In Perpetuum

Chapter 2

“What is money for, if not to be spent?” she laughed, gaily, “besides, what is this Mrs Potter business. We agreed that I was to be your mother and a child hardly goes around calling their parents by title. Although, I do use the term ‘child’ loosely,” she said, referring to Hermione’s real age.

During Hermione’s stay at the Manor, she had spent a great deal of time reading. Using books from the Potter’s vast library, she had been able to do some research on time travel and the spell that she used. All she had known on that fateful night was that this spell, when performed correctly, had the potential to take an individual backwards in time, not unlike a time-turner. It would only work if the caster was in great need due to dire peril.

Since then Hermione had found out that the spell took you back to the time and place where you had the opportunity to change said dire situation.

Hermione had spent the remainder of her free time wondering why it was necessary to travel back so far. She deduced that it may not have something to do strictly with Voldemort, but events of the past that led to his initial rise in power. However, what now consumed her was why she had taken on the appearance of her ten-year-old self. Surely it would be more prudent to have an adult with magic that was capable of being controlled.

As Hermione was now technically underage, she did not want to risk doing any spells to test if she had retained her magic as it had been as an adult. Often, she would notice her wand hand twitch towards her wand, but she was conscious enough of this behaviour to stop it before anything drastic could happen. She did not need any extra attention from the ministry. She did not even have a back story to share if anyone questioned her sudden appearance in the Potter household.

As a result, she had asked Mrs Potter to put her wand away for a short while.

Whilst Mrs Potter had argues that when James and Sirius returned, they knew all the nooks and crevices better than anyone else. They would certainly find it no matter where she put it, but Hermione felt a little safer knowing that it was out of her reach more than anything else.

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Several days later Hermione was now able to spend more than a few hours out of bed at a time. However, on this particular day she was sitting up in bed reading yet another tome on unusual dark magic. Dorea poked her head around the slightly open door.

“Hermione, dear, I was curious about how you’ve been feeling lately. You are certainly looking much healthier and I was wondering if you were well enough for me to bring James back home. I’m afraid that Sirius will no doubt want to stay as well.”

She saw the look of panic in Hermione’s eyes and hastened to add, “If you are not ready we can, of course, wait a little longer.”

Hermione had been dreading the day that she would have to meet Harry’s father and Godfather. She knew that it would have to happen sooner or later, but as she looked into Dorea’s anxious face, she knew she could not deplore her of her biological and surrogate sons.

“You can bring them home,” said Hermione softly.

“Good, I can arrange for them to be here this afternoon to meet you.”

“Sure Ma P, I would love to meet them.”

Mrs Potter smiled at Hermione’s use of the pet name. She had mentioned that Sirius called her that, after she had sensed that Hermione was not all too comfortable with calling her ‘mother’ or ‘mum’. Hermione, whom had been at a loss as to what to call this evidently caring mother figure, took on the name eagerly. She extended this to include James’s father, however, Pa P did not have as nice a ring to it. Instead she chose Pops.

“There is one more thing that I wish to discuss with you,” began Ma P tentatively.

Hermione looked up at the sudden change of tone in Ma P’s voice. Such a tone never boded well.

Ma P continued watching Hermione carefully.

“Albus, that is to say, Professor Dumbledore has suggested that we enrol you into Hogwarts for next semester. Pops and I agree with what he is saying. It would look slightly suspicious if one of our children went to Hogwarts and the other did not; even if the other child was not biologically related. Not that we think of you in any way than that you are one of our own.”

Hermione sat still for a moment ruminating on her adoptive mother’s proposition. She mentally weighed up the pros and cons to undertaking her magical studies once more.

She knew that she would be safe being so close to Dumbledore and in return, she could provide him with invaluable information. Hogwarts provided her with innumerable resources for her time-travel research and her previous knowledge of Hogwarts gave her the best advantage to knowing how to use the resources effectively.

The course work itself was also not going to be a problem Hermione had memorised the entire curriculum so much so that she could recite it in her sleep if she needed to. Repeating spells and essays would pose no threat to her.

On the other hand, she did not know if she would be able to withstand the mental anguish at facing those she had lost, on a daily basis. She knew that Harry would have given his life to know his parents and here Hermione was, adopted into the Potter Family, about to relive her childhood, albeit within a new era.

She knew several Death Eaters of her time would have had to have been students during this time and if it was going to be difficult to overcome her feelings over James and the others, overcoming this would be monumental.

Despite the fact that she was still riddled with doubt, Hermione knew that this was her chance to change the way that things had been. She had the opportunity to save Harry, Ron, Fred, Tonks and all the others who gave their lives, albeit willingly, for a better world for them all. After all, Hogwarts was home.

She looked up at the woman who took her in without question, a smile plastered onto her face.

“I would love to go back to Hogwarts.”