Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 5: Welcome Back

(*Warning: brief discussion of death)

"Well, here we are. Are you ready?" Tom says, looking out the window with her as they pull into Hogsmeade station. He had appeared shortly after they had all changed into their robes.

"Absolutely," She pauses as they prepare to get off the train. "I quite like your friends. They're so kind, very considerate. Like a knight! Oh yes, like a little group of knights." She smiles widely as she tests him, knowing full well about the Knights of Walpurgis. There's a brief awkward silence, in which the boys look towards Tom nervously, and Chaylee continues on oblivious. Tom swallows once, twice.

"Yes, I suppose in a way. Obnoxious ones, that can't seem to keep their heads on straight around women." He looks pointedly at Carnell, who looks guiltily away from Chaylee. They haul themselves and their luggage off the train, making their way to the carriages. Hermione jerks back in shock at the monstrous beasts towing the carriages.

"What is that?" She asks warily, pointing to the great black beings. No one bats an eye at her question.

"Threstels. They are only visible to those who have seen someone die. Who have you seen die, Hermione, locked away in your house?" She ignores Tom's whispered question and approaches the creatures cautiously. She knew it would happen, he would get more bluntly curious, and she had no intention of entertaining his questions.

"Are they dangerous?" She'd never before seen them, yet the Ministry battle, yet the deaths of her parents- her body tenses- had all been recent. Do they pull the carriages in the future too?"

"Of course not. Hurry up, I'd hate to miss the start of term feast." Someone mutters, and they all board into the carriage.

~*~

"Miss Granger? I'd like to meet with you in my office before you go to dinner. Sort things out last minute, please." She looks up to see Dippet- she had seen a picture of him before, in her other time. She looks back briefly at Tom and Abraxas before following the man through the halls to the headmaster's office.

"Sir, what all needs to be sorted? I thought we had done all the paperwork already-" He smiles and waves his hand to dissmiss it.

"Oh, the paperwork is all sorted out. Theres just a few more things, or course, that cannot be done on paper. You will need to be sorted, and I wanted to ask you if your preference would be to be sorted with the first years, or privately here. I would understand either choice." Hermione barely hesitates before she answers.

"Privately, please. I don't want to be a spectacle." He nods and crosses his office to the cabinet.

"Alright, lets do this quick then. I have to send the hat off to Professor Kettleburn for the first years." He sweeps it over her head where she sits, and the hat's voice joins the dark one in her head.

My, you are smart no doubt. Headstrong- well, I suppose that must be justified somehow, ah but your ambition. You are very ambitious, I wonder what it is you strive for. You must be the sort to choose your own path, yes?

Slytherin. Come on, just put her in Slytherin. The hat pauses a moment when the internal voice speaks.

Someone seems to want you in Slytherin. I have no doubt, you would do very well in Slytherin. Thoughtful, it seems. Resourceful. Despite my instinct to not listen to your little friend, I will have to trust what else I think, and I happen to think that you would do very well in SLYTHERIN!

The hat shouts rather loudly, which she found rather unnecessary since Dippet was right next to her.

"Oh, excellent. Another good one to grace our noble house." Comments the portrait of Phineas Nigellus, though he's ignored, much to his disappointment.

"Miss Granger, I will advise you that Slytherin House is not well liked by other houses. There has been several overly ambitious individuals come out of there who are not all necessarily good people, however do not let that discourage you. I'm sure you will be great there. Now, I had some concern about some o the classes that you picked. Defense Against the Dark Arts is known to be very challenging at NEWT level, and you lacking a considerable amount of magical education has raised Professor Merrythought's concerns. She is worried you may not be able to catch up with your peers."

"I have been practicing, sir, really. And I learned a little while I was on the run." Dippet sighs.

"If the Professor deems that you cannot handle the course, you're going to have to drop it. Furthermore, there is considerable more concern about Ancient Runes. It is an advanced course, and it's always been highly suggested that any student taking it should take it from the beginning of the course offering. You are choosing the jump right into the middle of the highest level of the course. Forgive me, but I have considerable doubts about your ability to pass the class."

"Runes was the only thing I could study at home. I think I'll be able to handle it." He looks at her as if to question it, but says nothing.

"I can ask for Professors to be lenient towards you. I can also set you up with a tutor."

"None of that will be necessary, sir." She stands, about to leave, when he stops her.

"One last thing, Miss Granger. The ministry has been looking into you, since you wrote me. There is no record of you, nor of any records of any magical folk with your surname." Hermione freezes, yet her back burns.

"I was born in Romania. Likely any records would be there, although since my mother worked in their Ministry, I don't know if she was able to destroy them. I escaped only because we had just moved back to London, and there was lax supervision." The burning abruptly stops as she finishes telling her on-the-spot lie.

"I'll inform them, but do not be surprised if you recieve any letters from our Ministry. Now, off to dinner. The table of green, hard to miss. Welcome to Hogwarts." He flicks his wand and changes her basic robes into that of Slytherin ones, and then ushers her out.

As she approaches the Slytherin table, the knights of Walpurgis wave her over to them while they wait for the hat to appear for the first year's sorting. She smiles to herself as she approaches, replaying Dippet's words, and thinking of one thing.

Welcome back.