"What is going on here?" the Deputy Headmistress demanded sternly.
"Professor McGonagall," Richard took the initiative, "we appear to have a visitor from a parallel world."
He nodded towards Hermione.
"The real Hermione Granger is currently in the hospital wing. This lady claims that her name is also Hermione Granger and that she used an artefact called a Time-Turner, which apparently does not work quite as intended. That is to say, rather than transporting the user into the past of the time traveller's own universe, it transports them into the past of a parallel universe resembling their own world. At least, that is the conclusion we've reached based on this lady's account."
"Mr Grosvenor," McGonagall said, her brows drawing together severely, "what sort of joke is this?!"
"Professor McGonagall," Richard replied coldly, his face about as expressive as a paving stone, "it is foolish to deny the facts. Sitting before us is a lady who looks exactly like Hermione Granger. The real Hermione is recovering under Madam Pomfrey's care. As for who this lady actually is, that is for you to determine. It is your responsibility."
Hermione hunched her shoulders and stared at Grosvenor in horror, as though he were a blasphemer who had just laid hands upon a sacred relic.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall said sternly, "is this true?"
"I don't know, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied, her voice trembling. "These people claim they're my friends, but I've never seen them before in my life. And the timetable has changed as well. My first lessons today are supposed to be Divination, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. I've already attended two lessons, turned the Time-Turner back another two hours, and came to Arithmancy. But then I found out that my lesson isn't at nine in the morning at all—it's at eleven."
Deep furrows appeared on Professor McGonagall's forehead. She held out her hand towards Hermione and said:
"May I see your timetable?"
"Yes... Yes, of course."
Granger rummaged through her bulging bag and handed the timetable to the Professor. Richard managed to catch a glimpse of it. He couldn't see it particularly well and made out only two days, but that was enough to realise that it differed fundamentally from his own.
MONDAY
Divination — 9:00–10:30
Ancient Runes — 9:00–10:30
Arithmancy — 9:00–10:30
Transfiguration — 11:00–14:00
Potions — 15:00–18:00
TUESDAY
Defence Against the Dark Arts — 9:00–12:00
Muggle Studies — 12:30–14:00
Care of Magical Creatures — 12:30–14:00
Astronomy — 22:30–24:00
"What utter nonsense is this?!" McGonagall demanded quietly, shaking the sheet of parchment. "Who came up with such an idiotic timetable?"
Swallowing thickly, Hermione muttered in a small voice:
"Y-you did, Professor McGonagall..."
"I most certainly did not!" the Deputy Headmistress exclaimed indignantly.
"Professor McGonagall, I can prove it."
Hermione reached beneath her robes and drew out a chain from which hung a tiny hourglass. Professor McGonagall's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Impossible!" she whispered. "What madman gave a Time-Turner to a student?!"
"Y-you did, P-Professor McGonagall..." Granger stammered.
The Deputy Headmistress looked distinctly displeased. Lips pursed, she turned to Richard.
"Mr Grosvenor, five points to Hufflepuff. It appears you were right about another world. And apparently my counterpart there is an idiot! Miss Granger, come with me to the Headmaster's office."
"What? Why?" Hermione looked around helplessly in search of support.
"We shall decide what is to become of you," McGonagall replied curtly.
"M-maybe I could simply use the Time-Turner again?" Hermione suggested.
"Miss," Grosvenor said, shaking his head sceptically, "I wouldn't recommend it. There's a strong possibility that instead of ending up in a universe resembling your original world, you'll find yourself in a parallel world that mirrors this universe."
"No more Time-Turners!" the Deputy Headmistress snapped, holding out her right hand towards the time-travelling girl. "Miss Granger, give me the artefact!"
Still in shock, Hermione slowly slipped the chain from around her neck. Professor McGonagall took firm but careful hold of the Time-Turner and tucked it into a pocket of her robes.
"Miss Granger, I'm waiting," she said, urging the displaced girl along.
Reluctantly, Hermione rose from her desk, gathered up all her books and followed McGonagall.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Professor Vector called for everyone's attention.
"Right, children, let us begin the lesson..."
***
Richard was becoming increasingly convinced that the second Hermione really was a traveller from a parallel world. His feelings about it were mixed. On the one hand, he considered his behaviour perfectly reasonable: when someone appeared to have replaced your friend, suspicion was only natural. On the other hand, he was ashamed of the way he had treated the girl. The shame, however, had come only after he realised the true nature of the double. And Richard had also begun to experience a strange feeling which he identified as pity.
Yes, the displaced Granger was certainly someone to be pitied. Without even realising it, and at the instigation of her school's Deputy Headmistress, she had ended up in another world. Here, this Hermione was nobody: she had no friends, no acquaintances, no means of supporting herself, no documents and no clothes. She didn't even have any writing supplies of her own, and her parents weren't really her parents at all. An orphan in all but name, without a penny in her pocket or a roof over her head. There was no telling what fate awaited the girl.
Richard had also developed an irresistible desire to get his hands on an artefact that allowed travel between parallel universes. What he didn't like about the Time-Turner, however, was that circumstantial evidence suggested it sent its operator on a one-way journey. That could have been tested, of course, if Minerva McGonagall had not taken the Time-Turner away from the girl. There was a small chance that the operator might be able to return to their own universe once the duration of the journey into the past had elapsed.
For instance, a second wormhole might form and transport the operator to the instant immediately following their departure into the past of the parallel universe. But if that were the case, Hermione's double would need to be wearing the Time-Turner at that precise moment.
The moment Richard realised this, he sprang into action. Through his mental interface, he brought up the time on his display. The Arithmancy lesson had just ended.
Richard tore off towards the Headmaster's office as fast as his legs would carry him.
"Hey, Richie!" Padma called after him. "Where are you going?"
"No time to explain," Grosvenor answered without slowing down.
He raced through the castle at full speed and was already close to his destination. A couple of floors below the Headmaster's office, he encountered the displaced Hermione on a staircase landing and skidded abruptly to a halt.
Granger's eyes were red from crying, and she looked utterly devastated.
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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