Time Changes People

I walked out of McGonagall’s office with a smile on my face, because I had been able to convince the ministry during the summer to let me use a time turner so that I could take all the classes this year. It wasn’t that hard actually, my grades were convincing enough for them. I walk down the stairs from her office and walk outside to see if I can make it work. McGonagall had already explained it to me about how to use it and the basic rules so that I don’t get in trouble with the Ministry.

I start walking over to the courtyard when I feel someone bump into me and push me to the ground and I barely notice the rushed sorry from the person as I notice that the time turner had just been smashed into a rock and it starts to spin fast and magic radiates off of it and I close my eyes quickly. 

After the light fades and I look up I’m still in the courtyard but it looks slightly different. I hear a voice behind me and when I turn around I gasp when I see a younger version of McGonagall looking at me with a raised eyebrow and glancing over my clothes and at the time turner. Noticing the difference I blink.

“What Year is it?” I ask curiously my voice letting out a hint of a worried drip to it.

“1973, and may I ask who you are, girl?” I gulp. Welp, that's not good. I think for a minute and then say quickly. 

“I need help. Can we talk in your office Professor McGonagall?” I watch her eyes widen at me knowing her name and then she nods quickly and helps me up as we walk to her office. On the way I look around, noticing the lack of students.

“Uhm, Professor where are all the students?” She looks at me thinking for a minute then says.

“They won’t be here till tomorrow.” I nod and look around taking in the differences between now and my timeline. When we get to her office she points at the chair and I sit down. 

“Now if you don't mind me asking, who are you?” I nod at her question and run my hand through my hair. 

“Well…”

An hour later and she’s nodding and thinks for a minute before getting up and leading me to Dumbledore’s office. When we get there I retell the story and he nods, seeming to think for a while.

“Well Miss Granger, It seems you are in quite the predicament.” I nod while he talks. “However, I do believe that the time turner will send you back when it regains its energy. That might be a while because it seems you’ve taken quite the jump and it will take a lot for it to send you back so be prepared to stay a while.” I Blink and sigh.

“What will I do then?” I ask sadly.

“We will sort you into a house and you can continue your education.” I mull over his words and my eyes widen. 

“Why do I need to be sorted again, when I already was in Gryffindor?” I ask curiously.

“Because Ms. Granger for you it has been 3 years since you have been sorted and it might be different now.” I let McGonagall’s words roll in my mind and I nod in understanding because it does make some sense. 

“Exactly as Minerva says, and in the meantime we will give you a new name.” I nod and listen.

“Because you are a muggle born a lot of people won’t be very accepting so I’ll give you the name of an old friend of mine so Ms. Granger you will now be Ezra Gaunt.” I blink at her words.

“Professor, isn’t the Gaunt family directly related to Salazar Slytherin.” I watch McGonagall nod and hum.

“Yes they indeed are and my friend Victoria would be quite happy to pass her name to you.” I think over that.

“Are you sure?” She nods and I sigh and nod as I watch her start to write a letter and then send it with an owl.

“That is going to Victoria, because if you are going to be her heir you need the family crest. It should be here tomorrow.” I nod. I still find it hard to believe that this Victoria lady will just let me use her name but there's not much I can do anyways.

“Because it would be strange for a third year to be sorted, we’ll sort you now so you can get comfortable.” I nod and sit down on a stool as Dumbledore walks over with the sorting hat and places it on my head. I sit still and wait.

“Well well, what do we have here?” The hat starts talking. “A third year huh and it seems I put you in Gryffindor when you were a first year correct?” I nod and the hat chuckles. “Well time does change people and I am seeing here that now your….Slytherin!” My eyes fly open in shock. 

“Seriously?!” I watch as the hat nods with a grin.

“Yes it seems to me that you have developed quite the cunning personality and resilience.”  I groan and sigh as Dumbledore hands me my new robes and McGonagall leads me to the dungeons. 

“You know I think Slytherin will be good for you.” I blink at the Professor’s words.

“Why?” 

“Because even though they are quite secretive they are smart and like the hat said, resilient.” I hum and think over her words. “Besides, it goes well with your new identity, don't you think?” I hear the chuckle in her voice and I roll my eyes. 

“Yay.” I say sarcastically and she smiles when we get to the dungeons.

“I do believe the current password is… Cobra. It will change every two weeks so watch the notice board okay?” I nod and smile.

“That’s actually kind of cool I’ll admit that.” She smiles and nods and steps aside to let me say the password.

   “Cobra” I say to the wall and the bricks slide apart opening up into a big space decorated with green and silver accents. I walk in and look over the common room. I turn around when I hear McGonagall's voice. 

“I’ll come to get you for the feast tomorrow and to give you your crest, and good luck Ms. Granger or should I say Ms. Gaunt.” I nod at her and watch as she turns and leaves.

 Throughout the night I had found the dorms and claimed a bed in the corner of the room. The dorm was a circular room with big windows showing into the black lake and the beds tucked into alcoves into the wall. Each bed has a curtain for privacy and a desk and dresser next to it in the alcove. After that I went exploring the commons. The common area has a big couch with multiple loveseats and recliners in the middle with a big silver accented fireplace in the wall in front and shelves with Slytherin achievements along the walls. The furniture was mostly green and silver. 

Around the walls were bookcases and a few tables to sit at and big windows also looking into the Black Lake with alcoves at the windows to sit and relax. There was also a girls bathroom and boys bathroom on one side of the room. So after I had explored and gotten situated into the different atmosphere I looked through the bookcases and grabbed a few and sat in an alcove at one of the windows and started reading which was interrupted by the giant squid in the lake apparently trying to play with me through the window. 

By the time the next day rolled around I had named the Giant Squid, Simon. So when McGonagall walked into the commons while I was trying to get Simon to leave me alone I looked up and sighed happily for the distraction. 

“Seems like you're already making friends.” I roll my eyes.

“Funny, Professor.” She chuckles and walks over with a trunk and hands it to me which I looked at confused.

“Victoria sent this over for you. It has clothes, books, snacks, anything you could possibly need and of course.” I watch as she pulls out a necklace with a green snake wrapped around a black coffin. I look it over and then slide it onto my neck. I open the trunk and gasp. McGonagall was right, there's enough clothes and everything I could need, even hygiene products. I look up.

“Uhm, tell Miss Victoria I said thank you.” McGonagall laughs and smiles.

“Tell her yourself she left her address on a paper in there and she sent over a bird for you to use as well. I believe it's up at the one window that rises above the lake.” I nod and run up a set of stairs to that very window that she mentioned that I figured was for owls anyways. When I get to the window there's not an owl but a big Red Tailed Hawk and I blink and open the window and it screeches and jumps onto my shoulder and settles down. Welp, that's a new one.

I walk back down to the common room and look at McGonagall.

“Seriously this Victoria lady sounds way too nice are you sure this is fine?” I asked worriedly. 

“Of course, Victoria has always been kind hearted and she needs an heir anyways.” I blink in shock.

“But I'm a muggle born.” She nods and smiles.

“Times are changing, it is very obvious that purebloods can’t stay pureblood forever without health issues arising. Despite most purebloods not giving up, Victoria is aware of this fact and does not mind.” I blink and nod thinking it over. She’s right for purebloods to stay pureblood they would need to be increasingly inbred which affects health and genetics, magic or no magic. “Besides, all of these fancy things will only prove that you are a Gaunt.” I nod at her words, finding the logic in that.

“Yeah I get it. So I’m the heir of Gaunt now?” She nods pointing at the crest.

“That Miss Granger is the pureblood version of adoption papers.” I hum at the comparison. 

“But what happens when I go back to my timeline?” She thinks it over then answers.

“You’ll still be the heir but I do recommend you continue the conversation of what being heir means with Victoria when you see her in person.” I nod and hum.

“Okay, thanks Professor.” She nods and turns to leave.

“The Feast is in an hour, get changed and meet me outside.” I watch her walk out of the common room and then I walk up to the dorm carrying the trunk and the Hawk still on my shoulder. I get to my bed and think and grab a pillow and put it on the shelf of my desk and put the Hawk down on the pillow. 

“Hmm you need a name.” I think for a few minutes “Well if I’m Ezra you can be Azrael” The Hawk tilts its head then lays down and I nod. “Azrael it is.” I hum and pull on my skirt and button up my shirt and finish by putting on my green tie and look in the mirror and then blink when Azrael lands on my shoulder with a pair of earrings in his beak. I take the earrings seeing their little snakes and sigh and put them on.

“Happy now?” He caws and then goes back to the bed I made for him and I roll my eyes and head downstairs. I walk out and into the Dungeon hallway and McGonagall looks up and smiles.

“You look like a true Slytherin now, Miss Gaunt.” I hum and nod. 

“Thanks Professor.” I spent all night thinking about how to pull off this act after all. We talk while we walk up to the Great hall and I move to sit at the Slytherin Table and sit on the end hoping to avoid people. That's when I look up as the doors burst open and students come rushing in and I watch as a group of boys my age run over to the Gryffindor table laughing after pushing a black haired boy with Slytherin robes who walks over and drops onto the bench opposite of me. I look him over and recognize him. Professor Snape or here Severus Snape. Strange why was he being shoved? I stiffen when I feel someone drop down next to me.

“Hey you're new here right?” I look over to see a girl who looks to be a few years ahead of me with long black curly hair and black eyes.

“Y-yeah” I stutter a bit.

“Cool, I’m Bellatrix Black, that boy across from you is Severus Snape or Sev for short.” I nod as I remember her name from the newspapers about her being Voldemort's right hand death eater. I watch as a girl who looks only a year above me sits down next to Bella. She has the same hair color except slightly lighter and straighter. 

“I’m Ezra Gaunt.” I say evenly and watch as her eyes widen and she smiles.

“You’re a Gaunt! That's amazing!” She says excitedly.

“Bella, leave the girl alone.”  The girl who had sat next to her says.

“You're such a party pooper, Andy.” I watch as she looks back at me. “This loser is my younger sister Andromeda.” I nod and watch as the girl rolls her eyes and a blonde girl in my year sits down next to Severus.

“And that Blondie is our baby sister Narcissa.” I blink at Bella’s words. Malfoy’s mom? I look over as a blonde boy who looks to also be in my year sits down next to Narcissa. “And that twat is Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa’s best friend.” Malfoy's dad? I nod trying to keep up.

“Shut it Bella.” I watch Lucius snark back and before Bella can say anything back, Dumbledore stands up front and announces that it's time to sort the first years.