Sea of Constellations
Rose_Quartz_Cloud
7. Lost
Hermione felt surreal being reunited with her parents after she erased their memories in the summer before her final year at Hogwarts as her and the boys went on the run, trying to locate the items in order to defeat Voldemort.
She had sent them off to Australia and never saw them again until now, arriving back in London from her 2nd time of doing her 1st year at Hogwarts and being trapped in this timeline as Dumbledore had stopped her from leaving…
Realistically she should be going to Azkaban for how many rules of time she had broken and even proven alternate reality theory… but maybe he thought just being stuck here and having to relive her younger years with no true knowledge of what was to come was enough punishment?
By her memories this time she would be corresponding with Ron by letter mail, getting increasingly worried about Harry who wouldn't be able to respond as a house elf by the name of Dobby interfered in his mail that year.
No letters came from either boy… one she wasn't surprised but even without the house elf interference, Harry had no reason to mail her…
Instead she received mail from all her other friends from her own house and other's.
Somewhere she wondered if the Slytherins were only going to be nice to her while they were in the castle as she already knew how their families felt about muggle-borns and being associated with her was going to hurt them in the end.
Daphne and Pansy were a nice surprise and perhaps they were more neutral in that they weren't big followers of the dark side but when she received a letter from both Nott and Malfoy, she was surprised.
Theodore's letter spoke volumes as he started off telling her that he would probably be in trouble once it was known that he purposely corresponded with a muggle-born, even a Ravenclaw one… but he had already established a friendship with her and his loyalties were true and unwavering.
He then went on to ramble on about their 2nd year supplies list and list of classes that they would be taking and Hermione hmmed about it as she hadn't received her over the summer letter from Hogwarts yet but already knew that they would have their core classes from last year.
Extra curriculars weren't offered until third year and above…
Next she pulled out Malfoy's letter and hesitated in opening it, fearing the worst as he had no qualms about being her enemy if he wanted, as she was friends with the golden duo …. Before they ditched her….
Theodore was one thing but Draco mailing her was a bit weird if she was honest.
Deciding to use her courage, she opened the letter and slid out the three sheets of paper and began reading.
"... Granger,
I'm sure you weren't expecting this as… generally speaking I don't make a habit of being friends with muggle born witches… and I'm sure my mother will reprimand me of the fact once she finds out but… I just wanted to make sure you knew that you aren't missing much by losing your fragile friendship with Weasel and Potta. Surely you can see your own worth with all of your friendships with someone in every house and I would think that you would pine over such a silly thing as losing your status as Potter's best girl…. Trust me you'll be better off without the fame and fortune and whatever trouble those two decide to get up this year…
That's it… um I don't recommend you send a reply to this letter as the house elves or my parents will probably burn it before I can see it so just giving you a fair warning… it's not that I wouldn't reply but it probably won't reach me. See you in the new year.
Draco Malfoy…"
Hermione smiled slightly at the letter, who knew Draco had a soft side to him as she was so used to being on the bullying and jealous side to his personality.
Dumbledore was correct… things were different here than what she thought…She wouldn't give up on Harry and Ron just yet but she would consider a much different approach…
There were more letters of summer greetings awaiting her in the doorway, the next morning from her other friends.
Summer break breezed by and the annual trip to Diagon alley arrived, as Hermione went with her parents.
She did look forward to seeing Harry and Ron as they should have rescued him by now but she grew more concerned when she only spotted the Weasleys by themselves… without Harry…
Surely Ron realized that something was wrong when Harry never responded to his letters after hearing all about the Dursley's true nature?
Hemione strolled over to Ron who was behind everyone before asking where Harry was.
Ron looked so surprised at her question before being able to answer.
"...None of your business, Granger." he finally sputtered.
"... Harry wouldn't abandon your friendship that easily after what he has lived with, has it ever occurred to you that he is in trouble and being barred from us?" She went on, ignoring his dismissal.
The look on Ron's face when he clued in that maybe Harry hadn't abandoned him…
Hermione didn't wait for him to agree before taking back the roadway to her parents and insisted that they needed to head back to the muggle side of London.
Harry Potter was in need of a rescue…
Hermione hadn't been to Surrey since they last grabbed Harry from his childhood home but she knew enough to navigate over there by car or public transit.
Arriving at the residence, she was quick to notice the metal bars on a second floor window to know that no one had come to save him and his relatives were not planning on sending him back to Hogwarts.
"What are we to do?" Hermione asked as her parents were murmuring to each other on what they could do?
"I'm sorry dearest but we can't force Harry into our care, the muggle way…" her mom said with a slight frown..
It was true, the Weasleys had gotten him out with magic and a flying car, illegally but still he was allowed to stay with them for the rest of the summer.
Realistically she needed Sirius as his legal guardian… but he was still in Azkaban for another year…
The Grangers started driving again as there was nothing they could do at the moment and Hermione decided she needed to visit the ministry of magic… surely there was some kind of magical legal something that could ensure that Harry wouldn't miss his 2nd year at Hogwarts?
Her parents wouldn't be able to get inside and Hermione was on her own from the parking lot nearby.
She ventured inside the large building and got stuck in the main lobby not sure where the Directory of the departments was located…
Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared at her side.
"Ms. Granger, what a surprise to find you here?" He greeted her kindly.
"Headmaster…. Where would I find the department of Magical law enforcement?" Hermione asked while responding to his initial greeting.
Almost like he was anticipating her arrival, He shook his head and gestured to her to follow him to his destination… She was highly reluctant as Harry's freedom was depending on her.
Not seeing an alternative she followed behind.
Dumbledore headed for the lifts and ended up going up to see the minister for magic…
"...uh professor Dumbledore, Why am I going to go to the minister?" she began asking before he gestured for her to sit in the lobby once they arrived.
"I have an appointment with the minister, but it is related to the reason why you are here, Ms. Granger." he responded before being told he could enter.
That meant Dumbledore knew that Harry was being kept against his will and surely would know what to do to ensure that he would get to continue his education with the rest of them.
Agreeing to see what happened, Hermione waited for him to come back.
Dumbledore reemerged, an hour later with a smile before he escorted Hermione back down to the main lobby and insisted she get back onto a lift.
"...Sir? Harry needs help…" she began.
"Mr. Potter is currently in the Weasley's care and is quite safe now. Be assured he will be present in the new school year, See you back at the castle." he answered before she was swiftly taken back to the entrance to the ministry and headed back to her parents…
She wondered if it was her prompting Ron to act was the only reason that Harry didn't get left behind but that still meant that they wouldn't get on the train… due to Dobby's interference, unless she intervened again…
It was a few days later, a couple of days before the start of term when she found Hedwig outside her window and knew a letter from Harry had come.
" Hermione….
Ron told me about your encounter in Diagon alley and how you warned him that I needed help… and just wanted to say thank you. The Weasleys came and got me that night and I am allowed to stay with them for the rest of the summer before heading back to Hogwarts… I realized that I haven't been a very good friend to you, and well I let my prejudice of the Slytherin's get to me that I didn't see how everyone else seems to get along and it's only Ron and I that are determined to not give any of them a chance…. I don't know if I can change how I feel about them but I have decided that I was wrong about you and would be willing to start over as friends if you want to? Feel free to respond via Hedwig my owl.
Harry."
Hermione felt torn, on one hand she was relieved that she managed to get back into Harry's good graces and repair their fragile beginnings, not being in the same Hogwarts house this time around but she also felt like how dare they treat her this way and then mildly offer that he was wrong but would still be a prat with those that she was now friends with now…
Her whole mission was getting them close so they could rewrite history but now she was stuck in the past with almost a second chance at her life as it was before…
Not being Harry Potter's friend would be much less a burden but she didn't want to be his enemy either.
This olive branch probably wouldn't come again and so she wrote back her response letter before attaching it to Hedwig and watching her fly away, back to Harry, towards the Weasley's.
Hermione decided to accept Harry's poorly worded apology for now, missing him after a year but now that she wasn't on a mission to save her future, the one she came from, she eased off of what was familiar and decided to test if this year would be one to enjoy or not…
Content with the outcome of her decision, Hermione went back to working on her summer assignments, getting ready for second year but also reading up on magical history that she knew wasn't covered well over her 7 years at Hogwarts. The earlier 19th century era was quite something in its goblin rebellion and the era of the black heir Headmaster.
Harry and Ron had been taken separately by Mr. Weasley shopped for Harry's supplies, as he missed their initial trip to Diagon alley and he was trying to get Ron to see how much Hermione was trying to reach them and that why would she not worry about him over the summer if she didn't care.
"She's a busybody, and so she was the one who guessed you were in actual trouble… Honestly, maybe you just forgot about us and like I understand, muggle life is different…" Ron tried to excuse himself as to not pushing further and thinking of what really happened.
"...Sigh Ok, I can't get you to like her but can you please just respect that I want to be her friend, even if you can't…?" Harry pleaded with him.
"Fine, mate but she is trouble" Ron replied, ending the discussion.
It would have to do for the moment and maybe he would change his mind as they returned for the beginning of their second year in just a couple of days…
A/N: I wasn't really sure how Hermione's first summer would go the second time around but I wonder if Ron would have realized himself that Harry needed help? I imagine Hermione was the one who instigated someone to go see if he was ok in the muggle realm but like maybe she had nothing to do with it? I just got my new copy of chambers of secrets so I guess I'll find out maybe soon enough.