A/N: Just thought I'd explain why I gave Hermione the alias that I did in the last chapter. As I (or rather, Hermione) said, Olivia is a character in the Shakespeare play "Twelfth Night." The thing with Olivia is that she's unrequitedly in love with a guy named Cesario, but what she doesn't know is that "Cesario" is actually a girl named Viola in disguise --- and that Viola is in love with a guy named Orsino. I thought that giving Hermione the alias Olivia would be appropriate because of who she's going to fall in love with. Lily seems to be as as unattainable to Hermione as Viola is to Olivia. Like Viola, Lily is meant to be with someone else (in her case, James). I hope that clears things up.
I know the action's been a bit slow in this fic so far, but things will pick up a little bit at the end of this chapter. Plus, it's more fun to draw it out a bit. :)
Chapter Four
"But, Professor, there's something else you must know," Hermione said, as Dumbledore began scribbling a note to Madam Malkin's.
"And what is that?
"Well, the Head Girl, Lily Evans..." she began. "I already knew who she was before you told me, because she's the mother of one of my best friends."
Dumbledore stopped writing and looked up at Hermione with a grave expression on his face.
"Is that so? I wish I had known that earlier. I thought that since you were Muggleborn, you wouldn't have very many connections to current students at this school."
"I didn't when I first started at Hogwarts, but I do now, sir. Both of my friend's parents are at Hogwarts right now --- but I don't think that they know yet that they'll be married. I also know Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and...and James Potter, and Severus Snape." Hermione decided not to mention the fact she had never met Lily and James, because she didn't want to give away the fact that they had died, even to Dumbledore. "And are Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black still at Hogwarts?"
"No, Mister Malfoy and Miss Black graduated several years ago. They were also married to each other straight out of Hogwarts, but I assume that you know that."
Hermione nodded. "Their son goes to school with me, too." And what a bunch of evil gits they all are, she refrained from adding. "And I know what happens to them and lots of other people in the next few years of your time --- who joins the Order of the Phoenix and who joins the Death Eaters --- and who lives and who...who dies."
She felt a lump form in her throat at the thought of the deaths of Lily and James, the imprisonment and later death of Sirius, and of course, the death of Dumbledore himself. She had hardly been able to contain herself the entire time she'd been speaking with the Headmaster. Here he was sitting alive in front of her, when there was still that final image of him that she couldn't get out of her mind: Harry's description of the Headmaster being blasted off the Astronomy Tower by the killing curse...and of course, the image of Dumbledore's coffin, which she'd seen with her own eyes the day she attended his funeral...
Hermione shook her head, trying to banish those images from her mind and concentrate on the matter at hand. "Sir, it could be very dangerous for me to be here. Are you still sure you want to give me that chance to prove myself? There...there are worse things than me not getting to start at Hogwarts with a clean slate, and maybe losing the position of Head Girl."
"This is true," Dumbledore murmured. "Please...give me a moment to think about this."
There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, during which Dumbledore set his gaze unmovingly into the green flames of his fireplace; meanwhile, Hermione kept her own eyes on the old man's serious face, waiting anxiously for him to speak. In the background, Fawkes squawked and ruffled his feathers. Finally, Dumbledore opened his mouth.
"It would...be possible..." he said slowly, "to send you back to 1998 immediately, and then ask Professor McGonagall to obliviate my memory so that I will not be able to recall this encounter. It would be as if you never came here. But the fact remains that you did come here, and for that reason alone I feel I shouldn't send you back yet. It was wrong of you to use the Time Turner in the way you did, but perhaps...perhaps you were meant to be here."
"Meant to be here? Why would I be meant to be here?"
"Think about it, Miss Granger. What if things are the way they are in your time because you came to 1978? What if your time traveling to this year, and affecting the lives of the people you meet, is all part of the great, universal plan? I know it sounds somewhat daft. But it seems very strange to me that the Time Turner would send you to this very important period in the lives of your friends' parents, all by accident. It's quite a coincidence, don't you think?"
Hermione felt more overwhelmed than ever now; so much had happened to her in the space of an hour that she was having difficulty processing it. But at the same time, she understood what Dumbledore was saying, because she could remember what had happened at the end of her third year. Harry would never have been able to cast the Patronus charm to ward off the Dementors from Sirius if he hadn't gone back in time and seen himself doing it. Could Dumbledore possibly be right --- could it be that she was simply fulfilling her destiny (and the destinies of all whom she knew) by being here?
"But how will I know what important thing I'm supposed to accomplish, and when to do it?" she asked, the palms of her hands beginning to sweat again. "And what if I'm really not that important --- begging your pardon, but what if it really is just a mistake and a coincidence?"
"Miss Granger, my point is that we have no way of knowing! Originally I was going to keep you here because it was the right and fair thing to do. Now, I feel I must keep you here because my instincts tell me that I must; that there might be some other, unknowable reason why you were thrust into this time period. Forgive me for my lack of modesty, but it is rare when my instincts are wrong. And at this moment, my instincts are telling me that you should not be sent back to 1998 just yet --- just as I felt with so much certainty that I could trust you."
"All right," Hermione said, taking a deep breath; she felt suddenly resolved to accept what was happening to her. "I'll stay, if you really think that's what must be done." She removed the Time Turner from around her neck, and set it down on the desk in front of her Headmaster. "But how should I act when I'm around the people I know from the future? I know I shouldn't tell them about anything that happens after this year, like who they'll marry or what children they'll have..."
"No, no, of course you mustn't. After all, they'll find out for themselves in due time. And I know this might be difficult for you, but unless I ask you for information, you must not, under any circumstances, tell me --- or anyone else, for that matter ---- anything that happens that has to do with Lord Voldemort, or the actions of his followers. Even if it means saving a life," he interrupted her when he saw that she was about to speak; she closed her mouth shut again. "Believe me, it will be difficult for myself, as well, to not ask you for this information...but unless I have good reason to believe that knowing about future events will help us instead of hurt us, you must be silent on that end. Do you understand? Do you swear that you will do as I ask?"
"I...I swear," Hermione gulped. She had thought that she'd faced difficulties before, which ranged from something as relatively minor as a tough Potions essay to the dangers she'd faced every year as a result of being Harry Potter's friend. But this was an all new kind of pressure. This must be kind of what it feels like for Harry, she thought, knowing that everything you do might have a huge effect on the wizarding world.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said smiling, all the sternness gone from his face. It amazed Hermione how quickly her Headmaster could change his mood or his tone of voice; it was quite unnerving sometimes. "And now that that's settled, I will go back to calling you Miss Taylor, and making arrangements for you to study here. Let's see...I think I will tell the students and staff that you were studying at another wizarding institution, until you were forced to come to Hogwarts midway through the year. Miss Taylor, do you speak any French or German?"
"Oh...I took French at my Muggle school before I came to Hogwarts," Hermione replied, not seeing how this was relevant. "I did pretty well in my French classes..."
"Then how would you like to say that you transferred from Beauxbatons?"
Hermione raised one thin, brown eyebrow at the Professor. The old codger had certainly thought this out thoroughly.
"You can tell them that your family experienced the mysterious death of a relative in France, and as a result they pulled you out of Beauxbatons and sent you here, thinking that the attack might have been Death Eater-related and that you would be safer at Hogwarts. We have never had a transfer student here before, but I doubt people will spend much time wondering about you. And now..." Dumbledore reached into a porcelain vase that sat on his desk and pulled out a handful of what Hermione surmised must be Floo Powder. Throwing it into the fire, he called out, "Minerva, could you come to my office please?"
A few seconds later, Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace, trying to look dignified as she dusted ash off of her green robes.
"What is it, Albus?" she asked, looking sharply at him through her square-rimmed glasses. "I was in the middle of planning tomorrow's lessons...I hope this is important."
"Oh, it is, my dear Minerva. The young lady sitting before you is Miss Olivia Taylor. Due to some very sad circumstances, she was forced to leave Beauxbatons, where she had been studying for the last seven years, and take refuge here at Hogwarts. I hope you will inform the rest of the staff of her arrival."
"Oh!" McGonagall cried, suddenly taking notice of Hermione. She looked the young girl up and down with a look of surprise on her normally stern face. Finally she said, "Well, I'm sorry that you have had to join us for less than happy reasons, but welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I see you're wearing Gryffindor clothing...have you already been sorted?"
"Yes, I sorted her here in my office as soon as she arrived," Dumbledore said quickly. Though he was still facing McGonagall, he managed to wink discreetly and mischievously at Hermione with one blue eye.
"Then welcome to my House as well --- I'm head of Gryffindor," McGonagall said warmly, taking one of Hermione's hands in hers and shaking it. "Let me know if there is anything I can get for you, or help you with."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione shook McGonagall's hand back. It was very odd to be greeted by someone she'd known for years as if they were meeting for the very first time. But we really are meeting for the first time, she realized. At least, to her we are.
"You can help by making sure that there will be an extra bed in the seventh year Gryffindor girls' dormitory, and by helping her to organize her schedule of classes," Dumbledore said to McGonagall. Hermione noticed for the first time that, even when he was instructing McGonagall to do something, he didn't sound at all bossy or authorative, but rather as if his Deputy Headmistress was his equal and life-long friend. "Once that is done, I will send an owl to Madam Malkin's and Flourish & Blotts to order Miss Taylor some new robes and books. I also want to ask a favor of our Head Girl...do you think you could fetch her for me just now?"
"Just one moment, Albus." Professor McGonagall darted out of the Headmaster's office. Hermione turned back to Dumbledore, a look of curiosity in her brown eyes; what did he need to bring Lily over to his office for?
"Remember, you must never say anything to Miss Evans about what you know of her future," Dumbledore whispered to her, as if he thought the very walls had ears. Before she could inquire further about what was going on, McGonagall appeared back in the office with Lily by her side.
"Miss Evans!" Dumbledore greeted Lily cheerfully. "Thank you for coming here, once again; I am sorry that today has been such a strange and busy day for you. You remember the young lady who appeared in your dorm earlier this afternoon?"
"Of course," Lily said, fixing her startlingly green eyes on Hermione. There was no judgment in those eyes, however; Lily had an air of acceptance and empathy that reminded Hermione, strangely enough, of Luna Lovegood.
"Well, her name is Olivia Taylor, and she will be a new student at Hogwarts for the remainder of the year," Dumbledore went on. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you much else about her, because it is a private matter having to do with her family. She has undergone quite a lot of stress in the past few days, which is why she was in the state you found her in when you first met her. But suffice to say she is here now and she has been sorted into your own House. It is my hope that you will take her under your wing, as you are Head Girl now and were a prefect for Gryffindor last year. Please do everything you can to make her feel welcome here at Hogwarts, however long her stay may be."
Lily nodded cooperatively at the Headmaster, and then turned around and smiled at Hermione. It was a shy smile, but at least it was a genuine one --- not at all the kind of phony smirks that Hermione was used to getting from the likes of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. "Dinner's in a few hours, in the Great Hall. Do you want to sit with me and my friends? I'll introduce you to everybody."
"Sure, that would be great." Hermione couldn't help but smile back. All things considered, the day wasn't turning out to be quite as bad as it could be.