Author notes: I just realized that I made a slight mistake in my own timeline. See, the war ended in 1998 and Hermione's from 2010 (it's what I had in mind anyway, for her to be thirty-three - thirty one plus two years of constant use of the time-turner, before she managed to mix and match her apprenticeship with Minerva and University without having to use as much). Hermione mentioned that the war ended 10 years ago - in her own timeline - but it is a little bit over that. Twelve years, actually, if I'm going for accuracy.
It's a real fuss to edit stuff that's already been posted, so while I figure that out, I'll leave this correction here. Sorry about that.
Chapter III - Stranded in time.
What's a person to do when they get involved in a magical, time-related, accident? Get out of muggle england undetected, of course. That was the first step. It was then, and only then, that Hermione realized that shit was worse than she thought. She was wandless! Her robes laid forgoten on her sofa. Her future sofa. Which, obviously, was unacessible. Thus, lost in time. Like she was.
Amazing. Brilliant. Lost, alone, wandless, what else? Did Voldemort follow me here, too? She was having a difficult time controling her tears, but the magic potion was showing it's effects again, since she found herself following her instincts.
She cast a glamour to remain undetected to muggle eyes, no wand was needed for that, it was one of her most used spells, familiarity made it easier. After that, she made her way to the Leaky Cauldron. It was too easy to reach it, even.
So now you work, huh? Stupid luck.
The patrons didn't look any different, and she found herself comforted by that small familiarity. Muggle England might be outdated compared to her future, but the wizarding society never left the nineteenth century in aesthetics. Her suit pants and button up white shirt, rolled up at the elbows, were sticking out like a sore thumb. I have to find Dumbledore. If there was one person that would help her get out of this situation, it had to be him. There was no known magic capable of sending people to the future, but perhaps HE would know something.
Luckly, he was at a table in the corner, right there. Rubbing his hands, as he stared at the fresh game pie served. What a convenience. Bitter as Hermione was, she wasn't about to thank the deffective potion that put her in this predicament in the first place. Unless he had a way to send her home, she would be cursing her luck until the end of her days. "Excuse me, Dumbledore, sir."
He looked at her in surprise, then down at the timeturner hanging around her neck, then back up at her face and smiled "Of course, Miss...?"
"Granger. Hermione Granger. Sorry to interrupt, sir. I just really really need your help. As you may have guessed..."
His warm laugh served to settle her nerves. "Ms. Granger, take a seat." She did "Tell me, how can I help you?"
Looking around, she realized that there were many people close by. Dumbledore either didn't really understand the situation she was in, or he simply didn't expect her to share any sensible information. Either way, casting a quick wordless muffliato, much to Dumbledore's delight, she spoke her mind. "You wouldn't know any kind of magic capable of sending people back to the future they belong, would you?"
"I'm afraid not, how far back did you travel?" He took a piece of his pie, and ate it. Sighing like it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
"I don't know how far back I traveled. It was supposed to be four days, since I adjusted this time turner to be more sensitive to turns. One turn - one day. Following the logic of what must have happened to me, one turn must have meant ten years. Adding the half turn I did accidentaly, it must have passed forty five years. But I wouldn't know about that... The time turner seemed broken... until it wasn't. It functioned perfectly on the last two and a half turns."
"It's a beautiful sunday. First day of June, nineteen sixty-nine. Vacation just started..." He said as if it was a daily ocurrence, just another bit of news. Then took another bite of his pie, smiling at the delicious taste spreading on his tongue. "Are you hungry, Ms. Granger? This pie is simply divine! I'll pay for you."
41 one years... She couldn't bring herself to be frustrated with Dumbledore for making light of the situation. Honestly, what else could he do? Get mad at her for being so foolish? Add to her depression by stating the obvious? She was stuck! There was nothing he could say to make her feel better. At least by making light of it, she didn't feel as much of an idiot. It was almost as thought it was ok for her to be there.
"No, thank you, sir. I just had lunch. I mean, in the future..." She remembered Ginny, Oh god, Ginny... what will she think? What will everyone think?! More tears sprung to her eyes unbiden, as she worried about her friends. "What am I going to do?"
"Well... I have a solution that you might find interesting. If you'll indulge me?"
What did she have to lose? "Of course. What is it, Headmaster?"
His eyes twinkled "So I was still the headmaster of your time, then?"
Hermione looked away guiltily "Yes." For a time Then she looked back at him with a smile. I really missed you. She wishes she could say. "Loved by many."
"Ah, to love and be loved." He smiled "Say, Ms. Granger, did you ever consider returning to Hogwarts after graduation?"
A short laugh escaped her "As a matter of fact, I did return to Hogwarts. I am-was muggle studies professor." His impressed expression encouraged her to keep talking "In the future, and this isn't real sensitive information, I hope you don't mind me sharing... Muggle History was added as a course to Muggle Studies and made mandatory. I wrote a few books on it, even."
"My, my, then you are better quallified for this than I thought." He took a bite of his pie, leaving Hermione in suspence for a while, before continuing "You just wandlessly, and wordlessly, cast a spell that I suspect it was made for privacy. Am I correct?"
"Muffliato" She said as a way to explain, realizing that this spell probably wasn't known by the headmaster, considering that it was something Snape invented. "What about it?"
"It got me thinking that someone who has skills to cast spells with no wand, and no incantation, might be just the person I need to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. And since you already are a professor at Hogwarts, then you know the circunstances of the job."
She nodded "The jinx." Dumbledore hummed. If it was in agreement, or appreciation of the pie, Hermione didn't know. Either way, she continued. "Fillius and I found a solution for that just this summer, actually."
"You did?" His surprise was mixed with amazement "I tried everything to figure out how Tom managed to jinx the position. But I couldn't find anything! How did you do it?"
"We didn't find out how he cursed it, either. But the Castle's sentient magic helped us find a way to overrule the bad luck caused by the jinx. We manipulated it, added runes, and an incantation of our own to turn bad omen into good luck. I... don't know how well that will work, since I just ended up here. But I think that we could try the ritual again? I could be the first to test it out."
"That would be most welcome. Let me just finish my lunch, and we'll go back to Hogwarts to sort this out. Thank you, for your kind offer, Ms. Granger."
"I'm the one who should be thanking, Headmaster. I have nowhere else to turn to."
"Then do not worry, I'll find you an excuse to stay over the summer. Hogwarts is a good place to live."
Don't I know it? She thought with a smile "Thank you."
He made such a fuss about the pie, that she ended up accepting the offer to eat some.
Better than telling, was showing. Once they arrived at Hogwarts, she extracted - very especificaly - the memory of the ritual. From the moment they started revising the runes, until the soft blue glow indicated the end of it. Dumbledore didn't bat an eyelash at the idea of using blood, he understood necessity. After he learned everything he could from revising the memory, he was assured that it would be possible to repeat the process. He had a drop of felix felicius left, from the last time he attempted brewing it, just enough for himself. And, since Hermione was already under its effects, she would not need to ingest any. It worked out just fine. Fucking Felix Felicis...
Performing the ritual the second time was even easier, especially when the elder wand on Dumbledor's hand was amplifying his magic, and his old wand seemed to suit Hermione perfectly. Dragon heartstring, he told her. So the core was the same, but the wood and lenght was more suitable for her than the one she previously owned. So much so, that he gifted her with it. It chose you now. Keep it. And now she had another treasure.
A picture to remember her future, a time turner - that led her to this place, and a wand from the past. They weren't the Deathly Hallows... But they made her feel like the master of time, if not death.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Ms. Granger. The position is yours." He extended her the timetable, and students approved for NEWT level. "It's only a matter of forging documents now... But leave that to me. I have my ways." His wink was conspiratory in nature, and made Hermione laugh.
It's not muggle studies, but it will do. She smiled, preparing mentaly for the task ahead. There was a name on that list that made her curious. Is Bellatrix Voldemort's follower already?