Snow flakes, and Sunshine
Hermione
She’d been here a month, and a half. A month and a half and she was no closer to figuring out the Diadem’s curse. She hadn't slept the first three nights she was here. She was so excited to get into it. She wanted Diadem to go back to the school so bad. She knew fiendfyre would destroy it and the Horcrux. She knew the Sword of Gryfindor would destroy it as well, but she wasn’t sure if Dumbledore knew where it was right now. Voldemort didn’t. He’ll try to use it when he goes after Harry, but that is in another two years. She only had that long to find it, if it truly needed to be found. The sword was meant to be his final Horcrux. Hermione knew it in her stomach.
Fabian and Gideon seemed nice enough. She didn’t have any strong complaints. She wished Fabian would stop flirting with her, but knowing the twins, who they reminded her of, it wasn’t likely to stop. Huffing she tied her hair back from her face. Christmas was in a few days, and she was stressing about everyone wanting to take a break, she couldn’t even go after the Locket yet. It wasn’t in the cave yet. He places it there with Kreacher in nineteen seventy nine. She’d have to figure that out. If only she could intercept the Locket before Kreacher and Regulus get it. She knew that if she could save Regulus that Sirius may still have a chance at having his brother in his life. In her timeline Regulus is killed after discovering where Krecher went with Voldemort. He was another one on the list. Even if he is a prat.
She’d been scheming for weeks before she ever came back. McGonagall and Narcissa helped with what they could, but neither of them knew too much. Narcissa’s biggest contribution other than the Time Turner itself was telling Hermione about the Diary. She just had to figure out how to get past it. Narcissa couldn’t remember what protections had or hadn’t been placed on Malfoy Manor yet. It was public knowledge that Narcissa had had a very hard pregnancy with Draco and had lost a few babies before him, and she believed one after he was born. She knew that Narcissa should be pregnant right now, and it wasn’t with Draco.
Looking back down at her notes. She tried to find something. Something she was missing. A key factor maybe? She didn’t know how to make a Horcrux, so reverse engineering was very difficult. She was so frustrated with herself. Slamming her book shut she stood and stomped away from the table she’d spent the last few hours sitting at. “I don’t understand!” she yelled to herself. “What am I missing?” She pulled her hair at the hair, the tie falling to the floor, she kicked at it. “You sound like you could use a break.” Gideon said, making her jump.
“I could use a cuppa, that’s for sure.” She smiled at him. Gideon was always trying to make her feel better. He seemed to understand Hermione’s plight a little better than Fabian. Who just wanted to flirt with her. He reminded her of Sirius, and thinking about Sirius was dangerous. She didn’t understand why she was being pulled so heavily toward him and Remus. They didn’t show this reaction to her in the past. Future? Oh, she knew what she meant. She’d thrown herself into the Horcrux work because that was what she was here to do. Not get cozy with Harry’s soon to be miserable uncles. She was here to save them. If she could save them, she’d have all the time in the world to find someone to fall for when everyone was safe.
“-an you believe he’d just disappear on us again this evening?” Hermione tuned back into what Gideon was saying. “Oh, yes. Of course.” she murmured still half in her thoughts. “You really gotta get out of your head. I don’t think you hear half the conversations I try to have with you.” looking mortified she turned to him. “I’m sorry. I just.. I have a lot to do, and not the longest time to get it done. I can’t get distracted. So many people are counting on me.” She turned back to the table, and sat down in the chair. Frustrated that she couldn’t better explain to everyone, but she knew that’d be too much for a lot of them. Time travel. It was a lot for her. She couldn’t expect anyone else to have a better go of it.
“I know Hermione. I know it’s important. I know, because if it wasn’t I don’t think you’d be fighting so damn hard for it. I see you in here hunched over that dam tiara everyday. You’re there before I get up, and after I go to bed. What I’m trying to say is let us help you. Dumbledore said to do whatever you needed us to do. To lay down our lives if we had too, and so far we’ve watched you sit at that table looking at a tiara. What do you need from us to make this go faster, or smoother, or whatever it needs to be so you can relax a little.” He came over and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Horcruxes. Know anything about them?” she deadpanned. “Not something I’m familiar with, no. Why? What are they?” “They are one of the darkest magics in our world. Blood magic and Muder are requirements. I believe blood magic is required anyway. I don't know. That's the frustrating part. I feel like I’m half blind.” she said, looking him straight in the eyes.
He stared at her with a slightly horrified expression. “No I am Not kidding.” she said after a few seconds. “That’s absolutely disgusting. How do you know he made one of these things?” he said, gesturing towards the tiara. “I know he’s made five so far.” she pointed to the Diadem. “This was the easiest one to find, and it took me a month to find it. I’m no closer to killing the piece of his soul attached to this object than I am to finding any of the other ones.” Glancing around the room, she gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. “His soul.” he’d whispered it to himself, she wasn’t even sure he knew he said it outloud.
“I’m sorry to be so blunt, but you said you wanted to help. This is what I need help with. I need to find these as fast asI can, and most of them are so dangerous to get to. We barely got them all the last time, and let me tell you we did not come out unscathed either. I’d have been a Medi-witch in another life.” “What do you mean, last time? Have you done this before?” She immediately realised she’d over shared. “Does Dumbledore know you’ve been playing with timelines?” he said, more curious than aggressive. She nodded. “And he’s still letting you do it so it must be important. I won't ask questions and I won't say anything. The less I know the better, right?” He smiled at her, and she was surprised. She’d have thought she was going to have to give a run down. She appreciated his support, and faith in her, or well in Dumbledore.
“I won’t pretend to know what you're going through, but I’m a set of ears that’ll listen if you’ll let me.” She nodded, smiling at him. “That’s very kind, and I may use that offer.” She spent the rest of that night sitting at the table, trying to explain what she was doing, but not really all of it. She didn’t want to give so much away. She told him of the Diadem, Cup, Ring, Locket, and lastly the Diary.
Trying to explain is half truths’, so not to give away too much was difficult. She’d stayed up for hours, explaining about how she wanted to save the items if she could, and the items' significance to Riddle and some of the reasoning for why they’d felt he chose these items. She explained that he was a half-blood, and his parentage. She’d talked to Gideon about how they’d need to check the house in coming weeks to find the Ring. Dumbeldore from her own timeline had never told anyone where in the house he’d found it, only that it was found at the Gaunt family home.
After talking into the wee hours of morning, they’d both gone to sleep. Fabian had returned and turned in almost immediately to see them talking animatedly together. Gideon had made a joke about Riddle being a Half-blood, blood purist. She couldn’t think of anything she’d said to him, that would give him the impression she was available. She was here under the guise that they were cousins, for goodness sake. No one really knew who she really was, except Dumbledore, and he wasn’t telling anyone.
When she woke, the bright morning light was bouncing around her room, brighter than usual. She pushed the thin curtain aside and saw snow covered rooftops, and the alley in front of her. She was then promptly scared away from the Window when an all black owl smacked into it. Walking back over holding her hand over her heart, she opened the window. Dropping the letter on the table, and in a burst of feathers, it went out the window again. “I suppose they aren’t waiting for an answer.” She huffed to herself. “Everything in there alright Hermione?” Fabian’s voice came from the other side of the door. “An owl hit the window. Startled me. I’m fine, thank you.” She heard mumbling, but couldn’t make it out clearly.
Grabbing the letter off her table, she looked to see who it was from. From Malfoy Manor. She hadn’t expected them to get back to her so quickly. She thought it’d be after the new year before they got back to her. She and Dumbledore had talked several times on how to get her into Wizard society. She’d picked the Prewitt’s on purpose. They were a sacred twenty eight family, but were not blood purists. She could easily belong to one of the Prewitt’s that married out of the twenty eight and left the UK. Dumbledore must be rubbing a lot of elbows for her right now, or she was all the gossip in the Wizarding World.
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To Ms. H. Prewitt
I have received your letter about your concerns. I am available for tea on the twentieth of December. It would be a pleasure to have you. I am sorry to hear of your late husband’s passing.
Regards,
Narcissa Malfoy.
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She couldn’t believe her luck. She was getting in with the Malfoy’s. She was one small step closer to the Diary. She turned around and bounded out of the room. Still in her bed shirt, and shorts. She bounded down the stairs on the search for Gideon. Coming to a halt in the dining room. Only seeing Fabian at the table she smiled, “I’ve finally got an invite to the Malfoy’s. We're one step closer to one of the harder ones.”
He nodded his head, and continued with his breakfast. Feeling a damper on her excitement, she asked “Where’s Gideon?” “He went out about fifteen minutes ago. I don’t know where.” he said coolly. Irritated by his attitude, “I don’t understand what your problem is. I am not here for a relationship, or to sleep around with someone who, to everyone else around, thinks is my cousin. I apologise if you feel I lead you on in any way, but I’m completely unavailable romantically. If that’s going to be a problem, I’ll ask Dumbledore to reassign you both.” She said, giving him a hard look. “What would you have him reassigned for? You fancy him.” Rolling her eyes, “I do not fancy him. I enjoy his company because he talks to me like a normal person. He isn’t just flirting with me in every sentence. Had you come and talked to us last night instead of sulking in your room like a child, you’d have heard us talking about the job I’m here to do. What you both have been assigned to help me with. We were doing our job. Grow up.”
She walked heavily to her room, and got dressed in a rush. She needed to get out of the house. Her good mood was destroyed by male ego. She threw her coat on, and headed down stairs. Not stopping when she saw them both sitting at the table. Not when Gideon called her name before she shut the door behind herself. She was sick of being cooped up. It had been so long since she’d gone outside, and just took a breath of fresh air. She’d been investing so much of herself in this that she'd forgotten to take care of herself.
She’d hated when Ron had acted like that. Jealous, when he’d had no right to be jealous at all. She was allowed to talk to people. She was allowed to talk to other men, and not be made to feel any different. It was a harmless conversation about the job she was sent back in time to do. She knew that they gave their lives to this war, to fight for the right side of it, but he was acting like a school boy.
Walking around Wizarding London was always so special. She’d not really gotten to see it when she’d rushed through with Dumbledore last month. It was very much the same, but the color seemed more vibrant. They hadn’t seen the second war yet. You could tell the pinks, and blues apart again. She wanted to cry, it was so nice to be here. She’d forgotten how nice it was to be out here. She had some money from before she came in her bag. All coins were dated from this era so as not to raise Goblin eyebrows. McGonagall had thought of that. She was always thinking ahead like that.
Hermione grabbed an ice cream, and sat outside. Feeling happy to have the Tea invitation was excellent. She just had to figure out how to wiggle her way through the cracks in Narcissa’s armor, and Hermione knew that her children were the way. They always told her she'd have been a medi-witch in another life. Perhaps that would play well into her plans. “You seem to be quite comfortable. Mind if I sit for a moment with you?” Looking up, she saw Dumbledore. “Of course sir.”
“I assume you got Narcissa’s letter then? Seems that you’re celebrating.” he gestured towards the ice cream. “No sir, I was actually feeling kinda sorry for myself, and indulged. WHat are you doing here Professor?” She took a bite while waiting. “I was actually looking for you. Gideon said you’d taken off shortly after he’d returned to the apartment. I took a guess, thought maybe you’d gone for a walk to stretch your legs. Being cooped up can make one stir crazy.” He smiled, causing his eyes to crease. “I’ve had better days to be sure, but I’ve had far worse as well. Speaking of worse Sir. I think I may need to visit the castle again. If only for a few hours. I need to look up some books in the restricted section, and I’d also like to show you where the entrance is.” she’d meant to tell him weeks ago, but it kept slipping her mind with everything else she was trying to get done. “Entrance?” “Yes Sir. To the chamber I was telling you about. Not the one on the seventh floor but the one on the second floor.” He seemed to pick up on it immediately. “Ah yes, the one we’d looked into,but couldn’t quite find.” Nodding, glad he understood.
“I imagine it’d be fine for you to come back to the Castle. You have my full permission to come and go, with an Owl letting me know when you’ll be arriving of course. Wouldn’t want Hagrid to come bursting into the hall with his crossbow out yelling about trespassers. We’re at war after all.” She gave a sad smile. “I know sir. I’d never show up unannounced, unless I beat the bird of course.” she tried to make a joke, feeling like it fell flat, she took a large bite. “Either way, Do you have an idea on when you’d like to return?” she chewed through her bite and thanked her parents for her good teeth, or that could have been very uncomfortable. “I was hoping soon.” He nodded at her ice cream and saw that it was almost gone. “How about I come for Christmas break.” Her brain blurted out. “Most of the school will be on Holiday. You wouldn’t have to explain to so many people as to why I’m there, and we can discuss more about the Gaunt house, and how you’d like us to go about it. I know since Tom is alive it could be tricky, but I honestly think that he doesn’t have people watching them. He’s over confident. He thinks that we aren’t even aware of them. He didn’t even tell his people what he was having them hold for him, they only knew it was very important that they do what he said. He’s very unforgiving.”
“I am very aware of Tom's overconfidence. I just hope we do not tip him off.” They nodded together. Hermione’s ice cream finished, and pushed the bowl away to the side of the table, before sending it back into the shop. I forget how much I love magic sometimes. I forget how charming it can be. When all you do is stare at the ugly stuff, it makes you forget about the good stuff. You forget the fun of it.” She was mostly just tal;king out loud to herself. “Most people forget that it is magic. Most people only see the power behind it. It is nice to know someone still sees the fun in magic, and not just the power behind wielding it.” They both stood up, and started walking back to the apartment.
Walking back into the apartment with Dumbledore leading the way felt like deja vu. They’d done this just over a month ago and it already felt like ages. She’d lost time sitting and working on the Diadem. SHe knew it’d take time, but she had to be realistic with herself. They needed to be destroyed one way or another. If she couldn’t remove the piece of his soul, she’d have to destroy them herself. “Sir?” “Hmm.” “Do you know where the sword of Gryfindor is?” he stopped and she almost bumped into him. Looking her in the face for a moment he answered. “You aren’t the only one asking me that question although you’re the one I’m willing to answer. Yes. I do know where the sword is. Why? Do you have a use for it?” She nodded. “Is it part of your mission here?” She nodded again. “Let’s finish this conversation inside then.” She hadn’t even realised they were so close to the apartment.
Dumbledore knocked, “Pig Snout.” and the door opened. Fabian was standing there, looking like a kicked puppy. His proverbial tail between his legs. Moving out of the way, they moved into the building. Hermione did a non verbal Muffliato spell again in case they were being listened to. She wasn’t going to speak in code for this. “We need the sword when we go into the Chamber of Secrets. It needs to be imbued with Basilisk venom. That’s how it destroyed some of them the last time we used fiendfyre on one of them. It takes in only what would make it stronger. I don’t know if it’ll work the same without it.” She said turning to Dumbledore. He was watching her intently. “Yes, that would make sense.” She walked towards the dining table. Taking her coat off on the way. Resting it on the back of her chair, she stood holding onto the jacket on the chair.
“I won’t pretend that it won’t be dangerous. The only reason it worked the last time without anyone dying is because of Faux.” She looked up at Dumbledore. “I can show you where the entrance is. It isn’t very hard to find, if you know what to look for. Salizar thought he was so smart. Hiding it in a girl’s bathroom. You’ve seen what the snake can do first hand Dumbledore. You were only a teacher at the time though.” He nodded. “Tom was still in school. Only a boy of sixteen when that happened. I had my suspicions at the time, just from his curious behavior. We found him lurking around the bathroom quite a few times.It would make perfect sense that he was trying to get back to the chamber. Armando Dippet was the HeadMaster at the time. He’d thought Tom was being odd in a different sense. He’d thought Tom was a peeping Tom, not that he was heir to the Slytherin’s line.”
Things were starting to come clear. “I don’t know if I can do it alone, Professor. A Basilisk is never something to mess with lightly.” She could feel the sweat on her hands. She was anxious. “We have no intention of having you do any of this on your own. You only need to ask for help. We don’t know all the strings you’re currently trying to pull. You may have told us some of what the plan is but I’m sure there are a great many things that you can’t tell us and that must be very difficult to deal with. I imagine you feel very alone here, and that isn’t the intention of any of this. We just don’t know what you need us to do here.” Gideon pitched in to the conversation. Fabian standing against the door frame. Gideon and Dumbledore standing on the opposite side of the table from her.
“I know. I know I need your help. I’m just still so lost. I’m trying to figure out what I can, have help with and what I can’t. Please understand that I’m probably more lost than you are at times. I know what I’m supposed to do, but it's how to get it done that I’m stuck on.” Her hands were holding tightly to the chair. Looking back to the Prewitt brother’s. “I need to go back to the School. Winter break is soon. Less questions and less people to deal with. I’ll need you both to come help.” She looked to Dumbledore. “I’ll need your help. I know a lot of magic, but you have years more experience with the Dark Arts than I do. I mean you taught the subject.” He was already nodding. “I will make sure I’m available to you.”
She took in a deep breath filling her lungs to full expansion, and then slowly letting it out through her nose. This wasn’t even a real part of the reason she was back here was it? She’d been sent back here for the Horcruxes. The sword wasn’t a Horcrux, but she needed it if she couldn’t separate the soul fragments from the artifacts. She wanted to save them, but she knew all too well, not everything can be saved. She didn’t even know if anything she was trying to change was considered a fixed time point.
“When do you wanna go back to the School?” Fabian asked, he’d made tea and was pouring everyone a cup. “Narcissa has invited me to Tea, on the twentieth. So I’ll need to make it to that. I know where it is, so I’ll only need to leave the grounds to apparate to Malfoy Manor. That should only last an hour at most, then I go back to the School and we carry on with business.” She said grabbing the cup, and sitting at the table. “Do you have anything in mind, as to what you’d like me to say about your return to the Castle?” Dumbledore said, blowing on his cups. Hermione held hers tightly, and let it warm her hands. “Tell them the truth?Well as close to the truth as we can. Tell them you’ve found the Chamber of Secrets and called the three of us in to clear it out with you while the majority of the students are away. Keeping as close to the truth should make it easier to communicate to other people.” They all sat in a moment of silence, sipping their tea, and watching each other.
“Do you really think that's best? To mention the chamber at all. What if he comes out of hiding to try to intervene?” Hermione cursed aloud. “You’re probably right. He’d see it as a threat. He may not see it as someone coming across any Horcruxes, but he is still the heir of Slytherin. Parseltongue is needed to get it, a few times if I remember correctly. You only need one word though. Open. The Basilisk would never listen to us in the first place. Not after he opened it thirty four years ago. That snake only has one master.” Dumbledore and her shared a look across the table. “He shouldn’t be able to tell if we enter or not. When we do destroy the Horcruxes, I don’t think he'll be aware of it. The process of making a Horcrux is to take the ripped torn ribbon piece of your soul and to curse an object with it. Professor, I need one of the books you pulled from the restricted section in the sixties. Secrets of the Darkest Arts. I have a theory that probably won’t work, but I want to double check the wording.” Glancing through her eye lashes as she took a sip, she watched the micro expressions on their faces.
“I feel like that can be arranged. Do you all plan on coming to the Castle today then?” Dumbledore said, coming to his feet, and his cup drifting to the sink and washing itself. Looking at the brothers, they nodded together, and Hermione was once again reminded of the twin. She felt her eyes burn just a little as she tried not to cry. “yes. erm.. Yes, I think that’d be best. Would we be staying together like next to each other, or am I getting my room back on the seventh floor?” She smiled at Dumbledore, before turning and walking her own cup to the sick. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before rinsing her cup out. “I’d say if you don't mind you’ll be in the Requirements corridor, and you two would be on the fifth floor in the private rooms we have there.”
Dumbledore had talked with them for a while longer, and then left, leaving them together at the table. “I’m going to double check my bag, and grab my books I’ve taken out. I’ll meet you down here in an hour.” She walked right past Fabian and Gideon, straight up the stairs. She could hear them whispering to each other back and forth. “You’re an idiot. No I don’t fancy her, you twit. I just don’t want her to feel so alone. I was trying to be her friend. Someone she can trust, not someone to jump in a bed with.” she heard, “Ow! Ow! Don’t hit me.” Fabian was whining, “Damn it, stop. I get it.” She heard three more smacking noises. “You’d better make it right, Fabian or I’ll make it a nightmare.” Hearing them separate she busied herself getting her things together.