Disclaimer: I own nothing...
A/N: My new Hermione/Sirius story! It's the classic time-travel story with a few twists (which I'm sure have been used before but I don't care!)...
Summary: Everything up until the Final Battle happened. Harry sacrificed himself to destroy the Horcrux and chose to move on. Voldemort run away and the battle was won but not the war... McGonagall took over as the new Order leader... Hermione received a letter from Dumbledore on Harry's birthday giving her the choice to go back in time with two friends of her choice, change the future and save all the innocent lives, lost to Voldemort but with a grand price... Her life and whomever she choose to take with her will be erased and they will have a new life in the past... She chooses Neville and Luna to accompany her, since Ron and Ginny have their family. Neville, whose grandmother died, and Luna, who believes that for the greater good some sacrifices must be made, accept and they all travel back... And a surprise awaits them.
Ages:
Hermione, 18 almost 19.
Neville, 18.
Luna, 17.
Sirius, 19 almost 20.
James, Lily, Remus, Peter, Severus, 19.
Regulus, 17 almost 18.
The ages for everyone are from Harry Potter's official site. Sirius was probably younger but for this fic let's say he was born on December 21st of 1959. Regulus' death date was 1979, the same year Hermione, Neville and Luna will arrive in the past and again for this fic his death date will be during the summer. The new trio will arrive at July 31st, 1979.
Now on with the story!
Rewriting History
Letter from beyond the grave...
Hermione Granger was sitting alone in the huge library of Grimmauld Place. After the Battle to the grounds of Hogwarts, almost three months ago, the head quarters of the new Order of the Phoenix went back to the Black Manor. Having witness Snape's memories from the pensive Harry left in Dumbledore's office that fateful night, the whole order knew that Severus Snape was a hero. Minerva McGonagall took the place as the order's leader and gathered the remaining members and everyone who wanted to fight the dark lord to the safety of the Hogwarts castle. Lots of lives were lost that day. Fred Weasley, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin (leaving behind an orphaned new born), Colin Creevey, Neville's grandmother, dozens of others and the most devastating loss of all, who almost caused the wizarding community to lose hope, Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Lord Voldemort, knowing that he had no more Horcruxes left meaning he was mortal once more fled the scene after the death of his most loyal servant Bellatrix LeStrange by the hand of Molly Weasley. He had relocate his head quarters back to his Muggle father's house. Unfortunately, for him that is, the Ministry was back to capable hands. Kingsley Shacklebolt was declared the new Minister and all the pure bloods that helped the dark lord plans were imprisoned. Amongst them was Dolores Umbridge. The younger ones who wished to fight were trained by McGonagall, Kingsley himself and a few select others. Hermione of course was the best of them all. After Harry's death she had buried herself in the study of ancient books from the restricted section, all of them with ancient powerful magic. And yes even dark magic. Her powers kept growing stronger and stronger and her teachers had high hopes for the young witch. She wasn't allow to go to missions with high risks, since she was their new hope and they wanted to keep her safe as long as possible. Now that the boy-who-lived-just-to-die-seventeen-years-later was, well, dead the smartest witch of the generation, the brain behind Harry's survival and practically the reason why all of Voldemort plans of resurrection and Harry's capture failed, she had become the new Chosen One.
She hated it. She hated that whenever she performed a powerful spell perfectly in front of an audience the chatter and gossip was that she was the one that could rival Tom Riddle's dark power, that she was the successor of Dumbledore and Voldemort's match. She hated that her best friend, the boy she perceived as a younger brother had died for that stupid war. That she had to push away the boy she loved since third year cause she was afraid that he was going to die next.
Hermione was a logical being. She knew that Voldemort wasn't going to back down. His evil, power hungry plans for pure blood domination had caused the death of thousands of innocent people. The bad thing was that he actually had brains. Most dictators at some point, sooner or later, made mistakes. Sure they were smart but their pride and arrogance always caused them to have a bullet(or sword, depends on the time period!) through their head when they least expected it. But not him. He knew that his opponents were smart too. Tom was playing with human weaknesses. He could read people so well, he was a Legilimens after all, and he used their own fears and hopes against them. A great example was Ron himself. The piece of soul in the locket tried to manipulate Ron, using his jealously over his brothers and Harry. So Hermione tried to push everyone away just to keep them safe. Ginny, too sadden from her brother's death and the death of the boy she was in love with, respected her wishes and went to stay with her older brother Bill and his wife. Ron was the hardest. Her love for him was great and he loved her equally back. When she unemotionally said to him that she wasn't in love with him, that the kiss they shared made her understand that he wasn't the one for her and that she hoped he will find someone else to love, her heart broke. His hurt blue eyes almost dissolved her composure but she stayed strong. The only ones she couldn't get rid of were Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. She had tried everything, insults, threats, hexes and tears but her two last friends refused to leave her.
"He'll kill you..." she had cried desperately.
"He's going to kill us no matter what, Mione..." Neville had answered stubbornly back. "The fact that we were Harry's friends and we are fighting against him is a good enough reason for him to kill us."
"You can't push everyone away, Hermione" Luna said dreamily. "We care about you, deal with it!"
She had collapsed in both their arms and cried for two hours straight. Since then they were together always. Hermione trained with them and she was pleased to discover that her two new friends were extremely good. They were almost as good as her.
Almost...
Minerva secretly helped her become an Animagus, which she achieved within a month. Needless to say that her ex-Head of House was stunned. Hermione confessed that she had study the theory back in her third year. Her form was a big surprise. She could turn into a really big, golden eagle with honey coloured eyes. Her duelling abilities greatly improved too and soon no one could defeat her, not even older and more experienced Aurors. The rumours about her magical powers were spreading like wild fire through the magical world and soon Voldemort heard them too. Her safety was the order's new top priority and they relocated her permanently to Grimmauld Place, Minerva becoming the new Secret Keeper.
There she was now, buried once again in a thick volume full of offensive dark spells. She of course couldn't perform them but she was confident that in a duel she would be capable of using them. She had a new hobby nowadays. She had started searching old newspapers and wrote down the dates of important events and death dates from both the previous Wizarding World and the present one. She was writing all her facts in a small diary, plus she wrote where they found each Horcrux, the names of his most faithful supporters and little facts like who was a double spy for them and Voldemort and such. Every day she added a new name or event. She had charmed the little note book so only she could read it. She avoided like the plague the room where Harry had stayed and even more Sirius' old room where she hadn't been since the start of their final adventure. Her pain for her lost brother was still too raw for her to be reminded of him. Under her pleading Neville and Luna soon joined her for the rest of the summer. Harry's birthday was approaching and she really couldn't deal with it alone. She needed someone and they were her best friends.
July 31st 1998
Friday arrived too fast for Hermione's taste. Today was Harry's birthday. If he had survived he would be turning eighteen, a legal adult in the Muggle world. She sat up and without changing she made her way to his room. She slowly opened the door and walked in. It was still the same. Nothing had changed since a year ago when they had arrive here to hide from his nemesis. Her eyes stung but she kept her eyes wide open. She could almost see him laughing his head off from some joke said by the twins, playing wizard chess with Ron while she and Ginny watched them with amusement. She could almost hear his soft, comforting voice whispering to her that all was well, that as long as they stuck together they would be fine.
"Liar..." she whispered as fat tears slid down her cheeks. With trembling feet she threw herself on the bed of her best friend and surrendered to her despair. Soon she felt cool hands rubbing her back comfortingly and a soothing voice calming her. She lifted herself and hugged Luna close. Neville put his arms around both the girls and silently let a few tears fall for his lost friend he 'd never see again.
"It's all right, everything is fine, calm down..." Luna murmured calmly. Hermione raised her head to snap at her that no, it wasn't all right but a sudden gold spark made the three teenagers yell and jump a foot in the air. They watched startled as a golden feather slowly fell to the floor next to a blood red envelope with a Hogwarts seal.
"Fawkes...?" Hermione murmured stunned. The phoenix had disappeared after Dumbledore's funeral more than a year ago and no one had ever seen him again. She gingerly touched the crimson letter and she felt a warm feeling travel down her spine. She felt tears prickle her eyes and she suddenly felt like her headmaster was watching from the shadows.
"Open it..." Neville said quietly.
"It has your name on it..." Luna agreed. Hermione looked and sure as Hell her name was written in Albus Dumbledore's neat script.
Miss Hermione Jean Granger
She carefully opened the envelope and pulled a piece of parchment from inside. It looked old and the ink was a deep red. She brought it closer and started reading aloud. Whatever Dumbledore wanted to tell her, her friends could hear it too.
Dear Miss Granger,
If you are reading this letter it means that I'm presumably dead and Harry has either failed to his quest to find the remaining Horcruxes or died before Tom was successfully killed. In either way it's a catastrophic disaster for both the Muggle and Wizarding World that Voldemort is still alive. He may not be immortal-or as close to immortality as he wished- but he's still dangerous. He is still the most powerful wizard alive and unlike the rest of us he doesn't have feelings and morals. He will not hesitate to kill everyone he perceives as a threat meaning even small children. I'm afraid that his lack of compassion is both his greatest power and weakness. I'm sure that you already know that because of your title as the smartest witch of the generation,the wizarding world will bestow upon your shoulders the title of the new Chosen One even if you don't want it.
From the moment I met you my dear girl I knew you would one day become the greatest witch the world has ever seen. You truly are Lord Voldemort's match in power and smartness and that will make you his new number one target...I wish I could have taught you myself but Harry needed my help a lot more than you did. You kept him alive despite all the dangers and beaten tasks that witches thrice your age couldn't defeat.
I'm truly sad to inform you that the safety of the world is now on your hands Miss Granger and you must make a choice...A hard choice that will change the course of history itself...Please, before you continue with this letter take some time to think what you are willing to sacrifice to save the ones you love, to save the world...You must be absolutely certain of what you can't live without before I reveal to you my greatest secret...
Hermione shared a fearful stare with her two friends... What was Dumbledore's secret... and if it was so important then why he didn't mention it to Harry? The three of them exchanged an uneasy glance. Hermione knew that if it meant saving her friends lives and the wizarding world she would sacrifice everything she had to achieve that. An understanding passed between them and they all knew that they would gladly give their lives to save others. She refocused on her letter and taking a deep breath she resumed her reading.
Time...A very interesting but frivolous thing...It keeps passing by, without stopping or slowing down even when we are so happy we wish it would stop for just a moment so we can enjoy our pleasure for a little bit more...
What's done is done they say...
No use crying over spilt milk...
The only thing that would never change is the fact that time will always move forward...
But...what if we could change time...? What if we had the chance, the great chance, to rewrite history...? What if by a fate's fool game we had an object that could grand us that simple wish? The ability to change what it's already done? Would it be unethical to take advantage of that gift and save the lives of our loved ones? Would it be wrong to undo the past?
These questions have plagued my mind since Voldemort's first downfall...
If you had the power to manipulate time in your favour, if you could save thousands or millions of lives Miss Granger, what would you do? Would you risk life as you know it to make it better? Perhaps it'll turn out worse...The infamous time paradox is the reason for all the laws against the use of a time turner to undo the past...What if going back in time would cause you to kill your own self? And that's for going back just for a few hours...Until this day we still haven't found a way to travel back more than a few hours...But the question remains...What if?
Consider well the next bit of information Miss Granger because it shall change your life forever...
Years ago I came across a very interesting book...It contained the memoirs of a young wizard from Greece, named Theseus, who lived over two thousand years ago. In the book the young man mentioned a great war between the city of Athens and the city of Sparta that caused the elimination of both cities and the death of hundreds of people. I searched every book I could possible think to find this supposed war but it wasn't mentioned in any historical books I possessed...Surely a war so great would be mentioned...I was sure that the young man was just writing nuisance but a few pages later his writing turned more serious. He wrote that he had found a strange object,a golden hourglass with pure silver powder with strange writings on it. He had copied the symbols and I was capable of recognising a warning in runic alphabet...In short the message warns the carrier that his life as he know it will end if he chooses to go back and a new one would be granted to him...Theseus turned the hourglass and to his bewilderment he found himself three years in the past, just a few months before the great war began...He was no longer his old self but he had a new life. He managed to stop the war and save the two cities...No one though ever learned about him and so the history books never mentioned anything...
I spent years searching for the object in all Greece but I could not find it...I had given up hope and in my last trip to the ancient country I swore I would forget about the time traveller...I visited Theseus' home city and found the place he mentioned he lived and while I was entranced by a beautiful waterfall the sun rays hit a secret spot to the waterfall and the nature magic protecting a hidden passage from Muggle eyes appeared before me...I followed the path and found the ancient time travellers tomb...Above the grave was a huge statue of Chronos, the Greek god who was the Keeper of Time itself. Around the statue's neck was hanging the small hourglass.
I took it...
I spent the next few years trying to decipher the full meaning of the runic message...
It took me ten, long years but I finally solved the mystery...The hourglass was, according to legends, made by Hephaestus (the Greek god of fire, metal working, stonemasonry, sculpture and volcanism) for Chronos to help him control time. The god made two of them in case Chronos lost the first one. The old god was tired of being cursed by mortals...So one day he decided that it was time(pun not intended!) that he teach them a lesson...He dropped the hourglass where a mortal found it and almost caused the destruction of human kind. Zeus made him fix his mistake but when he meddled with time the small hourglass was lost...Hephaestus then, under Zeus's orders placed a curse on the powerful object...Whoever meddled with time trying to change it will have to remain in the time he travelled back...His old life will be erased like he was never born...Theseus was the first and last one to use the hourglass, causing his life to end and start again...
Now I think you understand what the meaning of this little fairytale is...
Are you willing to sacrifice your life in this era to change the past and save the future Miss Granger? Are you truly ready to forget Hermione Jean Granger and have a new life in the past? You can choose...The hourglass will take you to where you want to go and provide you with a new past that will help you...
I know how hard this is for you, dear...I'm truly sorry for bestowing this burden upon your shoulders...That was the reason I never said anything to Harry about this...I had faith in him...I hoped beyond hope that no one would ever need to make that preposterous choice...To ask from anyone to make that choice is inhuman,more so to ask it from a seventeen year old...I'm sorry for asking you to make this decision Miss Granger but if there is something I know about you is that you always make the right choice. I have faith in you...Have faith in yourself...
My sincerest apologies, Miss Granger...
Goodbye from an old friend...
Albus Dumbledore.
Hermione lifted her tear filled eyes to her shocked friends. Neville slowly tilted the envelope and sure enough a tiny hourglass dropped to his hands. It was so small it fitted his palm. The powder was truly silver and the tiny engraving's were indeed runes... Hermione took a deep breath and reached for the object. It felt icy cold against the warm skin of her palm and it seemed to emanate a golden glow. She lifted it to eye level and turned it carefully upside down. The silver powder remained unmoving...
"What are we going to do?" Neville asked fearfully. Hermione raised shocked eyes to the raven haired boy.
"We?" she said incredulously.
"Yes, we! Hermione it's about time you'll learn that we are not going anywhere! We are your friends! You go, we go. You fall, we jump right after you! That's what friends are for! For the good and the bad!" Luna snapped, which earned a rather amused look from the two ex-Gryffindors. The Ravenclaw girl never lost her cool and dreamy appearance. Snapping like that meant she was greatly upset.
"OK, OK don't get your knickers in a twist!" Hermione smiled. Neville started laughing hysterically and soon the two girls joined him. They spent a good ten minutes laughing their heads off but at some point they sobered up. Hermione placed the fragile golden object to her bed.
"So... Now what?" Luna asked.
"I'm going..." Hermione stated with finality. "I have nothing else to lose... My parents were murdered, my best friend is dead and along with him thousands of others... If I go back I can stop him... I can destroy the Horcruxes he have made and kill him before he can murder the Potter's. You cannot tell me that it can make life worse! We are at war! And in the losing side no less! I have a chance to stop him and that's what I'm going to do!"
"Well... Count me in!" Neville said bravely.
"Nev..." Hermione murmured but he cut her off.
"I have nothing to lose either, Mione... My grams is dead, my parents don't even recognise me which is worse than them being dead... I have no close family, my family is you guys! If I can save my parents and the world I'm willing to leave Neville Longbottom behind and start a new life!" Neville declared and Hermione hugged him closely.
"Thank you, Nev, it means a lot!" she whispered.
"Shush now it's nothing!" He answered blushing.
"Well aren't you cute together?" Luna snapped and the two looked at her. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Neville asked. Hermione's eyes widen.
"NO!" she screeched. Neville jumped, Luna lifted an eyebrow. "No, Luna you can't! Your father!"
"It's worth it!" the blond stubbornly said. "You are forgetting that we are going to save the world! Some sacrifices have to be made! And besides... It's not like I won't see him again! I would just not be his daughter! I could be a great friend and that way I can protect my mum!"
The three friends looked at each other.
"We are really doing it, huh?" Neville joked.
"Shall we?" Luna motioned towards the hourglass.
"Wait..." Hermione interjected. "Although we'll have new lives we still can have something from our old ones! Wait here!"
She ran out of the room and came back five minutes later with her small beaded bag with the Undetectable Expansion Charm on.
"Pack everything you want to have from your old lives, everything!" she demanded and her friends nodded vigorously. Luna took a family picture, some clothes she had made herself and all her school photos and books. Neville chose to take pictures and a locket with his parent's photo in it. Hermione, always the practical one packed her diary (containing vital information's for their fight), practically all the magic books she could fit in, Harry's Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map. After Hermione placed her bag on her shoulder she took the small time turner and she put the chain around her and her friends, the chain magically grew longer so they all could fit.
"Well that's it..." Luna said solemnly.
"Luna you still have time to bac-" Hermione tried to tell her.
"Turn the turner Mione and shut up!" Luna snapped and Neville snorted. Hermione sighed and looked at the tiny time turner.
Please, please take us back to the past...Where Tom Riddle had made all his Horcruxes and we can destroy him...Back where we can save our world...We willingly give our old lives for that chance...Please Chronos...
She started turning slowly the hourglass. It started rather slowly and then, progressively gained speed. They looked around them and few tears run down their cheeks as they saw the walls disappearing. Everything turned into a blur and they lost focus. When the turner stopped spinning Neville and Luna collapsed unconscious. Hermione was fighting the tiredness with everything she had but she couldn't keep her eyes open. As she fell she saw someone coming running towards them... Someone dressed in midnight blue robes who screamed something but her ears were buzzing and she didn't hear the words.
"Hermione!"
88888
When Hermione opened her eyes again she saw white.
Am I dead?she thought disappointed. I thought I was going back in time not dying! She mentally sighed and turned away. Her confused eyes connected with brilliant blue orbs she didn't expect to see again in her life. She blinked willing the dream to go away but when she reopened them Albus Dumbledore, her dead headmaster was sitting on a chair next to her hospital bed looking very much alive! And really worried if she may add...
"Are you OK, Mya?" asked her ex-professor. He seems rather worried, she mused and then she remembered that she was no more Hermione Jean Granger but someone else. She wasn't sure if she should ask but her brain was still too tired to faction.
"Where am I?" she inquired politely. The old man frowned but soon he smiled a brilliant smile.
"Hogwarts of course!" he said cheerfully. "I know you haven't see the castle since you were very little but I was sure you would remember it!"
She nodded. She felt it was the safest thing to do, at the moment!
"Em... Where are my friends?" she whispered suddenly fearfully and she tried to stand up. Dumbledore's gentle hand pushed her down.
"Don't worry dear, Mr Lysander and Miss Rose are safe. They are in the beds across your own. Now lay down, you hurt your head with that awful fall..."
"Who?" she asked surprised and the frown returned to her teacher's face.
"Mr Neville Nicholas Lysander and Miss Luna Elisabeth Rose, your best friends and followers of course..." he said looking at her as though he was afraid she had hurt her head. Hermione mentally slapped herself. Of course you idiot! New lives, new names! Thank god we have the same first names though! Now for the million dollar question...
"Em.. Are they pure bloods?" she asked trying -and failing- to act nonchalant. Dumbledore's frown was now almost permanent.
"Of course! The Rose's are one of the oldest pure blooded families in England along with the Black's, Malfoy's, Potter's and us of course!" he said and by the us she guessed he was talking about himself and his brother. The Dumbledore's were in fact the oldest and purest pure-blooded family in Europe, even older than the Black family, and of course the wealthiest. Shame that the name died out. Albus was never married (some said that he was homosexual) and Aberforth would probably die alone too. "And the Lysander's are the oldest pure blooded family in France! You should know that since your mother was a Lysander!"
"WHAT!" Hermione blushed when she noticed his bewildered look. I must think about a good lie!
"My apologies sir, but I think that I have hit my head pretty badly... I can't seem to recall anything..."
"Strange... Poppy was sure that you didn't have any permanent damage..." he said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps it will come to me?" she offered and he nodded once again with a huge smile. Jeez that man is always so cheerful! It gets creepy! she thought and almost snorted aloud. She covered it with a cough but she was sure he knew the truth.
"Well..." he started. "Your great grandmother was Neville's grandmother. Miss Rose too is related to you. Of course the relations between you three are rather distant but you are still family my dear... You Hermione are the last one of us... Unfortunately our name will die out but our line will survive..."
"What do you mean professor?" she inquired softly. Dumbledore seemed shocked.
"Why, my dear you don't need to call me professor! A simple grandpa will do!" he exclaimed smiling brightly. Hermione's eyes widen.
"I'm sorry what?" she whispered.
"Hermione dear, you are Hermione Isabella Dumbledore, the youngest of our family and most important the heiress to our name and fortune! As I said call me grandpa!"
Hermione fainted.
A/N: Well that's the first chapter! Love you all!