Disclaimer: I own nothing.

-.-

It has been five years since Harry Potter and the so-called 'Golden Trio' graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Since then, the war against the forces of darkness led by the most power dark wizard in recent memory, the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort, has raged across Britain. There have been significant casualties on both sides of the conflict. Voldemort, however, has so far remained largely elusive.

The Ministry of Magic, once the guiding force for freedom and independence in the magical world, has grown more totalitarian in its doctrines and policies, introducing new and harsh laws. The most recent, dubbed the Anti-Muggleborn Decree, has effectively outlawed Muggleborns from magical society. They have been banished to the Muggle world. Instituted as a safety measure to ensure the continued purity of magical blood, the law has done little more than cause increased unrest amongst the magical population.

Hogwarts School has declared itself independent from the Ministry of Magic. Headmaster Dumbledore has resolutely refused to ban Muggleborns from attending classes at the school and has long fought to repeal the law to no avail.

The war itself continues to rage. Losses are mounting and neither side seems any closer to victory. But a terrible happening in San Francisco, California might just tip the balance of power in the favor of the good side.

-.-

A NEW POWER

BEYOND THE VEIL OF TIME

-.-

Chapter 1

Unlimited Power

-.-

Harry Potter rode the rotating spiral staircase hidden behind a large statue of a Griffin to the large oak doors of the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He knocked on the door, two quick raps.

"Enter," came Dumbledore's voice from beyond the door. Harry pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" he asked.

"Ah, Harry! Yes, come in, come in. Take a seat. Would you like a lemon drop?" Dumbledore inquired.

"No... no thanks, Professor." Harry responded, sitting down in one of the large armchairs in front of the headmaster's desk.

"Ah, well." said Dumbledore taking a seat behind his desk and gazing at Harry. He sighed and continued. "What I am about to tell you is very important, Harry." He looked around the office as though to make certain no one was listening in. "Our lead scientist is currently working on a new potion which, when drunk, will protect the drinker from the Unforgivable Curses."

"Sir, that's wonderful! With that..."

"Please, Harry, let me finish. Unfortunately, Lord Voldemort has discovered this and he wishes to capture our scientist and force her to create the potion for him and his Death Eaters. As such, I am requesting that you protect our young scientist from harm. Were she to be captured or killed, the consequences would be more terrible that you can possibly imagine."

"Alright," said Harry. "I'll do it. Who is she?"

"Oh, I think you'll remember her. she was a good friend in school. Ms. Hermione Granger?"

"What!" Harry exclaimed, leaping from his seat. "You expect me to... are you... NO!"

"Harry, you must!"

"I can't! She hates me."

"Ah, yes. The Anti-Muggleborn Decree. Yes, I remember her anger at your decision."

"I knew she would be. She thinks I betrayed her!"

"In a sense, you did. Why don't you just tell her?"

"What? Tell a girl who has despised me for five years that I'm in love with her? And that's why I practically kicked her out of the magical world... only to find out that she's in just as much danger as she was then?"

"Precisely!" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Now, will you do this? Will you guard Ms. Granger?"

"No, I won't, and there's no way you're making me do this!"

-.-

"I can't believe he's making me do this..." Harry muttered as he strode to the door of an old manor house. The dwelling was situated far from any other population centers in the center of a wide open field surrounded in all directions by a thick forest. It really didn't seem like a place where Hermione would want to live.

He knocked on the door. He heard the sound of shuffling feet, a click, and the door opened. Harry's jaw dropped. Harry hadn't seen Hermione in nearly five years. He had expected her to be a much younger version of Professor McGonagall, given her desire for reading and research. What he saw, however, was nothing of the sort. Hermione's hair, which had always been horribly bushy, was now slightly wavy and much longer. Her sparkling hazel eyes, which had once been chocolate brown, intrigued him. Her figure was nice too. So nice, in fact, that Harry found himself staring. That is, until Hermione cleared her throat.

"Well? Are you going to come in or stand there with your eyes out of you head?" Harry looked up at once.

"I... uh..." Hermione pushed the door open wider and Harry entered. The door closed behind him with a snap.

"So..." Harry began nervously

"Look," Hermione interrupted him. "You don't like me, and I sure as hell don't like you, and despite what Dumbledore thinks, I'm quite capable of defending myself. Unfortunately, I can't convince him of that. So, to satisfy the Order, I'm letting you stay here. Let's just keep out of each other's way, and there won't be any problems."

"Hermione, I..."

"I don't want to hear it! Your room's upstairs, third door on the right. Get settled in. Meanwhile, I've got some research to attend to. I'm not to be disturbed. She turned on her heel and left him alone. Harry dragged his trunk upstairs, and dropped it on his bed. He sighed. The room was nicely decorated, and while the colors weren't exactly what he would have chosen, he could live with it.

Harry decided to explore the rest of the house. He wandered from room to room, up and down staircases, through hidden doors, and concealed corridors. Several time, he got the sinking suspicion that the rooms randomly changed position, as he had entered a room on the third floor that he could have sworn he'd already been in on the first floor. However, when he returned to check, the room had been replaced by a broom cupboard. He finally came across the kitchen, and, unfortunately, Hermione.

"Hungry?" she asked when she saw him.

"No." Harry said shortly. He strode over to her and looked into the cauldron under which a fire burned. "What're you making?" he asked.

"Something you'd be very interested in." she told him.

"Really?"

"Yes. It's a potion used to block Unforgivable Curses."

"Dumbledore told me about that," Harry said. "He said Voldemort wanted it. That's why I'm here."

"Yes, well, it's not finished yet. I've been working on this for nearly four years, and I still can't get it right, but one day..." Harry's attention was pulled from Hermione's words to a piece of newspaper, lying on the table. The words, 'ANTI-MUGGLEBORN DECREE APPROVED!' titled the page. Harry picked it up and read,

ANTI-MUGGLEBORN DECREE APPROVED!

Today, the Ministry of Magic has approved the Anti-Muggleborn Decree.

This decree will remove all muggleborn witches and wizards from the magical world.

All muggleborns are warned to come forward and prepare to begin their lives away from magic.

Any muggleborn who does not come forward will be punished severely. Anyone caught hiding a muggleborn will also be sentenced to a life-term in Azkaban prison.

Harry stopped reading and placed the paper back on the counter.

"Enjoy that, did you?" asked Hermione, who seemed close to tears.

"No... not really." Harry said. Hermione dropped a large slimy something into the cauldron and sat down, holding her face in her hands. Harry, unsure what to do, sat down beside her.

"Are... are you okay?" Harry asked. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"You have no idea what you being here is doing to me, do you?"

"I..."

"No, of course you don't. You were the best friend I ever had, Harry. The day you stood up in front of the magical community and said you fully supported the Anti-Muggleborn decree, I... it hurt, Harry. When I found out that Ron agreed as well..."

"You felt betrayed." Harry said.

"Yeah." Harry reached up and placed his hand on her shoulder. She winced.

"Mione... what did I do?"

"War wounds..." She told him. "The healers at St. Mungo's did all they could, but... I still, even now, can't move without pain. Just getting into bed hurts, but I've grown used to it."

"That's terrible." Harry said.

"Yes, but as I said, it's nothing new to me." She sighed and looked up at him. "Why did you stand for the Anti-Muggleborn decree? Did you really believe that was right? Did Dumbledore ask you... Was there any reason other than just wanting to get rid of me?"

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

"Actually, yes. I would." Harry sighed.

"No. No, I didn't believe it. I only did it because..."

"Because, what?"

"Mione... I can't tell you."

"Why not? If you don't believe in it, then why did you do it?"

"Are... are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes."

"Alright, fine. I… I supported it because..." At that moment the cauldron behind them exploded.

"Not again!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's the third cauldron I've blown up today!" She and Harry cleaned up the mess together. When they were done, it seemed that Hermione had more things on her mind than Harry's reasons for his 'betrayal' and Harry was thankful for it. He had no desire to reveal his true feelings for her. What Harry didn't realize was that Hermione hadn't forgotten. She was merely waiting for Harry to decide he wanted to tell her, not because she asked him.

Hermione went back to making her potion. Harry sat down at the table and propped Quidditch through the Ages open against a milk jug. He found that his eyes drifted to Hermione more than was natural as he sat there reading. He mentally shook himself.

'Stop doing that!' he though angrily. His eyes locked on her again, and this time, she noticed.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Nothing..." Harry muttered.

"No, really."

"Well... I was just admiring you." Harry said, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Your... your skill in potion making, and passion for magic."

"It's nothing special," she told him, sprinkling some salt into the bubbling cauldron. "You could do it too... if you tried."

"I'd rather have you do it." Harry said. "You look sexy when you make potions." Harry choked. "Did... did I say that out loud?" Hermione nodded, smiling.

"Oh... damn..."

"Nothing to feel bad about, Harry. it's just an observation."

"Way more than an observation." Harry muttered. He didn't know if Hermione had heard him, but if she did, she didn't say anything.

"So..." Hermione began. "How are you and Ginny doing?"

"What? Dumbledore doesn't keep you informed? Well, Ginny and I... aren't together anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah... she ran off two years ago... to be with Draco."

"Yeah, well... what do you expect from a girl who's breasts come with a receipt?"

"Hermione, please. We were together for three years. You never did approve of our relationship, did you?"

"Honestly? No, I didn't. I thought she would do something like that. She was never satisfied with one man." Harry laughed.

"Maybe we should warn Draco."

-.-

Harry dove forward, knocking Hermione out of the path of a jet of green light.

"Keep still." Harry told her.

"Come out, Harry! Come out so I can kill you!" Voldemort taunted.

"I'll distract him, Harry. Not long... just long enough. Hurry!" Harry hurried ducked behind the upturned dining table and dashed into the kitchen. Hermione shot a jet of red light at Voldemort. He deflected to disarming charm unconcernedly. The Dark Lord continued moving toward Hermione's hiding spot. Harry had snuck behind Voldemort. Harry fired off a disarming charm. Voldemort, his focus on Hermione, failed to deflect it. His wand slipped from his grasp and fell into Harry's hand. Hermione stood up, watching.

"Harry, Harry, Harry... You think I need my wand? You fool..." He conjured a sword which spun rapidly, end over end, and then drove itself through Hermione's chest.

Harry screamed, and woke with a start, still screaming. He leapt out of bed and hurried down the hall to Hermione's room and shook her awake.

"Harry... what's wrong?" Harry reached down and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh... okay..." Hermione said, smiling slightly. "Harry..."

"Bad dream..." Harry muttered. "Very bad dream."

"What happened?"

"Voldemort attacked. Here! He... he killed you." Hermione sighed.

"Harry, you know as well as I do that Voldemort wants to kill me, and he'll be doing everything he can to accomplish his task. But... but it was just a dream."

"Yeah, but it might have been a dream about the future and..."

"Harry, you don't have dreams about the future."

"Well... I haven't before, but I guess I could start, couldn't I?"

"I don't know," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Maybe, I mean it's definitely possible, but still unlikely."

"It was probably nothing." Harry said, more to calm himself than anything.

"We should get back to bed." Hermione told him, gesturing toward the digital clock on the bedside table, which exploded then froze, mid-explosion. Harry turned toward her, a shocked expression on his face.

"How...?" he asked.

"I have no idea." Hermione said blankly.