Hermione woke up in a cold sweat to find she had not only a splitting headache but also blood covering her upper lip. She slowly sat up as her vision blurred with every movement. She wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand and looked around, trying to remember exactly what had happened through the fog in her mind. Her neck ached as she attempted to turn her head, finally realizing with a start that she was still in the headmaster's office. With a small jolt and the fog clearing in her rattled mind, she remembered everything; the final battle, her visit with her deceased headmaster's portrait, and her slight impromptu travel through time. She bent forward and placed her head between her legs. With a small sniff, she looked beside her and groaned in embarrassment as another wave of nausea hit her. With a small flick of her wrist, she used wandless magic to vanish the mess she had made on Dumbledore's rug. She sat with her eyes closed, needing a moment to gather her thoughts she was grateful she had arrived in an empty office. She took in a few deep breaths to try to ease the throbbing ache in her heavy head. Ok, she was in the past with no intention of ever returning and even if she did, it would no longer be the world she had left behind. She was sent here to fix the mistakes of the past and save everyone she cared about. She could do this! A melodic chirping filled the air, interrupting her internal pep talk, and Hermione was slightly comforted to see Fawkes standing on his golden perch, stretching his long and beautiful wings. Hermione stood shakily and tried to stay balanced as she walked over to greet him. He tilted his head at her as if to ask who she was to disturb him.
"Hello, Fawkes. You don't know me yet, but in my time we are great friends," she said, slowly reaching towards him, remembering the need to ask for his acceptance.
The golden-red Phoenix bowed his head to her, and Hermione was overjoyed for this small victory. She ran her hand against his head and enjoyed the simple reminder of her own time.
"Where is your master, Fawkes?" Hermione whispered, earning a bite from the temperamental bird.
"Ow! Ok, I get it! You don't have a master," Hermione said, placing her now bleeding finger in her mouth with a grumble.
Fawkes chirped and leaned his head back towards her. Hermione sighed and continued petting the beautiful creature. A small hiss, like air escaping a tight enclosure, came from behind them and Hermione spun around with her wand clutched so tightly her knuckles were white with strain, at the ready for any danger. A bookcase was slowly opening, a hidden door amongst the rows of stacked tomes, revealing a familiar genial old man wearing the brightest shade of purple Hermione had ever seen. He had yet to look in her direction as he was talking to a young man dressed in black. Hermione knew immediately that the elderly man was none other than Albus Dumbledore; "Who else would dress in a purple set of robes covered in silver stars?" she thought to herself. With a pang of shock, Hermione realized she also recognized the young man with him.
The boy's greasy black hair and patented sneer were a dead giveaway. Hermione paled as her menacing future Potions Professor turned his head and locked eyes with her. His dark eyes were almost as black as his hair and left her feeling like she was twelve years old again, praying for his acceptance and a good grade. Outstanding grades she received, yes, however his praise and acceptance was a fool's dream. He tilted his head at her, an almost funny reminder of the way Fawkes had only moments ago, and for some reason Hermione smiled at him and lifted her hand into the air, sending him a quick wave. She wasn't sure what had led her to do something so silly and juvenile, she chose to blame the small bout of sympathy she had for the boy after learning all about what he had done for them in the war. This wasn't the man she had known, not yet, but he was the young boy with an abusive father and a problem with bullies. She hoped that Severus Snape was someone she could save and maybe give him a life away from crazy Dark Lords and meddling headmasters.
She took a moment to look him over, his long black robes were reminiscent of the ones he wore in her time, and it made the smile she wore finally reach her eyes for the first time since Harry had danced with her in their tent. She could easily tell that his robes were worn and second-hand, his black hair was parted down the middle and he had the same shoulder-length hairstyle, even 20 years in the past. She gave a slight chuckle under her breath at his continuity over the years. As she looked at it she noticed it wasn't as greasy looking as it was in the future and bore a stark contrast to his pale features. He was nowhere near handsome but he was intriguing and reminded her of the puzzles she used to love to complete when visiting her grandparents.
Finally, she noticed that he was about the same age as she was, so that would mean he was in his seventh year, which meant this was 1978. Her eyes widened slightly at the revelation; she was in 1978! She felt dimwitted for allowing herself to be sent back in time and not asking the date she would be sent to. However, she had chosen to trust Dumbledore, choosing to believe that he knew exactly when to send her back to achieve the best results. Now she just needed to know exactly how far into the year she was. Snape sent her a questioning look, his eyes squinting as he scrutinized her with his piercing onyx eyes, obviously wondering if she was batty. He cleared his throat and Dumbledore stopped mid-sentence to follow his gaze. His sparkling blue eyes widened for a moment and twinkled at her over his half-moon spectacles. He shed his outer robes, revealing a long under robe that was as bold of a magenta as the Weasley twins' garish WWW robes, tossing his purple robes onto the chair arm beside him and glided towards her with a smile lifting his wrinkled cheeks.
"Well hello, my dear," he murmured, his voice twinkling like his eyes.
Hermione stood up straighter and moved her beaded bag over her right hip. Dumbledore looked towards Fawkes who was singing merrily and his smile brightened.
"I'm afraid Fawkes neglected to tell me he was expecting a visitor. Poor form Fawkes," Dumbledore said jovially, placing his hands together and ushering her towards a small leather chair in front of his desk.
Hermione looked behind him at Snape who was standing beside the door looking as uncomfortable as she felt, looking down as he shifted foot to foot nervously. Dumbledore noticed her unease and sat down behind his desk.
"If this is a private matter I can send Mr. Snape back to his dormitory. We were almost finished. He was just helping me with a potion I required. He was recommended to me by our Potions Professor," Dumbledore said.
Snape lowered his head, uncomfortable with the praise in Dumbledore's voice, and successfully hid behind a curtain of his hair. Something Hermione was sure he did often when reality was too overwhelming. Maybe that's why he chose to keep the long hair, a barrier he could use to hideaway. A defense mechanism maybe? Dumbledore coughed lightly, pulling Hermione from her curious reverie. He motioned towards the brown leather chair beside her and she politely took a seat.
"So, should I send Mr. Snape on his way?" Dumbledore asked her, angling his head towards the young and nervous boy.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, unsure why he was asking her what she wanted instead of just sending him away, what could his possible angle be? She trusted Dumbledore, to an extent, but she also knew that he always had a plan. A lifetime of information being omitted by him that endangered not only herself but her friends, made that trust lacking as of late. She quickly thought over everything, wondering if having someone like Snape on her side would be beneficial. Right now, he was either a freshly marked death eater or on his way to becoming one, but she also knew his weakness, what had drawn him back to the side of the light, Lily Evans. Making a decision she stood from her chair and slowly walked towards the deathly pale Severus Snape with a calculating look on her face. She gripped her beaded bag tightly, the only giveaway that she was actually a nervous wreck and that confronting her once feared Potions Professor was not what she had been expecting. She kept her face blank, fully aware of what she must look like; blood covering her face and jacket, her hair bushy and covered in dirt and rubble, but perhaps it would serve her well. Maybe seeing her look so war-torn would help to make him uncomfortable, a glimpse into his possible future. She needed him to be off-kilter so that she could measure whether he could be trusted.
Standing in front of him she tried to control her surprise, he was much taller than she had expected, she had to look up to connect with his eyes. He snickered softly, fully aware of the way his height had affected her. She ignored his passive-aggressive smirk and reached out for his left arm. His eyes darkened in fear, lit with curiosity, and widened with apprehension. She hoped for the latter of these options. She feared what she might find in the recesses of his mind, behind his well-constructed walls of protection, and was very aware that they were both being watched by Dumbledore. She looked into his dark eyes and started to unbutton his sleeve. His breathing hitched and she continued to stare into his eyes, aware of the pained fear swimming in their depths. She rolled up his sleeve and took a deep breath before unlocking her eyes from his and looked down to his left forearm. She let out a brief sigh of relief when all she found was pale unmarked skin. She smiled brightly at his confused face and pulled his sleeve back down for him, buttoning it quickly. She kept his hand in hers and pulled him towards the headmaster who wore a knowing smile. She led Severus towards the chair opposite hers and pushed him gently into the seat. He let out a surprised grunt as Hermione took her seat. She reached into her bag and handed Dumbledore the letter his future self had written. He looked it over, his expression one of extreme intrigue.
"You, my dear, have a lot of explaining to do," Dumbledore said, his eyes flickering briefly to Severus who was trying to hide the fact that he had leaned forward, curiosity taking the place of his usual blank facade.
"Are you sure you wish for Mr. Snape to stay?" he asked Hermione, who looked over at the curious expression on Severus's face once more, holding a breath as he awaited her decision. She smiled slightly, looked back into the waiting and patient face of her former headmaster, and gave him a slight but resolute nod.
She placed her hands in her lap, lacing her fingers together, and kept her back straight. Severus rolled his eyes at her and looked back at the letter that Dumbledore had yet to open.
"The letter will explain why I'm here and as I'm sure you have realized, it is in your own hand," Hermione said.
She heard a gasp to her left but ignored it, choosing to keep her eyes trained on the headmaster. She watched as he took a small golden dagger from his desk and used it to slit open the letter with a slight flourish. Hermione giggled under her breath, disguising it as a cough when she realized she and Severus had rolled their eyes at the same time. He hid his face behind his hair and Hermione reached over to pat his arm. He flinched slightly and Hermione felt that familiar pit of despair fill her chest. She pulled away, giving him his space, and returned her gaze to watch Dumbledore read through his letter. Each new sentence left his face colder and colder, the slight smile not disappearing completely from his serene face. Once he was finished he lifted the letter into the air and used a nonverbal Incendio to burn it. Once he used a nonverbal vanishing spell again on the ashes, he looked at Hermione, the twinkle in his eyes long gone.
"It looks like you will be staying with us from now on, Miss Granger," he said, an unknown emotion swirling behind his eyes.
Hermione kept her face blank and nodded gently.
"The letter states that you have another letter, one you are supposed to read. I recommend you do that now," he firmly stated. Hermione swallowed deeply and reached into her bag, pulling out her letter. She ripped it open and pulled the cream-colored paper from inside and began to read.
Miss Granger,
First, I would like to tell you how very grateful I am for your continued sacrifice for the greater good. As I write this, you are currently in your third year and have given so much to save Mr. Black. As always, you give your all for your friendship with Mr. Potter, and that is how I came to believe that this task I have appointed to you, is the right choice for everyone. That being said, I hope that you never come to me for help, so that you never have to give up even more so that this war may come to an end. If you are reading this letter then we both know Harry is gone and Voldemort has won. If that has happened then this plan has been activated and you are now in September, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the year 1978. I chose that time so that you may finish your seventh year and fit yourself into the lives of those you will be helping to save. Just remember that every change you make will have a ripple effect and change the future you and I know, for better or worse. So be wary and make sure you think of every possible outcome. In the letter you gave to my past self, I have listed every known Horcrux; when they are to be made, how to destroy them, and where they can be found. So, while you complete your schooling and influence those around you, the Order will be busy helping to make Tom, once again, mortal. Once that is done we can finally end this war. Please be careful, and know that what you are doing is for the best, and try to live your life with happiness. Enclosed within this envelope, as well as the letter is the paperwork you will need. With help from a few faithful friends, I have fabricated a birth certificate, and access to my vault at Gringotts, brimming with a hefty inheritance from an old relative, for your usage in this time until you set one up in your new name. Your backstory is yours to choose. Everything I have created will give you all you need to navigate through this new time with ease. Once your mission is complete, please try and enjoy this second chance and new world. You deserve it, dear girl.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Hermione lifted the letter and repeated Dumbledore's process of burning it and vanishing the ashes. She pulled the other papers from the envelope and noticed the little bronze key belonging to her new vault at Gringotts. She cringed and tried to forget the mention of a hefty inheritance. She was grateful, even if she still hated the idea of being given money she did not earn. She slipped the key into her pocket and looked down at the first paper. She frowned down at her new name with a small amount of vehemence. Mione Prince. Mione? She ground her teeth together and looked up at the curious headmaster with a hateful glare. He raised a brow but didn't question her. She was ok with her last name, it sounded familiar to her even if she couldn't place the name, but she had always hated the nickname given to her by Ron and then, on occasion, adopted by Harry. She sighed deeply and placed the paper back inside the envelope and into her bag. She looked ahead and back into the carefully watching eyes of Dumbledore.
"Well, I guess it's time to get everything started and I'm sure Severus is ready to be filled in," Hermione said resolutely.
Dumbledore nodded and Hermione turned towards Severus.
"Well, my name is Hermione Granger and I come from 1998," she said.
Severus's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. Hermione smiled sympathetically at him, turned towards Dumbledore, and frowned.
"Do you have anything to drink? I think he is gonna need it."