"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
Sun Tzu
IV
Hermione awoke with a disorienting sensation, feeling slightly queasy. The last thing she remembered was the intense conversation between Harry and Draco in the dimly lit conference room, deep within the basement of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Mione, you can't trust him," Harry had argued, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
Draco's retort was sharp and cold. "I'm not asking for trust, just cooperation."
Then, unexpectedly, Rowle, the Head Unspeakable, had presented her with a peculiar time turner. "This is no ordinary device, Ms. Granger," Regina had warned, her eyes glinting with mystery.
Before Hermione could fully comprehend what was happening, the artifact had activated, enveloping her in darkness. Now, as she struggled to shake off the grogginess, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.
The witch's surroundings were shrouded in uncertainty. Beneath her feet, she could feel the cold, unforgiving touch of hard stone. "Where am I?" she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.
The sound of water crashing against rocks echoed in the distance. "Sounds like... a cave?" Hermione guessed, her mind racing.
The reverberations indicated that she was indeed inside some sort of cave. The witch instinctively reached for her wand, only to realize that it had slipped from her grasp. "Accio wand!" she attempted, but to no avail.
Still, her fingers brushed against her beaded handbag, still securely clinging to her forearm. "At least some things never change," she sighed in relief.
Ever since the war, she had prepared her beaded handbag with all the necessary supplies for emergencies. Suddenly, a cry pierced the air, followed by the sound of someone collapsing onto the ground.
"What was that?" Hermione gasped, her heart pounding.
The muggleborn's attention was drawn to the source of the disturbance, where she could discern an eerie green light amidst the darkness. As she cautiously approached, the glow revealed itself to be emanating from a basin.
"Is that...?" Hermione's voice trailed off as she recognized the object contained in the basin.
The liquid within swirled with a greenish hue, and at the bottom lay the unmistakable locket of Slytherin. The witch attempted to reach for it, but her efforts proved futile. "It's protected by magic," she realized.
Yet, her focus was abruptly shifted to the lifeless body lying nearby. "Oh no," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror.
Confusion washed over her as she surveyed her surroundings. She had been transported to the Horcrux cave, the very same one that Harry had explored with Dumbledore.
In the ghastly green illumination, she recognized his dark hair and pale complexion. "Regulus?" she questioned, her mind reeling with bewilderment.
"This can't be happening," Hermione muttered, trying to make sense of the situation.
If her deductions were correct, this man could only be Regulus Black. But what perplexed her was the lack of a real reason for the time turner had sent her back to this particular moment. It made no logical sense.
"Why am I here?" Hermione pondered, her thoughts a whirlwind of questions.
Then, a burning sensation jolted her forearm, drawing her attention to the bracelet bequeathed to her by her grandmother. "What's happening to me?" she cried out, clutching her arm.
But for now, there were more pressing questions that demanded answers. Approaching the young man, Hermione attempted to rouse him from his delirium.
"Regulus, can you hear me?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
As she helped him sit up, his grey eyes fluttered open, but instead of coherent responses, he repeated nonsensical phrases about battling the Dark Lord, yearning for freedom, and unquenchable thirst.
"Dark Lord... must be stopped," Regulus mumbled, his voice weak and distant.
Hermione concluded that he was suffering from delusions. "He's not in his right mind," she realized, her brow furrowed with worry.
Realizing that there was little she could do for him at the moment, she retraced her steps to the spot where she had awoken, determined to locate her wand.
"Where could it be?" the witch wondered aloud, scanning the ground.
In the dim light, she miraculously stumbled upon it, hidden amidst a jumble of sticks and stones. "There you are!" she exclaimed, a wave of relief washing over her.
With her wand firmly in hand, she cast a powerful spell, illuminating her surroundings. "Lumos Maxima!" she declared, the cave suddenly awash with light.
It was then that she recognized the small island surrounded by a vast, imposing lake. The Horcrux cave, where Voldemort had concealed Slytherin's locket, loomed before her.
"This place... it's filled with dark magic," Hermione observed, a shiver running down her spine.
It was a place of darkness and foreboding, a stark reminder of the evil that had once threatened their world. "I must find a way out," she resolved, her determination unwavering.
The cave's ceiling stretched impossibly high, disappearing into the shadows, intensifying the sense of vastness and mystery that enveloped the witch. A peculiar greenish glow emanated from the basin, positioned seemingly in the middle of the small island, its reflection rippling across the eerily still water below.
"These lights... they're unnatural," Hermione whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own heartbeat.
The ethereal lights were the only disruptions in the otherwise velvety blackness, yet even they failed to penetrate the oppressive darkness. The muggleborn couldn't help but wonder if it was a result of the deep, hideous magic that permeated the place.
"Could this darkness be another one of Voldemort's protections?" she pondered, her mind racing with possibilities. Her attention was abruptly diverted as Regulus began to crawl toward the lake. "Regulus, stop!" Hermione cried out, her voice laced with panic.
He reached out to touch the dark water, and her heart sank. "Don't drink it, please!" she begged, but her warning came too late.
As his hand broke the surface of the still water, an army of inferi surged forth, closing in on him. "No, not the inferi!" she gasped, her worst fears realized.
Hermione frantically attempted to pull Black away from the water's edge. "Hold on, Regulus!" she urged, struggling against his weight. Still they tumbled backward onto the unforgiving rock. An inferius poised to attack once more, but Hermione was quick to react. "Expulso!" she shouted, sending the creature hurtling into the lake.
All the same, dozens more of these vicious beings remained, their lifeless eyes fixed upon their potential victims. "We need to get out of here," the witch said, her voice firm despite the fear.
Surveying her surroundings, Hermione spotted a precarious boat nestled near the small island. "There, the boat!" she pointed out, hope flickering in her eyes. With all her strength, she dragged Regulus' unconscious body toward the boat. "We're going to make it," she reassured herself, her breaths coming in short gasps.
As they climbed aboard, the vessel inexplicably began to move away from the island. "It's moving on its own," she observed, a mix of relief and trepidation in her voice.
Their journey across the lake would prove treacherous, to say the least. "Stay with me, Regulus," Hermione whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. The only spell that held the inferi at bay was a fire charm. "Incendio!" Hermione chanted repeatedly, the flames dancing at her fingertips.
But continuously casting it while simultaneously preventing Black from throwing himself into the water drained the witch of her energy. "I won't let you go," she promised, her resolve unwavering. Nonetheless, she was determined to save him, considering his role in attempting to destroy one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
Finally, the boat came to a halt, and they found themselves on a stony beach, enclosed by towering cliffs. "We're safe... for now," Hermione breathed out, relief washing over her.
Rain poured down heavily upon them, and the muggleborn could barely summon the strength to apparate them to a safe location. "Just a little further," she encouraged herself, her energy waning. It was clear that returning to any wizarding village or even Diagon Alley, given the ongoing war, was out of the question. "We can't risk it," she decided, her mind made up.
She made the decision to transport them to a place she knew well. "The forest of Dean, it's secluded enough," Hermione concluded, preparing to apparate. With a final surge of determination, the witch focused on the woods, and with a loud crack, they disappeared from the beach, leaving behind the dark cave and the inferi.
Hermione found herself seeking refuge in the tent as the rain poured relentlessly outside. The familiar tent, once a symbol of resilience during the war, now served as a painful reminder of the past.
"Will these memories ever fade?" the witch pondered, her gaze lost in the steady downpour.
Her mind wandered, questioning if she would ever be able to escape the haunting memories. It had been two days since they had arrived at the forest of Dean, and Regulus showed no signs of improvement.
The pureblood heir was consumed by a severe fever, causing him to experience vivid hallucinations. "Mother... Sirius..." he murmured, his voice tinged with pain. In his delirium, he cried out for his mother and brother, lost in a world of anguish. "I'm here, Regulus. You're safe," she tried to reassure him, though she knew he couldn't hear her.
Hermione had no choice but to cast binding spells to keep him restrained, desperately attempting to calm his restless mind. "Incarcerous," she whispered, the magical ropes binding him gently.
She reached for a vial containing a silvery potion, a concoction of blooming moonflower and rosemary, designed to awaken someone from a magical coma. "Please work," she pleaded, her hands trembling as she administered the potion.
Yet, to her dismay, the concoction had no effect on him. "Why isn't it working?" she questioned, frustration creeping into her voice. Determined not to give up, Hermione decided to add a few drops of essence of dittany to enhance memory and mental clarity.
Still, despite her efforts, Black remained unresponsive. "Regulus, can you hear me?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
The witch sat by his side on the small cot, the sound of raindrops on the tent lulling her into a sleep she didn't realize she needed. "Just a moment of rest," she thought, her eyelids growing heavy.
Time passed unnoticed until she was abruptly awakened by someone attempting to snatch her wand from her grasp. "What are you doing?" Hermione exclaimed, startled.
Reacting instinctively, she summoned her wand back and used it to immobilize Regulus, her heart racing with confusion and fear. "Petrificus Totalus," she cast, ensuring he couldn't harm himself or her.
The wizard regarded her with suspicion, demanding an explanation for what had transpired. "Who are you? Where am I?" Black demanded, his eyes searching hers for answers.
In a rush, she introduced herself, recounting how she had found him at the Horcrux cave and had been trying to help him. "My name is Hermione Granger, and I've been trying to save you," she explained hurriedly.
Regulus, however, refused to believe her words, hurling accusations her way as he struggled against the binding spell. "Lies! What have you done to me?" he accused, his voice rising in anger.
It was then that the witch made the bold decision to reveal her true identity as a time traveler from the future. "I'm from the future, I arrived here by mistake. But I'm here to help," she confessed, hoping he would understand.
His skepticism grew, dismissing her claims as improbable tales. "Time travel? That's impossible," Regulus scoffed, disbelief etched on his face. All the same, when she mentioned his plan to replace the locket Horcrux with a fake, a flicker of nervousness crossed his face. "How do you know about the locket?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Suddenly, Regulus's attention was drawn to a bracelet adorning Hermione's arm. With forceful determination, he grasped her arm, his eyes scrutinizing the inscription on the silver band. "What remains is still discrete. Carried forth on waves that glide. Future past is not deplete. It rides along the tide," he read aloud, his voice laced with awe.
Recognition flashed in his eyes. "This... this is my mother's bracelet," he stammered, his gaze fixed on the intricate design.
The bangle was the same one his mother had received from her mother-in-law, Melania Black née Macmillan, upon her marriage. "Where did you get this?" the wizard demanded, his curiosity piqued.
"It was given to me by my nana," Hermione replied, her voice steady.
Regulus's voice trembled as he inquired about her grandmother. "Who is your grandmother?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for the truth.
When she revealed her name to be Ophelia Megalos, he was flooded with memories. "Ophelia... I remember stories about her," he murmured, lost in thought.
It spoke of his long-lost great aunt, his Melania's younger sister, who had been captured by Grindelwald's forces. "She was taken by Grindelwald, stripped of her magic," Black recounted, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Hermione, refusing to accept this revelation, firmly declared herself a muggleborn from the future. "I am a muggleborn, Regulus, from a time after the war," she insisted.
She recounted the horrors of the war and how her best friend, Harry, had ultimately defeated Voldemort. The wizard regarded her with incredulous eyes, still clinging to the belief that they were somehow connected. "But how can that be? How are we connected?" he questioned, his skepticism evident.
Curiosity piqued, Black questioned her about her plans now that she had returned to the past. "What will you do now, in this time?" he inquired, his tone cautious.
The stubborn witch explained her intention to contact the Department of Mysteries and find a way back to her own time. "I need to return there, to find a way back home," Hermione explained, her resolve clear.
This time, Regulus's laughter filled the tent, mocking her aspirations. "The Ministry? It's overrun by Death Eaters!" he laughed, the sound bitter. He pointed out that the Ministry was infiltrated by Death Eaters, and a muggleborn time traveler would only attract unwanted attention. "You'll be caught in an instant," he warned, his expression grave.
Undeterred, the witch argued that she could find a solution herself. "I was an Unspeakable; I can navigate the Department," she countered confidently.
Black adamantly disagreed, insisting that her actions had already altered the current timeline by saving his life. "You've changed things, Hermione. My death was meant to be," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.
As she gazed at him with a mixture of tension and tears, the wizard, who had initially been suspicious of her, surprised her with a touch of compassion. "We'll find a way, together," Regulus offered, his tone unexpectedly gentle.
He assured her that they would find a way. "Pretend to be my cousin, from the Macmillan side," he proposed, a plan forming in his mind.
They could claim that she was the daughter of Ophelia Macmillan, aided by a pureblood who had supported her during the war. "We'll say you were hidden, protected by a your father until he dead," Regulus elaborated, his eyes alight with strategy.
For a brief moment, Hermione couldn't help but burst into laughter, momentarily forgetting the complexity of their situation. "It's almost funny, isn't it?" she chuckled, the absurdity of it all hitting her.
Black regarded her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity, prompting her to explain that while his idea had merit, she had no knowledge of how to behave like a pureblood witch. "I don't know the first thing about being a pureblood," Hermione admitted, her laughter fading.
With dismissive eyes, Regulus retorted that she should be grateful to have noble blood coursing through her veins. "You should be thankful, not ignorant of your heritage," he scolded, his pride evident.
Offended, the witch engaged in a heated argument with him, debating the validity of his foolish indoctrination. "Your pureblood mania is nonsense, Black!" she argued, her voice rising in defiance.
In the end, they agreed to disagree, setting aside their differences to formulate a plan to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. "We have a greater enemy to defeat," she conceded, her focus returning to the task at hand.
Despite their conflicting perspectives, the two joined forces to strategize their next move. "We need a plan," Hermione stated, her voice firm despite the uncertainty that lay ahead.
Regulus managed to convince her that feigning allegiance to the Dark Lord would make their task easier. "It's the only way," he insisted, his eyes betraying a hint of reluctance.
He disclosed that he knew the whereabouts of the diary Horcrux, having seen it proudly displayed by Abraxas Malfoy during a visit to Malfoy Manor. "Malfoy boasted about it," he recalled, a scowl forming on his face.
As for the remaining Horcruxes, they already possessed the relic of Slytherin. "Kreacher has the locket," Hermione reminded him, her thoughts turning to the loyal house-elf.
They now needed to find a way to obtain Marvolo Gaunt's ring, the Hufflepuff cup, and the Diadem of Ravenclaw. "The ring, the cup, the diadem... we must find them all," Hermione listed, her resolve unwavering.
The only point of contention was the location of the Hufflepuff cup. "If it's in the Lestrange vault..." Hermione began, her voice trailing off at the thought.
If it resided in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts, they agreed it would be best to tackle it last, as acquiring it would undoubtedly expose their true intentions. "We'll save Gringotts for last," the wizard decided, nodding in agreement.
Black initially suggested seeking assistance from the Order of the Phoenix. "The Order could help us," he proposed, hopeful for a moment.
But Hermione's revelation about Dumbledore's past actions made them both wary. "Dumbledore... he kept too many secrets," the witch pointed, her trust in the headmaster shaken.
They concurred that acting together, they could retrieve the remaining Horcruxes and later find a safe method to destroy them. "Together, we can do this," she said, her hand reaching out to Regulus's.
"We'll start with the ring," Regulus suggested, his mind already plotting their next steps.
The witch nodded, her determination clear. "Then we'll move on to the diary and the diadem," she added, her strategic mind at work.
"And finally, the cup," he concluded, his voice steady as he envisioned their path to victory.
With a shared look of understanding, they both knew the road ahead would be fraught with danger. "We'll defeat him, once and for all," Hermione declared, her spirit unbroken. The pureblood heir offered a rare smile, one that spoke of camaraderie and a newfound respect. "For the greater good," he echoed, his voice carrying a weight that only those who had faced darkness could understand.