Chapter 1: Too Far Back
The war was finally over, but the cost had been too much. Hermione could only watch as her wizarding family mourned and George fell apart having lost his twin brother. Yet watching was too painful, Hermione just couldn't take it anymore. There was a pain in her chest she didn't fully understand because of her rule abiding ways she and Fred had never been close, but she felt claustrophobic as she watched his body being cried over. So she ran to the room she shared with Ginny, knowing there was something she could do. Even if bad things happened to her for meddling the pain she felt meant that she just couldn't leave it alone.
Digging through her things she grinned in triumph as she pulled out the familiar golden necklace that had hung around her neck her entire third year. Hermione gave a sad smile as she started turning the time turner back twenty-four hours, it was as far as it could go and she smiled sadly as she thought of potentially saving Fred. Praying it would work so that she wouldn't have to come back to this scene of sadness. She just couldn't let Fred die!
As she first started turning it the house shock and for a moment Hermione thought it was an earthquake but the screams bellow and the sound of cracking made her realize it was a magical explosion. Peering out the window she started turning the time turner even faster knowing she didn't have much time before the attackers found her. Yet the house shook a second time dust falling over her and Hermione started to fall screaming as she fell waiting for an incoming spell to hit her and watched instead as the green light hit the time turner in her hand. Everything around her was spinning out of control and she watched as a blur of red approached her before she felt herself falling and twisting her way into unconsciousness.
When Hermione woke up it was to loud voices around her. Opening her eyes she winced in pain at the headache forming, and she was shocked when her vision cleared to show she was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. How far back had she gone when the killing curse had hit her time turner? Hermione remembered being warned not to allow any spells to hit the time turner because it could usually cause a temporal rift that was irreversible that sent the soul instead of the body back.
Turning her head to look around herself trying to figure out when exactly she had landed, Hermione screamed when she was met with the familiar blue eyes of Fred Weasley. Although by his current height he was a fourth or fifth year.
"Hermione! Oh Merlin Madame Pomfrey she's awake, it's going to be okay love, just wait until Madame Pomfrey gets here and then we'll explain everything." Fred's voice was shrill at first, but quickly turned to soothing. His call had Madame Pomfrey bustling over and lightly pushing Fred out of the way.
Hermione could only watch in shock as the witch waved her wand around her in complex movements running diagnostic spell after spell on Hermione. The look on her face was full of confusion, something Hermione could have never imagined from the confident mediwitch. She was tisking and frowning as she moved her wand in such complex patterns they were even making Hermione dizzy.
Turning her head away from the dizzying wand movements that had started to make her feel a little nauseous Hermione decided to focus on Fred again. She was a little surprised to find him here in the hospital wing instead of Harry or Ron. Considering his age it had to be either her second or third year, but which time was it. Feeling her arms she didn't feel any fur like she would have if it was after the polyjuice disaster, and there was no familiar weight from the time turner around her neck. But the only other time that she could remember being a patient in the hospital wing during that time period was when she was petrified, and only Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape had been here last time when the students had been woken up. Why was Fred here looking shocked to see her; and where was Professor Snape?
Or had she only collapsed somehow after her soul had entered her younger body? Maybe this was her third year or only the start of her second, and Fred had been the one to find her unconscious. That would explain why he was here anyway.
"Ms Granger how are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked looking at her strangely. It was even stranger to see that look on her face then the confusion, it was like she was questioning who Hermione was and why she was here awake, it was a look Hermione had never seen even after she had been told the scar on her arm would never heal. Merlin and Morgana if she was back in her younger body then that meant the scar was gone. Hermione was no longer branded as a mudblood, and it took everything in her power not to break down at that realization.
"I'm fine," she said even as she tried to keep the tears in. Not wanting them to question why she was on the verge of tears in the first place. She had no idea what she would tell them if they asked. "Why? What happened to me?"
Before Madame Pomfrey could answer the door to the hospital wing opened and a familiar presence came blowing in. A man who Hermione had watched die, who had been alone in the end playing the part of villain, and who was a very accomplished Legilimens. Hermione just prayed her Occlumency shield would hold up she didn't need Dumbledore finding out what had truly happened to her. Plus she would rather not have to explain the memories she had of the future or be forced to sit back and play it out exactly the same way as she had the first time. She'd have to be very careful not to show what she knew, but at the same time there was no way she was going to leave things the way they had been. Too many good people had died and Hermione was in the position to help them once she figured out exactly when she was.
The Professor Hermione had once feared was looking at her in shock as he approached the bed. His shock might be why he also didn't sound as menacing as he once did when he began to speak. "Simply astonishing I've never heard of a victim of petrification waking up on their own. Are you sure you didn't slip her some kind of potion Mr. Weasley?"
"No Sir."
Hermione's eyes widened in fear at what they were implying. She was back in her second year, but she had woken up on her own from the petrification. Without any kind of potion or other aid, perhaps because her older soul had jump started her body? The implications were terrifying, since she had woken up before everyone else it could potentially cause people to think she had special powers.
Looking at them fearfully, Hermione found herself pleading with them, "please don't tell anyone I'm awake. Not even the Headmaster!"
"Whatever for child? Your friends will be overjoyed to find you awake," Madame Pomfrey replied trying to reassure Hermione. She almost jumped when a hand slid itself into her own and she turned back to look at Fred who gave her a slight squeeze in return. The prankster trying to be comforting in his own way.
"I don't need people looking at me strangely I've seen the way they treated Harry after they found out he's a Parselmouth. Please Madame Pomfrey, Professor Snape, I don't need to be treated like I have special gifts." She pleaded her eyes wide with panic. What if when Voldemort returned, if she couldn't find all the Horcruxes in time to end him quickly, he decided he would either recruit or kill her? Or even worse they might try to put her on top of a pedestal like Harry!
"Honestly Poppy I would have to agree with Ms. Granger. If the heir finds out she is awake they just might try again and succeed in killing her this time around. It would be much better to make up a reason why her friends can't see her Poppy instead of putting the girl into needless danger from an unknown threat." Professor Snape said in his usual no nonsense tone that had everyone listening to him in class. It was a logical request and idea, something that Hermione might have thought of herself if she wasn't panicking so much at the moment. Then again anyone else in her shoes would be panicking just as much if not more so having found themselves just under five years in the past.
"I didn't even think of that. Mr. Weasley you'll have to be very careful not to let anyone know, and I guess we can't forbid you from seeing Ms. Granger. She'll need someone to keep her sane for the next few weeks until the potion is ready. Just please do be careful in visiting her," the mediwitch sternly relented.
Never did Hermione think she would see the day that a teacher would willingly let a Weasley twin into their domain. Actually it came as a shock that Fred was the one to visit her alone, usually George was with him wherever he went. The two loved overplaying their roles as twins it made their mischief making all the more enjoyable when they weren't testing their products on innocent firsties. Where was George? Plus why was Fred here, it's not like Fred and she had ever been close until after the summer of third year when they started to become friends, so why had he come to visit her on his own? Maybe if Ron was with him she could understand him coming along to protect his younger brother, but him alone just didn't make any sense. And great her shock was making her ramble.
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," Fred smiled although at the same time sounding oddly serious. It was still odd for Hermione to see a living and breathing Fred Weasley, even if it had only been a short time ago she had seen his dead body. Something like that imprinted on a person's mind and she couldn't scrub the image away. Hermione was praying this wasn't a dream because she didn't know if she could take waking up only to find out Fred was still dead. Especially after such a realistic dream. Her heart clenched at even the thought of waking up and not seeing him ever again.
Hermione had only woken up a month or so early, and luckily Harry and Ron had already received her message about the Basilisk. She had tried to tell Professor Snape about it, but he had taken it as a nightmare she had during her petrification saying there was no way the pipes were big enough for a Basilisk to roam around in. Plus he seemed certain no one would be idiotic enough to try and breed one now adays. Yet Hermione knew for a fact there was a Basilisk beneath the school, she had after all seen it's corpse, and Harry had never lied to her. So at least the boys were aware of what was down there even if they still didn't know where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was.
It was hard on her not to spill the beans to Fred about how it was Ginny opening the Chamber of Secrets. In only two weeks Ginny would be taken down into the Chamber and rescued by Harry. After that she would still be stuck in the Hospital Wing, hidden away, for another two weeks until the potions were done being brewed.
Surprisingly Professor Snape was the one who brought Fred to visit her under the guise that Fred was in detention. It made her curious how Fred was explaining the amount of detentions he was receiving without his twin. Both she and Fred were very confused about the turn of events with their potions Professor, but neither of them asked why he was being so nice to them, they were too afraid he would stop bringing Fred to visit her. With the ban on walking unsupervised still on this was the only way Fred was allowed to visit her, although she was certain Fred would still find a way and get himself into real trouble if he wasn't escorted down, even with that in mind she really did appreciate what Professor Snape was doing for them. Even Madame Pomfrey seemed confused at his behavior, but just like them she never pointed it out to the dour Professor instead only focusing on how the potions were maturing for the other petrified students.
During that time Hermione had also been moved to a private room where she grew even closer to Fred and started to rebuild and possible make an even better relationship between them. It helped because seeing him constantly kept her sane and from questioning whether she was just in a very strange dream, and he kept her up to date on what was going on around the castle. He told her all about the pranks he and George were doing trying to cheer up the student body as best they could under the circumstances.
Another thing he did was smuggle her books from her own personal collection giving her something to do when he wasn't visiting since she could implement any of her plans while she was confined to the hospital wings private ward. Although any time she questioned him on how exactly he was getting into her room without arousing suspicion he evaded her question finding a way to distract her and given her a book on pranks instead. Hermione was certain that her acceptance of the book would be the only time she ever saw that mixture of awe and shock on the face of Fred Weasley.
Together during her confinement they both studied Hermione even helping Fred prepare for his exams. Even after everything that had happened she couldn't help her intense need to study. Fred just joining in so he could have something to do when she got into a really good book and wasn't in the mood for conversations other then schoolwork.
Two weeks after she had woken up Fred had come into the room his face deathly white, jolting her out of a nightmare she had been having about his death. The paleness and pure agony on his face told her that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, and that he still didn't know that his sister was safe. Hermione didn't even say a word, knowing nothing she said just yet would help, instead she wrapped her arms around him tightly giving him as much comfort as she could while he cried in her arms. Madame Pomfrey peeked in on them for a moment to make sure Fred didn't need a calming draught before silently walking out when she saw him in Hermione's arms. It was surprising to Hermione how much the mediwitch accepted Fred's being here with Hermione and she was thankful to the older witch for not making it so that she had been all alone after waking up.
Finally Fred stopped crying and started to talk, "Ginny, the heir ... of Slytherin took Ginny. The message said her ... skeleton will lie in the chamber forever," Fred choked out.
"She will be fine Fred I'm sure of it. I don't know how I can explain that I know she'll be fine, but trust me when I promise you will see your sister again safe and sound." For the first time Hermione wished that she had told someone ... Fred ... about her trip through time. Yet she had been too afraid of people wanting her for her knowledge of the future, or Voldemort finding out and killing her or using her to win the war, and she refused to become a weapon for either side. However she couldn't just watch Fred fall apart thinking his baby sister was going to die. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he must be feeling or how she herself would feel if she was in the same situation.
"How can you be so certain?" he asked her looking at her with wide eyes filled with hope and pain. Honestly she had expected Fred to scream at her telling her she couldn't know that, but instead he seemed to be looking at her with hopeful eyes like her words would never hold any lies. The trust that he was showing in her was scary, but at the same time made Hermione feel happier then she had in a very long time.
Smiling at him brightly she just gave the answer anyone would expect of her, "because Harry will save her. He sort of has a hero complex that boy," she added that last part with a wink and said it in a whisper like it was big secret.
Fred just laughed at her shaking his head, but the pain in his eyes had dimmed meaning she had succeeded somewhat in her goal of reassuring him Ginny would be fine. You're right that boy will find a way to save her. Thank you Hermione."
"Anytime Fred, but I think right now you should be with your family instead of me keep their spirits up you know? Plus I think Ginny would love to see you all after her Prince saves her," Hermione said getting up out of bed and shoving Fred towards the door. Although for her safety she didn't open it instead stepping to the side a little so that no one would see her when Fred left.
Giving her one more hug Fred winked at her before walking out of the room. His shoulders no longer looking like they held the weight of the world and he truly looked like she had lifted his burden of fear. To think Hermione had been able to cheer up Fred Weasley when he and George used to be the ones to always cheer her up. This time around she wouldn't be so harsh on them about the pranks because she now knew how bad it was when one half of the light was gone.
A few hours later Hermione was sound asleep when a blissfully happy Fred Weasley snuck into her room. Madame Pomfrey no longer caring that he always ended up coming during the night. Most of the time it was to reassure himself that the little witch was actually awake and that it hadn't been a dream that she had woken up early. Ever since she had been petrified he had terrible nightmares that the monster of the chamber had killed her instead, and the first time he had come here she had still been petrified. Madame Pomfrey had originally come out to give him trouble for sneaking in here at night when no one was supposed to be walking around the Castle, but one look at his face and she had just smiled sadly at him before giving him a blanket. She had practically ordered him to stay the night and after that Fred had found himself sleeping in the hospital wing and being escorted to the Great Hall for breakfast by thr Mediwitch in the mornings.
He had been so confused when Hermione had woken up early on her own and he knew that the Mediwitch and Professor Snape were just as confused. Then he had grown terrified when Professor Snape had said it was for her safety that no one else could know she was awake, that the heir might come to finish off the job. Succeeding in killing her this time. It had taken all of his self control not to just move into the Hospital Wing and keep an eye on her at all times. The logical part of him had only convinced him he couldn't because then it would definitely alert someone that something was going on in the Hospital Wing.
Now here he was the castle safe and the Basilisk dead. It had shocked him to find out the king of bloody serpents had been the monster in the chamber and that Hermione had known and not said anything to him! He had finally been able to sneak away from his family who had surrounded a terrified Ginny, Ron, and the hero of the hour Harry.
Everyone believed Hermione had been moved out of the hospital wing because a Slytherin had snuck in here one night planning to hex her into a coma being scared of by Madame Pomfrey before she could catch a good look. The pained looked on Ginny's face said she believed she had been the one to try and hurt Hermione while under the influence of the dark artifact that had been controlling her all year. It hurt him that he hadn't noticed his baby sister suffering all year being too focused on his feelings for the bushy haired Gryffindor to pay much attention to Ginny. To the rest of his family Hermione was in a different part of the castle, in a private room that only the Mediwitch could access. The door to her room was invisible unless you knew it was there, not that he had told Hermione that it had been too funny watching her try to hide every time he had left her room. Not to mention adorable the way she would squeak if he opened the door and she was in sight.
Over the last two weeks getting to know Hermione had given him a new friend. A friend that for the time being wasn't one he shared with George. He loved his twin but sometimes it was better not to share everything. Not to mention that somehow Hermione could tell them apart, something only Angelina and Katie had been able to do before now. Neither girl had ever explained how they could tell them apart though when not even their own mother could, but maybe their mother not being able to tell them apart was their fault since they always tried to confuse her into thinking she was talking to the other twin.
When he had come to see Hermione earlier when Ginny had been taken, or rather brought herself down to the chamber because of that book possessing her, he had felt so lost. Yet Hermione had sounded so certain that Harry would save Ginny and he had, if it hadn't been for Dumbledore's Phoenix Harry Potter would have died in the process of saving his baby sister. It was something Fred would never forget. All the Weasleys owed Harry so much for saving her in more ways then one.
It made him wonder though how Hermione had been so confident that Harry could find Ginny, how could she know that Harry would find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets? He had been so relieved by her, but now it just seemed odd that she knew even if she didn't go into any specifics. Not to mention that she hadn't even seemed shocked when he had said Ginny had been taken not once had she been worried about his little sister. Even though he knew she cared for Ginny just the same as she did every Weasley she knew. It couldn't just be her blind faith in Harry that had her positive that Ginny would be fine, but he didn't have enough clues to figure out the answer. Maybe one day in the future he could find out how exactly Hermione had been so calm.
The next two weeks passed by quickly as Fred immersed himself even more into studying for his exams. Exams that she herself was exempt from since almost everyone, including the Headmaster, believed that she had been petrified the entire time. Actually Fred was still studying with her saying it was easier to test his knowledge out on the smartest witch in the castle. She helped him out with the trickier theories and study guides, understanding that part of the reason why he was studying with her was to keep her mind sharp and away from boredom. Boredom that had been growing more as each day passed with her being stuck inside with no one else to talk to. Helping Fred study his materials for his exams gave her purpose and she was certain Fred was going to do surprisingly well on his exams this year shocking everyone especially his teachers. Well all of them except for Professor Snape who had seen them studying together the once and an odd expression had passed on his face, almost one of longing like watching them study made him remember something painful yet happy.
Finally the potions were done and Hermione was united with her two best friends. Although acting like she and Fred weren't close was killing her. Yet the two of them had agreed that they had to make it seem like their friendship started growing when they met again next year. After all it would be very suspicious for her to suddenly be friends with Ron's older brother after having just woken up from petrification. It was difficult being away from him after having seen him so much over the past month, but they shared little smiles that promised they wouldn't have to do it for long. Next year people would find it strange, but she and Fred would become friends.
AN: A rewrite of the original Lady Prince A Time Travel story, this first chapter is quite similar to the original, but the further we get the more details that differ will be added.