Hermione Granger was sitting quietly in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table and eating her breakfast. Next to her sat her friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They currently were all in their sixth year of Hogwarts. She listened to them talk about the upcoming Yule Ball and she had no plans of even going. Harry was obviously going to go with Ginny and Ron who knows what girl he'll choose, but Hermione didn't have anyone to bring. She didn't want to end up going alone.

"Are you going to the Yule Ball?" Harry asked Hermione.

Hermione looked up from her breakfast and frowned at him. "I don't know if I'm going Harry. I don't have a date and I don't want to go alone."

"We can all go together as friends. This is the last time to have fun together before the holidays," Harry said hopefully.

The look on his face and the way he smiled at her made her sigh. She knew she couldn't find an excuse not to go. He will just drag her along anyway. She smiled at him in return and said, "Alright Harry I'll go, but only because it's before the Holidays."

Harry smiled back at her. The mail finally arrived. An owl swooped down and dropped a letter on Hermione's plate. She picked it up and saw that it was from Professor Dumbledore. She opened the letter and started to read to herself.

Dear Ms. Granger,

Good morning Ms. Granger! I hope this letter finds you well. After breakfast please meet me in my office. I need to speak to you about a certain professor of yours. I also need to ask you a favor. The password this week is chocolate frogs. See you soon.

From,

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry looked over at Hermione who was still staring at the letter gripped in her hands. "Who was the letter from?"

She looked up from the letter and turned to Harry. "Professor Dumbledore. He wants to talk to me about something after breakfast." She looked back down at the letter and the word professor made her more alert. Which Professor? She looked up at the Great Table and scanned the table. Her eyes met Professor Snape's. She quickly looked away and felt her cheeks burn. Why does he hate me so much? I've always been a good student, but he always looks at me with distain on his face. What have I ever done to him? The rest of breakfast was quiet and Hermione contemplated the possible reasons why Dumbledore wanted to speak with her.

She finally finished her breakfast by taking one last gulp of her pumpkin juice. She told her friends she would see them later and she headed out the doors to Professor Dumbledore's office. She walked down the hallway still confused by this new predicament. Professor Dumbledore never asked her to meet with him. She hoped it wasn't serious. She started feeling nervous and thought of the possible reasons why she might be in trouble. She reached the statue much too quickly for her liking. She said the password and headed up the winding staircase. She knocked on the door and Professor Dumbledore let her in. She walked inside and saw him sitting behind his desk waiting patiently for her. She lowered herself into a big comfy armchair in front of his desk.

Dumbledore greeted her with a kind smile. He said, "Good morning Ms. Granger. I hope your school work is going well."

She smiled at him in return. "Hello Professor. My schoolwork is perfect as ever. Why have you summoned me this morning? Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not my dear. As the letter said I have asked you to come here because it's about one of your professor's. Please let me explain before you decline my request. The professor I am talking about is Professor Snape."

She looked perplexed at the Professor he named. She didn't understand why she would have to do anything with him. "What about him Headmaster?'

Professor Dumbledore lowered his glasses from his face and a serious look crossed his face. "It seems that the timeline requires you Ms. Granger to go back in time and befriend Professor Snape when he was a 6th year in school."

"What? Why would I need to go back in time? Couldn't this affect our current timeline now?" She was even more confused now than ever. She thought for sure he was joking, but the look on his face let her know that he was not. He was being absolutely serious.

He smiled at her outburst. "Yes Ms. Granger it very well can, but not if it's already been set in place. It's in the prophecy my dear that you are the one who goes back. It is to help us win in the war in the end. You do want to win don't you?"

"Yes sir of course. I would do anything to make sure Harry wins in the end, but I'm not too sure about this sir."

"What's not to be sure of Ms. Granger? All you have to do is go back in time and blend in with the other students. You have to come up with a good story as to why you are new and make friends with Professor Snape. Then when a few months have passed you will be sent back to the present after it's over. The timeline here won't be altered and you will come back as if nothing happen."

"But sir I'm still confused. What exactly is my mission? What is the purpose of me going back in time?"

Professor Dumbledore had a weird twinkle in his eye and Hermione felt uneasy. "Don't you worry about that my dear. Just go along with the other students and you will know when it is time to go back. Remember you have to do this for the greater good."

"If it's for the greater good then I will do it." He handed her a time turner and Hermione put it around her neck.

"Now just turn it once. It's already been ready for you. You will appear in my office. Good luck Ms. Granger and remember to give him a chance. He's not what he seems. Oh and give this letter to my past self. It will explain a little better."

She looked back at him once and she slowly started to turn the time turner. She stopped turning it and she felt the time starting to change. She saw flashes of time go by her. After five minutes have passed it finally stopped spinning. She looked around the office she was still standing in and saw that nothing has changed at all in the 18 years that passed.

Professor Dumbledore turned towards Hermione and said, "I am sorry miss, but I do not believe that we have met. Who are you and how did you get into my office?"

She smiled at him and said, "Hello Professor Dumbledore. My name is Hermione Granger and I have been sent here from the future by you."

He said, "Can you tell me why I would have sent you?"

"I don't think you would want that to happen Professor. It can cause great damage to my future and yours. What I can tell you is that I am going to be here for only a few months and then I have to be sent back."

He stared at her quizzically. He was confused by the whole situation, but stranger things have happened. "I won't stand in your way then."

"Your future self told me to make up a story so here it is. If anyone asks you who I am I think you should tell them that I am Hermione Smith. I am here at this school because my parents got a new job in London and I ended up transferring here."

He stroked his beard in thought and said, "Sounds plausible. So you will stay in Gryffindor House and just blend in with the other students. After the few months you will return to the future is that it?"

She said, "Yes sir. Here is the letter that your future self wrote to you that explains a little more about what is going on. I guess I'll be heading off now and finding my way."

"Good luck Ms. Granger and here is the schedule that most Gryffindor's follow. I hope you find what you are looking for."

Hermione left his office gripping her new schedule feeling slightly confused by her new predicament, but as a true Gryffindor she held her head up high and started on her new mission.