Chapter 8
September 6th 1978
Hermione
"Mione, come on We're gonna be late!" Harry yells from downstairs as rummage through the drawers of my dorm desk. "I'll be write there!" I holler back as I look for a price of parchment among the drawers.
I finally find a piece of parchment hidden under a charms book and quickly grapple for the quill on my bedside table. "Mione hurry up!" This time it's Ron. "Just one more minute!" I quickly dip the quill in the ink pot and write out a brief message.
Library. Midnight. Fourth year tradition.
I fold up the paper and quickly put away the ink pot before grabbing my beaded bag and rushing downstairs. I finally make it down to the common room to find everyone gathered there waiting. "Ready?" Harry says crossing his arms. I hop off the last step. "Yes, just give me one minute—mind if I use your owl Sirius?"
He took a swig of a drink I'm pretty sure he shouldn't have on school grounds before gesturing to the barn owl perched on the window sill. "He's all yours. watch out though, he bites." I nod before going up to the little owl and putting my hand out, he quickly nuzzled into it. I smirk. "You were saying?" Sirius crosses his arms with a little 'hemp'.
I tie the note to his neck and whisper. "Please take this to the Slytherin dormitories." The owl gives a little nod before turning and flying out the window. I turn to meet Ron's eyes.
"What was that about?"
"Thank you all for meeting me, I'm sure you are quite tired and would like to rest before you have to start classes, but i felt this conversation was necessary." Professor McGonagle says from the head of the table that we sat at in a room I don't believe I've seen before, but by the looks of it was a staff meeting room, with a long table at the center of it.
"Of course professor, it's been a long day for all of us, but whatever you need we are here for." As much as we can be here. I'll admit only half of me is really here and I don't know how helpful that will really be. The collection of people present is Me, the Weasley's, the long bottoms, the potters, and the marauders and their friends. And her.
My eyes travel to the end of the table and find her head of golden hair a little too similar to mine and I have to quickly look away. Not ready. Not yet. I bring myself to look to my right, at McGonagle at the head of the table and take a deep breath. Breath. Occlude, occlude, occlude. "Our first order of business—yes Mr. Black." I turn my attention to Sirius who has his hand up like a little boy.
He cocks his head to the side. "So if they—" he gestures to me Harry and the Weasley's. "Are from the future, how do you and Dumbles remember them?" Huh, that's actually a good question. "I myself was actually wondering that professor." I add. Professor McGonagle sighs. "Well—"
"And speaking of Dumbles, where exactly is he?" He interrupts her once again and for a second I think she might lung at him and I hear Harry stifle a laugh from beside me. "Firstly, It's Professor Dumbledore—" she glares at him and he just gives her a huge grin. "—and I wanted to speak to my students my self, if that's all right with you Mr. Black!" Her voice raises towards the end but Sirius's grin doesn't falter. "No problem, Minnie." Oh fuck she's going to kill him.
She huffs. "Our first order of business—" she sends him a glare and I see Remus actually scoot his chair away from Sirius's at risk of getting in the way of Minn—Professor McGonagles wrath. Bloody fool almost had me saying it. "I would like to warn you all—students of the future and present—to be careful. You are each going to be targeted, as you were very important people in the war, especially you three—" she looks to me Harry and Ron.
"People could come after you, and you must be prepared to protect yourselves." I nod but Harry pipes up. "But Professor, no one besides the Students in this castle know how the war went and who participated in it. I doubt we'll be under attack." This is one of the many times I wish Harry was sharper. "That's all who know for now, Mr. Potter. If you think for one second that everyone child in this building isn't going to write home about this, you are fairly mistaken."
She takes a breath folding her hands in front of her. "But even that, isn't my main concern." I raise my eyebrows. She meets my gaze. "Miss Tonks and Mr. Weasley," she looks over to George who is sitting next to frank longbottom and Mary McDonald. "Graduated years ago, and are no longer Hogwarts students. The only reason the were brought here is because they were holding onto Hogwarts students, Mr longbottom and Miss Bl—Granger." Well, good to know her memory is perfect.
"Which means that any death eater who had physical contact with a Hogwarts student could be in this time period and at large." All the students from the 70's look seriously disturbed at the news where as us 90's students didn't even blink. But then again I can't blame them, they have yet to see the terrors of war as the majority of them only join the order after they graduate. "So I would like you to be on full alert as of now, if anyone else shows up from the ninety's, student or not you are to come to us. It wouldn't be hard to use polyjuice potion and become a student."
"We have already notified the ministry of the situation and they will be sending Aurors and dementors as guards by morning." We all jump at that. "Dementors! They can't be serious, don't you remember what happened last time!" I try to hold Harry back from standing. "I'm quite aware Mr Potter. they, however are not and they aren't open to discussing the matter unfortunately."
I understand Harry's fear, the last time dementors were at Hogwarts he got attacked twice. "What happened last time?" Lily asks and I look towards Professor McGonagle my eyes asking the question for me. She nods. "They already know too much, I'm afraid this won't make that much a difference." That's because you don't know the full story. I choose not to give it all away and instead opt for, "there was an escaped prisoner from Azkaban and the ministry posted dementors at Hogwarts to catch him and they attacked a lot of students, one of them Harry."
Sirius swears running a hand through his hair. Neville grimaces. "Yeah, that wasn't a great year, we had to sleep in the great hall for a while because he got in the castle and tried to get into gryffindor tower." I silently thank him for going along with not mentioning who exactly said prisoner was. "Were you all alright?" It's Alice who asks. Neville nods smiling happily at his mother. "We managed."
I take a moment to watch the exchange and it's only now that I realize Neville, like Harry, like me, only new his parents from the words of other. He too lost too much too young. I allow myself a small smile for Neville and watch happily as he interacts with his mother. Godric knows he deserves this.
"So, what about getting them all back?" Remus asks, speaking for the first time since the meeting began, and bringing up the one thing I'd hoped we wouldn't discuss. Our Professor automatically looks at me though she at least looks sorry to do so. I nod. 'It's ok.' I tell her with my eyes. 'I know what's expected of me.' I stand turning the attention to me so she won't have to. "I will be leading the research to find the solution, help will be appreciated but not mandatory. I don't know how long this might take me but I'll try my best." McGonagle smiles appreciatively at me.
"That's all we ask."
Theo
The letter arrived around 8 PM.
Library. Midnight. Fourth year tradition.
The letter wasn't signed but only one other person would write that. Hermione fucking granger.
It's 11:50 when I put on my cloak and grab one of Lucius's bottles of firewisky from the common room before making my way through the halls. I search my pockets and find my pack of muggle cigarettes and lighter and quickly pull them out. I grab a cig and put it to the fire taking a puff of the crisp smoke.
I walk slowly but quietly as not to be caught out of my common room after hours. I may not be a technical student here but I'm a Slytherin and those aren't very popular at the moment this might be the last straw to throw me in bloody Azkaban for all I know.
By the time I reach the door to the library my cigarette is as good as done so I put in out on the floor before stepping on the fucker. I get out my wand and point it at the library door muttering a quick, "Alohamora." And then pull open the door. I walk over to the back and go behind the hidden alcove to find the small table and chairs surrounded by bookshelves, sitting at the bottom of one, was Hermione Granger.
"Wasn't sure you'd come." She says running her finger over the bottle of muggle whiskey in her lap. I take a seat beside her on the floor pulling out my own bottle and switching with her. "I'm never one to break tradition, so what are we drinking to?" I ask popping my bottle open. She looks down at the bottle and thinks for a moment before chucking and opening her own bottle bringing it to her lips.
"To destroying the world."
Regulus
I walk through Hogwarts deserted halls alone. It's a little till midnight as I make my way to the potions room, shadows on my tale. For a moment I think I hear noise coming from near the library but brush it off. I won't go looking for trouble if it doesn't come looking for me.
I make my way to the potions classroom and check to find the door unlocked and swiftly head inside. She has her back turned to me, her shoulder length golden hair is what I see first as she rifles through slughorns cabinets. The door closes behind me and she freezes. "Please, do continue." I smirk and she turns around with a smile of her own.
"Well hello there." She walks towards me, putting her small arms around my neck and standing up in her toes to give me a kiss. My hand automatically finds itself wrapped in her wonderful hair as I kiss my girl happily. The girl had golden hair and light brown eyes. She's brave, and beautiful, and too stubborn for her own good. The girl I kiss in the abandoned potions class is
Marlene McKinnon
1928 words
What do you guys think???? Ao3 is down so I don't know when this will be published on there but I'll post it there as soon as possible. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Also thank you for 2000 reads!!