Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Never in my life has my name been JK Rowling. Unfortunately.
This is going to be a time travel fic, in which Hermione goes back in time to the Marauder Era, their 7th year to be precise. I do hope you will enjoy it!
Harry looked to his right, in search of his friends. He hadn't thought that he would be returning to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, and had even surprised himself. He found himself on the receiving end of stares, and he tried to ignore all the girls that were trying desperately for his attention. He had spotted a mop of red hair, and before he knew it a mess of brown curls had hurled herself at him, her arms around his neck. Harry had to take a few steps back, to stop the two of them from falling onto the platform floor.
"Harry," said Ron, a lopsided grin on his face, "It's good to see you mate."
Harry clapped Ron on the back, and freed himself of Hermione grasp, and he smiled down at his best friends, and he looked just over her shoulder to see Ginny, a blush creeping into her cheeks as their eyes met. "Hi Hermione," he said, tearing his gaze away from the fiery haired girl. "Ron. How was your guys' summer?"
"It was weird without you Harry," started Hermione. She looked down at her hands, unsure of how to tell her best friend how hurt she was that he hadn't written, and hadn't came over to Headquarters. She had been so worried about Harry. He had lost almost everyone that he had considered family, and she had thought that he had secluded himself once again. They weren't sure if he was going to come back to Hogwarts, but since it appeared that Voldemort was laying low Headmistress McGonagall had personally went to retrieve Harry.
"It was weird without the two of you."
Ron smiled at his friend, and playfully punched him on the arm, "Just don't leave us out again Harry." Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way onto the train, followed closely by Ginny. Harry had looked back at her a few times as they searched for a compartment, and he saw her looking to the floor, a sadness etched into her delicate face. He frowned at this but kept his silence .
"Here we go," said Ron, pushing the door open to an empty compartment.
"Don't get too comfortable Ron," said Hermione, "We have Head duties."
Ron smacked himself on the forehead, "I forgot about that. You don't mind do you Harry?"
"No," he said, his emerald eyes gazing out the window, "of course not."
Harry watched as his friends exited the compartment, and he felt a pang of jealousy deep in his chest. He had completely forgotten that Heads were chosen before their seventh year. He had expected Hermione to be Head Girl of course, but he hadn't expected Ron to be Head Boy. They only thing that Harry had to look forward to this year was that he was once again, Quidditch Captain.
He found himself wondering why it was Ron and not him, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the voice of Ginny Weasley. "You're jealous of Ron aren't you?"
Harry glared in her direction, but upon seeing the smirk upon her face his look softened, and he smiled at her. "I don't know if its jealousy or wonder," he said. It was true. He couldn't distinguish between his thoughts. He wanted to say it was wonder, because he was really curious as to why it was Ron.
"Its probably a little bit of both Harry," she said, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. "I know it must be hard for you to be left out of something, but now you know how Ron has felt having to live in your shadow since he met you."
"I know," he said, looking awkwardly at the girl. She always was one who could talk sense into him, without fear of telling him the harsh truth. Just as she had done in his fifth year. He smiled warmly at her, the memories of what he told her before summer suddenly floating to the front of his mind. Harry frowned as he looked at her, "Ginny," he started, but was soon interrupted.
"Don't Harry," she said, a somber expression on her face. "I know you're reasons, and as much as I do not agree with them, I have to respect them. I'm still you're friend Harry. Don't forget that."
"I didn't forget it," he said quietly, looking down at his shoe, the laces on his left foot untied. "I just didn't realize that it would be so hard."
"It doesn't have to be," she said simply, her mahogany eyes looking at him, tears shining brightly in the sun. She was still hurting from Harry's rejection, that much was clear, but he didn't think he would be hurting even more. He reached across the space between them and laid his hand gently on top of hers.
"I am sorry Ginny," he said, his eyes shining with sincerity.
"I know you are Harry," she said, moving her hand from under his hand. She gently patted his hand, and she leaned back, falling into the seat. "But be happy for your friends. Ron was dreading telling you all summer."
"Thanks Gin," he said, smiling lightly. He leaned back, his hands resting lazily in his lap. He was going to try to make the best of the year, he had to. He looked up when he heard the voices of his best friends approaching the compartment, and he smiled as he heard their bickering.
"No Ronald," she said, her voice harsh.
"I don't see why not," he asked, his face almost as red as his hair, "You know they would do it to us."
"Do what to who?" Harry asked, sitting forward.
"Ronald wants to give all the seventh year Slytherin's detention, just because," she said rolling her eyes, "they knew Malfoy." She said, sitting primly in the seat next to Ginny, leaving Ron to drop down beside Harry. "Which we are not going to do." she added, looking pointedly at Ron.
At the mention of Malfoy's name Harry tensed up, and his face contorted into one of rage. They still had yet to catch Malfoy and Snape, and Harry had been furious. The other three must have noticed because they had all looked down at the floor, their eyes refusing to meet Harry's.
"They're still looking for him," said Hermione, "They are going to find him Harry."
"Yeah," spat Harry, "Just like they were going to find Voldemort right?"
No one had anything to say to that, and had just turned away from him. They knew that Harry was mad about what had transpired at the end of their sixth year, Ginny's fifth, but they also knew that Harry hadn't grieved properly. He didn't know how. The person that he always ran to was Dumbledore, and now he didn't have that option.
Hermione was the first to speak, and Harry looked kindly at her. "Harry," she said, "I'm really glad that you chose to return to Hogwarts, I don't know how I would have gotten along in seventh year without you."
"You would have managed Hermione," he said, "You're the brightest witch in our year. You can get through anything."
Hermione smiled thoughtfully at him, before standing and facing the door. "Ronald," she said, "You and I have rounds to attend to."
"You two have fun," laughed Ginny at the expression on Ron's face. "Sound's like it should be a blast."
Hermione made to move towards the compartment door, when she looked at the glass, noticing that it had moved. She reached out to touch it, gasping when her hand sunk in. "Did you guys just see that?" she asked, spinning around, and nearly knocking Ron over.
"See what Hermione?" asked Harry, standing, automatically pulling out his wand.
"The glass," she said, "It moved!"
Ron stuck his hand out and touched the glass, his fingers dipping into the glass, and he yanked his hand back, elbowing Harry in the nose.
"Ow Ron!" he yelped, his hand shooting up to his face.
Hermione didn't know what had overcome her, but she had the urge to reach out, and sink into the glass. She was snapped out of her daze when she watched a 3rd year getting ready to light one of Fred and George's newest fireworks in the hall.
"Hey!" She yelled, reaching forward, forgetting about the glass. She made to open the door, and run out into the hall, but instead she found herself falling into a vortex of darkness.
She could hear the yells of Ron and Harry, but it was suddenly blocked out as she felt herself falling.
"Hermione!" Yelled Ron. "Harry what the hell just happened?"
"I don't know!" he pounded his hands against the now solid door, and he flung it open, looking into the corridor to make sure she didn't just fall out onto the other side. She wasn't there. Harry sighed loudly, and slammed the door in anger, causing the glass to shatter.
"Uh guys?" asked Ginny, her eyes pointedly focused on the small space above the door. "Who are Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs?"
Harry and Ron spun around, "What?" they said in unison.
"There," she pointed, "after Hermione fell through whatever that was, their names appeared just there."
"We have to get to McGonagall." said Harry. "She may know what to do."
"Calm down Prongs," spat an agitated Sirius Black, "I'm sure Evans will come around this year."
"I really hope your right Padfoot," said James Potter, "This may be the last chance I have to win her heart. It's our last year at Hogwarts."
A blonde boy clapped James on the back, as they stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, "She will James."
"Thanks Moony."
As the three boys headed out of sight, a young girl with curly brown hair crashed fell out of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, looking slightly disheveled. She balanced herself, and stood upright, her honey colored eyes glancing around her.
"What the hell just happened?" she said aloud, her hand raising up to her head. She had a pounding in her head, and she just wanted to find her friends and sit down. She looked around at all the students, something seemed amiss to her as she glanced around at the students surrounding her.
With a foreboding feeling she moved hesitantly towards the scarlet colored train. As she lifted her foot to step onto the train, she nearly ran into someone, and she quietly muttered an apology.
"No worries," came a voice that she didn't recognize. She looked up, her eyes melting into a pair of black ones. She didn't know why, but those eyes seemed so familiar to her. She brushed past the boy, and two others as she made her way down the corridor looking into all the compartments in search of Ron, Harry and Ginny. With not luck, she flung herself into an empty compartment, and pulled out a book that she had kept in her messenger bag.
"Prongs," asked Sirius, "Who is that girl?"
"I don't know mate," he answered, "I ain't never seen her before. Have you Moony?"
"No," Remus said quietly, "I haven't."
"Well," Said Sirius, "Then I guess it's time the Marauders introduced themselves isn't it?"
"Oh come on Pafoot," the werewolf said, "We don't need to interrupt her. She looks busy."
"She's reading Moony," Sirius said, rolling her eyes, "How much concentration does that really take?"
"For you?" asked James, "Or her?"
"Sod off James," he said. Truth was that he was intrigued by the girl before them. He hadn't seen her before. When he had looked into her eyes he was surprised by what he saw in their confines. He had saw pain, and sorrow. He had seen a part of her, that he could tell she didn't let people see too often. Like she had gone through too much at her young age. "Come on. She looked lonely. We can fix that."
Hermione's head snapped up as the door slid open and for a moment she thought that Harry had walked in with two people she didn't recognize, and the her eyes flicked up to his forehead and she saw no scar. It wasn't Harry.
'He looks so much like him.' she thought, and then when she turned her eyes onto the black haired boy and the blonde boy with him, something clicked in her mind. 'It can't be, can it?'
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice shaky. She folded the corner of the page she was on, and set her book down in her lap. Her eyes snapped to each of the boys in turn, and she waited patiently for one of them to talk.
"We just wanted to introduce ourselves," said Sirius. He flashed a charming smile at the girl, and he sat down next to her. "I'm Sirius Black," he said, and her breath caught in her throat, "This here is James Potter," his thumb hooked in the direction of the boy who was a walking image of Harry, and then onto the other, who she had already guessed to be Professor Lupin, "And that there is Remus Lupin. We're the Marauders, and who might you be?"
Hermione couldn't help but stare in awe at the boys. She was sitting a mere five feet from her best friends dead father, his dead godfather, and their old Professor. Surely she couldn't have gone back in time?
"Hello?" A hand waved in front of her face, and she shook her head, clearing her mind.
"Oh," she said, "I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," said Sirius, gently taking her hand and planting a gentle kiss on the top. Hermione found herself fighting down the blush that was creeping into her cheeks, and she smiled.
"Nice to meet you all as well," she said. She knew the question of why they hadn't seen her around was about to be asked, and she thought it best that she deter is as soon as possible. "Going to a real school is going to be exciting," she said, turing her eyes to the window as the train lurched forward.
"A real school?" asked Remus.
"I was home schooled," she stated simply, flashing a warm smile at Remus. "So how is Hogwarts?"
"Oh you're going to love it," said James, ruffling his hair.
"I'm sure I will," she said. Hermione had to get to Headmistress McGonagall's office. She suddenly reprimanded herself as she sat there in silence. Dumbledore was alive in this time. He would help her. He had to.
Thats the end of the intro!! All the following chapters should be about this length, if not longer. I'm not sure as to how manyy chapters there are going to be, but it should be a fairly long project for me!! And as any author would ask... Please Review! Let me know what you thought! I take any and all critiques!
Thanks!
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