Hermione's breath caught in her throat. All sense in the world slipped away as she felt the hat being taken off her head and placed back onto the book shelf. There was no way she could be a Slytherin. When the hat began talking about Gryffindor not being her home due to Harry and Ron not being there, she thought Ravenclaw would be its next choice, seeing as that was the two houses up for debate last time she wore the hat. Never in a million years did she think the Hat would sort her, a muggle born, in Slytherin.

She began to slightly hyperventilate bordering on panic. Dumbledore put his hand on her shoulder, in a comforting manner, as if he knew what her mind was thinking.

Dippet seemed none the wiser, "Well done Miss. Granger, Slytherin is a fine house." Dippet then looked to Dumbledore, "I assume you'll place her in the guest dorms until Monday and she can be introduced formally to her new house?"

Dumbledore nodded in the affirmative and walked to the door, steering Hermione with him. Hermione looked to back Dippet and managed a small, "Thank you headmaster, for everything."

Dipper smiled at her and then to Dumbledore. With that, both Dumbledore and Hermione walked in silence back to the Transfiguration classroom. Once inside, Dumbledore fortified the room so they could talk freely.

Hermione slumped into the chair opposite Dumbledore and dropped her head into her hands. She stayed like this for several minutes, composing herself before speaking, "How could I be in Slytherin? My entire school life I've been a Gryffindor and now I'm… the enemy!" Hermione whined before placing her head back into her hands.

Dumbledore gave her a slight smile, nodding slightly, "I understand how you feel as a fellow Gryffindor but look at this as a mission my dear. Given your target, don't you think being in close proximity and not in a competing house, will benefit you?"

Hermione nodded, "I know logically it does make sense, make myself an ally rather than a problem. But I can't help but feel as if I'm betraying everyone I love. On top of having to repeat my 5th year I'm in an opposing house."

Dumbledore nodded again, "It's a good thing you have already done your 5th year Miss. Granger. It will help that you are not also stressed about school work. I know you feel as if this is a betrayal but Hermione, please think of it this way. If you do what you set out to do, how many lives will be changed? How many people will be alive or how many people will now have family members alive? It seems like betrayal to you, but in the long run, that seems a small trifle doesn't it?"

Hermione lifted her head up to look at Dumbledore. She nodded in agreement. He was right. In the big scheme of life, this seemed so small. Her house doesn't take away from the fact that she was a good student. If she had to stay here forever she would get the same good grades and pave her way through just as she would have in her time, but in this time she'd also be ensuring that countless others got the same opportunities. She sighed and straightened up. Her pity party over.

Dumbledore could sense her acceptance and stood up, "Right, now I will show you to your temporary dorm. In the morning we will go to Hogsmeade to get your school supplies. Then come Monday you will be sitting with your house and your mission will begin"

Hermione nodded and followed him out a side door off the classroom and up a small spiral staircase. Dumbledore opened a wooden door and walked into a hallway that looked very familiar to Hermione. She recalled her first year and knew that this was the third floor corridor that was out of bounds in her time. It made her wonder what happened to lead it to be forbidden.

Dumbledore stopped in front of an all too familiar door. Dumbledore instructed her to wave her wand over the handle, as to allow it to recognize her magical signature. When the door opened, she half expected to see a large three headed dog snarling at her. Instead she saw a small dorm like room. Bed, wardrobe, side table, desk and washroom. Again it made her wonder what happened in the 54 years to lead to this.

Dumbledore bade her goodnight and turned around, walking silently back into the corridor. Hermione closed the door and took a breath and looked around again. Nothing spectacular was in the room. It was bare and simple. Nothing in the room that she wouldn't have expected but yet it was all foreign. This time held so much that she knew but yet nothing felt right.

Hermione shed her outer cloak and searched her bag for some sleeping clothes and shower items. Once she found all the items she was looking for, she had a quick shower and settled into bed. She locked her bag into the bottom drawer of the side table and laid her wand under her pillow, a habit she never could break.

As Hermione lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come, her mind wandered to her mission. Stopping Voldemort was supposed to be Harry's destiny. She was supposed to be the brain behind him. She was his support, his common sense.

Here Hermione was alone. She had the weight of the future on her alone. She was stuck in a time that wasn't her own. She was given a task that wasn't her own. As her eyes drifted close she sighed, It was now her mission wither she wanted it or not and she would make it her own.

A/N: Long time coming and not the longest chapter but I wanted to get something up after being away for so long! I hope you like and I want to thank all that have stuck with me during the gap! I don't intend for there to be this long of a gap again! Please review if you liked! Thank you