The Headmaster's Office

Thanks for my beta hp4freek! I can't remember if I put a disclaimer before now, but suffice it to say, I own precisely squat.

Chapter Two: The Headmaster's Office

Headmaster Armando Dippet sat behind his desk. There were portraits covering the walls of all of the past headmasters and mistresses. Some of them sat in their frames sleeping, or feigning sleep. Some chatted with their neighbours, discussing the latest gossip. There were also a few empty frames, the occupants having gone to visit another location they were linked to. The Headmaster had been staring at the door intently for a few minutes now; something was amiss in the castle. He was fairly certain that someone would be ambushing his office any minute now. The frames stirred a bit more, and Headmaster Dippet began a mental countdown. Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... The word 'one' had been cut off by an urgent knock on the door. With a wave of his wand, the door was opened to reveal Professor Dumbledore with a girl he didn't recognise. How curious. She looks to be about seventeen; surely she should have been in attendance for the past six to seven years.

"Professor, please, do come in. Who is this guest of yours?"

"My name is Miss Hermione Granger, sir."

"Miss Granger. Please, tell me why you have not attended classes here previously. You clearly possess magic."

"I have been to classes, sir. This is my sixth year of attending classes. There has just been a bit of a... mistake."

"I see. What kind of mistake would make everyone forget you?"

"An accident with a Time-Turner, sir. This isn't my timeline, you see."

"How did you come to own a Time-Turner? Those are held under strict control of the Ministry."

"I was given one by my Head of House in my third year. I was enrolled in every class available to me. The only way I could attend everything was with the aid of a Time-Turner."

"Why wasn't it returned at the end of term?"

Hermione blushed fiercely, but she didn't break eye contact with the Headmaster. "I didn't turn it in, despite rules and regulations. I know I should have, but I can't be persecuted for my mistakes at this point. After all, these wrongdoings won't take place for another fifteen years, or so."

"May I see your Time-Turner, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded and handed the instrument over the desk. Armando was lost in thought and examination for the next several minutes. The only noise was the occasional punctuation of his thoughts spoken aloud.

Mutters of "Excellent," "Interesting," and "Curious, very curious," were the only break of a mildly awkward silence. Hermione had known Professor Dumbledore, but that was his future self. She wasn't overly friendly with him, but she saw him at Order headquarters, and she knew a lot about him because of Harry. This Dumbledore didn't know a thing about her, though, and it felt odd to try to strike up a conversation with him.

There were wand movements now coming from the Headmaster's side of the desk. He had been performing charms on her Time-Turner, trying to spot a defect. He had yet to find a single one, though. There were several more minutes of silence as he looked over her Time-Turner.

"There isn't a blasted thing wrong with it!" Headmaster Dippet almost sounded disheartened by that fact. "It's in perfectly good working order."

"But, sir, how did I end up here then?"

"I think you willed yourself to this time. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. This Time-Turner hasn't been turned in about two and a half years, just like you said. Tell me; is there anything significant that you can think to have happened in your timeline in the year of 1977? Something you would want to change?"

Hermione thought; she thought very hard indeed. She tried to mentally picture Hogwarts: a History, but she couldn't remember anything that happened in this year. She shook her head as she spoke, "No, sir. Nothing of significance that I can recall."

"Well, I suppose you're going to have to attend classes like the other students until we can figure this out. We can't just send you back home again with the Time-Turner; you didn't arrive that way in the first place."

"Thank you, sir."

Professor Dumbledore took the opportunity to speak now. "Headmaster, Miss Granger had mentioned a desire to be resorted. She had been a Gryffindor in her timeline, but if you and the Sorting Hat are willing, then perhaps we should let her see if she still truly belongs in my House."

"Is this what you want Miss Granger; is this what you truly want?"

Very nervous about her decision, she didn't trust her own voice; Hermione could only nod in response.

A hat covered Hermione's head; it dropped to cover her ears and eyes. She heard the buzz of a voice in her ear. "Very interesting. Very interesting indeed. I see during your first sorting I wanted to put you into Ravenclaw. Very bright, very brave, too. That's no doubt why I placed you in Gryffindor in the first place."

How did you know that? Hermione thought desperately

"It's all in here, you know. I can see into the deepest parts of your mind. This is interesting; your memory of sorting didn't make mention of such a need for power, such a drive you have. A drive to prove yourself, to fit in. You could be great. I see all the power you possess."

What will it be then?

"That's an easy one. It'll be... Slytherin!" The last word was called out clearly to everyone in the room. Hermione's ears had a dull pain in them. Really, I don't think he realises just how much that hurts when he yells out your House.

Dumbledore hid a smile behind his long beard. There was an unmistakable twinkle in his eye as he recalled his thoughts about a certain Slytherin having such similar personality traits. "Shall I show you to your new common room then, Miss Granger? It's nearly curfew."

Hermione nodded and tried to smile at the two professors. "Thank you, both of you, for all of your help. I just hope we can figure out how to send me to my own time. I'd like to think my friends will miss me, but I'm pretty sure that I'm still there." She sighed as both teachers looked at her a little confused. "Well, I think that when you use the Time-Turner, it doesn't make you disappear. It makes you appear in the time you turned to, but you're still moving about in the time you came from. You have to make sure you're not seen in the past. That leads me to believe that you continue moving in the present, you just move twice in the past. I think you could actually make yourself appear multiple times at the same time, by time turning at the same point back to the same time. The danger with that, of course, would be a higher risk of self-exposure. It's dangerous enough having two of you in one time period. The risk of seeing yourself would only increase exponentially with every new being that appeared."

"That's an interesting theory, Miss Granger." Headmaster Dippet pondered the possibility. "Professor, did you want to walk Miss Granger to her new common room?"

"Certainly, sir." Hermione stood up, following behind Professor Dumbledore.

~~~

Hermione was standing in front of an archway that didn't seem any different from the rest of the hallway, but that was where Professor Dumbledore had left her. What was that password? Hermione remembered and spoke the password aloud.

"Hypsiglena Torquata." The stone archway opened and revealed a comfortable looking common room. Though, it was currently mostly desolate. She could see big couches that were made of dark leather; a warm fire was roaring in the fireplace, which cast shadows throughout the room. She walked into the room and scanned over her new surroundings. The couches looked comfortable, but they weren't overstuffed like Gryffindor. There were tables to do homework on in the far corner of the room. There were smaller armchairs sprinkled throughout the room, as well as a few small circles of chairs. None of the students had looked up when she entered, which was strange for her. In Gryffindor, everyone looked up when a new face walked into the room, even if they didn't greet you.

Hermione saw a boy sitting by himself in the corner of the room, by the homework tables. He was bent over a book, reading with a concentrated look on his face. He piqued her curiosity. He seemed vaguely familiar, though he really shouldn't. She was nineteen years in the past; she didn't know any Slytherins, let alone a Slytherin that is nearly twenty years her senior.

He glanced up at her, feeling like he was being stared at. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Hermione was broken out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry; I hadn't realised I was staring."

He sneered at her, which also seemed familiar. I'm here, possibly for eternity; I'll have plenty of time to get to know him. "I'm a bit tired; can you direct me to the girls' dormitory?"

"Down the hall, take a left up the stairs. Find your year on a sign on the door." He gave his instructions with a cold air; she smiled at him and headed towards the rooms. I hope they gave me a bed. I really hope they left some pyjamas or something I could sleep in. The only things I have here are the dirty robes and the school uniform I'm wearing. They aren't even the right colour for my House now. She held her tie in her hands, looking at it after she had taken it from around her neck. It changed colours? How the...

Hermione was too tired to think about it any longer. She picked a bed that was empty and collapsed onto it, exhausted.

Note: The password is the scientific name of the "Night Snake." I know its native to Colorado, I'm not sure about anywhere else.

This story is going to be slower than my last one. It's a work in progress and I actually have things to do during the day besides sit around and read and write. Silly work, getting in the way of things... Actually having roommates to entertain me seems to be detrimental to writing too.