A/N

See last author's note.

Chapter 2

Hermione had already position everything she needed for class when Harry and Ron came in. They stopped in front of her, trying hard to decide if it was safe to sit down next to her.

Hermione sighed. On her way down to the Great Hall to apologize to Ginny she had calmed down and realized how bad she had acted. And the fact that she might have scared of her best friends forever was almost killing her.

"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier; I don't know what came over me. Please sit down."

The boys sighed of relief and sat down, one on each side of her. Hermione smiled at them and enthusiastically began to take notes when McGonagall entered and began the lecture.

"Class dismissed. Miss Granger, a word."

Hermione was at first surprised that McGonagall had asked her to stay behind but then remembered that she had lost Gryffindor thirty points that morning. She was probably wondering how her star student could be late for class.

"You guys go ahead; I'll catch up with you later."

"Why does she want to talk to you?" Ron wondered.

"It's probably nothing," she said, not wanting to worry them.

"But—"

"Miss Granger, if you could come with me to my office."

Hermione smiled at the boys, trying to hide the panic she felt about meeting alone with her head of house. Truth be told, being alone and exposed to an angry McGonagall scared the hell out of her.

"See you later."

Hermione swung her bag over her shoulder and followed McGonagall into her office. She gulped when she heard the door close behind her.

"Take a seat miss Granger."

Hermione sat down in one of the chairs that stood opposite McGonagall's great wooden desk and waited for her to begin. The professor sat down behind the desk and shook her head at the sight of the terrified girl. "I'm not going to yell at you Miss Granger. You've done nothing wrong."

Hermione's head snapped up and she smiled relieved. "Really?"

"Yes. I heard that you were late this morning and lost us thirty points, but no one is perfect Miss Granger, and that's why I asked you here."

"What do you mean, professor?" Hermione asked puzzled.

"I've watched you for several weeks Miss Granger, and I've see how much pressure you're under. Maybe giving you that badge—"

Hermione panicked. "No professor, please! I don't want to lose it! I'll work harder, I promise!"

McGonagall made a face that Hermione thought was suppose to be a smile. "I'm not going to take your badge away, you earned it. But I think you have too much to do and too little time, so I'm giving you this." McGonagall opened one of her many drawers and pulled out something that Hermione hadn't seen in almost three years.

"Both I and the headmaster have discussed this and it had been decided that you may use the Time-Turner again. We have both noticed how…ill you have been looking and we think that this may help you…get back on your feet. But if you don't want it—"

"No, I want it!" Hermione exclaimed and had to restrain herself to not throw herself over the desk to get to it. This was just what she needed. Why hadn't she thought of this? The Time-Turner would solve all her problems!

"I ask you not to tell anyone, especially not Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. I don't want to think about what kind of adventures you three might—"

Hermione interrupted her. "I won't even write it in my memoirs."

"That's…good to know. You better get to class now Miss Granger; you don't want to be late once again." McGonagall handed her the Time-Turner and Hermione accepted it gratefully. She thanked her and then quickly left for her next class.

The last class of the day was over and Hermione was walking slowly to the Gryffindor Tower to leave her books before catching up with the boys who were already on their way to the Great Hall.

The common room was practically empty, apart from two first years that were playing a game of Wizard's Chess. Hermione smiled at them, letting them know that the Head girl was there if they needed anything, and climbed the stairs to the dormitory.

When she entered her bedroom her mind instantly went to everything that had to be done before night. There was homework to do, and she had to organize the next prefects' meeting... She put her bag on her desk and emptied it of its content. She turned away and was about to leave when she caught her reflection in the full-length mirror next to her bed. There, around her neck, dangled the Time-Turner.

She chuckled. She had only had it for a couple of hours and she was already forgetting it, not a great start.

She took it in her hands and examined it; it was so long since she last held it in her hands. She was very relieved that she finally had a way to manage all her duties and at the same time have time to do all necessities, like…sleep.

Thinking that she could use it to work on her homework whilst she at the same time still was in class, Hermione reached back behind her neck to pull the chain over her head, but to her annoyance it was tangled in her hair. She tried to untangle it but her bushy haired made it impossible so she decided that the best approach was to just pull and hope for the best.

She took a deep breath and promptly jerked the chain. She let out a cry of pain when the hairs that was stuck to the chain was pulled out of their roots, and then saw – like in slow motion – how the chain broke and the Time-Turner fell to the ground.

Hermione held her breath and waited anxiously for something really bad to happen, but it didn't seem like the fall broke it. Letting out a sigh of relief, Hermione reached down to pick it up but when she grabbed it the room began to spin. It felt nauseating and when she was just about to be sick the spinning stopped, and Hermione collapsed on the floor.

She groaned and got up, stumbled a bit at first but after a few minutes finally found steadiness. She looked around her and let out a shriek. Where was she!?! This was not her room, that was not her bed, and…who was that!?!

It seemed like the girl before her wondered the same thing. Well, almost. "How the hell did you get in here?"