A/N: okay, so I know I probably shouldn't be starting a new fic. But really, I need something to distract me from my stupid summer readings...and Better Off Without You isn't doing it. So, without further interruption, here's the story!
By the Hands of the Chalice
Chapter one: The Phoenix Feather.
"That's the door!" Ron yelled, pulling on Hermione. She swung around, wand at the ready.
"Oh, Ron. It's just you," she whispered, relieved.
"Hurry up you idiots! Are you waiting for it to come back?" Harry yelled, pulling them towards the door. Just then, a burst of fire came down the hall, barely missing the Golden Trio. Hermione screamed, startling the boys.
"Bloody hell!" Ron yelled, swinging Hermione into his arms. Harry and Ron took off down the corridor and shouldered through the door. Ron dropped Hermione as soon as they entered the room and turned to the door, casting various locking and protection spells on it.
Hermione was shaken, but simply stood up and brushed the dirt and grime off of her cloak. "A dragon," she hissed. "What could be so important that Dumbledore had to guard it with a dragon?" Harry groaned, lifting a feather off of a pedestal.
"This." He said simply. Hermione and Ron gawked at the long red feather.
"You have got to be kidding me." Hermione stated, taking the feather from Harry.
"A bloody dragon..." Ron started.
"To guard a Phoenix feather." Hermione finished for him. Ron reached over to take the feather from Hermione. As soon as his fingers grazed the feather, a bright light emitted from it, surrounding the Trio. Hermione gasped, dropping the feather. It stayed suspended in the air, the light growing brighter and larger. A familiar sensation tugged at the Trio. It felt like...a port key. With the familiar pull at their belly buttons, the Trio disappeared with the light. All that was left was a single red feather, drifting slowly to the ground.
Harry collided with the ground with a loud moan. Hermione and Ron didn't seem to be in that much better of a situation. Harry ignored his pain and pushed himself up off the ground. He remembered oh too well what happened the last time he had been transported by an unknown port key.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's alright." He heard a voice towards where Hermione was laying say. Harry turned swiftly, his wand out in front of him. The sight before him wasn't one he ever expected to see.
Hermione slowly pushed herself off the ground and drew her wand, ready to confront whoever was there. Four boys stared down at her, not including Harry or Ron. One boy was small, with brown hair and mousy features. The next one was tall, with crystal blue eyes and russet hair. Another boy had a mop of jet black hair on his head and a dogish grin. The final one looked just like Harry, except for his eyes. James. She thought. Wincing slightly at the pain in her leg, Hermione limped over to Harry.
His jaw was set, tears pooling in his eyes. Hermione instantly knew that he recognized the people in front of him.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Hermione heard Ron grunt as he stood up. She looked over at him and saw him freeze when he saw the four boys. Slowly, he walked up to Harry's side.
"Hey, Prongsie. Lookie." Sirius Black said. "That one's crying. Too bad we can't get that reaction from Snivellius every time he sees us." He then went on to chuckle at his own joke, which had succeeded to bring a grin to James' face.
Hermione was livid. "How dare you," she shouted, pointing her wand at Sirius. The Marauder's eyes went as large as dinner plates as they looked at the fuming brunette in front of them. "How dare you pick on him? You have no clue who he is! What he's been through! How dare you, Sirius Black, pick on him?"
The boys looked at the girl, who seemed as if she wanted to curse Sirius to hell and back. For his part, Sirius had immediately stopped laughing, and froze in place. The girl's eyes started to pool with angry tears that threatened to fall down her face at any moment.
Remus Lupin, the ever-responsible one of the Marauders felt a pang of sympathy for this girl. He walked slowly up to her, placing his hand on her arm, and drawing her wand down from it's target. The girl gave up easily, her tears getting the best of her. "What happened?" He asked curiously.
Hermione shook her head, too choked up to talk. She gestured wildly to Harry, who snapped out of his shock and whipped at his eyes embarrassedly. "I think we need to see Dumbledore." He stated, sounding slightly sick to his stomach.
"How can we explain this one?" Ron asked. "If we could've been expelled for the things we did before, we can certainly get expelled this time."
"I still think we need to see him." Harry stated.
"No, Harry. We're just going to get ourselves in more trouble." Ron insisted. The boys went on to bicker about their plan of action. Hermione stood up straighter and whipped her eyes. She pulled her arm away from Remus and walked up to Harry and Ron.
"Stop." She commanded. The boys ignored her and continued to argue. Hermione glared, anger consuming her. "You...IDIOTS!" She screamed. Harry and Ron turned towards their friend, shocked by her outburst.
"Can't you two ever think logically?" She half asked, half yelled at the boys.
Remus felt a smile tug on his lips. How many times had he demanded the same thing from James and Sirius?
"It was all planned, you fools! Do you think Dumbledore called us to his office the same night he was having a meeting with the Minister without a reason? Do you think he made it seem as if Hogwarts were protecting something dangerous accidentally? Do you think he made us thing Snape was going to steal it-again-without a purpose?" The boys looked blankly at her.
Hermione screamed in frustration. "Dumbledore sent us here, you idiots! He wanted us to suspect Snape. He wanted us to go through that idiotic maze. He wanted us to confront the dragon! And can you figure out why?" She paused for a breath, allowing the boys to think it through. Harry seemed to have figured it out, if his groan was any clue. Ron seemed just as clueless as ever.
"Dumbledore wanted us to be here! That's why we've been sent back in time twenty years!" Hermione yelled, glaring angrily at Ron. His mouth fell open, and Harry slapped himself on the head.
"Uh...Hermione? I think that may not have been the best time to announce that..." Harry mumbled, pointing towards the Marauders. Hermione turned slowly around and was met with four boys, gaping at her as if she were insane.
"BLOODY HELL!" She screamed.
A/N: well, that was fun. I know some of them may have seemed out of character...but oh well. That's how I want them. Tootles.