To a Better End

Chapter 5

May 12th 2003

Malfoy reluctantly returned to work on Monday. As much as everyone wanted to form a plan and execute it immediately, there were a lot of details that needed to be ironed out first. They had no idea what each Time-Turner did or how exactly they would take them through time. So, Theo and Hermione spent the first day of the week finding a charm that would place a temporary travel on the Time-Turners. This would allow them to test each one for 3 minutes before getting pulled back to their present. It meant they could figure out each Time-Turner's function without getting stuck.

Theo and Hermione took turns travelling, noting the complexity that multiple devices presented. They were forced to spread the time travel across the entire Manor to avoid Theo and Hermione running into Theo and Hermione.

After a full day of time travel, they both sat in the parlour enjoying several strong drinks, one for each journey taken. Theo thought it was only fair.

"Okay," Theo placed his reading glasses on while looking at their compiled notes. "We have one that takes us forward by years, and another by months. Those should come in handy for return travel." Hermione nodded in response. "We also have one that takes us back by minutes, another by months, and then by years."

"That's five down, and how many more to go?" Hermione tried to peek over at his notes.

Theo marked off several bullet points in a long list. "We have seven left after the ones we tried today, but I don't know if we really need to test all of these. Some of them look... spooky." Theo looked uncharacteristically apprehensive.

"Ooooh," Hermione responded, waving her fingers at him in a mocking manner.

"Hermione, I'm serious. I... everything I've read about black sand so far isn't good. I can't make it all out, but the testing seems sketchy. I don't want you getting lost somewhere or some time where I can't get you back."

"Alright, alright. We can avoid those. We might be okay with what we have. Now that we know what most of these do, I can do a full test tomorrow. I'll go back a year and put something somewhere you wouldn't look normally, and then I'll hop back. Good?"

He sipped his drink, nodding in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. You're doing okay, though? After today?"

Hermione sighed, rising from her seat. "Yeah. I'm just tired is all. I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Theo promised.

*****

May 13th 2003

"Which books do you tend to not touch?"

Theo looked at Hermione suspiciously. Almost not wanting to answer.

"I usually don't read anything about plants, especially since Neville likes to tend to the gardens in his spare time." He spoke slowly, eyeing Hermione as though she would betray him in a second. "Why?"

Hermione was already sliding one of the Time-Turners around her neck. She had the other devices in her bag.

"You'll see."

"Hermione Jea-"

Theo never got to finish using her full name to chastise her, because Hermione had already spun the Time-Turner to take her back one year, Theo watched on in awe as the device pulled her out of sight, back in time.

When Hermione arrived in the previous year, the library was dead silent. Ignoring the coldness around her, she wasted no time getting to work. Three minutes.