A/N: Hey Guys! Sorry for the long time in between uploads, work gets hectic come Christmas time! I hope you guys like! As always please review if you like it! I want to thank everyone that has reviewed so far!

Hermione stilled in the doorway. The classroom was all too familiar but unrecognizable simultaneously. As her eyes panned up the classroom, she saw the familiar desks stationed in neat rows facing the front of the classroom. Her eyes rested on the teacher's platform and where, in her time, Professor McGonagall would stand, sat Professor Dumbledore. This professor Dumbledore was much younger than the one she knew in her time but it was unmistakably him. Her breath caught in her throat and found herself unable to move forward.

Dumbledore raised his head at the noise her arrival made. At first he thought her to be a regular student but upon closer inspection, he did not recognize this girl at all. He laid his quill down and sat back, briefly tenting his fingers in front of his chest in contemplation before waving his hand, motioning her inside the classroom. The movement seemed to have jogged her out of whatever thought she was having as she moved inside the classroom, closing the large door behind her.

Hermione walked briskly up the rows of desks towards Dumbledore, stopping right in front of his desk. The two made contact but neither spoke a word. Hermione, too overwhelmed to form a coherent thought and Dumbledore to busy analyzing the girl before him. Dumbledore cleared his throat, which prompted Hermione to attempt to open her mouth.

When no words formed, Dumbledore spoke first, "Can I help you miss?" the double meaning of his question clear. He was both asking if she needed help and her name.

Hermione drew out a breath and finally began to talk, "Professor Dumbledore, I've traveled a long way and I need your help." As soon as she said the words she mentally face palmed herself. She couldn't believe she sounded so cliché. She might as well be in one of those muggle sci-fi telly programs her father watches. Her answer did seem to however, have caught Dumbledore's attention.

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses, his classic scrutinizing look appeared in his normally twinkling blue eyes. Hermione had never really been on the receiving end of this look before. It made her feel uncomfortable so she began to shift side to side.

After what felt like minutes, he spoke, "Forgive me miss but do I know you? You seem to know me but I cannot recall you and recalling is one thing this old man is rather good at."

Hermione gave a sad smile and this seemed to temporarily throw Dumbledore off, "Yes sir I know you and you will know me but not for some time." Hermione took another breath, she decided he had to know the basics or he would not help her. After all there was a letter from Dumbledore to him, younger Dumbledore knowing some couldn't be the worst thing in the world, right?

Hermione went on, "My name is Hermione Granger I am 16 years old and I attend Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry class of 1998."

Hermione found herself more aware of her breathing during this conversation than ever before. She felt each breath as ragged jets of air both coming in and going out. Dumbledore stayed quiet, so she pressed on, "Sir I know what you must be thinking. I'm not mad or any danger to you or the school. I came here with a purpose and I can prove it to you." Dumbledore followed her hand as she grabbed the small beaded bag from under her cloak and summoned the journal. She opened it to the first page that contained the note from her times Dumbledore. Before she gave it to him she stressed, "This journal contains a lot of information about the future to aid me while I'm here. This first page is a note to you from your future self, the one I know. I must beg that anything we talk about stays between us. Wizards who metal with time attract a fate much worse than they're own personal death, especially where this topic is concerned. "

With that, Hermione handed Dumbledore the journal, open to his letter. His eyes hungrily raked the pages. She could see that he read the letter a few times, but never flipped the page further into the journal. Once finished to his satisfaction he closed the journal and handed it back to her.

She must has looked at confused as she felt because Dumbledore smiled at her, "Miss Granger, I believe you and you are right. Time meddling is dangerous, I will do my best to aid you with whatever information you deem need to know." Hermione smiled in return. Although it was a new feeling, having someone to help her made her feel better.

Hermione began talking out her plan with Dumbledore, "As you know I am on a mission and it is imperative that I be a student at this school for my mission. I need your help in making it as believable as possible Sir."

Dumbledore once again tented his fingers in thought. Hermione watched him for several minutes before he spoke again, "in the case of back stories, simpler is always better. Less to remember less to muck up. Hogwarts does not tend to get new students so it would cause talk from the get go. We are in a war state however and it would not be unheard of a child, after having lost their family, going to a distant relative."

Hermione nodded, "I do agree with you sir but I have seen firsthand how being a survivor of a dark wizard causes problematic situations. Even more so, without getting too much into my purpose here, anything that links me to a dark wizard puts huge target on my back" She sank back down in thought.

Dumbledore looked surprised when she mentioned her first hand experience with dark wizard survivors but made no mention of it out loud. Hermione pondered her story simple yet plausible, something that she could use to her advantage but not something that sets her apart too much. It was then the idea struck her. It was genius in its simplicity that she was a bit surprised she didn't put the pieces together herself.

Hermione flipped through the journal to the second page, right behind the letter to Dumbledore and smiled, "I just recreate his scenario" she said quietly to herself. She snapped her head back up to Dumbledore, "I'm an orphan." He raised one eyebrow, urging her to continue. Hermione took a breath and began her plan, "I'll be an orphan. We could easily say that I was fostered to a couple who moved to France before I turned 11 and when they passed away I had to come back to my birth country. We can just say I was home schooled and due to the fact that it was my OWL year the state deemed it fit to send me to school. No war issues just plain birth circumstances."

Dumbledore thought about her plan. He knew to trust what she said to be true and guessed who she was here to monitor based on her idea and he had to admit that it was simple yet explainable. He nodded, "I can easily tell Headmaster Dippet that your foster parents had been long time correspondents of mine and when I heard of their passing and your schooling issue I offered Hogwarts as an institution."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you Professor Dumbledore, for believing me." Dumbledore smiled back," My dear I don't know you yet but I will be very glad to have known you. To Travel this far means it worthwhile to bend the rules and my dear if that's not a cause to blindly follow I don't know what would be"

With that the Professor stood up and walked around his desk to Hermione, "Now how about we go see Professor Dippet, get you sorted and start your quest" He winked at Hermione and began to walk towards the door.

Hermione quickly followed him and let his words settle in her brain. This was it. This time it wasn't her following Harry. She wasn't the sidekick or the brain of a group. She was it. She was the one the entire plan rested on. She was the one that had the entire fate of wizard and ultimately the world, kind on her shoulders. The realization made her feel small. She was only one person. She questioned in her head as she walked if she could do this. Dying here didn't faze her. If not here then where, especially in the time she came from. What she couldn't take was the failure. Knowing she could save so many people but failing that? Dumbledore lead her to the Headmasters office and said the password. As the stair case revealed itself and they walked up, Hermione's breath shallowed. Dumbledore knocked on the door and a faint, "come in" was heard from behind the large wooden barrier. Dumbledore half turned his head and looked at her in question.

Hermione nodded back. The door opened. Show time.