Remember

WARNING: As usual, this is AU/AR, OOC. No canons for me, they hurt my head. :)


CHAPTER 1: Careful What You Touch

Severus Snape sat in a rather uncomfortable chair and tried to focus on what Headmaster Dumbledore was saying, but he was failing miserably. His head ached, the throbbing, burning pain beginning to grow steadily as he sat there. He glanced askance once more to the young witch standing on the other side of the open door to Dumbledore’s office. She had passed in front of that door at least a dozen times already and Severus couldn’t decide if she was snooping or just restless.

Hermione was bored. She had come to the conclusion that with the war over she would most likely perish from pure, unadulterated boredom. She sighed as she paced the perimeter of the Headmaster’s waiting room and examined his vast collection of clocks and hour glasses. He seemed to have a preoccupation with time.

She could hear Professor Dumbledore talking with Professor Snape inside the office but could not discern the topic of their conversation. She reached up and was just about to run her fingertip over a cuckoo clock when the vicious little bird popped out and tried to bite her finger. She hopped backwards a bit and squealed slightly, pulling her hand to her chest protectively.

“Be careful what you touch Ms. Granger, not all things are what they seem.” Dumbledore called from his office. Hermione glanced over her shoulder and saw the headmaster smiling at her, that odd twinkle in his eye. Professor Snape looked pained and annoyed as he glared at her.

“Yes, sir.” Hermione mumbled, looking back up at the clock, the bird squawking at her before disappearing back inside. She frowned and slowly walked away, focusing her attention on a large table littered with hourglasses of every shape and size.

She cocked her head to the side and looked at the smallest of the hourglasses. It was a mixture of silver and gold. Gold lions with ruby eyes supported one end and silver serpents with emerald eyes the other. It wasn’t pretty and Hermione found herself baffled that anyone would want to own something so ugly, but then again in the wizarding world people collected odd things.

She gasped softly and blinked her eyes rapidly. The little hourglass shook slightly and one of the lions winked at her. She reached out hesitantly and picked it up, running her fingertip gently over the carved creatures and pricking her finger on the fang of one serpent.

“Ouch!” Hermione hissed, sucking on her injured finger. She noted that the sand inside the hour glass seemed to shimmer unusually and turned the hourglass over, starting the timer. One small grain shifted through the funnel at a time. “What an odd little timer.” Hermione said, shaking her head.

A strange buzzing began to sound in her head and muffled all other sound. She turned slowly, still clutching the hourglass in her hand as she looked towards the office door. Professor Snape fell from his chair to his knees clutching his head between his hands as the Headmaster leaned over him, one hand resting on the man’s shoulders. He looked up at Hermione, the knowing smile on his face and that blasted twinkle in his eye told her she had done something, something that was affecting the Professor.

Suddenly she felt a burning, tingling sensation along her arms and legs, her hair began to lift along with the fabric of her robes. Her eyes widened, panicked as she stared into the office, trying to scream for help but no sound emerged. She saw Dumbledore wave just before she was sucked up and into a black void that had formed above her head.

She clutched the hourglass close to her chest as she was spun through the vortex. She closed her eyes and tried to fight the nausea, praying that whatever she had done could be undone. She lost track of direction with the endless spinning, and almost as soon as it began, it stopped and Hermione Granger was dropped onto the cold, hard floor.

She groaned and sat up slowly, the hourglass resting in her lap. She kept her eyes closed, afraid that if she opened them too quickly she would vomit. She sat there, for several long moments before she heard a familiar voice.

“Are you alright?” Dumbledore asked. Hermione winced and then frowned.

“Yes sir, luckily for me my bottom is big enough to cushion my fall.” She grumbled, opening her eyes slowly and looking up.

“Hello there.” The headmaster said smiling. “Who might you be?”

Hermione closed her eyes tight for a moment and opened them again. It was no mistake, she was staring a much younger version of Albus Dumbledore. Hermione began to panic as she looked around her, things were the same in many respects, but different.

“Sir? You don’t know who I am?” She asked, her voice trembling as fear began to set in.


“I’m afraid not, you just fell out of the ceiling.” Albus said looking up at the unmarred stone surface of his office ceiling. “I though perhaps it had started raining Gryffindors.”

“I….um….I don’t think….I think…..I don’t think I belong here.” She stammered, picking up the hourglass and giving it a shake. Nothing happened, even when she turned it over the sands continued to move slowly into the nearly empty globe.

“Well look at that.” Dumbledore said softly as he reached out for the hourglass. “Isn’t that interesting?” He said distractedly as he walked away. “Help the young lady up will you?” He said, walking towards his desk.

A pale, long fingered hand appeared in front of her face and Hermione took it gratefully without looking up. When she was on her feet she looked up to thank whoever it was who had assisted her and gasped softly.

“Prof…Professor…Sna…Snape?” She asked incredulously. She stared at him in amazement.

“I am no professor, but I am Severus Snape….do I know you?” He asked. The tone of voice and cadence of his speaking was the same yet he looked so young. He was tall and very slender, his long, lanky hair hanging into his face and shielding him partially, as though he were hiding. She reached up and pushed his hair back, eliciting a soft gasp. She brushed her fingers over his nose and shook her head in amazement when she looked into familiar black eyes.

“You look so….different.” She whispered, withdrawing her hand when she realized she was making him uncomfortable. His school uniform was mussed, his robes soiled and he had a faint bruise marring his cheekbone. “What happened there?” She asked.

“Sirius Black.” He scowled. She is an odd little witch Severus thought at he looked at the girl who had literally fallen out of the sky…or the ceiling rather.

“Sirius?” She whispered. “The marauders…”

“Yes…ingrates.” Severus growled. “Who are you and how do you know who I am…..why did you call me professor?”

“Take it easy on the girl, Severus. You barely speak to anyone in this school and a stranger shows up and suddenly you become an interrogator.” Dumbledore chuckled. “Please, have a seat and tell me your name.”

Hermione looked at the young version of her Potions Master and then to the Headmaster, confused and wondering if she was actually dreaming. She took a seat in one of the chairs across from the headmaster, watching Snape stand off to the side staring at her.

“My name is Hermione Granger, headmaster, I am a seventh year Gryffindor.” She said softly. “Sir…what is the date, including the year?” She asked.

“Why it is October 31, 1977, Ms. Granger.” Dumbledore replied, watching the young woman nearly swoon. “Water, Severus! Quickly!”

Severus frowned and conjured a glass of water for the odd witch and pressed it into her hand. She gulped it down quickly and handed him back the empty glass.


“Ms. Granger, judging by your reaction and the fact that I have never seen you before I am going to assume that this was not the date you were expecting to hear.” Dumbledore said looking at her sadly. Tears were welling in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t cry now; tell me how many years back did you travel?”

“Twenty, sir.” She sniffed. “It was October 31, 1997 just a few moments ago. I was waiting to meet with you about my class schedule, you were busy with Professor Snape so I was looking at your timepieces….I turned the hourglass over…and I ended up here.”

“Don’t fret now Ms. Granger, you aren’t trapped her forever. The spell on this timer bears my magical signature. I must have wanted you here for a reason….”Dumbledore developed a rather confused expression. “I have no idea what that reason may be but when these sands run out, you will be restored to your own time.”

“When they run out? But they are moving so slowly!” She exclaimed. “What about my classes? My things! I have no money….I….I’m not even born yet!” She exclaimed, her breathing becoming labored as her eyes flitted back and forth in a panic.

“Calm down, Ms. Granger.” Dumbledore said soothingly. “We will simply embed you into the student body; say you are an exchange student from another school. I will make certain that all your marks are documented for….erm…. myself in the future so you will receive credit.” Dumbledore said. “Now, since this is obviously my doing….and I hope to discover why I would send a student back in time…I will handle the cost of your care.”

“But sir…..how long?” She asked, staring at the hourglass.

“April, Ms. Granger. You will be here until April, the sands run down in six months.” He said. “Ms. Granger I must ask you not to reveal your…situation…to anyone. Do not impart your knowledge of the future to anyone here. Severus, I will trust you as her secret keeper because I know you are not known to gossip.”

“Yes, Headmaster.” Severus said solemnly.

“Do we have an understanding, Ms. Granger?” He asked. “I know it will not be easy for you, but hopefully your purpose for being here will reveal itself in time. Now, Severus, please escort Ms. Granger to the hall for dinner. I will see to it that all you need is placed in the Gryffindor girl’s dorm.” Dumbledore stood and smiled down at her. “Courage, little Lioness, this too shall pass.”