authorsnote: hellooooo
sorry this took a hot minute! needed to get into the swing of it with this story and I think I have!
I do hope you enjoy, do tell me your thoughts, follow/fav for updates and all that jazz, and most importantly enjoy!
songrecs: alone again - the weeknd
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time'
- Leo Tolstoy
-x-
When she woke, she wondered if she was not only stuck in a different time but stuck in a loop.
She was back in the Ravenclaw Dorm, back in the same bed, the only difference was she remained in the old-fashioned uniform and the girls who had been sleeping were gone.
It allowed her a second, a minute, hell even an hour to process, to sit, and she did, moving back to prop herself up, knees to her chest, eyes wide, giving herself a second to just think, think on what had happened, think on where she was and who she had met.
She felt sick.
She had somehow been flung back in time, back so far it should have been impossible. 40 years in the past, four decades, that shouldn't have been possible, and her mind was whirling, screaming at her, that this wasn't possible, she shouldn't be here, couldn't be here.
She had never done well with illogical conclusions, had never been able to handle things not adding up in her head. And this didn't add up, at all. It made no sense, should have been impossible.
And yet, her mind quickly moved on, focusing not on what it should. She didn't think about the impossibility, that was to research and dissect later. She didn't think about the sentimental things, that she had left behind her friends, family, her time, to be here, alone, unknown how she had come here. She didn't think about that either - why was she here? How had this happened?
No, she didn't focus on those. As soon as she sat up, processed, and tried to not throw up, she thought on one thing.
Tom Riddle
Tom Riddle i.e., Voldemort. Here, alive, young, handsome, in the very first throws of building his power base.
Tom Riddle, here with her.
Immediately she was on her feet, intent on taking action but she immediately paused, wand in hand, stalled, the dorm empty now but her mind filled with thoughts.
What action could she possibly take?
Going after Riddle head on would be foolish, surely the correct thing was to go to Dumbledore? He already knew she'd time travelled, and yet something had stopped her, something did stop her from running at him and blurting everything out. What stopped her?
Was it a natural mistrust? She wasn't sure, but something made her pause.
And then she caught site of herself in the mirror.
She looked different.
The clothes of course stood out, clearly old fashioned and not of her time. The skirt alone was far longer, and she'd always been conservative with her skirt length! She imagined Lavender's horror at what she'd no doubt call a grandma skirt before she felt a twinge that Lavender wasn't born yet. A twinge turned into horror as she thought of Harry, Ron, Ginny, all not born yet.
She turned back to the mirror, trying to force herself to focus, focus Hermione she willed herself. She needed to, as her mind flashed back;
'Tom Riddle, a pleasure I'm sure'
Tom Riddle here, alive, building his base, yes, god yes, she needed to focus.
She also looked a touch different, her hair a touch sleeker, but not quite as smooth as it would be with Sleakezy. The potions scars on her hands were gone, but (she glanced down her shirt), the one from Dolohov (and she shivered, that man sometimes terrified her more than Voldemort himself), remained. How strange.
This entire situation was strange, and she had no idea what to do.
Focus.
She picked up her wand then, feeling the comfort of having it in her hand. She felt a weird sense of déjà vu, and went for the common room, this day felt exactly as it had before she'd fainted. She surely hoped she wasn't stuck in a time loop, though perhaps that would be preferable to being at Tom Riddle's Hogwarts.
As she descended the stairs of the Tower, she could not think of a worst time to go back to. She couldn't tell anyone the entire future, that would hurt the timeline to the point of possible permanent damage, and she felt that unease at confiding everything in Dumbledore again, and so what could she do? She'd time travelled, and she was here, alone, no friends, no allies, nothing.
What did she do?
She made it to the common room, and found it empty, and a sigh of relief left her at that. Her thoughts were so disorganised, she needed a minute to sort them.
It was unusual for her, to feel so scatter brained, to be so unsure and confused, and she did not like the feeling, not at all, she was usually in command of her own mind, and here it felt different. And so, she gave herself a minute, sat on one of the couches and tries to give her brain just a second to catch up.
Of course, she wouldn't be able to completely, but she gave herself a second to compartmentalise, to force herself to focus. She was in a battleground, at war even (even though she was the only one who knew it), she had to focus.
Put emotion aside for a moment, and focus.
The minute passed and she felt a touch better, just a touch, and stood to her feet, eyes darting around, where to go? The note left out with her name in bold told her.
'Miss Granger
I hope you have recovered, and so please meet me at my office on the 3rd floor (the Transfiguration Masters office) as soon as you can. We will need to sort you and discuss your … situation.
I am fond of Sugar Quills!
Yours Faithfully
Professor Dumbledore'
She had the password (and he really hadn't changed, much had he?), and the knowledge that clearly, they were anticipating her staying (sorting), and now she just needed an excuse for not telling everything. Okay, focus, she could do this.
Not giving herself a second more to work herself up she stood and made her way to the common room door, smoothing down her skirt, adjusting her tie (the colours of blue and gold felt strange, she was a Gryffindor after all, but for now this would do), and taking a breath, it was time to move forward, not continue to go back.
It was strange to go to the Transfiguration Office and see Professor Dumbledore as she stepped inside and not Professor McGonagall. It felt almost wrong to see him sat behind a humbler desk, he belonged in the Headmasters office, not here.
"Ahh Miss Granger" The twinkle in his eye remained, which Hermione found oddly reassuring. She didn't intend to tell Professor Dumbledore everything, but she trusted him, just to an extent. "Recovered?"
"Yes, thank you" She said, her politeness back now, as it had been absent when she'd awoken, though she blamed shock, which she was sure she still felt, and had just shoved to the back of her mind for a time.
Surely, she'd wail and scream into her pillow later, but that was the key point; later.
Now she had a situation to discuss and a plan to make.
She'd already accepted one thing at least, she wasn't stupid, even in her time, 50 years in the future they had managed some level of time travel, but not this much, nowhere near enough to get her home. Besides the point, she remembered the words etched on the time turner she'd had, and the one etched on every single one in the world;
On one side…
'I mark the hours, everyone. Nor have I yet outrun the sun. My use and value unto you, are gauged by what you have to do'
And on the other…
'So, to turn time, as intended by noted Wizard: H.M.R'
Just initials, the inventor of the time turner was just known by them, but that wasn't the important bit she remembered, it was the full inscription,
'I mark the hours, everyone. Nor have I yet outrun the sun. My use and value unto you, are gauged by what you have to do'
'So, to turn time, as intended by noted Wizard: H.M.P, 1963'
19 years in the future, almost 20 years until the time turner was even invented, never mind manipulated to be able to send her that far into the future. She was too logical to talk around it, she knew she wasn't going home anytime soon, if ever.
Oddly she hadn't panicked at that, that was known to her, and she'd always dealt better with things she knew. It was the unknown that scared her, like what she could do during this time, like Tom Riddle.
The unknown was much scarier in her mind, much scarier.
"Please sit" Professor Dumbledore held out his hand and she sat opposite, shuffling in her seat a touch before crossing her ankles, she felt her fingers itch to take notes, a habit to be sure.
"So, what are we to do with you?" Her eyebrows knitted together at that; not what she'd expected him to start with, she'd anticipated questions about the future, not about her. A chuckle left the eccentric Professors lips at her expression, which only confused her more.
"Miss Granger let me be perfectly clear, I do not intend to ask you anything about the future" Her eyes widened then, "That would dilute the timeline and meddle with the basic principles of time. We do not have time travel yet here, but I have no doubt, and clearly by your arrival I was correct to assume we one day will, and so we must be extremely careful" The glitter in his eye was gone, more serious now, which oddly comforted her, though she opened her mouth to speak, he spoke first.
"What are the basic principles of time travel Miss Granger in your time?" Professor Dumbledore asked, knitting his fingers together, "I will ask you just that question of the future"
"Do not interact with yourself or others, do not go too far back, and do not under any circumstances be seen" Hermione prattled off, realising she'd broken all three, she felt her cheeks heat, never one to break rules well, even when necessary.
Sure, she'd set a teachers robes on fire, seen another carried off by centaurs, but still, to break rules in front of her future Headmaster, made her uncomfortable.
"Exactly" Dumbledore clapped his hands together, making her jump slightly, to which he held up a hand in apology, and then stood to his feet, turning behind him to grab something, "We cannot risk altering any timelines or harming your future existence!" He said, and she felt herself go a touch cold at that, she knew it wasn't possible to blink herself out of existence, but it was possible to stop her original self being born, creating a paradox that could cause all sorts of problems she knew.
Time was confusing to say the least, and best not meddled with, but she knew when one did … she remembered Professor McGonagall making her read three thick volumes on time travel before she'd even discuss getting her the time turner, all with dire warnings.
Eloise Mintumble, who'd travelled back from 1972 to 1402, having travelled five centuries, died upon return, her body decaying. She'd spent five days in the past and altered the timelines of many of her descendants.
William Flume who travelled back three weeks to correct a Honeydukes recipe, and instead ending up altering the creation of three different recipes, as well as needing to be treated in St Mungos for two months for advanced injuries.
So many horror stories, of people altering their children's futures, of messing up their own, of death and decay. 13-year-old her had been horrified and solemn in her promise to be responsible. She felt a hint of guilt, before she remembered this wasn't her fault.
And nor did the normal time travel rules seem to apply to her. Or did they?
Eloise had not been ill until returning, William too. Was she doomed if she did manage to find a way home? Her hands trembled a touch. So much to take in. All she knew was that Dumbledore was absolutely right, she could not alter the timeline further, and so any speak of the future, of what had happened, of any of it … she couldn't.
"You're right" She whispered, and Dumbledore nodded, before turning back around, a familiar object in hand.
"I often am Miss Granger, a burden frequently, though one must not shun the knowledge that led to being right of course" He said, before placing the Sorting Hat on the table between them, "And so it stands we must not talk about the future and instead get you acquainted here for the time being" He paused then, "I will reach out to some contacts of mine to get further information on time travel, and we will go from there"
It was a limited plan, but she could come up with nothing better, what else was there? Settle here for now, for what choice did she have? Fly under the radar, avoid Tom Riddle (right now she couldn't even consider interfering, her head felt too full to add another layer), and work towards getting home, (and not killing herself in the process).
It was as good a plan as she was going to get.
"So first we must give you a backstory" Professor Dumbledore said with a smile, the twinkle back, and she nodded, screwing her hands into fists to stop them shaking.
A backstory, that made sense, and she was clinging to what made sense now, for so little did.
"So, shall you stay with the same name?" He asked with a smile, "Hermione Granger?"
"Hermione yes" She said, mind flying then, she'd need to fit in, go unnoticed, and her heritage would be a barrier to that, "Professor tell me, what is the attitude to muggle-borns here?"
Dumbledore's expression drooped a touch at that, she'd known the answer of course, but needed it said out loud. "Unfortunately, Miss Granger old prejudice exists, and thrives to my disgust"
She nodded, "I'm muggle-born, but I feel to go unnoticed I should hide here, as a pureblood or half-blood"
"Agreed" Dumbledore said then, with a nod, reaching for a quill, and writing in what she thought might be the Hogwarts Register, getting her signed up for school, at least she had somewhere to live.
"You could be a Dagworth-Granger?" She would have smiled, as she remembered Professor Slughorn, if not for the memory of the future feeling as though someone had stabbed her. Focus. Now was not the time to think of a future she may never return to, her friends, her loved ones, gone … Focus.
She remembered Harry mocking Professor Snape in his fury, 'Focus your mind' Hmm, perhaps Occlumency wouldn't be a bad idea for her, she'd never felt this scattered.
"Yes" She said with a nod, "Do we know if they have a daughter? Or could have one?"
"Hmm" Professor Dumbledore paused then, reached for a book, and his eyes lit up, "Hector died two years ago, with his wife Lyara, they were childless"
"But easy to amend" He continued, noting down her name then, 'Hermione Dagworth-Granger' in the register, "I can forge some paperwork, and we can pretend you were schooling abroad, brought here once the will was finalised" She nodded, that was easy, believable, and though Potions wasn't her best subject, she was still an O student there. "We'll get you a bank vault and official papers registered this weekend as it will take me a few days to acquire them" Another nod, it was all falling into place.
She should feel relieved, but the pang, the pain in her stomach continued. This was acceptance, acceptance of her situation, which she knew was necessary, but in truth, felt wrong.
"So, Hermione Dagworth-Granger" Professor Dumbledore nodded, finishing her name with a flourish, before he looked back up at her, and his expression softened.
"I know this must be overwhelming Miss Granger" He paused then, "We may not be able to discuss your future but do know you can come to me, whenever you may need to chat" She smiled at that, but said nothing, a touch choked up, remembering home, at how her life had overhauled in hours to speak.
"What year were you in Miss Granger?" He asked.
"6th sir" She said, and he nodded.
"OWL results?" He asked.
"Outstanding's in Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions and Transfiguration, and an Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts, sir" She rattled off, the pride for those not remotely on her mind.
"Fantastic" Professor Dumbledore's eyes lit up and she felt a touch of that pride come back to her, for which she sorely needed in that moment, "None could doubt you the daughter of someone as accomplished as Hector" He said, eyes sparkling again, "And what NEWTS will you be taking?"
"Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Potions" She said, remembering rattling off the same subjects to Professor McGonagall not so long ago now. Another pang.
"Very good" Professor Dumbledore said with a nod, a tap of his wand and he handed her a timetable, "Uniforms will be sent to your dormitory as well as basic equipment, we can arrange for you to buy whatever you need this weekend" Of course, she was penniless now, only her wand to her name, generosity was something she couldn't refuse, even for her pride.
"Now, finally" He indicated then to the Sorting Hat, innocuous, innocent on the table, and she nodded, briskly reaching for it, not anticipating anything different than last time.
She remembered it's words in her first year, as it had near fallen over her eyes…
'Ahh Miss Granger, a sharp mind, a thirst for knowledge, keen to learn! Ooh a mean streak, vindictive sometimes! Loyal, brave even, hmm… where to put you? No puffs for you, you'd eat them alive! Slytherin? Could suit but not to be cruel. Ravenclaw? Possibly, but not quite, hmm… better be Gryffindor!'
As it slipped onto her head, over her ears, it began again…"
'Miss Granger, back again! Mind ever sharp and brimming with knowledge, such a talent I knew. A 2nd sorting, a chance to start anew! Still no Hufflepuff I think, no, no, Ravenclaw could suit but once more not a perfect fit. Gryffindor could work too, still so brave, fierce, and loyal, but as a pureblood, or pretending to be one, and that vindictive streak has only grown! And such ambition, a hunger to be the best, to rise to the top. Hmm… how did I not see it before? Yes, Miss Granger, got to be Slytherin!"
Could she pass out twice in one day? Maybe. She certainly felt dizzy.
Slytherin?
Yeap, dizzy indeed.
sooooo thoughts?
can I get a
hot damn, here comes the angst, the twists, the turns, the craziness! be prepared for a wild ride!
a tom-free chapter but he'll be back in the next! just needed a lil hermione set-up. don't worry they'll be sharing a common room! can I get another?
anywho, I do hope you enjoyed, do review and lemme know your thoughts! follow/fav too!
speak soon