Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Albus Dumbledore walked through the infirmary and stopped at the bed where Hermione Granger sat. She was surrounded by Poppy Pomfrey and Jacob Perry. He nodded to the three of them, but addressed Hermione.

"Poppy says you are having some hallucinations?"

Hermione growled under her breath. "I am not! I just remember things a little differently than everyone else does."

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up. "When did this start happening?"

"This morning, sir, when I woke up. I went to visit Severus, and he snapped at me for being there, telling me that Remus Lupin is dead and has been since the war. Then I came to speak with Harry and this man was there, telling me much the same thing and assuring me that Harry did not teach here. What's going on, Headmaster?"

Albus stared at Hermione for a minute, and then turned to Poppy and Jacob. "Would you excuse us for a few minutes? I need to ask Hermione some personal questions."

Poppy and Jacob nodded. "I'll just go back to my classroom," Jacob said. "Please let me know when you find out anything, or if there's something I can do." He turned and left, as Poppy retired to her office.

Albus settled himself into a chair next to the bed and looked up at Hermione.

"What's the last thing you remember yesterday?" he asked Hermione.

"Well, I spoke with Severus about brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus. He told me to come by in the morning, and I could start."

"Professor Granger, Wolfsbane Potion is usually only brewed by highly advanced Potions masters. Why would Severus ask you to take on that task?"

"Headmaster, I am a Potions master. I finished my studies almost a year ago."

Albus' eyes widened. "Who was your master, Professor Granger."

Hermione looked exasperated. "Severus was! I studied with Severus for two years. I received my mastership after that, and I've been a part time brewer with him ever since. I teach Arithmancy."

"What do you know of Lucius Malfoy?" Albus answered.

She rolled her eyes. "The man is a megalomaniac. He's the Minister of Magic. He's made so many strict laws that the people are suffering. He taxes everyone highly. He's a power hungry zealot."

"What are his feelings on Muggle-borns, Hermione?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. I know he was a Death Eater, so he probably doesn't like us much, but I've actually never heard him speak out against us."

Albus folded his hands together and stared at them for a while. Hermione cleared her throat after a long silence.

"Um, Professor? What's going on?"

Albus slowly looked up. His eyes were troubled. "Hermione, do you remember the conversation we had in my office about three days ago?"

"Sir, we never had a conversation in your office."

Albus sighed heavily. "What have I done?"

"Sir?"

"Three days ago, Hermione, we met, and I gave you a Time-Turner. I advised you to travel back in time to try and change Lucius Malfoy. You see, in this reality, Lucius hates Muggle-borns. He has been assassinating them ever since he took over office."

"That's not how I remember it, sir."

Albus held his hand up. "I think I might know why that is. Please let me finish explaining." Hermione nodded. "You see, Hermione, you did travel back. Evidently, you must have been successful, because the world you remember is a bit different than this world."

Hermione opened her mouth, as if she were about to ask a question, but then closed it again.

"I think that you changed things so much that you separated your time line from this one. I believe there are now two universes with similar history. Probably, the original Hermione returned to what she thought was her time last night. When that happened, she threw you out of your own timeline and took your place. You took her place in this reality."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "What are you saying, Professor?"

He gazed at her sadly. "I'm sorry, Hermione. The reality you remember no longer exists for you. I have neither idea nor inkling as to how to return you to it. You have been transferred to this reality, where Remus Lupin is dead, Harry Potter does not work at Hogwarts, and Lucius Malfoy is a Muggle-born murderer."

Hermione's face turned ashen. "Albus, what else has changed?"

"I don't know, Hermione. I don't know. It will probably take you a while to realize what has happened and what hasn't in this reality."

Tears threatened to fall from Hermione's eyes. "So, everything I remember... the people, events... they're all gone?"

"They're probably still here, Hermione. Maybe they haven't changed either. I just don't know."

Hermione turned her head and stared out the window. "How have I survived if Lucius is out to kill all Muggle-borns?"

"You haven't left the castle in a year."

Her head snapped back to Albus. "How have I survived?"

Albus chuckled. "You are a very resourceful witch. Your friends Harry and Ron have visited you weekly."

Hermione's stomach clenched. "What is my relationship with them? With Ron specifically?"

"You are all good friends."

Hermione frowned. "Forgive my forwardness, but did we date in this timeline?"

"Hermione, you must ask me anything that's on your mind, no matter how personal. It is the only way you will learn what of your memories coincide with this timeline." He sighed and turned his thumbs in his lap. "You did date Mr. Weasley for a short time a few years ago."

"I dated him for three years in my reality. We only broke up about six months ago." She looked into Albus' eyes. "What do I do, Headmaster?"

"Please, Hermione, as I've told your counterpart repeatedly, call me Albus."

"Albus, how am I going to adjust to all of this?"

"Hermione," he said kindly. "You will do it. It will take some time, but you will do it."

"What do I tell people when I say something that has nothing to do with this reality?"

Albus stroked his beard, deep in thought. "I suppose we should be honest with everyone. We'll explain that there's been an accident with a Time-Turner, and you are here from another reality."

"Yes, that should go over famously."

Albus shrugged. "There's nothing anyone can do. We'll just all have to adjust along with you. Actually, Hermione, you may have some insights on what we can do about our current situation with Malfoy."

Hermione nodded absently. Her mind had drifted to Severus. "What about Professor Snape?"

Albus gazed at her curiously. "What about him?"

"He seemed so... so... angry when I saw him earlier. Is he always like that?"

"Was Severus a spy in your timeline?"

Hermione nodded.

"He was here too. He had to separate himself from everybody for years. He likes to keep to himself, and he's grown a hard outer shell."

Hermione thought about her Severus. He had to live a secretive life, but he'd gone out of his way to establish friendships during that time, and even more since the war had ended. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought that this Severus didn't have that same support.

"My Severus was a bit more comfortable in his skin, I would say," she explained.

"Maybe you can help our Severus loosen up a bit, then, Hermione."

She shrugged.

"Albus, what do I need to know about this timeline?"

"I suppose I'll start with the war. We can work forwards and backwards from there. In this reality, Voldemort was defeated."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Harry did it in my reality while Severus held the crowd back."

Albus' eyebrows rose. "In this timeline, Severus was attacked by Voldemort's snake, Nagini. He almost died. You saved him, actually, by dousing him in Dittany and bringing Poppy to his aid. He owes you a life debt."

Something stirred within Hermione. She was uncertain whether she liked being owed a life debt by Severus.

"Who else died, sir?"

He listed all who lost their lives.

"There is a plaque at the entryway of all of the fallen."

"There's one in my timeline too, although some of those names are not listed."

Albus looked around him. "It seems, Hermione, that you are not ill at all. Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere?"

"Oh, please, could we? The infirmary always depresses me."

They both rose and left the room behind them.

---

Over an hour later, Hermione emerged from the Headmaster's office feeling like she'd just run into a cement wall. So much was different in this timeline, how would she ever cope? From the simple fact that she'd only dated Ron for six months to Lucius Malfoy having a blood vendetta against Muggle-borns, she felt totally lost. Well, she'd probably be lost for a while, and with Albus' blessing, she was going to let her friends know just what happened and what she needed from them.

She went to her room and pulled out a parchment. She scribbled a note to Harry and soon her owl had set off to deliver it. She didn't have to wait long to see Harry's head in her fireplace.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked through the flames.

"Harry, I need to speak with you and Ron. Do you have any time to visit today, perchance?"

"We can come by now, Hermione. We're both here today, working on some new apprehension techniques."

Hermione smiled gratefully. "I would really appreciate that."

"We'll come through in a minute," Harry said before disappearing from the flames.

Within five minutes, both Harry and Ron were standing in her sitting area. Hermione gave a little start as she gazed at Ron. She was over him in her time, but his jealousy of her while they were together still made her stomach turn.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron asked. "You look a bit upset."

"You two should probably sit down. This will take a while to explain." Hermione motioned for them to sit on the couch as she took a seat across from them. She eyed her surroundings. The room was exactly the same as her own. The Hermione of this reality had the same tastes as she did. The walls were still a lovely green, and the furniture was still black leather. That gave her a little bit of assurance that things could eventually be all right for her.

Both men took seats next to each other and looked to Hermione. She gave them looks of apprehension. "Something's happened," she began. "Dumbledore asked me to go back in the past and try to fix this... thing with Malfoy. Evidently, I went. Unfortunately, the person who returned was not the one who left. I'm from a parallel universe to this one. My reality is very different from yours. I've just spent the last hour talking with Albus as he tried to help me understand the things that are different in this world." She bit her lower lip and stared at her two friends. "I'm still Hermione; it's just that I remember things a bit differently than actually happened."

Harry was staring at her oddly. It was Ron who actually spoke first. "Hermione, how did this happen? Can you be switched back?"

"Dumbledore thinks that the original Hermione changed things so much that she just took my place, kicking me out of my rightful timeline. There's no going back. We wouldn't even know where to begin. This is my reality now; the other Hermione will take my place in mine."

The two men stared at her without saying a word. Hermione felt nervous. Would they accept her?

"So, what's different?" Harry finally asked.

Hermione explained that there were a lot of superficial differences, like the fact that Remus was alive in her reality. She told them about Lucius in her timeline. She explained about her relationship with Ron.

"We... you and I, Ron, dated for thee years. You were insanely jealous, and I finally couldn't take it any more. We broke up about six months ago."

"Oi, Hermione, I've been dating Luna Lovegood for two years now!"

Hermione smiled wanly. "I know. Albus told me. Don't worry, I'm not looking to rekindle anything with you."

"Hermione, I would never treat you like that. I'm a bit ashamed that another me could be so nasty. I mean, I was jealous of you when we were younger... in school, you know. But that was before we even started dating. I just didn't want you to be with anyone else. When we dated in this reality, we realized quickly that we were better suited as friends. We parted amicably, and I think of you as my sister." He looked at her uncomfortably. "I'm thinking of asking Luna to marry me."

Hermione smiled. "That's wonderful, Ron. Really."

"I'm married to Ginny, you know," Harry added.

Hermione's smile grew wider. "I'm glad, Harry. You're married to her in my reality, too." She tilted her head. "Are you friends with Severus?"

Harry coughed abruptly. "Friends? With Snape? That's a laugh! We still hate each other."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "You hate one another? In my world, you are best friends."

Harry laughed. "How on earth would I have ever become friends with Snape?"

"He mentored you, Harry. He taught you defensive spells. He protected you. You are his closest friend."

Harry gazed at Hermione wide-eyed. "Bloody hell," he muttered.

They chatted for a while. She told them of her world, and they filled in gaps that Albus had left in theirs.

"Whatever you need, Hermione, we're here for you!" Harry told her as they got up to leave.

"It's upsetting to think that I'm a prisoner here. Is there any way to defeat Lucius?"

"We're working on that," Ron explained. "The Order is alive and well. We are looking for a way to get to Malfoy without him knowing it."

"Are you talking about assassination?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "We're not quite sure yet. Something must be done, though. Most Muggle-born wizards have fled the country or are in hiding like you. They deserve to live a normal life like everyone else."

Hermione nodded absently. Harry and Ron hugged her as they prepared to go. "Chin up, Hermione," Ron advised.

"Yeah, we'll rescue you from the castle in no time," Harry added.

Despite the myriad of emotions that were running through her, Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, boys, you always cheer me up. And Ron? It's really nice to have your friendship back. Honestly, I've missed you and missed this... for a very long time."

Ron blushed scarlet, and turned away, mumbling something under his breath. Hermione's hand grasped his arm. "Tell Luna everything, and that I'm happy for the both of you."

Ron turned back to her, a smile on his lips. "I will, Hermione. I will."