Nothing in the world of Harry Potter belongs to me. I'm just playing in the great J.K. Rowling's sand box. Thank you.

Chapter 1 – The Time Has Come

"The de-aging potion is the only option," Dumbledore sighs. "You were meant for this time and you need to live it."

"And my memories?" She asks.

"Locked away until you turn of age in this time," he responds. "It would be very confusing for an eleven-year-old you to have a lifetime of experiences and memories."

She tightly squeezed the hand of the tall, dark man standing next to her. He had been stiff and silent throughout the entire discussion. Until now.

"And what will happen when she turns seventeen and a lifetime of memories all come rushing back?" He asks, an undercurrent of venom in his normally silky-smooth tone.

"We will be there to help her," Dumbledore assures him. After a brief pause, he continues, "I know this is difficult, but she was never meant to live the life she has up until now. She was meant for this time and we must not change that."

She nods knowingly and the man next to her wilts slightly.

"I'll give you two a few minutes before we begin," Dumbledore says.

With an understanding in his twinkling bright blue eyes, the Headmaster quietly steps through the door at the back of his office.

When the door has closed, she turns to him, easily falling into his embrace.

"I'm sorry," she pleads with him, "I never meant for this to happen."

"We knew that this was a possibility after he explained your little jump through time all those years ago," he acknowledges with a deep sigh.

She nods quietly, not having the heart to tell him that she'd known it was going to happen since the beginning of the Summer.

"Seven years is a long time," she complains.

"I know."

"Will you still love me?" She asks, honey colored eyes peering up into his endless black orbs.

Wrapping her more tightly in his embrace, he lays his head softly atop hers.

"Always," he promises.

Neither knew how long they had been standing in the comfort of the other's embrace until the Headmaster softly cleared his throat, signaling his return. Reluctantly, they broke apart, turning to face the man.

"This potion will turn you back to age eleven," he says, offering her the vial. "Then I will go into your mind and lock away all of the memories from the moment you feel out of this time."

"No," the dark man responds sharply. "If anyone is going to go messing around in her mind, it will be me."

The Headmaster sighs, but agrees, "Alright my boy, but nothing of this first life must remain. All memories and emotions must be locked away for now."

She accepts the vial, uncorking and downing the contents before she could lose her nerve. Nothing happens immediately, then slowly she started to change. She shrank in height, her curves disappear, and her face softens with a sense of innocence.

Within agonizing moments, where a grown woman had stood, was the young girl the dark man recognized from so very many years ago. However, her eyes remained the same, filled with experiences. She turned them on him once more, a deep sadness and hints of tears filling the brims of her eyes. Grabbing his hand, she slowly pulls a now too big ring off her left hand, and places it in his palm.

"Do it now," she begs. "Please Severus."

Without a word, he dove into her mind. He watches snippets of their life together over the last twenty years zip by. He gathers those memories meticulously, creating a door in her mind and locking them away tightly. Until the right time. With regret, he pulls himself from her mind. Looking deep into her eyes, he knows that he has been successful, as they are the innocent eyes of a child that hasn't known the horrors of the world.

She blinks rapidly and sways, the world spinning around her. Severus Snape quickly reached out a hand to steady her, guiding her gently to one of the soft winged backed chairs in the Headmaster's office.

"Careful Miss Granger," he bit out, the words falling bitterly from his lips.

"Thank you, sir, I'm not sure what happened. How did I get here?" She asks, turning away to face the Headmaster, who sits neatly behind his large desk.

"Some students experience a surge of magic the first time they are surrounded by magical beings Miss Granger," Dumbledore lies easily. "It's rare, but happened when you stepped onto the platform at King's Cross. One of the platform chaperones noticed you collapse and brought you to Hogwarts straight away."

"Oh," she answers, cringing at her silliness. "I'm so sorry to have caused problems."

"No problem at all dear," the Headmaster assured her. "Professor Snape here had just given you a mild calming draught, so hopefully you won't have any more episodes tonight as your magic adjusts."

Well, that explains the potion vial in her hand, she thought. Turning her eyes on the tall, dark professor, dressed from head to toe in black, she smiles.

"Thank you for your assistance Professor Snape."

For a brief moment, he is lost in her smile, the same smile of the woman he remembers, not the girl. Breaking himself out of the memory, he glares at her before turning and departing abruptly, his teaching robes billowing out behind him.

"You'll have to forgive Professor Snape, my dear," Dumbledore says at her hurt and confused look. "He tends to be a little grumpy right before the students arrive."

And just like that, Dumbledore brushed twenty years of history under the rug, treating little Hermione Granger as nothing more than a pawn in his bigger picture.

A knock at the door precedes the tall, stern witch as she sweeps into the office.

"Albus, what is wrong with Severus," she exclaims, "I haven't seen him this worked up in quite a while."

It was only then that she notices the young bushy haired girl sitting in one of the guest chairs. Briefly, she thought she had lost her mind. Memories of a similarly lost looking eleven-year-old girl overlap in her mind. A shocked gasp tears from her lips.

"Professor McGonagall, I'd like you to meet Miss Hermione Granger. She had a little incident at the train station, but she's doing fine and it ready to be sorted with the other first years. Would you mind taking her down to the others?" Dumbledore said, making strong eye contact, a warning in his gaze.

Blinking back tears, the Deputy Headmistress nods, "Of course Headmaster. Come along Miss Granger, we'll get you back to your classmates."

Without waiting, McGonagall left the office, expecting the young woman to follow her. As discreetly as possible, Minerva wipes the tears forming in her eyes. She isn't sure what Dumbledore has done this time, but he will be answering her questions very soon.

The brief hesitation from the Deputy Headmistress during the sorting ceremony goes unnoticed by everyone except the staff, many of which eyed her curiously since she had been doing the sorting for years and has never faltered.

But falter she does before calling out, "Hermione Granger."

The staff struggle to stifle their gasps of surprise, but obviously had failed judging by the frown crossing Dumbledore's face briefly, the collective silence of the students in the Great Hall, and the look of confusion on the tiny bushy haired girl that stepped up for her sorting.

Hermione sits upon the stool in front of the student body, and the sorting hat is gently placed on her head. The staff looks on in anticipation, even scowling Professor Snape who has been avoiding looking at the students at all costs, turns to watch.

"Hmmm, such a young age, but such a long life," the Sorting Hat mutters only for her to hear, causing Hermione to stare up at it quizzically. "Such knowledge and a drive to learn, but there is a fierceness and determination in you that is unmatched. Yes, that is where you belong."

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouts for all to hear.

Despite the shock, Professor McGonagall beams proudly while the staff clap with unmatched enthusiasm. Snape sadly nods his head before turning away again.

If anything seemed off to the students, they don't show it. The Gryffindor's welcome their newest member and the sorting goes on. Hermione Granger is shoved into the background of all their minds when one Harry Potter is called to be sorted.

Dumbledore called most of the staff for a meeting after the Start-of-Term Feast, the new professors Quirrell and Babbling being the exception. The staff room is filled, with concerned and heated discussions taking place. Only Dumbledore is still missing.

One Severus Snape sits in a dark corner, silently, fiddling with a small silver ring in his hands. His dark mood warning the others to keep their distance.

Suddenly, the flames within the massive stone fireplace turn green and out pops one Molly Weasley, followed by her husband, Arthur. They enter the fray, approaching Minerva McGonagall quickly to ask why they've been summoned for the first time in years. One by one, several others stubble out of the floo, all members of the Order of the Phoenix. They gather around the table, listening to the whispers, searching for information.

As if summoned by the last arrival, Dumbledore walks into the staff room. With a quick flick of his wand, a parade of chairs floats in from the back door and settles around the table.

"Please be seated everyone," the Headmaster requests.

"Is it true," Molly Weasley demands, before Dumbledore could get another word out.

All eyes turn expectantly to the Headmaster.

"Yes, it is. Hermione has been de-aged back to her eleven-year-old self, with her memories locked away until she turns of age," Dumbledore explains.

The commotion that follows is too frenzied to be brought to bay quickly. The assembled group mutter things like 'poor girl', 'how could he', and 'what about poor Severus'.

Poor Severus indeed, Snape thinks angrily. With that, he tightens his fist around the ring in his hand before launching himself out of his chair. The room is silenced instantly as the door slams shut behind him.

"We all knew that this day would come. Hermione was always meant for this timeline. This is why we maintained her cover as Hermione McGonagall for so many years both during school and her position here at Hogwarts, teaching Ancient Runes," Dumbledore explains, gaining the groups attention despite the dark mood and abrupt departure of the Potion Master.

"Hermione Snape," Professor McGonagall snaps roughly. "Though I was proud to claim her as my own, that was her name."

The occupants of the room turn toward Minerva in surprise, never having heard her take that tone with Albus.

"My poor girl was happy with her life. Married to a man she loved with a job she adored and you took that away from her. For what? Your blasted greater good. We are at peace! How do you know the world wouldn't just keep going if she had stayed the way she was?" McGonagall growls.

Several of the people in the room nod in agreement.

"Things had to be put back to right," Dumbledore insists, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Miss Granger was destined to grow up in this time and it is of vital importance that she does so. We all know that this peace will not last. Voldemort is gone for now, but not for good."

Many shudder at the name. No one speaks up against him again, but many still shake their heads, scowls on their faces.

"Now, Molly, she will need a home. Her parents never had a daughter in this timeline, so we will need to break the news to her soon. Your youngest boy and Mr. Potter already seem to be fast friends, so we need to place her with them," the old wizard insists.

Minerva gives a strangled cry, but remains silent. Molly grips her hand firmly before responding to Dumbledore.

"Wouldn't she be better off with Minerva again?"

"No," he answers firmly, "she will stay with you. The Order will cover the costs of an additional child. It is vital that she be with Harry."

The discussion was mostly done at that point, but arguments continued with concern for how to discuss her parents with the girl. Questions as to why she must be associated with Mr. Potter are asked. Dumbledore insists that he will take care of it and leaves without another word. The staff and Order member argue the points some more before giving it up as a lost cause and heading to their respective living areas. Molly gently pulls Minerva into a hug before following her husband through the floo.

Minerva McGonagall leaves the staff room and heads away from her rooms, making her way down to the dungeons. After winding through the corridors, she arrives at a heavy wooden door wrapped iron bands, with a heavy iron knocker in the shape of a wolf's head. She lifts the iron ring of the knocker, bringing it sharply down to the door twice.

She waits quietly in the corridor for a moment before the wolf opens his mouth.

It growls at her, "He won't see you."

She sighs deeply before turning and making her way back to chambers for the night, ready for what is likely to be a sleepless night.

Inside his chambers, Severus sits in his chair by the fire, a bottle of fire whiskey dangling from the fingers of one hand. The other hand continues to fiddle with the simple wedding band. The silver of the band catches the fire light and he stares at the two small stones, an emerald and a ruby set side by side.

He scowls down at the ring in his hands. He wants to throw it into the fire and be done with it, but his hand has stilled every time he tries. The only thing keeping him from doing it is knowing she will remember eventually. Disgusted with himself, he tucks the ring in the left breast pocket of his frock coat.

When he'd returned to his rooms, he had noticed immediately that things were different. The little knickknacks that she had littered the fireplace mantle had disappeared. Her section of the bookshelf was empty and desk had been cleaned out. The sweater that was always draped across the back of his chair, which he'd then toss across the back of the couch, was nowhere to be found. He didn't have to check the bedroom to know that her belongings were gone.

She had known what was going to happen and had prepared for it. She has made sure her things were cleared out and tucked away, so he wouldn't have to face the daily reminder of what he had lost. She has been thinking of him, but all he could see was that she had kept it from him. He was furious that she had known for sure that their time was limited and had let him go on believing that they'd had all the time in the world.

In his rage, he had trashed the place. He had broken her chair across the desk, tore down shelves from the bookcase, shattered all the glassware in the kitchenette with a burst of wayward magic, and put his fist through the glass front of his massive grandfather clock. The only thing spared was his chair and the bar.

It didn't take long before he has downed the entire bottle and passed out cold in his chair. Even though his drunk haze, he couldn't bring himself to make his way to their bed, where he would never forget the feeling of his wife sleeping next to him. Tonight at least, he couldn't bare anymore loss.

High up in Gryffindor tower, Hermione Granger sleeps among her fellow lions, completely unaware of the tremulous emotions running through the people who she had considered family and friends for the past twenty years. With her memories locked away, this blissful little Gryffindor is excited for the start of term, eager to learn about the magic that in her mind, she had only been introduced to a few months ago.

Little does she, Dumbledore, or even Severus Snape know, that the magic imbedded in the memories and emotions that have been locked away, is not quite so willing to remain dormant.

Hey, thanks for reading. This is just something that popped into my head last night and wouldn't go away. I have a good idea where this story is going to go, but unfortunately, I do not have any pre-written chapters! So, if you like the idea, hang with me through the not so scheduled updates and delays. Characters might seem a little out of character from time to time, but I'll explain soon enough. :)