A week had passed since the boys' first trip to the past, and the wizards carefully planned every detail of their second attempt. Everything had to be calculated just right. That day, the boys were sitting in the library and quietly talking.
"We can't appear right in the middle of the Great Hall, there will be too many people there. Anyone could run into us, and if the Cloak of Invisibility flies off, we will be in huge trouble," said Scorpius as he bent over their notes.
"You're right. But what if we don't go into the hall itself, but outside its doors?" Suggested Albus. "According to my father, he and the other champions first lined up in front of the door to the Great Hall. We can be transported somewhere near the stairs, for example, and we can just carefully enter through the main doors with them."
"In principle, it's possible. But how will we find her? There will probably be hundreds of girls there," said Scorpius, and fell quiet. Then it dawned on him. "Wait. My father said that he was already standing in the Great Hall when she entered!"
Albus startled. "You mean, she came in with the champions? That changes everything!" exclaimed Albus happily.
"Do you remember your father saying anything about a Bulgarian being there with him?" asked Scorpius.
"Yeah, I think I do. What are you getting at?" Albus looked at his friend, a little confused.
"I think that if she went to the ball with a Bulgarian and came into the Great Hall later than everyone else, then she was definitely there with one of the champions!" Scorpius beamed.
"That's right!" Albus smiled widely. "Then, we can land not far from the doors to the Great Hall, and we will definitely see her!"
"I think we should do it today. There are only a couple of people in the library right now. We can go behind the far shelf, and no one will see us there," said Scorpius.
"Great, I'll quickly run to the dorm and get the Cloak and the Time-Turner. Wait here." Smiling mischievously, Albus ran out of the library, ignoring Madam Pince, who shushed him and shook her head at the troublemaker.
Twenty minutes later, the boys disappeared behind the bookshelf.
"Ready?" asked Albus. "I have a good feeling about this."
"Well, then everything will definitely work out." Scorpius laughed quietly.
Albus smiled broadly and took the Time-Turner in his hand. "Let's go!"
The library surroundings disappeared, and the boys now were standing near the doors to the Great Hall.
"Look, there they are!" whispered Scorpius. "I think I see your father right there." The boy pointed to the small crowd of wizards by the massive door.
Professor McGonagall had already disappeared inside the hall when the boys under the Cloak of Invisibility moved closer to the entrance. The champions and their dance partners started to line up. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies were first in line by the closed doors. Davies couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful Fleur. It seemed he still couldn't believe his luck. Cedric and Cho approached the doors, and Harry turned away from them. He was standing next to Parvati Patil, who was glowing with happiness. Viktor Krum was standing near the stairs and waiting for Hermione to arrive.
"I see him too." Albus smiled happily. "He is fourteen here, just like me! I can't believe it... Look how nervous he is." The young wizard was buzzing with excitement. "But I don't understand something. I see a girl in a silver dress who is standing right in front of the entrance. The girl who is next to my father is in a pink-and-orange, sari-style dress... That one is wearing blue." Albus pointed towards Cho Chang.
"Yes. I think that's Cedric Diggory next to her." Whispered Scorpius. "Wait, there are only three couples here. Where is the fourth?"
Both wizards turned towards the stairs.
"Look, there's another guy standing there," said Scorpius. "The girl should probably start descending the stairs now."
The young wizards lifted their eyes at the stairs landing, waiting. Both of their mouths dropped open when they saw her appear.
She was standing on the top of the staircase, wearing a dress of a delicate pink colour that gradually changed from a lighter pink hue at the top of the dress to a darker one at the bottom. Her hair was twisted at the back of her head, with a few lovely strands cascading down her shoulders. Her movements were smooth and light, looking like she was floating above the ground. The girl's face was shining with joy, making her even more breathtaking. She smiled shyly looking around.
Scorpius looked from the stairs to Albus and back in disbelief. "But... This is... This is..."
He was interrupted by the loud voice of Viktor Krum, "Hermione!"
Albus sharply spun the Time-Turner and the wizards found themselves back in the library. Scorpius fell down the nearest bench.
"Hey, Scorp, are you okay?" Albus looked at his friend with concern.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure..." Scorpius laughed nervously. "Let's just say I'm surprised, to put it mildly."
Albus sat down opposite his friend.
"You recognised her too, right?" Scorpius asked, lifting his eyes.
"Yeah, I did. To be honest, she hasn't changed much over the years." Albus chuckled awkwardly.
"I just can't believe it! My father and Hermione Granger!" Scorpius said excitedly. "I always thought that they couldn't stand each other."
"I've heard about that too. My father often tells us stories about their time at Hogwarts. Our parents didn't really get along at school." Albus laughed.
"To put it mildly," said Scorpius, grinning. "I remember my father telling me about one funny incident. Our parents were then in their third year, and Hagrid was appointed as professor of the Care of Magical Creatures. Well, my father didn't like him very much back then and tried to get rid of him. One day, though, it went a little bit too far." Scorpius smiled. "Do you know the rest of this story?"
"No, my dad never told me this one," Albus answered, listening with interest.
"That's weird, it's a pretty funny story. Well, at that moment it happened, my father wasn't actually laughing, but when he told me about it, he was. Now I can understand why." Scorpius grinned. "So, my father said a lot of nasty things back then, and at one point that year, Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She came up to him and gave him a good slap on the face, right in front of Dad's friends Crabbe and Goyle." Scorpius laughed. "Father said that he was so taken aback by it that he froze in place and couldn't move for a while." The wizard smiled.
"This is the first time I've heard this story!" said Albus. "I think that it wasn't only your father who was flabbergasted back then, but mine too!" The young man laughed.
Scorpius sobered up and sighed. "Actually, Father said that he behaved disgustingly when he was in Hogwarts. He insulted and looked down at everyone around him. He told me how he constantly started fights with your father, Ron and Hermione. He actually insulted her more than others and constantly called her a 'mudblood. ' It was some time before he changed his views on life."
Scorpius looked up at his friend. "My father always told me everything as it was, never embellishing or softening the reality of it. By telling me about his mistakes, he showed me how not to act. Since I was little, my dad always told me that all wizards are equal, regardless of their blood status. He didn't want me to repeat his mistakes.
"Now I understand how much he regretted his actions, especially the way he treated her. I think that she was the reason he changed and became a better person. Father was ready to do anything, even renounce his family, just to be with Hermione. They loved each other so much." Scorpius sighed sadly. "I don't even know what to do now. I really want Father to be happy, but isn't Hermione married to Mr Weasley? I heard that they are very happy together." Scorpius was starting to lose his hope.
"Look, first of all, we need to make sure that it is really her your father was telling you about. I think we still should time travel one more time," said Albus.
"Do you really think it's worth it? It seems to me that everything matches: the pink dress, the Bulgarian, the ginger friend, her love for books. Even the fact that she's now married and has two children."
"Why not? It certainly won't hurt. After all, if we really plan on tackling such a serious matter, we need to be 100% sure, right?" Albus winked at his friend.
"Do you think we still have a chance to do something about it?" Scorpius looked at his friend, hope shining in his eyes.
"There is always a chance! And if the happiness of your father and Aunt Hermione depends on it, we should try every last resort! You forget that we have an ally who is aware of the Time-Turner and loves Hermione very much." Albus smiled.
"Of course! Mrs Potter will definitely help us! And I, in turn, am willing to do absolutely anything to ensure that my father finally finds happiness!" Scorpius said confidently and stood up from the bench. "Well, as long as there's life, there's hope, right?"
"It's never too late to get your second chance!"