Summary: An accident sends Hermione to a time where the war is approaching and where she has a chance to change more than one fate. The story begins at Easter, after the snatchers have caught our golden trio (Deathly Hallows CH 23: Malfoy Manor), and it is an Alternate universe from there.
Ie Hermione Time-Turner fic. The pairings are as follows: Hermione/Sirius Black, Hermione/Regulus Black, Lily/James Potter, Remus Lupin/Mary McDonald, Alice/Frank Longbottom, and some other, minor couples. The first chapter is rather short, but the following chapters will be longer.
And a small reminder about the rating: For some readers this chapter (and possibly later ones as well) might contain some disturbing material. Happy reading!
Chapter 01: Malfoy Manor
Friday, 10 April 1998
"STOP!" Bellatrix shrieked. "Do not touch it, or we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"
Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his Dark Mark.
"What is that?" Bellatrix demanded darkly.
"It's a sword," one of the Snatchers grunted.
"Give it to me," Bellatrix hissed sharply.
"No, it's mine, I reckon. I found it," the Snatcher replied.
Suddenly, there was a flash of red light; Bellatrix had stunned the man with a flick of her wrist. There was a roar of anger from the other Snatchers.
"Stupefy!" Bellatrix screamed and waved her wand, "Stupefy!"
They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against one of her. She was a witch, with immense skills and no conscience, after all. The Snatchers fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been immobilised and forced into a kneeling position. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Bellatrix bearing down upon the werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand. There was an anxious look in Bellatrix's eyes.
"Where did you get this sword?" Bellatrix whispered to Greyback as she pried his wand from his fingers.
"How dare you?" Greyback snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"
"Where did you find this sword?" She repeated, raising it up in front of him. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"
"It was with them," Greyback growled, his eyes flickering to Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Hermione felt Harry flinch against her back.
"Release me, now!" Greyback yelled.
Bellatrix flicked her wand and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary to approach her. He moved behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back.
"Draco, move this scum outside," Bellatrix said, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."
"Don't you dare speak to Draco like –" Narcissa hissed furiously, but Bellatrix interrupted her with a shriek.
"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!" Bellatrix screamed, panting slightly and looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners.
"If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself… But if he finds out… I must… I must know."
She turned back to her sister again. "The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"
Narcissa hesitated for a moment and then addressed the werewolf. "Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."
"Wait," Bellatrix said sharply. "All except… Except for the Mudblood," she said gleefully.
As Greyback let out a pleased growl, Hermione felt something cold trickle down her spine.
"No!" Ron shouted abruptly. "You can have me, keep me!"
Ron's yell ended with a groan of pain as Bellatrix hit him across the face, the blow echoing around the room.
Bellatrix let out a shriek of laughter. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said venomously. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet."
She threw Greyback's wand back to him and then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners and then dragged her into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across the room towards a dark passageway, his wand held out in front of him, projecting an invisible and irresistible force.
Hermione gritted her teeth against the sharp pain running through her scalp when Bellatrix grabbed Hermione by her hair and drew her face up close to hers.
"Now, little Mudblood. Tell me, where did you get that sword?" She asked viciously.
Bellatrix pulled her hair so hard, that Hermione was sure a handful of it had gone off when the mad woman suddenly stopped as though to give her time to answer. Bellatrix grabbed Hermione's chin roughly and forced her to look up at her. Hermione suppressed a whimper of fear and attempted to struggle free. It only made Bellatrix squeeze her jaw with more force, causing Hermione to let out a choked sob.
Hermione shook her head hastily and stuttered, "I-I don't know." She didn't even notice the blow across her face before her cheek started to sting with pain. Hermione cried out and staggered to the side, surprised and scared. Then, Bellatrix aimed a kick at her and with a moan of pain, Hermione collapsed to the ground on her knees.
"Crucio," Bellatrix said silkily. A split second after, Hermione felt like someone poured a barrel of petrol on her and then set her on fire. It burned, it hurt, it ripped her insides apart and turned her skin inside out and back again. It was like someone was stabbing her with thousand needles and like every cell of her body turned into burning coal.
And then it was over. She was lying on her stomach and her fingers were bleeding after unintentionally scratching the marble floor with them. Hermione shivered and blinked away tears as she heard the clicking noise of high heels getting closer.
"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?"
"We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed when Bellatrix kicked her to her ribs.
Hermione shrieked in pain.
"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Bellatrix shrieked and kicked Hermione again to her ribs so hard that she was turned on her back from the force. She moaned in agony, her vision swimming.
"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"
Hermione could only feel pain and fear. She sobbed silently.
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as the searing pain filled her again. She thrashed on the floor, clawing at herself, trying to rip the skin from her body with her bleeding nails. Her back arched and her eyes were lolling in her aching head that felt like at any moment it was going to burst open.
Then the pain subsided again, and her back landed on the floor with a loud thud.
"How did you get into my vault?" she heard Bellatrix scream. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"
"W-We only m-met him t-tonight!" Hermione sobbed, her voice hoarse from screaming, her body convulsing. "We've n-never been inside y-your vault…It isn't the real s-sword! It's a copy, just a c-copy!"
"A copy?" Bellatrix screeched. "Oh, a likely story!"
"But we can find that out easily!" came Lucius's voice from the distance. "Greyback, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"
There was a short silence and all Hermione could hear were footsteps on the marble floor. She kept her eyes closed and forced herself to stay conscious.
Not long after the goblin was dragged upstairs from the cellar and brought in front of the sword.
"Well?" Bellatrix hissed at Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"
Hermione waited and held her breath while fighting against unconsciousness that was threatening to take over.
"No," Griphook said quietly. "It is a fake."
"Are you sure?" Bellatrix pressed. "Quite sure?"
"Yes," the goblin said. Hermione focused on Bellatrix and saw relief flickering into her eyes, saw how the Death Eater's posture relaxed somewhat.
"Good," Bellatrix said and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed another deep cut into the goblin's face, who dropped to her feet with a yell. Bellatrix kicked the goblin aside. "And now," she said with a voice that was brimming with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!" She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.
"And I think," Bellatrix continued, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her." Bellatrix said as she walked to sit down in an armchair, ready to watch the scene play out in front of her, her mouth turned into a vicious smirk.
Hermione was still sprawled on the floor, nearly unconscious. Her hazy mind did register Greyback approaching her slowly and leering at her. She shuddered from nausea and fear.
"Delicious girl...what a treat…" Greyback said with a rasping voice when he lowered down to kneel next to her and loomed over her frame.
"I love them young…and squirming," he growled, revealing his pointed brown teeth.
Hermione was hit with another wave of nausea by his smell – dirt, sweat and blood.
"So innocent…" He grunted and leaned closer, his hands flat on the floor, framing her head. His dirty face was mere inches away from Hermione's neck. Greyback sniffed loudly and growled against the skin on her neck. Hermione sobbed silently, too tired to fight back, too scared to move a muscle.
Greyback stood back on his knees and pressed his filthy hands against her knees. When his long fingernails started to move slowly down her thighs, ripping the fabric of her jeans, Hermione's mind sharpened momentarily and she gained enough strength to scream and kick him in the head. The werewolf shouted in surprise and pain when he was knocked to the side, while Hermione scrambled up into a kneeling position.
"You bitch!" Greyback growled angrily and lunged at Hermione but was stopped by a spell Bellatrix had cast.
Bellatrix cackled from the other side of the room. "A feisty little Mudblood slut, aren't you…" She said silkily. "So defiant, so…Gryffindor," she said darkly and grinned as she stood up from her armchair, her eyes flashing with mirth. "All that for nothing." She smiled at her venomously, holding the knife again in her hand. "Should I entertain myself by letting Greyback here on the loose, or do we just end your life here, right now? Would you like to beg for mercy, little Mudblood?"
Hermione stood up from the floor, slowly, shakily, and spat a mouthful of blood to the marble floor, towards Bellatrix.
Bellatrix cackled again and raised her wand. "How rude of you, little Mudblood. I think Greyback here should teach you a lesson, what do you think?" She smiled maniacally.
Greyback growled from his place and glared at Bellatrix for keeping him still and not allowing him to move.
"Even so, I myself have more important things to focus on right now, I'm sure you understand, Mudblood. It might be the best for you to be on your way before the Dark Lord arrives."
Hermione knew there was no escape, not when she was wandless, facing a maniac woman with quick reflexes and a bloodthirsty werewolf who was growling behind her. The only help she could have had was locked somewhere in the basement. She was all alone, without anything to help her escape. There was no more time for anything.
Then, she remembered something. Before they had left Hogwarts last year, after Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione had sneaked into the former Headmaster's office to collect some rare and forbidden books regarding Horcruxes, along with few other items she thought they would need on their journey. She had stumbled upon a Time-Turner when going through Dumbledore's desk drawers. It was similar to the one Hermione had used in her third year – the one Professor McGonagall had lent her. It had been too tempting not to take it with her. She had kept the Time-Turner hidden and disillusioned from everyone else, even Ron and Harry, intending to use it only in extreme danger. Which was now.
Hermione quickly grabbed the Time-Turner, praying to Merlin she had enough time to turn back time. As her fingers rotated the hourglass over, she saw Bellatrix's lips moving: she was casting a curse. Time seemed to be crawling and Hermione saw a jet of green light erupt from Bellatrix's wand, inching slowly towards her. She could almost hear the Time-Turner clicking between her fingers, the rings starting to rotate around the hourglass.
She swallowed and then the curse hit the small Time-Turner, smashing it to pieces. Hermione didn't have time to look up, or even take a breath before the room started to glow with light and then spin uncontrollably. The spinning became faster and faster until she couldn't see anything but streaks of light anymore, as the Malfoy Manor disappeared around her.