Disclaimer: don't own.
„I can't really explain, but I have a feeling that he is like my brother… or son… or something." Abraxas said.
"Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. How can he be your son?" Tom growled. "Try to find out more! It is essential information!"
"Yes, my lord!" Malfoy almost bowed but inwardly he was furious. He would know, if he, a Malfoy were related to a Krum.
Tom stalked off into the Great Hall for breakfast. He kept thinking about Natalija and that unnerved him. He hoped that she was safe and that she would leave her terrible fiancée. On the upside, she would be back tomorrow and that thought made Tom incredibly happy.
When he entered the Great Hall, he noticed that the Slytherin table tensed. "Good morning." most of his death eaters called out in greeting. Tom only nodded and sat down between Harry and Avery. He had done that a lot lately – sitting next to Harry that is.
"Poliakoff, can you pass me the salt, please?" Tom asked pleasantly.
To Harry's dismay, Tom seemed to get along with him, or even likehim – as a friend or follower – and therefore spent a lot of time with him. He usually sat next to him during mealtimes, spoke mostly to him at death eater meetings, looked for him when Harry was in the library and always seemed to be near him. Of course, Harry knew, that Tom was looking for something or rather trying to gather information, but he still wondered why Tom was so nice to him.
It also unnerved Harry, because he was afraid of Tom Riddle, though Harry would never admit that he was scared. He passed the salt, giving Tom a fake smile. "Here you are."
Tom took the salt and thanked him. "Tell me, Poliakoff, how long have you known your friend Maxim Krum?" It was time that he tried a new tactic.
Harry had to smirk inwardly. Draco and he had never been friends! Though in this time period, they had to act civil towards each other. One could think that they were at least acquaintances.
"We've known each other for 5 years. Maxim and I shared the same dorm in Durmstrang." Harry said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Don't you think that it's quite strange, the similarity between Malfoy and Krum?" Tom asked innocently, watching Harry's expression.
Harry, who had already found out about the tactics of the Slytherins, kept his face straight and even put up his occlumency walls.
"Yes, Tom, I have to admit that they don't differ much, though I doubt that Maxim has any relatives in England. He would have told me." Harry explained in an offhand voice, though Tom's statement bothered him immensely.
"I see. Maybe there are relatives that Krum doesn't know of." Tom said thoughtfully.
"Maybe." Harry's and Tom's face fell onto the two boys who were sitting next to each other, wearing the same smirk. Harry almost wanted to get up and wipe the smirk off Draco's face. Why hadn't Dumbledore changed Draco as well?
"By the way, Poliakoff, there is another thing concerning Natalija." Tom said in a quieter voice.
Harry stopped eating his cereals so that he could understand Tom better. This was getting interesting.
"Natalija will be back tomorrow. I told Krum to find out about her relationship with her fiancée. If they are still together, it's YOUR job to break them up, Poliakoff! I give you ten days." Tom said in a quiet, though dark voice, which made him even more menacing an Harry shuddered inwardly.
"Yes, Tom. I will make sure."
"Very well."
Alphard grinned, having watched the obvious exchange. He leaned towards his brother and whispered: "Two galleons that she is going to pick me over you."
"Wrong brother." Orion smirked back. "You are so going to lose."
"The game is on!"
THTHTH
"Expelliarmus." Hermione gasped when a red stupefy shot her way. To her dismay she was duelling Ginny – her best and only real girlfriend. It was hard for both of the former DA-students and they were shooting curses at each other with apparent ease though both of them were panting.
"Stupefy." Hermione shot back and Ginny jumped out of her way. "Averte statum." she said, her face red and screwed up in concentration or anger – Hermione didn't know. She supposed it was anger since Ginny was picturing her as Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Protego." Hermione put up her shield. "Reducto!" "Furununculus!" Hermione shot two curses at once, surprising Ginny for half a second who waved off the reducto and jumped out of the way for the furununculus.
"Serpensortia!" Ginny smirked, but Hermione made the snake disappear nonverbally.
"Imperio!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at Ginny who quickly jumped to the left.
"Tarantellagra." the spell hit Hermione straight and her feet started dancing uncontrollably. Oh no. She cast a nonverbal Impedimenta and shot a Finite incatatem at her feet and they stopped dancing in an instant.
The spell grazed Ginny on her right cheek and she quickly held up her hand.
Hermione used her chance to shoot a petrificus totalus at her, which Ginny dodged expertly.
"Relashio!" Ginny shot the spell at Hermione who jumped to the right – though a bit too late. The spell hit her left arm and made a deep cut which started bleeding at once.
The pain was strong though Hermione wanted to end this duel with full marks. She knew there had to be not even half a minute left.
"Serpensortia." Hermione panted, her vision getting dizzy from the loss of blood.
"Evanesco!" Ginny gasped as well. The cut in her cheek was deep as well and she also started getting weaker and weaker.
"Reducto!" "Stupefy!" "Averte statum!" "Tarantellagra!" "Expelliarmus!"
And finally the whistle signalled them to stop.
Hermione was now pale in her face and staggered towards the mediwitch. The witch healed the cut so that it wasn't bleeding anymore though the wound remained. However, she insisted on Hermione wearing the bandage for at least week.
Hermione grudgingly accepted though her spirits lifted immensely when the jury called out the marks. Full grades.
She gave Ginny a small smile and felt Dolohov hug her tightly.
THTHTH
"Miss Granger and Miss Weasley. I'm glad that you are back safely." Dumbledore smiled though eyed Ginny's cut and Hermione's bandage wearily.
Hermione smiled as well. "Thank you for sending us, professor. It was a wonderful experience and we learned a lot." Ginny suppressed a grin but thanked him as well.
"Miss Granger, if you could stay for just two minutes… Miss Weasley, you can go on."
Ginny bade goodbye and Hermione took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk. She was tired, because they had partied the night before and she was exhausted from the exam. Hermione desperately hoped for two hours of sleep. At least.
"Two weeks ago, I entrusted Miss Weasley with important information concerning the future. I am sure she told you all about it."
Hermione went beetred. "Yes, she did."
"Very well. That's what I expected." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Though this time, something has already changed. You can peek into the future for 10 minutes. But remember, it is not real."
Hermione nodded.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at her and chanted a foreign spell. Hermione felt a pull behind her navel and was standing in the Gryffindor common room some seconds later. She sighed audibly. At least she was a Gryffindor in the future.
Not a lot of people were there, it seemed as if it were lunchtime. She therefore decided to go to the Great Hall to find out more about the future.
When she was about to step out of the portrait, a vaguely familiar voice called out: "Hermione!"
Hermione turned around and saw Cormac McLaggen jogging towards her. She was baffled. What did he want?
Cormac made his intentions very clear when he bent down and kissed her softly. "Ready to go to lunch?" he asked her, interlacing his fingers with hers.
'Play along, Hermione, play along!' Hermione thought horrified, but smiled into Cormac's face.
"Yes, let's go. I'm very hungry."
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and Hermione scanned the hall for people she knew. She spotted a scar-free Harry sitting at the Slytherin table and talking animatedly with Blaise Zabini. Draco seemed to be missing.
Strange. Hermione shook her head and watched other students. Cedric Diggory was still alive and sat down across from them. "Hi Cormac, hi Hermione." he smiled. Cedric, a Gryffindor. Well….
Ginny and Ron sat down as well, though only nodding at them. At least, Ron was alive in THIS future. Well, it didn't seem too bad. Hermione knew she had to look for Dumbledore since she had to find out more.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I forgot something."
Cormac waved her off. "I'll save you this seat." and Hermione sprinted out of the Great Hall. She was almost in the teachers' corridor, when someone pulled her into a dark corner.
"Not so fast, Granger." a familiar voice drawled and all colour left Hermione's face when she saw the Slytherin. "Harry…" she gasped, unable to say anything else. His face was pulled into a grotesque sneer and he glared at Hermione who had never seen him so cold.
He circled her like a prey and pulled out his wand. Hermione knew that he couldn't hurt her – it wasn't real, but she was still scared nevertheless.
"Who told you to call me by my first name? I don't recall that." Harry sneered. He stopped in front of her and put the tip of his wand at her throat.
"What do you want?" Hermione said through gritted teeth, fear evident in her voice.
"You know exactly what I want, mudblood." Harry pressed his wand deeper into her skin.
"No, I don't." Hermione answered truthfully.
Harry sneered broader and his face didn't resemble the Harry Potter she used to know at all. "The Dark Lord sent me to bring you to him."
Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise. So there was still a Dark Lord? How had they not changed the future?
"Well, Abraxas needs you, Granger. He needs to practice new spells and he doesn't want to lose any magical blood." Harry spat.
To say that Hermione was surprised, would be an understatement. "Abraxas?" she croaked out.
"Abraxas Malfoy – aka the Dark Lord. Geez, how stupid are you mudbloods, really?" Harry let out a dark laugh.
Abraxas Malfoy – the new dark lord. Hermione didn't know how to breathe.
"You need to come with me. NOW!" Harry bellowed.
"Okay. Just one more question."
"You are not in a position to ask questions, Granger." Harry spat angrily.
"Where is Tom Riddle?" Hermione blurted out.
Harry looked at her confused. "Tom who?"
"Riddle."
"I don't know who that is. Don't bother me with your useless questions."
Hermione felt a pull behind her navel and seconds later she was standing in Dumbledore's office in the 40s, panting.
She fell onto the nearest chair, exhausted.
"I suppose that you don't like the outcome, Miss Granger."
"No, not at all. Our friend, Harry, is on the dark side. He captured me and called me…. mudblood." Hermione said quietly. "Tom Riddle does not exist, but ABRAXAS MALFOY is the new dark lord!"
"Yes, I know, Miss Granger. Maybe, it makes a difference that you are back again." and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily.
He bade Hermione good-bye and Hermione slowly walked away, carrying her suitcase in her uninjured hand.
"Hey!" two voices greeted her cheerfully.
Confused, Hermione whipped her head around. Two handsome boys with messy black hair, who reminded her of Sirius, were standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.
"And you are…?" Hermione asked them, racking her brain if she had seen them before.
"I'm Orion Black and this is Alphard." Orion, clad in his Slytherin robes, smiled smugly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Natalija Karkarova."
"We know." Alphard grinned. He was dressed as immaculately as his brother and Hermione suddenly remembered that they were a rich pureblood family.
"Tom told us that you went back to Durmstrang for a week to take the 'MDA-test. How did it go?" Orion asked conversationally. "By the way, give me your suitcase. It's too heavy for you."
Hermione blushed and thanked him sweetly. "Yeah, we took the test – and passed it. Though as you can see, I got hurt."
"Who did that to you?"
"We had to duel. And I had to duel against my friend, Gi… Katya and she hit me with a relashio."
The two boys didn't notice her slip-up but glanced at her sympathetically.
"Poor you." Orion said, though he sounded as sorry, as if he were asking for the time.
They accompagnied Hermione to the Ravenclaw tower, Orion carrying her suitcase with apparent ease.
"Thank you for your help, Orion, I don't know what I would have done without you." Hermione said gratefully.
Alphard and Orion exchanged a look that Hermione couldn't interpret.
"Well, I'll … uh… just go then…" Hermione said uneasily, half-turning towards the Raven knocker.
"See, Natalija, there will be a Hogsmeade trip next week. We can buy our dressrobes there for the upcoming winter ball." Orion explained, his face slightly red.
Hermione also felt the blush creep to her cheeks.
"And I was wondering, if maybe you wanted to go there with me." Alphard asked politely, his handsome face glowing.
"Uhm…" Hermione was about to answer when they heard a male dark voice.
"No, she doesn't. She already has a date."