Emma Potter

81: Time Travel

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are wesupposed to do?"

 But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pullingfrom beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

 "Harry,Emma come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"Harry and I moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holdingthe chain out. I saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it."Here —"She had thrown the chain around our necks too."Ready?" she said breathlessly. 

"Ready for what?" I asked

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.The dark ward dissolved.

 I had the sensation that I wasflying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past me, my ears were pounding, I tried to yell but couldn't hear my own voice —And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everythingcame into focus again —Harry and I were standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance halland a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floorfrom the open front doors. 

I looked wildly around at Hermione,the chain of the hourglass cutting into his neck."

Hermione, what — ?" 

"In here!" Hermione seized Harry's arm and dragged him acrossthe hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed himinside among the buckets and mops, ushered me then slammed the door behind us. 

"What — how — Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, "Three hours back . . ." 

"But —"

 "Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think — I think it might beus!"Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door."Footsteps across the hall . . . yes, I think it's us going down toHagrid's!"

 "Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in thiscupboard and we're out there too?"

 "Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door."I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than four people . . .and we're walking slowly because we're under the InvisibilityCloak —" 

She broke off, still listening intently.

 "We've gone down the front steps. . . ."Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperatelyanxious, but I wanted a few questions answered. 

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?" 

"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got itfrom Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using itall year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made meswear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters tothe Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell themthat I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies. . . . I've been turning it back so I coulddo hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons atonce, see? But . . .I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Whydid he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to helpSirius?" 

i stared at her shadowy face."There must be something that happened around now he wantsus to change," I said slowly. "What happened? We were walkingdown to Hagrid's three hours ago. . . ."

 "This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's,"said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving. . . ." 

I frowned; I felt as though I were screwing up my wholebrain in concentration."Dumbledore just said — just said we could save more than oneinnocent life. . . ." And then it hit me.