Turning Back Time
Chapter Five: Siriusly?

"Why the sudden interest in the library, Padfoot?" James whispered under his breath as they headed through the hallways.

"Just... checking out some books on Quidditch," he said, trying to seem cool.

"Come now, I've seen you in there staring at that girl. What's going on between the two of you?" James smiled a knowing smile and cast a glance at his friend.

"Nothing. I'm intrigued is all. I've never seen her around before. She seems... nice enough. She's serious about finding something in that library, too. She's always surrounded by the same mountain of books," he shook his head. "I've never been that dedicated to anything."

"Well have you gone and talked to her, again, yet?"

"Just once. She brushed me off pretty quick but I could sense something fiery there." He laughed aloud for a moment.

"Not used to being brushed off so handily by the opposite sex, eh?" Remus joined in. Peter let out a loud, weird noise that may have been a laugh. "That's tough."

"He hasn't been turned out, yet," James said, stopping outside the library. He put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Go ahead, mate. Go talk to her."

"Shove off, all of you," he grumbled before heading into the library. She had been here every time he had come in over the last week. When he saw her out of the corner of his eye, she was slumped over. Clearly she needed some sleep. What could possibly mean this much to her?

Something glinted on her face. A tear. She most definitely needed some cheering up. He headed her way and plopped down on her table; the same one she'd occupied for a whole week, now. "Tears, fireball? I'd've never guessed it. No worries. So you've hit a rough spot. You've been through these books four times each. I don't think reading them a fifth time will make them spit out the answer you want."

Hermione wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her robe. "You don't understand. This is..." she paused for a moment and let out a defeated sigh. "I have to fix this."

"Well ask me. Tell me. I might know something," he shrugged and gave a small smile.

"You couldn't possibly. If the great masters of magic can't answer my question, maybe there is no answer. Maybe I'm stuck here," she said the last part barely above a whisper.

"I couldn't possibly understand?" Sirius mocked offense for a moment. "Try me. At the very least maybe I could help you find the answer. I've discovered secrets of Hogwarts the headmaster hasn't yet figured out."

He was proud and puffed out his chest, but she couldn't help but snort. "Right."



"I could show you things. You could've passed through a hallway hundreds of times and only I would know how to make..."

"I have a tough time believing that. I could probably show you a thing or two," she showed a devious smile.

"Oh, really? Now I'm intrigued." He felt a fire build up near his heart. Quite an interesting turn of events. Someone who thinks they know more about this school than the marauders. "How much do you know?"

"I reckon I know as much as you plus a few extra tidbits," she stood up. He could almost hear her knees creak. She had practically lived in this library. Already she had been there for hours, judging by the tired look in her eyes.

"Not a chance," he quickly dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

"All seven tunnels out of grounds to Hogsmeade," she whispered lightly so as not to allow any prying ears to hear her.

His eyes opened wide. "Okay. Perhaps I've misjudged you."

"No worries. People seem to do that a lot," her eyes got a little misty and she seemed to get lost in the distance between them.

"In that case, I have a few people I'd like to introduce you to. They'll love to meet a fellow... well, they'd love to meet someone that holds similar knowledge to that which we possess." He stumbled a little over his words but found them in the end. "That is, if you can spare a few moments from your books."

She hesitated and crinkled her brow. "I suppose... not too long, though."

"I'll have the librarian let you know if someone writes a book you haven't read yet in the fifteen minutes it takes us," he smiled wide and led her out of the library.

"So have you been hiding in the library all this time?" Sirius asked as they turned a corner. Hermione could tell they were headed for the Gryffindor common room.

"All what time?"

"You're much too old to be in your first year here," he noted. "But I don't think I've seen you around anywhere."

"Maybe your head has been too high in the clouds."

Ouch. "Fair enough. Here we are. Erumpent." She headed into the common room very quickly. Odd. "Alas. Home sweet home."

"Ah, I see you've pried her away from her books at long last," James said, calling them over from the corner. He smiled at his group of friends.

"Yes. And I have completely misjudged our new friend, here," Sirius noted. "Seems she is aware of many of this castle's lesser-known attributes."



"Is that so?" James' smiled faltered only for a moment. "Interesting. And how might one come about this information?"

"How is not important, James. She claims she may know a bit more than we do," Sirius sat in a chair and leaned back, waiting to be enlightened.

"If I show you something you deem interesting about this castle, something you didn't know prior to my showing you, will you help me with something?" Hermione's eyes were pleading with them.

"Sure," Sirius answered for them.

"Oi, we haven't been properly introduced. How rude of my friend," Remus said, smiling. He reached out his hand, "Remus Lupin. And this here is Peter Pettigrew."

"And that over there is Lily Evans. She's hot for me," James said, loud enough for the attractive red head to overhear his comment.

"Pig!" she answered, exiting the common room.

"I see the attraction," Hermione answered, nodding with a smile. "Have to be her off with a stick, do you?"

"She's got a sense of humor. I like this one." Remus barked with laughter. "Now show us this secret of yours."

She stood with a smile and led them quickly to the seventh floor. The four friends mumbled between themselves but the trip was otherwise silent. After checking the hall for stragglers, she walked by the wall three times, concentrating hard and the door appeared.

"Alas! Salazar Slytherin's missing door! They said it didn't exist but I knew..." but James punched Sirius in the stomach before he could finish.

They filed in and looked around. "A room. Okay. A bedroom."

"A bedroom stocked well with food. A bedroom that no one can find. Because this room can transform into whatever you need." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Prove it." Sirius said, ever-skeptic.

"What do you want right now?" she asked any of the four. Sirius choked back a snide comment.

"How about a room to practice Quidditch," James suggested with a shrug.

"Yeah, cause James needs a little bit of practice. That last game against Hufflepuff was a mockery, mate. Took you well near two hours to find the snitch," Remus joked, patting his friend on the back.

Shaking off the odd sight of a young Remus Lupin joking with anyone, they followed her back into the corridor. She walked by the wall three times thinking hard about a practice room for Quidditch. The door appeared and, this time, when they walked in the floor was grass and three large Quidditch goals stood at the far end of the now elongated room. An open trunk nearby sported the quaffle, two bludgers and the case for a twittering snitch. The walls were painted light blue with clouds to emulate the sky outside. A rack of ten broomsticks lined either side of the field.



"Oi," Sirius said, bending down to feel the grass. "How have we never found this before?"

"You can only find it by walking by the wall three times, thinking hard about whatever you need. From there, the room does whatever is required," Hermione stood there; proud that she had shown them something spectacular.

"Do you know what we could do with this room?" James shouted to his friends. "The possibilities... oh the possibilities!"

"So... you'll help me, right?" Hermione asked. They nodded.

"Bloody hell, I'll help you find the Chamber of Secrets and Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem for this..." Sirius said with a smile. He wasn't quite sure as to why she started laughing hysterically but he shrugged it off.