Saving the Future

Chapter 1: Dumbledore's Plan

Hermione had been at Grimmauld Place for a week. It had been two weeks since the end of term. A few weeks since Voldemort returned. Ron and his family had been at Grimmauld Place since the beginning of the holidays. Hermione had spent most of her time helping Molly and Ginny clean the house, the boys didn't want to do much to help, but they did help occasionally. She spent quite a bit of time with Remus and Sirius as well, discussing school, and Harry, and all their pasts. They liked to know what Harry had been through before meeting them, so she told them everything she knew. She was interested in their school years, and they told her about some of it, discussing some of their pranks and how they did it. It was interesting, finding out how they completed their pranks. She wasn't much of a prankster herself, but it was clever how they did it. They were all very clever indeed.

But on her seventh day at Grimmauld Place Dumbledore came and wished to speak with her. She was confused as to why he wanted to speak to her of all people, but he brought her to the library in the house and they sat down on two of the armchairs so that they were facing each other.

"Miss Granger, you are a very bright witch. You are smart and brave." She blushed at the compliment. "I have a plan, a plan that will save multiple people and end this war, if all goes well anyway. But for this plan I was hoping that you would be able to help me."

She was beyond shocked that she could help. "Me? But, why not one of the Order members? Wouldn't they be better equipped to help you? They have more experience after all."

"You also have quite a bit of experience, after helping Harry these past few years. And I know you have read ahead in most of your subjects, and are very capable of doing some very advanced magic. But that is not why I need your help. The Order members aren't the right people either because they are already involved, in their own ways, of course."

"What do you need my help for, sir?"

"My plan is to send you back in time." She was, again, shocked. "Back to the Marauders' fifth year of Hogwarts, so you will be in the same year. The Order can't go back because they are already in the past, they can't do what I want them to do. I can't send Harry back because he also has something to do with their lives. You are a muggleborn and hadn't had anything to do with any of us until your first year of Hogwarts. You are the perfect person for the task. Also, you are extremely clever, and brave, as I have already said."

"What would I have to do, sir?"

"I need you to befriend the Marauders, maybe even become one yourself, and help them. You see, this is the year that everything changes for them, without them even realising. It was the summer before their fifth year that Peter became a Death Eater, I need you to make the three true Marauders realise what he is before too much damage is done. He would be passing as much information on to Voldemort as he can, about the Marauders, about the staff, about all the students. I need you to make them see what he is and then they will break all ties with him and will no longer tell him their secrets. And it also means that Harry will have a family. I also need you to help them to see that Severus isn't that bad as a person. I need you to make them stop pranking him. James had always loved Lily and Lily liked him too, but wouldn't date him because he was hurting Severus. If they stop hurting him and are nice to him then Severus won't become a Death Eater because he will still have his best friend, who he called a Mudblood after she saved him from one of their pranks, and he will be a happier person. Maybe Lily will start dating James sooner as well. I also need you to help myself and the Order kill Voldemort."

"How am I supposed to do that, sir?"

"I am going to give you some information that you will pass on to them, this information is the key to killing Voldemort." Hermione nodded. "Voldemort has created horcruxes. A horcrux is an item, living or inanimate, that holds part of a person's soul. It is very dark magic. To be able to kill Voldemort and have him never return you need to destroy the horcruxes, if he has those he can die and then use them to come back. If they are destroyed then he can't come back. To destroy them you need to use magic that will destroy the container enough that the damage is irreversible. Basilisk venom is one of the things you can use, though that means going into the Chamber of Secrets and killing it, with the sword of Gryffindor, which will impregnate the sword with the venom, as it did when Harry killed the snake. You may also need a few fangs, just in case."

"What are these horcruxes that he has created?"

"The highest there have ever been is seven. Though, in the time that I am sending you to there are five. The first being the diary that Harry destroyed in your second year. I believe that is in the Malfoy residence. The second is his grandfathers' ring, which I believe is in the Gaunt residence. The next is Hufflepuff's cup. I have a feeling that the cup is with the Lestrange's, if not, in their vault at Gringotts. Then there is Slytherin's locket. I don't know where that is, but you will have five years to find it. There is also something to do with Ravenclaw, I am guessing her diadem as that is the most precious artefact she owned. I also don't know where that is."

"Okay. So, what do I do when I go back in time?"

"Hermione, you don't have to agree to doing this if you don't want to. But, if you do, then there are some things you should know. First, once you go back the future as you know it will no longer exist. Just the art of going back that far in time changes everything, but you will still have your memories of this time, and those will help you to change what happens. Second, you won't be born, you won't be able to see your parents, and your parents will lead very different lives than they did in this timeline. I have taken the liberty of creating a new persona for you, to explain everything. I have a file that has your details in, as well as the list of everyone who has died in this war, from the time I am sending you to, to now, and the dates they died on so you can hopefully save some of them, if not all, as well as some extra information that I would like you to give my younger self. Third, just before you go I am going to give you the Phoenix Mark, the mark of the Order. It is like the Dark Mark but it doesn't hurt, it will summon you to all meetings the Order have in the time I am sending you to. It will enrol you into the Order, which you are going to need to be a part of to help them. Fourth, you won't be able to come back, because you are changing everything, as I said, the future you know won't exist. So, you will live out the rest of your days in the new timeline. But I am sure that a great young lady like yourself will live a happy and amazing life. If you don't want to do this then I completely understand, it means leaving your family and your current friends, but it doesn't mean you won't be part of their lives. You will see Harry, and if it all goes according to plan he will be happy, and he will have a family. A family you can be part of if you become one of the Marauders or are their friend. And I'm sure you'll see the Weasley's as well considering Molly's brothers are part of the Order in nineteen seventy-five, and Harry may still be friends with Ron."

Hermione thought for a few moments. There were many good things about doing this; she could save many lives, she could make it so that Harry and Neville grow up with their parents and are happy children, which is what they deserve, her friends can grow up in a world without war and suffering. But, she wouldn't get to see her parents. But, her parents would be safe. Her friends would be safe. Her friends would be happy. Sirius and Remus would be happy. James and Lily would be alive. Peter would be punished for what he has done.

She should do this.

She could do this.

"I'll do it. Where will I be when I go back?"

"You will be at Hogwarts, on the first day of the last week of the summer holidays. That way you can get back to your schooling as soon as possible, which I know is what you want, and you will be able to start helping the Marauders sooner. But as soon as you arrive the first thing you must do is find my younger self. I spent that day in my office, the password is popping candy. You must tell me everything I have said in this moment, even show my younger self the memory if you need to. Then give me the file which I am about to give to you. Though, before you go you should probably look through your profile."

He passed the file which was on the table next to his chair to her and she opened it. On the first page was her profile.

Hermione Jean Dumbledore

Mother: Minerva Isobel Dumbledore via adoption

Father: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore via adoption

Birth parents are unknown.

Birthday: 19th September 1959

Natural magical abilities: Seer

Previous school: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

Reason for move: Adoption.

Medical ailments: None.

Hermione stared at the parchment in shock.

"I didn't know whether you wanted to keep the name Hermione, you can change it if you wish and I will update the profile."

"No, Hermione is fine. Your wife, is that Professor McGonagall?"

"I knew you were a bright witch." He said, smiling at the girl. "Yes, Professor McGonagall is my wife. Not many know of our marriage due to the number of enemies we both have, the main one being Voldemort. We decided that since, when you go back in time, you won't have your own parents, or a place to stay, you could stay with our younger selves. You should tell both myself and Minerva the truth, and show them the file, we will agree to adopt you. You do need guardians until you're seventeen after all, and it would be an honour to raise an intelligent young lady like yourself." Hermione blushed. "I was also hoping you could save Minerva." He said after a little while.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"Minerva and I had wanted to have children, after the war. We were waiting until then because we knew it was too dangerous to have children before the war ended. Witches can have children longer than muggles because, as magical beings, the body ages slower and preserves itself. Namely so women can continue to have magical children until they feel the need to stop. We thought we were near the end of the war, we thought we were going to have the family we wanted. But in nineteen seventy-eight there was a battle between some of the Order and some Death Eaters, Minerva was there. One of the Death Eaters hit her with a curse whilst she was duelling another Death Eater, a curse she couldn't protect herself from and when she woke up in St Mungos we found out that the curse damaged her reproductive system, meaning that we couldn't have children. She blamed herself, she still does. She hasn't been the same since. I want you to save her, do whatever you can to save her from that fate. Become close to her, she will love you like a mother loves her daughter, the way she does with all students plus some. And try to end Voldemort before he can hurt her." He had tears in his eyes by the end of his speech.

"I'll try. I'm sorry that happened."

"It's not your fault. But so long as you try everything should be okay. Maybe Voldemort will be gone by then."

She nodded, looking back at the profile. "Why does it say I'm a seer?"

"We can't tell the Order that you are from the future, or anyone. So, if we tell people you're a seer that will explain how you found out about the horcruxes, and how you know things about the future, etcetera."

She nodded in understanding before remembering something. "You said you would tell me about the prophecy."

"Oh, yes. I did. The prophecy was said by Professor Trelawney, on her job interview, it is why I gave her the job. It goes like this; 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'. This could have meant either Harry or Neville, but Voldemort thought it meant Harry and so went after them. Voldemort knew about the prophecy because there was a Death Eater spying on us and he heard the beginning of it, passing what he heard onto Voldemort. But he didn't hear the whole thing. My brother managed to get the Death Eater out before it mentioned marking him as his equal."

"Does that mean Harry either has to kill Voldemort or be killed by him?"

"Yes. Unless you go back in time and kill Voldemort before the prophecy is made."

"I'll do it. I'll go back in time."

"Brilliant. Everything you need is in the file. Including the recipe for wolfsbane potion, for Remus. If my younger self is struggling to believe you, show him your memory of this conversation. He will know how to extract the memory. You will need your wand as well. Do you understand everything you have to do?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I will give you the Phoenix Mark. Could you slide your top off your right shoulder slightly?"

She slid her top off her right shoulder, just enough to expose her collarbone. He placed the tip of his wand against her collar bone and she soon felt a tingling sensation under the skin of her collar bone. When he removed his wand she looked down and saw a black phoenix on her collar bone, about the size of the palm of her hand. It was beautiful.

"I believe that is all I can do before you go. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. Harry and Neville deserve a family. A happy family. And all those innocent people that died deserve to live. And you deserve the children that you want. I will try my hardest to make the world a better place."

"I'm sure you will succeed. You are a very bright witch and I am sure you will do very well in your examinations as well. I hope you have a good life, though."

"Thank you. I just hope everyone will be happy, after the war."

"I'm sure they will be. Here is your time turner, I have already set it, all you have to do is put it on." He gave her the time turner and she held it in one hand, the file is in the other and her wand is in her pocket. "Good luck, Hermione."

She put on the necklace and she was gone.

…

Soon the flashing of images was over and Hermione found herself standing in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. It was quiet and empty. Though it was the summer holidays so what else was to be expected.

She made her way to the Headmasters' office, folder in hand, and soon she was standing before the stone gargoyle.

"Popping candy." She said, remembering the password Dumbledore had given her.

The gargoyle sprang aside and the steps appeared, getting higher and higher, she stepped on and made her way up to the door.

She knocked, hesitantly.

"Come in." She heard Dumbledore speak.

She opened the door and walked in. The room was the same as it was last time she had been in the office. But Dumbledore looked younger, instead of grey his hair was auburn. A lot can change in twenty years.

"Hello. Who are you? You look like a student, but I haven't seen you before. How can I help?"

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore, sir. I need to speak with you, urgently. But first I will need you to get Professor McGonagall to join us, it concerns her too."

"Okay. Take a seat and I will call her." He said, looking confusedly at the girl.

She sat in the seat opposite his and he walked over to the fireplace, calling his wife who appeared a few seconds later, also looking younger with no wrinkles and lovely black hair, wondering what was going on. She noticed the girl and greeted her kindly before husband and wife sat down opposite Hermione.

"So, what did you wish to speak to us about?" Albus asked.

"I don't really know how to explain this. Just, keep an open mind." They both nodded at her. "I'm from the future."

The adults looked at the girl, shocked.

"How?" McGonagall asked.

"I was sent back to this year by the older version of you, Professor Dumbledore. You asked me to come back to this time in the hope of saving those who die, and helping the Order to kill Voldemort. I know how to destroy him, and I know how long we have before things go from bad to worse. I have a list of everyone who dies and when they die. I have some information that will come in handy as well. I also need to become friends with the Marauders and help them, because, well let me put it this way, life doesn't work out well for them unless we stop Voldemort soon. You can see my memories if you don't believe me. Or just the memory of the conversation I had before coming here."

"Could we see the memory of the conversation? The other memories can wait for another time." Dumbledore suggested. Hermione nodded. "Do you know how to retrieve your memory?" Hermione shook her head. "Okay. Bring it to the front of your mind, concentrate only on the memory and I will do the rest."

She did as she was told and Dumbledore stood, making his way around the desk to stand next to her. He placed the tip of his wand against the side of her head and extracted the memory.

The three of them walked to the pensieve and he placed the memory inside it before they all fell in.

As they watched the memory the adults looked shocked, then sad as future Dumbledore mentioned what happened to Minerva.

When they came back out the first thing they did was all sit in their places.

"Can I see the file please?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione nodded, giving him the file. He opened it and read through it quickly.

"What year are you from?" Minerva asked.

"I was born in nineteen seventy-nine, but that memory was from nineteen ninety-five. I was just about to start my fifth year."

"Do you want us to adopt you?" Minerva questioned, slightly nervous.

"I don't mind. If you want to adopt me then I'm all for it. Or you can find someone else to adopt me, if you don't want to. I really don't mind."

"We'll adopt you. It will be easier for you to help us that way. And we can help you, too. I have some adoption papers here, just in case a student's parents die, or something, and they need guardians. Let me just go and get one and we can get everything sorted." Albus said before standing up and walking over to the shelves behind the desk. He rummages through a pile of parchment before picking up a certificate of some kind and walking back to his chair, sitting in it. "Right, Hermione, could you sign on the dotted line at the top, and we'll sign the others." He said, giving Hermione the parchment and a quill. She signed her name and gave the parchment and quill to Minerva as the next person to sign should be the person who will be the child's new mother. She signed, a small smile on her face. Then Albus signed and the parchments rolled itself up into a scroll and flew out the window. "It's going to our Gringotts vault. Our next order of business will be enrolling you into the school." He took some papers off the corner of his desk and started filling it out. "What house were you in? Do you want to stay in that house or be re-sorted?"

"I was in Gryffindor and I'm going to stay there. It will be easier for me to help the Marauders that way."

Albus nodded, filling out some more areas.

"What classes do you want to do? Bearing in mind that this is your O.W.L year."

"Defence, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, History of Magic, Astronomy, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle ten subjects?"

"Yes. I took all classes available to me in my third year using a time turner, and I managed to get good grades. I did drop Divination part way through the year though."

"Okay. I will give you some money so that you and Minerva can go shopping tomorrow for your school stuff, and some clothes and whatever else you need as well. I believe that is all to do with the school, now. I will have a bed added to the fifth-year Gryffindor girls' dormitory for you, for this week, however, you can sleep in the spare room in mine and Minerva's quarters. You have the symbol for the Order, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I will introduce you to the rest of the Order at the next meeting, I will tell them you're a seer and that is how you know of the horcruxes and everything else. I believe that is all we should discuss right now. It is getting late. Minerva, why don't you show Hermione around our quarters and find her something to wear? I will finish up here and then I will join you."

Minerva and Hermione stood and Minerva led the girl up the stairs and through the door that led to their quarters. The door opens into a comfy looking living room with two large sofas and an armchair, as well as a fireplace. The colour scheme is red and cream. There is a small kitchenette in the back of the room with a four-seater wooden table. There is a bookshelf full of books covering the wall opposite the fireplace. There are two doors leading to different rooms in the back, in the kitchenette. Minerva led her into the door on the right which led to a large bedroom with a double bed, an empty bookshelf, a desk, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, and another door leading off to what Hermione is guessing is the en-suite. The colour scheme is the same as the living room.

"This will be your room. We can change the colours and decorate it however you want to since this will be your room now, not a guest bedroom. You can come here at any time, whenever you need us just come. Our room is through the other door, so if you need to talk or anything just come and get us, we won't mind."

"Thank you. The room is perfect. And, um, thank you for believing me."

"Well, you did show us your memory. It was hard not to believe. How bad is the future, if we aren't able to kill Voldemort soon?"

"Well, the year I came from is the year that Voldemort came back, the war hadn't properly started but it was still horrible. And so many people died in the first war. The Marauders have it the worst out of everyone I know."

"What happens to them?"

They sit on the bed, facing each other, their legs crossed under them.

"Well, Peter is a Death Eater. As you know from the memory. You know the prophecy about Harry and Neville. Harry is James and Lily's child. Neville is the child of Frank and Alice. Voldemort thought it meant Harry and so went after them, Dumbledore made James and Lily go into hiding, under the fidelius charm. Everyone thought that Sirius was their Secret Keeper, because that is what they wanted people to believe. Sirius knew there was someone who was betraying them, so he thought that if he was the Secret Keeper it would be obvious and Death Eaters would go after him, but he suggested to James and Lily that they make Peter their Secret Keeper because no one would suspect him. So, they made Peter their Secret Keeper and Peter told Voldemort where they were. James and Lily died protecting Harry, and Harry survived the killing curse that was sent to him because of his mothers' sacrifice, it rebounded and got Voldemort instead. Although, because of his horcruxes he didn't die, he just lost his powers and was merely a spirit. Sirius was angry and went after Peter because he was the only one who knew the truth, but Peter used a blasting curse to kill twelve muggles after shouting out that Sirius was the one who betrayed James and Lily, he then cut off his finger and transformed into a rat, he's an Animagus, you see, and he ran. He went into hiding as one of my best friends' pet rat for twelve years. Sirius was sent to Azkaban without a trial because everyone thought he was guilty. But after twelve years in Azkaban, Fudge, the Minister for Magic at the time, gave Sirius his newspaper when he went on a visit. On the front page was a picture of my friend and his family, with the rat, in Egypt after they had won some money and decided to go and visit his brother who was working in Egypt at the time. Sirius recognised Peter instantly and because of how skinny he was he managed to fit through the bars and escape. But everyone thought he was going after Harry. I don't know what happened to Remus in those twelve years, he never talked about it. But he was our Defence teacher in our third year, the best we'd had as well. Towards the end of the year Harry, myself and our friend Ron came across Sirius and he explained the truth to us, with the help of Remus who joined us a while later. They turned Peter back into his human form and we tied him up with the intention of handing him in and clearing Sirius' name. But it was the full moon, and whilst we were all distracted by Remus changing into his wolf form, Peter escaped, in his rat form again. We managed to help Sirius escape from getting the Dementors' Kiss but he was on the run, and his life hadn't been particularly great after that. Remus resigned because people found out about his lycanthropy. And Peter went back to his master. I can show you the memory some time if you want me to."

"You were outside, with a werewolf?"

"Yes. He had forgotten to take his potion, but we were okay."

"Potion?"

"Yes. At some point, I don't know when, someone invents a wolfsbane potion that allows a werewolf to keep their mind during their night as a wolf. So, that way they won't hurt anyone. In the file that I brought with me there is the recipe for it so that we can make it and give it to Remus. As you saw in the memory. He must take it once a day for a week before the night of the full moon."

"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be able to make it for him. He is a very good potions master. You said Remus was the best teacher you had had for Defence. What other teachers did you have?"

"Well, first year we had Professor Quirrell who was shy, kept stuttering and had Lord Voldemort on the back of his head. He was also trying to kill Harry and steal the Philosophers' Stone. Then we had Professor Lockhart, who was a fraud. Then we had Remus who knew what he was doing. Then we had who was meant to be Alastor Moody but was a Death Eater drinking Polyjuice potion to impersonate him, and was working to get Harry to go to Voldemort and therefore helping Voldemort return to power. He also showed us the three unforgivable curses, on spiders, put us all under the imperious curse in lessons to teach us to not let them influence us, and had a hand in the murder of a student who was murdered by Peter just before the return of Voldemort."

"Sounds like you've had some tough years at the school."

"Yes, but there's been good times too."

"What's your plan with the Marauders?"

"I don't know. I think the first thing I need to work on is befriending them. Maybe I could help them with some pranks. Remus and Sirius told me how they did some of them so I might be able to help. And I know a thing or two from my friend Ron's twin brothers who were the pranksters of Hogwarts during the time I was from. So, I know some stuff which might make them like me. You don't mind, do you?"

"No. You do what you need to do. They're bright people and I don't want them to have the future that they do in your old timeline. So, you do whatever you need to do to help them."

"Thank you." Hermione said before yawning.

"Do you want me to transfigure your clothes so you can get some sleep?" Minerva asked the girl kindly.

"Yes, please."

"Okay." Minerva drew her wand out of her dress pocket and pointed it at the girl, silently transfiguring the clothes she wore into a white nighty that came to her knees. She then stood up and Hermione climbed under the thin sheet, laying down on the comfortable mattress. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight." Hermione said before drifting off to sleep.

Minerva smiled at the sleeping girl before leaving the room. She found her husband sitting on the sofa and she went to sit next to him, cuddling into his side.

"Is she asleep?" Albus asked.

"Yes… Everything's going to be alright, isn't it?"

"We have a way of killing Voldemort now. A way we didn't have before. So, yes, we're going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

"She told me about the Marauders' future."

"Really? What happened to them?"

She told her husband what Hermione had told her. He was as shocked as she was.

"I hope things don't turn out like that." She said when she had finished her story.

"They won't. Hermione seems like a smart girl. She knows what she's doing. And we know what we have to do to destroy Voldemort now, we just need to find the Horcruxes, destroy them, and then we can kill him and he will be gone forever. Then we can live our lives in peace."

"Unless another Dark Wizard comes along."

"Another Dark Wizard might not come along, though. But we will figure that out if and when that happens. Right now we know what we have to do to save the future as Hermione knows it. We have the opportunity to save many lives. Then we can add to our family."

"We have a daughter." Minerva said, smiling.

"That we do. And when the war is over we can have other sons and daughters." He replied, also smiling.

"Do you think she's ever going to call us 'mum' and 'dad'?"

"Maybe, we just need to give her some time to get over the fact that she's from the future and won't be able to see her true parents again. She needs to figure out what is going on now, then she might."

"I love you, Albus."

"I love you, too, Minerva."

Hey, so this is the first chapter of my new story. I finished the chapter a while ago but thought I would wait to add it. Now I can't wait to add it because I want to write more for it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I will update again when I can.

Please review!