A/N

See first author's note.

Chapter 3

Hermione tried to think of a good explanation but even she didn't really know how she got there. She understood that it was because of the Time-Turner, but she should be in the same room as she left – not here. It was clear that she no longer was in the Gryffindor living quarters. The room was much darker then her familiar bedroom and the decoration was not the warm red and gold but…black and green.

Hermione sat down, ignoring the girl who was still looking at her suspiciously. Hermione was a clever girl, but how she had ended up in a Slytherin's bedroom when she previously had been standing in her own was too confusing even for her.

Hermione felt a bit sick, if it was because of the previous spinning or the fact that she didn't know where she was, she couldn't tell, but the girl seemed to notice it too. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale."

Hermione looked and saw that the girl had moved from her place on one of the beds and was now standing in front of her.

Hermione wasn't sure why this girl was nice to her, she was after all still dressed in her school robes and she was sure that a Slytherin didn't like when they suddenly had a Gryffindor – or anyone from another house – appearing in their bedroom. But WHY was she in a Slytherin's bedroom?

Hermione groaned; it was all so confusing.

Hermione decided to stand and hoped that the girl wouldn't hex her. "I'm just a little disoriented… This is the Slytherin dungeons, right?"

The girl crossed her arms. "Yes, so if you wouldn't mind telling me, how did you get in?"

"I'm…not sure, could you take me to—" Hermione realized something. She had dropped the Time-Turner, the TIME-turner! If it had made her end up in the Slytherin dungeons, who knew what year she now was in. "McGonagall is still works here, right?" she asked, feeling her panic growing.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Of course… Do you want me to take you to her?"

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and gave her a grateful smile. "Yes please, it's urgent."

Professor McGonagall looked up from her papers when the door opened and a student she had never seen before (though she ought to because she was dressed in a Gryffindor uniform) stepped inside. "Can I help you?"

Hermione scrambled over to the desk. "I really need your help professor, you see…" Hermione trailed of, not really sure how to continue. She wasn't even sure if her professor would believe her. "I had a bit of a misfortune…"

"Nothing serious I hope?"

Hermione laughed uneasy. "Well…you might say that, you see, I—uh—I broke my Time-Turner." She said the last part as quickly as possible, because even though she wanted help she was really nervous over how the professor would react.

McGonagall frowned and leaned closer. "What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger."

"And how did a girl like you get your hands on a Time-Turner?" She asked suspiciously. "Those are illegal for someone of your age."

"Actually…you gave it to me."

McGonagall stared at her and didn't say a word; she couldn't believe that this girl was lying to her right in her face! She had never given a Time-Turner to her, or any student for that matter! And now that she thought about it, she was sure that she never even HAD a student named Granger.

As if she had read her mind, Hermione said, "I realize how this must look, professor, but I swear I'm telling you the truth. You gave the Time-Turner to me, but I accidentally broke it and now…here I am!" She said the last bit with a cheery voice, hoping that the real ridiculousness of her situation would lighten up the mood a bit. It did not succeed.

McGonagall frowned. "Miss Granger, are you trying to tell me that you have travelled back in time?"

"I didn't mean to, I was just going to go back a few hours so I could get some extra time to do my homework, not go to—what year is it?"

"1971, what year do you come from?"

Hermione's mood, which hadn't been so good to start with, instantly dropped. "1997."

Her professor looked shocked, the girl couldn't be serious! 1997! That was…impossible! "I think we better go and talk to professor Dumbledore about this, I'm not really sure… Just come with me." McGonagall got up and Hermione followed her out a door hidden behind a painting. "This goes directly to the Headmaster's office, very convenient for occasions like this…though I doubt anything like this has ever happened before."

Dumbledore was studying her carefully with that twinkle in his eyes, to Hermione's frustration he seemed to think her situation was quite funny!

"So…that's it basically. I dropped it and suddenly found myself in the Slytherin dungeons. So can you get me back?"

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said and smiled. "You're in a very unusual position. During all my years I have never met anyone who has travelled 26 years back in time. Quite remarkable."

"Yes but I didn't choose to do so, sir, I would very much like to return to my own time," Hermione pointed out, her frustration only growing by the fact that Dumbledore seemed to admire her "achievement".

But her mood quickly changed from frustration to worry when his smile was replaced by a serious frown. "Miss Granger, it's impossible for me to help you get back to your time at this moment. As I said I have never encountered something like this before, I'll have to do some extensive research. But don't worry!" his expression once again changed to a smile. "I can assure you you'll have nothing to be concerned over! In the meantime, you will of course attend Hogwarts like usual, we don't want our future star student to fall behind!"

"Attend Hogwarts? But how—"

Dumbledore interrupted her. "Which house did you say you belong to?"

"I was in Gryffindor, sir."

"Gryffindor…a fine house…but let's put you in Slytherin, you might learn something new! This year's Head girl is a Slytherin student so she can help you feel right at home."

Hermione was baffled. "But I'm a muggle-born!" she exclaimed in horror.

"Yes, sadly the prejudice against muggle-borns is strong in that house but maybe you being there might change that!"

"Professor, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable knowing that I'll be sleeping in the same room as people who want to kill me."

Dumbledore laughed. "They won't kill you; they're only students after all."

"I'm still not—"

Dumbledore ignored her and turned to one of portraits behind him. "Would you be so kind as to find your great-great-granddaughter for us?" The portrait of the former headmaster, Phineas Black muttered something about not being a "bloody errand boy" but then disappeared out of the frame.

Dumbledore turned back to Hermione. "I will send for your new uniform in time for dinner and you will get your new school supplies tomorrow morning." A knock turned his attention to the door. "Ah, that must be Miss Black."

"Miss Black? As in—"

"As in Andromeda Black, our head girl. Please come in!"

Hermione let out a breath of relief; she knew that Tonks' mother was one of the few former, or rather current, Slytherins that wasn't against muggle-borns.

The door opened and in stepped the girl whose bedroom Hermione had appeared in.

"Miss Black, let me introduce you to our new student. She has just transferred and needs some help getting to know everybody, I trust you will assist her?"

Andromeda nodded and smiled. "Of course, professor." She stepped closer and held out her hand. "I'm Andromeda Black, nice to meet you."

"Hermione Granger."

"So Hermione, care to explain what you were doing in my bedroom earlier?"

Hermione turned to Dumbledore for help but he had already left and she was alone to come up with an excuse.

She turned back to Andromeda and smiled awkwardly. "You see, I belong to Slytherin and were just taking a tour."

Andromeda didn't buy it. "If you belong to Slytherin, why are you wearing Gryffindor robes?"

"Eh, I didn't have time shopping for my new robes so the professor just gave me these old ones, I'll change soon."

Andromeda didn't really believe it but decided that she would let it go. "Fine, let's go, I'm taking you to your new home."