TEN
JUNE 24 1995
Hermione’s breath caught in her throat the moment she emerged into the Headmaster’s office. She cursed herself for thinking she could handle being back at Hogwarts. As soon as the battle ended, she had found herself at the Burrow with the Weasley’s for a few days before travelling to Australia to find her parents. Being at the Weasley’s had been torture. Everyone had been so broken. Molly had hidden in her room and wasn’t seen for weeks, no one could find George. Arthur had destroyed his entire Muggle workshop. It had been unbearable. Finding out her parents would never know her again had been an easier experience for Hermione then being surrounded by what was left of the Weasleys.
The whole Wizarding World knew her name. Knew her as the only surviving member of the Golden Trio. Her fame, and her fear, had sent her running into Muggle London where she had stayed for the last 7 years. And there she remained, cutting off all contact, apart from the Sunday Prophet, from the world she once thrived in. Even Minerva had stopped owling her after five years had passed. There had been days when she could forget where she’d come from and what she’d done. There were even nights where she didn’t have nightmares reminding her.
But now, standing in Hogwarts - an unruined, untouched Hogwarts - she couldn’t stop seeing the faces of those who she’d lost. Couldn’t get Molly’s scream of pure agony at her children’s deaths out of her ears. Couldn’t stop feeling Harry’s unmoving chest under her worried hands.
Distantly, she heard people talking. Remus and Dumbledore discussing how to get down to the grounds where Harry was. The office around her blurred. Grey eyes came into focus in front of her, hands touched the sides of her face and they caught her as she collapsed. Eyes wide, Hermione sat awkwardly on the floor, pushing away the hands trying to help her. Persistently, they held onto her shoulders. No breath could enter her lungs as she curled up on the Headmaster’s lush rug.
“Hermione,” a gruff voice pushed through the white noise flooding her ears, “Hermione, breathe,” On command, a deep breath filled her and the world came into sharper focus. “Breathe with me,” She was surprised to find herself gripping Sirius’ shirt with both her hands. She could sense rather than see Remus and Dumbledore behind him, but she kept herself focused on Sirius and the breaths coming in and out of his lungs.
“Why don’t you two go down to the grounds to meet Harry and I can talk with Miss Granger,” Dumbledore offered.
Sirius snarled, “No,” He ignored Dumbledore as he continued to try to get Sirius to leave the office. His grey eyes gripped hers, refusing to look away. Refusing to let her believe for a second that she was alone. Sirius realized that this must be what happened in her nightmares, but now she was awake. The tension of unreleased screams gripped her jaw tight and terror shone in her eyes as she blinked at him, trying to calm her breaths. He stayed sitting on the ground in front of Hermione as she came back to herself, pale face blushing furiously.
“I’m-”
“Please don’t say you’re sorry,” he whispered softly to her. “New space. Or, well, old space I suppose.”
“Yes,” she breathed, lower lip shaking.
Remus knelt down beside Sirius, “You alright, ‘Mione?” He smiled lopsidedly at her and she couldn’t help the feeble twitch of her lips. She nodded, eyes searching the ground. A panic attack, sure. She hadn’t had a proper one of those in years, not since the first time Neville had shown up on her doorstep three years ago. Thankfully, the shaking in her hands had all but subsided. Remus clapped Sirius on the back and stood, moving across the room so Dumbledore would follow. Sirius sought Hermione’s eyes as tears finally filled them.
“Oh, Hermione,” Sirius’ hand cupped her face, his thumb calmly tracing her still clenched jaw. She leaned her cheek into his hand, closing her eyes as tears started running down her face. His other hand brushed stray curls away from her face. “Something truly horrible happens at Hogwarts, doesn’t it?” He asked, so quietly she could barely hear him. Hermione opened her eyes, chocolate meeting ice, and imperceptibly nodded as a fresh wave of silent tears rushed down her face. Sirius’ gaze didn’t waver. His jaw tightened and nostrils flared, but he stayed with Hermione, eyes never leaving hers.
“I want to see Harry,” she finally said in a small voice, sniffing.
“Let’s go see Harry then,” Sirius stood, pulling Hermione up with him. She let go of his hand and pulled away, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.
Dumbledore turned to them, “Though you may see Harry, Miss Granger, he can not-”
“Not see me, yes, I’ve got it,” She said through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed. Glaring at the Headmaster, she grabbed the invisibility cloak and threw it over herself, vanishing from sight. Sirius transformed into Padfoot and tilted his head to the side questioningly at the Headmaster. Before following Dumbledore down the stairs, Remus smiled reassuringly at Hermione’s invisible form.
Walking through Hogwarts felt like walking through a graveyard. She had skipped all anniversaries and memorials for this reason. She could see where Lavender had been ripped open, where Fred’s laugh had disappeared, where Colin had fallen.
When they reached the entrance hall, Hermione felt her breath catch again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to shove down the wave of panic that threatened to overtake her. The large bearlike dog in front of her whined, turning towards her general direction.
“It’s okay Padfoot,” Hermione whispered, knowing that his animagus hearing would pick up her small voice, even among the din of students. Padfoot’s ears peaked and he trotted past her.
“PADFOOT!” Harry roared, as Padfoot bounded toward him. Hermione spun, inhaling sharply at the sight of her best friend, her brother, a shining fourteen-year-old. His green eyes sparkled with a grin as Padfoot collided with him, knocking them to the ground. Hermione stifled a laugh, eyes wet. She stared at Harry hungrily. Even with the task coming up in a few hours he looked carefree and joyful being pinned under Sirius.
“Hello Harry,” Remus said, smiling down at the two of them.
“Professor Lupin!”
“I think Remus is alright, Harry,” Remus held out a hand and helped Harry to his feet. Padfoot bowed low, in play mode.
“Alright Padfoot,” Dumbledore said calmly, from Hermione’s side. Padfoot growled softly and sat, looking expectantly at the boy in front of him. Hermione couldn’t take her eyes off the grin painted on his face and his messy, uncontrollable hair.
Harry. Her Harry. He was safe, alive, vibrant.
And tonight would break him. The tall, sweet, underweight boy would be bleeding, haunted, and, unexpectedly, no longer a child.
Hermione followed them all into the Great Hall, moving to stand in a corner near the end of the Gryffindor table where everyone was sitting. With a jolt, she realized that she was feet from where she’d been when she killed Voldemort. Hermione slid down the dark stone wall pulling her knees up to her chest. Under the invisibility cloak, she started to sob, the rumble of the Great Hall drowning out the noise of her grief that somehow continued to overwhelm her. She knew, of course, it was due to the fact that she’d ignored it for the past seven years, ignoring Minerva’s consistent invitations.
Being here now, in this place, surrounded by so many of those that would be lost, she had never felt more lonely. Remus laughed at a joke from Bill Weasley, and the sound drew her attention back to the table.
Eyes wide, Hermione saw her younger self walking down the aisle between tables, a smile on her face at the sight of Padfoot sprinting down to meet her. The young girl knelt as the large dog headbutted her stomach and sniffed her face, pressing his nose into her neck. Young Hermione giggled, patting him on the head.
“Hey Snuffles,” She grinned, standing.
Hermione stood at the same time as her younger self, wiping her face and moving closer to the table to get a better look at young Hermione. Though frizzier, young Hermione’s hair had far more lustre and shine then Hermione’s had had in the years since the war ended. The chocolate eyes shone with worry, yes, at Harry’s coming task, but also with anticipation and childlike adrenaline. There were no deep, heavy, dark circles under her eyes.
Young Hermione blushed and waved at Molly, who fixed her with a hard stare.
“Mrs Weasley, you didn’t believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekley, did you?” Harry asked, smiling, “Because Hermione’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh!” Molly stuttered as Padfoot let out a yip. Remus chuckled, sniffing. He glanced over at where the invisible Hermione stood. “No-” Molly blushed as red as Hermione, “Of course I didn’t!”
Both Hermione’s smiled, though older Hermione rolled her eyes, as Molly became abruptly far kinder.
“What would you like to do with the rest of your day, Harry?” Molly asked, raising her eyebrows at the large dog sitting up on the bench next to him.
“I dunno. I think we should spend some time outside. What do you think, Padfoot?” The dog snapped his teeth in agreement and Molly narrowed her eyes.
Young Hermione glanced between Mrs Weasley and Padfoot and turned to Remus, “Professor Lupin, thank you for bringing your dog. I think it’s really helped relax Harry.” The older Hermione smiled at her cleverness, enthralled by the conversation that she’d never head.
Hermione wondered if she would end up with this moment as a memory when the timelines were somehow reconciled. If they were ever reconciled. Maybe things had already been too drastically changed for the two timelines to ever reconnect. The conversation shifted to Harry quizzing Remus about what he’d been doing in the year since they’d last seen each other. As lunch ended, young Hermione and Ron headed off to another exam while Harry walked with Molly, Bill, and Remus to the grounds. Padfoot trotted happily ahead of them, jumping to catch butterflies. Hermione trailed behind, watching Harry play with the large dog once they got to the lake.
“Remus,” Molly said quietly, “Have you heard from Dumbledore recently?”
“Yes. He seems worried,” Remus said under his breath, not taking his eyes off the young boy laying down by the shore.
“That makes me… well, worried,” Bill muttered, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
Remus sighed and nodded, “Yes. Something big is coming, I think. We should all be prepared.”
“Do you,” Molly’s breath caught and she cleared her throat. “Do you think that it’s You-Know-Who? Are his followers moving again? What about the werewolves?” Remus tensed and turned to her.
“I haven’t been in a pack in a long time, Molly. I don’t know what the werewolves are doing. But yes, Dumbledore has said that he’s seen a rise in follower movement,” Hermione moved away from the three, spotting a large beetle sitting on the tree close to where they were speaking.
“Fucking cow,” She snarled quietly, slamming her hand over the bug, The beetle struggled against the invisibility cloak and she squatted and put it in her free hand under the cloak. Hermione conjured an all-black jar so Rita couldn’t see Hermione’s face, and tapped her wand against it, spelling it to be unbreakable. Once the beetle was inside, she closed the lid, tucking it inside her extendable bag. Young Hermione would be in for a treat later.
The rest of the day passed with Harry leading Padfoot around the school. Molly, Bill, and Remus walked with them, discussing the imminent threat that Dumbledore had been hinting at for months. Hermione followed along, still invisible, just happy to see her best friend thriving and happy. They made their way back to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Seeing most of the castle had been difficult, but being in the Great Hall still made her heart stutter and panic rise in her throat. Hermione took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was there for Harry , that the reason for being here at all was to save Harry. Save everyone.
Before entering the hall, Remus stopped, looking forlorn.
“Harry,” He called. Padfoot and Harry walked over while Hermione stayed close to Remus’ side.
“You don’t want to stay for the feast Prof- Remus?”
Remus sighed, glancing at the Minister for Magic sitting at the staff table, “I cannot this evening, Harry. There are some that consider me unwelcome. I wish you the very best of luck. I know you’ll be amazing,” Remus’ hazel eyes shone with emotion and he pulled Harry into an unexpected hug. Harry let himself be squeezed and eventually relaxed in the werewolf’s arms. “Be careful, Harry. Take care of yourself. Don’t-” Remus’ voice caught as he pulled Harry back by the shoulders, “Don’t be a hero.” Remus turned on his heel and left the hall. Harry looked down at Padfoot and the dog nudged him towards the Great Hall.
“You don’t have to leave, do you, Padfoot?” Harry asked. Padfoot shook his head and started padding along towards the Gryffindor table. The tables filled with course after course, none of which Harry ate. Padfoot kept putting chicken legs on Harry’s plate with a growl which he ignored.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dumbledore said from his podium, “In five minutes’ time I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch pitch for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament,” Padfoot whined low and nudged his nose in Harry’s back. “Will the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the stadium now.”
Harry stood, with Padfoot pressing into his side.
“Good luck, Harry,” young Hermione whispered to him in a hug. The Gryffindor table was alight with applause, every student clapping Harry on the back as he passed. Hermione and Padfoot followed the champions out. Fleur had her nose turned up at the messy-haired dog.
“Feeling alright, Harry?” Mr Bagman asked him, “Confident?”
“I’m okay,” Harry sighed, “Do you mind if I say goodbye to my dog? He’s got to go back to Professor Lupin.”
“Of course, my boy!” Mr Bagman ushered the other champions to the front of the maze, while Harry ducked into the champion’s tent with Hermione and Padfoot close behind. The flaps closed and Sirius pulled Harry into a tight hug. Hermione’s eyes prickled at the sight of their embrace. She forced herself to turn and keep watch.
“You’re gonna be alright, Harry. You just have to get through this maze.” Sirius looked pleadingly over Harry’s shoulder where Hermione was standing, invisible. “You’re- you’re gonna be okay. I-I-”
“I know, Sirius. I know.” Harry held his godfather tighter and then let go. “I have to get back. Please be safe,” Sirius placed a kiss on Harry’s forehead and the boy turned. Sirius reached out and embraced him once more, turning his face away from Hermione. Harry looked puzzled, concerned, and nodded, squeezing Sirius’ shoulders and pulling them apart.
Hermione moved out of the way and Harry left, the entrance of the tent flapping against the wind. Sirius dropped to his hands and knees and Hermione rushed to his side, kneeling and throwing the invisibility cloak over both of them. She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her to him, sobs catching in his throat.
“It’s okay, love. He will be okay,” Hermione whispered into his messy black hair.
“I let him… I let him walk into that maze, Hermione. I am so,” Sirius let out a shaky breath, “Ashamed.”
“Don’t be ashamed. You did wonderfully today,” Hermione smiled at him and he finally looked at her, “In my time, you didn’t get to have this day with Harry.”
“Really?”
“Really. You have given him a beautiful day, and Merlin he loves you.” Hermione pushed the long stray hairs from Sirius’ face. “It’s all going to be alright.” A clearing of the throat caused them to look away from one another. Dumbledore stood at the opening of the tent.
“If anyone were to want to wait for the Third Task to end, I would suggest it be in the Pumpkin Patch.” Sirius shifted and walked out from underneath the invisibility cloak, moving quickly past the Headmaster. Hermione followed at a jog and they made their way down the grounds towards Hagrid’s Hut to wait.