Braving the Past

Chapter 4: A Gryffindor Welcome

That night, Hermione hardly slept - mostly because of the pain of her bones mending - and when she did, terrible nightmares plagued her. She was always back in the courtyard, fighting alongside her friends. And though she always did something different, people still died because of her.

At around 4:00 in the morning, she fell asleep once again after staring at the door, waiting for Fenrir Greyback to break in and finish her off. It was in this dream that the D.A. were all fighting alongside her as war raged around them. Hermione was forced to watch as one by one, her friends were picked off, some being hit by slicing hexes, others the Avada. It was right after she saw Ron get tossed aside by Antonin Dolohov that she was hit with the Cruciatus. She had felt it when Bellatrix tortured her at Malfoy Manor, but that was nothing compared to how much this hurt. Hermione screamed and writhed on the ground as Voldemort drew nearer and nearer to her, smiling maliciously the entire time.

She was forced awake by soft, but strong hands, and she immediately went for her wand, but she couldn't reach it. They were holding her arms down.

Hermione screamed in pain and fear as someone yelled in her ear and she forced her eyes open to see an incredibly worried Professor Dumbledore holding her arms at her sides. A loud sob escaped her and before she knew it, she was clinging to his robes, crying into his stomach as his arms came hesitantly around her.

"It's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore," he soothed. "There is no one here who could ever hurt you, not while I'm around."

This made Hermione's gasping breaths slow as she realized that as long as Dumbledore was alive, she was safe. As long as she was here at Hogwarts, she couldn't be touched – something that had comforted Harry in their first year.

Once she had calmed down enough for Madam Richter to have another look at her, Professor Dumbledore led Hermione to his office to get her set up for classes – she had already told him about meeting Headmaster Dippet. The students had been back from their Christmas holiday for a few days now, but it was close enough to the start of classes that she shouldn't have too much difficulty catching up.

Though this confused her because the battle had occurred in May, she assumed it had something to do with the time-turner counting years instead of hours. Perhaps it was a side-effect of going back so far?

Hermione assured Professor Dumbledore that she knew most of the things she would be learning already, but he insisted that as long as she stayed here, she would take part in the same things as everyone else.

"Now how do you feel about staying in the Head dormitory?" Dumbledore asked her once everything else was worked out.

"What about the Head Girl and Boy?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you'll still be with the Head Boy, but our Head Girl was taken out of school by her parents this holiday in light of the most recent attacks by Grindlewald."

"He's the...er...current Dark Wizard, is that right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"And who, may I ask, is the Head Boy?"

"A Mr. Tom Riddle." Upon seeing her face pale he asked, "Will that be a problem, Miss Granger?"

Should she tell him what Tom Riddle was going to become? He had insisted before that she not give him any insight on happenings in the future, but maybe this was something he needed to know.

"Well, sir, I'm just not sure his intentions are...honorable?" she tried.

"I am well aware of the extracurricular activities of Mr. Riddle, but I assure you once again that no harm will come to you by his or any other's hands." He looked at her with raised eyebrows.