Hermione's Secret

Though the world was blurry when Siria opened her eyes, she knew the room well. From the cold that seemed to live in it to how the moonlight visited through cracks in the curtains, she was in the Hospital Wing. She looked to the watch on her wrist; it was already eight o'clock, but Sirius was still at Hogwarts. To her right laid the flaming hair of Ron and to her left, the bushy brown of Hermione. Siria groaned. Her body felt heavy, but she wanted her glasses. Madam Pomfrey tsked as she approached Siria.

"Honestly, chasing after escaped convicts and dementors, falling from your broom, the hippogriff— and that's just this year," Madam Pomfrey reminded her. She handed Siria a chunk of chocolate the size of a dinner plate and proceeded to hand Ron and Hermione a piece as well. "You're lucky Professor Snape found you all so quickly." She told them. Siria looked to Ron then Hermione and then around the Hospital Wing.

"Sirius," when she tried to stand, Siria fell to the floor, her body weak with fatigue. Madam Pomfrey pulled Siria back onto the bed.

"Ms. Potter, Mr. Black is fine. He's just unconscious." She thrust the piece of chocolate back into Siria's hand. "Eat!" Over the piece of chocolate, Siria glared, but ate. The moment it touched her lips, she felt a little lighter. Hermione and Ron had both sat up, but looked exhausted. Siria put her glasses on and the blurred outline of Sirius's face fell into focus. His elegant face looked peaceful and almost as fine as always.

"A black eye?" Siria hissed. Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue while she braided Hermione's hair back.

"And some broken ribs— don't make that face, they're healed." Madam Pomfrey moved onto Siria's hair. "You'll want to wash your faces and change for bed." Siria sighed and put her hands in her pocket. She paused. One hand, very expectantly, closed around a small, pocket notepad and pen. The other closed around a small, crumpled piece of paper. She withdrew the paper and unrolled it.

There, in Siria's own handwriting, were the words "Patronus" and "Lake" but she hadn't written them. Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains between the girls and Ron. Hermione emptied her pockets. "Hermione?" Ron called from the other side. "Um, do you know something I should?" He asked. Siria looked from the curtain to Hermione, who also held a small crumpled ball of paper.

The trio placed their pieces together, but they didn't make any sense. Ron had written "Hermione," Siria had "Patronus" and "Lake," while Hermione's just said "T.T. 2." Each note written in their own handwriting, ink the same deep, blue ink. Ron and Siria looked to Hermione. She was wide-eyed and very focused on her note.

"Okay." Hermione finally said. She reached down the front of her robes and pulled out a very long, very fine gold chain (B3,394). Hermione unlocked the window closest to her head and, without a word, she threw the necklace chain around Ron's and Siria's necks. Hermione began to turn the small, sparkling hourglass on the chain twice.

(Book: B3, 394 Hermione sends them back in time)

"Siria, what were we doing two hours ago?" Hermione asked. Siria looked to her watch, which now read six o'clock. She looked to Hermione then to Ron and outside.

"You have a time machine!" Siria hissed through her teeth. She smacked her own forehead. "Of course you do!" How did Hermione get to all her classes when some were at the same time? She wasn't multiplying herself, she was going back in time to attend the classes. Hermione looked outside the window.

"We were in the Shrieking Shack." Hermione told them. "Come on." She poked her head out of the Hospital Wing and dashed away. Ron looked to Siria then they both chased after her.

"What is going on?" Ron asked as he ran on the grounds.

"Hermione's been using a time machine to attend her classes!" Siria dropped to a jog as she neared Hermione.

"We've got to— hide— in the— forest." Hermione panted. Siria patted Hermione's shoulder as the trio settled for a brisk walk.

"No…" Siria corrected. "We need to hide at the lake."

"Seriously," Ron started, "what is going on?"

(Book: B3, 395-396, Hermione explains she was given the Time Turner to attend her classes and they have to be careful not to be seen)

Ron placed his hand on Siria's shoulder as they hid in the bushes on the other side of the lake from where Sirius would appear at any moment. They had already heard Remus become a werewolf and howl. Ron looked like there was something he wanted to say, but no words came out. He simply patted her shoulder.

Siria withdrew her holly wand. She knew what she would have to do. Ron had written himself the note of "Hermione" because that was all he needed to know. Hermione had written herself the note of "T.T. 2" so she would turn the Time Turner twice, which would let them go back two hours. Siria's told her the lake and Patronus because that was why the dementors didn't kiss any of them. She closed her eyes and knew she needed a happy thought.

Sirius is going to adopt you. Even if Peter Pettigrew gets away today, even if Tom comes back, even if he does come back stronger than before— you aren't alone. Siria raised her wand into the chilling air. They were all there now, just across the lake. No matter what comes, you'll be okay.

(Book: B3, 411 Siria produces a Patronus Charm in the shape of a buck, which takes down the dementors and returns to her. She realises it's Prongs)

Hermione pulled Siria back behind the bushes. Peter Pettigrew seemed to disappear beneath Sirius. Ron took hold of Siria's other arm, though he looked as ready to jump out of the bushes and attack Pettigrew as she was. "No." Hermione whispered to them. Siria's hand trembled on her wand, which she placed in her pocket. She traded it for the notebook and pen, which she passed around. They rushed to themselves and tucked in the torn pieces of the sheet into their past self's pockets. Siria looked at the face of her unconscious self from an hour ago and wanted to apologize. Not only had she let Peter Pettigrew get away, the self an hour behind would have to do the same.

They hurried back into the forest and peered through the trees. Snape and Professor Dumbledore rushed to them. The trio watched their past selves be taken back to the castle. Once Snape and Professor Dumbledore were gone, Hermione had them creep along the forest outskirts to the Hospital Wing windows.

Siria sunk down into the grass and buried her face in her hands. Ron sank down beside her. "You saved us too, you know?" Ron told her.

"I should've let them" Siria whispered through her hands.

"Naw," Ron shook his head. "You did the right thing, Siria. Pettigrew may have gotten away today, but you'll win in the end." Siria pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. Ron patted her back.

"We've gone." Hermione whispered and slid the window open. Siria hoisted her leg up and pulled herself inside. Ron was so tall his feet barely left the ground in the process to climb through. He went to the other side of the curtain and all of them changed. Hermione closed the window just as Madam Pomfrey returned to check on them.

Madam Pomfrey had prepared a Draught of Dreamless Sleep for each of them. Siria sighed, but chugged it down. She laid back on the bed. The moonlight seemed to dull around her while the colors blurred then fell to black.

(Book: B3, 421 they wake the next day & find the castle rather empty because people have gone to Hogsmeade.)

Sirius's hand was at Hogwarts on her watch, so Siria set off to find him. She headed for Remus's office. Through the door, she could clearly hear Sirius shouting. She paused to listen.

"No one got bitten— you don't have to leave!" Sirius shouted. Remus's reply was calm and too quiet to make out through the door. Sirius's voice fell as well. The door creaked open.

"Hi." Siria waved at Sirius. She poked her head into the room. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"See!" Sirius gestured to her while he looked at Remus.

"I am." Remus sighed. Sirius closed the door behind Siria. "Please," Remus gestured for her to sit.

The office had already been packed away. There was an empty tank, which once held a grindylow, his briefcase, and the Marauder's Map. Remus looked even more tired than he usually did. Sirius's black eye had been healed up overnight. Siria sighed but took a seat.

"How can you leave us?" Siria asked. "You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! We actually learned things this year." Sirius patted her untidy hair and she knocked his hand away. Remus clicked his tongue softly.

"Siria, I know that no one got bitten last night, but" Remus stepped around his desk to lean against it, before her. "It reminded me of another close call." His eyes flickered to Sirius's face then back to Siria's. "I can't take any more chances."

"But," Siria looked to Sirius for help. He raised his arms in silent surrender despite his protests before she entered the room. She bit her lip and looked back to Remus. "But I just need a clear night and then I can be an Animagus too— I'll stop you from biting anyone."

"We don't know what your Animagus form will be" Sirius started to reason, but Remus looked to him and Sirius fell silent.

Remus knelt before Siria. "More than I can express, I enjoyed my time here, but we need to be able to go wherever whenever Dumbledore needs us. Chloe may complain, but she can manage Moony & Padfoot. It's a lot more difficult to leave Hogwarts than the office."

"Peter is going to help Tom come back," Siria whispered.

"We can't say for certain, but need to be ready." Sirius told her. She raised her eyes to his. Sirius looked determined and confident. He had lost the look of worry that she may disappear.

"You could stay here so Hogwarts could be safer." Siria tried to suggest. They shared a silent smile. Dumbledore was here. Tom Riddle would never come to Hogwarts, even with an army, as long as Dumbledore remained.

(Book: B3, 424 Remus tells Siria he's very proud of her Patronus, which is a stag, like her father)

In the entrance hall, Siria said her goodbye to Professor Lupin. He left with Sirius, who handed her a blank and folded up Marauder's map and promised to see her at the station in a week. The trio started to return to Gryffindor Tower when a sinking feeling filled Siria's stomach. "I— I gotta go do something, real quick." She told them. Siria headed back down the stairs, all the way to the dungeons.

Her heart seemed to thunder in her ears and it had nothing to do with the exercise. Siria's hand trembled inches from the door. She raised it and pulled to knock, but hesitated. Even if she wanted answers, he probably wanted to give her what she wanted even less than the Dursleys. Siria squeezed her eyes shut and knocked on the cold, hard oak door. It swung open.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Snape snapped. He was standing before a shelf of jars. Siria's stomach turned. She didn't want to know what was pickled; most of the jars looked toxic. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She released a shaking sigh instead. Siria cleared her throat.

"Two years," Siria's eyes fell to the floor. She had felt she deserved to know then, but couldn't find the time or confidence to seek Snape out and ask. Dumbledore had given her what he believed the answer to be, Siria knew she would only know for certain if she asked Snape himself. "You used a counter-jinx, on my broom." Snape said nothing. He had stopped looking at the jars. Even with her eyes on the floor, she could feel his cold, dark eyes on her. Siria bit her lip and raised her head.

"Why?" She asked. Her nails pressed into her palms. Snape crossed his arms and Siria felt like she was being sized up.

"I do not need a reason, Potter, to save the life of a student." Snape said it so coldly that a chill ran down her spine. Her right hand started to tremble.

"I heard you did it because my dad saved your life," Siria was not prepared for the glare on his face.

(Book: B3, 285 Snape tells Siria that James saved Snape to stop himself from being expelled because James and his friends decided to play on prank on Snape that could have resulted in Snape's death "if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment")

Siria's throat was dry with rage. She glared over the rim of her glasses at him. "If he did it to save his own skin, I guess there was no debt—" her teeth clenched "So thank you, Professor." Ever so slightly, Siria bowed the top of her head before she stormed out. Sirius would give her the whole story— the real story. Her head shook with fury.

Even if her father and Sirius had played pranks on Snape, she hadn't. She tried in Potions. She paid attention. She studied harder for it than anything only to be too stressed out with him leering over her shoulder for her to perform well. Sure, she thought he was the one trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone in her first year, but he looked very guilty. Siria growled under her breath as she continued to climb back to Gryffindor Tower. She wasn't responsible for her father or her father-to-be.

Against the floor before the portrait of the Fat Lady, sat Neville. His face lit up at the sight of Siria. "I forgot the password, again" He confessed. Siria sighed at the very thought of Neville. He was so good intentioned and tried is very best at everything, even when he usually failed at things. She didn't understand how anyone could ever be as mean to Neville as Snape was. Neville could be Tom Riddle's son and Siria didn't know she could find it in her to do so much as try and trip him.

They walked through the portrait hole. Snape seemed to weigh her down. The very thought of him was exhausting. She didn't feel like he had saved her to pay a debt, but wasn't sure she believed he didn't have a reason. Plenty of other teachers saw what was happening and had not muttered a counter-jinx. Siria sighed again as she sat beside Hermione and Ron.

"What's wrong?" Ron immediately asked.

"Nothing." Siria lied.