Taking a break for the night, the group was sitting around the table enjoying a delicious meal Harry prepared when Hermione posed a question that had been weighing on her mind. "I was just thinking, how is it possible that Quirrell was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, while Bellatrix also taught Defense Against the Dark Arts?" she inquired.
Draco looked up from his plate, intrigued by the question. "That's a good point. I hadn't really thought about that," he said.
Narcissa put down her fork and began to explain. "In the late '80s, the school governors determined that the curriculum at Hogwarts was too difficult for most students. I'm not sure why the governors thought that. There was some uproar from the wizarding population in general, however nothing was able to change their minds."
Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. "So what was the old curriculum like?"
Narcissa replied, "At the NEWT level, there were more specialized courses. So, for instance, everyone studied Defensive Magic through the OWLs, and then at NEWT level, there was a choice between Defensive Magic or, for more advanced pupils, Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Luna looked reflective before adding her thoughts. "It makes sense. A significant portion of what we learned in DADA was merely defensive magic, not specific to the dark arts."
Harry chimed in, "That's an excellent point. I mean learning to ward off a grindylow attack isn't related to dark magic at all. It seems to me the logical conclusion based on what we saw is that in the original timeline, Quirrell was likely teaching the Defensive Magic course, while Bellatrix was instructing the more advanced NEWT level course"
Narcissa nodded in agreement. "That's likely, especially given Bella's skill and background. It's possible that the time-traveler interfered with the school governors, which is why there was the older system in the original timeline. I have no idea what they hoped to accomplish by altering that."
Ginny scoffed. "That time-traveler seems to have a penchant for meddling with everything, doesn't they? Maybe they were the one who found the Hogwarts' curriculum too challenging."
Hermione sat there, her mind reeling from the new information. "Wait!" she exclaimed suddenly, "If there were two levels of Defense, that would mean the other courses had NEWT specializations?"
Narcissa nodded in confirmation. "Yes, nearly all of the courses had either an advanced specialization available or a specialization that could be taken in addition to the regular subject."
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "So, that means more courses I could've taken for my NEWTs?" she muttered to herself.
Narcissa thought for a moment before responding. "Yes, that's correct. Let's see, there was Charms and Enchanting, Potions and Alchemy, Divination and The Art of Prophecy, Transfiguration and Conjuration, and Muggle Studies and Muggle Science/Technology. And there were also some courses that are no longer offered in general it seems; Magical Theory, Spell Creation, and Ancient Magic."
At the mention of those courses, Hermione's eyes widened even more. "Ancient Magic? Spell Creation?" she sat there, frozen in shock, her mind spiraling with all the knowledge she had missed out on.
Neville looked over at Hermione, "Guys, I think we just broke Hermione."
Draco muttered under his breath to Ginny, "I told you this was the worst timeline ever."
As Ginny simply rolled her eyes at the blond haired boy in response, Narcissa got up from her seat and walked over to Hermione.
"Come on, Darling" Narcissa said gently, taking Hermione by the arm. "It's been an eventful day. Let's get you to bed."
Hermione nodded, still dazed and lost in thought. Narcissa led her out of the dining room, their steps echoing on the polished floors as they made their to the bedrooms.
As they walked, Hermione finally spoke up. "I can hardly believe it. All those courses… all that knowledge."
Narcissa gave her a sympathetic smile. "It's only natural to feel disheartened, dear. But you mustn't forget how much you have accomplished without those courses."
Arriving at the door to their shared room, Narcissa opened it and motioned for Hermione to go inside and rest. As Hermione lay there, still processing everything she had learned, she felt Narcissa lean in and plant a tender kiss on her lips.
"Sleep well, my love," Narcissa whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of Hermione's face.
Hermione smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "I will," she said softly.
As Narcissa moved to depart, Hermione reached out and caught her hand. "Stay with me?" she asked, her voice scarcely audible.
Narcissa nodded, then joined Hermione in bed, enfolding her in a loving embrace. Hermione snuggled in close, enveloped by a sense of safety and belonging in Narcissa's arms.
###
Hermione sat poised at the console, a sense of apprehension creeping up within her. She cleared her throat and addressed the group. "So, are we all ready to start looking at our second year at Hogwarts?"
Draco let out a groan. "Do we really have to do this? Can't we just fast forward to the exciting parts?"
Hermione shot him a smirk, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, come now, Draco. Where's your Gryffindor courage?"
He simply glared in response, while Ginny snorted sarcastically as she sipped her coffee. "I'm sure everything will be completely normal, based on the evidence so far," she remarked dryly.
Neville chuckled nervously, "I don't think any of us are expecting normal at this point."
Undeterred by the banter, Hermione flashed them all a reassuring smile. "Well, let's find out, shall we?" With that, she began to load up their second-year memories.
The group braced themselves for what they might see, leaning forward as Hermione started the playback, eager to see what the second year had in store for them.
###
August 12th 1992
Harry, Sirius, Narcissa, Draco, Hermione, and Neville had just finished a delightful meal at the Leaky Cauldron and were now strolling towards Flourish and Blotts, basking in the warm glow of the sun. The air was alive with their chatter, and it was clear that everyone was in good spirits.
As they meandered down the cobbled street, they unexpectedly crossed paths with the Weasley clan, who were also headed to the bookstore. Fred was the first to notice them and let out a cheerful greeting. His fellow Gryffindors returned the smile, glad to see familiar faces.
"What brings you lot here?" Fred asked, his voice brimming with curiosity.
"Just heading to Flourish and Blotts. How are you all doing?" Harry replied, his tone friendly and warm.
George's expression turned somber as he spoke. "Mum's a bit down in the dumps today. Ron's abandoned the family to spend time with his Slytherin cronies."
Hermione rolled her eyes, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Typical Ron. No offense, but he can be a bit of a prat. Who's he hanging out with?"
"Nott and his kin, mostly," Fred answered, his features growing serious. "And Lucius Malfoy."
At the mention of Malfoy's name, Narcissa's face went ashen, and she cast a quick glance at her son. Draco seemed to sense her unease and asked if everything was alright.
Narcissa recovered her composure and replied hastily, "Yes, everything's fine. Let's just get to the bookshop."
As the group made their way towards Flourish and Blotts, they were met with a sea of people. It seemed that Gilderoy Lockhart, the renowned author and wizard, was holding a book signing for his latest work, "The Magical Me."
The group managed to squeeze their way inside, where they were greeted by the sight of Lockhart sitting behind a desk, signing books and chatting with fans. The atmosphere was electric, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits despite the long line.
"Well, this is quite the scene," Sirius said, looking around.
"I can't believe so many people are here for Lockhart's book," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Harry, my boy!" Lockhart exclaimed, when the famous author had noticed him. "I must have a photo with the famous Harry Potter for my next book!"
Before Harry could react, Lockhart pulled him closer and posed for a photo. "Smile for the camera, Harry! This will be great for publicity!"
Harry had wanted nothing more than to get away, but Lockhart had insisted on making a spectacle as he gave him a free set of his books. Harry didn't want them, but he knew the Weasley's would appreciate them.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice behind him.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is," Theo and Ron taunted Harry, who turned to face them.
"What do you want, Nott?" Harry asked, trying to keep his cool.
"Oh, nothing much," Nott sneered. "Just wanted to see the famous Harry Potter in person. I heard you love all this attention, don't you?"
Ron laughed at Harry's expense, and Harry clenched his fists, struggling to keep his anger under control. Nott's father, who was in the next aisle over, stepped forward, his eyes glittering with malice.
"I must say, Potter," he said, picking up one of Ginny's used books and mocking it. "The company you keep is rather disappointing. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in such poverty."
Harry felt his anger boil over, but before he could say anything, he was distracted by the change of expression on Draco's face.
Draco had spotted Lucius Malfoy in the crowd, and Lucius was staring right back at him, with a calculating expression. They looked so similar that it was almost eerie.
After a moment, Lucius stormed across the room, his eyes trained on Narcissa, his expression darkening. He roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the group.
"What is the meaning of this, Narcissa?" he spat. "Did you think you could hide this from me forever?"
Sirius, noticing his cousin's distress, sprang to her defense. "Leave her alone, Malfoy," he growled.
But Malfoy wasn't backing down. "What are you going to do about it?" he sneered. "You're nothing but a lowly mongrel, Black."
Sirius didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and punched Malfoy in the face.
###
September 1st 1992
Ginny had been looking forward to her first year at Hogwarts for years, and now that she was finally on the train, she couldn't wait to start her magical education. As she sat alone in one of the train's compartments, she decided to record her thoughts in a diary she had stumbled upon.
But her musings were interrupted by the sudden entrance of her brother Ron, accompanied by three boys from Slytherin — Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe. Ginny was taken aback, but she refused to let them intimidate her.
"What are you doing here, Ginny? This is our compartment," Ron said, with a tone of entitlement in his voice.
Ginny looked up from the diary and frowned. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, but I was here first. Plus, I didn't see your name on it"
Ron sneered at his younger sister. "Well, now you do. So, get out. We want to sit here."
Ginny wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to her family. She continued writing in the diary, ignoring Ron and his friends.
Ron wasn't happy with Ginny's response, and he lunged for the diary. He snatched it out of her hands, causing Ginny to fall back onto the floor of the cabin.
"Hey! Give that back!" Ginny shouted, as she scrambled to her feet.
Ron just laughed. "What are you going to do about it, little sis?"
Ginny was about to retort, but before she could, a voice interrupted.
Hermione, who had been walking by, saw the whole incident and hurried over to Ginny. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Ginny rubbed her arm, which was throbbing with pain. "I'm fine," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Thanks for asking."
Hermione turned to face Ron, her eyes blazing with anger. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded. "You can't just bully people like that."
Ron scoffed at Hermione "What does it look like? We're claiming our compartment."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "By bullying your own sister? That's low, even for you, Ron. You should be ashamed of yourself."
Ginny looked over at Hermione and felt a sense of relief wash over her. It was nice to know that someone had her back.
Ron wasn't happy with Hermione's comment. "Mind your own business, Longbottom. We don't need your interference."
Hermione glared at Ron. "It is my business when you're treating someone unfairly." Hermione turned towards the younger girl. "I think you should come with me and my friends."
###
September 20th 1992
As the Gryffindor Quidditch team took to the pitch for their first practice of the season, they were interrupted by the arrival of the Slytherin team and their cronies.
"What's the meaning of this? We had the pitch booked for this hour," Oliver Wood demanded as he touched down on his broomstick.
"Special permission from Professor Snape. We need to train our new seeker, Nott" Flint sneered.
Neville, Draco, Hermione, and Ginny joined the team on the field having come down to the pitch to watch.
"What's happening?" Hermione inquired, perplexed why the Gryffindors weren't practicing.
"Mind your own mudblood loving business," Ron spat back, glaring at her.
Hermione's face went red with anger at the bigotry of the statement. "How dare you!" she spat.
But before she could say anything else, Ginny pointed her wand at Ron and muttered. "Slugulus Eructo."
Everyone backed away in disgust as Ron began to heave and retch, and a torrent of slugs spewed forth from his mouth.
"Nice one," Draco said approvingly.
###
October 31st 1992
After an underwhelming experience at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Draco made their way out of the dungeons. As they turned a corner, they stumbled upon a ghastly scene — Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, lay motionless on the floor, her body rigid and unyielding. A message etched on the wall in what appeared to be blood only added to the eerie atmosphere: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware."
Draco's voice trembled with alarm as he asked the question on everyone's mind: "Is she dead?" Before anyone could answer, a group of students burst out of the Great Hall, the Halloween feast having ended, their voices raised in excitement.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware!" Nott jeered, his eyes gleaming with a twisted delight as he pointed towards the ominous message. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"
###
December 25th 1992
As Harry and Neville made their way to the Slytherin common room disguised as Crabbe and Goyle with the help of the Polyjuice Potion, Neville couldn't help but worry about Hermione.
"Do you think Hermione will be ok? Will Madame Pomfrey be able to help?" Neville asked.
Before Harry could say anything, they were interrupted by the sound of someone calling out to them. "Hey, where have you two been?", Nott called. "Nevermind let's go. I have a letter from my father, hopefully answering my questions about the chamber."
Once inside the common room, Nott wasted no time in reading the letter out loud to the disguised Harry and Neville. "Blast it all, my father refuses to reveal the identity of the heir!" he exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice and slamming his hand down on the couch.
Looking down, Nott's attention was diverted by a diary sticking out from between the cushions of the couch. "Hey, it's the diary that Weasley keeps scribbling in. We should hide it somewhere."
Harry, who was disguised as Goyle, stepped forward. "I'll do it ," he said, as he grabbed the diary, figuring it couldn't hurt to see if further information could be gathered from their Slytherin expedition.
###
"What happened to Hermione, why didn't she end up with you?" Fleur asked curiously, assuming given Hermione wasn't seen in the memory the same thing happened in the current timeline.
"Oh she took polyjuice with cat hair instead of human hair." Ginny responded forgetting that she had promised never to tell a soul on pain of death when Hermione told her a few years ago.
"Wait, wait… you got turned into a half human/half cat?" Draco chortled. "I think that might be taking the Gryffindor lion thing a bit too far"
Sparks flew out of the end of Hermione's wand, and as she was about to maim both Ginny and Draco the next memory started playing back.
###
May 7th 1993
Neville and Harry had snuck away to Hagrid's hut, hoping to eke out more clues about the elusive Chamber of Secrets. They listened intently to Hagrid's tale about his dear friend the acromantula, Aargog.
"They didn't believe me when I told 'em he didn't kill that girl," Hagrid bemoaned, tears spilling down his rugged cheeks. "Aragog wouldn't hurt a soul."
Just as Hagrid was about to divulge more, an ominous pounding echoed through the cabin. "Quick get under the Invisibility Cloak," Hagrid hissed, his voice laced with urgency.
The boys barely had time to duck beneath the cloak before the door was kicked in and a group of high-ranking Ministry officials stormed inside, led by the insufferable Cornelius Fudge himself.
"Hagrid, you're under arrest," the official intoned gravely.
"What for?" Hagrid demanded, his brow furrowed in confusion. He turned to Dumbledore for answers.
"All will be explained at the Ministry," the official spat, his tone dripping with malice. "Now, come along quietly."
###
May 29th 1993
Neville and Harry descended deep into the heart of the Chamber of Secrets, together with the conscripted Lockhart. They were on a mission to rescue Ron. They didn't particularly care for him, but nonetheless felt a sense of obligation to rescue the boy.
As they reached the chamber's floor, Neville's wand collided with the hard ground, causing a hairline fracture to appear on its surface. Distracted by the impact, Neville and Harry were caught off guard when Lockhart suddenly snatched Neville's wand from his hand.
"I'll take it from here," Lockhart boasted, a self-satisfied grin spreading across his face. "I'll be the hero who vanquishes the beast and saves the day. And you two, well… you'll just be a couple of crazed witnesses, driven mad by the sight of poor Ron's lifeless body."
Harry and Neville exchanged a tense look, uncertain of how to proceed. But before they could protest, Lockhart attempted to unleash a powerful memory charm and erase their memories of the entire incident. "Obliviate!"
###
As the memories of second year played on the display screen, Ginny's expression twisted in anger. Her fists clenched tightly on the table, and her knuckles turned white as she watched the scene unfold. It was Ron who had fallen prey to the insidious possession of Voldemort's diary, not her, and Ginny couldn't help but harbor a seething sense of resentment..
"Are you shittin' me?" Ginny exclaimed, her voice laced with a palpable fury. "I can't even believe this. Why the hell did I have to endure all that in this goddamn timeline? It should have been him, not me. Instead, I had to spend the first three bloody years at Hogwarts known as the girl who was possessed by Voldemort, all while he was heralded as a goddamn hero. What's the sodding point? Why is the time-traveler doing this to us?"
With no answers forthcoming, the group gazed on helplessly as Ginny stormed off in a cloud of agitation.
