Blast to the Past

Chapter One

Sitting on the Hogwarts Express, Persephone Stranger gazed out to the platform. She didn't understand why Hogwarts still insisted on using a train of all things. Trains were so old school, according to her and her friends. She thought it funny that some people said that wizards were higher in education and knowledge than the average muggle. If that was true, then why were they still using old time trains to travel from place to place?

Persephone scratched her head. She was getting tired of waiting for her friends to arrive, and it was getting boring. She took out her wand and began twirling it. She knew this was dangerous, but she couldn't help it. It was a bad habit for her to get out of, but she knew she would never get out of it.

'One of these days,' she kept telling herself. 'One of these days you'll be either permanently damaged or dead.'

Sighing, she put her wand back in her robe. What was she going to do for...ten minutes...until her friends arrive or the train leaves?

She could always play that game that she and her friends always played when they were left alone...that's it. She was going to play, if I were somewhere else, it would definitely not be here or...

She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. If she were somewhere else, it wouldn't be here or...during the Second Rise of Lord Voldemort. It honestly scared her that, were she there in time, she would always have to look over her shoulder, and not trusting anyone except for herself - and sometimes that didn't happen!

Thinking on this reminded her of Professor Binns. The old ghost had lived through it, and he always took pride in saying, "I taught that young Harry Potter. And his friends, too. Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Draco Malfoy. Though Draco Malfoy and the 'Golden Trio', as everyone liked to call them, were enemies at the beginning, they were some team when coming face to face with Lord Voldemort. Why, I remember it like it was just this morning when I saw the four of them walk into my classroom, all nice and friendly to each other..."

She hated History of Magic, especially when Professor Binns talked about the "Fantastic Four". She wondered how many times she can count, before losing count, that Professor Binns was going to talk nonstop about them again.

Finally getting relaxed and thinking about the coming year, there was a knock on her door. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked out through the window. She didn't understand why whoever was at the other side insisted on knocking, for they could see almost clearly that there was someone sleeping inside.

She stood up, and looked, puzzled, at one of the figures. She couldn't see much except for a fuzzy head of brown, and three fuzzy bodies. She didn't remember there being anyone at her school with people with fuzzy brown hair. Unless, of course, these were newbies.

She slowly slid open the door, and was surprised. These three persons couldn't possibly be first years. Two of them were taller than she was, and she was a seventh year! The girl with the fuzzy hair looked at her the same.

"May I help you?" Persephone asked.

"There aren't any other compartments with room in them for us," the tall, black haired boy said. "Can we sit in here?"

Persephone opened her mouth to say that she was saving the space for her friends, but a shiny badge on the girl's robes cut her off.

'HEAD GIRL?' she thought. 'What's going on? I never even saw this girl before. Hogwarts doesn't take in late starters, especially in their last year and make them HEAD GIRL instantly. I'll invite them in and get some answers.'

"Sure! Why not?" she said. She moved back in the compartment, and sat down back at her seat. She looked out, and almost yelped. Everyone was different. She didn't see anyone of these people before. What was going on?

"I don't believe we've met," the girl said. "I'm Hermione Granger. Head Girl." Hermione smiled and held out her hand.

Persephone looked at her, a bewildered expression on her face. 'Certainly she did not just say her name was Hermione Granger? It couldn't be her!'

Hesitantly, Persephone took Hermione's hand, and shook it slowly. Nervously, Hermione took her hand back after shaking it with the girl for a little more time than necessary.

"Are you new?" the red haired boy asked.

Persephone looked at him. 'If she is Hermione Granger, then he must be-'

"Ron Weasley, at your service,' the boy said, smiling.

"I'm Harry Potter," the last one said.

Persephone looked like she was about to faint. Surely it couldn't be these three! They were the three of the most famous magical beings in the history of magical beings! If she was meeting them now, in person, there had to be two conclusions, even though Persephone hated jumping to conclusions.

One: Three of the students she knows well (most likely her pranking buddies) were playing a trick on her. Though, that wouldn't explain why she didn't recognize anyone outside on the platform.

Two: These were the real wizards, and she traveled back in time.

Slowly, drawing in a long breath to calm her nerves, Persephone tried to clear her mind. She couldn't have traveled in time. How would she have done it? Nothing she did led her to go through time travel.

She would really love it for Mike to jump out and say 'April Fools Day!' She knew that wasn't likely. It wasn't even close to being April. He was French, and he treasured that day more than anything. Meaning, everyday was going to be April Fools Day, but April the first was always going to be "Le joue de poisson"..."the day of fish"...to him. Right now, she really wanted Mike to jump out and throw a fish on her face.

Then, something came crashing into her like a bludger on a crappy weather day.

'If these are the real Hermione, Ron, and Harry,' she concluded, 'then that means...Lord Voldemort hasn't been killed yet! And that means...'

"Are you a first year?" Ron tried again.

"Are you a seventh year?" Persephone whispered back.

Ron nodded.

Persephone shook her head. 'Shit! This is not good! I somehow traveled back in time to the year the war against Voldemort is at its worst! Not good! Maybe this is some kind of lesson I will be learning later on. Why oh why didn't I pay much attention enough to know how much danger this really means? All I know is Voldemort has risen, and these guys are famous for fighting in the war against him. I didn't have a care in the world for this war! That past is history! Who cares? I need to talk to someone. Why aren't we at Hogwarts yet? I need to speak with...what was the headmaster in this time...I don't know! But I need to speak to whoever it is! I really hope I don't die! I hope I go home before I meet Voldemort face to face...don't cry! They'll think you're psycho.' Then, she added sarcastically, 'I wonder when Draco Malfoy is coming along. Wouldn't my day be all peaches and milk cream then?'

Chapter Two

"Okay, I'll ask you again...Are. You. New?" Ron said, trying to get to the girl who sat in front of them. She, however, seemed entirely occupied by staring out the window at the passing scene. "I give up."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. She noted the girl's nervousness or anxiousness to be around them, and Hermione didn't want to make it worse. "Leave her alone. If she doesn't want to talk, then she certainly well has the right not to talk."

Inside her head, Persephone was going through a dilemma of her own. 'Okay, nothing seems out of place. There's the really big tree that Mike has deemed The Scary Tree of the Hogwarts Express Route. Only, now, it doesn't seem so scary. Maybe because it isn't so big? Here's the bridge that Kala hates more than anything...what's going on? Why am I here? Nothing seems to be out of any order. Except...where's Hogsmeade? Well, we haven't even passed the large lake...but there should at least be residential areas here!'

Hermione had pushed the boys out, wanting to get some privacy in getting to know the girl better. She also wanted to get the boys out in case they were making the girl uncomfortable.

"Well," she began, getting her robe out of her trunk, "now that they're gone. I know you can't be a new student. You already have your Hogwarts robe on. You're a Gryffindor? How come I've never seen you around before?"

'Why is she asking so many questions?' Persephone thought. 'I can't concentrate!'

"You know, you should really talk. It won't do good for your social life if you still are a shy person who doesn't like being around other people, or talking with other people at school."

"What year is this?" Persephone asked suddenly. She didn't mean to talk to the girl, but it was too late, it slipped out.

"It's 1997," Hermione answered, baffled. "Why?"

Persephone paled, and quickly looked back out the window. ''97? What am I doing here? I have to get back to my own time!'

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to Persephone. "You know, you haven't given us your name yet. Are you nervous that you're going to a new school? Are you nervous that you won't be able to fit in, or get acquainted very well, or make any friends, or not get sorted into the house with the people who you already think of as friends..."

'Well, if I'm to be here in this time,' she told herself, looking at Hermione, 'then I might as well make friends with the cool people. I don't know how long I'll be staying here, but I'll be staying here nonetheless. Wouldn't Professor Binns like to see me now?'

She smiled and held out her hand to Hermione. "Hello, Hermione Granger, Head Girl," she said with as much enthusiasm that she would rather do without, "My name is...Mystery Waite." Her best friend's name, so what?

Hermione took Persephone's hand again, and they shook hands...again. Only this time, it wasn't as awkward as it was before.

---

"Would you like me to take you to Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, after realizing that this new girl probably didn't know where the Headmaster's office was. She set her book down.

Persephone was busy watching Hermione read, and when she put the book, her head nodded. She would've fallen asleep if Hermione hadn't spoken. She shot her head up.

"What?"

"Would you like me to take you to Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked again.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"He's our Headmaster. I think, if you're new, you might want to go talk to him. I'm sure he'd be able to sort anything out. But, just incase, you could ask me. I think I've read Hogwarts: A History more than I can count. I'm sure I'd be able to answer questions you have."

Persephone looked out the compartment door. "Yeah," she said, looking back at Hermione, "where are Harry and Ron?"

Hermione shrugged. "Probably off talking with either Quidditch buddies, or with Draco Malfoy...about Quidditch. I tell you!" She said, standing up and pacing. "If I have to hear one more thing about Quidditch, I'm going to scream!"

"Then I guess I won't tell you I'm keeper," Persephone said, smirking.

Hermione stopped pacing and looked Persephone. "You play Quidditch? Ron plays keeper as well. Maybe you can outmatch him. But, I'm warning you..."

"Weasley is our king," Persephone mumbled. She smirked and looked out the window. 'Weasley can't save a thing,' she thought. 'Yeah, I know the song. It gets sung with every keeper's last name. For me, 'Stranger is our Queen!' Yeah, good times.'

Hermione looked baffled. "Where did you come from?" she asked.

Persephone looked at her. "Why?"

"Well, you aren't from Hogwarts. Where are you from?"

Persephone bit her lip, trying to remember. Half the schools were either destroyed, or being tried to be built in her time. 'But this isn't my time!' she mentally slapped herself. 'This is their time. But, since I don't remember what schools were up and about at this time...just take a wing at it, she'll never know! I hope...'

"Salem," she said suddenly. "Yes, Salem, Massachusetts. Great state. Ever been? Oh, it's lovely."

"You don't sound American."

"That's because I was born and raised here, but we moved to Massachusetts, and I went to school there. So, I've spent most of my life in Britain, and so I'm British."

'So, Salem was around back then. Neat!'