Authors note: We're terribly, terribly sorry about the long wait but unfortunately we've been swamped! We've made this chapter a bit longer to make up for it, so hopefully that will make it up to you! Also, to those who messaged us with their theories on how we'd write Dumbledore, we hope you like the final result!

Enjoy! ~ A-Terrible-Trio

Chapter 7

For a muggle I was running out of Muggle sweets to open this bloody door.

"Please let me in!" I pleaded with the statue guarding his office. Nothing. The stupid statue was as unhelpful as, well, a statue. Despite having planned speaking to Dumbledore for almost a month now, the reality of badgering a statue to let me through in the middle of a public hallway, was still embarrassing.

"Chocolate drops? Quality street? Fizzy laces?" Finally the statue swung out of the way to reveal a circular stairway, ascending into the what must be Dumbledore's office.

"Thanks," I muttered to the statue, before stepping through the threshold, at the same time making a mental reminder to stop talking to myself in public.

Oh god, what was I even doing? Clearly spontaneous decisions were beyond me, I mean for-gods-sake I had just walked out of Snape's lesson to explain to my headteacher I was really from the future and that he needed to explicitly trust me!

Oh come on Ruby, you're a gryffindor! Technically.

I shook my head. This was ridiculous. I was here for a reason, and that was to save people, not to worry about saving my own skin. I could do this.

Raising my hand I knocked twice and waited, drumming my fingers against my legs.

"Come in?" A voice called from inside.

"Deep breaths Ruby," I muttered under my breath as I pushed the door open and stepped gingerly inside.

I sent Dumbledore a little wave as I stopped reliving all the moments which had - no - were going to happen in this very room.

"Hi there," I managed to get out. Smooth Ruby, smooth.

"Hello indeed," he replied softly, rising slowly from his seat. "May I please enquire as to who you are?"

If I'd ever felt the need to face plant down a flight of stairs, it was now. I could feel the tell tale heat of a blush creeping up my neck and threatening to envelop my entire face.

"Of course. Jesus Christ, do you ever wonder how you've survived this long in the world? Because I do. I really do. "

I hadn't meant to say that aloud. Dumbledore humoured me with a chuckle. Somehow I still hadn't managed to actually say my name.

"I'm Ruby Cara Thompson, first year gryffindor."

Dumbledore smiled kindly smiled at me. "Pleasure to meet you, Ruby-Cara. Would you like to take a seat? A lemon drop?"

"Ruby," I corrected him automatically, wondering for the millionth time why my parents had given me two first names and why I bothered to mention both whenever I introduced myself. Not a first and a middle name, but a double barrel first name. Honestly, who did that?

"Oh?"

I raised my hands in defeat as I slumped into a chair, indicating that I didn't know either, at the same time reaching out and taking a sweet. "Weird parents, weird habit."

I received a serene smile from Dumbledore as he too settled into his chair, his hand snaking forward into a packet of fizzy laces. He cocked his head to the side as he examined the wormlike structure currently dangling in front of his eyes. "I must ask Ruby, how did you manage to get access to my living quarters?" Dumbledore's eyes glinted as he finished off his sweet.

"I had an inkling," I waved off his question. "Listen, I came here to tell you some interesting stuff about, well, the future I guess..." I trailed off due to slightly disconcerting look Dumbledore was sending me. He was looking smug and it was freaking me out.

"I believe I've just won myself a new wand polishing kit," Dumbledore's eyes sparkled. "You see I recently made a wager with a dear friend of mine called Ollivander."

I scrunched up my face, talkative old git.

Dumbledore chuckled, apparently my face said it all.

"Don't be alarmed Ruby. I do believe I am the only one who has been told."

"How much does he know?"

"Just bits and pieces. Enough to hint at you knowing more than you should, " Dumbledore said calmly as he reached for another sweet. "You only gave him a few seconds of the eye contact he needed to perform occlumency which is the art of..."

"Yeah yeah, I know," I interrupted him, breathing a sigh of relief. The less people who knew about my old life the better, after all having knowledge of the future was dangerous. "I've been trying to learn it over the summer. Hermione's been helping."

Dumbledore nodded. "A smart move. Now why don't you tell me why you came here?"

So I did, including everything I thought was necessary. How I'd read and watched this world's future as stories and films and more importantly, all I'd managed to figure out about how I'd got here.

Dumbledore didn't speak for a while after I had finished. "I do believe I know what has caused you to switch timelines," he paused tilting his head to the side slightly.

Well, get on with it then, I couldn't help but think. This wasn't an Order of the Phoenix meeting, I didn't need to be left in suspense.

"I've only read about it of course, but from you description of the events that brought you here I'm almost certain you've come across a 'World Turner'"

A world turner, what the hell's that? After reading all the books religiously, I knew for certain that a world turner had never been mentioned, ever.

The confusion must have been apparent on my face as Dumbledore almost immediately explained what it was.

"A world turner, my dear girl, is an object similar to a time turner," He paused for a second, the expression on my face must have confirmed that I was aware of them. "Like a time turner a world turner allows the wearer to move through time unnaturally, but unlike a time turner, world turners allow for the being wearing it to be transported into a different timeline and indeed place."

So basically a time turner on acid.

"And how would you explain 16 year old, normal me, coming across such a rare artifact?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, as I started to wiggle the one raised eyebrow, no doubt looking ridiculous, at the same time putting him under pressure.

"Well my only hypothesis is that someone desperately wanted you in this world for some specific reason, possibly to use your knowledge of future events to change certain things."

This time I raised both eyebrows, why on earth would anyone trust me to help and change things? I was pretty useless on most occasions and there were plenty of other potterheads in the world who knew this world just as well as I did.

I said as much to Dumbledore, who responded with his own eyebrow raise, "Ruby, my dear girl, I doubt whatever sent you here had made a mistake, from what teachers have reported of you you're a very talented and capable young witch- I expect many great things from you, especially with that wand of yours, many great things indeed,"

"Wait," I uttered, he had mentioned speaking to Ollivander and to other teachers about me, "You do know who I am."

"Ruby, I know who every student in this school is, now with that out the way I believe you have a charms lesson, which started 5 minutes ago,"

Clearly this was my leave, "Thanks for listening, Professor." I called as I walked out the office.

As I walked back into the common room, accompanied by a confused bunch of first years, eager to know know my trip to the headmaster's had been, I couldn't help but chuckle slightly - clearly the stunt I'd pulled with Snape had gained me a few fans.

"Look," I announced to them all in the most serious tone I could muster, "All Professor Dumbledore did was offer me tea and a lemon drop, honestly!"

Ignoring the cries of "what's a lemon drop?!" from ignorant purebloods, I slumped down onto a free seat on one of the big sofas.

Not more than a few seconds passed before an excited Fred and George bounced over and sat on either side of me, flinging their arms around my shoulders.

"Has ickle little Rubikins already been sent to Dumbledore's office?" one asked, (I still couldn't tell them apart).

Another then said, "We would congratulate you, however we were sent in the second week of term, a terrifying tale,"

"Of overgrown bats who don't understand that it's socially acceptable to wash your hair..."

"...And exploding cauldrons due to a simple mistake in ingredients, how were we to know that unicorn hair does different things to unicorn horn?"

"Honestly, it wouldn't have been that bad if it hadn't landed on the bat himself, his hair began to grow..."

"...And grow, and grow, and grow."

"Of course Dumbledore completely agreed with us that it was an accident and we came out his office with lots of lemon drops too!"

Some curses were heard as Hermione pushed the one on my left out the way and sat down beside me, "Oh yes, I'm sure it was an accident, just like you dying Mrs Norris' hair pink was an accident too!"

A shout of, "RUBY, HERMIONE WE HAVE FLYING LESSONS NEXT WEEK!" interrupted the likely scathing reply to Hermione from one of the twins.

I shot up from my seat, remembering the unfortunate incident of Neville during the lessons.

Seeing the surprised looks from my companions faces I came out with the quick excuse, "Sorry, got to go, forgot my...history of magic essay in the... great hall,"

Hearing cries of "We don't have an essay, do we?" And "Ruby it's curfew soon!" I sprinted out the door, making my way to where, if my memory was right, the Hufflepuff common room was.

Luckily for me I found the kitchens easily enough. Unfortunately the common room was not as easy to find as fanfiction had hinted. Although perhaps it would have been easier to find had some of the lights been on providing a little resistance to the dark. I remembered reading somewhere that the Hufflepuff dormitories were the only ones with repelling devices. Not exactly reassuring when I'm currently navigating in the dark to avoid being caught.

A faint light turned around the corner and started towards me.

Crap. I slunk into a corner and tried to make myself blend into the darkness.

Please be a Hufflepuff, please be a Hufflepuff.

I glanced a yellow tie and leapt out of my hiding place and into the older boy.

He nearly wet himself.

"Blargh!" he shrieked, clutching at himself in fright.

"Shh," I hissed at him, covering his lips with a finger. "Do you know Cedric?"

The Hufflepuff just nodded at me. Blimey, no wonder Hufflepuffs had a reputation for scaring easily. A first year jumping out of the shadows couldn't be that scary, could it?

"Can you go get him for me?"

The boy shook his head as if clearing it. "I guess?" It sounded more like a question than a commitment but I'd take what I could get.

I grinned at him. "Thanks man! I owe you one, how 'bout some Bertie Bott's at breakfast tomorrow?"

"Right, stay here I'll get him down for you."

"Tell him it's Ruby!" I called after him as an afterthought as he walked off. It would probably have made more sense for me to wait until the next day where I could ask him at breakfast but I was already here.

I didn't have to wait very long for a fairly disgruntled Cedric to wander down the corridor I was in.

"What'd you need, Rubes?" he asked, running a hand through his bedhead.

"Do you know how to do a cushioning charm?" I leant back against the wall, snorting at his attire. A bright yellow dressing gown with the Hufflepuff emblem on, honestly. "And do you even like the colour yellow? Who likes the colour yellow? Where do you even buy it?"

He glared for a second, "Yes, we learnt how to do them a few weeks ago, and for your information yellow is my favourite colour, like red's probably yours!"

I snorted again, even more unladylike than before, "Of course red's not my favourite colour, green is obviously," as an afterthought I then added, "Are your pajamas yellow as well?" At the same time leaning forwards and grabbing the front of his robe.

Underneath all he had on were boxers, and I could feel my face begin to heat up, though as soon as I saw the colour I couldn't help but start to crack up.

"Seriously Cedric, seriously?" I gasped out, "Where do you buy yellow boxers? You guys take 'house pride' too far!"

Blushing furiously, he tugged the hand I had on his dressing gown away and re-wrapped it around himself. Sighing he said, "Look Ruby if you really need to know, I have to transfigure the colour and the crest, not that you do need to know. Now why have you woken me up?"

"You were asleep? You weakling! It's like, what, only 5 to 8? Anyway, that's beside the point, what I really wanted to know was if you could teach me how to do a cushioning charm? We have this flying lesson thing coming up and my inner eye has warned me that it could be useful..."

"Your inner eye?"

"Yes."

"Sure...why not...and this couldn't have waited until breakfast, why?"

"Thank you, and uhhh," I stammered, "Uhh...it seemed urgent at the time."

Sighing, he made a shooing motion with his hands. "Fine, just try and get back to Gryffindor tower before curfew."

Smiling as wide as I could at him, I skipped back the way I had come.

True to my word, I rewarded the still slightly scared Hufflepuff who'd gotten Cedric for me at breakfast the next day, securing me lessons with a surprisingly good teacher. Cedric had ticked all of my possible boxes when teaching me the cushioning charm and with his corrections and help I just about managed to get the spell down before the fast approaching flying lesson.

A flying lesson nobody could seem to shut up about. Myself included, but at least I had an excuse, I was a muggleborn witch who'd wanted to have a go for years. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the worst offenders, the pure and half bloods who were just couldn't wait to show off their skills.

I was just itching to get on a broom, even one of the school's rickety, old ones. This had been a personal dream of mine ever since I had first read about learning how to fly, and it was obvious to all my classmates that I was excited beyond belief.

It seemed that although most people were excited, just as many were, well...the complete opposite.

"I don't really see what the big deal is?" Hermione said to me as we walked towards the training grounds where our lessons were due to take place "And the idea that we should immediately go onto the practical side of things before even looking slightly into the theory is preposterous!"

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," I chanted, purposefully trying to annoy her. "I can promise you no one in Gryffindor thinks it's 'preposterous'. Well, actually, maybe Neville. However if you're so eager to talk about it, why don't you go and have a chat with Malfoy. He also thinks it's preposterous we have to be taught flying when all 'half-bloods' and 'purebloods' already know. Fair enough different reasons but you can still talk with him,'"

Well that shut her up.

As we got nearer, and nearer; the brooms lying in rows (exactly as they were portrayed in the film) coming into focus, I got more and more excited. So much so I began hopping from one foot to the other in an effort to contain said excitement.

Needless to say within seconds everyone got just the tiniest bit annoyed with me and Dean had the honours of slapping the back of my head.

"Oi!" I shouted, "What was that for, you slimy-"

"Young lady! You do not shout in such an unattractive way in my class, now I don't know how you behave in other classes, but in mine you shall most certainly not!"

So this was the fearsome Madame Hooch, I could see why Fred and George warned me about her, I guess her no nonsense personality in refereeing was similar to her teaching.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Everyone scampered off to find themselves a broom. Well, a broom in the vaguest of terms. I wasn't entirely sure mine would stand up to safety regulations and from the panicked looks 'Mione was shooting me, I had a feeling she agreed.

"Stick your right hand over your broom and say, 'Up!'" Madam Hooch called out, setting off a round of 'Up!'s.

"At least at muggle schools they accept the possibility that you might be left handed," I complained to Hermione.

She snorted at me, before going back to yelling at her broom which had yet to do more than twitch. Not that I was doing much better. My broom had contented itself it bob up and down a couple of inches off the ground. Luckily for me I could at least pretend to blame it on the fact that I was left handed, as if it made any difference.

Just like before Harry and Draco were the first to collect their brooms in the pointless exercise. What did talking to your broom have to do with flying it anyway?

10 minutes later everyone was mounted on their brooms and, after a quick tutorial from Madam Hooch, were ready to fly.

"Now, when I blow my whistle.." Madam Hooch began, but I zoned her out to keep an eye on Neville. He was white as a sheet and clutching his broom like a lifeline. I sent him a reassuring grin, which he returned, looking a tad calmer. Maybe my cushioning charm wouldn't be needed if he was a... Yeah. No. Spoke too soon.

Neville shot off the ground like he was being propelled by a mentos-coke experiment, screaming and yelling as he went.

Why Madam Hooch was bothering to shout at him and tell him to get down was unseen. He was clearly out of control, even as he tried to regain it. I pulled my wand out in preparation, but somehow he was still clinging on and then suddenly he wasn't.

I stepped out of the line and screamed the incantation, going through the motions as quickly as I could.

Nevilles body bounced a few times before he floated to the ground as his broomstick made for the forbidden forest.

"Quick thinking Ms..."

"Thompson," I supplied.

"Indeed. 10 points to Gryffindor! Now, none of you move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear there's nothing broken but you might need something for the shock."

Neville seemed in no shape to reply as he was dragged off to the hospital wing, leaving the rest of us to deal with Draco Malfoy and 'the Harry Potter effect'.

"Did you see his face, the big lump?" Malfoy managed between guffaws.

"Why are you so obsessed with Neville?" I questioned, trying to look freaked out.

"Draco's not obsessed with Longbottom," Pansy defended, desperately trying to place herself on Draco's good side.

"He kind of is though," I started.

"Look!" Malfoy interrupted me, snatching the Rememberall off the ground. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Told you so!" I announced shrilly, smirking. "I personally would make the point that going through someones mail crosses the line, what'd you think Hermione?"

"Oh definitely. Plus, it's positively illegal."

"Why'd you want it so much anyway? Isn't your family loaded? Usually when you want something of your crushes' you steal hair or something, not anything they actually need."

The Gryffindors started to chuckle as, ignoring my comment, Draco's face started to heat up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry said quietly.

It seemed Draco had recovered enough to shoot Harry a contemptuous smirk. "Shant. Maybe I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect- how about- up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled back as Draco climbed onto his broom and shot off.

"Come and get it, Potter!"

And then Harry was up onto his broom and raced up to join Malfoy.

"Oh come on!" I groaned, despite my influence it had played out in basically the same way. Right down to the word choices if my memorization on the first book was correct. Which was worrying to say the least. After all, this was just a small event which I hadn't really managed to change at all, that didn't bode well with my plans for bringing the end of the war closer and saving lives.

"Ruby!" Hermione exclaimed, "We have to do something! Harry's going to get himself expelled!"

Her panicked hand clutched my arm in a tight grip. "Hermione, just breathe. Harry will be fine, trust me."

"How do you know!" She wailed, almost hysterical.

"I just do, okay? Breathe."

In the time it had taken for me to calm Hermione down, it seemed the verbal argument between the two boys in the air was over and Draco was getting more and more annoyed. His smirk suddenly turned vindictive and as if in slow motion the whole class watched, breath held in, as he chucked the Remembrall with all his might.

A determined expression, I'd never seen before, flashed across Harry's face as he spun his broom and sped towards it.

"COME ON HARRY! YOU CAN DO IT!" I screamed, breaking the stunned first years out of their trance, more and more then joining in, cheering for Harry.

As his arm reached out and his position changed to one that made Harry look like he was seconds away from crashing to an untimely death, he caught the ball and came out the dive. My heart going at a hundred miles per hour I ran over to him and grabbed him in a tight hug, almost immediately joined by Hermione.

"Don't you ever risk your life like that again Harry James Potter!" She scolded, mildly out of breath. Quickly I stifled a snort, thinking of how many more times Harry would risk his life this year alone.

"Don't worry Hermione, Ruby, I'm fine. In fact I think I quite like flying, it's quite-"

"Mr Potter!" Professor Mcgonagall's shrill voice made it's way towards us.

I smirked as the rest of the first years paled. "A galleon on McGonagall asking him to join the Gryffindor team," I hissed at Dean and Seamus.

They shook their heads at me but nodded anyway agreeing to the bet. If I could get the rest of my year to agree to the bet, I was in to make a killing.

At Dinner, I made a killing.

After purposefully situating Hermione and myself next to Ron so I could 'accidentally' overhear Harry's announcement and exclaim loudly how proud I was, a bag full of 47 and a half galleons made it's way up the Gryffindor table towards me. News of the Harry being dragged out of the lesson had reached most of the school by lunch and there was no way a Slytherdor- namely, me - would let that opportunity go.

In fact most people had only made the bet so that when I 'lost' it, which they had all seemed to believe I would (despite what my inner eye said), I would have to pay up a killing. Needless to say I robbed them all blind. The next big question being whether anyone wouldn't believe me after this. Hogwarts could have become a game of, 'see how much money I can make'.

Harry and Ron had been annoyed at first, Harry that I'd been listening in and Ron that he wasn't the only one who could gloat about knowing first. That said, I gave them a Galleon each and they decided they had it in them to forgive me - Ron especially.

"So... Potter," A drawl broke into our conversation. "I see you're still here. Shame, I'm sure you're missing your Muggles." He spat the word like it was an insult.

"Listen here Malfoy," Ron started, growing red, before I cut in.

"Neville's over there," I pointed, sending him an encouraging smile. "He's only over here to apologise to Neville for obsessing over him, and to see if his feelings are reciprocated."

"Recipri-whatted?" Ron complained under his breath.

"Returned, to see if Neville likes him too." Hermione whispered back. Ron sent her a thank you smile and my inner shipper grinned. They were so cute, even as little kids.

However, Draco didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word either, or else he was good at keeping his cool as he only sneered. "Too bad Potter had to play the hero and save you precious 'gift' from you Grandmother, Longbottom," he let out a slightly pained sigh, seeming annoyed. It barely lasted. "Still, that doesn't matter. Potter," he turned to Harry, who seemed mildly shocked. Strange, seeing as Draco seemed to utter his surname more times than I've had hot dinners.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, evidently growing more and more uncomfortable.

"I think it's time we make it good and clear who's in charge around here, don't you think?" he asked, upper lip curling a little. Tilting my head, I smirked up at him. It was coming, it was coming!

"Excuse me? I don't think-" the dark haired boy was interrupted at once.

"A wizard duel. I propose a duel at midnight, wizard versus wizard." Draco said haughtily. My smirk grew into a fully formed grin. Hermione, on the other hand, was on the edge of a panic attack, hissing at the boys between glances at the teachers table that they were going to lose us points. Sadly for her, she may as well have been lecturing Snape on the merits of personal hygiene ,for all the attention she got.

"Winner takes the fame, loser - in case you weren't already aware, that'll be you - will walk away with that very prestigious title." he snorted. Hermione tried again to cut in, raising her voice above a hiss, "but- "

"You're on," Ron's announced, declaring the challenge accepted. "I'll be his second, who's yours?" Malfoy seemed quietly pleased that the game was on, before turning to size up his henchmen. "Crabbe." he decided. "See you at midnight, don't be late."

"No, you don't be late!" Ron shot at their retreating figures.

This was it. The night where I could finally start to set things in motion.

That's this chapter done. Next chapter is going to be a lot of fun to write and due to it's events we'll try to get it up around Halloween, but no promises. We're taking a couple of or GCSE's early and we aren't going to have a lot of time.

Hope you enjoyed it, if you did make sure to favourite, follow and review they make our day and really speed up the writing process!

A-Terrible-Trio