Hermione Granger and the Point of No Return

Into the Past

Word count – 3,437

Summary: Hermione is sent back in time by Dumbledore. She goes to stop Snape becoming evil; she falls for a young Severus Snape. She is given the name of Hermione Babineaux (Bab-in-eaux). She poses as a French transfer from Beauxbatons, However when a certain marauder start to like her will her trip be in vain?

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Hermione Granger stood waiting in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. It's my fifth year. I should be studying for exams, not waiting for Dumbledore to arrive, she thought rather impatiently. Hermione cast a quick glance around the room, observing the many spindly machines stood on tables that had been pushed against the walls. Fawkes stood on his perch behind the door, his bright red tail feathers oddly ruffled. The paintings of old headmasters and headmistresses hung on the walls, the occupants going about their daily business – whatever that was.

She heard the door open behind her and her hand instinctively flew to the wand in her pocket. But it was unneeded protection, as through the door came Dumbledore; she relaxed her stance instantly. He walked behind the desk and sat down, observing her with calculating eyes. He motioned for her to sit, a gesture which she complied with.

"I'm sure you are wondering why you are here?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Yes, sir."

"Well I have brought you here to ask you whether you would like to go on a mission for the Order. I would not normally ask students but this is rather different sort of mission."

She gazed at him curiously for a moment, before saying, "What do you mean, Professor?"

"Your mission, if you chose to accept it, would be to go back in time and prevent Severus Snape from becoming a Death Eater, as well as convincing him to spy for us," he concluded.

Hermione just stared at him in poorly-concealed shock, unconsciously playing with her hands nervously.

He quickly added, "Of course, you do not need to do this. However, I will not lie: it is vitally important for the Order. Indeed, Severus spoke to me this morning and told me that if it hadn't been for a student called Hermione Babineaux he would never have chosen to join, and subsequently spy for, the Order of the Phoenix."

Hermione continued to twiddle her thumbs, whilst casting a quick look around the room again to think without the pressure of seeing Dumbledore's piercing gaze her. Fawkes swooped to her shoulder and gently nipped her ear, as if to say, "Go ahead, it'll be okay."

"Would I come back?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Oh, but of course. You would spend your 5th, 6th and 7th year in the past then come back after graduation."

"I'll do it," Hermione decided. If she had the opportunity to help Snape from becoming a Death Eater, then she was going to do it; may not like the man – she may even hate him – but she knew he had saved many lives, and Hermione couldn't let her own prejudices get in the way of that happening.

"Wonderful. I've had your trunk packed already." He gave a wave of his wand and Hermione's trunk appeared next to her. "I've also taken the liberty of packing a few extra books that may aid you, containing things such as Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now, I'm sure you are wondering whether the time here will pass as well." He looked at her and she nodded. "It won't. Time here won't have happened yet – so therefore it won't exist – which means it wouldn't be able to pass. So you will arrive back 18 years old, while Harry and Ronald will still be in their 5th year."

Hermione nodded; she'd expected something like that. "When do I leave?"

"Now, if you're ready." Dumbledore said.

Hermione nodded. "I am."

He continued: "I'm going to give you a Time-Turner; turn it back twenty times. You will arrive in 1975 on September 1st at a quarter to six – one hour before the Hogwarts Express arrives. Here is a letter to explain to the past Albus Dumbledore. I also have to change your appearance; you don't mind, do you? I just wouldn't want anyone to recognize you when you get back – it could cause awkward questions."

Hermione nodded her understanding and consent and waited while Dumbledore took out his wand and waved it over her a few times, muttering incoherent words under his breath. Once he was done he handed her a mirror. She took it and quickly looked at herself, stifling a gasp. Her hair, which was once an unmanageable mane, had fallen dead straight, hanging just past her shoulders; it was no longer her normal mousy brown, but a rich, vibrant brown highlighted by natural auburn streaks. Her once chocolate-brown eyes were now a deep hazel-brown, sitting under perfectly shaped brows – a welcome change from her previously indefinable, bushy ones; and from what she could tell, looking away from the mirror and down at her body, her frame had gone from barely 5'3", to just over 5'6". She laid a hand to her cheek unbelievingly; in short, she was now beautiful.

"Now, Miss Granger, I am going to ask you to keep very close care of yourself; you are not a pureblood. However, you will need to act like one, which is why you will need to know your "family" history; I have included a book on it. You will need to act around other Slytherins like you hate Muggleborns; otherwise you won't fit in. Do not do anything that will draw attention to yourself.

"Your mother was Kathleen D'Aubigne, a pureblood from France – the last of her family – so you inherited her fortune when she and your father (Hector Babineaux) were killed three weeks ago by Voldemort for not joining his side; this event is the reason for your transfer from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts.

"But enough of your family's history; I suppose you are wondering where you are going to spend the summer holiday?" he asked. She responded with a swift nod. He smiled and continued: "You will spend it at the castle with me; I will train you in defense. You should be going, now, Miss Granger. Good luck!"

He smiled at her and she look down at the Time-Turner; she quickly spun it backwards twenty times and fell into darkness. When Hermione opened her eyes she found herself sitting in the same seat in the same office she had just left; she glanced around: sitting behind the desk was a slightly younger-looking Albus Dumbledore, staring at her over his half-moon spectacles. Quickly she handed him the letter, unable to speak due to shock; he read through it quickly, his face breaking out into a smile at the end.

"This seems in good order Miss Granger; or should I call you Miss Babineaux. You will be sorted after the first years tonight. I will now leave you here with Fawkes. My future self has informed me he left a book in your trunk for you to read before the sorting; I suggest you read it now while I go and inform the teachers about you. I will be back in an hour to take you to the Great Hall. I think it would be wise to leave your Time-Turner with me to lessen the chances of something happening to it."

Hermione, taking his advice, took it from around her neck and handed it to him. He then he stood up from his seat and walked from the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Hermione glanced at the trunk next to her and opened it, pulling out the book on top of her things titled The Babineaux Family Tree and History. She took it out and closed the lid to her trunk, opening and starting to read:

A/N: you can skip the bit about the family if you want; however, if you do, you may be slightly confused later on!)

The Babineaux family can be traced back to when the founders of Hogwarts existed and were building the school; in fact Galatea Ravenclaw married into the Ravenclaw family from the Babineaux family. The family is well known for their breathtaking looks and classically pureblood mannerisms.

The Babineauxs retain many old customs, including some such as arranged marriages and the necessity of producing a boy to carry on the family line. However, in recent years, the family has suffered genealogical problems, meaning that it is far more likely to produce girls rather than boys.

The family is traditionally French, and those born the family are sent to Beauxbatons for there education. In a few cases, tragedies have occurred that have left Babineaux heirs without parents, in which case they have then been sent to Hogwarts – the school is located near a branch of the family business where relatives are ready to take them in.

The Babineaux family fortune is huge – there is no other in the wizarding world that exceeds it; even the Malfoy, Black, and Potter fortunes together do not surpass it.

The Babineauxs remain the only pureblood family in existence to not have a half-blood, squib or Muggleborn married into it; this has given the Babineauxs their place as the purest family in the wizarding world. Unlike most pureblood families, the Babineaux family does not inbreed by marrying first cousins unless it is absolutely necessary to retain the line.

They are the strongest pureblood family alive; however, they are not a dark family. The Babineaux family does not choose sides, preferring to watch rather than fight.

They are well known for their Quidditch abilities; in fact, almost every fifth member of the family has grown up to play professional Quidditch.

Hermione closed the book with a snap, not bothering to read further. She now knew everything she needed to. Her rule for life would now be: act like a snob to the others – especially Slytherins, constantly reminding them that she was purer then they are. She could do that easily; all she had to do was act like Malfoy.

Hermione shoved the book back in her trunk, letting her consciousness drift into a light doze while waiting for Dumbledore to come back. All too soon she was jerked out of it by a voice calling her; she opened her eyes and saw Dumbledore standing over her; he paused for a minute, then waved his hand over her trunk, making is disappear with a pop. She stretched and stood up, quirking a questioning eyebrow at him.

"I've sent it to the house elves to send to your room once you've been sorted," he explained. She nodded in understanding as they exited the room together.

Together they made their way through the dim corridors and down the staircases, their footsteps echoing loudly off the long, empty hallways. Hermione watched in mild curiosity as fire from the enchanted, floating torches licked the cold stone walls of the castle, casting elliptical, flickering shadows on all who passed its way. It was the very same twenty years into the future. Maybe this won't be as different as I thought, she mused to herself hopefully. When they got to the Great Hall, Dumbledore pointed his wand at her throat and performed a quick spell, enchanting her voice to have a French lilt to it.

Dumbledore left her in the shadows behind the barely open doors. He walked up to the Professor's table and sat down. The sorting now began. Hermione watched the first years get sorted through a crack in the great oak doors. McGonagall was about to put the stool and hat away when Dumbledore stood up. She stopped and looked at him questioningly. He nodded his head once at her, and turned to face the students. "We have a transfer student joining us for the remainder of her wizarding education. Please welcome Hermione Babineaux, joining us from Beauxbatons." Dumbledore raised his hand and the doors flew open. Hermione gave a slight jump in surprise but quickly regained her composure. She was meant to be a snotty pureblood. She walked through the great hall, a light smirk on her face, trying to ignore the clapping and whispering of the students.

She arrived at the stool and was doused in darkness as McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head.

Right then, Miss Granger; a bit early aren't you?

Just a bit, would you like to sort me?

Certainly: loyalty, wit, cunningness, brains . . . but you're also incredibly brave. Better be –

WAIT! I can't be a Gryffindor

Why?

The job I'm doing requires that I'm a Slytherin.

You don't have to be a Slytherin or Gryffindor you can be a –

RAVENCLAW!

The hat screamed her house for the whole hall to hear. She didn't care though; she had gone through this all once before. Hermione walked as though in a trance towards the Ravenclaw table, sitting down at the far end, as far away as possible from the teachers. She barely listened to the rest of Dumbledore's speech. In her silence, she was suddenly struck with a thought. The book said that her "family" was good at Quidditch; this meant she'd have to make the team to avoid suspicion, which subsequently meant she'd have to get over her fear of heights.

Dinner, though undeniably delicious, passed in silence on her part, and she soon found herself following the Ravenclaw students up through their (her) portrait hole and into the common room in a dreamlike state. She waited in the blue and bronze room for everyone else to drift off to bed before going up to her dormitory and rifling through her trunk for a broom. She found one shrunken and buried at the bottom: a Nimbus 2000; surely that wasn't allowed? It didn't come out for another sixteen years. She decided to worry about that fact later.

Hermione quickly un-shrunk it and opened the window; she summoned it, surprised when it jumped to her hand right away. Before she had a chance to lose her famously Gryffindor courage, she mounted it and leapt from the window, plummeting towards the earth. She straightened up inches from the ground and laughed in shocked delight – now she new why Harry and Ron loved flying so much. All I have to do is not look down when I fly high, she reminded herself. She chuckled at that last thought; of course she wasn't going to look down – she'd have to be horribly stupid to do that, a trait which most certainly was not in the possession of Hermione Granger. She flew off, zigzagging through the front trees of the Forbidden Forest.

Hours later, when the sun started to rise and the clouds were streaked with a soft pink light, Hermione flew back to her dormitory, shrunk her broom, and quickly changed before diving into her bed and dropping off to sleep instantly. What felt like just minuets later Hermione was jolted awake by a loud noise to her left: the girls in her dormitory were awake and seemed to be squabbling over who got to use the bathroom first. Hermione groaned; she would be stuck waiting for ages. She jumped out of bed, cast a quick teeth-cleaning charm on her teeth, then grabbed a spare change of clothes and threw them on before exiting the room.

Hermione sat at breakfast, sullenly picking at her eggs. She wasn't in the mood for classes this morning; she was overly tired and those annoying girls in her dormitory never seemed to shut up, Hermione noticed, as they were still yapping their heads off – well over thirty minutes after the bathroom incident – across the table form her. Hermione was snapped out of her egg-beating reverie by a timetable being shoved under her nose. She glanced up, about to thank the person, then realized who she was: she was Hermione Babineaux snob extraordinaire, not polite Hermione Granger. She just nodded at the person before observing her schedule. Double Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors in twenty minuets was first. She sighed; it was her first day and already she was going to have to put up with the Marauders. She grabbed her bag and headed off for Defense, trying to ignore the suggestive comments she was getting from half-asleep, adolescent boys.

She was halfway up the marble staircase when someone called her "Miss Babineaux, wait!" She turned on her heal and spun round: Malfoy.

"Yes?" she enquired. Remember: you're no longer Hermione Granger. You're Hermione Babineaux, a posh, pureblood snob! You're better than the Malfoys!

"My name is Lucius Malfoy and I am the head boy this year. As you're new, I have been told to escort you to all your classes." As he spoke displayed a smirk frighteningly similar to Draco's and gave her a wink.

Hermione shook her head slowly; she was never going to forget this: Malfoy (senior, to make matters worse) was flirting with her. To dispel whatever delusions he was under, she said quickly "I'll find my own way around; thank you for your concern," and made to move, but his hand shot out and spun her round. She growled – she didn't like being touched without giving permission! His smirk grew more pronounced at her expression; Lucius was seriously ticking her off. She quickly jerked out of his grip and gave her knee a swift movement up. He fell to the ground, clutching himself and groaning.

"Touch me again, Malfoy, and I will personally see to it that you are ripped limb from limb," he only managed a moan in response. She smirked at the image he made and looked up: they'd caught the attention of a few older students passing by. Hermione gave them a conspiratorial wink, picked up her bag from where she had dropped it, and carried on to her class.

Sitting in Defense, Hermione let her mind wander. They were studying bogarts, which she'd done in her 3rd year at Hogwarts. She followed the motion of the class as they got into a line behind the wardrobe and the professor opened it. She observed from her place near the back what everyone's Bogart's turned into: a Banshee; a giant spider covered with a coat of coarse hair a fangs oozing with venom; a mummy whose bandages were unraveling, revealing decaying skin; a cockroach with humongous pincers; a maniacal werewolf . . . those were some of the more frightening ones. Hermione snorted; what pathetic fears. It came to her turn and she drew her wand and walked forward. The Bogart, which at the moment was a giant snake, seemed to stare at her for a moment before, with a crack, transformed into her Time-Turner: it was broken, it's cogs and wheels smashed and strewn all around. "Riddikulus." The Time-Turner repaired itself and began to spin; she moved away and tuned out the monotone voice of the professor again.

Her worst fear was her Time-Turner? It made sense, she guessed; if she got stuck here she would probably never see Harry or Ron again; they were her best friends – she didn't want to lose them. She was pulled out her of thoughts by the bell ringing. She gathered her school supplies and stuffed it into her bag, slinging it over her back and hurrying out of the classroom.

"Hermione!" a voice yelled behind her. Hermione whirled around, drawing her wand from her sleeve as she did so.

When she saw who had called her she relaxed from her defensive stance: it was only a girl; she had bright green, almond-shaped eyes and some of the reddest hair she had ever seen, second only to the Weasleys. Hermione could only guess this was Lily, Harry's mother.

The girl backed away from Hermione abruptly.

"Sorry," Hermione murmured, lowering her wand which she had unconsciously kept raised.

"It's okay. I just wanted to give you your quill," Lily said, holding up a quill as she did so.

"Thanks." Hermione replied, taking it from Lily's outstretched hand. Suddenly, she was struck with a thought. "You are Lily Evens, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Professor Dumbledore told me I should ask you for your help, seeing as I'm new here and we have all our classes together. That's if you don't mind, of course."

"No, that sounds fine." Lily smiled at her and together they walked towards their History of Magic class.

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A/N: Review, please. Criticism is welcome just make sure it's constructive.

A Huge thank you to my Beta Maddie.