I do not own any of these characters.
A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. It isn't anything special, if anything, it's quite boring. It just has a bit of recap over Hermione's past or future, and then a meeting in Dumbledore's office between Order members. If you don't like this chapter, I'm sorry, but I've been really busy and I had trouble with this chapter, especially since I couldn't sit down long enough to get even four paragraphs in at a time. I'm sorry for the wait, but I've been really busy and exhausted. I'll try to update sooner next time. - Min
Wally4ever: I'm glad that you knew it was coming! I haven't really watched much of Gilmore Girls, but I heard it was good. Whenever you do write a fanfic on it, I'll read it if you like. I know the 'super hero Remus' thing was a bit off, but I have to get the story to where he's starting to see Hermione in a different way. I mean, it's only on the third or so day, but it needs to start off somewhere. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, so please stay patient.
Evil Cat Hater: Thanks! To answer your first question, the dreams Hermione is having are slightly intentional but they aren't too important. They're considerably just past memories, but there's a bit more to it than just that. Second question, to honestly put it, he gets mixed feelings about her, but it's nothing too drastic. And third… even though that wasn't really a question, yes! I like the character of Professor Ian also, that's why I made him like I did. I don't want him to be like other people make the Defense professors, I hate going with other clichés.
Amrawo: Thanks! Hermione will explain the boggart in this chapter because of course, the Marauders will ask her questions and whatnot. There will be more Remus/Hermione action soon, so, just hold on.
LunaLovegoss: Thank you! I was hoping that the prophecy and boggart part would go good with my fic. I was sort of skeptical about it all, but I guess it was a good idea, for the most part.
The-kaiba-heir: Yay! I know the whole boggart speaking part was a bit odd, but when you read this chapter, I'm pretty sure you'll find out why it did. I'll put an A/N afterwards to explain it if you don't get it.
Reanne1102: Thank you! I'm glad that I'm not following all the other clichés, or at least, not to an extent. This story is my first fanfic that I've written, but I have a few others that I've thought of and typed out but never published. I'm hoping I don't get writers block either, but I have a lot of things already planned out, so… I'm just having a bit of problems with this chapter because well, I don't know. Here's the update!
"She hasn't woken up yet, now please leave. You can come see her in the morning."
"But we want to see her now!"
"Is she okay?"
"She'll be fine, but she needs her rest! She's not awake right now, so she's not fit to see visitors."
"But--"
Hermione heard people talking loudly from somewhere to her right. She tried to focus on who it was speaking, but the voices were disoriented. She scrunched her eyes up against the light of the room and slowly moved so that she could lay on her side.
She felt exhausted and tired but for some reason, she couldn't exactly remember why. Everything seemed foggy in her mind at the moment. Dark images of something involving Harry moved in and out of her mind though just out of reach for her to exactly grasp the fact about him; it wouldn't come to her. Fighting back the urge to open her eyes and look around, she listened to the people in the room.
"But Poppy--"
"Mr. Black, I will not have that today."
"Madam Promfrey, please, just let us see her. We just want to see her, that's all."
There was silence for a bit, then, "Fine, but you have to leave soon. It's almost time for curfew."
There was some muttered thanks and shuffling, then Hermione could hear them move over to her. She opened her eyes slightly to see blurry images of the Marauders walking over to her.
"Hello, guys." She said scratchily after they had all sat down, not noticing she was awake.
She saw Peter jump, but Remus was immediately at her side. "Hermione, are you okay?"
She nodded a bit, feeling anything but fine. She cleared her throat then asked, "What happened?"
There was a bit of silence and then James simply said from her left, "After Defense class, you sort of just passed out. Whatever happened with the boggart got to you I guess."
"Oh.. Yeah, I remember now…" Hermione mumbled, looking up at the ceiling then continued speaking, her voice indifferent, "I suspect that you want answers, huh?"
More silence greeted her, then Sirius said calmly, "Yes, we do want some answers, but if you want to not talk about it right now, you can just tell us later."
Hermione looked tiredly at him, then struggled to sit up. Remus didn't hesitate to help pull her up into a comfortable sitting position, then she cleared her throat again. Before she began telling them anything, she looked around the room, making sure they were alone.
The hospital room was quiet and oddly bright looking because of all the white in it and the cleanness of everything. The boys sat, two on each side of her bed. They all looked at her with eyes full of worry and curiosity. Peter looked so innocent, sitting with his friends. Sirius looked so alive and carefree, and Remus had the air of happiness around him, not like in her time where he was always depressed. James just looked… alive, that's all she could put to him.
The girl averted her eyes from any of their gazes, then took in a deep breath. "I don't care how crazy any of you think I am… but I'm going to say this anyways, whether you believe it or not. Lily already knows and believes me, and she's really all I need if you guys don't trust me. I just want you all to not speak of this to anyone else without my okay. Dumbledore said I was allowed to use my judgment on telling people, and I think this is the right time to tell you all. I have no other way to explain the situation with the boggart without telling you the whole story anyways, and I don't think I could lie to any of you."
When Hermione paused after that, knowing the last part was true and James reached out and patted her on the shoulder encouragingly. "We will trust you Hermione and we won't abuse anything you tell us. We will respect you."
She gave him a small smile. "Alright, well… here it goes." She breathed in, then finished lamely, "I'm from the future."
Everyone was looking at her by that time but when she said that, their eyes remarkably becoming the size of saucers, then they each glanced to one another before taking a double-take of her. The only sound was the shifting of them as they moved in their chairs, and the rustle of clothing against clothing. Hermione just looked down at her hands, refusing to make eye contact with any of them.
It seemed like an eternity that they sat like that. Seconds passed and no one uttered a single word, but Hermione knew that the boys were communicating in their secret marauders' code. She'd seen them earlier that day in the halls, looking at one another in silent speech with gestures that were hardly noticeable.
Hermione suddenly felt very self-conscious. She began to fidget with the hem of her blanket and she bit down on her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood. The boys must have noticed her discomfort because James was the first to say anything.
"Huh.. Well… that might explain a lot." He said oddly, "I mean… the night that you arrived and… and…"
Hermione let out a small, almost inaudible laugh. There was no humor in it, but all the same, it was a laugh. She knew they didn't know what to say or even believe. Right now, she knew they were fighting a battle with their minds about whether to believe her or not. Brushing aside a curl of her brown hair that had fallen in her face, she looked up and met James' eyes with her own.
"Even if you don't believe that, I still have a right to explain a few things. I trust you all with my life, therefore, I trust you not to tell anyone anything that I'm about to tell you. Are you willing to listen to me?"
"We'll listen to you Hermione." Remus said quietly and reached ever-so-slowly and rested his hand on top of one of hers. Without looking at him, Hermione knew he was blushing fiercely at the gesture he'd just made, but Hermione knew he'd only meant to try to comfort her; and she appreciated it.
Hermione, having been around boys all her life, didn't find it unsettling at the least. Before even registering what she was doing, she turned her hand so that her palm was pressed up against his and entwined her fingers with his, squeezing the boys hand firmly to let him know her thanks. She'd always done things like this with Ron and Harry, so it didn't bother her or even cross her mind as odd. It was a type of comfort to her and her old friends.
Closing her eyes tightly, the girl sighed deeply. "To begin with, I'll tell you this. I'm from the future, twenty years from now. I was attending Hogwarts for my sixth year; just as I am now in this time. On Halloween night, in my time, Professor Dumbledore was holding a Formal Halloween Ball, but during the ball, my… enemy, you could say, got the better of me and cornered me outside by the lake. I was wandless and he took that as an advantage. He tried to hex me that night, but something went wrong and the spell was cast awkwardly. Before either of us knew what was going on, I passed out. When I awoke, I was by the lake in this time. I wasn't aware of anything of course, and well… I had a run in with a few people."
Hermione had said the last of her words in a whisper, giving Remus' hand another squeeze and turning to look him firmly in the eyes. What she saw though, when she turned to look at the boy, didn't surprise her much.
Fear, hurt, and confusion swirled around in his blue eyes. His face was paler than usual, and he was shaking slightly, unnoticed by any of the other boys, but she knew. Hermione knew what the russet haired boy was thinking; it was obvious to her.
"Remus, I don't care about that." She whispered, her eyes locking onto his. "It doesn't matter what you are, it's who you are that matters."
The boy had been trying to avert his eyes from hers, but when she said that, he just seemed to freeze in place. The look on his face now was of surprise and even more confusion, but also of relief. Hermione gave him a reassuring smile; a warm and friendly one.
"I'm guessing you know us in the future then?" Sirius asked after being silent for a long time.
It was Hermione's turn to become pale. She tore her eyes away from Remus' and looked at the other boy. "I know the majority of you, to some extent." She replied carefully.
"To some extent?" Peter finally spoke from beside Remus.
"Yes. You'll have to remember, in my time, you all are twenty years older. I've been acquainted with most of you and my best friend is--" She snapped her mouth shut before saying any more.
"Who's your best friend?" Peter asked her, speaking up for the second time.
Hermione was silent for a moment, then thoughtfully removed the locket from around her neck. She never took it off unless she had to. She opened it up and looked down at the pictures of her three best friends in her time. They were all waving and smiling up at her. Tears sprung up in her eyes and she smiled fondly at the pictures. She then leant over and handed the locket over to James. "James' son is one of my best friends. There he is, in the picture with the girl."
James' eyes nearly popped right out of his head as he peered at the picture at his son. They looked almost identical except for the eyes and nose. Hermione couldn't help but let out a choked laugh, watching Harry's father stare into his sons face.
"Is this real?" James asked shakily, not taking his eyes off of the picture.
"It is, James. Gods, I miss him so much…"
Sirius took the locket from his best friend and examined it. "Blimey, this bloke looks just like James! Except for the eyes, those look… oddly familiar."
Remus reached over and took the locket from Sirius and gaped at the picture for a moment, then despite his earlier reactions to everything he'd been told, he let out a snort of laughter and Sirius, who was now red in the face from trying to hold in his laughter but couldn't anymore, laughed loudly and nearly fell out of his chair."
"James has a son!" He managed to cry out, holding onto his right side.
"Yes, he does." Hermione retorted, though secretly, she was hiding a smile.
"You hear that Pronsie? You have a son!"
James was apparently still in shock. "I can't believe it… I have a son."
Hermione nodded. "His name is Harry."
James smiled slightly, then said to himself. "Harry… Harry Potter."
When he said that, the girl looked down at her hands again. A single tears fell down her cheek at the mention of her friends' name but there was a slight upturn of her lips. Still looking at her hands, she tried to keep her voice calm. "Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Evans."
There was a shocked silence that followed her words. She knew that saying that would shock them, seeing that Lily seemed to hate James.
"L-Lily?" James blurted out after a few minutes.
"Yes, Lily." Hermione flashed him a watery smile. "I was shocked to see how much she hated you when I first came here, but she obviously doesn't hate you as much as she acts. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten married."
"Married!" James cried out and actually did fall out of his chair.
"What did you expect, Prongs? That you'd have a kid but not get married?" Remus said, laughter evident in his voice.
Harry's father sat up, his head now visible over the side of the bed. He had a huge grin on his face by now. "It's just a shock to hear that, and with Lily!"
Everyone laughed, even Hermione. After they had quieted down, Sirius looked at Hermione with a huge grin. "I suppose that his son is just like him, eh? A troublemaker, no doubt."
He was about to continue, but his mouth shut when he saw the sadness that resided in the brown haired girls eyes. She tilted her head to the side, not looking at any of the Marauders now, but at the wall opposite of her. "Honestly, to say the least, Harry is a troublemaker… but only to a certain degree. Things happened in his life that have left his scarred. He doesn't have the same carefree attitude that James has. His is more cautious and disheartened. He never had a normal childhood. He's too mature for his age."
"What do you mean things have happened in his life to leave him scarred?" James demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius was right beside him, demanding what had happened to his best friends son.
Hermione flinched a bit at the demand, then her eyes flickered over to Peter. He wasn't looking at her, but at James. The other boys however, saw her gaze and all looked at the shorter boy. He was surprised by the action, and involuntarily let out a small squeak.
Hermione shook her head roughly and said in a strained voice, "When Harry was a baby, Voldemort tried to kill him." Everyone shuddered or flinched when she said the Dark Lord's name as they once again glued their eyes on her, but she set her jaw firmly and continued. "After numerous events that had happened, Voldemort had attacked Harry, but when he cast the killing curse at him, it rebounded onto him and left him broken. People claimed that he had died, but some claimed he was still alive, bidding his time somewhere and in truth, he was. He wasn't gone, not entirely, but he wasn't human."
"Wait, what do you mean? And why was he after James' son?" Sirius asked, clearly confused.
"There was a prophecy," She began, knowing it would take a while to explain everything, "The prophecy spoke of a boy that would have powers that the Dark Lord knows not, and to be rash, it pretty much said that that boy would be the only person who could defeat Voldemort. The boy that the prophecy speaks of just so happened to be Harry, your son. So of course, Voldemort wanted to get rid of him, not wanting any chances of the boy growing up and defeating him--"
"But where were Lily and I at the time?" James interrupted.
The girl looked warily at the boy that had cut her off. "I can't say that right now. I don't want to, actually. I could, but I wont."
"Why?" Sirius inquired, suspicious of the girl in the bed in front of him.
"Because, I don't want to put too much on any of you. There's a lot that happens in your futures that could leave one, if not all of you, scarred. Anything I say can hurt all of you emotionally." She said bitterly.
"You can go ahead and tell us." He replied stubbornly.
"I don't want to. There's a few things that I can keep to myself for the time being. You can't force me to say anything that I don't want to." She shot at him, causing him to look as if he was about to jump on her and strangle her until she told them. "Now let me continue my story. As I was saying, Harry caused Voldemort to disappear for twelve years (A/N: I think that's right), and Harry started school at Hogwarts. I met him in my first year, and it really was by surprise that we became friends. Him and Ron, my other best friend, the other one in the locket," She pointed Ron out and the boys passed the locket around, "both thought I was a stuck up know-it-all and would actually make fun of me. I had no friends for a long time. Halloween night in our first year, some things happened and I was cornered by a mountain troll. Harry and Ron showed up and knocked it unconscious and we soon became friends. We were practically inseparable after that." Hermione flashed the group a smile. "We were almost like you Marauders, except, we were the Golden Trio."
The Marauders looked at her with surprise, but they smiled back. "Did you guys get into a lot of trouble?"
"You could say that, but we were usually able to get ourselves out of the trouble we put ourselves in." She grinned cheekily at the boys.
Remus, still thinking over what she said, asked, "How did your friends defeat a mountain troll in their first year? I mean, that's nearly impossible, even for some adults."
"I guess it was just luck." The girl answered with a shrug. "I was lucky though. If they hadn't shown up, I would have died most likely, but to be honest, it was their fault that I was in trouble."
"How so?" James asked. He had long since crawled back into his chair.
"Well, like I said before, they would make fun of me. They had just said a few harsh things that day about me and I overheard them. I had hid in one of the bathrooms and well… that's where I got cornered." She smiled slightly, a small blush spreading across her cheeks.
Sirius laughed, and James smiled. Remus was a different story though. He didn't think any of it was funny. Peter looked at her in awe, like he would his other friends. Hermione looked at the boy with sadness, but she smiled at him and he smiled shyly back at her.
"Well, the mountain troll doesn't explain what happened in my son's life." James said thoughtfully, stroking his chin while looking at Hermione. "What else happened?"
The girl shifted a bit in her hospital bed. "During that year, some things were going on that my friends and I thought were a bit suspicious. Dumbledore was hiding something that only the teachers knew about. I was skeptical about everything that Harry and Ron claimed, but curiosity got the better of me in the end and we became determined to find out what was happening. Our accusations were off but we did save the Sorcerers Stone from Voldemort that year. We had to go through a lot of things, like devils snare, flying keys, a giant game of chess, and deadly potions. Harry had to face Voldemort on his own though, but Harry won the battle." She smiled fondly at the memories. "Then second year came, and The chamber of secrets was opened."
"What? That's just a myth!" Sirius said incredulously.
"Actually, it's not. Its real. During our second year, strange things started to happen. Kids were soon attacked by something that left them petrified as stone. I myself was attacked." She gave a lopsided grin at another memory and the boys stared at her in shock. "I didn't get to see the final battle, but what I was told, Harry and Ron went down into the chamber with our Defense professor to save Ron's sister, Ginny, the other one in the locket, but Ron got stuck with the professor who'd had his mind erased from a backfired spell. Harry had to go into the Chamber of Secrets without Ron and found Ginny, but was attacked by the monster; a basilisk. He fought it and killed it with a bit of help from Fawkes, and then had to go up against Voldemort again. It wasn't really Voldemort, it was really just memories of Tom."
"Tom? You said that earlier in Defense. You called that the boggart guy Tom." Remus cut in, looking frantically at Hermione. "Don't tell me that that guy the boggart turned into was Voldemort…"
Hermione looked at him sadly. "I'm afraid that it was; his future self."
"You can't be serious? That guy is terrifying." James said seriously and shuddered as the image of Voldemort flashed across his mind.
"I'm serious. Voldemort is… well. He's not human, or, wasn't at the time. Things changed though. Our third year didn't have anything to do with Voldemort but some important things happened, and that's where I met three of the infamous Marauders." Hermione smiled at them as they looked up at her eagerly.
"How?" They all asked in unison.
Hermione stared down and plucked at her white sheet before responding. "Every year, we had a new Defense professor, and it just so happened that the one for our third years' name was Professor Lupin."
Everyone's eyes moved to Remus and he looked at Hermione, shocked. "You knew! That's why you said on the way to the library that you had a feeling that I would be a Defense teacher! You knew the whole time…"
"Of course and to tell you the truth, you were the best DADA teacher that Hogwarts ever had. You were everyone's favorite teacher, apart from the Slytherin's, and Severus was furious that you'd gotten the job."
"Snape? You mean Snivellus? What was he doing there?" Sirius asked apprehensively.
"Severus is the potions teacher in my time." Hermione replied airily.
"That greasy git became a professor!" Peter, James, and Sirius cried out at the same time.
"He's a good professor, except for the fact that he favors the Slytherin's." The girl told them truthfully.
"No surprise there." Muttered Peter under his breath, surprising everyone in the room.
They all ignored his comment, and Remus spoke to Hermione. "You said you met three of us Marauders. How'd you meet Peter and Sirius?"
Hermione winced inwardly, knowing that they assumed she knew James because she was friends with his son. "The second one I met was Sirius but I met Peter shortly after. But… honestly, some horrible things had happened and well… I don't wan to talk about it. This is better left untold." She looked sadly at Sirius and Peter, trying to get them to understand.
"It couldn't be anything that bad, could it?" James questioned.
"It's just a major part in history that I wouldn't like to say. Even though I'm here to change some things, that doesn't mean I should change everything and with the information I have, it could easily hurt you all." The girl said sullenly. "Please understand and respect that. You don't know how hard it is for me."
All of the boys nodded despite their feelings and motioned for her to continue.
So, Hermione threw herself into a long, painful story of everything that had happened between her third year and the beginning of her sixth year but excluding the events of the Marauders. By the time she was done with that part, her throat had become rather hoarse and the boys were looking at her in shock.
"All of you went through that? That's just… That's just…" Sirius stuttered, not being able to find the words for it.
"Horrible." James whispered. "Hermione, we're sorry. I don't see how you can keep so much of this inside of you without going crazy."
Hermione looked gratefully at the boy. "That's why I… I have nightmares. I'm glad you understand."
Remus gave her an apologetic look and squeezed her hand gently. She looked at him appreciatively before continuing with her story. "Now… going back to what originally started this conversation; the boggart. What happened earlier today in class is actually quite simple; to me anyway. First, the boy you saw the boggart turn into first would be James' son, Harry but you also saw Voldemort transform from Harry. The only reason it did that is because I'm scared that Harry will turn out like Voldemort. Because of everything he's been through, he's gone into depression. He blames himself for so much and he is mad at the world most of the time. That's how Tom was, before he became the Dark Lord."
"So, you mean that Harry might turn out like You-Know-Who?" James asked in a shaky voice.
"Yes… Dumbledore is or was… or will be," Hermione said exasperatedly, not being able to get her tenses right, "worried about him too. That's only part of the deal with the boggart, sadly. The boggart today also began to reveal pieces of my past, as you know by it speaking. Boggart's don't usually speak, as you probably know. My fear for people finding out what and who I am is equal to my fear of Harry becoming like Voldemort and that's actually a lot…"
Everyone in the room seemed to wear the same expressions on their faces. It was a mixture of sadness, understanding, confusion, and also fear. That unnerved Hermione the most; fear.
"Please, give me your word, all of you, that you won't tell anyone about this."
"We wont. You have our word." All four of them whispered.
"Well… I hate to just usher you all away, but I'm really tired now, and I think it's time for us to go to sleep. It must be past curfew and I don't want any of you getting in trouble. I'm surprised Madam Promfrey hasn't come to get you guys out yet." Hermione told them and let herself fall backwards on the soft hospital bed.
"Yeah I guess you're right, 'Mione." James told her and stood up. Soon, all of the followed suit. James went over to Hermione so he could look her strait in the face. "Thanks for trusting us with this. We respect everything you said, and we wont let anything slip."
Hermione gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you all trust me."
James returned the smile and hugged her tightly before leaving. Sirius came over to Hermione next and hugged her firmly, the way Harry used to hug her. After saying goodnight, he joined James out the door and it was Remus' turn to stand next to Hermione.
"Hermione…"
"Yes, Remus?" Hermione looked up at the boy with heavy lids, knowing sleep was going to envelop her soon.
"I-I want to thank you f-for not being disgusted at me for what I am." He stuttered, Looking down at his feet.
"Why would I be disgusted with you, Remus?" Hermione questioned tiredly, reaching out and taking his hand into hers again. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
He looked at her, sadly. "Hermione, most people are scared of werewolves. You're the only girl who knows what I am, besides my mum and the professors. I figured you would have been appalled of me…"
"Remy, trust me, if I was appalled by you, I wouldn't be holding your hand right now." Hermione mumbled as her eyes closed.
She hadn't realized she'd called him 'Remy' but the boy obviously noticed. His face flushed a dark red color and he gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Thank you…"
He slowly let go of her hand and Hermione opened her eyes a bit to see him turn around and leave. Peter was now the only boy left in the room. He moved towards her hesitantly and stood quietly beside her bed.
Hermione gave him a smile. "Goodnight Peter. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"
His eyes darted from her to the door where his friends had left. "Y-Yeah.. Goodnight, Hermione."
Before Hermione could say anything else, he dashed out of the room. With a sigh, Hermione thought over everything she'd told them that day. She hoped she hadn't told them too much but there was no way to tell if she had or not. Hermione closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep.
In Dumbledore's office the next morning, there was a small crowd of people cluttered around the Headmaster's desk. Professor McGonagall, MadEye Moody, a remarkably younger Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and of course, Dumbledore himself, were discussing the whereabouts of Voldemort.
"I think he might be residing somewhere to the west of Surrey." Mr. Potter proclaimed.
"Yes, there were a few sightings of known Death Eaters around there." Mrs. Potter informed.
"Seeing Death Eaters around there doesn't mean much." Grumbled Moody while staring down into the pensive that Dumbledore had acquired and was now sitting on his desk.
"But it's a good chance." Mr. Potter declared. "It's better than just going around doing nothing. Even if he isn't there, then there is still a chance of getting a hold of a few of those Death Eater's."
McGonagall looked at Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk with his wand prodding at the silvery substance inside the pensive. "Albus, what are we going to do? We know nothing at the moment, and it'd be stupid if we just walked blindly into trap. Last time we 'spotted' Death Eaters somewhere, it had been a ruse."
"Yes, yes, I remember Minerva. Don't fret, though. I actually have an announcement to make, and I believe that what I have to say, and show you, will provide a large amount of information." Dumbledore said, looking up at each individual in the room with twinkling eyes.
"What ever do you mean, Albus?" Mrs. Potter asked.
"What I mean…" Dumbledore began, then stood up slowly, his wand now moving about in the pensive counter clock wise. "That we have someone that can tell us things about Voldemort that no one else knows, not even Voldemort himself."
"Do you mean you found an actual seer?" McGonagall demanded.
"No, Minerva. Not a seer." The older man looked up at Minerva. "You remember Miss Granger, I assume?"
"Wait! Albus, you can't be serious! She's just a child!" McGonagall took a step back, bewilderment etched across her face. "That child can't know that much!"
"Actually, Miss Granger has faced more than what half of the members of the Order in this time have been up against." Dumbledore motioned for the confused group to move closer to his desk. "Here was a brief meeting I had with the child, everyone, in you get."
Everyone in the room hesitated for a moment, then they all, one by one, plunged into the pensive. They landed in Dumbledore's office and the Headmaster himself was sitting behind his desk. There was a knock on the door, and the entire group turned when the pensive-Dumbledore told the person to come in.
A sixth year student stepped into the office, fear clearly visible on her face. She was wearing a lavender colored dress, though there were spots of dirt on the fabric and on the girl herself.
"Why is the girl dressed like that?" Mrs. Potter asked quietly as she stood by her husband.
"Alas, this is right after she appeared in this time." Dumbledore said, indicating the girl.
"Erm… Professor Dumbledore…" The brown haired girl began, catching everyone's attention.
"Sit down and explain why you're here at such a late hour, Miss….?"
"Professor, it's me, Hermione.. Hermione Granger…"
"Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say.. I don't know who you are."
"But… what…." The girl sat down. "I don't know what's going on…"
"Miss Granger, please, kindly explain what has happened."
The Order members stood quietly, listening to the girls explanation. Mrs. Potter was looking at the girl in awe, her eyes large and mouth slightly open. Moody looked calm, though by the way he watched the pair in front of him, it was obvious he was curious. Mr. Potter seemed the same as Moody, and McGonagall looked at the girl in complete shock.
Molly and Arthur watched the girl apprehensively as she told her story and Molly nearly fainted when she told the part about the werewolf.
"Miss Granger, I believe you have gone back in time twenty years."
"What! What do you mean I've gone back in time twenty years?"
"I believe that when mister Malfoy hit you with his misshapen spell, it sent you back in time. That is my theory from what you have told me. I did feel a slight alteration in time not too long ago and I suppose that was you arriving in this time, Miss Granger. I know what you will be asking me soon though, and no, I do not know how to get you back to your own time…--"
Professor Dumbledore looked at the others. "So you see, she had came here the night of Halloween. I looked through her mind, and was pleased to see that everything she had told me was true and that I could trust her. Now, onto the next meeting I had with her."
The scene around them switched slightly, fading and then reappearing clearly. Dumbledore was standing by his office door, talking to someone outside.
"Professor, I need to talk to you. About some.. Things."
"Well, Miss Granger, I was going to speak with you in the morning about some things also, but since you're here already, have a seat. Now, first off, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"
"Sir… I know I'm being stupid about all of this, but I can't figure a way to get out of these situations I've been putting myself in. Since I came here yesterday, my memories have been… more perceptible in my mind. My past, or future, whatever you want to consider it, is haunting me more than it had before. I have the chance to change everything, but I can't. I've already had a breakdown, and I was hardly able to abstain myself from telling the Marauders about their future…"
"Ah, Miss Granger, this is along the subject I wanted to talk to you about. I have a friend, who is an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries. I sent him an owl yesterday evening after you came and spoke with me about your problem. He, that is to say, the Unspeakable, has told me about a recently discovered prophecy. He told me that the prophecy had said, 'One from the time yet to come shall slip into the past of which the reign of the Dark Lord shall be at one of its weakest. Thereafter, the chosen will have to seek out the Lord and his followers to diminish the darkness that will plague our lives in the future. The chosen, and only the chosen, will come to us and change what will be the future.'"
"I don't understand, Sir…"
"Of course, I hardly understand it myself. I had a brief meeting with the Unspeakable today, and we were discussing the matter. He came up with the conclusion that you are the chosen one that the prophecy speaks of. We cannot be sure of that though, but it is the best we could come up with."
"Sir… if this prophecy is meant for me, does that mean… I'm allowed to change the future?"
"Indeed, that is what the prophecy has pointed out."
The whole group listened intently at the explanation before Arthur asked, "So this child is destined to kill You-Know-Who?"
"Yes, sadly." Dumbledore concluded. "But Miss Granger is determined, I can tell. See?"
"I'm willing to do… whatever it takes to help out in the future. I don't want what has happened to happen again. If I can, I will save Harry from all the torment he has witnessed, I will save Sirius and the Potters, I will--"
"What is this about the Potters?"
"What about us!" Shrieked Mrs. Potter.
"Do not get upset, just listen." The Headmaster looked at her sadly. "She will explain."
"I guess.. I guess since I'm here to change the future… I can tell you. In a few years, Voldemort will have come to stronger power than he is now, but that is logical. He targets the Potters, and goes to see them about this time in the year. At that period, James and… Lily will have gone into hiding with their son, Harry. They will make Sirius secret keeper but at the last minute, there was a change in positions. Sirius chose someone else to take on the job, knowing that Voldemort would target himself by knowing he'd be chosen for the situation. The person that Sirius had switched with… was on Voldemort's side and sold the Potter's to him. That night, Voldemort came to them, as I said, and killed James."
"NO!" Mr. Potter had to grab his wife to keep her from falling over. "No! She has to be lying!"
"After James was out of his way, he advanced on Lily. He wanted to kill their son, that's why he was there. Lily protected her son, gave her life away to save him. Because of that, when Voldemort turned his wand on Harry to use the Avada Kadavra curse, it backfired on him, leaving him nothing more than a broken… spirit, perhaps that would be the word for it. He disappears for thirteen years after that…"
"So, he targets the Potters because of their son?"
"Yes, sir. He doesn't stay gone though, he does return. Harry had to go up against him four times since he started at the future Hogwarts. I was there with him the last time… because he was after the prophecy that would be the weapon to killing Harry. I don't want it to happen again, Professor. Many innocent lives will be taken because of what happens. I want to stop it if I can…"
"Albus, this can't be true?" Snapped McGonagall from where she stood.
"I'm afraid it is." Dumbledore looked over at the Potters. "Emily, please calm down. There is something important here. Hermione is here to change what will be the future, and in the process, it's up to her to kill Voldemort. By doing so, your son and his family will be left alone."
"Are you sure Albus?" The teary eyed woman responded, wiping at her eyes. "My son will be left alone?"
"Yes, that is what I gather. This girl is the link to winning this war. She has witnessed many things in her life, along with her friends and is not afraid of Voldemort. Indeed, she even says his name…"
Everyone flinched, like they had been doing all night. "But Albus, this child can't actually defeat You-Know-Who!" Molly said exasperatedly. "I won't have it!"
"Molly, there is nothing you can do about it. It's fates choice, not ours. She is old enough to make her decisions, and I daresay from what she told me that her and her friends have been up against, this will just be like everything else for her."
"I hope you know what you're doing Albus." Molly cried, waving her arms in the air wildly. "Children shouldn't have to do this!"
"This is her choice, actually. She said she wanted to, and I'm allowing her to do so. As a matter-of-fact I'll allow her to tell you herself. She is in the hospital wing at the moment, but after Poppy allows her to leave, then I will have her come down here and introduce herself." Dumbledore's eyes held a mysterious twinkle. "And Molly, I have reason to believe that in her time, she knows both you and your husband."
"What?" Molly shrieked, surprised by what the Headmaster had said.
"Molly, don't get too worked up." Arthur said nervously.
"It's just a shock, Arthur. Someone who knows things about us but we know nothing about them. It's just… it's just… outrageous!" She huffed.
"I believe you all will actually be quite pleased with Miss Granger. She is a responsible youth." Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
"I don't doubt that, that of all people, a child has to defeat him." Minerva sighed.
"Yes, well I believe it is time to return to my office."
Everyone soon found themselves back in the present Headmasters office. Conversation broke out at once and Dumbledore sat down at his desk. Alas, this will be a long year… he sighed.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and everyone hushed. Dumbledore smiled. "I believe that would be Miss Granger."
A/N: Blah. This chapter really did turn out horribly. I'm hoping my next chapter will be loads better, but I have been doing so much lately that I think I'm going to literally kill over. Please, read and review if you want. Thank you guys for your patience.
I also have another story that I've decided to write. This story will pretty much be set after Harry's sixth year, but I'm going to act like the sixth book never came out. The fanfiction is going to be pretty hurried at the beginning, where Harry has his last battle with Voldemort, then goes into hiding after he defeated him in fear of being thrown into Azkaban or also in fear of being idolized for the rest of his life. During the battle, his appearance changed, so now, instead of the raven haired boy we all know, he is now winter-haired boy! (A/N: He has white hair. Something happend and it pretty much stripped his hair of all color.) So... he has a new look and he tries to disappear from the life he knows, but he can't hide forever, and everyone starts to get a clue that he's still alive. It doesn't sound to interesting, but I'm hoping to actually make it interesting. So, I'll be typing for two stories now, so it might take longer to update, depending on if I can get onling more. I wont be publishing my next fanfiction until I have a few chapters written, so I'll post on here when I do publish it in case anyone wants to read it. - Min