Time Of Terror

Hermione clawed at her face, looking at the huge spider with utmost terror. The body of the Acromantula was at least ten feet tall, and two of its black, hairy legs held Ciro close to the clicking pincers. The man was undoubtedly frozen, his mouth opened wide in a silent scream.

Then instincts kicked in. She fumbled around her pockets for her wand. There was no spell that she knew of that killed the Acromantula; She would have to use a spell to slow the thing down.

"Impedimenta!" The spell hit the giant spider on the underbelly, where apparently the magical repellant was weakest. Immediately it froze, and the creaking pincers stopped. Ciro immediately wrenched the pincers away and fell the semi-short distance to the ground. Walking over to an extremely old tree, he retched up some blue liquid.

"Any spell to kill it?" Ciro sputtered as he used the back of his hand to wipe away some spit.

"If I did, do you think I would have used it?" Hermione turned. Ciro gave her a withering glance, but she remained unwithered. "Anyways, we got to get out of here. The Impedimenta spell is only temporary. Are you ok?"

"I´m not ok on an epic scale. Those things are not commonplace in 2026." Ciro stood up to his full height, towering over Hermione. He motioned towards the arachnid. "What do we do with it?"

"We make sure it doesn´t follow us. Petrificus Totalus." The creature´s legs snapped together, and eventually it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. "C´mon, lets get going."

The pair continued down the path, the sun quickly fading towards sunset. The only noise that was made was the occasional creaking and groaning of the trees, leaves rustling and the soft footfalls of the two humans. Neither made any attempt to make conversation, but didn´t really mind the hush.

Then, after about ten more minutes of walking, a sudden smell of baking bread reached their noses, and the noises of Hogsmeade reached welcome ears. The forest began to clear, and Hermione gasped. The houses were not of the future, as she had expected, but of the past.

Homes and buildings were made of logs and mud, their roofs thatched and windows covered with papyrus. The people were dressed like the people of the Renaissance; soft, low-crowned, broad-brimmed hats; scarves over hair; long, multicolored dresses; aprons; buckled shoes; and rough wool suits. Hermione backed behind a house, thinking of what these people would think of her if they saw her. She was still dressed in her suit and robes, and surely pants on a woman would not fly with these ancient people. Ciro was no better, wearing metallic gray pants and a loose white shirt under his robes of green.

Then she saw it. A clothesline filled with the undistinguished outfits. They were a bit wet, but that could be helped. Hermione motioned to her companion to watch her back, and then she zipped over and stole the clothes.

"I think I´ve got everything," Hermione, not noticing the look that Ciro was giving her. She started walking towards a clump of trees.

"You wanna go back in there?" Ciro said, aghast.

"Do you wanna change out here, where everyone and anyone could see us?" Hermione said, glancing at him with what was unmistakably bewilderment.

"Well, no..."

"Ok. You take that side; I take this side. No peeking." With that, she threw a bundle of clothes at Ciro and turned back into the forest. Fifteen minutes later, they both returned looking like completely different people. Hermione had braided her hair and put it up, hiding it with a bonnet.

"You look good," Ciro said.

"You´re not too bad yourself. All right, here´s the plan. I´m going to go visit with the locals and find out what year it is. Then, I´m going back to my time and getting out of this mess." Her companion felt a pang of disappointment. Well, what did you expect? Her to stay here forever? You too, need to go home.

"That´s me as well. I didn´t come here purposely." Ciro shifted his feet. The shoes were two sizes too small. Hermione looked at him as if for the first time.

"Really? I never figured. How did you...?"

"I took a wild trip down the stairs. You?"

"That´s me as well," Hermione admitted, using his phrase. Then, she shook her head slowly. "Let´s go. I´m sure we´ll be welcome..." But she didn´t sound very sure at all.

They walked into town, Hermione trying to act more ladylike than she usually did. The small crowd bustled around them, oblivious to the newcomers. As she looked around, Hermione saw that the village had originally been in a completely different order. There was no Honeydukes, Shrieking Shack, or Zonko´s, but where The Three Broomsticks would eventually be, there was a small pub called The Demiguise. The people seemed to walk right past it, not paying it any attention. Then, a shady character slipped in the wooden door. It was much like The Leaky Cauldron, back at London.

"C´mon," Hermione whispered, and ushered Ciro inside. It was much like the pub Hermione knew, but with a few changes. There was no mirror above the bar, and many of the booths had been removed to add rooms, and a section had been converted to a kitchen. The Demiguise was obviously an inn.

Hermione and Ciro sat down at the bar, and motioned for the bartender to walk over. He was handsome, but his hands were far too large for his body and his teeth were yellow.

"Hallo. It´s nice to see some new faces in Hodsmate," He smiled at them, speaking in garbled English and Latin. The pair could hardly make it out. Hermione looked at him.

"Hodsmate?" She asked, before biting her tongue. She must have gone back centuries... but it still didn´t explain Hogwarts. It was an interesting mystery; she had to admit; however she wanted to go home.

"Yes. Didn´t ya see the sign? We´re just a starter village... um," the bartender looked cautious. "Are you both... wizards?" Hermione looked uncertain towards Ciro. He too, looked wary. If this man was a wizard, than her secret was safe with him. But if he wasn´t, there was a very good chance that she would be running from persecution. Then, the man did something very unexpected.

He laughed.

"A course ya are! How else would you find the Demiguise? My name is Gryffindor. Godric Gryffindor. I come from the moors. And you?" Hermione looked at the bartender with new interest. She was looking and talking to a future founder of Hogwarts!

"My name is Ciro Malfoy, my companion is Hermione Granger. We come from... a place far away," Ciro spoke up. He looked at Godric with what could only be admiration. "What are your plans in Hogs-Hodsmate?"

"Well," Godric began whispering. "I came here to convert this village."

"Convert?"

"Why yes. Make it an entire wizarding village... a place for our kind to stay without fear. Some friends I met from abroad are going to help me. Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw."

Ciro´s mouth was an O, as was Hermione´s. The four founders were-

"Here? You´re all here?" Godric looked confused. Hermione stopped herself before she continued. She was muddling in history here, the one thing she had sworn not to do when she had gotten the Time Turner from the Ministry. The Time Turner that she supposedly was only supposed to use for-

"What do you mean, we´re all here. Do you know of us?"

"Know of you? Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw? Why, you´re the best wizards of this time!" Ciro exclaimed. He looked star-struck, and he would have gone on if Hermione hadn´t elbowed him in the rib.

"Pardon, but I must speak with my colleague." They walked over to a table that was in the corner. "What do you think you´re doing?"