A/N: I must first apologize to my readers for my extra long absence and thank you all for your patience.

A cliff notes summary to catch everyone up after the fics lengthy hiatus. The next new chapter will be up by days end.


Intermission/Summary of Events To Date

Previously: Hermione and Colin accidentally arrive in 1956 due to a mishap with Fred and George Weasley's telephone booth. On arrival, they find that their time traveling telephone booth had struck and critically injured Albus Dumbledore, who is the current Headmaster of Hogwarts. Hermione proceeds to take him to St. Mungo's, while Colin is left with the machine to analyze their chances of returning home.

Hermione encounters some problems when delivering Dumbledore to St. Mungo's, leaving a very suspicious Auror Captain Hastings to conclude that Dumbledore's condition is due to foul play.

Due to Dumbledore's incapacitated state, Tom Riddle receives the DADA position, during an interview with Deputy Headmaster Rugen, who fills in during Dumbledore's absence. On receiving the position, Riddle quits his job at Borgin and Burkes and plots his visit to St. Mungo's to relieve the Headmaster of his memories.

In the meantime, the two time travelers chat in their make-shift hideaway, where Colin reveals to Hermione that the mixture, which powered the time machine, evaporated due to a crack in the container crystal. Hermione, shocked at the possibility of remaining in the past forever, receives some relief when Colin admits to knowledge of the ingredients the Weasley twins used to create the powerful mixture that enabled the time travel (Liverwood, Trow Water, Sebal Stone). Relief turns to surprise when Colin reveals his secret profession as a smuggler of magical items.

Recognizing the cost of remaining in the past for any duration of time, various plans emerge, when Hermione recollects the Gringotts Key she wears (presented to her during her apprenticeship for emergencies.) The two set out to the goblin bank, where the vault provides Hermione with what it deems necessary—the mysterious Twinkle key, which is reported to open the lock of a magical trunk, which contains two of the necessary ingredients the time travelers need to return to their time. (full Twinkle legend in Chapter Four)

The duo then head to St. Mungo's to check on Dumbledore and see if they can obtain the lock from him, the last purported holder of the item. Their quest is stopped short when they nearly encounter Tom Riddle who intends to carry out his nefarious plan on the still unconscious Headmaster. Luckily, Riddle's devious plot is foiled unintentionally by Hastings, who has been keeping close watch over Dumbledore.

Uncertain of Riddle's true intentions and surprised at overhearing his new DADA position at Hogwarts, Colin trails Riddle, while Hermione weaves wards of protection over the comatose Headmaster. Riddle, aware of being followed, pays two goons to rough up Colin, who is later rescued by Hermione. On regrouping, they meet Beeper, a time traveling Nargle that stowed away in Hermione's purse.

With this sudden twist of events, the two time travelers scheme to get jobs at Hogwarts (to monitor Riddle and find the lock in Dumbledore's possession). Using a bit of persuasion and future knowledge, Hermione attains the divination job at Hogwarts under the new name Mirage Greenhorn (an anagram of her old name). Colin is less fortunate, which leaves the duo to resort to a bit of trickery. They head to one of Colin's old contacts to create false documentation for themselves. There, they encounter Tom Riddle for the first time. Vaguely recognizing Colin as the man who followed him earlier, Riddle becomes suspicious of them and later hires someone to look for information on the duo.

Unbeknownst to Riddle, during his encounter with Hermione and Colin, he had picked up a diminutive hitchhiker, Beeper, and unknowingly takes him home where Beeper steals Riddle's ring.

In the meantime, Colin disguises himself in his visit to Deputy Headmaster Wallace Rugen as Cicerone Levy, an Auror investigating the 'attack' on Dumbledore. During their conversation, Rugen hires him as Hogwarts' new flying instructor. This allows Colin and Hermione to move into Hogwarts, where they accidentally discover a hidden hideaway, within the school's walls.

Uncertain what to make of this discovery Hermione and Colin cast it out of their minds as they focus on finding the lock. They break into Headmaster Dumbledore's office and find an intriguing box. They are forced to leave the box behind when their search is abruptly interrupted.

As classes begin—Hermione holds her first Divination class, which reveals an interesting tarot reading (Fortune, Lovers, Devil, Death), and causes problems due to an inadvertent future Quidditch score revelation. The revelation causes others to believe her a Seer while Colin's classes lead others to believe him a klutz.

Riddle confronts Hermione, serving to intimidate her. This event leads Hermione and Colin to make a magical pact so Riddle and anyone else will not find out they're from the future.

During one of Hermione's searches through the castle for the lock, she encounters the Grey Lady, who hints of additional secrets of the castle, which are held in an indestructible map she created in her youth. While pondering the benefits of the discovery of this map and if it would help them, Hermione runs into Riddle leading to a heated exchange.

Following the exchange, Riddle meets an informant at the Hog's Head, where he discovers the 'truth' about Mirage Greenhorn, which proves unsettling (as the alias Hermione had taken also matched to that of a twenty-two year old, violent, and promiscuous pure-blooded thief and con-artist whose partner was named Ron Otter).

Hermione visits the staff library to gain more information about the map and lock only to meet with Riddle once again. Riddle, seeing his ring on her finger, which Beeper presented her with moments before, accuses her of stealing from him. He attempts to find the truth, a battle of the minds that leaves Hermione momentarily unconscious. Riddle uses this opportunity to take back his ring and place a tracking device, in the form of a similar ring, on Hermione to monitor her future steps.

Meanwhile, Colin finally obtains the box they had left behind in the Headmaster's office and overhears a suspicious conversation between Hagrid and Headmaster Rugen regarding the Forbidden Forest.

Beeper, who has been spying on the Dark Lord, experiences a class with Riddle, where he is discovered and captured. His absence is noted by Hermione who becomes quite worried. Unfortunately she is unable to investigate, due to Slughorn inviting her to supervise the dueling club. Deciding she may glean more information about Riddle and the nargle, she attends. Yet, the meeting does not go smoothly as an abrupt 'accident' results in Slughorn getting severely injured.

As Hermione brings Slughorn to the hospital wing, Riddle instructs her to meet him to discuss a proposition. While anxiously awaiting this meeting, Hermione and Colin analyze the box from the Headmaster's office. On opening it they find a secret map of Hogwarts and awaken a silent evil in the process.

Hermione meets Riddle in the staff lounge, where she is blackmailed into attending a Potion's Gala at the Ministry where she would steal Captain Hasting's wand. Hermione discusses the mission with Colin, who is surprising cheerful about the prospect. Their conversation is cut short when an ancient evil duo, decide to cause trouble and overpopulate the castle with chocolate frogs. The event is resolved by an irrate Riddle and triggers behind the scenes assistance from several unusual elves.

Next Chapter: A case of mistaken identity leads Hermione to great danger as a deceivingly quiet Potions Gala hides many secrets.