Saturday, 24th September 1977
Hermione's jaw dropped as she gawked rudely at... Peter Pettigrew?
This was Peter Pettigrew? She shouldn't have been surprised really. The only times she'd seen him in person had been after he'd spent twelve years living as a rat - that was bound to affect his physical appearance. This person in front of her looked absolutely nothing like she had imagined a young Peter Pettigrew would look, especially after hearing other people's descriptions of the boy. She supposed Harry would have known what he looked like, but by the time she'd been shown any photos of James Potter and his friends there had been ugly black blobs of ink over the fourth person's - Pettigrew's - face.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she blurted out, completely ignoring the other boys snorts of laughter and Lily's noise of disapproval. Professor Dumbledore sat quietly, observing Hermione's reaction as she eyed Peter with pure shock.
Peter, on the other hand, looked downright confused at her reaction.
"I'm sorry, do you know me already or something?" he asked, awkwardly pulling at his collar while glancing around, begging with his eyes for some help from his friends.
Without answering, Hermione wandlessly disarmed Peter, catching his wand in her outstretched hand and pointing it back at his face.
The other Marauders and Lily were immediately on their feet, wands drawn and pointing at Hermione, although the Headmaster's wand was directed at Peter, ready to cast a protective shield if need be.
"Show me your left arm," Hermione demanded, not caring about the other four wands pointed at her.
Sirius, James and Remus immediately protested, insulted on their friends behalf that this little witch could waltz right in and essentially accuse their best mate of being a Death Eater. Lily, thinking quickly and wanting to diffuse the situation, cast a quick silencing charm at the boys, avoiding their resulting glares in favour of observing their Headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore looked concerned. Not so much at the clearly powerful young witch in the bed, but more at her insistence that Peter reveal himself to them.
Peter didn't question her, not wanting to provoke Hermione while he was at the wand point of his own wand, instead raising his hands slowly in surrender as he rolled down his left sleeve.
When Hermione saw the unblemished skin, instead of being relieved, she leaned forwards and grabbed his exposed wrist yanking him towards her with surprising strength, and began casting revealing charms over his skin.
The others watched closely as the witch cast a number of revealing spells, ranging from simple first year charms to advanced Auror level spells, the boys not even noticing as Lily lifted her earlier silencing charm.
Hermione finished her magical examination, dropping the wand carelessly on the bed, ignoring Sirius who darted forwards and snatched it out of her reach. Turning Peter's surprisingly soft hand back and forth in her own, she mumbled under her breath, "How is this even possible? I guess I don't know when exactly he took the mark but I'd always assumed it had been before they left school... Yes, yes it was, because the snakes had access to him here, but wouldn't once they'd graduated... What year is it? '81 was the first fall, Harry was three months past a year, which means graduation was in... 1978... Head Girl badge, yes - that must mean we're in 1977..." she continued under her breath, still not concerned about the onlookers.
When Peter finally cleared his throat awkwardly, Hermione dropped his hand as though she'd been burned, belatedly realising she'd basically been manhandling him this whole time.
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"Erm, no problem," replied Peter. "Reckon you could explain about that though?" he asked as he took his wand from Sirius and sat back down cautiously.
Ignoring him as the others all sat again - this time a little more stiffly than before - Hermione turned to Dumbledore and said, "I'm from 1998. May 2nd, to be exact. In my time, Peter Pettigrew was a Death Eater spy and caused the deaths of James Potter and his wife on October 31st, 1981. When he was confronted for the betrayal afterwards, he murdered thirteen random muggles in cold blood, framing Sirius Black for the deaths - all of them - which resulted in twelve years imprisonment of an innocent man in Azkaban. And that's not even counting his part in the revival of Lord Voldemort in 1995, and Merlin knows what else."
Peter looked sick to his stomach, while his friends looked in horror between him and Hermione and Dumbledore. "Prongs, mate, I swear - Padfoot, Moony, you know I'd never -" he excused himself just in time to retch into the waste bin.
"It's okay Pete," said James, throwing a glare at Hermione, as he moved to pat his friend on the back. "We know you'd never be a Death Eater, no matter what some crazy witch says."
"I'm not crazy!" she shrieked, not making her point particularly well. "I've been fighting in an adults war since I was eleven, and I'll be damned if I let this shit storm continue for any longer! Time travel rules or not, I'm not going to let my friends and family die - again!"
"Miss Granger, perhaps a Vow of Secrecy will be sufficient?" Professor Dumbledore asked, raising his wand in his right hand as though to take an oath.
Seeing their Professor willingly offer his confidentiality, the Marauders and Lily followed suit in raising their wands, knowing that if they didn't comply they'd be forced to leave the conversation, and maybe even be obliviated.
Hermione nodded, satisfied that nobody here would be able to speak about their conversation with anyone else. Once the others had all taken the oath, Hermione turned to Peter, offering a sheepish apology before politely requesting to borrow his wand... again.
With Peter's wand in hand - curiously warm and comfortable to use - Hermione took her own Vow of Honesty before throwing up some extra wards over top of the Headmaster's, ignoring the impressed looks of her audience. Returning the wand, she looked quickly around the curtained area before focusing on her lap as she started to speak, not noticing as Remus discreetly summoned a piece of parchment and a self inking quill to take notes with.
Hermione started with her visit from Professor McGonagall during the summer before first year when she first found out she was a witch - locking eyes briefly with Lily who was the only one who understood the significance of that moment of Hermione's life.
She spoke about the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets, including details of the diary, the basilisk and the location of the Chamber, how to get inside and how Moaning Myrtle died all those years ago.
She spoke of her third year - Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban after being wrongly imprisoned without trial for twelve years, the time-turner she'd used to complete all of her classes, Professor Lupin's "furry little problem" being exposed by their nasty Potion's Professor, and the entire ordeal with Buckbeak.
Hermione cried as she told them about Cedric Diggory's murder and Voldemort's return in her fourth year, gratefully accepting a conjured handkerchief from Peter. She told them everything she knew about the Triwizard Tournament and the graveyard resurrection.
She rubbed her chest in the memory of a purple curse being cast at her in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year. The dementor attack, the Order of the Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge and her cursed quills, and Dumbledore's Army were all included - and although she missed the look of pride on her former Headmaster's face, the others saw it.
It was Sirius' turn to throw up when Hermione revealed the details of his death in the Department of Mysteries - at the wand of his bat shit crazy cousin - looking at Hermione with a strange mixture of disbelief and horrified wonder.
Madam Pomfrey paid her a visit just before she started on her sixth year, forcing some bone broth soup and vitamin potions on her, also leaving a phial of dreamless sleep beside the bed for later.
The Marauders, Lily and Professor Dumbledore also had some food delivered from the kitchens and the students whispered amongst themselves as they ate, occasionally looking between Hermione and the Headmaster (who was humming a strangely happy tune as he finished his bread).
Once the food had been eaten and toilet breaks had been had, the group settled down again, getting comfortable for what they could feel was the climax of Hermione Granger's explanation.
Sixth year brought more tears, and not only from her. Lily and the Marauders were all blinking back tears as she told them of their beloved Professor's death, the wizard in question looking on with a sad smile. She told them about Dumbledore's charred hand and Harry's secret meetings with the Headmaster. She told them about the betrayal of Professor Snape, who had lied to Dumbledore about his loyalty and ultimately murdered him in cold blood.
And finally, Hermione told them about the Horcruxes.
She started by connecting the dots. She went back to her version of events from the late 70's and early 80's, telling them about James and Lily Potter's deaths, breaking her own rule about telling them of their future marriage (much to James' delight). She told them about Harry and his childhood; how he became The-Boy-Who-Lived, and lived with his vile Aunt and Uncle, and could speak to snakes and knew nothing about his family history or magic.
She referenced the diary of Tom Riddle, Slytherin's locket - the fake and the real one - and the cursed ring that held the Resurrection Stone. For the benefit of the students, she briefly filled them in on the very real Deathly Hallows and the dangers of them.
In the end, Remus had written a tidy list of the Horcruxes.
Tom Riddle's diary (Lucius Malfoy? Malfoy Manor?)
Gaunt ring (Gaunt shack, Little Hangleton)
Slytherin's locket (Unknown cave - near Wool's Orphanage? Regulus Black)
Hufflepuff's cup (Lestrange Vault?)
'Lost' diadem of Ravenclaw (Room of Hidden Things)
Harry Potter (October 31st, 1981)
Nagini (1993? Bertha Jorkins - Albania)
Realising that most of the day had gone by, and dinner would be starting soon, Hermione gratefully drank the dreamless sleep potion when it was passed to her by Professor Dumbledore. She wasn't ready to discuss their past year on the run yet.
She would tell them soon... but for now, it could wait.