chapter 5
The stone pillar churned, leaving specs of gravel in its wake. As the prefect and Hermione walked through the dusty stairway, Hermione tried prying her hand from the man's firm grip, only then recognising where he had taken her as they walked up the spiralling staircase. Her eyes scowered the office with its paintings of past professors littering the walls, glass cabinets and books displayed across the room and in the centre a middle aged wizard sat promptly in his chair. The man, dressed clad in grey, sat flicking through documents, only lifting his attention to the boy in front of Hermione after the door behind them closed with a thunk. Memories of this room flooded back to her, everything was displaced or she supposed, had not existed yet. Had he seriously dragged her to dumbledore like his little pet?
A sudden dread doted on her, Dumbledore was dead in her time. He had died at the end of their sixth year by the hands of Snape, Harry had witnessed it and she spent months consoling him. And now... he sat humbly, calm and awaiting a reason for why two students had charged into his office. He had not yet looked at Hermione but she was fixed on her old headmaster. His eyes were soft and welcoming, still unaware of what was to come of his precious school. He was much younger, not yet draped in his cloak attire and beard, instead he was dressed in a suit and appeared to look as though he was in his fifties. Thoughts of worry rushed through her head as she thought of meeting Dumbledore, this could really fuck up the timeline.
"Tom, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late visit?" His voice was soft and it struck Hermione hard, rattling her core. Harry would've killed for a chance to see their headmaster again and here she was, with the man she admired so much in the past and yet now she was pissed. Pissed that she was here, Pissed that Dumbledore had brought Tom to Hogwarts and introduced him to the wizarding community. He had caused the reason for its corruption and the early end of her childhood. Harry might have been too naïve to see what Dumbledore intended for him but it was clear to her that harry was just a tool in this ongoing war. His company was not what she wanted anymore, before she might've had questions, craved support and comfort but now she couldn't even face him.
And then it dawned on her, what Dumbledore had said. 'Tom'. The name rang in her head incessantly. Fuck. It really was him. She was snapped out of her trance by Tom as he dragged Hermione into the centre of the room instead of cowering behind his tall figure where she was previously hidden. "Miss Granger seems to be lost sir" Tom claimed with a smug smirk. What a prick. She could tell he was enjoying his power too much, but yet it seemed harmless, not mass murderous.
Dumbledore turned his attention to the young girl that now stood before him, shy and anxious as if it was her first day at school. He scanned her with amusement, she probably looked a state after the journey she had been on in the past hour or two. The charm she casted in the bathroom could only do so much. She cast a blank stare across the desk to her teacher where they shared a look. A look of, what for a second seemed like recognition, a flash of acknowledgment from Dumbledore to Hermione. It would've been missed if she had dared blink, and then it was gone. As she doubted herself on whether that glance had really existed, she wondered if somehow the professor knew her. Knew her motives? If he would have condoned this? Probably, he was a dark horse after all. His face returned to its calm mannerism and smiled as he said "ah, Miss Granger, I have been expecting you. Thankyou Tom for your assistance. You are free to continue your tasks"
Tom's eyes showed clear startlement at Dumbledore's approach to the situation and Hermione's followed suit. They had both expected a sanction, maybe an interrogation of sorts for why a mysterious girl had appeared at the school late at night but Tom did not voice his opinion. Instead he nod in agreement to Dumbledore's orders and swiftly stalked for the door, leaving Hermione and her old headmaster alone in silence.
The professor waited for the clinking sound of the latch of his door to close before trailing in to conversation. 'So miss Granger, I assume you would like to be enrolled into Hogwarts." With a swift flick of his wand, forms and papers stacked themselves onto the edge of his desk in a neat pile which he skimmed over with with the tip of his quill.
Hermione, unable to understand why Dumbledore was not cross-examining her silence or complete existence in this world could only think of one possible answer. "yes sir". She supposed she was lucky for him giving her an easy way out of the bundles of havoc and mess she has already created.
The headmaster gestured for the young witch to take the quill that was placed in his hand, dipping it in a pot of black ink before scribbling her signature on the papers sprawled across his desk. She hoped the wizard had an idea as to why she was here, maybe an inkling and this was part of a grander plan. He was a magical genius and late leader of the order of the phoenix, therefore that reasoning alone could justify her decision to commit to Dumbledores offer of tuition.
The headmaster peered over his glasses to Hermione's writing at the bottom of the pages. "very well miss Hermione Granger" He said with clear emphasis upon discovering her given name "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before I allow you to leave, I must sort you into your house and sort you with appropriate accommodation." This was all too easy. Hermione remembered her muggle parents sat at the dining table sorting through piles of paperwork to allow her to attend and he was letting her waltz in as simple as the flick of her wrist.
Dumbledore clearly must've summoned the sorting hat from a far shelf where it sat collecting dust as it soon appeared on her lap. The edges tattered and stained, frail as she brushed her fingers over the ridges of it. Major deja vu. She almost told her professor there was no need as she already knew what house she belonged to, but bit her tongue as the words dissolved in her mouth. She steadily placed the old hat on her head, careful not to damage it anymore as it came to life with a sudden loud exhale.
"ah, okay. A change of heart...your difficult, very difficult. Right, so where should I put you then?" a brief pause from the hat before a loud call "Slytherin". Hermione couldn't help her gobsmacked expression at the sound of her new house. There must've been a mistake. Once upon a time, this would have been her worst nightmare, completely opposed to the accusation but now she could do nothing but accept her dire fate.
"interesting" Dumbledore chimed as the sorting hat returned to its lifeless form. "very well then, Tom will show you to your house common room and classes tomorrow. Goodnight miss Granger".