Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
My Memories?
"Miss Granger," then Dumbledore paused. "How adverse would you be to us examining your memories?"
"I beg your pardon?" Hermione whispered. "You want to use Legilimency on me?"
"I did not say Legilimency. I happen to own a pensieve, which is-"
"I know what a pensieve is professor. I just- I'm not- I don't want to relive- that- ever again."
"Miss Granger, you would not have to-"
"And the only way," Hermione said while raising her voice to override Professor Dumbledore's objections, "that I would ever let someone else see that day, is if I was there. I would need to be there. I- I just wouldn't be able to let someone see that without me. I just- I couldn't."
"I completely understand-"
"But," Hermione whispered, now trembling slightly. "I'll do it anyway. And-" she looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes, "I want to do it now."
Silence greeted that statement. Professor McGonagall looked bewildered, wondering why this particular memory would be so hard for the young witch to see. Professor Dumbledore simply cocked his head as he looked at Hermione. She met his gaze, still shaking, but turned away quickly.
"All right."
Dumbledore stood and walked over to the black cabinet which held the pensieve. He carefully picked it up and brought it over to set upon his desk.
Hermione stared at the pensieve in wonder. Harry had told her about it in their fourth year, of course, after he had seen the memories of the different trials of supposed and actual Death Eaters of Professor Dumbledore. But in his need to relay the information of the trials, he had failed to accurately describe exactly what the pensieve looked like. He forgot to say that the memories looked like floating liquid, or that the basin was decorated with ancient runes and symbols. One she recognized, it meant "Memory", but many others were completely foreign to her.
"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Hermione took a shuddering breath as she lifted her wand to her temple. She had read about how to gather a memory into the strands needed for a pensieve and placed the tip to her head. She then carefully withdrew it with a strand of the memory clinging to the tip, and carefully placed it in the basin.
"Both of you should see this." She whispered as dread for what she was about to see filled her. Then without further ado, she bent over and touched her head to the substance swirling around in the pensieve. And she disappeared.
Hermione fell and landed on her stomach as she found herself at the same moment when Mrs Weasley had shrieked at Bellatrix Lestrange to stay away from her daughter. Next was Professor McGonagall, who managed to land on her own two feet, although she stumbled a bit. She quickly straightened herself and flinched slightly at the spells as Professor Dumbledore managed to arrive without the slightest bit of trouble.
It was then that both Professors looked around and assessed their surroundings. McGonagall's jaw dropped as she realized first, how much Hermione must have gone through; second, why she was reluctant to relive this day; and third, exactly how accomplished the young woman must be just to survive.
Hermione walked over to where she knew the duel between Voldemort and Harry was going to take place, walking through and ignoring the beams of light from spells, curses, and incantations. She watched as it unfolded with a dead look on her face. She heard Professor McGonagall gasp as she saw her future self fly through the air after Bellatrix's death. She then heard the sounds of disbelief coming from both teachers as Harry revealed himself and was the one to face the Dark Lord, rather than one of the more experienced fighters.
A single tear slipped down her face as she continued to watch the scene unfold to Harry's imminent death, and then followed herself to where Ron would die.
"This is it," she whispered.
Dumbledore and McGonagall understood that her being sent back in time was about to occur soon. They watched the Hermione that was battling for her life as she turned in horror to watch Ron fall to the ground. The two conversed between themselves as they saw the two spells hit Hermione at the same time.
In the meantime Hermione stood next to Ron before he fell, sat down next to him when he fell, and just stared at him while the professors discussed the different possibilities of the combination of the spells.
Hermione had no idea how long she sat there, but it seemed to soon until the Headmaster placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to meet his eyes, not realizing that silent tears were making their way down her face once more.
"I believe that will be enough."
Hermione nodded dully as she felt herself being pulled away, once again staring at Ron before she departed.
When they had all settled back down into their respective chairs, there was one question that Professor McGonagall wanted an answer to.
"Who was that boy that fought with You-Know-Who?"
Hermione turned her head away and rubbed her arm. "Harry James Potter. The Boy Who Lived. The only person in the history of the Wizarding World to survive the Killing Curse. My best friend."
"What?" McGonagall gasped.
And so Hermione explained how Harry's parents had gone into hiding because of the prophecy, without mentioning the mother's name, and the eventual downfall of Lord Voldemort.
They sat in silence as McGonagall digested this little tidbit of information, until another question arose in her mind.
"Where was the Headmaster? I find it hard to believe he would not be in a battle that took place in Hogwarts while there was still a breath in his body."
"That's because he didn't have any breath in his body. He had died the previous year."
Hermione continued with her explanation that a curse was killing Dumbledore, that he had asked a teacher (not mentioning who) to kill him so a student wouldn't have to, and how the nameless professor had complied.
Professor McGonagall simply sat there in shock, her hands tightly gripping the armrests.
"The- ah- two Death Eaters that attacked you used wordless magic so we could not discern which incantations they used. Although we can be fairly certain that it was the combination of the two that led to your time travel." Professor Dumbledore said to break the silence that had engulfed the room.
"It's all right. I have already accepted that I won't be going back. Even if you had managed to find a way, as I have stated I am not going back."
"I beg your pardon? Not going back? What is she talking about Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked in confusion.
"I am here because as you saw, we lost. I am going to change my past, your future. That memory of mine will never come to pass while I am alive."
Both Dumbledore and Hermione proceeded to explain what their plans were for her. McGonagall just sat there, listened, and accepted taking the responsibility for becoming Hermione's guardian. Together the three of them smoothed out the finer details of Hermione's stay, and later Hermione and Professor McGonagall went shopping.
After buying all of the necessary items at Diagon Alley, McGonagall and Hermione returned to the castle. There Hermione once again fell asleep with the images of her two best friends floating before her eyes.
Before she knew it, Hermione realized it was September 1st. Her week had comprised of reading her textbooks and crying at certain points to express her grief. They had decided that there really was no need for her to pretend to arrive at the school on the Hogwarts Express when her "guardian" was a teacher that had been staying at the school for the past week getting ready anyways.
Hermione waited anxiously in the common room, trying to read her Transfiguration textbook, but failing miserably. She sat there until Professor Dumbledore came up to tell her that the other students would be arriving in about ten minutes and that she should head down to a room adjacent to the Great Hall.
She followed him out of the portrait hole and on her way down she checked her reflection in a window, giving herself a quick look over. She smoothed her hair back nervously, and continued her walk.
Hermione soon arrived in a very blank room, the only thing in it a sofa against one of the walls. There wasn't even a window. She sat down, her leg bouncing in anticipation. Soon she could make out the sounds that clearly meant that the rest of the school had arrived. She waited until they had settled down, then heard the doors open again, knowing from previous experience that it would be the First Years.
No longer able to stay in one place, she got up and walked over to the door. Hermione cracked it open the smallest bit so that she could watch the Sorting. She clenched her teeth when she surveyed the Great Hall for the first time since she had run out of it upon her arrival. She had deliberately avoided the room with the memories of death burned into her memory and had taken all of her meals in the kitchen. You can do this. It hasn't happened yet, and it won't happen. Ever. There's no reason to be apprehensive.
Lost in her thoughts, she jerked her head to watch Dumbledore when he suddenly announced that the Sorting was not yet over. Murmurs could be heard throughout the student body as they craned their necks to look for the child that had been forgotten.
"I am pleased to announce that this year we will be accepting a transfer student. She previously attended a small private school but moved here due to some personal events. Please welcome Mya Grey."
There was a small scattering of applause, confusion apparent in many peoples' eyes.
Dumbledore waved his hand and the small set of double doors opened. Hermione straightened her posture and walked out of the room and over to the stool upon which the Sorting Hat rested, staying calm with the knowledge that the deaths she had witnessed would never occur. She picked the Hat up, sat down, and placed it upon her head.
Hmmmm... a time traveler? I must say, I have not seen one of you in quite some time... Miss Granger is it?
Yes, now can you please sort me? I don't mean to be rude, but you have already placed me in Gryffindor, so can you do so again?
Yes, of course. That house suits you well, with your great amounts of bravery and passion. I hope you succeed in your task, Miss Granger. I fear what this world will become if you fail.
"GRYIFFINDOR!"
Heartened to hear that the hat approved of her mission, Hermione smiled, placed the hat back on the stool, and walked over to the cheering table.
"So, what do you think of the new girl?" James Potter asked the other Marauders.
"I dunno... she seems all right. Pretty enough, I suppose. Not breathtaking, but attractive." Sirius Black commented.
"I don't mean how she looks Padfoot! I mean, how well do you think she will do in Gryffindor?"
"Oh. I dunno. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we? Or maybe not, since she seems to be heading over here."
And Sirius was right. Hermione had spotted the Marauders and was heading to the space in between Lily and James. She supposed that Lily had left the big gap on purpose, but it seemed like James hadn't noticed and was just happy to be near her.
She sat down and smiled at everyone. "Hi, I'm Mya Grey."
"Hello Mya. I'm James Potter, this idiot here is Sirius Black, the one across from you is Remus Lupin, and this guy is Peter Pettigrew." James said while pointing to each person in turn.
When introduced to Peter, Hermione met his eyes. Oddly enough, she did not feel any animosity towards him. All she felt for the small, chubby, blond-haired one was a strange compulsion to keep him from ever becoming a follower of Voldemort.
Hermione smiled at them all, her chest tightening slightly as she thought about how true everyone had been when they said that James and Harry really were identical. "Hello."
"If you want to stay out of trouble, then I would suggest staying away from these clowns. Black and Potter are notorious troublemakers."
Everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken, Lily Evans. Hermione's heart constricted even further as she looked into an exact replica of Harry's eyes.
"Hi, I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl." she said and shook Hermione's hand.
"Oh, right, I actually forgot to mention I was Head Boy." James added with a slap to his head.
"How he managed that, I will never know..." Lily muttered to Hermione.
"So, Mya, where are you from?" Remus asked, after a short, slightly awkward silence.
"London. I attended a small private school called Forstron School of Witchcraft and Magic. It's an all-girls school."
She had actually done some research on it (it was a real school) to prepare herself for the questions she was sure would be asked.
And so they questioned her. Why did you move? Oh, Aunt Min- ah, I mean Professor McGonagall is my guardian and since she taught here we thought I should attend this school. Aunt Minerva? She's my guardian. Then why not go here before? The other school was closer to home. Then why come here at all? I sort of had to get away, you know?
She was sure that someone was going to ask her straight out what she was hiding, but Lily shushed them. And then the questions continued.
How long have you been here? I arrived about a week ago and have been staying here ever since. What do you think of Hogwarts so far? It's a lot bigger than Forstron. Wow, that's a pretty nasty looking scar. How did you get it? Oh, my cat attacked me.
They continued to poke and prod at her past all throughout the feast. Hermione tried to answer her questions as best as possible, working to avoid the questions that would lead to her "parents." At least it was easy to look like she had recently lost someone. That would be no problem at all.
Oddly enough, Sirius did not ask many questions. In fact, he did not ask any at all. From the second that Mya sat down he had sensed something about her. It didn't happen very often, but when there was a small lull in her interrogation she would get a pained look on her face. He had noticed it first when Hermione had looked at James. He had seen a brief flash of sadness in her eyes, but it had disappeared so quickly he was sure he had imagined. Until it happened again when she looked at Lily. That time he was positive he had seen something.
It was when she kept avoiding the reason behind why she came to Hogwarts in the first place that it hit him. Sirius realized that the pain he kept seeing in her eyes was tied to grief. She must have lost someone. Probably her parents, if McGonagall became her guardian. He appreciated how Lily kept steering them away from those questions. He didn't like seeing that look in Mya's eyes.
