as she remembered. Her fast thoughts were interrupted by a sound she had never heard before. A loud and deep laugh. The Sorting Hat was laughing so hard it seemed as though it was having a blast searching through the girl's head. People were intrigued by that but soon changed the surprise to amusement as the Hat announced loudly:
"I'm sorry, my dear, but that will not be possible. You will stand up and walk to the farthest right of this room, without cheating, because I am speaking out loud for everyone to hear, and you will sit there, sleep there and take your classes there. Congratulations, you are a... Slytherin!"
While taking the Hat off, the girl stood up and told it, fondly, "well, at least I tried. I'm keeping the scarf, though, I made my mom buy it".
The girl went to the Slytherin table and sat there waiting to dine. Headmistress McGonagall was a bit taken aback by finding out there was a relative of hers in there that she didn't know about, but made her inspiring and firm official welcome speech and dinner was served.
The young Slytherin girl ate passionately and stood from the table in less than ten minutes walking directly to the Headmistress in the staff table.
"Hi, mom. Where is mother? I need to speak to the both of you", she blurted out in a quiet tone.
"I'm sorry, Miss McGonagall-Granger. I don't quite understand. Who are you referring to? I have no children and would like you to keep your respect towards me speaking appropriately", the Headmistress was about to lose her temper feeling disrespected when she saw the expression on the child's face. She was pale and speechless. "Miss McGonagall-Granger, are you ok?"
The girl blinked a few times before posing her own question.
"Which year is this?"
"2003".
"2003? This can't be happening. I've never been this far. Where's mother?"
"I'm sorry, Miss McGonagall-Granger, but I don't know where your parents are. I'll take you to my office for a quick talk and possibly ask for Madam Pomfrey in case you don't start to feel better. Please come with me".
The duo had just left the Great Hall when the young girl had an idea and stopped.
"Wait. Let me try it this way... Are you married?"
Minerva McGonagall had never felt so insulted by a student. How dare this girl whom I've never seen before speak to me in such tone and ask this sort of private questions?
"I beg your pardon?", she asked fuming.
"For Merlin's sake, mom, you are making it so difficult. Fine, you win... With manners, then". The girl took a deep breath and offered her right-hand shaking. "Headmistress McGonagall, hi, my name is Gwenora Ankh McGonagall-Granger and I am your daughter. I am also the daughter of Master Hermione Granger, whom I really hope is a Professor here because otherwise I've spoiled time for life and I need to know where she is because I need to speak to the both of you now since it's a vow you both made me swear and I think I'm feeling a bit..." the girl's eye started to shine golden rays before they closed and she fainted. Minerva McGonagall managed to catch her before she hit the fall and took her to the Hospital Wing, sending an urgent patronus to Poppy Pomfrey on her way there.
After arriving in the room and choosing a bed to lay the girl who had been floating with the Mobilicorpus she cast, Minerva decided to move the girl a bit because she had a weird angle on her neck.
As she took the hair out of the girl's face, she saw a mark behind her left ear. A mark she too carried since she was born. A birth sign her mother passed to her and none of her brothers had. The girl is not lying. I...I have a daughter. I need to know more about this, but apparently Miss Granger needs to be here because of some stupid arrangement made in the future. Fine. It's 9:30 P.M. here, her Mastery Ceremony must be over by now.
Ambodifototra, Madagascar. 00:30 A.M.
Hermione Granger had just entered her rooms to change from the Ceremony's formal attire to a more informal one to celebrate her last night among friends when a familiar cat patronus appeared next to her and spoke in a deep female voice well known to her.
"Master Granger, I hope your Ceremony is over by now. There is an urgent situation here in Hogwarts that I need you to attend to immediately. Please come as soon as possible. I've cleared the fireplace of the Hospital Wing to enable intercontinental travelling".
The tired woman instantly had an adrenaline rush and entered a state of awareness she had not experienced in a while. She sent her Master a patronus and immediately apparated to the Convention Centre of Antananarivo, where she was sure there were fire places certified for international and intercontinental travelling. She would probably break a few rules for not obtaining a certificate first, but that would have to be it since she had always stayed in tents in the island her Master's tribe lived and didn't need methods of travelling other than the occasional broom or apparition.
She found the main fire place, took the floo powder and clearly pronounced "Hogwarts' Hospital Wing".
Hospital Wing, Hogwarts. 9:45 P.M.
As soon as Hermione Granger arrived on the Wing, there was a burst of energy and the young girl woke up and sat on the bed suddenly. She was a bit unnerved and looked around to get acquainted to her surroundings.
Minerva McGonagall was beside her in bed. She was pale as a sheet paper and had a distant look until she felt the movement beside her and on the fire place.
She looked at Master Granger briefly and was shocked to what she saw. The girl looked so different. She had only spoken to her via floo and could not see properly how she had changed. Her scrutiny was cut short by a tiny voice coming from beside her.
"Mother?", the girl said looking scared and amused to the newcomer.
"Gwenora, what are you doing here?", interjected with authority the young woman.
The objects in the room suddenly started moving around and both the girl and the new Professor looked startled to the Headmistress who looked positively enraged and mad at being left out of the conversation and not understanding what was happening.
"You knew about this? Is this a joke? Miss Granger, I need you to explain to me why is there a child on the Hospital Wing with a birth mark that I too have and that you know of, but I don't". As she spoke, her tone of voice rose and the Hospital Wing had furniture moving around by her lack of control on her magic. Her wand was pointed at Hermione Granger in an offensive position, but her former pupil seemed unphased. It was only when she mentioned the young girl paralysed on the bed, and pointed her wand towards her, that Hermione stepped forward and spoke evenly.
"Headmistress, this is by no means a joke. She has your birthmark because she is your daughter. And I know she is mine too because she's visited me before. Now, I will need you to come down because if you keep on pointing your wand at my daughter, I will hex you".
A/N: Thank you for reading!