The next morning, Hermione is intercepted by Professor McGonagall on her way to class. Lily shoots her a curious look.
"I'll save you a seat in class," she says before taking off.
Hermione follows Professor McGonagall towards her office, wishing she hadn't had that last sausage at breakfast because she feels her stomach turning it over now, making her uncomfortably full. She has the sinking feeling that this is it, that they've contacted Beauxbatons Academy and confirmed that she is a liar and an imposter and no doubt in league with Voldemort and intending Dumbledore harm.
"Take a seat, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall's words are clipped and her voice cool, but this is how she always speaks to students and Hermione can't tell if she's being her usual professional self or angry, or even delighted that she'll be the one to expel Hermione from Hogwarts grounds.
Hermione is thankful for the offer, because her knees are suddenly wobbly and the solid chair does her good. She places her hands in her lap, unaware that she's wringing them until she twists her thumb particularly hard and separates her hands suddenly with a painful gasp.
Professor McGonagall shoots her a stern look, but proceeds to sit down as well.
"I am afraid to inform you that there is a small problem with your transfer."
"Oh?" Hermione asks, her voice small. Dare she hope for the best, now that Professor McGonagall hasn't opened with 'You're expelled?'
"Aside from a total lack of documents asserting your level of competence in the various magical fields, it must be brought to your attention that students at our school pass their O. in their fifth year, not in their sixth as is tradition at your former school of education. Headmaster Dumbledore has been unable to get in touch with your former professors and receive any kind of indication as to your level, and therefore it has been agreed upon by the faculty that you shall have to pass your O. in order to select your N.E.W.T. level classes. It must come as no surprise to you, I am sure, that most professors are not keen on accepting a student into their class of whom they have no indication of her level. Of course, the situation will be explained to the judges, but the degrees of their leniency will be entirely up to them."
Oh, right. Wait. What? Professor Dumbledore is unable to reach any of her old professors? Hermione's mind spins, trying to fully grasp the meaning behind what Professor McGonagall is telling her. Surely if Professor Dumbledore contacted Beauxbatons they would be rushing over each other to inform him that they have never heard of a Gabrielle Granger in their lives, much less taught her in their classes.
"Under the circumstances, you be tested as quickly as possible so you do not fall behind on the curriculums. Your session has been scheduled for next week."
"Only a week to study for the O.W.L.s?" Hermione blurts out. "That's madness."
"I am well aware of the unfortunate circumstances, but regarding your lack of transcripts the concession being made is more than generous, I assure you."
"I don't even have my textbooks or my notes!"
"One of your fellow students will accommodate you. Lily Evans is a particularly gifted student. I am sure she will gladly tutor you after class."
"Am I not excused from classes until I pass the exams?"
"Of course not. You will attend classes with the 5th year students while you prepare for the exams. If you fail them, Miss Granger, I am afraid you will be forced to attend the 5th year classes permanently."
"You mean redo my 5th year!"
"Well, I assure you our teaching methods are very different from those at Beauxbatons Academy and you will find it is not the same as repeating a year."
Hermione wants to cry. She can already feel the stress creeping up her spine, seeping into her bones. Last time she had a whole year to prepare for the exams and she still wasn't able to achieve full marks on all of them! How can she expect to pass the exams now with only a week of studying? And to repeat a year? No, the thought is too horrible to even entertain. Even if Hermione is not planning on staying long in this world, she can't let herself fail her O. . Her dignity won't allow it.
"Now," Professor McGonagall continues, "we have to discuss the electives you would like to sign up for."
"Study for the O. in a week? That's madness!" Lily exclaims after Hermione catches up with her after class. As an official 5th year student, Hermione didn't feel comfortable intruding in on a class after Professor McGonagall had let her go.
Hermione gives her a bitter smile. "That's what I said, but Professor McGonagall insists that no professor will want me in their class if I can't prove my level." At least now Hermione knows why all the professors had been looking at her askew during her first day. "Until I pass the exams, I've been delegated to 5th year classes. Unless I pass the O. will flying colors, I'll be there permanently."
Lily grabs Hermione's arm and stops her in her tracks. "That's not going to happen, Gabrielle. I still have all my notes from last year for every subject. What electives did you take?"
"Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures."
"I didn't take Care of Magical Creatures myself, but I think Remus did. I'll ask him to see if he still has his notes. He's a good student, though you wouldn't think it since he hangs out with those three headcases. Don't freak out, Gabrielle. We'll get you through this and you won't have to repeat 5th year."
Hermione smiles at Lily weakly, but Lily's coolness at the situation does help her to keep from panicking too much. Hermione know she's being ridiculous. She's already freaking out over retaking her O. when that's the last thing in the world she should be worrying about. If she focuses on finding a way home, she'll avoid retaking the exams entirely.
'But what if getting home isn't that easy?' Hermione thinks as she heads to the library for the first study session. Lily told her to meet her there while she runs to pick up last years' notes. 'What if the situation takes longer than a week and I'm forced back into 5th year classes while I research time-travel?' The thought is like a nightmare come to life and Hermione knows that, no matter her predicament, redoing a year regardless if it's in the past is not an option for her. And neither is failing her O. .
Hermione's first week at Hogwarts flies by. She spends every waking moment when she's not in class studying: in the Great Hall between bites, on her way to class, during breaks and late into the night in the common room with Lily. They sit on the couch by the fireplace and Lily quizzes her on all the different subjects.
"You know so much of this already!" Lily exclaims. "It's impressive."
Hermione blushes. She's not the type to relax the summer away and she did read the textbooks required of her for 6th year, which recaps much of the 5th year material. Still, her memory is not infallible and there are many sections from the year that she doesn't recall.
"Even if our O. aren't until 6th year, Beauxbatons has a very rigorous curriculum," she tries to explain. Hermione is surprised at how similar Lily's notes are to her own; so little has changed in eighteen years. Hermione's isn't sure if she's glad of it or worried at how Hogwarts curriculum seems to be frozen in time.
As promised, Lily asks Remus for his notes from 5th year Care of Magical Creatures that he gladly lends Hermione and ends up joining her and Lily at night during their study sessions, which on more than one occasion deviates into theoretical debates on the material they're studying and quickly digresses into intellectual conversations Hermione has never had with another student, much less two.
When words gets around that Hermione is studying for her O. in only a week, she becomes something of a celebrity.
"We're placing bets," James tells her one morning when he takes a seat across from Hermione at breakfast time, "on whether you'll pass or not." He seems awfully proud of himself for telling her this and Hermione wonders if the bet was his idea, or his and Sirius'.
James has taken up the habit of popping up at Hermione's side ever since Remus lent her his notes, like they've suddenly become friends by association. He only turns up when Lily isn't there though, either at class or off doing Prefect duties. Hermione hasn't seen James and Lily together since she interrupted their talk on her first day at Hogwarts, but from the amount of time James invests in tormenting her Hermione knows that something is going on.
Just the other evening, Hermione had been falling asleep over her plate when something had hit her on the cheek. It had been something small and hard, sent with enough momentum to produce a stinging effect on impact. Hearing Lily give a little shriek of pain, Hermione knew that she was under attack as well, just as another one of something small had hit her. It was James and Sirius, rolling up little balls of parchment paper and using a levitating charm to fire them at others: paper bullets.
"Are they always like this?" Hermione cries as she raises her textbook to protect her face from the assault. Lily has an unrolled parchment for protection.
"I'm afraid so. You'll get used to it."
When the firing subsides, Hermione lowers her textbook and sends the two boys her best angry look. It's a look that works well on Ron and Harry when they're being immature gits, but James and Sirius are too busy laughing at their pranks to pay much attention. James looks over at her at one point, grinning, and winks at her.
Hermione finds herself slowly growing used to James' presence and stops jumping when he approaches her suddenly, or growing nervous when he talks to her. She realizes that she can't avoid him now, so she tries to keep her interactions with him to a minimum. Going out of her way to avoid him, she realizes, only makes him more interested in hunting her down.
Sirius and Peter are another story. Hermione can't look at Sirius too long without feeling immense sorrow wash over her, and whenever she sees Peter at his side (which is always) she is simultaneously filled with rage and a strong impulse to take out her wand and hex that dirty rat. Dealing with these conflicting emotions at once is not something Hermione is a stranger to. Having to suppress the feelings out of fear of altering the past is another thing entirely. And so Hermione tries her best to avoid Sirius at all costs. If she sees Remus waving her over when Sirius is nearby she mumbles a quick excuse and makes a dash for the dorms. If Peter asks her a question at mealtime Hermione snaps the answer at him and quickly asks Lily a much more complicated question about O. that she knows Peter won't be able to follow.
The weekend for her O. comes and goes, and then she's called to Professor McGonagall's office the very next day for her results. Rapid markings were the only concession the judges had been willing to make.
Professor McGonagall congratulates her sincerely and hands her a roll of parchment. Hermione unrolls it then and there, and a rush of adrenaline lights her up. All Os! She double-checks the results again. Outstanding, she reads successively until she lands on that one subject and she can't help but smile, proud of herself: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Outstanding.
She shows the results to Lily as soon as she gets back to the common room and Lily shrieks and pulls her into a hug.
"Remus, look! She got all Outstandings. That's… Outstanding!"
"Congratulations," Remus grins.
Hermione looks over to where James and Sirius were standing just seconds ago but finds the corner vacant.
They return an hour later, arms full of sweets and crisps and…
"Is that Firewhiskey?" Lily exclaims, going through the bags of food. It's late and most of the Gryffindors have gone up to bed. The few who stayed behind grin and inch closer to the loot James and Sirius have brought back.
"And Butterbeer?" one girl says, obviously pleased.
"We had to throw a party, in celebration," James exclaims. He pulls goblets Hermione is sure they got from the kitchens out of a bag and fills them all to the brim with Butterbeer.
"A toast," he says once everyone has a cup. He looks at Hermione. "Thank you," he says, "for having made me a very wealthy man."
Hermione laughs and knows she's blushing.
She looks over at Lily, who's blushing but then says, "He's taking all the credit, but he actually had to split the pot three ways."
The other students call it a night a short time after the first drink; it's not a weekend night and getting up is hard enough as it is. But the six of them stay up late into the night celebrating, responsibilities be damned.
Hermione can't believe she's spent a week in this time period already. She can't believe how comfortable she feels around Lily and Remus and James. She can't believe that, until this very moment, she forgot that she somehow has to get back home.