As she approached the shrieking shack she heard voices,

"Um excuse me, Mr. Pettigrew, I'm sure we would all be happy to walk away and leave this situation. We don't exactly know what's true so maybe it's best if we leave you and Mr. Black to sort it out". Hermione groaned. She'd always recognise that voice.

"What the hell 'Mione. One of these men murdered my parents. I'm staying until I work out who!" A voice clearly belonging to Harry huffed.

"Harry, Harry I would never hurt your parents, it was him he's mad, he killed 13 muggles. He forced me to hide as a rat for 12 years! He gave your parent's secret to You Know Who!" She heard the familiar rat squeak.

"Lies!" Sirius roared.

"Expelliarmus!"

Hermione heard a crash and shouts, but she couldn't make out what seemed to be happening. She creeped closer and peered through one of the dusty windows. Ron was lying on the floor clutching his arm in pain crying silently, whilst Sirius and Pettigrew brawled on the floor. Both Hermione and Harry were watching with wands raised, clearly unsure how to proceed. Hermione held her breath. How had the situation turned out so similar? Were they fated to meet in the shack once again? Was Ron always meant to break a limb? At least tonight wasn't a full moon, she still kept a chart in her planning room from when she hoped Remus would join her. But oh fuck, Remus didn't have the map, which meant Remus and Snape wouldn't arrive. How would Sirius be able to convince Harry when it's just one man's word against the other. She closed her eyes and prayed for Sirius to win. She could hear their grunts as they continued to wrestle on the floor, Sirius was taller but he was weaker after years in Askaban and had been drinking pretty heavily. Peter was short but stout and seemed happy to fight dirty. When she opened her eyes she panicked. Peter was stood behind Sirius with his arm crushing his windpipe preventing Sirius from speaking.

"I stopped him from hurting you Harry," he began obsequiously. "Don't worry Harry, I won't let him hurt you like he murdered your parents."

Sirius was shaking frantically trying to mouth at Harry as his face turned red but all that could be heard were his pained grunts.

"Trust me Harry I knew James better than anyone he'd want you to give this man what he deserves. Remember he killed your parents. Remember all the pain he caused you".

Hermione stood horrified. She'd know how tempted Harry had been to kill first Sirius then Peter that night. She remembered how his kind nature had prevailed. She could only count on it occurring again.

"Harry," her younger self began quietly, "I'm not sure you should."

"Silence girl," the rat man whispered.

Hermione could see her younger self was shaking. Harry was staring transfixed at Sirius. It wasn't clear if he had even heard the young girl speak. Ron was still crying in the corner of the shack, his broken arm and the scene before him clearly rendering him unable to respond. Harry raised his wand as Sirius eyes widened.

"No," she screamed and burst through the door.

The interruption made Wormtail raise his arm towards her and before she comprehended it her battle instincts kicked in and she shouted,

"Sectemsempra." She felt her anger towards Pettigrew rush through her, she remembered his part in Harry's parents death, his killing of Cedric, his role in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor as she was tortured upstairs. Everyone in the room froze and large slashed covered Pettigrew body and blood spurred across the room coating Sirius, her younger self and Harry.

Sirius groaned rubbing his neck and then smiled,

"He's dead!" He proclaimed, hot blood coating his face making his teeth gleam in the moonlight.

Harry and Hermione grasped ahold of each other and slunk towards Ron. Ron had turned his transfixed expression from Pettigrew to her. They stood in silence for what felt like minutes. Her younger self and Harry staring at the body on the floor. Ron however was looking directly into her eyes.

"Hermione?" He asked quietly.

Her younger self answered softly, "yes Ron?"

"Not you. That woman. Bloody hell Hermione, that woman she looks just like you."

Hermione sighed it wasn't exactly how she had planned a potential reveal to the trio. She knew she needed to explain fast before she further traumatised her younger selves.

"I'm so sorry you all had to be here for that," she said softly, "it wasn't exactly how it was meant to go," she said pointedly looking at Sirius who was still grinning unrepentent.

The three children stared openly at her now.

"Well done Ron. I am Hermione granger from 2012, there was an unfortunate accident and I came here to help stop the rise of Voldemort and prevent deaths he had caused. Despite how it appears and his words, that man there" she said gesturing to the pale and bloody Body of Pettigrew. "Was a death eater and traitor and is the reason your parents are dead Harry" she said softly. "I didnt plan on killing him but I promise you he was guilty. I'm so sorry Harry."

Tears spilled out of her eyes. How could one argument have caused everything to go so wrong. All her carefully laid plans and ideas were ruined. She moved to Sirius and began to heal his obvious injuries whilst she decided what to do with the three traumatised children. Sirius ignored her attempts at healing and turned towards his godson. His face still gleaming red,

"Look Harry, I know we haven't got off on the best of feet but well I'm not sure if you know but I'm your godfather and well I know you were ready to kill me five.."

"No I wasn't." Harry interrupted softly. The first words he'd said in the past ten minutes.

"But your wand was raised Harry," Sirius began hesitantly, turning his head from Hermione to Harry.

"No." Harry sighed, "I know it sounds weird but I could tell. Somehow I just knew he was lying and that you were telling the truth. It was something in you eyes and when you were talking before it seemed like maybe you cared about me."

There was a moment of silence as the three children and Hermione tried to ignore the tears welling up in Sirius eyes.

"Of course I do," he replied croakily.

Thankfully Ron broke some of the tension by stating,

"Also what innocent man pretends to be a rat for 10 years. I mean he was in my bed!" He said looking murderously at the corpse on the floor.

"Quite" Sirius said simply, smiling at Ron and Harry.

"Excuse me miss" her younger self started staring blatantly at Hermione,

"Maybe if you call me Granger that might help? It's what Sirius calls me already anyway," she said to the girl.

"Yeah that or sugar tits."

Hermione sighed. Did he really think post murder was a good time for that sort of joke? Both Harry and Ron darted their heads between Sirius and Hermione whilst the young girl just sat mouth opened.

"Well um Granger, I'm just not sure I am really you, well you see I do know a bit about time travel. I read about it" she said glancing quickly at Harry and Ron "and you can't just change things it makes a loop. And I just don't see myself breaking one of those fundamental laws of travel. Also well, I'm not a murderer and you just don't seem like me at all!" She finished angrily, giving Hermione's dirt and grime covered clothes a once over.

Hermione sighed. She moved towards the three children and spoke softly,

"Sometimes we change as we grow up, the things we view important change but the things we would for people we care about never do. I know that you, would do anything for the people you care about even if it meant breaking a few school rules like maybe brewing polyjuice potion in school toilets?" The children gasped. "I also know that thing around your neck and how it's wearing you out. This time turner had been altered by a Death Eater, however it had been broken, I don't believe it worked like normal." She leaned in towards the girl so only she could hear, "I also know about a certain crush on w certain potions professor" she whispered.

The girl jumped and looked up blushing.

"You're really me," she breathed, touching Hermione's cheek. She placed her larger hand over the smaller one and said,

"I really am."

The girl gasped and wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck. She hugged the young girl back firmly. The two boys watched the interaction carefully. She turned to the both of them.

"Now boys, we need to sort out how we are going to explain what happened here. I think it's best we leave Pettigrew's body here and go straight to Dumbledore and inform him everything that happened,"

"What?" Harry asked, "but what if you get in trouble?"

"I'm quite sure we will - I think Sirius and his female companion might be in big trouble but it would do well if you could spread Sirius innocence and maybe show off the dark mark on Peter's arm. It would also probably be best if you don't mention my name, I don't want my mini me getting in trouble," she said bending over and chucking herself under the chin.

Hermione stood from healing Sirius and walked over to Pettigrew's body. She muttered a quick curse severing his sleeve, exposing the ugly mark staining his left forearm.

"Again children," Harry and Ron bristled at that. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I'll call Mr Lupin down now to take you to Dumbledore. Please forgive me for what you had to see."

"It's okay" Harry said firmly. "He was going to curse you, you had no choice."

"Yeah that slimy git had it coming," Ron chimed in.

Hermione turned towards the door and took a few deep breaths. Now the adrenaline had worn off she took time to assess her actions. She hadn't managed to provide direct evidence to Sirius innocence but perhaps Pettigrew's body might help muddy the waters slightly. It was also one less death eater to help with the resurrection next year. She just needed to sort out the Barty Crouch problem. As she turned her head, she saw Sirius and Harry talking animatedly to each other still covered in blood as Hermione and Ron spoke softly looking at her. She heard Ron exclaim,

"but when do you get so cool!" as her young self blushed and shushed him.

Hermione smiled to herself at the interaction and cast her patronus messenger, sending it to Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin,

"Situation in the shrieking shack, Come at once. The children need help. A friend,'" she watched her otter split into three and dash off towards the castle and she turned to Sirius.

"Time to go"

"Goodbye again kids, I know what you saw tonight was horrible, allow yourself to feel the shock, pain and anger but also enjoy your time as children. There's no need to go rushing off to battle basilisks anymore or save stones anymore, you've got us now."

The children all smiled guiltily looking drained as the nights events caught up with them. Hermione saw her young self smile slightly before looking between Hermione and the body on the floor and frowning.

"Good bye Harry. I'll write to you." Sirius said softly as he grabbed Hermione's arm and apparated them back to her flat.