You idiots!
This is entirely Fred and George's fault. Hermione is not taking any blame for this what-so-ever.
But then again - what did she expect the twins to do?
The 18th of November 1993 started off as a normal Friday. Hermione rushed from class to class as usual, and when everyone was relaxing after their last subject of the week, she was hidden in a closet, pulling a golden necklace out from under her shirt.
Hermione had been taking all five elective subjects this year, using a time turner to go back in time and take the next class. It was exhausting and the workload was massive, but it was worth it in Hermione's eyes.
Hermione had taken her necklace off and was just about to spin the time turner when the door fell open and two red haired boys came running in, slamming the door behind them.
"Damn you Peeves!"
"Snitch."
"Is Filch still out there?"
"Probably."
Hermione scrambled back, knocking over a mop bucket. The twins turned around, eyes widening when they saw the bushy-haired girl. "Granger, fancy seeing you here," the first twin grinned.
"Sorry, was just looking for -" Hermione's eyes ran over the storage cupboard before she grabbed a roll of toilet paper. "No more toilet paper. In the bathrooms. So I'm going to go now-"
"Not so fast," Twin Two stopped her, his eyes locking on the time turner. "What's that?"
Hermione paled, and she clenched her hand tighter around her necklace. "Nothing."
"Really?" the first twin grabbed it. "Why so tense, Granger? It's just a necklace after all. I never took you for a jewelry girl"
Hermione tried to grab at it, but the first twin held it above her head. "Seriously, give it back!"
The second twin grabbed the hourglass. "Ooh, it spins," his eyes twinkled.
"Stop!" Hermione lunged for the time turner and grabbed the chain just as he spun the hourglass.
The dark closet dissolved, and Hermione felt the now-familiar sensation that she was flying backward very fast. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past her, and her ears were pounding.
Then the ground turned solid, and the three tumbled to the ground, knocking over shelves. Hermione groaned, her hand still clenched around the chain. She reached for the hourglass, but there was a loud creak and one of the shelves tumbled to the ground, landing on one of the twins. A box of metal equipment fell onto the hourglass and there was the tell-tale shattering sound.
"NO!" Hermione gasped as green fog began to pool from under the box. The world fell away again, and Hermione felt the sensation as if she was tumbling endlessly into an abyss. Her head pounded, blocking out any thought or comprehension what-so-ever.
After an unknown amount of time, Hermione went tumbling back onto the floor. Fred and George were with her, sprawled across the floor. The shelves were no longer scattered all over the floor, and everything was organized.
"What have you done?" Hermione croaked when she remembered how to talk
"What happened? What was that?" one of the twins asked.
"Time turner. Been using it to take all the electives," Hermione sighed. What was the point in lying? It's not like she could be punished. How far had they gone back anyway?'
"Huh. Bill and Percy got twelve O.W.L.s," a twin mused.
"Cool," Hermione staggered to her feet, opening the door and wobbling out. Her mouth filled with bile. She felt nauseous, and as if she would collapse spontaneously. "Okay. Now we have to find a teacher and get back to our time."
"Really? You want to go back?" a twin raised an eyebrow.
"You want to stay?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Hermione, people died! So many people who we could save and-"
"And what? You want to pull some daring time quest like Marty McFly? You could send unimaginable ripples through the timeline - you could prevent your own birth or make things so unpredictable that would make everything pointless and potentially doom us," Hermione folded her arms. "No way."
The twins seemed like they wanted to argue, but decided against it. "Good. Now first of all, we have to go through cover stories. Weasley is too well known. You are my brothers, Fred and George Granger, if anyone asks. Nobody knows the name, since I'm a muggleborn. If we run into anyone, let me do the talking. Can one of you transfigure our clothes? Last thing we want is to be wearing to advanced uniforms and get asked any questions." Hermione pointed.
The twin left opened and shut his mouth like a fish, before obeying. Soon they were all wearing blue jeans and plain tee-shirts - one twin in red, one in grey, and Hermione in purple.
"Okay, which is which. I really don't care if you lie or not, you'll switch anyway," Hermione asked.
"Fred's red, George is Grey," the twins chorused.
"Cool. Let's go," Hermione took a wobbly step forward, but froze when she heard a shout, followed by laughter.
A boy was sprinting down the hallway towards them. He had grey eyes and wavy dark hair. The boy seemed to be between the twins and Hermione's ages, and something about him was achingly familiar, but Hermione couldn't place it. He was wearing a Gryffindor tie loosely round his neck. Fred and George definitely recognized him from the way they straightened immediately.
"Excuse me," Hermione called, and the boy stopped, "Hi, can you point us to Headmaster Dumbledore's office, we're a bit lost," she smiled sweetly.
"Sure," the boy winked, before pointing the way he'd came. "See, if you wait about ten seconds, Minnie is going to come round that corner to drag me off to her office. Just ask her."
"Minnie?" Hermione frowned.
Sure enough, a teacher was hurrying towards them now. Hermione's voice caught in her throat. Professor McGonagall had barely changed since Hermione had last seen her, only visible changed being the wrinkles - or lack of - on her face.
"Mister Black, what do you have to say for yourself?" McGonagall demanded
"I have no idea what you're talking about Professor. I've been here the entire time with this lot," Black shrugged innocently.
McGonagall turned to look at the three kids, her eyes narrowing. She turned back to the boy with a sigh. "Detention, Mister Black. And no Hogsmeade trips for a month. Go apologize to Miss Zabini. Right now," McGonagall ordered.
"Yeah yeah, I'm going. Nice to meet you three. I'm Sirius by the way. Call me if you ever need help with pranks," the boy said before he jogged off.
Hermione sucked in a breath. Sirius. Black. That was Sirius Black. That was the mass murderer, the right hand of Voldemort, the boy who would kill twelve muggles. He seemed more like Fred and George, more like a troublemaker than a killer. But one thing she's learnt from watching True Crime documentaries is appearances are deceiving.
"Now," McGonagall turned to the three. "Who are you, and what is your business here?"
"My name is Hermione, and these are my brothers Fred and George Granger. We're here to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione introduced.
"Does he know you are coming?" McGonagall asked.
"No ma'am. We didn't really have much access to letters," Hermione flushed.
"I do not believe he has any pressing matters at the moment. Follow me," Professor McGonagall said.
She lead them up a couple floors, through the corridors before they stopped in front of a huge ugly stone gargoyle.
"Chocolate frog," Professor McGonagall said.
The gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind it split in two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As the twins, Hermione, and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, the wall thudded closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Hermione saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.
They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and the group entered. Professor McGonagall told them to wait and left them there.
It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard‘s hat—the Sorting Hat.
Hermione gazed down at the start of a letter, glancing at the date on it. 18 November 1974
So they'd gone back nineteen years to the day. That was further than Hermione had thought. But it didn't matter. The sooner she was home, the better everyone would be. The last thing they wanted was for anything to change.
Even as she was thinking that, something felt wrong. Hermione thought back to the exchange in the corridor with Sirius Black. The boy was a careless, free spirited kid who would grow up to be a killer. Voldemort's right hand man. He would be trapped with dementors for twelve years, and from Hermione's close experience with one dementor, that was hell.
Fred and George were right, as much as Hermione hated to admit. They couldn't just leave these people to their fate! They could save Sirius from his destructive self, and give Harry his parents back.
Besides, Fred and George's brother Bill was born in 1971. Their futures were already set up. And given Hermione was a muggleborn, she wouldn't have to do anything for them. All they needed to do was make sure their parents survive long enough to give birth to them to avoid causing a time paradox.
Hermione was just going through a story when a strangled noise interrupted her thoughts.
Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Despite the animal being far from how the books imagined it, and it being on the verge of death, Hermione recognized the animal instantly.
"He has a phoenix," Hermione gaped, all thoughts of time saving going to the back of her head. Suddenly, as if it heard her, the bird turned to lock eyes with Hermione before bursting into flames.
"Oh my merlin!" Fred exclaimed, scrambling back.
The bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.
"It's fine, Fred," Hermione kneeled down to watch as a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poked its head out of the ashes. "Circle of phoenix life."
"Exactly, Miss Granger."
The three spun around to see Professor Dumbledore standing in the office doorway. He looked the same as he had in their time, although his beard was shorter and his wrinkles weren't as deep. Hermione stood back up, her voice in her throat.
"Take a seat, please," Dumbledore gestured to the three seats on the other side of his desk, taking his own seat. "Now, Professor McGonagall said you wanted to see me?"
Hermione took a deep breath before using her remarkable ability to fake cry, letting out a strangled sob. "I'm sorry sir. We should've called, but we just had nowhere else to go," she sobbed, tapping George's foot under the table with her own. "It's our parents, sir. There was a - a -" Hermione shuddered. "They're gone, our family is all gone!"
Fred followed along with her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders. "It's okay, it's going to be okay," he whispered. "I'm sorry sir, my sister is still in mourning."
"It's fine, Mister Granger. What were their names?" Dumbledore asked.
"It doesn't matter! They're gone! They're gone and they're never coming back. They would be so mad if they knew we were here!" Hermione trembled.
"Why is that so?" Dumbledore frowned slightly.
"Our father was disowned for marrying a muggle, and his family threatened to kill him if he ever returned to the wizarding world," George explained. "We were taught by him instead of coming here for our own safety."
"Our name's not even Granger! That's just our mother's maiden name, we can't even use our names or they could come for us!" Hermione cried.
"I am very sorry for your loss. Now, I am assuming you are here to finish your education?" When the three nodded, he pulled out a new piece of parchment and dipped his quill in the ink. "May I have your full names and dates of birth, please? And will you be needing any school books or anything?"
"Fred Oliver Granger and George Lee Granger, born 1 April 1959, and Hermione Jean Granger, born 19 September 1960," Hermione said. "And we need everything except wands." she reached into her pocket, pulling out her own wand to show him she had one.
"So Fred and George are in fifth year and you are in third year, correct?" they nodded again. "At Hogwarts we offer five elective subjects to those in third year and older - Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Muggle studies. Do you know which two you would like to take?"
"Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," Fred and George said immediately. Lucky them. They weren't taking all five electives.
Hermione ran through the list. Divination was useless, Care of Magical Creatures didn't really interest her, and Muggle Studies was so inaccurate it was laughable. "Arithmancy and Runes please," she decided.
Professor Dumbledore wrote that down. "I'll arrange for a robe fitting in a few hours, and get one of the House Elves to purchase your school supplies for you. There is only one thing left. Do you know about the school houses?"
"Yes, sir," Fred nodded.
"Excellent," Dumbledore picked up the Sorting Hat and placed it on Fred's head. After a minute, the hat shouted out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat did the same for George, shouting Gryffindor after a minute. Then it was Hermione's turn.
"My my, I haven't had an incident like this in a while."
Hermione's brow furrowed. A while?
"Yes, Miss Granger. Now, where to put you? A strong moral compass, extremely brave, wit beyond measure. That was quite cunning manipulation you just did. You seem to be at a three way tie. Slytherin would work well for you."
I can't be Slytherin! I'm a muggleborn!
"Really? I thought you just told Professor Dumbledore you were a half-blood."
Hermione froze, wracking her brain for a reason. If I'm in Slytherin, I can't save them. They would never trust me.
"Yes, I do forget the prejudice the world has gotten to. Fine. But Gryffindor is no longer what you need. If you wish to save everyone, there are more places than just Gryffindor you need to be. You can do much good instead in
"RAVENCLAW!"
Hermione found she didn't hate that as much as Slytherin. Ravenclaw would be good for her, being with people of similar intelligence.
"Excellent. Now if you follow me, I will take you to your Heads of House, who will show you to your common room," Professor Dumbledore led the three out of his office and down the hall.
They stopped at a painting of a young blonde girl in a blue dress. Dumbledore whispered something to her, and the painting swung forward to reveal a warm room. All of the professors were mingling around, and they glanced up when the door opened.
"Minerva, Filius, may I borrow you?" Dumbledore asked, and both teachers made their way over, shutting the painting behind them. "This is Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. This is Fred, George, and Hermione Granger. The boys are joining the Fifth Year Gryffindors, while Hermione will be going to third year Ravenclaw. Would you mind showing them around?"
"Of course we can," Professor Flitwick nodded.
Hermione turned and hugged the twins, playing up the sad little sister act. "We'll see you later, okay?" George grinned at her.
"Okay," Hermione nodded, before following Flitwick away.
They went through the castle to a spiral staircase. They climbed in tight, dizzying circles, before at last they reached a door. There was no handle and no keyhole: nothing but a plain expanse of aged wood, and a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.
Flitwick reached forward and knocked. At once the beak of the eagle opened, but instead of a bird’s call, a soft musical voice said, "Glittering points that downward thrust, sparkling spears that never rust. What are they?"
"Icicle," Hermione said after a second.
"Correct," the voice said, and the door swung open.
The Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular room, airier than any Hermione had ever seen at Hogwarts. Graceful etched windows punctuated the walls, which were hung with blue-and-bronze silks displaying a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. The ceiling was domed and painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. There were tables, chairs, and bookcases, and in a niche opposite the door stood a tall statue of white marble showing Rowena Ravenclaw. The statue stood beside a door that led to dormitories above. There were Ravenclaws studying all over the Common room, although some of them were wearing blue robes instead of the usual black. Hermione had never seen any other coloured robes before at Hogwarts
"It's beautiful," Hermione whispered.
"It is," Flitwick smiled, casting his eyes over the common room. "Now where... oh there she is. Miss Rosier!"
A girl walked over to them. She was around Hermione's age with tumbling white-blonde hair and silvery-blue-grey eyes. "Good afternoon, Professor. Did you need something?" she asked in a bubbly and posh voice.
"Yes. This is Hermione Granger, she will be joining your dormitory. Would you mind showing her around and getting her settled?" Flitwick asked.
"Of course. We'll see you at your office when the tailor arrives," the girl nodded. Flitwick smiled, before going to talk to one of the other students. "I'm Pandora, by the way. Pandora Rosier," the girl introduced.
"Hello," Hermione smiled. "So... where to?"
Pandora laughed. "I'll show you our dorms, and then the Great Hall," she said, leading Hermione up the stairs and to the left.
They stopped at a navy door with gold inscription reading Third Year Girls. Inside was a large round room, bigger than the Gryffindor dorms. Five four-posters hung with deep navy, velvet curtains were placed around the room with trunks at the foot of the beds, bar one. On each side was a bedside table and a private desk. The door to the bathroom was on the left. Hermione regretted not being sorted Ravenclaw immediately. The room was suited better to her study habits.
"I'm assuming that bed is yours," Pandora pointed to the bed furthest from the bathroom. "The bathroom is through there. We have three other roommates - Darcy Makutu, Sybill Trelawney, and Emmeline Vance."
Hermione froze for a second at the second name. Sybill Trelawney. Just perfect.
After changing into a Ravenclaw uniform, Pandora led Hermione downstairs and towards the Great Hall, chatting about the school as they went. Hermione listened eagerly to her comments on the new teachers - Professor Jenkins for Defense wasn't half bad, Professor Slughorn for Potions can teach well, but he collects people like baseball cards to further himself, and so on.
Pandora was just starting on the Divination teacher - a fraud, apparently (what else is new)- when someone called her name and the duo turned around.
A Slytherin boy with messy brown hair had just came round a corner behind them, apparently being chased. "Hey, Panda," he ruffled Pandora's hair. "Your brother's on a rampage."
"Not my problem," Pandora told him just as another boy came round the corner. This one was clearly Pandora's brother, given the two looked like the female and male counterparts of each other. He had the same white-blonde hair and silver-grey-blue eyes.
"Dora, tell Barty to stop setting me up with Vasario!" the boy huffed.
"Not my problem. And you are making a bad first impression," Pandora stepped to the side so that they could see Hermione.
"Hey, newbie! How do you feel about dating Evan?" the brown haired boy grinned, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from Pandora's brother.
"Ignore him. I'm Evan Rosier, Pandora's brother," Evan smiled. "This nuisance is Barty Crouch Junior."
"Hermione Granger," Hermione introduced.
"Cool. Can we go? I'm starving," Barty groaned, grabbing Hermione's arm and dragging her down the hallway.
The Great Hall was the same as it was in 1993, which was comforting. Although unlike her time, there seemed to be a tense atmosphere over the student body. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths, waiting for something to happen. They were three years into the war, if Hermione remembered correctly. The first wizarding world had gone from 1971 to 1981, reaching it's peak in the last three years - 1979 to 1981.
Barty dragged Hermione to the Slytherin table and plonked himself next to a dark skinned girl. She had long hair that was braided to her elbows. Hermione sat on his other side. Evan and Pandora took their seats opposite him, next to another Slytherin boy. He had dark curly hair and pale skin. His eyes were a familiar shade of grey, and he bore a remarkable resemblance to Sirius Black.
"This is Hermione," Evan tilted his head at Hermione, who gave a small wave. "This is Dorcas Meadowes and Regulus Black."
"Hello," Dorcas smiled.
Regulus merely narrowed his eyes. "How come you are starting midway through the term?"
Hermione lowered her eyes. "My parents died. We had nowhere else to go."
"Lucky," Barty blurted out, then coughed. "I mean, I'm sorry."
Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. "I'm guessing you don't have a good relationship with your father?" She asked. His name sounded familiar, but Hermione couldn't tell from where. It was an annoying, niggly feeling.
"Nope," Barty sat down - or more accurately threw himself across the seat - and helped himself to a grape. "Total dick. Not Wally level asshole-" he gestured to Regulus - "but he's up there."
"Wally?" Hermione repeated.
"Walburga Black. You have to be a certain level of insane to marry your cousin," Barty said.
"She married her cousin?!" Hermione repeated to make sure she heard correctly
Regulus cleared his throat. "You said 'We'."
Hermione winced, opening her mouth, but was interrupted by a loud scream. A Gryffindor girl stood up suddenly, and everyone turned to look as hundreds of spiders crawled up her entire body, the girl screaming and trying to swat them off.
Are they serious? They had been at the school for an hour and the twins were already pulling pranks. Ridiculous! Hermione stood up and made her way over to Gryffindor table.
Professor McGonagall had started heading over as well. She cast a spell and the spiders vanished. The Gryffindor slumped in visible relief, and two ginger twins laughed.
"Are you done?" Hermione huffed, smacking them both roughly in the back on their heads.
"Ow!" Left Twin rubbed his head. "Hey!"
"We didn't do anything. It was the spiders," Right twin folded his arms.
Hermione scoffed, folding her arms. "Fat chance. You really think I am going to believe you had nothing to do with this. I was wrong to assume you wouldn't be stupid enough to play pranks on our first day. We have barely been here an hour and you are already pulling these stupid schemes! What is wrong with you?!" she demanded. "What did she do to you?"
"Mione, you think so little of us. What would you do if someone called your new best friend Mary a mudblood?" Left twin asked.
Hermione turned to look at the girl he had referred to. She had dark skin and a curly black hair held in a bun on her head. "Is this a voluntary friendship? It certainly doesn't seem that way. These two morons," she glared at the twins, who both smirked, "are insufferable assholes."
Mary laughed. "I don't hate it. They aren't worse than those two anyway." She gestured to where Sirius was using another boy's shoulder as a human pillow.
"Anyway," Hermione turned back to look at the girl after a second. "I'm sorry you know my brothers."
The twins snorted, and Mary looked taken aback. "Your brothers?"
"Unfortunately," Hermione sighed. "I'm going to kill you two later."
"Do you have studying to do, Miss Ravenclaw?" Right Twin asked
"That is a stupid stereotype," she scowled. "For your information, I have to go complain about how much you lot are ruining my life to my new best friends." She gestured to where Pandora, Barty, Evan, Regulus, and Dorcas were glancing over every few seconds.
At that, Sirius's head shot up. "You're friends with Regulus?" he asked.
"Ignore him," the boy Sirius had been using as a pillow said.
Hermione turned to look at him and did a double take. The boy very familiar slashes across his face, brown hair, and dark eyes. Professor Lupin. Her former/future/whatever teacher. He had been friends with Sirius Black and Dumbledore still hired him? What is wrong with him? Especially since Sirius was after Harry. Did Professor Lupin help Sirius Black into Hogwarts on Halloween? Why would he do that?
Sirius was still focused on Hermione, his eyes narrowed. "You're friends with Regulus?" he repeated.
"Yes." Regulus's voice came from behind Sirius, who straightened. "Come on, Granger."
Hermione followed him back over to Slytherin table. Pandora was shaking lightly, her eyes unfocused and her skin unnaturally pale. Evan had an arm wrapped around her, while Dorcas and Barty were watching silently.
"What happened? She was fine a moment ago," Hermione asked.
"Time travelers happened," Regulus told her.
"What?" Hermione paled. How did he know? What was he going to do to her? Not even an hour and she was already caught.
"Pandora's a seer. Did she not tell you?" Regulus must've mistaken her panic for confusion, luckily.
But Pandora being a seer... what could that mean for Hermione? Has Pandora seen what has happened or what will happen if Hermione changes anything? Could Hermione risk telling her on the off chance that she knows already?
Hermione jolted out of her thoughts as they reached Slytherin table. Evan and Dorcas were helping Pandora out of her seat. "What can we do?" she asked.
"Wait," Regulus sighed. "Make sure she's not by herself in case she collapses. Preferably get her back to Ravenclaw Tower."
"Okay. Do you know where to go? Cause I don't think I'm the most helpful to lead," Hermione played into the 'I-have-been-here-for-five-minutes' image they likely had of her. Knowing where Ravenclaw Tower is and not getting lost on the way would not be the best move.
"Follow us," Barty grabbed Pandora's legs to carry her.
"Barty, this looks like a kidnapping," Dorcas shook her head.
"Only to the dumb lions. Let's go! AnDale," Barty began to walk, and the other four followed.
"That's not how you pronounce it," Hermione coughed, and Dorcas snorted.
"It's andale, you buffoon," Evan rolled his eyes.
"Well hurry up then you clowns," Barty said.
"I'm so sorry you became friends with him," Dorcas whispered to Hermione.
"Heard that," Barty called back.
"Well, it's certainly not going to be boring," Hermione shook her head.