Chapter 1 - The Vanishing Cabinet


“Harry, I’m telling you – this isn’t going to work,� Hermione sighed, watching her best friend walk back and forth before the wall that concealed the door way into the Room of Requirement, eyes scrunched and fists clenched in determination, her own expression a mixture of pity and exasperation. It was the third time she and Ron had been forced to stop opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy by a very determined Harry, and while she certainly admired his determination, she wished he would admit defeat. After all, it would look rather odd if they were found in a seventh floor corridor when they should be on their way to Hogsmeade, like everyone else.


Harry gave her a displeased look, and then sighed deeply, shaking his head.


“Look, Hermione,� he said, “Why don’t you just give it a try? You know you’re smarter than me, I’m sure you can think of a way to get the room to open.�


“You know this has nothing to do with intelligence!� she replied, exasperated, “It’s obvious – Malfoy asked the room to become a place where no one can find him or see what he is doing, unless he has given it express permission.�


“But can’t you just try Hermione?� Harry pleaded, “If anyone can do this, I know you can.�


She fought hard not to roll her eyes, and looked over at Ron for support. He, however, seemed much too busy watching Barnabas trip over his own feet to catch her eye. She scowled, turned back to Harry, and gave an exaggerated sigh of defeat.


“Okay, fine,� she said, stepping forward to stand in front of the wall.


“Thanks, Hermione!� Harry exclaimed, patting her shoulder encouragingly before stepping back to let her do her work.


“Excellent,� she heard Ron say to Harry, “This should be good.�


Great. Now he chooses to get involved, she thought.


Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused her gaze carefully on the blank wall, her brows drawing together in concentration. But her mind was blank – she could not think of a single sentence that Harry had not already tried and failed with.


What I need is a different approach.


“Right, I obviously can’t ask it to show me the place where Malfoy is doing something – because he obviously would have made sure the room kept it all a secret,� she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, “But there must surely be a loophope somewhere – wait a minute, maybe…�


“Maybe what?� Harry asked eagerly.


Hermione turned to face him, a thoughtful expression plastered on her face, “A loophole, there must be a loophole, right? There’s no way Malfoy would be smart enough to cover everything.�


“Right,� said Ron slowly, his head choked slightly to the side as he tried to follow her train of thought, “And how are we meant to figure out this loophole if we don’t know what he told the room?�


“That’s just it!� Hermione said, , “We might not need to know what he said, we might not even need to know what the loophole is, and we just need to ask the room to show us whatever it can by using one of the loopholes!�


“We need to ask what?� asked Ron, throwing a confused look over to Harry, how looked equally clueless.


“Why don’t you just give it a try, Hermione,� Harry said quickly.


“Okay, here it goes,� she replied, turning eagerly to the wall, her excitement mounting as she realized she may have just figured it out.


Was Malfoy really up to something? Well, only one way to find out.


She paused for a moment, thinking up the best way to construct her request.


Concentrating hard, as though she were performing a test, she clearly thought the words: show us what Malfoy has been doing, using any loop hole that you can.


She walked past the wall three times, and after the third time, whirled around to look at the wall, and found it –


Unchanged.


A blank wall – no sign of a door at all, not so much as a rusty handle. Hermione felt her heart sink.


“Why didn’t it work?� Ron asked.


“Wait – let me think it over,� she said, frowning, unwilling to give up now that she had been faced with a challenge. She paced back and forth for a moment, thinking hard, and then it struck her.


“Of course!� she exclaimed, and turned to stand in front of the wall again.


I need you to show me the results of the loopholes in Malfoy’s order to the room.


This time, she had made no reference at all to what Malfoy was doing in the room – for she knew that if she did it would most likely be covered by Malfoy's direct orders, and therefore not work.


She walked three times across the wall once again, and this time, when she turned to face it, her eyes closed, and when she opened them –


“It worked!� cried Harry, jumping forward to towards the door that had just materialized where there was once a blank stretch of wall.


“Brilliant, Hermione,� beamed Ron, patting her back, “Bloody brilliant.�


“Thanks, Ron,� she said, pleased with her achievement.


“Ready, guys?� said Harry, his hand firmed clasping the door handle, and his elated grin almost manic.


After encouraging nods from both Ron and Hermione, Harry threw open the door, and three simultaneous gasps echoed through the hall.


It didn’t work.


Those were the first words that sprung to Hermione’s mind when she saw the room. It was massive – perhaps three or four times larger than the Great Hall, it’s high rising windows the only source of light to illuminate the towering rows of items – books, broken toys, damaged furniture, torn cloaks and muddy, blood stained robes, swords and jewellery, and even an odd, rusty suit of armour or two.


“What on earth is this place?� said Ron, breaking the stunned silence and stepping into the room, followed quickly by Harry and Hermione, who closed the door behind them for good measure.


He leaned forward and picked up a rusty, blood stained sword and swung it above his head, though clearly, it was much heavier than he anticipated for it fell from his arms and landed with an awful noise which echoed dreadfully in the large room.


“Ron!� Hermione chastised, “This isn’t the time!�


She looked over at Harry, and was surprised to see that he was not looking at the room in surprise, as she was, but rather with confusion and what was clearly recognition.


“What is it, Harry?� she asked, “You look like you’ve seen this place before.�


“That’s because I have seen it before,� he stated, his eyes narrowing as he looked down the many rows.


“What? What do you mean?� she asked, astounded by his reply.


“This is where I hid the book! The Half-Blood Prince’s book!� he said, his pace quickening with every word he spoke, “I asked the room for a place to hide my book, and it gave me this room! That’s it! Malfoy must have done the same, he must have asked the room for a place to hide his – his something, whatever he is working on – and this is what the room gave him!�


Hermione’s eyes widened with understanding.


“Of course!� she breathed, “That explains why there are so many things – this must be the dirty laundry of hundreds of generations of Hogwarts staff and students! Those swords, they must have been here for centuries!�


She looked around the room again, in awe at the sheer history contained within these walls.


“This is amazing,� she said, picking up an old text book entitled Mastering Magic: The Do’s and Don’t of Successful Witchcraft and Wizardry. It looked older than any book she had ever seen, and half the pages were missing. Those that remained were covered with scorch marks.


“Amazing?� Ron scoffed, looking around the room with apprehension, “This isn’t amazing, this is annoying! How on earth are we ever going to figure out which of this stuff belongs to Malfoy?�


Hermione let the book fall to the floor, her excitement crashing with it, when she realized that Ron had a point.


“We’ll never find anything,� Harry said, shaking his head in frustration. He stalked forward through the rows, walking towards the end of the room.


“Harry? Where are you going?� she called after him.


“To get my book back!�


She opened her mouth quickly to say something, but Ron cut her off.


“Just drop it Hermione,� he said quietly, “You know he’s not going to leave the book, no matter what you say.�


She knew he was right, but that did not stop her from shaking her head in annoyance. She held her silence, however, and followed Ron as he walked towards Harry, carefully stepping over fallen items.


“Hey, look,� said Ron, stopping suddenly, a mischievous grin plastered on his face, “Isn’t that the Vanishing Cabinet that Montague got lost in last year?�


Hermione looked to see where he was pointing, and was surprised to see the very same large, mahogany cabinet, clearly broken, but standing tall nonetheless.


“Yes, it is,� she said. “But what on earth is it doing here?�


“Suppose one of the house-elves must have been asked to get rid of it, and this was the only place they could think of. I thought I saw a few empty bottles of butterbeer back there… Hey, Harry, you seen this, mate?�


Harry came walking over, the cursed book in his hands. Hermione glared at it.


“What is it? Oh, the cabinet, yeah I saw it last time I came in here...� he leaned forward, examining the crack running across its side, “Hey, what’s this?�


“What?� Hermione asked, stepping forward for a better look.


“Someone’s hung a necklace on here,� he said.


Indeed, someone had. And it was the most amazing necklace Hermione had ever seen. It’s chain was in fact two chains, one of gold and one of silver, seamlessly entwined around one another. The most intricate pendant was attached to it – a gold square, embedded with the reddest ruby, the greenest emerald and the bluest sapphire she had ever seen in her life, as well as a dazzlingly yellow gemstone that she had never come across before. The gold it was contained in was intricately carved with patterns she did not recognize; they looked like ruins, but unlike those that were taught at Hogwarts. It was clear that the necklace was old – antique even. She felt almost too awed touch it, but for some inexplicable reason, found herself drawn to it.


“It’s beautiful,� she whispered, pulling the necklace down for a better look.


Ron let out a long whistle, “I’ll bet that’s worth a thousand galleons or two, easy.�


“But that doesn’t help us at all,� said Harry, apparently having forgotten that it was he who had pointed out the necklace in the first place, “No amount of gold is going to show us what Malfoy is up to in here.�


But his words fell on deaf ears; Hermione was too busy examining the necklace – which she had just placed around her neck – to take any notice, and Ron was now rummaging through the piles of junk, clearly hoping to come across more treasures, and by the sounds of his jubilant exclamations, succeeding.


All three of them, however, were jolted back to the present when they heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening, and a voice that could only belong to Draco Malfoy.


“Remember, drop the scales if you see anyone, okay?� he said angrily, “And don’t you dare sneak off to Hogsmeade!�


“Merlin’s beard!� mouthed Ron, his eyes wide as he looked back and forth between the other two.


“Quick,� Harry mouthed, grabbing the door of the cabinet and motioning for them to enter – the Vanishing Cabinet. The broken Vanishing Cabinet.


“Harry, Ron, no!� she whispered furiously, but it was too late.


Ron had already jumped inside, and Harry, ever stronger than herself, pulled her inside despite her silent protests, jumped in after her and closed the door behind them.


The moment the door clicked shut, the world around her seemed to dissolve, and with a terrible lurch that flung her off the cabinet floor, she felt herself being thrown backward at an incredible pace. Colours and odd shaped blurred past her, she could feel Ron and Harry bumping into her on either side. Her ears felt like they were ready to explode, though try as she might, she could not hear the cry that she knew had escaped from her own lips. She felt an odd warmth against her chest as the necklace pressed against her.


And then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped, and the world reappeared around her as her feet found solid ground again. She knew the only reason she had not yet vomited the entire contents of her stomach was because she felt like she had no stomach at all. There was silence for a moment, and then –


“What in the name of Merlin’s saggy Y-fronts just happened?� she heard Ron exclaim from besides her.


“Shut up!� hissed Harry, “Malfoy will hear you!�


“No, he won’t,� Hermione said, the dread mounting inside her as she made a terrible realization.


“Why not?� Harry replied.


“Harry – I – I think, oh Harry! I think we’ve gone back in time!� she moaned, leaning back against the cabinet wall behind her, burying her head in her hands.


The jewellery Ron was holding slipped out his hands, but he did not seem to notice.


“You think what?� he gasped.


“Gone back in time,� she repeated.


“What on earth makes you think that?� Harry questioned.


“Harry, I didn’t spend my whole third year using a time turner for nothing,� she replied sharply, “I know that feeling! The way everything dissolved, the way we were lurched backwards, the way we flew backwards! What were you two thinking? Jumping into a broken Vanishing Cabinet! Honestly, don’t you two use your brains? Obviously it wasn’t safe!�


“But that was way more painful than the time I did it,� Harry said.


“I know,� she said, frowning, “It’s odd.�


“But why would it have made us go back in time, even if it was broken?� Ron asked sceptically, as he picked up the jewellery he had dropped. Apparently, after the initial shock, he did not seem to believe Hermione’s theory.


“I don’t know,� Hermione said, shaking her head, “I – I don’t understand, I mean, it should transport us through space – not time.�


“Hear that Harry?� Ron said, rolling her eyes, “Something Hermione doesn’t understand. That’ll be a first, that will.�


“Oh, shut up, Ron,� Hermione snapped, “I don’t see you trying to help –�


“Well, there’s only one way to find out,� he replied loudly, and moved forward to open the cabinet door.


“No!� Harry whisper harshly, grabbing Ron’s hand and pulling him back, “Malfoy might still be out there! Here, put the cloak on.�


Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of this backpack, and threw it over the three of them, Ron and Harry both bending their knees to make sure the cloak covered them all.


“Good thing we thought to take this to Hogsmeade with us,� Hermione muttered, “Ron – will you stop fidgeting? Your feet are going to show!�


“Well, hold on a second, I just need to put this stuff in my pocket – okay, ready,� he replied, jewellery stowed away carefully in his pockets.


Harry reached out a hand and opened the door, and for the second time in less than an hour, the three of them gasped in unison.


There were not in the Room of Requirement. They were not even on the seventh floor. They were in the Entrance Hall.


Hermione found herself breathing hard as the three of them stepped carefully out of the Vanishing Cabinet.


Okay Hermione, calm down, you must have come out in the other Vanishing Cabinet, that’s all – but there was never another Vanishing Cabinet in the Entrance Hall. Oh, no! We haven’t really gone back in time, have we?


“Hermione, stop breathing so loud, someone will hear us!� Ron whispered angrily.


“In case you haven’t noticed, Mr. Sensitivity, there isn’t anyone here to hear us, and it’s the dead of the night!� she whispered back furiously, pointing at a nearby window which showed the pitch black sky with was sprinkled with stars.


“Will you two shut up,� Harry said, “This isn’t helping! What on earth are we doing in the Entrance Hall, and why is it so dark? You don’t think we really have gone back in time, do you, Hermione?�


Hermione bit her lip in worry.


“I – I guess we might have, just a few hours back, it felt like a few hours, anyway.�


She looked around the Entrance Hall, hoping to see some kind of sign, a clue, but there was nothing, except –


“Hey,� Harry said, frowning, “Since when was Gryffindor second in the House Champions ships? And why is Slytherin first? Ravenclaw was first at dinner time last night...�


“You’re right,� said Ron slowly, “And the scores weren’t so neck to neck either…�


There was a moment’s silence.


“You don’t think we really have gone back in time, do you?� Ron repeated, “Much further back then we thought?�


“There’s only one way to find out,� Hermione said heavily, “Come on, let’s go to the library, they’ll have a copy of today’s newspaper… we can check the date.�


And so the three of them made their way to the library. It was a silent walk, except for the occasion whisperings of “Hey, since when did that painting hang there?� or “I could have sworn there was a crack in this wall.�


But it was not until they reached the library that Hermione knew for certain that something was wrong – for the library looked nothing like how she remembered. Sure, the tables were all in the same places as they had been the previous night, but they looked different, less worn, covered with less graffiti. A good number of shelves were missing, and the librarians desk looked like someone had thrown out everything owned by Ms. Pince and replaced it.


She cast a grim look at the others. She knew from their own grim looks that they too realized something was wrong.


They stepped in to the library carefully, quietly, and Hermione immediately noticed a dim light emanating from the Restricted Section.


No doubt a student taking advantage of the night time.


She nudged Harry.


“What?� he breathed into her ear.


She indicated her head in the direction of the source of the light, and both he and Ron followed her gaze.


“Remember, we must not be seen!� she mouthed, shuddering inwardly at the thought that they might run into their younger selves.


Thankfully, Harry and Ron both nodded in understanding, and they made their way towards the stack of newspapers which was, fortunately, very far away from the Restricted Section.


The newspapers were stacked on selves, separated by date. There was a section for today, which was currently empty, most likely to make room for the fresh stack of newspapers to arrive the following morning. Hermione moved instead to the pile of newspapers listed under ‘This week’. She picked up the nearest paper, the Daily Prophet, but it looked nothing like the Daily Prophet she was familiar with. Her eyes flickered to the date printed on the top right hand corner, and it was all she could do to contain a gasp by clasping her hands to her mouth.


“What? What year is it?� Ron whispered nervously, “Go on, just say it!�


But she could not bring herself to speak. Instead, she held the paper out for them to read for themselves.


“No, no way,� Ron muttered, his eyes wide, “It can’t be!�


“Hermione, you said it felt like a few hours only!� Harry moaned, “How on earth did we end up in September, 1943!?�

“We need a comfortable place where we can hide overnight,� Harry said firmly, before walking back and forth three times in front of the wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. It was rather uncomfortable, seeing as how he was still hidden underneath the Invisibility Cloak with Ron and Hermione; however, the door still appeared immediately before them.


Harry threw the door open and they rushed into a room that strongly resembled Gryffindor tower, but without the red and gold colour theme. As soon as Ron closed the door behind them, they all broke out into a chorus of cries that had threatened to escape their lips as soon as they set eyes on the newspaper.


“Oh, what are we going to do? What are we going to do? Do you realize how many laws we could have already broken? Oh, no, no, no!� Hermione moaned almost manically.


“We’re dead,� Harry announced as he collapsed into a comfortable looking sofa. “1943? My parents aren't even born yet!�


“I’m going to kill ferret boy when I see him; this is all his fault! That filthy, slimy –�


Ron continued to call Malfoy such indecent names that if Hermione had not been so near hysterics herself, she would have surely told him off. Instead, she sat down next to Harry, her hands shaking as she rested her head in them.


“What are we going to do?� she repeated.


“You’re the genius here, Hermione, you tell us,� Ron said as he too sank down into an armchair.


“What do you expect me to do, invent a time machine?� she snapped. “I hope you realize all Time Turners are closely regulated by the Ministry. There’s no way we’d be able to get one – as if they’d even believe us!�


“Why shouldn’t they believe us?� Harry asked, sitting forward. “What’s stopping us from going and telling them that we’ve got thrown back into the past and need to get back?�

Hermione could tell, however, that even as he spoke the words, he knew how foolish they were.


“Harry, would you believe that? Three kids claiming to have come from the future – by means of a broken Vanishing Cabinet in a room they don’t even know exists?� she sighed. “I don’t understand how this happened – it’s a Vanishing Cabinet for Merlin’s sake! How on earth could this have happened?�


“Well, it is broken,� Ron said dully. “Maybe instead of transporting us to the other Vanishing Cabinet, it transported us back in time?�


“It didn’t do that to Marcus, remember?� Harry pointed out.


“And besides,� added Hermione. “It’s not like time travel is something that can happen by accident – it’s too intricate, so deliberate and complex. It takes years just to develop one Time Turner at the Ministry! Oh, it just doesn’t make sense!�


“Well, how are we going to get back then?� Ron asked.


A heavy silence followed that question, and Hermione felt a weight descending into the pits of her stomach.


Will we ever be able to get back or will we be stuck here forever?


“Well, what are we going to do now?� Harry asked, running a hand through his already messy hair, as though it would help clear his thoughts.


“What can we do?� Ron asked.


“Hermione,� Harry said, sitting forward suddenly. “Do you think you’ll be able to go find something in the library to explain what happened? I know it’s a long shot, but could there be something? Ron and I can help of course, but you know you understand these things better than we do.�


“Yes,� she said slowly, catching on to his train of thought. “I’ve only really ever skimmed through some books on classical methods of time travel; I’ve never really looked at alternative views, time travel happening unexpectedly and the like. And I suppose I might be able to find something useful on books about using physical methods of transportation.�


“Excellent, if we can find a way to explain how this all happened, maybe we can find away to get back,� he suggested.


“But that could take ages Harry, and I don’t know how I can spend so much time in the library without being seen; it’s risky, even with the cloak. I won’t be able to borrow anything either... and the books are charmed so we can’t take them out of the library with borrowing –�


“Well, say you could borrow some library books?� he suggested, almost off-handedly.


“How?� she asked suspiciously.


“By, say, enrolling as a Hogwarts students and getting a library card?�


Silence followed this suggestion. Ron looked like he liked the idea, though Hermione only stared at Harry in astonishment.


“Harry!� she said, “You know we can’t be seen! It’s the most fundamental rule of time travel. I’ve told you this before; the worst things have happened to wizards and witches who travel in time – they end up killing themselves!�


“I know, Hermione,� he replied quickly. “But think about it; we aren’t even born yet. Our parents aren’t even born yet. There’s no-one here who could possibly recognize us. What could possibly go wrong?�


“I agree with Harry,� Ron said. “Besides, I don’t want to live in this room for the rest of my life. It’s not like we can leave the castle; then we’d be with no food, no home and worst of all, no Vanishing Cabinet to get us back home when we finally figure out what the hell went wrong.�


“But we could end up changing history –� she began.


“Oh please,� Ron snorted. “As if anything we would do could change history. Well, alright, maybe you could, so you’ll have to be careful, but what’s the worst I can do? Set a new standard of failing? Not to mention Harry isn’t even famous yet.�


Hermione sat back into the sofa, thinking hard. She knew they had a point; they could not live in this room forever, especially not if other people used it too, and they could not leave the castle either, for there was no denying that without the library she stood no chance of figuring out what had happened to them. But the mantra that McGonagall had worked so hard to instil into her still rang in her ears. You must not be seen.


“How will we pay the school fees, anyway? And no, I’m not saying I agree,� she added hastily. “And books? I don’t think we’ll be using the same textbooks.�


“Easy,� Ron said, beaming as he held out the necklaces and bracelets he had picked up in the room. “We can sell this stuff to that pawn shop in Diagon Alley; they’ve got to be worth a few hundred galleons at least.�


“And I’ve got a fair bit in my wallet,� Harry added, “because, you know, we were going to Hogsmeade. So, what do you say Hermione, worth a try?�


She bit her lip, and sat silent for a moment, then sighed in defeat.


“Oh, alright,� she said, throwing up her arms. “I’ve always inclined towards the theory that you can’t change the past anyway, because when the past happened the first time around, you were already part of it, like what happened with Buckbeak.�


“Excellent, Hermione!� Harry beamed.


“So,� said Ron, “what’s our backup story? It’s not like people rock up to Hogwarts unexpectedly like this every day.�


“We could pretend to be transfer students? From Durmstrang!� Harry suggested.


“We can’t,� Hermione said immediately. “They’ll check with the school for our records and find nothing. We’ll be caught out for sure. I think our best chance would be to pretend we were home schooled.�


“All of us, together?� Ron asked sceptically.


“Yes, it sounds weird, doesn’t it?� Hermione agreed. “And they will know we aren’t British either because we didn’t have our names on the register.�


“Well, maybe we could say we were born overseas? And then came back here, and our parents were all good friends and decided to home school us together.�


“But for what reason?� she asked.


“Because… they – wait, isn’t this about the time that Grindelwald was in power?� Harry asked, sitting up straight suddenly.


“Yes,� Hermione said slowly.


“Yeah, so we can say our parents were scared of leaving us in case something happened at Hogwarts, but now we’re older and they decided to send us here?�


“But then they will need our parents to confirm all that, won’t they?� Ron said, flattening that idea. “Maybe – no, wait, how’s this? We pretend out parents are dragon breeders living in Romania – I know enough about what Charlie does to be able to bluff my way through it, and I can teach you everything I know. And Harry’s even fought against a dragon, that’s first hand experience! And then we can say we had to come here because the dragons went on a rampage and killed them all, and possibly even ate them!�


“All they’d have to do was check the dragon breeders registry in Romania to know it’s a lie – you do know you can’t be a dragon breeder without a license, don’t you?� Hermione said, rolling her eyes.


“Of course I know that,� Ron said, affronted. “Well, then, we can say they were dragon smugglers, and we lived on the run all the time, which is why we have no home and had to be home schooled.�


Harry cleared his throat just as Hermione was about to retort.


“Maybe we should say our parents died when we were young and we were raised by a friend of theirs, and he home schooled us? And then we can say that he passed away recently and so we’ve decided the only thing for it is to come to Hogwarts. And we can pretend the money we make from the jewellery is our inheritance?�


“Hmm, I think that’s probably reasonable,� Hermione said.


“Right,� Harry said, “So how about Ron and I go down to Diagon Alley, sell the stuff and come back with the money, while you work on the finishing touches of our story and see what you can find in the library?�

“How are you going to get out? Through the statue of the witch?� Hermione asked.


“No other way, is there?� Ron replied. “By the way, Hermione, do you still have that necklace we found? I bet we can get a truck load of gold for that.�


“What? Oh, right,� she said, forgetting about the necklace she had around her neck. “Here just let me take it off – oh, what on earth… the clasp is stuck!�


“What do you mean, it’s stuck?� Harry asked. “Do you need help?�


“Stuck!� she cried. “It’s – it’s fused together; I can’t open it!�


“Are you sure?� Ron asked sceptically. “Maybe you’re just not doing it right. Here, let me try.�


“Yes, because you’re such an expert on jewellery, Ron,� she said, rolling her eyes, but allowed him to try anyway. She tried very hard to ignore the distinct flutter in the region of her stomach as he sat down besides her, his hands reaching for her neck.


“Hmm,� he said, after a moment of fiddling with the clasp. “You’re right, it is stuck. Look here – it’s as if it could never be opened in the first place, it’s been flawlessly sealed together.�


“Do you think something happened to it when we were travelling back in time?� Harry asked, also looking at the clasp with interest.


“I don’t know,� Hermione said. “It wouldn’t make much sense though, metal just fusing together like that.�


“Why did you put it on, anyway?� Harry asked, frowning.


“I – I don’t know,� Hermione stuttered. “I actually don’t know.�


Ron looked at it worriedly. “You don’t think it’s dangerous, do you? I mean, you know the kind of stuff dad sees at work – there was this one poor old lady in Manchester who had a necklace that would randomly lodge itself up her nose… apparently this one time it got stuck on a bogey and somehow fused with it, and she couldn’t get it out until they took her to St Mungo’s.�


She stared down at the necklace, stunned that she could have so carelessly put it on without stopping to think if it was safe or not; it was completely unlike her.


“I guess I could try a severing charm,� Hermione said, raising her wand.


“Are you crazy?� Ron said, grabbing her hand. “Think of the gold we could make with that thing!�


“Well, we certainly aren’t going to sell it while it’s stuck on my neck!� Hermione scoffed, twisting her arm out of his grasp and said. “Diffindo!�


But the necklace remained unharmed, without even a scratch on its surface. Panicking, Hermione tried every severing charm she could think of, even attempting to enlarge it so she could simply pull it off her head. Nothing worked, however. It was resistant to everything she could think of.


Harry shook this head, “It’s not going to work, and it’s too well protected. I wonder why someone went to all that trouble?�


“I don’t know,� Hermione said, giving up. “And I certainly hope I don’t have to find out the hard way. Here, give me the rest of the jewellery; we should check that they aren’t cursed before we sell them.�


A few incantations later, Hermione was certain the rest of the jewellery was safe to sell.


“Well, I think Ron and I should get going – let’s just hope we find the place open at this time of the night,� Harry said. “We can take the Floo powder to Diagon Alley from The Three Broomsticks, or maybe even the Hog’s Head… probably less likely to see someone like a teacher there. We can take the Marauder’s Map, and you can use the cloak to go straight to the library. Just – just try to be careful, okay?� he added, looking nervously at the necklace.


“I’ll be fine. Make sure no-one sees you leaving or coming back, though!� Hermione warned. “And do try not to act conspicuous, will you? Oh, and you’d better change out of your uniforms! How do you think it’d look if someone thought you were student’s skipping school?�


“Oh, I knew there was a reason we brought ten kilograms of spare clothes with us!� Ron said sarcastically.


“Don’t be silly, we can ask the room to give us some clothes,� Hermione said, clearing her throat and asked in a loud, clear voice, “We need clothing typically worn by teenagers in the year 1943.�


The room provided them with some plain clothes, and Hermione left the boys alone to change. She made her way to the library alone, covered in the Invisibility Cloak. This time she noticed the little things that she had missed on the journey to the Room of Requirement; more missing painting, more paintings she had never seen before, even the odd vase or two that she was certain did not exist in her own time. It was all she could do to stop herself from panicking all over again.


Okay Hermione, just calm down. You’ll figure something out. There’s no way you’re going to be stuck here forever. You’ll find something… the library has never failed you before.


She repeated this to herself over and over again until she reached the library where, she felt, she no longer needed the reminder. Seeing shelf after shelf of books stacked before her calmed her, reminding her that the knowledge she needed to solve this issue was surely just waiting for her to find it.


Just as she was about to take a step forward, something appeared to move in a far corner, and her eyes travelled to the restricted section, where she could just make out the dim light she had seen earlier.


Of course! I forgot that someone was already here!


She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, and then decided that she should probably check who it was; after all, it would be unwise to linger for too long if it was actually a teacher (although she very much doubted a teacher would be sneaking around at this time of the night). She carefully approached the restricted section, weaving as silently as possible between the recognizable though oddly unfamiliar desks, until she reached the restricted section, the entrance of which was blocked off by a rope. There was no chance of her moving the rope without bring attention to herself, so she settled for carefully leaning over it and looking down the aisle of forbidden books. On her right she immediately spotted a teenager who looked to be her own age, a dim lantern held high in one hand, providing just enough light in the darker corner where he stood, his eyes running quickly past the titles on the shelves. There were already a number of books lying open on the floor.


The dim light illuminated his features, so Hermione could see that he was very tall; perhaps a head taller than herself, with dark eyes, black hair which he parted to one side and hung casually though deliberately across his forehead, in a very nineteen forties kind of fashion and with very well defined features that left him looking altogether very handsome.


What really drew her attention, however, was the shiny Prefect badge attached to the front of his robes. Part of her wanted to reproach him for being out of bed, but another part of her knew that she was not one to talk – being a prefect had not stopped her (and especially not Ron) from getting into trouble.


Just as her curiosity was starting to build up, he pulled down a very large, very old, leather-bound book from the shelf, and she was just able to snatch a glance at the title.


Famous Treasures of the Hogwarts Four.


She was extremely taken-aback. She had expected something more exciting, more intriguing – Moste Potente Potions, perhaps, or something along the lines of Magick Moste Evile. But Famous Treasures of the Hogwarts Four? Why would anyone – a prefect, no less – go to all the trouble to sneak into the restricted section in the middle of the night, just to read a book about the treasures that once belongs to the founders of Hogwarts?


He set the book down on the ground and he sat down on his knees next to it, leaning forward to read. As he did so, a necklace he was wearing fell forward from the behind the folds of his robe, and though the light was dim, there was no mistaking the glistening of the four gems; red, green, blue and yellow.


He was wearing the same necklace she wore.


This time around, the shock was not anticipated, and so a small gasp was able to escape her lips before she could press her hands across her mouth. She froze as the boy looked up sharply. He quickly disillusioned himself, the books and lantern on the floor nonverbally (which, needless to say, Hermione found rather impressive, stood up and walked quietly towards the entry of the Restricted Section. Hermione cast a quick, nonverbal muffling charm on her shoes and slowly moved as far away from the entrance as she could. She could only just make out his outline, and after a moment or two, he seemed to have decided that there was no-one there, for he returned to where he was.

Hermione stood still for a moment, her heart thudding silently at the near miss. She debated with herself as to whether she should leave before she was caught.


I should leave, she thought. But what about the necklace? What if it is the same one – what if the necklace itself somehow brought us here?


She felt her excitement mounting – maybe it was not an accident after all! Maybe there was a reason they were in 1943 and not, say, 1951? What if the necklace had some kind of power that forced the time travel to stop at this time, because of the necklace the boy was wearing?


She resisted the urge to jump from foot to foot from excitement at her new lead, and instead crept quietly back towards the Restricted Section entrance. He had disillusioned the books and lantern, but (rather wisely, thought Hermione), had decided not to lift the charm from himself. She could still see his vague outline, however.


He was flicking quickly through the book’s contents page, then, apparently not having found anything, started looking through the index. This gave Hermione the distinct impression that he knew exactly what he was looking for. A moment later, he slammed the book shut.


“Nothing! How am I ever going to get this thing off?� he growled, while tugging furiously at the necklace.


Hermione’s eyes widened with realization. She looked down at her own necklace and tugged instinctively at it, pulling it around her neck until she found the clasp. It was still stuck – fused, even. She felt certain that it was no coincidence – that it was from the magic of the necklace that it could not be removed.


The boy stood up and with a flick of his wand, sent the books flying back to the shelves where they neatly found their original places. Another flick of the wand and the lantern vanished, and, still disillusioned, the boy walked towards the entrance, stepped carefully over the rope (Hermione had, of course, moved equally carefully out of his way) and strode quickly, but quietly out of the library.


Hermione waited for about half a minute, and when she was sure that it would be safe, she crept forwards into the Restricted Section, going straight to the books that the boy had returned to the shelves. She immediately recognized the bulky Famous Treasures of the Hogwarts Four edition. Up close she could see that it was extremely old; the cream leather binding peeling off in some places. She also recognized one other book; it was equally bulky with a thick brown binding that looked as though it were ready to fall apart. The title, Hogwarts’ Greatest Secrets, was stamped across the front in peeling silver.

She noticed immediately that both books were related to Hogwarts – was the necklace created by one of the founders of Hogwarts?


She carefully pulled the books down from the shelf and placed them on the floor.


“Geminio,� she whispered, wand pointed at the books, and an identical copy of each one appeared right besides them. They would not last very long before they vanished, but at least she would have time to look at them carefully.


She quickly replaced the original copies on the shelves and carried the copies under her cloak. She was just about to leave the library when she remembered that she still had not looked for books related to time travel or instant transport. She hesitated for a moment, tempted to come back for the books when she had a library card – but she had no guarantee that they would be allowed to enrol as students. She went back to collect a number of basic books about time travel and instant transport as well.


It took her some time to return to the Room of Requirement; now that she was holding seven extremely bulky books. So, by the time she arrived, she found that Harry and Ron had already returned.


“It’s about time!� announced Ron when she arrived, jumping up from his chair in relief. “We thought you’d been caught or something! And blimey, are you sure you’ve got enough books there?�


“Never mind that,� Hermione said eagerly. “Have you got the money? Did it all go okay?�


“It went brilliantly,� said Harry, who stepped forward to take some of the books off Hermione and set them down on a coffee table which certainly had not been there the last time. “We have over four hundred galleons! One of the necklaces alone sold for two hundred and –�


“You should have seen the stingy jerk, Hermione,� Ron interjected; now also helping with her with her load. “He tried to give us one hundred galleons for that necklace, you know, the ones with all the diamond? It wasn’t until this other bloke walks into the shop and offers to buy it from us for two hundred that we realized he was trying to rip us off!�


“Hmm, lucky for us then, isn’t it?� said Hermione amusedly, as she took a seat on the sofa. “But where is the money, anyway? Surely four hundred galleons is hard to hide? How did you carry it all back?�


“Well, we didn’t,� Harry admitted.


“What do you mean, you didn’t?� Hermione asked worriedly.


“We opened a Gringotts account,� explained Ron. “We put most of the money in there and kept a hundred galleons with us – it should be more than enough for all the fees and books and stuff. Blimey, I’ve never even held so much money in my life!�


“You – you did what?� Hermione stuttered, appalled.


“See, Harry?� Ron said pointedly while helping himself to a custard tart from the selection on the coffee table. “I told you she wouldn’t like it.�


“Don’t worry, Hermione,� Harry said quickly. “We didn’t use our real names, so even if someone tried to trace it back to us in the future, they wouldn’t be able to. We’ve put it under my name; Harry Evans. It’s a common enough Muggle name.�


Hermione relaxed again, “Well, I suppose that’s alright, although I’d have preferred if we left as few traces as possible. Have you chosen a name, Ron?�


“Well,� he said thickly through a full mouth, “I was thinking of using my mum’s maiden name, Prewett, but it’s too common amongst wizards, so I’m going with Ron Wesley.�


“Yes, very original, Ron,� Hermione said, rolling her eyes. “I think I’ll just replace my surname with my middle name. Hermione Jean. Anyway,� she said importantly, “I got a theory about how we got here.�


“What, already?� asked Harry, sitting up straight.


“Well, it’s a little sketchy, with holes the size of the Forbidden Forest,� she admitted. “Listen to this – you know that light we saw in the Restricted Section? Well, I had a peak to see who it was, you know, in case it was a staff member. It was just a boy; a Prefect about our age, and he was looking through some books. But you won’t believe what he was wearing!�


“What? A tutu?� asked Ron.


“No, Ron. He was wearing this necklace!� she exclaimed excitedly, pulling the necklace forward.


Both Harry and Ron simply continued to star at her with blank expressions.


“Well, I guess it isn’t all that feminine; I mean, it could easily pass as unisex, couldn’t it? What do you think Harry?� Ron suggested. “Though I don’t see what this had to do with us –�


“But it can’t be just a coincidence, can it, Hermione?� Harry said, frowning in thought, apparently catching on.


“Exactly,� she replied. “It can’t be. I think maybe the necklace is magical itself, not just protected by magic – the boy was looking for something in the books to tell him how to take the necklace off, because it was stuck on him as well.�


“So,� said Ron slowly. “What are you saying? That the necklace brought us here, or something?�


“Well, that’s the thing, I’m not sure,� she admitted. “For one thing – I don’t know why we arrived at that specific time… or how the necklace was activated, if it was the necklace at all. It could have been the Cabinet that threw us back in time, and the necklace that made us land here. At any rate, I made copies of the books the boy was looking through to see if they have any information about the necklace, and I also made some copies of books about time travel and instant transmission through space.�


“Should we have a look at them, then?� Harry asked, eyeing the books curiously.


“Not yet,� Hermione said reluctantly. “I don’t think they have anything about the necklace in them anyway because the guy I saw didn’t seem to find anything. Right now, we need to think about how we are going get enrolled here. I was thinking I could send an owl to the headmaster, asking to have a meeting with him sometime today.�


“No need,� Ron said, beaming. “We already did.�


“You did?� Hermione asked, startled.


“Yep, it was my idea,� Ron said proudly.


“But – but, what did you say?� she replied.


“We told him we’re orphaned children who had been home schooled and wanted to start at Hogwarts in our sixth year. We didn’t give too many details, because, you know, we thought you’d come up with something better,� Harry explained.


“Oh, well, okay. I guess we’d better think of something, then?� she replied.


“Well, now probably won’t be the best time,� Ron reasoned. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted! I reckon we all need a nap before the day starts.�


Hermione was about to protest, given that they had just woken up a few hours ago, but she noticed at that moment how very tired she was.


“Same,� Harry said, barely stifling a yawn. “Do you think it was the time travel that did it?�


“Dunno, but I could ready do with a nice, comfy bed right about now,� Ron replied, and no sooner had he finished that sentence, did a four poster bed appear along the side of the room.


“You know what,� Ron said, impressed. “I think I could get used to living in this room.�


------------------


“Wake up! Harry, Ron, wake up!�


Hermione waited for a moment, but there was no sign that either boy had heard her from behind their drawn curtains.


“Tsk, honestly,� she muttered, and then added in a louder voice, “If you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late. The headmaster is expecting us in less than an hour!�


“What?� came a muffled reply from Harry’s bed. A moment later the curtains were parted and Hermione saw a head of very messy black hair appeared. “What do you mean, expecting us? What’s the time, anyway?�


“It’s nine o’clock,� she replied, as Ron too started showing signs of life and drew back his curtains. “He replied saying he can meet us at 10 am.�


“Hermione,� mumble Ron as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “How did he send us as an owl, if we are in this room?�


Hermione smiled guiltily, “I went down to Hogsmeade to wait for his reply, while you two slept. I didn’t expect the owl would be able to find us in here.�


“Smart thinking,� said Harry.


“Thank you. So, you two had better hurry up and get ready, we need to get down to Hogsmeade soon. Breakfast is on the table, by the way, I got some from the kitchens.�


“Wait, why do we need to go to Hogsmeade?�


“Well, how do you expect to explain to the Headmaster how we snuck in to Hogwarts? Besides, he said he’d send for someone to let us in at the gate at ten.�


Hermione left the two boys to get ready, and sat down alone in a corner, allowing herself to collect her thoughts. Everything that had happened in the last few hours had been surreal. It was impossible to comprehend that she really had been thrown so many years into the past, and awful thoughts kept occurring to her, leaving her with a terrible, sinking feeling in her stomach. She tried not to think about what would happen if they could never get back home, or if they were refused entry into Hogwarts. Most of all, she tried not to think about her parents… but it was a fruitless attempt. She had in fact cried herself to sleep the previous night, thoughts of never seeing her parents again clouding her mind. She could almost see them, in the corner of her eye, her mother weeping into her father’s shoulder after Dumbledore broke the news to them that she had vanished, gone without a trace.


Stop thinking about that. Crying is not going to help. You need to focus on the task at hand.


She stood up and went to sit with Harry and Ron, not even bothering to turn to her books as she would usually have done. She knew that when she sat down to read, it would be when she had a good block of hours to spare – there was no point reading for five minutes and then realizing she had to put the books away.


Neither of them said much as they ate. Hermione could see that Harry and Ron were both deep in thought. She wondered what they were thinking. No doubt, they, like her, were wondering when they would return to their own time, whether they would see their family and friends again…


“You know, we need to perfect our story, in case the headmaster asks us for details of our background,� she said, regretting that she was the one obliged to break the silence.


Both Harry and Ron agreed with this, so they spent the rest of their breakfast discussing all the possible questions the headmaster might ask, and covering all the little details that would make their story that little bit more believable.


“And besides,� said Ron, as they neared the end of their discussion and prepared to leave, “We can always get out of talking about things by pretending that it’s all too painful to talk about.�


The trip to the schools gates took quite a while, as they had to first go to Hogsmeade using the passage that opened up into Honeydukes, and then walk back to the castle.


“I don’t see why we couldn’t have just walked out on to the grounds and jumped over the gates,� Ron complained as they half walked, half jogged up the dusty path towards to the school.


“Yes, Ron, because the school is so unprotected that people can just jump in and out as they please,� Hermione replied sarcastically.


They arrived at the schools gates, only to find them closed and no one in sight.


“You don’t suppose he’s forgotten to send someone over, has he?� asked Harry, looking over at Hermione for some kind of explanation.


Hermione frowned, “He can’t have forgotten, it was hardly more a few hours ago that he sent the owl –�


“Who is this fellow, anyway?� asked Ron suddenly. “You know, we haven’t even considered whether or not we will recognize any of these people.�


“Well, how can we? We’ve never meet any of them,� interjected Harry.


“I wouldn’t count on that,� Hermione said knowing. “I don’t know how the Headmaster is, but I can think of at least one person who we can expect to recognize.�


Harry’s eyes widen with recognition, “You don’t mean –�


“Professor Dumbledore!� Ron gasped, gaping at something behind Hermione shoulders.


Harry and Hermione both spun around on the spot, only to find that it was indeed Albus Dumbledore who was standing on the opposite side of the gates, wand raised to let them in. And though his eyes were as blue as ever, and his overall aura very welcoming and simultaneously somewhat intimidating – or at least Hermione thought so – there was no mistaking that he was obviously much younger. A head of neat, long auburn hair replaced the familiar white, and his face was substantially less wrinkled. As much as she had been expecting to see Professor Dumbledore, nothing prepared her for his surprise appearance and she found herself quite at a loss for words.


“Good morning,� said the younger Dumbledore pleasantly as he waved his wand to open the gates.


Dumbfounded, none of them actually moved, though Harry recovered his wits first and walked in, Hermione and Ron following quickly.


“Good morning, Professor,� Harry replied.


“I see I need no introduction,� he said, looking pointedly at Ron, who promptly turned a subtle shade of red.


Oh no! How much had he overheard?


“We’ve, er, heard a lot about you, you see,� stuttered Hermione quickly, hoping to cover up their mistake, “and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your writings for Transfiguration Today are always a pleasure to read, though I must admit they are sometimes a little bit beyond my scope. I did enjoy that paper about your theory about possible extensions of the five exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elementary Transfiguration –�


Hermione allowed herself to trail off as she noticed the incredulous looks her friends were wearing and she fought back a blush.


Dumbledore however merely chuckled, “Well, I’m certainly impressed; I’ve never had a student admit to having read any of my publications. I’m delighted, Miss –?�


“Oh, I’m Hermione,� she said promptly. “Hermione G – Jean. And this is Ron Wesley and Harry Evans. We wrote to the Headmaster this morning to request a meeting.�


“Yes, yes, I’ve been well informed. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Now, if you would follow me, Headmaster Dippet is expecting you.�


Dippet? That’s right, he was the headmaster before Dumbledore. Which means that Dumbledore is now the Deputy Headmaster.


The three followed Dumbledore in silence; Hermione still fighting to bring her body temperature back down to normal levels. She hadn’t meant to say so much – she had just been caught off guard. Ron purpose caught her eye and mouthed the words, “What on earth was that?� She pointedly ignored him. Instead, she focused on perfecting the story they would present to Dippet.


“Have any of you ever visited Hogwarts before?� Dumbledore asked as they crossed the Entrance Hall (all of them pretended to be awed by the castles glamour, as planned).


“No, sir,� said Hermione, as they had planned for her to answer as many of the questions as seemed reasonable. “We have seen pictures, of course, but nothing compares to the real thing,� She allowed her eyes to linger on what could be seen of the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall.


They continued on towards the Headmaster’s office, with Dumbledore keeping up a stream of light conversation, directing questions specifically to Harry and Ron when he realized they had no intention of speaking. Hermione had the distinct impression that he was trying to gather information, in that subtle way of his. Her stomach lurched as she wondered whether he suspected anything.


Don’t be stupid, he can’t possibly be suspicious yet, you just met him a moment ago!


Still, she was extremely relieved when they arrived at the office and Dumbledore said the password (“Ministry� – a far cry from Dumbledore’s more light hearted theme) and instructed them to take the stairs and knock on the Headmasters door.


“Aren’t you coming too?� Ron asked, surprised.


“No, no, I’m afraid not,� he said merrily. “Good day to you all!�


And with that, he walked away, humming happily to himself. Hermione was glad to see him leave – it would have been altogether intimidating to have him present at the meeting. Somehow, she suspected that Professor Dippet would be much easier to win over than Professor Dumbledore.