Menteur: Chapter 3: A Chat with the Hat
August 28, 1943
"May I speak with you in private, miss?" came a question from somewhere behind her. She slowly turned after the familiar voice.
There, just a couple of feet from her, stood Albus Dumbledore himself. For a second she wasn't even sure it was really him. This man's beard was noticeably shorter, than what she was used to from her own time…that is, before he was killed by Snape. His hair was the most unnatural shade of red that even Weasleys could not compare with only streaks and lonely locks of grey. She could finally understand just how much toll it took on him to keep peace within the school throughout the reigns of two incredibly powerful dark wizards. No one she knew would call this Dumbledore an old man. He stood tall, with his eyes that saw the infinity of the world, his magic aura radiating off of him with such strength, Hermione could feel it puncturing her body like it was nothing more than paper thin and leaving his mark on her soul. It was like meeting a legend, a hero, in their primetime.
She took a last look at elder medi-witch cautiously tending to young Abraxas Malfoy and nodded without saying a single word. Dumbledore gave her curd nod, his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion and said: "Could you wait for me in my office near the Transfiguration classroom, while I talk to Mrs. Grey, please. It's just down this corridor, fifth door on the left." He outstretched his arm in the general direction of his office to clarify, which Hermione naturally already knew, but did not dare to say anything, what could attract even more attention. She silently turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing, heading towards said office.
For every material step she took, her mind went at least a mile. She was caught, and on top of that by Dumbledore, the greatest and all-knowing wizard alive. Even if she tried to run away and hide now, she wouldn't probably make it too far before he found her again and made her spill all of secrets. She sighed.
When she finally reached the door, she stopped and breathed deeply, pulled the door open and disappeared into the classroom. Inside it looked just like it did when she was in school minus some of the exemplars, which were donated to Hogwarts during the later years; usually courtesy of Dumbledore's ministry friends after he became the headmaster. Young witch followed the row of desks to the other side of spacy room, where the heavy wooden door let to the current transfiguration teacher's cabinet. Once inside, Hermione strolled nervously towards closest empty chair by the massive mahogany table and sat down. This room did change a lot. It went from McGonagall's tidy, quiet and slightly bureaucratic work place into a chaotic, surprisingly noisy half research-half storage space. Every single object in there was clicking, levitating around in the circles or transfiguring from one thing to another, just to turn right back into its original form. Instruments that didn't do any of before mentioned activities at least occasionally glowed different color. It was simply chaos, but Hermione was too busy considering her options to be offended or distressed by any of this.
She found herself doubting her decision to help Malfoy. What was wrong with her? This was the same man, who in couple years will raise one of the most selfish, cruel excuses for a human being otherwise known as Lucius Malfoy. Not even counting, that he ALREADY was a part of the Knights of Walpurgis, which was pretty much like being the original Death Eater. She was stupid for interfering with anything here and it shouldn't surprise her that Dumbledore found out. If he was at least a little bit like the headmaster from her own time, he probably knew about every single whisper going around the school. Could this change the timeline? What if she was going to say something what could change the future? No one, not even Dumbledore, was powerful enough to shift or bend time to their will and prosper. If her calculations were correct, and Voldemort was still in his teens, she must have landed somewhere in early 40's, which also means that Albus Dumbledore have to yet dealt with his childhood nemesis, Gellert Grindelwald, nor got the Elder Wand in his possession. Even though strong wizard, he was still just fraction of his future self…
Hermione paused for a second and thought. Maybe she still could run! Dumbledore didn't set the improved protecting wards until after Tom Riddle's left the school. She could still sneak by the path to Hogsmeade, which, based on chapter 26 of Hogwarts: A History, was still left unguarded except of few basic charms and she could definitely handle those.
Hermione hopped out of comfy chair and rushed towards the exit so she could make it out before Albus returns from his chat with the healer.
"Ehm-hmm" a rusty sounding noise came from her left before she had time to walk out of the door, but when she turned to look, there was nobody there. She took two steps closer to the renaissance-fashioned dresser, where the sound was coming from. It was a very old and worn down looking piece of furniture with one set of large double doors and couple of drawers at the bottom. Hermione carefully opened the doors, expecting an animal or maybe a feral goblin to jump out and run for their lives, but only thing she found in there was the Sorting Hat. The old leathery thing sat leisurely on the top shelf making a minimal movement, but its eye-like dents seemed to follow her every movement. Hermione reached up, grabbed the hat and sat it on her head full of unruly curls.
'Ah, Mrs. Malfoy, aren't you little too old to be in school? Plus, if I remember correctly I have already sorted you once.' Said the hat happily.
'How do you know my name? and..and..'
She didn't have to say it, because the hat laughed loudly before finishing for her: 'And that you are married?'
Hermione nodded.
'I, my dear,' started the hat in a sympathetic tone: 'see anything and everything what is in your mind- all the things that happened'
'Do you know how to get me back then? Please!' demanded young witch.
The Sorting Hat sighed: 'I'm afraid I do not, Mrs. Malfoy.'
'Well, I guess it was worth a try' thought Hermione: 'Could you at least point me out to the best way out of here? As you might know, I'm not familiar with this year's prefect rounds and am pretty sure the Whomping Willow Passage is not there yet, am I right?'
'Correct' said the hat: 'The passage behind Gunhilda Gorsemoor is probably your safest bet. Not many students know about it and it will lead you straight to the open Floo Network at the Hog's Head. From there it will be only a matter of seconds to reach the Ministry. '
'Thanks.' Said Hermione and was about to take the Sorting Hat off, when it suddenly blurred out: 'THAT IS, if you really want to leave!'
'What do you mean?' she asked and sat him (or it) back on her head. Sorting Hat made a breathe-out noise and explained: 'If you go to the Ministry, you might never get the opportunity to come back…'
After correctly translating Hermione's silence as a puzzlement, the Hat continued: 'Maybe it could be useful to stay a little while.'
'That's completely unacceptable! What if I change the future? Bad things happen to wizards who meddle with time.' Hermione recited the same phrase Dumbledore told her and Harry at the end of their third year.
'But he lost in the end, didn't he?' the Hat pointed out as he was reading her mind, pointing at Dumbledore's demise and the lost war, but Hermione wouldn't have any of it.
'So, you expect me to charge into Voldemort's dorm room and murder him in his sleep? That spells Azkaban!'
'I have to admit, I do not feel pity, nor sympathy, for Mr. Riddle as Albus does.' The Hat sounded sad, maybe even remorseful, for saying this, yet it chooses to continue: 'He believes that everybody deserves redemption, no matter of their previous acts…But I, I have seen HIS mind and all the things in it. He must be stopped, Hermione.'
Hermione listened silently to the Sorting Hat, slipping more and more into her own thoughts. The Hat was absolutely correct about one thing; the Dark Lord must be stopped, but Hermione was positive, it was not in her powers to fight the strongest wizard alive, as many called him in her days, and succeed. She was nobody, a muggleborn with brain and slight talent for magic control. She could waste her life practicing spell and curses and never reach Voldemort's level. How could she ever face him by herself without risking the revelation of her time-travelling, or worse, accidentally giving him any vital information on his future? It would be suicidal mission at best.
'You are forgetting, that now you have a huge advantage, Mrs. Malfoy.' The Hat interrupted her, precisely knowing, what she was thinking: 'Mr. Potter sacrificed so much to get where you are now; to have the same advantage. Spell that transport one more than fifty years in time are not just lying around'
Hermione frowned at this, not because the information itself annoyed her, but because it was true. She never really thought about how much Harry must have gone through just to get it all set up and then find her. Most of their friends and families were killed at the Battle of Hogwarts, and those who were unlucky enough to survive, were later tracked down by Death Eaters and torn to pieces… until it was just her and Harry left. It never stopped to amaze her, how tirelessly her best friend kept fighting and never gave up hope. Suddenly, the bushy haired witch felt terrible for not supporting him more. If she just wasn't such a rule-follow prude, they could have been here together and have at least some chance, but because she had to be such a stuck-up, is she here now alone with only her wand, Harry's notebook, the empty infinity bag and broken time-turner chain.
Hermione sighed: 'What if I change my future for the worse?'
'Is there really that much to lose?' the Hat asked a question they both already knew answer to.
The silence between them was short, but nearly suffocating everything it reached.
'You are very easily silenced, for a brightest witch of your age' noted the Sorting Hat, mocking the young witch in attempt to lighten the mood. It must have been the absurdity of the comment and realness of the situation, what made Hermione burst out in a desperate laughter. She used to be so proud of that title; getting good grades symbolized her world and now it meant nothing at all. She used to be so naïve…
"I'm glad you are getting acquainted, miss." Albus' voice surfaced from the door. The future headmaster was attentively watching her, his facial features frozen into a stern look.
Hermione quickly pulled the Hat off, leaving her hair even more disheveled that it was before, and sat the leather accessory on Dumbledore's table. Then she turned to fully face him. She had no idea how long was he there and was very appreciative of the Hat's abilities to talk mind-to-mind.
"I apologize for my unwelcoming manners, but please understand my restraint, when some unknown witch shows up in our school with an injured student and without ever setting off warding security system." Dumbledore explained as he sat behind his table, hand-gesturing her to do the same.
When they both were seated, Dumbledore pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and started: "What happened to Mr. Malfoy? And perhaps you should start with telling me your name."
"I-" Hermione glanced at the Sorting Hat at the edge of the table. This was the time to decide what to do. She could tell the truth about her time-turner accident and probably be sent to the Ministry immediately, or she could lie and try to stop Riddle before he gains his full powers and kills all the muggles and wizards in his way to the world domination and immortality. It took only one memory of her friends falling down during the battle like leaves in autumn, and it was decided.
"My name is Serena, sir, Serena Durand" Hermione tried her best to copy Fleur's cheesy French accent. She hated lying to the man, who is one day going to save her, Harry's and Ron's lives, but she was worried that Dumbledore's fatherly instincts towards Tom Riddle clouded his mind and he would not be willing to give up. After all, it wouldn't be the first time the wise wizard closed his eyes over Voldemort's crimes.
"I don't know, what 'appened to zat boy. You see, I was on my way to ze Hogwarts, when I found 'im in ze woods laying uncouzius." lied Hermione.
"Then you must have had reason to come here."
As soon as he said it, a few possible lies flew through Hermione's brain, but only one of them struck her as just enough brilliant and also quite cunning.
"Grindelwald killed zem. 'E killed my family. I 'ad nowhere else to go. I 'ad to leave! You see, my fatzer was born in Scotland and 'e used to tell me stories of ze Hogwarts and 'ow safe it was, so I came here." Hermione almost wanted to congratulate herself for pulling this off. It was actually very wicked for her to use Dumbledore's strange affection towards his old friend just to get him feel compassion for her story and she felt bad as soon as the words left her mouth. But concealing of her identity was the priority right now.
Albus' face considerably saddened upon hearing the lie Hermione was so professionally feeding him, but the tiny spark of uncertainty never left his eyes. She's seen this look before and knew exactly what to do. Just a second after she put her Occlumency wards up, she could feel his presence in her head, searching around and trying to push through the block she has made to protect any sensitive memories. He gave up quicker that she expected; after all he was Albus Dumbledore, the master of Legilimency, and if he really wanted to, could have pushed through her wards without a drop of sweat. Yet, for some reason, he decided not to and his magic slowly floated away.
"Alright, then. We will have to talk to Headmaster Dippet first, but I'm sure there won't be any problems. Hogwarts is always open to the refugees." Said Dumbledore lightly.
It took almost two hours to talk with headmaster Dippet and put all of her new school-file information together, especially since she had to make everything up as she went, but after all of that was done, the old headmaster summoned the Sorting Hat and Hermione was sorted for the second time in her life, into her new house- Slytherin. Obviously, the Hat found it very important for her 'quest' and despite all Hermione's begging, it announced the snake house's name for the headmaster and Albus to hear. The young witch was upset at first, because she didn't view it as the best idea to put a muggleborn into a pit of vicious purebloods, but the Hat was persuaded that it would be useful, and Hermione forgot about it as soon as she got her new schedule. All the 7th years, which included her since she was at least 3 years older than the oldest student, had to take three required subjects- Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms- and four electives for which she picked Alchemy, Ancient Runes, Magical Theory and the Dueling, she hoped will be something like DADA because to her surprise in 1940s they didn't offer this class. One thing, she didn't lose during the war was her love of studying. She already couldn't wait to go to the library and checkout all the books, which didn't make it into the 90s. With her schedule, Dipped also gave her list of all the items she was required to buy and permission to go Hogsmeade the upcoming weekend.
The only problem Hermione encountered was right after the door of principal's office closed behind her and she realized, they did not give the password to the Slytherin dorms. It was too late to search the school for somebody to tell her and she didn't feel like sleeping in the dungeons with all the sneaky swindlers anyway, so she decided to camp out in the Room of Requirement at least for a week or two. When she got there, with use of couple basic transfiguration spells, she managed to create a decent living space, including a queen-size bed, one table, couple shelves, dresser, and a small cozy love seat. To show her continuing defiance, she made sure that all the furniture was either wooden or deep red, the sign of Gryffindor. Later she decided to take some extra security measures such as putting a big load of charms around the room and adjusting her appearance a little. She used a dye-spell to turn her hair black and then straightened it a little. She wasn't a big fan of her new dark-slytherinish look, but last thing she needed was some future Death Eater to remember a bushy haired witch appearing out of a thin air during their stay at Hogwarts. She was already high enough on the Voldy's Hit List, as Fred and George used to call the Order during the war.
She sighed. 'Welcome back home, Hermione…' she thought before heading to the inviting warmth of her new bed.
To be continued...
I hope you liked this chapter...as always rate and comment below :) I know this chapter wasnt as good, but I pledge to do better next time :D