Chapter 1: Too Far Back

Watching her second family mourn and a twin fall apart as he lost the other half of himself Hermione just couldn't take it anymore. Running into her room she went through her stuff tearing everything apart looking for the thing she had stolen a couple years ago. Looking down at the familiar device she had used during her third year Hermione gave a sad smile as she turned it back twenty four hours. She wouldn't be able to save everyone, but she couldn't allow Fred to die.

However seconds before she was going to let go of the time turner and explosion shook the house and Hermione found herself twisting and turning as she fell out of the window of the room she shared with Ginny. The time turner turning further back then she had wanted and Hermione screamed as a green light headed towards her hitting the time turner in her hand. Everything around her turned nauseous as Hermione found herself falling and twisting having to close her eyes as she felt herself drift into unconsciousness.

When Hermione woke up it was too loud voices around her. Opening her eyes she was shocked to find herself at the Hogwarts infirmary and she wondered just how far back she had ended up going. Looking around her Hermione had to hold in a scream when she saw familiar red hair beside her and found herself looking into the eyes of Fred Weasley, although this was a Fred Weasley back in fourth year. Somehow she had ended up going back to the year the Chamber of Secrets was opened.

"Oh Merlin Madam Pomfrey she's awake!" Fred's astonished voice yelled making the familiar witch bustle over to them and shove Fred out of the way. Hermione watched in shock as the woman started waving her wand around her in fast movements tisking and Hermione could see a very shocked look on her face.

Turning away from the wand movements that were making her feel a bit nauseous Hermione looked at Fred again. She was a little shocked to find him here when she woke up because by the time line it must be after the petrified students were woken up. Yet the first time around only Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape had been around her when she had woken up. So why was Fred here this time and why did he seem so shocked to find her awake?

"Ms. Granger, how are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked looking at her strangely. Never had Hermione seen that look on Madame Pomfrey's face even after she had been told that the scar on her arm would never heal.

"Fine why?" she asked sighing as she realized she was in her younger body meaning that her teeth hadn't been fixed yet.

Before Madame Pomfrey could answer the door to the infirmary opened and a familiar presence came blowing in. A man who Hermione had watched die and an accomplished Legilimens Hermione just prayed that her shield would hold up. She'd rather not have to explain why she had memories from years in the future. She'd have to be very careful not to show what she knew, but at the same time change things where she could without it seeming suspicious.

The Professor Hermione had once feared was looking at her in shock before he approached the bed. "Simply astonishing I've never heard of a victim of petrifaction waking up on their own." It was odd for Hermione to hear him talking like that and not sound like the evil man she had believed him to be for years.

Hermione's eyes widened in fear at what he had said, she had just assumed that she had woken up after being given the antidote. If she woke up before everyone else though it would cause many people to start thinking she had special powers, although Hermione was sure the only reason she had woken up was because of her soul transference. As the soul of her older self found itself in her younger body her body must have been forced awake to make sure the soul settled right.

Looking at them fearfully Hermione found herself pleading with them, "please don't tell anyone I'm awake."

"Whatever for child? Your friends will be happy to see you," Madame Pomfrey said looking at her in reassurance. Hermione almost jumped as a hand slipped itself into her own and she turned to look at Fred who gave her a gentle squeeze in reassurance.

"I don't need people looking at me strangely, please Madame Pomfrey Professor Snape, I don't need to be treated like I have special gifts," she pleaded her eyes wide with panic. What if when Voldemort returned, if she couldn't stop him, he heard about this and decided to recruit her instead of kill her. Or worse people might try putting her on the same pedestal that Harry had spent his entire childhood on.

"Actually I think it's for the best, if the Heir finds out that Ms. Granger is awake they just might try to succeed in killing her this time. Better to make up a reason why her friends can't see her Poppy instead of putting the girl into needless danger," Professor Snape said his reason logical and something Hermione would have thought of it she wasn't panicking. Then again could anyone really blame her for panicking when she found herself sent five years into the past?

"I didn't even think of that. Mr. Weasley you'll have to be careful not to let anyone know, and I guess we can't forbid you from seeing Ms. Granger, but please do be careful when visiting her," the mediwitch said sternly.

Never did Hermione think that she would see the day where a teacher would allow one of the Weasley twins to be in their domain. Actually it still shocked her that Fred was the only one in here, she thought if one twin came to visit her both would, so where was George? It's not like Fred and Hermione had been super close until the summer of third year, so why would he come visit her on his own?

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," Fred said sounding oddly serious as he smiled down at her. It was still odd for Hermione to get used to the fact that a living breathing Fred Weasley was now beside her. She had seen his dead body and she was praying that this wasn't a dream, she didn't know if she could take waking up to find out that Fred was still dead.

Hermione had woken up only about a month or so before she was supposed to, and she was lucky that Harry and Ron had already received her message. Otherwise the boys wouldn't know what they were dealing with. It was hard for her not spilling the beans to Fred about how Ginny was the one opening the chamber. In two weeks Ginny would be taken and rescued by Harry, and then it would take another two weeks after that for the potions to be finished.

Professor Snape surprisingly was the one who brought Fred to visit her often under the guise that Fred was in detention. Both she and Fred were very confused about the turn of events with their potions teacher, but neither of them asked why he was being so nice to them they were too afraid that he would stop. With the ban still on Fred wouldn't be able to wander the halls alone, so Hermione really did appreciate what their potions teacher was doing. Madame Pomfrey even seemed confused about his behavior, but she like them never pointed it out. Instead asking Professor Snape how the potions were coming along.

During the time that Hermione was in her own private room she grew closer to Fred and started to rebuild the friendship they had before he had died. He kept her up to date about how all her friends were doing and how he and George were still pulling pranks to try and brighten the mood. Another thing he did was smuggle her books from her own personal collection although he refused to tell her how he got into her room, and he had even given her a book on pranks. Hermione was certain that her accepting it would be one of the only times that she would ever see that sort of look on the face of a Weasley twin.

Then two weeks after she had woken up Fred had come and woke her up, jolting her out of a nightmare she had been having from his death. The look of pure agony on his face told her that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, and that he still didn't know that his sister was safe. Hermione didn't even say a word before she wrapped her arms around Fred, Madame Pomfrey peeking in on them for a moment to check on the young boy before silently walking out. It was surprising to Hermione how much Madame Pomfrey accepted Fred being here with her, and she was thankful to the older witch for not making it so that she was all alone.

Finally Fred stopped crying and started to talk, "Ginny, the heir ... of Slytherin took Ginny. The message said her ... skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever," Fred said chocking on the words.

"She will be fine Fred trust me," Hermione said wishing for the first time that she had told someone the truth when she woke up. Yet she was too afraid of people wanting her for her knowledge of the future, and she refused to become a weapon. However she couldn't just watch Fred fall apart thinking that his little sister would die.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked her looking at her with wide eyes. In honesty she had expected for Fred to scream at her telling her she couldn't know that, but instead he seemed to be looking at her with hopeful eyes like her words could hold no lies. The trust he was showing in her was scary, but at the same time it made Hermione feel happier then she had in a long time.

Smiling at him brightly she just gave the answer anyone would expect of her, "because Harry will save her. He sort of has a hero complex that boy," she added the last part with a wink and said it in a whisper like it was a big secret.

Fred just laughed at her shaking his head, but the pained look in his eyes had dimmed. "You're right that boy will find a way to save her. Thank you Hermione."

"Anytime Fred, but I think right now you should be with your family to keep their spirits up. Besides I think Ginny will want to see you all after her Prince saves her," Hermione said getting up out of bed and shoving Fred to the door. Although for safety she didn't open it instead stepping to the side a little so that no one would see her when Fred left.

Giving her one more hug Fred winked at her before walking out of the room. His shoulders no longer looked like they were holding the weight of the world on his shoulders and he truly looked like she had lifted his burden. To think Hermione was the one who cheered up one half of the Weasley Twins when they used to be the ones always cheering her up. This time around she wouldn't be so harsh on them about the pranks because she now knew how badly it was when one half of the light was gone.

A few hours later Hermione was sound asleep when the blissfully happy Weasley twin had snuck into her room. Madame Pomfrey no longer caring that he always ended up coming during the night. Most of the time it was too reassure himself that the little witch was actually awake and that it hadn't all been a dream. Ever since she had been petrified he had terrible nightmares that the monster of the chamber had killed her instead, and the first time he had come in here was when she was still petrified. Madame Pomfrey had originally come out to give him trouble for sneaking in here at night when no one was supposed to be walking around the castle, but one look at his face and she had just smiled sadly at him before giving him a blanket. She had practically ordered him to stay the night and after that Fred found himself sleeping in the infirmary and being escorted to the Great Hall by the Mediwitch in the mornings.

He had been so confused when Hermione had woken up early on her own, and he knew that the Mediwitch and Professor Snape were just as confused. Then he had grown terrified when Professor Snape had said it was for her safety that no one knew she was awake, tha the heir might come to finish off the job.

Now here he was the castle safe and the Basilisk dead. He had finally been able to sneak away from his family who had surrounded a terrified Ginny, Ron, and Harry. Since everyone believed Hermione had to be moved out of the infirmary beds for her safety, the story being that a Slytherin had snuck in here one night trying to hex her into a coma so that she would never wake up. Madame Pomfrey had told everyone that she was sent to a private room in the castle, and the door to her room was invisible unless if you knew it was there. He had never actually told Hermione that no one could see him leaving because watching her try to conceal herself from others was just so adorable.

Over the last two weeks getting to know Hermione had given him a new friend. A friend that for the time being wasn't one he shared with George. Not to mention that somehow Hermione could tell them apart, something only Angelina and Katie had been able to do before now. Neither girl had ever explained how they could tell them apart though when not even their own mother could, but maybe their mother not being able to was their own fault since they always tried to confuse her into thinking she was talking to the other twin.

When he had come to see Hermione earlier when Ginny had been taken, or rather brought herself down to the chamber because of that book possessing her, he had felt so lost. Yet Hermione had sounded so certain that Harry would save Ginny and he had, if it hadn't been for Dumbledore's Phoenix Harry Potter would have died in the process of saving his baby sister. All the Weasleys owed Harry so much for saving her.

It made him wonder though how Hermione had been so confident that Harry could find Ginny, how could she know that Harry would find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets? He had been relieved by her, but now it just seemed odd that she knew even if she didn't go into specifics. Not to mention that she hadn't even seemed shocked when he had said Ginny had been taken not once had she been worried about his little sister. Even though he knew she cared for the younger girl. It couldn't just be her blind faith in Harry that had her positive Ginny would be fine, but he didn't have enough clues to figure out the answer. Maybe one day in the future he could find out how exactly Hermione had been so calm.

The next two weeks passed by quickly as Fred started preparing for his exams. Exams that she herself was exempt from since almost everyone still believed that she was petrified. Actually Fred ended up using her to test his knowledge on subjects and she helped him out with the trickier ones. Understanding that Fred wanting help was more to help elevate her boredom that was growing more as each day passed with her being able to go outside or talk to anyone else. Studying his material with Fred gave her purpose and she was certain that Fred was going to do surprisingly well on his exams this year and shock everyone especially his teachers. Well all of them except for Professor Snape who had seen them studying together the once and an odd expression had passed on his face, almost one of longing like watching them study made him remember something painful.

Finally the potions were done and Hermione was reunited with her two best friends. Although acting like she and Fred weren't close was killing her. Yet the two of them had agreed that they had to make it seem like their friendship started growing when they met again next year. After all it would seem very suspicious for her to suddenly be friends with Ron's older brother after having just woken up from petrifaction. It was difficult being away from him after having seen him so much over the past month, but they shared little smiles that promised they wouldn't have to do it for long. Next year people would find it strange, but she and Fred would become friends.