Changing Destiny

Two: Meeting Mini Me

1991, July 31, London....

Ambulances and Scotland Yard cars were in abundance as the fire stretched into the sky in the summer heat. But, what the muggles would not be able to see was the telltale Dark Mark that floated a hundred feet in the sky. The other terrifying thing that occurred to me then was that the fire...originated at my childhood home. I had no time to drink any polyjuice potion if I had some, all I could do is see if my younger self was safe and in one piece.

I disguised myself as a police officer, and lied my way inside. I searched the grounds, and decided that if anyone survived, they would go to the basement. I went inside, and choked back tears as I saw my father's body in what was left of the living room. My mother's body was in the kitchen looking like she was just going to make a meal, or tea. I cast a diagnostic charm, and knew that their deaths were caused by the killing curse. I ended it, and tried to unlock the basement door normally, but when I cast the unlock charm it worked! What the hell? Why would deatheaters even care about me?

I went downstairs, and there I was huddled up on dad's old brown couch that he sat on to watch rugby games on the cheap telly downstairs. She had bushy brown hair, and was wearing her pink Care Bear pajamas. I crouched down at her level, and gently touched her shoulder.

"Go away," Younger me sniffled, "My mum gave me her wand, and said the mean masked people won't get me if I hide."

My eyes widened at that revelation, but I kept this to my younger self as I didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. "Well, I am here to take you somewhere very safe. What's your name, kiddo?"

"Her--Hermione Gr-Granger."

"My name is Hermione as well, so that's a pretty name," I soothed. "And guess what? I'm a witch too."

Her brown eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, let's go, pumpkin."

Younger me got up, and held my hand. We made our way up the stairs carefully, and Hermione held my hand. Once we made it outside the house, I moved us away from the muggles, and into an alleyway.

"What are we doing here? Aren't you a constable or something?" She asked, suddenly more sure of herself.

I waved my wand to transfigure the cop uniform back to my Ministry of Magic suit. "That's better," I remarked.

"Wow, that's so cool! Can I learn to do that?"

I smiled. "Yes, in your fifth year at Hogwarts. Did you mum teach you about Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded. "Mum was a Ravenclaw, whatever that means. Dad was as muggle as they come."

Yep, let's not think of the sudden blood status change, Hermione. Let's just get through one evening in peace, shall we? "Okay. Did she tell you about side along apparition?"

Younger Hermione shook her head. "I've only used the floo network a few times. What's that?"

"Well, apparation is the ability to teleport yourself from one location to another through magic and will alone. You will learn it in sixth year, because it can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, and side along means that you have to hold someone's hand or arm so that you don't get splinched," I explained. "Splinching happens when you aren't concentrating properly and not all of your molecules get transferred to the new location you traveled to. It's a very nasty piece of business, and it's the reason why pregnant witches shouldn't apparate once they begin to show. Do you understand?"

Younger Hermione thought it over and nodded. "Mum and daddy never told me about babies though, but it sounds bad. Maybe we should take a cab to where you want to go."