Rewrite the past

Chapter 30

She felt as if a horse had run her over and trampled over her whole body several times. Yes, that awful. The garish lights of the hospital wing were shining so brightly down on her that the second she had opened her eyes, she shut them again, letting out a small moan.

"Hey, she's coming to. I'll go and get Madam Pomfrey," said a voice she was all too familiar with.

"Mione? How are you feeling?" asked yet another very familiar voice, to which she reluctantly opened her eyes again, only to be met with very concerned, almost black eyes looking down on her.

"Hey there," she said, her voice a bit croaky.

"You gave us quite the scare, young lady!" said the voice of Minerva McGonagall from somewhere behind Severus. Hermione could only smile weakly at that, she knew what caused her unwanted stay in the infirmary and knew that the headmistress was also aware of that. Before she was able to retort in any way, the medi-witch already came and ushered everyone out to treat her. Once the matron had given her a potion against the throbbing headache, Hermione's thoughts cleared a bit.

As soon as Madame Pomfrey had finished giving her the medical attention she needed, Professor McGonagall entered the small cubicle again, warding it with silencing charms behind her.

"Hermione, we really need to find a solution to this situation. You and I both know that this is not the first time you suffered from the aftermath of the spell, and it definitely will not have been the last time. Your health already is declining - there is only so much you can do. Albus found the last horcrux and destroyed it. Now it is only Riddle and the still very few people he managed to impress. We already changed the course of history, there is no possibility of Riddle becoming the threat he was set to become.

Talk to the others, let us help you. Maybe we can find a way. This is going to literally eat you up from inside as your organs will shut down."

"I know, Minerva, but what are they supposed to do? For nearly three years now I have scoured every library, every bookshop, every pharmacy. Nobody knows a solution to this. I came here to do what had to be done, and we are so close to succeeding. We changed the future! We saved so many people, Minerva. We saved Severus and Remus, we saved you, and we saved so many people who are not even born yet. For me, that is enough. I finished the mission I was sent here for, and I am ready to accept the consequences as they are."

Minerva was taken aback by the young woman's words. After all, Hermione had never told her that she, too, would die. Deep down she knew, of course, since so many people had died, but hearing it spoken out loud gave it a certainty, a dark touch.

Hermione stared at her professor, her usually warm brown eyes now as cold and lacklustre as they used to be. She heaved a deep sigh before breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"Fine, I will talk to Severus and Remus. Only they will know, nobody else. And I will do it in my own time when I feel up for it."

Instead of answering, Minerva just nodded curtly before lowering her spells and leaving Hermione.

*********

"Remus, Severus, can the two of you come with me after dinner for a few minutes, please?" asked Hermione a few days after Madam Pomfrey had released her from the infirmary, her mind finally set on telling the both of them the full story.

Her friends just looked at each other, puzzled, but nodded their heads in agreement.

And so there they were, trailing after Hermione, who was leading them up to the Room of Requirements. Remus, who was all too familiar with the room, already knew what was going to happen after Hermione walked up and down in front of the wall. Severus, however, just stood there, confused about what she was doing.

Soon enough, a small door appeared, and they entered a room she hadn't seen in years - her old childhood home she left behind in 1997 when she erased her parents' memories of her, before her world started to crumble before her eyes.

"Hermione, where exactly are we?" asked Severus, still mighty puzzled.

"This was my childhood home, Sev. I grew up in this room"

"I have been living with you for years now, and I've known you ever since we were little kids. I would remember if your room had ever looked like this."

"It did, but you wouldn't know. Let me explain that later. I brought the two of you here because I have to tell you something, and I am afraid that it can't wait much longer. So, if you could please take a seat and try not to interrupt me, that'd be great."

After her friends had nodded, she started to talk.

"Now, I want you to imagine what I am going to describe to you and I need you to not question it for now.
Imagine a world where fear rules every decision you have to make, where you do not know whether those closest to you would sit at the dinner table with you, even though you sat together at the same table at breakfast. Imagine a world where you hide away, day in and day out, where death is virtually inevitable. Imagine a world without colours, where nature consists of dirty washes of grey and brown, where no flowers bloom, where animals can't survive, where you never see the sun. That is where I came from, that is what I escaped when I came here.

Sev, when we first met, I wasn't 6 years old, at least not mentally. I was 21. I had Professor McGonagall alter my appearance so that I could get started with the task I was sent to complete. This was my room when I was growing up - the first time that is.

I am a time-traveller, and the world I described to you was my reality in 2001. A long series of events that started in your day and age would lead to the destruction of everything you know. I don't expect you to understand, but I want you to listen because I might not always be here. My transformation back then has set a stone in motion I can't stop - my adult organs were squeezed into a child's body for years and resulted in damage I can simply not undo. That is what put me in the hospital wing a few weeks back, that is what had me so tired and worn out the last months. The truth is that I don't think I will make it to your graduation, but as your friend I had to tell you, I owe you at least that. Please just know that everything that happens, happens for a reason, and you might not always see the bigger picture, but it is there. Just be aware of your actions, boys. Some might have consequences that can get out of your reach."

She turned around and was about to leave the room, her eyes shimmering with tears threatening to fall, leaving her best friends sitting there gobsmacked. Even though Remus knew bits and pieces, he had not been aware of what was going on. Her hand already on the door handle, Hermione turned back and said: "I am proud of you both, I really am."

Without another word, she left the room and as soon as the door closed behind her, the tears started to fall freely down her face. In a haze, she walked back to the Ravenclaw dorms, ready to fall into bed and leave the school in only a week. Luckily, she only crossed paths with Professor Binns on the way, who saw her silver prefect badge and thought nothing of the crying teenager.