A/N: I just wanted new readers to know that this story was started almost 7 years ago. My writing has improved greatly since the beginning of this story. I'm hoping some day to go back and rework chapters in the story for improved story line and characterization. In the meantime, I ask readers to read through at least 20 chapters and I can assure you that you will get hooked and find it's worth the read. Thanks for reading this long author's note and enjoy the story.

1998...

Hermione knelt down on the cold, snow covered ground. She felt the moisture from the snow soak into her jeans. Her arms were wrapped around the headstone of her best friend.

As the tears fell down her face, the name on the headstone became blurred. It didn't matter; she knew what was written there:

"Here lies one of the bravest wizards ever known,

The Savior of the wizarding world

Harry James Potter"

1980-1998

As Hermione leaned her cheek on the hard, chilled stone, she promised herself something, she wasn't going to keep blaming herself for Harry's death. They all knew the dangers. They all knew the possible horrors of facing Voldemort.

But it had all happened so fast; Ron fighting Dolohov, Hermione battling Bellatrix and Harry clashing with Voldemort. As soon as Ron fell from Dolohov's curse, a distraught Hermione lost concentration and was struck with a slicing hex to her arm. Not being able to hold off Bellatrix, Hermione retreated.

So Harry, as he had always feared, had to face Voldemort all on his own. From afar, Hermione watched it all unfold like a bad dream in slow motion. Harry would hurl a curse at Voldemort who instantly threw up a shielding charm, while sending a curse back towards Harry. Hermione knew that Harry would only last for so long before he would collapse from exhaustion.

Looking around at the smoke and stink from the fighting, Hermione leaned against a tree trunk holding her injured arm. She needed to go help Harry, but she felt frozen and useless.

One wild shake from Voldemort's wand and Harry fell to his knees in pain, but miraculously holding on to his wand. Looking around the battlefield, Order members and Death Eaters alike stopped, as if in a trance, to watch the fight between The Boy Who Lived and the most evil and powerful wizard of His time. Eyes never leaving the other, the sneer from Voldemort would always remain with those watching, for at that moment the end came. Harry shouted something as he cast a final curse towards his long-time enemy and Voldemort shouted back hurling his final curse. Hermione saw one flash of bright red and green light and both wizards lay dead. No one knew what had really happened that day.

Hermione remembered running to Harry, tripping on Ron's dead body on the way. Flinging herself to the ground she fell prostrate on Harry's body. "No Harry! No! Please, please…."Hermione rocked back and forth holding Harry's limp form in her arms. The screams coming from her throat were an inhuman sound.

Hermione vowed that day, as she held her best friend in her arms, that she would exact revenge in his honor.

Now standing on shaky legs, long since numb, she headed off for an unknown journey. As she took each step; she heard the crunch of the frozen snow underneath her feet. Each footstep took her towards her destiny, and not one of her choosing. She knew what she had to do and that it was illegal; but it needed to be done.

Hermione knew where the easiest place would be to snatch what she needed. Throwing Harry's invisibility cloak around her, she put a silencing charm on her feet. As she opened the huge door leading into Hogwarts many painful memories surfaced. To think that she, former Head girl and prefect, was on her way to steal from the Headmistress.

From spies within the school, she knew the password into McGonagall's office, "toasted crumpets"; and up the spiraling staircase she went. Focusing on one goal, "Steady on Hermione", she told herself, "He must be stopped!"

Stuffing the invisibility cloak in her pocket, Hermione found the glass case and quickly opened it with several unlocking charms. As she grasped what she had come for, her hand trembled. It still looked the same from when she had used it her third year, the Time Turner.

The tiny sparkling hourglass was still hanging from an old chain Hermione's Grandmother had given her. She put the chain around her neck trying to calm her rattled nerves. Hermione wasn't even sure that this would work. She had never attempted to travel this far back in time before. From all of her research, she had discovered others had done it using a certain incantation. The only problem was most were never able to travel back from the time period they had started from. She didn't let this worry or stop her. Nothing was left for her here in the present.

As she started to chant the words of the spell," Causa aliqua bonusque corde redeam "she turned the hourglass the calculated number of times required, the door was suddenly flung open.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall gasped as she saw the Time Turner around Hermione's neck and heard the words that Hermione was chanting.

"You can't do this! Stop immediately!" said Professor McGonagall, red faced. Hermione just shook her head no and continued with the spell.

Maybe it was the distraction from Professor McGonagall that caused her to turn the hourglass one too many times.

Hermione felt the sensation of flying, very fast, backward. The blurs of colors and shapes rushing past made Hermione feel sick.

As the rushing stopped, she fell back against the wall and slid down to the ground. Looking around she realized that she was still at Hogwarts, but what year? A hand reached out to pull her up.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, feeling a strange sense of knowing the tall boy who was holding her hand.

"I should be asking you that question; considering I am Head Boy. I am Tom Riddle."

Hermione tried not to react, but at that moment she knew the game had just started; only not the one she had been planning on playing.