Sea of Constellations
Rose_Quartz_Cloud
6. Studious
Hermione had forgotten about the bloody dragon but it did fall just after Easter…. Harry and Ron had appeared at breakfast and looked quite worried but excited too and Ron spilled the beans first.
"Hagrid's got a baby dragon in his hut and wanted me to ask Charlie for tips on raising one…" Ron spluttered as he stuffed some hash browns down as they arrived late to breakfast and needed to get to their first lesson, charms with Flitwick.
She was on her way to potions but stopped by their table to see what had happened to them this morning and with that news she left with a migraine.
That dragon led to detention, thanks to Malfoy spying on them which led to the incident in the forbidden forest…. Which then caused Harry to panic and decide to see Dumbledore who leaves for the ministry and Harry foolishly leads them into the trap…
Hermione wasn't even sure it would play out the same way if she left it alone, for with her interference that time before, the staff could have moved the stone already for all she knew…
She had wanted to go with them next but unfortunately she had a scheduled late night Astronomy lesson she couldn't miss but also wondered if Malfoy was going to bail on her to tail the two boys to Hagrids or if this interfered with what she remembered about these events from her timeline?
It also brought back the memories of how they got super anxious over what had happened to Snape at some point when he tried to get Harids bloody dog and was injured.
Not being able to remember the exact ways things had gone in what order, she just knew this whichever was first would be the beginning of the domino effect that would endanger at least the two of them as she didn't have to go with them this time… heck she might not get the opportunity to… and that worried her greatly.
To her minor relief, the night where she was unavailable to go with them, Malfoy had attended the lesson with her so she knew that he wasn't going to catch the two of them this night at least.
This was their pre-exam, one last look at the stars and reviewing what they had learnt over the year to prepare for their final in a few weeks time.
Hermione was distracted and she missed when Malfoy gestured for her turn to use their telescope that he decided to grab her attention by grasping her shoulder lightly but the motion made Hermione jump.
"Whoh, there Granger, did you forget where you are?" he teased.
Her expression shifted rapidly before she ignored his jeer and took over looking at the stars…
She usually wasn't this serious so there was something big on her mind and he began to wonder if it had to do with Potter and his redhead friend the weasel…
Glancing over at Pansy who then glanced at their mutual friend, she just shrugged and went back to the lesson…
Malfoy tsked to himself but decided to forget about it for now.
Hermione finished up her portion of the assignment and wandered off to the edge of the roof and stargaze on her own.
Her friends in all houses joined her after and she felt content to be more a part of the larger school community this time around.
The baby dragon, affectionately named Norbert by Hagrid, was a Norwegian ridgeback which Ron was thoroughly impressed with and tried to get him to cook food items on a stick while he and Harry were visiting on their afternoon break between classes.
Hermione tagged along this time as she was afraid that they had been found out by now but strangely the youngling seemed bigger to her memory than that of her own timeline that she dared to ask the boys how long it had been now since Hargrid introduced them to it….
"...Five weeks…. " she muttered, horrified.
It had been just over a month and now their finals were just around the corner and she hadn't prepared or figured out what was coming in pursuing Voldemort's attempt at returning to the mortal realm….
One part of her began to stress about her academic success but than remembered that she knew all of it and more being actually an adult now at 17 years old… and failed to stop the worst wizard of all time, of their time and potentially here as well…
A glimpse of silver caught Hermione's attention to one of Hagrid's windows and she cursed herself…. Malfoy had followed her… as she leaned over the window still as she watched him sprint towards the castle to tattle on them…
Before he just wanted them to get in trouble and detention but didn't anticipate himself getting the punishment himself.
McGonagall believed him this time as it wasn't after hours and Hagrid's hut was searched and the dragon was confiscated…
Harry and Ron blamed her for leading her friends to their secret with Hagrid and thus started their break up of their already fragile friendship..
Hermione couldn't believe it… all these months trying to get closer with them after being sorted into a different house and they blamed her for Malfoy's interest in what she skipped lunch for, only to turn around and get them all in detention.
It felt worse than when she heard that Harry was dead and Voldemort had won….
Grieving the person that was important to you and they were still alive, well and in front of you was another story indeed.
Hermione made a point to be angry with Malfoy for ruining her best chance at getting Harry and Ron to trust her again and said some mean things to him in her anger and frustrations..
Malfoy explained that he was just trying to protect her and that she deserved the punishment as she should have reported them sooner if she already knew about Hagrid's dragon…
There was no forbidden woods detention and Harry didn't encounter Voldemort in the forbidden forest and Hermione had no more clues how this story would turn out…
She despaired quietly as no one came to ask her for any last minute help before their first year finals and she just withdrew from everyone for a time.
Draco wasn't a fan of being a brat but he was severely hurt by what Granger had said to him. Theo called him out on being a sourpuss and even teased him a bit before realizing that the guy was really feeling her words and then left him alone.
Pansy and Daphne were curious as to what exactly was said that affected him this badly but neither party would spill.
Everyone else seemed to be more worried about Hermione who hadn't been seen in days and Harry and Ron got tired of explaining that they weren't friends with her anymore and to stop asking them about it…
Hannah and Mandy turned up at the Slytherin table at breakfast some days later and told Daphne and Pansy it was time for an intervention…
Hermione had hidden herself away in her four poster bed and charmed her curtains to keep everyone out while she grieved and processed what to do next…
She debated going back to the time that she left and see how her and Ron would survive in a world without Harry in it or be free, as she was sure that they were going to be killed shortly afterward or at least enslaved.
She kept thinking that the worst fate over there was better than this… Clearly the sorting hat saw something she didn't and she must have messed up her only opportunity…
Her curtains jiggled with some movement as someone outside was trying to pry them open and break her charm.
Hermione grabbed her wand and added a few extra elements, which may as well expose how much of a talented witch she actually was being mentally 17 in an 11 year old's body.
The four girls outside alongside Hermione's other roommates sighed when Mandy's countercurse bounced back off the bed…
"...Hermione's hiding something big, this level of magic isn't something we are capable of…" muttered Pansy who was getting suspicious now.
"Should we ask a professor or upperclassman for help?" Hannah chimed in.
Sue had left and had now come back with her older sister who was in her last year of Hogwarts.
Sue had explained the situation and how Hermione had shut herself into her bed and they couldn't figure out what enchantments she had used.
The older girl circled the poster bed frame and touched a few spots to see how they reacted.
Frowning now, she pulled out her wand and muttered a countercharm and the curtains parted slightly.
The group of them veered straight to a shocked Hermione who attempted to hide again but the older girl's ability overwhelmed the young girl and the curtains wrapped themselves back into their daytime resting positions.
"I have heard you are book smart… and probably read about this particular charm but there is a reason why it's taught to much older students as your magic reserves can't handle the strain…." Sue's sister lectured slightly.
Hermione had the gall to look a bit sheepish before she turned away from them and asked to be left alone…
Sue's sister bid them goodbye and left the first year's dormitory.
"...I see you must have asked for permission to come up here…" Hermione muttered towards the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.
"No one has seen you in a week… and everyone is worried about you…"Hannah respnosed on behalf of them.
"Is this really all over losing a couple of dumb Gryffindor boys who can't see your value as a friend or were you perhaps hoping for more….?" asked Pansy rashly.
"...I just thought I could show them the wider world outside of petty house rivalry or even Harry's unwanted fame…." She whispered.
"...it's the end of the year… maybe if you just gave them some time and next year try to rekindle whatever you thought you lost… exams are officially next week and we hold the last classes of the year in the next three weeks before we go home for the summer holidays" Daphne offered.
Hermione only broke down crying, tired of holding onto her burdens of the future and unable to confide in anyone about it.
Classes ended yesterday, exam results were posted today and the end of the year feast and the winner of the best house was chosen… Slytherin won this year with Ravenclaw close in second and Hufflepuff in third…
Nothing has occurred with the hidden trap door and the philosopher's stone…. Professor Quirrell had mysteriously quit his post and disappeared right before exams, Snape looked pissed and Professor Dumbledore had been busy working alongside the Ministry in what Hermione could only guess was what to do with the stone and the legacy of it which probably was its destruction, knowing it was too dangerous to leave in the mortal realm.
She had decided that it was time to go back and that she had done everything she could here and wasn't even sure if she had screwed up this alternate reality as well with her choices…
She planned on leaving that night on top of the astronomy tower…
Breathing in the cold Scottish highland air was always refreshing and home-like, to her who had spent now technically 8 years at Hogwarts… her home and wished that her real first year could have been more peaceful and less adventurous as it was here.
She had given all her new friends small parting gifts and even snuck two to Harry and Ron when they weren't looking…
After watching some falling stars in the distant skies above and trying to reconcile her failures, Hermione pulled out her time turner and began setting it to let her go back to where she came from when an elderly hand grasped hers roughly.
Looking up and behind her, it was Professor Dumbledore.
"...Sir?" she gasped, trying to break free.
" …. Breaking the laws of time and space is a very high offense here in the wizarding world and I am sure you are well aware since you are technically of age already…." he began.
Hemione sighed… Of course the sorting hat had caught glimpses of where she had come from and the war… Harry's death and Voldemort's victory…
"I am aware that you have traveled parallel to us and that this isn't where you belong and you effectively erased your counterpart…. Did you know that part?" he continued.
Hermione froze… she had her suspicions of what the reality was but no time to really find out the truth of her decision to act.
"If you were to go back now, or even after you arrived all those months ago you would ruin this universe…. So sadly I cannot let you leave now, and you must live here as your new life and whatever you knew from before is no more. They will not see or hear from you again… I am sorry…" he explained.
Hermione lowered her arm, and let him take the time device.
"What of Voldemort? Besides living in a world and wanting Harry Potter to survive and live, nothing was the same to my memory… What if he already had won this time and it's only a matter of time before we all see it?" she asked, eyes wide now, scared.
"It's entirely possible but there is hope yet… he hasn't returned yet… He left Quirrell recently and the former has passed away without his master to help sustain his cursed body and Harry was spared knowing this for now…. I do not know what is to happen now… and I don't want to hear about it either, knowing before needing to can also ruin the future of what is to come naturally… … for your own sake, I implore you to forget what you think you know and live in the now, how everything out now plays out will be much different and you can have your happy ending if you really want it but learn to accept what is and what was…" Dumbledore directed her before escorting her back into the castle and straight to Ravenclaw's tower for her to pack to head back home to the muggle realm for the summer of 1991.
A/N: and we are finished book one… onward to book two…ohhh I'm excited to plot out what happens from here on out…. I suppose things will now divert from the canon plot into the official alternate reality :) What are your favorite parts so far? As always thank you for reading along3