“Keep running,” she said to herself as she moved across the grounds that were covered with a deep darkness. Her tears mixed with dirt and blood that trailed down her face.
“Run. Keep running. You’re almost there,” she kept saying to herself. The horror of the moment threatened to overwhelm her.
It seemed like only yesterday that they were dancing at the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. Those were happier times. But they knew that there was trouble brewing ahead of them. So afterwards, they decided to go to Godric’s Hollow to see where it all began.
It seemed like only moments ago they came across the last of the Horcruxes that threatened the existence of the Wizarding World. Soon, Voldemort, in his true evil form, fought with all of his power to keep his immortality. Ollivander said it best, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was capable of great things.
“TERRIBLE… but great,” he said. The battle was laid out as a testament to how great his power has become.
“Don’t stop. Got to keep going!!”
She didn’t feel as though she could go on much longer. Her heart was beating so hard that it seemed to have push through her chest. She didn’t really know where she was going. It was more her instincts that were leading her away from her complicated situation.
But still, she pressed on.
“Herrrmiiiioooonee,” shrilled an eerie but familiar voice.
“No,” she said firmly and kept up her pace as she worked her way across the woods.
“Please. Hermione,” the voice pleaded for her attention.
Her feet fumbled and she found herself on her knees. She tried to make her legs stand, but she had been running for so long that her body just wanted to rest there on the cool earth. She didn’t know if it was just a mixture of fear and exhaustion or maybe a jinx that caused her to fall. But, there she was, kneeling awkwardly in the dirt and mud. So she kept her cool and took a deep breath of the night air to calm herself.
“You must. Hermione, YOU MUST!!”
“NO!! No,” she yelled back. She turned around to fling her arms, but stopped when she saw a hunched over figure drawing very near to her. She was scared at first, until she saw that familiar lightning bolt scar on his head. There was almost a sigh of relief for she knew very well who it was. At least, it wasn’t some other creature running around in these dark woods. Yet, despite the recognition, her fear still remained.
Harry Potter was very worn and almost unfamiliar. He too looked so very tired. His clothes were so ragged that it looked as if he had been fighting a heard of Hippogriffs on his own. His movements were very slow, tense, and awkward, which seemed a bit odd to Hermione Granger since he was able to catch up to her so quickly.
He slumped down to his knees close to Hermione. Her eyes met his with a very deep concern on her face. She wanted so badly to reach out to him, but again her fear remained. So, she stayed at his side from a slight distance.
“Hermione, I need,” he started very slowly as if talking was painful for him, “I need you to be brave…for me…please, Hermione,” his words trembled, as did his body. “So many people…many lives…depending…depending on you,” his breathing was just as erratic. “So much loss… so much to lose.”
“No, Harry. Please, no,” she pleaded with him softly. “There must be another way.”
“Hermione, …I CAN’T,” he started to sway as his body began to succumb to spasms. “ I can’t bear this… much longer!! I can’t… stand by… and watch him,” a look of horror crept over Harry’s face. “ I CANT WATCH!!” his body started to shake violently. Then, Harry let out a terrible cry. Hermione’s heart sank so much that she started to cry too as she watched her best friend realize the torment he has been made witness to. Their cries echoed out into the woods.
“Please, Harry…there must be another way,” she looked at him, begging for an answer or at least some sign of some hope. “THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!!!”
A light whirlwind rustled the leaves from the ground. A strange laughter seemed to emanate from the air. Hermione still remained guarded on the ground distant from Harry. Her instincts had her get to her hind legs in case she needed to spring into action.
“No, Miss Granger,” the wind responded mockingly. “There is NO-OTHER-WAY.”
The wind grew so stronger that it blew Harry to his feet. The night sky got darker as if the stars were being turned out with a switch. A shadow was somehow engulfed them. A strange odor of death crept up from the nearby pond. It was the foulest stench she had ever smelled. Some would have described it as “the scent of pure evil.” The smell enveloped around Harry and Hermione, trying to suffocate them both.
Hermione kept her wits about her by looking around in this deep darkness, trying to get her bearings and some sense of direction. She looked at Harry, only to see him standing there. glowing this green ominous glow. Harry’s mouth gaped wide open to spew out some smoke. The smoke formed into The Dark Mark, his Mark, Voldemort’s signature.
“You see, you little Mudblood,” he said, “the only ‘way’ you need to be concerned with …IS MINE!!”
Harry’s wand rose up, but before he can let out any curse, Hermione made her move, which unexpectedly caused Harry to be thrown at a nearby tree. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud. The shadow that covered them in the darkness and the lingering scent of evil vanished immediately. She could look at the sky and see the stars again. She took a deep breath of the fresh night air.
To her amazement, she did not say a word. But she had been practicing making non-verbal spells with Harry and -“Ron.”
Her lips trembled as she spoke his name. She looked up at the sky as she thought of him. “He would have been jealous if he saw that,” she said. But she also knew that he would have been proud that she managed to pull it off. But what did she do exactly?? She looked at her wand and noticed some white wisps of smoke coming from it. Whatever she managed to do, it was not an Unforgivable Curse. Harry had told her once that it must be in your heart to want to kill someone in order to perform and Unforgivable. That’s what Bellatirx Black had told him as she performed the Cruciatus Curse on Harry back at the Ministry a couple of years ago.
It wasn’t in her heart to kill Harry. But somehow, she needed to kill Voldemort.
“Experillamus, maybe??” she thought. Whatever it was, she knew that she was in danger. Maybe the heat of the moment caused her wand to react accordingly to the situation. In any case, she had bought herself some time. She looked over at Harry to observe the stillness of his body. She stood there rooted to the ground like the trees that surrounded her in the Dark Forest.
“He’s not dead,” she reminded herself. “He’s not dead.”
She stayed there for a moment trying to comfort herself with the knowledge that her friend is indeed still alive. But that he was only out of commission for just moment, she knew she was left with only one other option.
Run…
As the scenery moved passed her, there were moments that she thought she might be lost. But here and there, there were a few points of references that kept her on track as to where she was going. After all, there weren’t too many students at Hogwarts that were as frequent visitors of the Dark Forest as Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Not that they enjoyed any of their trips into these woods, usually they were running from something whenever they were in here, just as she is doing now. The forest soon opened to a clearing where she could see the majestic castle that she and so many others called their home. But the beauty of the castle was marred by the battle and the scars it took from protecting it residents inside.
She made her way to the Great Hall to see the bodies strewn about on the castle floor. When word reached Headmaster McGonagall of Voldemort’s presences near the grounds, many students were evacuated immediately through either Portkey, Floo Powder, or broom if they were able. Some older students were able to Apparrate to a safe location near their homes, an emergency safety measure that most families had been practicing since Voldemort’s return. Those that remained (from what she could see) were the teachers, Aurors, other members of the Ministry, and some students from their D.A. group.
She carefully walked around them, trying to compose herself, trying not to breakdown at the sight of her friends and familiar faces, all lying there…dead.
Again, the overwhelming sense of horror and grief started to overcome her senses. She let out a silent cry to release the tension building inside her. And then, the scent of evil started to creep through the Great Hall. She quickly ran up the changing stairwells to make her way out of sight.
She made her way up higher and higher through the halls of the grand building. The intensity of the moment caused her to get lost at one point. But, she did not have time to double back because she knew it would mean her life if she were caught. So, she just kept going, trying to get as far away from the evil that was coming for her. She found herself at a stairwell and started to climb the tower. She knew what she must do but she could not bring herself to do it. She was running away from what she felt was an inevitable conclusion…his death and/or hers.
And it’s not that Hermione was afraid to die, but more so what she would have to do battle with when the time came. A lot had changed during their long journey to bring down Voldemort. The trio had experienced some very unexpected events that started to unravel before them along their way. In her heart, she wanted to turn back, but she knew they had come too far to go back to the way things were. Everything completely changed when the last Hocrux was revealed to them. And they knew a life altering decision had to be made. Which is why Harry made Hermione take the vow, an unbreakable vow, to complete their journey to its end – no matter what happens or whatever it takes.
At the moment, her odds were not looking in her favor.
“I need you to be brave Hermione…So much loss…So much to lose,” she could hear him reasoning with her as if he was standing right there. Hermione found her way to a hallway on some floor of the tower. There were marks on the walls were spells were miscast or deflected, broken furniture, and torn tapestry all over the place. Hermione stood there for a moment and leaned her back against a wall. She felt herself slowly sliding down to the floor.
“You must, Hermione, YOU MUST!!” he begged her.
“God, No!! There must be another way!!” she was crying and pounding the stone floor. Her sobbing, broken frame was perched up against the cold stonewall. She found herself pleading with the heavens, bargaining for something else, some other alternative to what she must do. “This can’t be it. I can’t do it…There must be some other way…”
The wind picked up around her and she could smell the stench making its way in the long corridor. She blindly reached behind her to find a door that she could open and slide inside. She tried to peak a little behind the door, but it closed on its own.
She stood there and saw the door turned into a wall. She spun around and saw that she was in a cobblestone room lit with candles. The smells from within were sweet and invigorating almost giving her some renewed sense hope. In the middle of the room stood a stone pedestal with a few items on it. Suddenly, her knowledge kicked in as she took in her surroundings.
She realized with feeling awe and fascination, “I’m in the Room of Requirement.”
The room opens to those who pass by it with a need for something. When you are in need of whatever it is and you happen to pass by the room, the door will appear to you with your solution on the other side. A strange sense of curiosity struck Hermione as she looked around the area. And then she thought how strange it was for her to be curious at a time like this. What was she thinking that could make the door open??
“Another way. There must be another way.”
She walked over to the pedestal to see the assortment that was on top. There was a large flask, which she opened, that had an odd scent to it. She was shocked by the smell that she instantly recognized, since she had brewed some herself in her second year. There was a velvet pouch with black hairs in it. Again, curiosity mingled within her as she looked at the strands in the bag. There was also a carrying bag laid next to the pedestal. She opened the bag to see various items in it, including a broom that could fit all the way in. Lastly the one item, to her surprise, should be the last of its kind considering how most or all were destroyed back at the Ministry, saved this one.
“HERMIONE GRANGER!!” She could hear the voice booming from the other side of the wall. “COME FACE YOUR MASTER!! ONCE AND FOR ALL!!”
She looked at the stone wall where the door had appeared and could see that magical forces were trying to make it rematerialize. The room seemed to shutter as if it was trying to keep the intruder out. It was as if the castle was making one last stand to keep another one of its residents safe. She gathered the items, putting the flask and pouch in her coat, and the rest in that bottomless carrying bag. As she put the necklace on, the door had appeared and swung open.
Outlined in the hall stood the boy she knew with the legendary scar, but now completely overtaken by Voldemort. There was no sign of Harry behind those snake-slit eyes. No voice of comfort passed from his forked tongue. His evil soul had won control over Harry’s body. There was no more Harry left at this point. Voldemort’s menacing frame slid through the door’s opening.
“There’s nowhere for you to run now, Miss. Granger,” he grinned as he eyed his prize. His snake tongue wagged excitedly as he hissed with glee. His wand raised as he uttered his curse, the familiar green flash of light jetted from his wand. Hermione’s hand reached for the trinket around her neck but, suddenly, everything stood still. Hermione looked at the Time Turner and saw that it was spinning back - on its own.
How could this be?? Hermione had used one herself in her third year and she knew that the wearer would need to turn the hourglass on the charm in order to turn back time. To Hermione’s fortune, the charm was doing this on its own accord. But to what end (or beginning) was it taking her??
She looked back at the room to see the green flash of light that almost struck her was now moving slowly away, going back into Voldemort’s Wand. Everything started moving in reverse. It was like watching a movie reel being rewound. The various scenes of teachers and students moving in and out of the room gave Hermione some measure of amusement and comfort just to see them alive once more. Time started to move a little faster, so fast that it started to look like little beams of light at a busy big city intersection. Hermione squinted her eyes because she was not able to bear the brightness of it all.
And then, it stopped.
Hermione looked at her Time Turner to see that it was now motionless. The door in the room now appeared. She walked towards it then stopped. She couldn’t just walk out there for she might run the risk of running into someone that might have just ran into her. Or worse yet, she could run into herself. And she knew what the punishment was for any wizard caught meddling with time. Professor McGonagall had to go to great lengths to convince the Ministry to allow Hermione to have one in the first place. McGonagall was so very clear on the rules when she relinquished the charm into her possession. She put her hands in pocket trying to think of something. That’s when she found her answer.
She pulled out the flask of Poly Juice Potion and the bag of hairs. She put a few black strands in with the potion and did a slight swirl motion with the flask to make sure it was mixed in. She started to laugh as remembered her first experience with the concoction, how it turned her into a cat. She remembered the hilarious expressions on Harry and Ron’s face as they discovered her in the bathroom stall looking all cute and furry with a tail to match. Ron took delight in her precarious predicterment. She took a moment to laugh at herself, but then returned to the serious situation at hand. She wasn’t sure yet what the room assigned her to do. But she knew that she must fulfill the vow, “what ever it takes,” so she can complete her task. The future and many lives are depending on what happens next in this timeline.
Getting past the putrid taste of the potion, she took a couple of swigs from the flask. She almost didn’t get the bottle back in her pocket as she felt the convulsions of change consuming her body. She could feel her skin bubbling all over. She looked at her hands to see that they were going from feminine and manicured to rough and stubbly. Her thick mane turned short and smooth. Then, the bubbling sensation ceased.
The room did not offer a mirror for her to look at, not that she could see, though it might have been her sense of urgency that must have forced her not to look carefully enough around the room for one. She grabbed her bag and opened the door back to the hall.
Everything looked as it was before…before the battle broke out. But where in time was she??
“Neville!!!” the girlish voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw her expression. She started to panic thinking that the potion did not take effect since she was staring straight into her reflection.
“Neville, we thought that you were gone. Your aunt should be here any moment to take you home,” she said. Hermione stood there careful to speak. She looked at the window and could see Neville’s dumbfounded expression looking back at her. So those are HIS hairs in the pouch. Then, her intellectual mind started to bring her up to speed.
She remembered before they had left the school, after Dumbledore’s funeral, a lot of the parents were talking about not bringing their children back for the next term. With Dumbledore gone added to the fact that he was killed on the school grounds, no one felt safe. The Ministry was trying to decide if the school should reopen at all. Neville’s grandmother decided it would be best to keep her grandson at home, where she could teach him and keep an eye on him. Truthfully, Mrs. Longbottom did not want to admit that she was scared to lose another Longbottom to another one of Voldemort’s war. Mrs. Longbottom was to pick up Neville herself. With so much hype surrounding Dumbledore’s death, people were starting to question the security of the Hogwarts Express. So, a lot of parents were arriving to escort their children home through other modes of transportation. Something had come up that Mrs. Longbottom had to tend to. So, her sister, Neville’s aunt, was going to take him to her place for a few days until Mrs. Longbottom finished her errand.
Tragically, after the war broke out, it was later reported that there had been some attacks in the village that Neville and his Grandmother were staying at. No one knew for sure what had happened to her or to Neville before Hermione came to this timeline.
“I decided to stay,” Hermione as Neville said. She tried to put a little bass in her voice to sound a bit boyish.
“Neville, you can’t stay here. They haven’t decided yet on whether to open the school or not. Everyone has to go,” she said.
“I know, but I can’t go home!! I just can’t. Something must be done and I feel maybe I can do something here,” Hermione/Neville stuttered out the words trying to think of something, anything to say.
“Maybe, Neville, but now is not the time,” this Hermione said in her usual calm yet persuasive self.
“Then, when is??” chimed in another voice. She looked up to see that lovely red hair. Neville (as Hermione) ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.
“Watch it you bloke!! What do you think you’re doing??” Ron Weasley looked at him rather peculiarly as he tried to pry him off.
“I’m sorry,” Hermione /Neville said. “Losing Dumbledore and now the school, I feel like I’ll be losing my friends next too.”
“No, you won’t,” a firm hand touch Hermione/Neville’s shoulder. She looked around to see him standing there, smiling as brightly as he could despite the grim burden he was carrying. “We’ll always be friends, Neville. Regardless of where we are or what we’re doing, we’ll always be there for you,” Harry Potter said proudly. “But, Hermione is right. You can’t stay- none of us can. We all have to go home.”
“But I can’t leave. Not just yet,” again trying to find reason as she stuttered her words out.
“I know how you feel, mate.” Ron said despairingly. “Hey, maybe you can meet us at the Burrow for Bill’s wedding.”
“Yeah, that should brighten the mood a little just before-,” this Hermione started to go on but abruptly stopped. The plan they had hatched was only meant for three. No one else knew or was meant to know.
“You’re going to find him aren’t you??” Hermione/Neville said, knowing the answer already. The Hermione in this time tried in her usual fashion to clarify what she meant to say but Neville (as Hermione) could see straight through her own self. “Look, I know what you three are up to. I know that whatever Vodlemort is doing, you three don’t have a clue as to how to stop him. And I want in,” Hermione/ Neville’s voice was a little bit bold from what the usual Neville would have sounded. The three were kind of taken aback on how forward this new Neville was behaving. But under the circumstances, if they knew the truth of what lay ahead then they would understand.
“Neville, I don’t want to bring you into this,” Harry said calmly.
“But I’m already there. I’m already in this!! Don’t you see?? You know what those Death Eaters did to my parents. You’ve seen my mother and father. As much as they are alive, they are barely living. We have the same goal, Harry, the same path,” and with that said, it set the tone for what was to follow. Harry knew full and well that the prophecy that was told could have been Neville’s fate as well. Harry looked him sternly in the eye as he processed what was said. Ron and Hermione were looking at Neville, trying to take in this newfound attitude that they were seeing. Hermione/Neville stood there holding her breath a little trying to gauge her friend’s reaction, hoping they would accept her words – Neville’s words.
“I’m not sure. I don’t even want Ron and Hermione to come with me on this journey-”
“But, we’re coming anyways,” interjected Ron.
“We’re doing this together,” Hermione answered back.
“Neville, I don’t need anyone else to be in danger on my account,” Harry’s burden showed in his eyes. As much as Hogwarts has been his home, it has also been a place of hard memories and rough experiences that only he could have gone through. Harry did not want to bring another traveler on this road that he was facing.
“Harry, I know,” Neville’s eyes conveyed that sense of understanding of what was being asked of him. “I know it won’t be easy. I know the danger ahead of us. I know you don’t want anyone else to get hurt. But, I know that in some way I can help. And I want to help you in anyway that I can. ‘Cause I know that whatever you are facing, what you are going to face, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”
Harry could look into Neville’s eyes and could see how determined he was, but he could also see that there was some sense of knowing projecting from Neville that whatever is too come, he could very well handle it. It kind of surprised Harry to see that side of Neville come through. He had seen a little before in their D.A. meetings, but it seemed to have come full circle for Neville, or so he thought.
“Look, nothing can be done until after Bill and Fleur’s wedding,” stepped in Hermione. “You’ll be at the Burrows for the occasion. We’ll discuss more about it there. Harry has to go home one more time; those were Dumbledore’s orders. After that, we can make our move, if any, from there.”
All four of them looked at each other with a feeling of completion. It has been decided to meet up at the Burrow for the festivities. There, they could determine what their next move would be afterward. The four took turns giving each other hugs. Ron gave Hermione/Neville a very gentlemen-like handshake considering the last hug they had earlier. Hermione/Neville took in the moment as best as she could, gathering much comfort from his strong hands. When Hermione hugged herself, she felt a little shock between them. She wasn’t sure if it was some kind of quirk from being in the same timeline with ones self or maybe just the static in their clothes. She drew back and smiled into her own eyes.
She wanted so badly to tell her what was going on, what the future held, and all the little things that she needed to do but could not get around to it. She wanted to tell her so badly about Voldemort’s plan. And more importantly, she wanted to tell her about Ron and the unfinished business they had.
“Be strong, Neville. And take care.” At this Hermione grabbed Neville (as Hermione) and squeezed tightly.
“You too, Hermione. You too,” she felt herself about to cry but managed to hold it in till they left down the hall out of sight.
Hermione already knew what the next step would be and she planned on being there every step of the way. In due time, she’d be able to do whatever it is necessary to bring about the right outcome. And whatever it took, she was going to make sure that no more innocent lives are loss in the coming battle.
She turned around was about to start down the hall when she realized that she couldn’t really go anywhere. The real Neville was leaving Hogwarts. And the Hermione of this time is making her way home too. Just then, the door reappeared. When she opened it she found a dorm like room with a comfortable bed, some food, and what looked like some extra ingredients to brew more Poly Juice for the coming journey.
“I’ll guess I’ll hide out here until the time comes.”
She shut the door behind her and made her way to the bed. As soon as her body hit the mattress, she could feel herself release all the stress that her body has taken within the last twenty- four hours.
“I’ll make it right… It will be different this time…. I’ll make it right…” she kept repeating to herself. Her mind wandered for a moment, trying to relive the coming days ahead, trying to pinpoint things that maybe she should have noticed sooner. But the bed in its own way was trying to calm her down trying to ease her into slumber. The room turned down the lights and a sweet lavender smell waft its way in. The pillow seemed to cradle her head like a mother does a child trying to coax it down for bed. Then finally, her mind rested enough to let herself go.
For the first time since the battle, Hermione fell to sleep.
It seemed like once again the spirit of this great castle was protecting another one of its residents as it did countless times before. Perhaps, knowing what was at stake, it set the stage to open the magical room that would send Hermione into the past to help safeguard its future. In any case, the castle stood watch over one of its residents who would be spending time behind its walls in private for the summer. It stood guard over the one person who was possibly the only hope the Wizarding community has left.
