Chapter Three: Only Hope

Hermione wasn't sure what time it was when she finally stopped crying. She had spoken her heart finally, and even though she knew he wasn't actually there, the presence of Ron just seemed so strong to her.

With a sigh, she dried her eyes for the umpteenth time and gave a shuddering breath. It wasn't fair. He couldn't be gone – he wouldn't leave her. In fact, he had promised never to.

It was shortly after Ron had come back to them, and Hermione and Ron were sitting awake while Harry slept. Hermione finally spoke, blurting out her first thought. "Why did you leave me?"

She looked up and met Ron's eyes. He looked so heartbroken that she almost got up and ran to him then and there. Instead, she maintained control and waited. "Hermione, I know I can never make up for it, but I want you to know that I am so unbelievably sorry. I never want to hurt you – ever."

Hermione closed her eyes, but remained quiet as he continued. "I…I need to be with you, near you. I missed you more than I ever would have thought possible. I need you to live."

Hermione did look at him then, and she found only honestly in his eyes. "Don't ever leave me again," she whispered firmly.

"I swear I won't," he promised.

"I wish you were here, Ron." Hermione whispered to his empty room. She repeated his words aloud, "I need to be with you, near you. I need you to live."

Suddenly it hit her like a bludger to the head. Standing up with a renewed purpose, she got up and ran to the old cot that was still up and picked up her purse. From it, she pulled every book she had stuffed into it.

For another hour or so, she searched through every page, hoping to find anything that would answer her deepest prayer. As she reached the last book, she lost any hope of finding it; every book had merely said that bringing someone back from the dead was impossible.

Hermione sat where she was – on Ron's floor, surrounded by her books – and thought long and hard about any other alternatives. As she searched her memories, she finally hit upon a solution.

This solution didn't hit her like a bludger, it came slow and steady, and firmly lodged itself in her mind. She stood up, leaving all of her books where they were, and walked to Ginny's room, where she knew Harry would be.

She lightly knocked and then entered, closing the door behind her. Hermione looked at Ginny and Harry, to find both of them looking absolutely devastated. Tears forming in her eyes, she pulled Ginny up into a hug, and then hugged Harry as well.

"I need a favor," Hermione started uneasily, looking at Harry.

"Anything," Harry said with an immediate nod.

"I need to borrow your invisibility cloak…just for a day." Hermione said it quickly, hoping to get it out before she lost her nerve.

Unsurprisingly, Harry looked at her wide-eyed. "What for?" Ginny asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head, "I can't tell you." She looked back at Harry. "Please, I need to do this."

Hermione could tell that Harry was having an internal debate in his mind. Not wanting to affect his answer in a negative way, Hermione remained silent.

Finally, after what seemed to be an hour, Harry slowly nodded. "Okay, Hermione. Will you tell me after you've done it?"

Hermione smiled softly, "Yes, of course. But not before."

She turned to face Ginny while Harry rummaged through his meager belongings to find his cloak. "He loved you so much," Ginny said with a knowing smile.

Hermione nodded, "I know. He told me."

Both Harry and Ginny looked up in surprise at this. "When?" Ginny asked eagerly, recovering faster than Harry.

"J-Just before it happened." Hermione said slowly. She had barely spoken a word since Ron's death, and her two friends had been getting worried. She hadn't even told anyone the truth about how he had died; they just knew that he had been killed by Bellatrix. Every time she had started to tell them, she couldn't seem to say the words.

"Will you tell us, please?" Harry asked, handing her the cloak. Hermione looked briefly at the clock; she had time to tell them.

She nodded and sat down. "Just before we entered the battle, he pulled me aside and told me that he loved me. I told him I loved him too, and then we split up in the battle. I was fighting Bellatrix, and I was doing alright, until a jinx slipped past my guard."

"What was it?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Hermione looked him in the eyes when she answered, "The Cruciatus Curse," she said slowly, with a shudder. "As I was lying there, I heard Ron's v-voice." Hermione choked on the words, finding it harder than ever to say what happened out loud. "He began dueling her, and then it happened. She killed him."

No one spoke for a few minutes, until Ginny said quietly, "Hermione, Bellatrix was dead when we saw her…."

Hermione looked up at Ginny with steel in her eyes. "Of course she was. You don't think I'd let the bitch live, do you?" She glanced at the time, and realized she was running out of it. "I'll be in Ron's room… I'd like to be alone, please."

Harry and Ginny nodded in silence, and Hermione left Ginny's room. Once she closed the door, she immediately Apparated to her home, where she thought briefly of the memory that had reminded her.

It was just before the end of Hermione's third year at Hogwarts, and she had just remembered that she still needed to give the Time Turner back. Leaving Harry and Ron playing a game of Wizard's Chess, she walked confidently to the Headmaster's office. Once allowed inside, Hermione quickly made her way to the front of his desk.

Dumbledore sat on the other side, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. "Ah, Miss Granger. What brings you here this sunny afternoon?"

Hermione smiled. "I came to return the Time Turner, and to thank you again."

She held it out to him, but Dumbledore merely sat there and smiled at her. "Strange, isn't it…"

When she saw that he wasn't going to continue, she prodded, "What is, sir?"

"Time. How intertwined it is, and how with a simple gadget, we can change events that seem unchangeable." Hermione merely stood in silence, pondering his words. He was staring at his phoenix thoughtfully, and Hermione didn't want to interrupt him. Finally, he turned back to her. "You should keep that, Hermione. The ministry is too busy to notice anyways…."

At her confused expression, he clarified with a smile. "Haven't you heard? Sirius Black escaped death somehow." He winked at her and she smiled brightly.

"I hadn't heard – I'll have to inform Harry of the danger immediately." Hermione nodded at him and turned to go, but he called her back.

"Miss Granger, one last thing." She turned to face him expectantly. "Make sure you don't lose it. I daresay there will come a day when it will be your only hope."

Hermione wondered now, looking back, if Dumbledore had ever looked into the future. He had certainly given the trio appropriate gifts in his will, and he had also made sure that she kept the Time Turner.

She raced up to her room, ripped open her closet door, and moved everything out until she could see the far left corner. She quickly removed the concealment charm and pulled out a box. Moving to her bed, she opened the box and took out the bundle of pictures that sat there. With a slight smile, she removed the transfiguration charm, and watched as the pictures turned back into the Time Turner.

She stood and pulled the chain around her neck. Glancing once more at the time, she said breathlessly, "This is for you, Ron," and turned it back twenty-four hours.