Welcome to the beginning of Twenty Eight Turns. As a disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter, its characters, or its plot.

I would like to also give credit where credit is due: The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie was the inspiration of this story. I was so caught up with the badass that was Mia Potter, I didn't want it to end, so I began spinning this story.

This story is to fulfill my craving for a strong, fearless Hermione. Yes, it does involve time travel, but it is consistent with that of The Prisoner of Azkaban- not Cursed Child. If you are looking for smut, look elsewhere- I don't write detailed sex scenes. If you don't agree with the Sirius/Hermione pairing given that they will be growing up together, turn away now.

Enjoy!

Department of Mysteries: 1996

Spells were flying. The Department of Mysteries was a warzone. In the middle of it all, Sirius Black was dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange. She was fiercely throwing curses towards her cousin with impressive speed, so much so that she was beginning to overtake the wizard. With a crazed grin on her face, she began to shout 'Stupefy!', but was cut short by a strange woman.

This mysterious woman seemingly appeared out of thin air, neither side even noticed her arrival. Her long black curls were soft and elegant as they flowed down her slender waist. Her eyes were a dark chocolate, boarding black, and her eyes, they were her most impressive feature. Despite her aristocratic high cheekbones, lightly tanned skin, and delicate pink lips, her eyes were the reason those who caught her gaze either feared for their lives, or felt that they were in the presence of a queen. They shone with determination and a special sparkle that said she would do anything to reach her ends.

Those fiery eyes fell upon Bellatrix and lit with vengeance. A sane person would run, but the unsuspecting Death Eater had not noticed in time to hear 'Avada Kedavra!' from the young woman's delicate lips.

Bellatrix turned to see the smirk of the familiar curly haired witch before the curse hit her between the eyes, and she fell with a look of shock engraved into her face.

Sirius Black on the other hand, turned toward his savior and only got a glimpse of her winking at him before she disappeared.

The glimpse was enough. Mina was back. His heart started beating faster than he knew possible.

~oo00oo~

Number 12 Grimmauld Place: 1998

Hermione was laying in her bed in Grimmauld Place attempting to sleep. It was a little past midnight, and she knew that as soon as her eyes closed the horrors of the war would replay like a broken record- Bellatrix's torture, Ron leaving, everyone dying. The nightmares were the reason Hermione always looked tired. They made her perfect wandless Silencio. They made her hate closing her eyes.

A scream jolted her from reflecting on the effects of the war on her sleeping habits. On instinct, she grabbed her wand and methodically scanned every room for danger until she was standing in front of Harry's bedroom door where the sound permeated from.

Cracking the door open, she saw her best friend thrashing in his bed, screaming as if he was being murdered. His usually wild black hair was soaked, matting to his forehead, and his lanky limbs were desperately trying to free themselves from his covers. Immediately Hermione rushed to his side, attempting to calm him.

"Harry!" she whispered urgently, shaking him in the process. "It's just a nightmare," she explained to his panicked eyes when they shot open. "It's okay, Harry. I'm here," she whispered soothingly, lightly brushing his wet hair from his eyes. "Move over," she quietly commanded, and the bewildered teen scooted over to let Hermione slip under the covers beside him. Regaining his surroundings and realizing that he was not, in fact, in the Room of Requirement as it burned, he flushed with embarrassment. Hermione did not accept his reaction, and took his hand telling him, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I have them too. Let's just go to bed."

Harry briefly stared up at his best friend, thinking 'what did I ever do to deserve her?', but the thought was left unanswered as both Hermione and Harry fell into their first peaceful slumber in a long time.

~oo00oo~

After the pair awoke, they quietly began their morning routine. Harry made breakfast. Hermione fixed the tea. They would both reminisce about old times as Hogwarts as they ate. Hermione would then go to the Black library and read with a cup of tea beside her and Crookshanks at her lap as Harry would head over to the Burrow to play Quidditch or just chat with the Weasleys. They would later reconvene for dinner either at the Burrow, a muggle Chinese restaurant near the house, or Hermione would cook and Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny would gather around the table and talk about future plans or gossip.

However, after Harry flooed to the Burrow, Hermione decided to clean the house as it was still dank and dusty even after Sirius's renovation. While cleaning the upstairs bathroom to the sounds of Kreacher's dark mutterings, she heard a strange sound from the front room, and she crept out to investigate. She assumed the sound was Kreacher deciding to actually clean, but upon entering the living room, she found no decrepit, cruel house elf, but rather the book of fairytales Dumbledore had bequeathed her, which she had not realized was left out, glowing.

Testing the tome with various revealing spells, she found no traces of Dark magic around the book, so she carefully opened it. She stood there agape as she took in the sight of the strangest time turner she had ever laid her eyes upon. Hermione had no clue as to how the time turner found its way into her book, but it seemed her answer lay in a tiny slip of paper stuck underneath the pendant.

She pulled out the note and read:

Go to Hogwarts.

Twenty eight turns will do.

The penmanship and vague language was easily recognizable. Albus Dumbledore.

~oo00oo~

Hermione spent the next month covertly studying time travel. She did not want to be under-prepared. The time turner she found, along with the message, was covertly tucked into her pocket at all times. Despite her slight resentment of Dumbledore, she couldn't see any harm in going back in time. Maybe it might set her back far enough to save a few lives, and thus it would be worth the blind leap of faith. Somehow, despite her normally rational mind, she believed that the particular time turner she possessed did not merely send the traveler back a few hours like her last time turner, but years. The worn, discolored gold along with the diamond-like sand hinted at an older, more mysterious bit of magic than the smaller, shinier time turner she briefly owned.

She poured over tome after tome describing the inner workings of time pieces, how time loops, but changes can be made. She read obscure journals about time travel, thanks to the extensive Black library, and attempted to learn from their mistakes. She began to make a list of preparations after reading through all of the books she could find in the library.

Learn Occulmency

Make a journal of events since 1991- detailed.

Pull money out of Gringotts

Pack appropriate clothes- Hogwarts robes, dress robes, daily robes

Books

She didn't know how far back she was going to travel, but she was prepared for years. She began learning Occulmency that first night. She had no Legitmins to test her abilities, so she worked on building her walls. She knew that if she travelled back to the middle of the war, she would need to protect her knowledge, so she built a fortress in her mind to surround everything she loved.

Hermione could tell that others were noticing her mental absence. Harry had begun to ask her to come to the Weasleys and often asked if she was okay. Occasionally, Ginny would come over and quite literally drag her best friend to Diagon Alley for shopping and gossip. Every trip was exhausting and tedious. There were reports waiting for her at every corner asking what the 'Golden Trio' had been up to since the war. The press received no more than silent dismissals- Hermione had no patience for fame, and on more than one occasion she was one more question away from hexing the reports.

Somehow, Hermione managed to convince her friends that she was merely studying up for her Seventh year at Hogwarts. Knowing her studious tendencies, Ginny, Ron, and Harry significantly decreased their worry, only insisting that she pull herself away from her books two days each week.

By the end of her second month, she had read every revenant book in the Black library at least one. She had occulmency shields of steel- or at least she hoped. Her beaded bag held one hundred galleons, Hogwarts robes, dress robes, muggle and wizard clothes, hundreds of books including both her time travel books and Hogwarts texts, and a journal that had more wards and protection spells on it than Hogwarts. She was beginning to feel guilt pool inside her heart- she was planning on leaving her friends for possibly another 28 years, and she had yet to spend a decent amount of time with them after the war. They, of course, assumed that she was in a study rut, but they would be seeing her for the rest of their lives. So, she spent two weeks at their will. She swam in the lake behind the Burrow, went shopping with Ginny, watched her little family play quidittch. She ate dinner at the Weasleys, visited friends, laughed, and tried to enjoy every second with her family. As her parents memories were irreplaceable, she found solace among the Weasleys, Harry, and their friends from the DA. She would miss them.

~oo00oo~

20 October, 1998

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

After no more than five questions at breakfast, Hermione was at the gates of Hogwarts. It felt like coming home after a semester away from family, but the crumbled stone and rebuilt towers were daggers in her heart to remind Hermione that her home was broken and family members were gone. Holding back her tears, she trudged up the hill to the doors were Headmistress McGonagall was planning to meet her.

(An hour earlier: Number 12 Grimmauld Place)

"I'm going to Hogwarts today, you don't have to wait for me for dinner. I don't know when I'll be back," Hermione attempted to say as casually as she could manage. Her heart was racing at the thought of lying to Harry. In all actuality, she didn't know when she would she her best friend again, so she tried to memorize his face while trying to appear as if everything was normal. She didn't want to leave her best friend, but she knew she couldn't let him stop her.

He looked up with a small spark of surprise playing across his face. "Why are you going to Hogwarts? Semester is going to be starting in a week," he asked.

She, of course, had a prepared story she knew he would accept with few questions. "I am Head Girl, so I am going to discuss this next year with McGonagall."

"Don't you usually do that once you get here?" he questioned.

"This year is shorter than normal ones, so we don't want to waste time," she explained. In truth, she had already talked to Minvera over the floor about details before she even received the time turner.

"Oh, okay," he gave in, still slightly suspicious, then his face lit up when he remembered something. "Oh, Hermione," he began, pulling a box out of a drawer in the kitchen. He set the long box in front of Hermione and smiled. "This is for you. I was going to wait until you actually went off to Hogwarts, but this is to celebrate you becoming Head Girl."

She delicately pulled the lid off of the box. Tucked into a plush blanket of velvet held a beautiful necklace. It was made of a rope Goblin forged white gold with dozens pearls dangling from the chain surrounding a dazzling diamond. It was lovely, priceless, and entirely too much. Tears began rolling down Hermione's face as Harry explained the meaning. "The chain was from the Potter vaults, then the pearls were made to represent everyone in your family: your parents, the Weasleys, me, and our friends. The diamond is you," he said smiling up at her as if she was actually the diamond.

She was about to convince Harry that the necklace was too much and she couldn't take it, especially knowing she was leaving, but he was ahead of her. "You are keeping it. It isn't too much, in fact, it is probably not enough. You have saved my life more times than I can count, and I owe you much more than this," he said both sincerely and sternly- there was no option but to accept his gift.

"It's perfect," she cried, throwing her arms around Harry and trying to portray both her thank you and goodbye in her tight hug. She couldn't hold back the tears when she mumbled, "I love you Harry. I would do it all over again."

When she finally pulled away, he was grinning and holding back tears also. "I'm glad to have you as a sister," he confessed.

"I'm honored to be your sister," she said honestly. It was as if Harry knew what she was actually going to do, and she was feeling her resolve crack.

"You are going to tell me what this meeting was actually about?" he asked, amusement twinkling in his eyes as she blushed from being caught at her lie.

"When I get back, I'll tell you," she promised, adding in her head 'whenever that is'. "Now, put this necklace on. I need to look like royalty for my meeting," she joked with a smirk and turned around waiting.

He gently strung the jewelry around her neck and clasped it with the reverence of touching the Queen. She turned around and gave him another suffocating hug, then bounded towards the the floo knowing if she looked at him again she wouldn't be able to leave. "Goodbye. Love you!" she shouted as she stepped into the floor directing her to Hogsmeade.

(Back at Hogwarts:)

"Ms. Granger," McGonagall greeted as Hermione walked up the steps to the front entrance to Hogwarts. The older witch looked stressed. Her normally tight bun had let loose to free a few strands of hair that floated around Minvera's face. She had gained a few more wrinkles, and her normally strict, flawless appearance was lost in her plain black flowing robes. "I apologize for my appearance, but I believed after our history I wouldn't regret my casual appearance," Minvera explained.

Hermione smiled at her favorite teacher. "Of course not. You are always beautiful, Minerva."

McGonagall rolled her eyes, but she let Hermione in and chucked, "You are already Head Girl, there is no need for extra flattery."

Hermione and Minvera chatted on their walk to the Headmistress office. Hermione wanted to know what else was left to fix at Hogwarts, and Minerva was interested in Hermione's progress with occulmency. Once they reached her office, Minerva settled into her plush chair behind her desk, and Hermione took the seat across from her feeling nervous about what she was about to say. "Minerva-" Hermione began, but the Headmistress stopped her with a hand and smiled at her affectionately.

"I know," the Headmistress stated, then proceeded to explain. "Albus told me long ago this day would come. I know where you are going, and I look forward to seeing you there. I am sorry you wouldn't be able to be Head Girl, you deserve it more than anyone."

Hermione was gobsmacked. If Dumbledore told Minerva about this long ago, it meant that Hermione wasn't going back 28 weeks or months, but 28 years. Despite preparing for 1970, fear still shot into Hermione's heart- her only comfort being Minerva's smile. She was obviously a good friend of McGonagall's even back then. "Can you tell me anything about going back?" the young woman blurted.

Minerva actually laughed at Hermione's outburst. The headmistress must have had this speech well prepared. "Everything will be fine. You will make friends and learn more than you can imagine."

The confirmation of happiness settled Hermione's fears into determination. She looked straight into her mentor's eyes and declared, "I'm ready."

"It was a pleasure," Minerva said, a tear building up in her eyes.

Hermione stood, pulled the time turner from her robes and flicked back the dial 28 times.

The world spun, and she vanished- stumbling, spiraling into past, headfirst.

Once Hermione Granger disappeared, a witch in the corner of the room released her disillusionment and sat on Minerva's desk. "Godric, I was so young," the witch sighed.

"And well-mannered," Minerva added with a smirk as she looked up to the new witch.

"Not for long," the mysterious witch winked and the two older women giggled like old friends.

~oo00oo~

Hermione was in a free-fall through time and space. It was terrifying. She wished to stop until abruptly she landed- hard- onto the very same floor she left. Groaning, she pulled herself off of the floor to find the office nearly the same as it had been in 1998 with one exception- Albus Dumbledore.

"Hello, dear," he greeted with a genial smile. "Lemon drop?"

Thank you for reading this first chapter. I do have a few disclaimers/announcements.

First: I don't guarantee weekly updates- I have two other active stories I try to update.

Second: If you want to Beta this story or one of my other two, PM me. I would like my stories to be the best they can be.

Finally: If you have any comments, criticisms, suggestions, leave a review. I read them and like to hear feedback. I still don't know how to format for fan , so any suggestions to make my fan fiction better makes me happy.

-A.K.L.