DISCLAIMER: All characters and settings are the property of JK Rowling. I'm just the girl who likes to play in her world.

Chapter Four: Castle Full of Ghosts

By the time that the train came to stop in the village of Hogsmade Sirius, Remus, James and Peter had all gotten changed into their school uniforms, they had chucked her out of the compartment for twenty minutes to do so. They were now all getting off the train Remus ahead of her and as soon as Hermione steeped outside she heard the giant voice of Hagrid. She turned towards where the little first years were standing in front of him in awe. He wasn't as bushy as she remembered him but it was still hard to see his face underneath it all. When she started to walk with the others again she smiled to herself, happy that some things never changed.

They reached the carriages in a few long strides. She stopped dead when she saw the winged horses that were pulling them. Nobody else could see them; they were all just walking past them as if they weren't there at all. She felt a chill go down her spine, but she was somewhat comforted by the fact they were ignorant to them. Nobody should have to witness death at their age; they should still be in their bubbles of happiness and innocence. Hermione knew if she had the chance to have hers back she would claw her way to it.

"You ok?" Remus asked, placing his hand on her shoulder, when he caught her looking at the front of the carriage.

"Yes, I'm fine" she answered, more for her own piece of mind rather than his. She thought it was strange how even though she was in the past she could still see the Thestral's. She supposed death was death, no matter what time you're in. She turned and nodded to him wishing inside that some things could change.

Hermione quickly followed the others into the carriage. Sirius and James were talking quietly but animatedly, and every now and again she heard her name and saw them point in her direction. She just ignored them and kept to herself trying to calm her mind, preparing for what was to come.

When the carriage arrived they all piled out of it and ran up to the main doors, trying to escape the rain that had started to fall during the carriage ride. As soon as she felt her feet touch the marble floor she felt two hands on either side of her pushing her away from the direction that the other witches and wizards were heading.

"We're taking you to see Dumbledore." Sirius said from her right.

"There's about fifteen minutes before the sorting feast starts, so he should still be in his office." James finished for Sirius from her left. She nodded and just let them lead her all the way there. After all to them she didn't know her way around the castle. When they reached it Dumbledore was just coming down. Hermione's fist immediately balled up at her side, from the pressure of trying to restrain the tears that were building up in her eyes. The old man smiled at the two boys then looked at her and spoke.

"Ah my dear, I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. I would remember somebody as pretty as you." They locked eyes and he gave her a sad smile as if sensing her distress.

"It's such a shame that we sometimes find ourselves having the world on our shoulders isn't it? Especially for someone so young." He placed a strong hand on her shoulder, it looked so different from the last time she saw it. No longer was it mangled and burnt looking, it was wrinkly and pink just how it should have been.

"Come into my office dear. You must have travelled a long way to see me; I only hope I can be of help." She nodded and let the man take her up the stairs. She was so engrossed in just making her legs walk up the steps that she didn't notice the significant look he gave Sirius. Nor did she see Sirius turn to James and tell him he would come to the hall with Hermione in a little while.

Hermione took a seat in front of Dumbledore. The padded seat seemed to wrap around her body and it comforted her, not a whole lot but it still helped. The man waved a bowl of sweets in front of her and she took one, it tasted like apple. She had always thought that he had kept them sweets in his office to keep the students from breaking down crying, and now she knew she was right. Sweets rely could sooth your soul.

"I think we should start off by introducing ourselves. Don't you?" she nodded and he continued. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, headmaster here at Hogwarts"

"Hermione Granger. I've came here to talk to you about something but I'm not quite sure how you're going to take it or how to tell you." She said then gave a nervous chuckle, thinking she must sound like an idiot. Something moving caught the corner of her eye but she thought it might be best to let it be and see how things would unfold.

"I often find that when trying to explain something to a complete stranger they don't understand fully what I'm trying to tell them. Maybe you should tell me just the basics and then we can fill in the blanks when we have more time than at present." Hermione listened; it was so good to hear his voice, even if it wasn't in the best of circumstances. She took in a deep shaky breath and began to tell him what he had asked for.

"I'm not from this time, that is to say, I'm from the future. Twenty years in the future in fact. I don't know how I got here, well I kind of do, but it's complicated. I know it sounds crazy and impossible but it's true. I don't know what else to say. I had to come to see you. You always used to say that "help shall been given at Hogwarts, all you need to do is ask." Well here I am asking for your help." She waited for a moment while he processed her ramblings.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger, forgive me but I have to ask you, you understand these are dark times. How do I know I can trust you?" The sparkle in his eyes had died down when he had asked. She was slightly hurt by the question, but knew he was right. What reason did he have to trust her? She did the only thing she could think of; she pulled her jumper down at her neck to reveal the phoenix tattoo that resided on her collar bone. She watched as Dumbledore's eyes widened in something akin to shock or fear, maybe a mix of both. He took in a breath and brought his eyes up to hers. What he said shocked her to her core.

"I'm so sorry Miss Granger, purity of the soul is a very delicate thing and it seems it has been torn away from you... by me." Shame crossed his face and made him look as old as he probably was. A heavy silence seemed to come between the two before she spoke in a quiet whisper.

"You didn't take it from me. We choose to take that path, it was the only way we could have the information we needed in order to help." It was the truth, he was dead when she had taken that oath to join the order and scared her soul with the same magic Voldemort used to mark his followers. She felt his eyes turn to her bent head but she couldn't meet his questioning gaze. He seemed to gather as much so moved on.

"Perhaps we should continue this at a later time. For now how about we go down to the feast and get you sorted along with the other new students." At this her head snapped up. She' hadn't realised she'd have to sorted again. She got up and walked over to the corner and grabbed a hold of something or more accurately somebody.

"Come on Sirius, You would make a horrible spy, I saw you as soon as I'd told the headmaster my name. We'll talk about this later." With a huff coming from the boy she was dragging he took the invisibility charm off himself and they walked in silence to the great hall. Dumbledore was a few steps behind them a worried look on his face wondering what this could mean for the future if the order was taking on children as young as the girl walking in front of him. It would be a sad day for Wizarding kind when it happened.

-Break-

'Oh what do we have here? Well there's no mistaking you for anything but a…'

"Gryffindor!" the sorting hat shouted from above her head. She visibly relaxed and pushed herself off the stool and ran over to where all the shouts and screams were coming from. She sat down next to Remus across from Sirius with James on her other side and the rat sitting down the line somewhere else.

"Congratulations Hermione welcome to the family." James said and spread his arms indicating to the rest of the table. They ate their dinners while talking about anything that came to mind. She could feel Sirius shooting her looks every now and then but just decided to ignore it; she would deal with him later. The hall was starting to empty very quickly as everybody around them went back to their respective common rooms. Dumbledore was walking down their isle and he stopped before the four of them, peter was still nowhere to be found.

"Miss Granger I took the liberty of putting your things in the girls dormitory, I trust everything you need will be in there, and I was wondering if you could stop by my office tomorrow morning, we need to continue our discussion. Mr Black, would you be as kind as to escort Miss Granger to my office?" he asked and before they could answer he was off on his merry way again.

"Let's get going guys, I suppose we should really try and find peter. Hermione needs to get settled in as well" James said to them and got up to lead them to the Gryffindor common room.

When they got there Peter was sitting on the couch looking into the fire. Hermione curled her lip up at him, she still couldn't stand the sight of him, and she doubted she ever would.

"I'm going to go up and sort my things out; I'll see you tomorrow morning. Sirius I'll talk to you then." She said giving him a meaningful look. He hung his head in shame and she walked up to the stairs but stopped once she had gotten around the corner, she was sure she had just heard her name. Sirius was arguing with Peter and so were James and Remus.

"How can you just trust her like that Sirius? You don't even know her." Peter was whispering.

"I trust her because I know I can, and you should trust her because I trust her or at least because Dumbledore trusts her." Sirius was shooting back at him.

"That old man would trust a killer if one happened to just venture into the castle."

"Peter I think you should go to bed, you're obviously just upset because she doesn't seem to like you." Remus interrupted the two men argument. She could hear somebody walk away so she decided to go up to bed as well. She thought it very ironic that the rat should be the one questioning whether she was trustworthy or not. Of all the people they shouldn't trust she was nothing compared to that traitor.

There wasn't anybody else in the dormitory when she opened the door and for that she was thankful. Today had been a long day and she didn't much feel like facing a gang of hyper-active girls, which included Harry's mother. she spotted a trunk that looked new and guessing it was hers she opened it and pulled out a pair of jogging bottoms and a tee-shirt, the rest she could look over tomorrow. She just wanted to go to sleep and have her dreams take her away to somewhere that wasn't a castle full of ghosts and traitors.

Author's Notes- I just managed to get this chapter done before I have to get off here. Sorry if it's a bit crappy but I rushed it. I shall fix it tomorrow if I get time.
Oh and I know it's going slow but I will introduce Severus Snape into the story next chapter. I promise.
Might not be a new chapter tomorrow I have to work all day, so it might be up on Tuesday.

Love you guys, Destiniex

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