Chapter 12

Hermione's body was wracked with pain as she made contact with the water below. She sank into the dark water, her cloak and uniform weighing her down. She tried desperately to propel herself to the surface but everything felt wrong. She felt weaker, her reach didn't feel nearly as long as it should have, and the searing pain in her chest made everything harder. She broke through the surface for a brief second, taking half a breath before sinking below again. The will the fight was quickly leaving her body. Her vision was fading and she could feel each motion slow as she sank deeper into the pond. She saw a light flash above the surface right before two strong arms wrapped around her chest and pulled her from the water.

Hermione coughed and sputtered, ejecting the water from her lungs. "Lumos Maxima!" A deep voice called out from her right, followed by a gasp of surprise. "You poor thing," The man said gently. She looked down to her chest, the wound that before had been nearly healed was open and bleeding. The edges were rough as if it had been torn. Hermione looked to her rescuer. He was tall, with a full beard and dark, unruly hair. Both of which were streaked with grey. His eyes crinkled at the corners, as if he spent his entire life laughing. "Let's get you inside," The man said before lifting her into his arms. Hermione wanted to fight, to ask who he was, to demand that he put her down but the blood loss had severely weakened her. Her vision was starting to go black around the edges. "Who- who-" She tried. "Don't worry, you're safe." The man assured.

By the time they reached the large mansion Hermione's consciousness was coming and going in waves, she was getting bits and pieces of conversations from around her.

"Dorea! Go floo Professor Dumbledore! Quickly now, go!" The man called, his voice a rumble as Hermione laid against his chest.

"Is she going to be ok?" A small voice asked. "Go to your room," The man responded. "But I want to make sure she's ok,"

"Your room, now Ja-" Everything went black.

Hermione felt a gentle hand on her face. "What happened to you?" A woman asked gently. All Hermione could do was moan feebly. "What's your name?" She asked. "Her-" She tried "Mione-" She forced out before she lost consciousness completely.

Hermione woke up some time later. Aside from the slight spinning sensation she felt far better than she did earlier. She sat up a looked around the room she was in. It was decorated in white and shades of soft blues. She was in a large four poster bed. It was made of white wood and draped in periwinkle curtains. There was a set of large, ornate double doors to her left. Across the room from the foot of her bed was a door that she assumed led to a bathroom. "Where am I?" She whispered to herself. "Well," A voice said from next to her, "Your rescuers thought it would be better to let you heal in your own room and not just a drawing room couch." Hermione turned and found Professor Dumbledore sitting next to her bed. "Professor Dumbledore," She said with relief. Now she knew she was actually safe. The man just smiled at her. "Yes, I came as soon as Dorea summoned me. I was very concerned when she told me a Hogwarts student was found on their grounds with a severe injury." He explained. "I was incredibly surprised as the new term doesn't start for another few weeks." Hermione's stomach dropped. Term hadn't started yet? That didn't make sense, term was well underway when she left. Her mind was racing, how was that possible? Unless... "Sir what's the date?" She asked. "August 15th," He answered. Hermione took a shaky breath before asking her next question, "And the year?" Dumbledore only hesitated slightly before answering, "1971"

Hermione's breaths were coming in short, quick gasps as she tries to come to terms with what the Headmaster just said. 1971? The mirror sent her back 25 years. "Calm down child," Dumbledore soothed, "I assure you you're safe here." Hermione shook her head. "You don't understand sir, I'm not from here." She explained. "I assumed as much, when did you come from?"

"It was November 25th, 1996."

"And how exactly did you find yourself traveling back in time?"

Hermione took a breath before explaining everything to him. The Room of Requirement, the tugging sensation she had felt, the mirror, the slightly different version of herself in the reflection, and how when she touched the mirror her hand went right through it. "After I realized that I couldn't help myself, I stepped through it." She finished. "And it brought you here?" Hermione nodded. "That's quite an adventure for a first year." Hermione looked at him confused before pulling back the quilt that was covering her. The first thing that she noticed was that she was no longer in her Hogwarts uniform, she was in a light pink nightgown, the next thing she saw was that the wound on her chest was healed completely, instead of being pink and fragile like before it was now the silvery color of a fully healed scar. But even more confusing than both of those was the fact that she was looking down at her eleven year old self. "That's not- I was- I'm not-" She tried, "Sir, I was a sixth year when I left." Dumbledore tilted his head slightly, "Interesting, as well as sending you back in time it seems like the mirror also de-aged you." Hermione was starting to feel nauseous, this was too much. "What do we do now sir?" She asked. "What's your name?" Hermione looked at him with a confused expression but then she realized that this Dumbledore would have no clue who she is. "Hermione, sir, Hermione Granger."

"Granger?"

"Yes sir, I'm muggle born."

"I see, well Hermione, unfortunately I don't know how to send someone forward in time." Her heart plummeted. "So I'm stuck here? What am I supposed to do?" She asked. "Well you're at the right age to return to Hogwarts, so we'll start there."

"And until term starts? Where will I stay until then? And what about during the summers? I don't have a family sir."

"How would you feel about being taken in by a magical family? I know quite a few that would be more than happy to adopt you?"

"I don't know, it's all too much right now..." She said, "What about right now? Where will I go?"

"You'll stay here." A woman's voice said from the doorway. Both Hermione and the Headmaster turned their attention towards the voice. Standing there was the man who saved her and a woman with black hair and grey eyes. "We didn't mean to interrupt," The man said. "We just wanted to make sure she was ok."

"Ah, perfect timing." Dumbledore said "Hermione here has suffered a great deal in the past few hours, her family is gone and she has nowhere to go." He explained, Hermione was surprised that he already had a story to explain her appearance. "I'm planning on finding her a home with someone willing to adopt her, but until then she needs somewhere to stay."

"She'll stay here," The woman said with a smile "We wouldn't have in any other way." The headmaster smiled and clapped his hands together. "I believe introductions are in order then." He stood from his chair and walked around towards the door. "Hermione this is Charlus and Dorea Potter, they're good friends of mine." Charlus and Dorea? Hermione was pulled into a memory from a few months (Or 25 years into the future?) ago, "Dorea Black-Potter, Harry's grandmother." "Dorea and Charlus never formally adopted us but we were 100% their children" These two were Harry's grandparents. "Our son, James, is starting Hogwarts this year as well." Dorea explained. Harry's dad. Hermione was going to go to school with Harry's dad. "Thank you, so much." Hermione said. "Now I think you've been through enough today, you need to rest." Charlus said. "One of us will be up in the morning to bring you down for breakfast." Hermione nodded. "I'll be back when I've found a permanent home for you." Dumbledore assured as he walked out of the room. "Actually I might have someone in mind already Albus," Dorea said as the walked away. "If you need anything just holler," Charlus said, Hermione just nodded in response. "Goodnight Hermione." He extinguished the lights and shut the doors. With the room now quiet Hermione realized just how tired she was. Her body was physically exhausted and her brain felt like soup. She snuggled into the massive bed and fell asleep quickly.

A/N Sorry this is late! This chapter kicked my butt. I want to thank Thespianpoet for their review on the last chapter. I don't think I've stopped thinking about it since they wrote it so thank you so much! Anyway! Plot things! Excitement!