Once she arrived at Kings Cross, it might be best to just let events play out as they did last year until the troll, as that was what started off her friendship with Harry and Ron. This was only a possibility though, it was Ron and Seamus who ended up making her upset and run off, maybe fate would end up still making the same events play out. She would find out at the time…


Apart from a few things, Hermione was really beginning to struggle. This was such a big responsibility, one that no one could ever know about, but still a big responsibility that came with a lot of pressure, she really didn't like knowing the fact that if she didn't manipulate events so that they turned out a bit better, then the world would turn out the same awful way that it had.

It would probably be best to just start planning and philosophizing once she got to Hogwarts, everything would be put into perspective there, and she would have magic as well as unlimited access to the wide range of books about all different subjects in the Hogwarts library. The journal she had made notes about the last timeline and ideas for this timeline would cause a disaster if it fell into the hands of someone other than her. A protective spell would definitely be applied to it once she arrived at Hogwarts, she remembered how nosy Paravati and Lavender could be, and how easily someone had ransacked Harry's room.

Paravati and Lavender would only be her roommates on the condition that she was still sorted into Gryffindor. With a shudder, she realized that what she was doing now was positively Slytherin, even it was for the greater good. Technically, there was also a chance that she would go into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but she knew that Harry had persuaded the hat to place him in Gryffindor, so she could probably do the same. A different house would completely ruin her plans.

Grabbing a towel from the pile, she wrapped it round herself and headed back down the slippy stairs to her room.

Now all Hermione had to do was wait…

-&-

Today was the day that Professor Sprout would arrive, and she would officially find out that she was a witch. It would be a relief to her parents, as they had always suspected there was something different about her. Not every ten year old girl loved learning so much, had few friends and spent next to no time with her parents.

Racking her brains to try and remember the events of this day, she realized that the only reason that her parents had been in the last time was because she had asked them to take her out. For once their work hadn't been top on the list of priorities, and they agreed. It was slightly worrying actually, if the time was out then they might still go to work. If the timeline changed, even for something as minor as her parents not being there to meet Pomona Sprout, she didn't know what would happen. Hopefully, she would be able to catch them in time.

Rolling out of bed, she grabbed the robe she had discarded the night before. Pulling it on, she bolted down the stairs, hoping to meet her parents there. They weren't in the living room, so she headed to the kitchen, where she couldn't see them either. Paolo was, however, standing there. He normally only worked a few hours a day except the weekend, it looked like he had only just gotten here.

"Have you seen my parents?" she asked, trying not to seem too urgent.

"I'm sorry, they left a few minutes ago for work," said Paolo.

Wordlessly, Hermione spun round on her heel and began climbing the marble staircase once more. It had only taken a week, and she had already changed the timeline. It might have a ripple effect as well, maybe a patient would be treated who wasn't in the other timeline might be killed in the dentists chair or something equally bad. Mad Eye Moody might have influenced her too much though, maybe she was just being paranoid.

As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the doorbell ring. Cursing under her breath, a word no ten year old should know, she began the descent down the stairs once more. It was times like this she really didn't like living in such a big house.

Opening the door, she was met by a smiling, slightly chubby woman wearing deep green robes, that she recognized as Professor Sprout.

Careful not to show any sign of recognition to the professor, she maintained an indifferent, slightly curious expression.

"Hello?" said Hermione.

"Hello, dear. May I come in?" asked the smiling witch.

"Urm," said Hermione. "Who are you?"

"I'm Professor Sprout, I teach at a special school an I've come to offer you a place," she said, after struggling to find the right words.

"I guess you can come in," replied Hermione.

Sprout followed her through into the living room and they both sat down with a cup of steaming hot chocolate on the squishy red sofa in the corner of the room…

A/N: Combined my new, short chapter with chapter 4 on 14th November. Please vote in my poll!