Hermoine was woken by the unusually bright light of the sun shining trough one of the rare gaps in the Forbidden Forest's thick canopy, hitting her directly on the face. In her still groggy state she suddenly felt as if something was very off. The atmosphere around her was not nearly as heavy as the one she had grown accustomed to and her body felt strangely light. She snapped her eyes open, worried that they were under some sort of strange new attack. But when her vision returned to her, all she saw was Luna and Pansy beginning to sit up from their own positions on the grassy ground. Until she did a double take. It was definitely Luna and Pansy but they were different. They were…. young. Not that any of them had been old at twenty-eight but fighting a losing war for a decade begins to take its toll after awhile. But these versions of her two best friends were no more than sixteen years old. Not only were they younger looking, they seemed brighter somehow, Luna's crystal blue eyes were positively glowing while Pansy's dark green eyes looked like gemstones the way they were reflecting the light. Their hair was also inexplicably grown out down to their waists. That was what did it for Hermione, what brought back the past couple of days to the forefront of her mind. The time-travel potion. This must be the rebirthing process the book had described and Luna had really gotten her long hair back. Which could only mean…
"Luna, Pansy, I think we did it," Hermione uttered amazedly.
The girls both turned their attention to Hermione before widening their eyes slightly. Luna began smiling at Hermione triumphantly and Pansy seemed to be attempting not to giggle.
"What?" Hermione asked in confusion. This was a world altering development. Why weren't they celebrating that the book hadn't simply killed them and appeared to have actually sent them back in time?
"Uh…" Pansy chuckled out.
"Your hair looks absolutely lovely Hermione. I always knew those curls would look beautiful at this length," Luna suddenly spoke up.
Hermione stared at the blonde-headed girl that in this form reminded her of her earlier years at Hogwarts in the DA. Long Hair? Pansy seemed to have read her mind and wandlessly summoned a full-length mirror from her small bag. Hermione only took a moment to wonder why Pansy bothered to carry around such a uselessly large mirror before inspecting herself in it.
The girl that looked back at Hermione was around sixteen and had expressive amber eyes that were shining with more light than Hermione remembered her own eyes ever having. In fact they looked brighter than what could be considered normal. But what really startled the witch was the fact this girl was also sporting waist-length hair. The only difference being that her small frame was practically engulfed by the endless masses of curls that sprung from every bit of her head. Hermione would have felt sorry for the girl for having hair that swallowed her if she hadn't realized that the teenager was in fact herself. She looked fresher than she had at Hogwarts and, she was loath to admit, prettier. The brighter tone to her eyes was striking and her hair was shinier and lacking the frizz it had once possessed. She also registered the fact that she did not look inherently like a murderer, as she had previously feared. Still, this would not do.
"Okay, I want to know why my sensible haircut has been turned into a cascading wreck of coils that I will most certainly never be able to manage?" Hermione asked pointedly looking at Luna. Pansy snorted louder, obviously anticipating this reaction.
Luna, smiling serenely, replied, "Perhaps since we performed the potion together all of our self images and our images of each other were used in the formation of our new bodies. Personally, I think this hairstyle suits your personality much better. It has character."
Hermione rolled her eyes. Yeah, character. This was obviously Luna's doing. Luna's hair looked similar to how it had at Hogwarts, with soft, wispy waves flowing down her back into pretty curls at the bottom. At the same time, Pansy's hair was a length Hermione had never seen it but she found that with her shiny, straight black hair and choppy bangs that just brushed her eyelids it quite suited her. Hermione just couldn't get over that she would have to deal with curls again; frizzy or not, they got seriously heavy and slowed down her reaction time.
"Oh stop being dramatic Hermione dear. Just let Pansy work her magic on it and you'll never have to do a thing. Pansy, Hermione would like a charm to make her hair lighter and one to keep it from getting in her way," Luna suddenly spoke up. Hermione wanted to glare at the innocent looking creature but had still not managed a way to feel ill will toward the girl that had saved her countless times and was too sweet for her own good.
"Easy," Pansy said smiling and cast the spells quickly before Hermione could say anything. Her head instantly felt lighter, as if she still had her boy-cut and Hermione begrudgingly had to admit that her hair would be manageable with Pansy's magical adjustments.
"Alright, enough with the vanity show," Hermione stated abruptly while silently wondering if their mental states might have been affected by the sudden body change. She hadn't worried about her hair in years, "time to talk business." She quickly cast a nonverbal/wandless Tempus spell to ascertain the date and time: 2:20 PM AUGUST 22, 1975.
"Alright it looks like we managed to make it thirty three years into the past. There are ten days until the students leave for Hogwarts. I'm thinking with our newfound appearances, we should take up residence there to avoid suspicion, have access to the diadem, and keep an eye on the students as well as the Order."
Both Luna and Pansy nodded their heads in agreement.
"We'll need to find lodging for the time being," Hermione continued on, her always chaotic mind cataloguing their impending courses of action, "I'm thinking the Leaky should suffice since it should still be up and running in this time period and Voldemort's scope is much more limited now than what we're used to experiencing. Let's go ahead and apparate there now so we can write out a letter to Dumbledore."
The girls had no trouble wandlessly apparating to the Leaky Cauldron as they had mastered the difficult skill very early on in the war in order to make quick escapes as easy as possible. When they first stepped foot into the bustling crowd of the present day Diagon Alley, they were each almost overwhelmed to see the old shops they had grown up going to up and running again. People were definitely cautious because of the spreading rumors of Voldemort in this period but there was still happiness here. Children were running carelessly through the streets while parents followed after laughing. It brought smiles to the war weary girls' faces.
However, it quickly became apparent that the three now teenaged girls were not fitting in to the crowd. People were turning to stare in their direction curiously and it was Pansy who first discovered why.
"Guys, I think we should stop and buy some clothes before we go to the Leaky Cauldron," Pansy quickly stated, glancing around them cautiously.
Hermione and Luna looked down at themselves in synchronization and discovered that they were still wearing their war attire. Black leather pants, combat boots, form-fitting tank tops, leather vests, and waist and arm holsters for supplies. They hardly fit in with the light summer apparel displayed in Diagon Alley.
"I think you may be right," Hermione stated matter-of-factly before taking off in the direction of the nearest clothing store.
The girls quickly changed into new clothes, after having quite a bit of fun with the 70s style outfits, and bought more to take with them to Hogwarts, should Dumbledore agree to their enrollment. Pansy now sported a crisp white button down, a leather skirt, stockings and a pair of black pumps. Hermione had opted for a tight pair of jeans that wouldn't snag on anything, a black rock tee shirt under a green jacket that laced up at the sleeves and in back, and finished it with a pair of black flats. Luna, always the individual, had gone with an off the shoulder white dress with billowing sleeves and a cinched in waist that the fabric below her bust flowed out from in lacy tufts. She finished the look with brown, oxford style high heels and a matching brown oversized newsboy hat. And of course some quintessential Luna jewelry. All three girls sported gloves of some kind to hide the scars that decorated their hands and arms from various tortures and battles. The girls theorized that the marks had become such a part of them that they were imprinted even on their self-images. Hermione was glad they had stayed. She never wanted to forget what she was fighting for and the countless derogatory marks decorating her skin served just that purpose. They were survivors, and their scars proved that.
They arrived at the Leaky carrying their new purchases and were able to get a room with surprising ease.
"Alright," Hermione started as soon as they were settled in, "let's get started on this letter. What do you guys think our back-story should be?"
Luna instantly shot her hand into the air to the amusement of Hermione and Pansy.
"Luna," Hermione said drolly, briefly remembering better days when her own hand would shoot up in the air to answer questions. Luna, however, looked like she was preparing to share a great secret with them.
"Sixteen years ago," Luna began in a grave voice that Pansy and Hermione did their best not to snort at, "three witches were born to loving parents. Two of the girls were raised in a small wizarding village in the United States steeped in ancient traditions and secrecy with British ancestral roots. The third was born to muggles in a farmhouse nearby. One day, when the girls were around seven, the soon to be discovered muggle-born witch was roaming the forest near her house when she stumbled upon a strange, invisible force field. To the later astonishment of the villagers, the under aged prodigy was somehow able to slip past their magical defenses and walk strait into the village. There she met two other seven-year-old girls who had been outside chatting over the fence that separated their houses.
"'Hello, my name's Hermione Durant,' the muggle-born stated to the two other girls.
"'Hello, Hermione, my name is Luna Summerbee and this is my friend Pansy Peasegood. It is lovely to meet you,' the blonde headed girl spoke up.
"The girls got to know each other and began playing games until Pansy's mother came out to check on Pansy. Upon seeing Hermione, she gave a start -,"
"The usual reaction," Pansy piped up, snickering. Hermione punched her good naturedly while Luna continued unfazed, " - and instantly inquired as to how she had come to be in the village. For Mrs. Azalea Peasegood knew all of the members of the tiny village by name and face and had never before seen this strangely dressed girl.
"'Why, I simply followed my feet,' Hermione replied blithely.
"Mrs. Peasegood was astounded by this answer and quickly alerted the other villagers of this turn of events. After confirming Hermione's magical abilities they decided to tell her about their world and ask if she and her parents would like to become a part of their village instead of her being sent away to a boarding school in four years. Hermione decided she liked the idea, especially because she would be with her new friends, and arrangements were quickly made to include the Durant family home within the village barrier. From that day forward, the three witches were never apart and were trained in the ways of their secret unnamed village. That was, until the year they turned sixteen and Lord Voldemort attacked their home and killed every villager except the three girls who had been away exploring a muggle town. Upon returning and discovering that everyone and everything they loved had been destroyed, the girls decided to move back to the country of their ancestors and apply to a wizarding school there in the hope of gaining sanctuary and further developing their magical skills."
Luna beamed proudly after completing the long-winded epic and waited patiently for her friends' approval. Hermione just stared at Luna with her eyebrow quirked and Pansy gaped like a fish.
"Um, Luna? How long have you been thinking about this?" Pansy asked, regaining her sensibilities.
"Hm?" Luna asked happily, "Oh, I just thought of it now. My mind often wanders, as you know, so I let it wander somewhere useful this time."
Hermione was suddenly grinning. That was just so Luna. She had even come up with false last names for the three of them.
"Alright then," Hermione chuckled, "let's get started."
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
We are writing today to ask of you an urgent and inconsiderate favor. As of this summer, our village in the United States was attacked and destroyed by the one who calls himself Lord Voldemort. Luna, Pansy, and myself are the only survivors and have moved to London to rediscover our ancestral roots. We are still, unfortunately, underage at sixteen and were hoping to be able to finish our education here in Britain until such time we are considered to be "adults". So we write to ask you very much at the last minute if you would be willing and able to find us a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are willing to pay the tuition. Please inform us of your decision at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Hermione Durant, Luna Summerbee, and Pansy Peasegood
"Well, it certainly sounds very Hermione-ish," Pansy sited cheerfully.
"What about all of the background?" Luna put in almost dejectedly.
"We don't' want to overcrowd the letter Luna. We can just save the back story for when people inevitably ask us in person, though we should still probably only tell it to people we get closer to so that we appear properly despondent," Hermione responded as soothingly as she could manage. Hermione tried to be soft with her friends, even though it had become increasingly difficult throughout the war to be as open as she had once been. Still, she loved them dearly, as was evidenced by her efforts. Luna appeared to be placated by her words, however, and was smiling that infuriating smile again.
"Alright girls, Let's grab our wands from Ollivander's and then get a bite to eat," Hermione stated authoritatively.
Ollivander's was the same as the girls remembered it from when they bought their very first wands at eleven. Ollivander himself took a long time finding each of their wands, the results of which surprised the witches to say the least. They had each been given different wands from what they had originally owned. Luna had been chosen by a unicorn hair core wand of English oak, Pansy by a pine wand with a dragon heartstring core, and Hermione strangely enough was chosen by a wand made of phoenix feather and elder.
"This is very curious Mr. Ollivander," Hermione said casually, making an effort to not sound accusatory, "Our last wands were very different from the ones that have chosen us today. Why do you think that is?"
Ollivander stared at the three girls in wonder, interested in the wands that had chosen them, particularly the elder and phoenix wand.
"Some folks find that as they grow older and develop, their ideal wands change. Other times, traumatic events can have an effect on the structure of a witch or wizard's personality and such a shift will often attract a different wand from what the wielder may have originally possessed," Ollivander answered dutifully seeming to hesitate in thought.
"What I can't believe is that Hermione got a wand made of elder. You know what they say, 'wand of elder, never prosper'," Pansy stated worriedly. Hermione nodded, she had heard this expression as well. A very long time ago.
"My dear," Ollivander intoned with a smile, "that is a baseless superstition circulated by wand bearers ill equipped to handle an elder wand. Paired with the right witch or wizard, its power is unbelievable. In my experience, it merely takes an individual of great skill and destiny to wield an elder. What is interesting about this particular wand however is the pairing with a phoenix core. I've always said that I might never sell this wand as it would be extraordinarily difficult for just anyone to use."
He looked at Hermione with interest and finished, "I am very much looking forward to seeing what your destiny will be young lady."
Hermione was nonplussed by the declaration, instead taking Ollivander's words as a challenge. She was on a mission after all, and if that was the destiny this wand was seeking to be a part of, who was she to deny it her company?
"Very well, we'll take the lot," Hermione replied.