Chương 14: Chapter 13: Prince
-18 June 1976, England, Great Britain.
-Cokeworth Town, House of Severus Snape.
The last thing Draco and Hermione heard before their world went completely dark was from Professor Snape.
They both felt an embracing fire that burned them as if they were exposed to fire, this lasted only a few seconds that seemed like hours to them until finally everything stopped and the world became coloured again.
Then they noticed that they were indeed in the same room as before everything went dark, except now everything in the room was a mess.
And Professor Snape wasn't in the room.
Draco and Hermione felt great pain all over their bodies and quickly discovered that they were covered badly with burns.
They also noticed that they were undoubtedly smaller than before, clear evidence that they had been rejuvenated by at least two years, a side effect of time travel.
For every decade that one travels back in time, the body rejuvenates by one year.
So they could assume that they and Professor Snape had succeeded.
Draco and Hermione had travelled back in time and ended up in the same room where it all began.
Both of their heads were pounding.
Hermione huffed out a breath of air, her eyes wide.
"Draco, we did it!" she said.
"I know Granger, now what?" nodded and asked Draco.
"Hmm... Well, we must be around two years younger, about 16 years physically, so we must be around 1969-1978" explained Hermione as she analysed the whole situation and looked at their younger bodies.
"It seems that Professor Snape wasn't wrong..., we have travelled back in time and if I'm not mistaken we are in the same room as before and in the house of a young and unsociable Snape, besides, his family could also be here..." she continued.
"I don't need one of your classes, Granger, I just want to know what we're going to do now," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
They had to figure out what to do next and Draco knew that the Insufferable know-it-all Hermione already had some ideas on how to start.
That was one of the reasons Professor Snape had insisted on sending the two of them back in time together.
'Bloody hell... I hate my life, to think that now I have to listen to the prattling of this insufferable Gryffindor' Draco complained internally.
Draco Malfoy hated the idea of being stuck in the past with none other than Hermione Jean Granger and that she was the only person he could trust now.
But he knew that despite everything they had learned from Professor Snape, it would still take time to get used to this whole new change of time and life, so sticking together was not an option, it was a necessity.
Both of them would have to integrate into Hogwarts with the rest of the students in order to ensure their victory against Voldemort would go perfectly.
They could not afford to fail to stop the Dark Lord who ruined their lives and the lives of so many others.
They had to be meticulous in every step and make sure they found the Horcruxes that existed at this time and destroyed them.
"The most urgent thing is to get out of here, hide our appearances, and mingle in the magical world of this time. Now is that clear?" Hermione said in a determined voice that gave no place for complaints and her brown orbs stared at Draco in warning that she would not tolerate him doing anything stupid.
A know-it-all Gryffindor or not, Draco had no desire to be on the receiving end of her wand.
Insufferable, stubborn..., Hermione Granger could be many things, including a brilliant witch determined to do what she set her mind to.
Professor Snape knew this and made Draco understand it.
"I suppose..." replied Draco.
"Malfoy... I know we don't like each other, but whatever happens, we must stick together. Agreed?" said Hermione biting her bottom lip between her teeth and glaring at Draco.
"I thought we agreed not to mention my last name?" scoffed Draco, earning an annoyed look from Granger.
"Fine, we will... stay together," he added.
She just nodded in satisfaction and then tried to get up and move as she didn't want to be seen or found by young Snape or his family in this condition at home.
Draco followed her example and did the same.
As they tried to stand up, they felt great pain throughout their bodies due to the burns they had that prevented them from moving properly.
Draco slumped down in annoyance at the pain.
Hermione didn't give up, she tried again, but this time she also felt a severe headache and dizziness.
Seeing that she couldn't get up, she decided to lie down, as well as Draco.
The two of them talked a bit more while they rested and took the opportunity to check their mental barriers with their Occlumency.
It was then that they realised that they had to calm their nerves and their anger at what they had been through in their time.
Hermione cried one last time for all those who had fallen in the war, her friends, and the loved ones of all those who had helped in the cause, she vented all her frustration and once she was ready she closed all her mental barriers with her Occlumency and tried to get up again.
Draco did the same, but not wanting to show weakness in front of Granger, he decided to turn away from her and sob quietly.
After a while, they both managed to stand up.
But although they both made a great effort to resist the headache, dizziness, and physical discomfort they were experiencing, they both eventually gave in and collapsed, falling unconscious on the floor of the room.
~~~~~~~
-19 June 1976, England, Great Britain.
-Cokeworth City, House of Severus Snape.
The next morning the first to wake up was the young witch.
"I see you're finally awake, how are you feeling?" asked Severus calmly.
She slowly opened her eyes, looking a little dizzy and groggy still.
When Hermione awoke she was lying down and her body felt much better, it seemed that most of her burns were gone along with most of her headache.
" This..., fine..." she answered automatically, not even looking to see who had asked her, but instantly she realised that she was with someone and could be in danger so she reached for her wand only to find it gone.
Severus noticed amused as she tensed and looked around quickly for something.
He assumed she was looking for her wand, which he now had.
"That's good to know..." smiled Severus.
"Now I would like to know who you are and what a witch is doing in my humble home... I don't usually have guests and even less in the deplorable state I found you in," Severus asked in a cold, dry voice, as he stared with his dark, piercing eyes from his seat at the young witch lying on the bed in front of him.
Severus didn't want to give her time to think of excuses, that's why he was so cold, dry, and direct, he needed her to say the first thing that came to her mind when she woke up.
He needed to know if she was attacked by the death eater and why she was in his house.
Hermione, on the other hand, didn't have time to continue thinking because she immediately heard the question coming from a very deep voice, that voice so cold, dry and so characteristic couldn't be from anyone else but Professor Snape.
She turned around and saw sitting in front of her a young Severus of about sixteen staring at her intimidatingly with his dark, piercing eyes that judged her just as Professor Snape's eyes used to do.
But now she could see more intrigue and doubt in those black eyes, no doubt he was Severus but the adult Snape was much more intimidating than the current one.
Hermione almost laughed unconsciously at the sight of the younger version of Professor Snape.
The young man in front of her was much cuter than the angry, cold, negative, judgmental, dark, and intimidating adult Snape she knew.
"I...I, I'm Hermione... Cough Cough, well... I'm Hermione Prince" Hermione replied realizing her almost mistake in saying her real first and last name, she was still a little nervous not having her wand.
Her answer made Severus' eyes go wide.
"Are you by any chance Severus Snape son of Eileen Prince?" Hermione asked as she looked at the young Severus, even though she already knew the answer to his question.
She was in a complex situation, not only did she not have her wand, but she was an inch away from saying the wrong thing, luckily she reacted in time and corrected her almost mistake.
The young Severus in front of her no doubt still had the same cunning and ability to get the truth out of a person as the adult Snape she knew.
'It seems that from a very young age Snape had that ability to intimidate people with those black eyes and that unique voice' Hermione thought.
She was determining how to proceed with the young Severus Snape in front of her and she already had an idea of how to get his attention.
She would do anything to change the future that awaited the world, she had to be strong to stop Voldemort, whatever it took.
Hermione noticed with amusement how the young Severus was extremely shocked by her answer, she could see those cold black eyes of his looking at her trying to decipher her.
She was sure he was starting to search for answers and jump to conclusions, his mind was surely working at full speed to process what she told him.
'I admit it is a bit amusing and unique to see the immutable and stoic Professor Snape so confused, despite being the younger version of him' Hermione said to herself.
That certainly wasn't the first response Severus had expected to hear from this young witch.
He wondered how she could be a Prince, he had no living relatives.
'Strange..., what were she and her companion doing in my house and why would she be pretending to be a Prince?' wondered Severus.
"Oh, you must excuse me, but I must have misheard, did you say your surname is Prince?" Severus asked again without giving her any answer to what she asked.
'As expected from Severus Snape' Hermione sighed.
"That's right, I'm Hermione Prince and I'm looking for Eileen Prince's son" she replied with an unreadable face not letting him notice any incongruity in what she was saying.
"As to why I was in that condition, I can only tell you that on my journey to this house I suffered an altercation that left me in that condition. I can assume that you tended to my injuries, I thank you in that case," she added and thanked him without further explanation.
She seemed only a little nervous, but not that nervous given the situation she was in.
Not only did she not have her wand, but in front of her was Severus who did not look kind and friendly, especially now with the way he was talking and looking at her.
Despite this, Hermione wanted to see the confused young Severus Snape for a while longer, she had already planned how to deal with him and how to camouflage herself during this time without arousing too many suspicions, questions, or problems.
Certainly one of the best options she had was young Severus Snape in front of her.
"I see..., but what a strange thing, isn't it? Last time I checked there were no living members besides myself in the Prince family, Miss Hermione," Severus hissed with a look that told her he clearly wasn't believing what she was saying.
"By the way, who is your partner here, or is he a Prince as well?" he asked sarcastically pointing to the tall blond young man in the other bed.
While Hermione who saw this could only curse her bad luck.
She had forgotten that with Draco they didn't have time to change their appearances, she could manage to go unnoticed, but Draco was a replica of the Malfoy.
'Damn, this complicates everything' Hermione groaned internally.
'And to complicate everything... that irritating tone of voice young Severus used, it's just like Professor Snape who used to use that same mocking and sarcastic tone that indicated how funny and silly he thought others were when he tried to trick him or state what to him was a truism' she could only shake her head exhaustedly.
Hermione was impressed with the many similarities this young Severus Snape had to the future Professor Snape.
Despite seeing and knowing a large part of the young man's life in front of her, Professor Snape only let them see his memories of important events or those that could be useful to them, he hadn't let them probe much further than that when they entered his mind.
"Oh, excuse me, I haven't introduced myself yet, I am Severus, Severus Snape, nice to meet you," Severus said suddenly when he saw that the supposed Hermione Prince was still not responding to him.
"As for your burns, there is nothing to be thankful for, I couldn't leave you two lying in the room in that state, I could be accused of a crime if I did that..., although it was you two who entered without my permission," Severus added dryly but in a joking tone as if he was mocking the young witch.
Severus was convinced that the young witch in front of him was either trying to trick him or was omitting a lot of information.
The most important thing for Severus now was to get as much information as possible about the strange situation in front of him.
Maybe the death eaters had something to do with the fact that there was now a witch with the surname Prince in his house along with another wizard similar to Lucius, but it was unlikely.
"Uh-oh, I see, thanks anyway for tending to my burns and my... friend's." Hermione thanked him again without giving a thought to the obvious mocking tone the young Severus was using.
Hermione had already decided how to camouflage herself in this age and enter Hogwarts with an identity that would not generate much doubt about her person or at least have credibility.
She could only count on her wits from now on to succeed, and to achieve everything she wanted, the first step was to convince young Severus Snape in front of her.
She knew it would not be easy, she knew Professor Snape well and he was an extremely distrustful person of others and her younger version was no doubt very similar.
There was also the matter of Draco, who was a replica of the Malfoy, but she had ways of dealing with that too.
She just needed him to listen to her.
Plus the young Severus in front of her seemed to be more accessible than Professor Snape, which allowed Hermione to convince him to help her and she already knew what she could offer him to get his attention.
She didn't know if it would work at all, but it was her best option and no doubt the young man in front of her would think twice before refusing what she would offer him for his help.
"To answer your question, I am a distant relative of the Prince family, and my friend is..." began Hermione trying to explain the situation and thus convince Severus, but she was suddenly interrupted without warning.
This was because Severus quickly flicked his wand and cast a Silencing Charm on her.
And she was instantly muted.
"Very well, enough fooling around, it looks like you're not going to answer my questions honestly," Severus said coldly, as Hermione looked at him with concern in her eyes.
"Perhaps your partner will be more... cooperative..." he added, pointing his wand at the young blond wizard in the other bed.
Hermione looked at him in fright not knowing what he intended to do.
"Rennervate!" said Severus, causing Hermione to relax noticeably as she saw that it wasn't any magic that could cause harm.
The young blonde wizard stirred feebly and then opened his eyes a little dazed.
"Hello," Severus greeted the young Lucius lookalike.
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