[A/N: Okay, okay, I know the first chapter isn't exactly brilliantly exciting, but just read on, it'll get better :)]
October 21, 1998
"Hermione!" Ginny Weasley called out as she ran down the hallway leading towards the Great Hall. "Come here! I want to show you something."
Hermione Granger stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the youngest Weasley, a look of surprise and curiousity written on her face.
"What is it, Ginny?"
Ginny brushed her long red hair over her shoulder and started talking in an excited rush of words. "Well I was studying for Potions in the library, and I came upon an open book and it was -"
"Whoa Ginny, slow down! Ok so you found a book...what then?"
Ginny took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Alright, well this book was opened to a page titled 'Time Travel' so I was curious and started reading it. It was really interesting; it had a lot of interesting information on traveling back in time and the risks of doing it. Anyway, I turned the page and I found a strip of paper which someone must have put there or something. It told me that inside that book, a feather with the power to take witches and wizards back to the past was hidden and it gave me an incantation to read to reveal where the feather was hidden. I did so, and suddenly a page split in two to reveal this."
With a flourish, she pulled a 10 inch long pure white feather out of her robe pocket. She smiled when she saw Hermione gaping at her with a look of pure disbelief.
"Is that...are you...Ginny, I can't believe you!" she finally managed to sputter out. "Do you know how dangerous this is? Who knows what can happen to you if you accidently do something to make this feather take you back in time?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh Hermione, don't worry. I've got it under control. It said on the strip of paper that in order for this to work, you have to pull out one hair from the feather for every year you want to travel back."
"Ginny, go put that feather back right now. Time travel is dangerous! Do you KNOW what could happen if you accidently pulled out a handful of hairs from the feather? You could go back and destroy your past and there's a possibility that you might even erase yourself from this..."
Ginny toned Hermione out as she daydreamed about what she could do. I could go back a year or two...and tell Colin that I knew about him cheating on me before I found out from Luna. This is so cool! she thought excitedly.
Just then, Hermione and Ginny were interrupted by the arrival of Draco Malfoy - most self-centered, arrogant, and sought after bachelor in Slytherin.
"Well, well," he sneered at them, "Look who it is."
"Oh shut up Malfoy," Ginny replied. "Where's your latest girlfriend? Did she find out about your little incident in 4th year and decide that she'd rather not date a ferret?"
They were awarded the satisfaction of watching Draco's face turn 5 different shades of red at this comment, but it was quickly cut off when he roughly grabbed the feather Ginny held loosely in her hand.
"What's this?" he said maliciously. "Can't be your quill, weaselette, you wouldn't be able to afford something as nice as this."
"Give it back here, Malfoy," she growled, attempting to snatch it back. However, she missed by a fraction of an inch, and instead, succeeded in pulling a cluster of hairs off of the feather.
"Ginny, no!" Hermione shriekd as she reached out to grab Ginny's sleeve. Suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to spin, giving them the sensation that they were being pulled down. Ginny's mind screamed in alarm as she realized what she had done, but she was powerless as she felt herself, along with Hermione and Draco, being sucked into the whirlpool of time that would bring them back to the past...
October 21, 1971
After what seemed like eternity spinning around in total blackness, the trio landed on a cold marble floor with a soft thump. Wincing, Ginny pulled herself up and dusted off her robes, looking around at her surroundings. At first glance, it looked exactly like where they had been moments ago - the hallway leading to the Great Hall in Hogwarts.
On closer inspection, however, she noticed that a few things were different: a suit of armor missing here, a vase of flowers missing there. The one thing that was still the same was the happy buzz of students talking as they ate their lunch.
"Where are we?" Hermione whispered apprehensively.
"I think the question you should be asking is -"
"- what year are we in?" Draco finished for Ginny.
Ginny glared at him. "Thanks, I needed that," she muttered sarcastically.
"Glad I could help," he replied, equally sarcastic.
"What are you three doing, standing here in the hallways?" The three students jumped in surprise and whipped around to find a very young and stern looking Dumbledore looking down at them through his half-moon glasses. "You should be going to lunch." As he said these words, Ginny could have sworn she saw him smile slightly at her and wink.
"Yes sir," they mumbled and quickly hurried into the Great Hall.
Without another glance at each other, they hurried to the nearest table, which happened to be Gryffindor. Hermione and Ginny sat down next to a handsome black-haired boy, and Draco sat down across from them (though not before he made sure the two girls saw his look of intense disgust at having to sit down next to a Gryffindor).
Looking around nervously, Ginny decided against discussing what was going on. It was too risky - they couldn't let anyone hear them. Instead, she turned to the boy sitting beside her and coughed politely.
He looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked with a bored expression.
Ginny blushed and replied, "Um hi. We're new -" she gestured to Hermione and Draco, who nodded at the boy "- and we were wondering, um, what the date is. Oh, and my name is Ginny."
"October 21, 1971. Name's James Potter. Nice to meet you," he said, looking a bit more interested.
Ginny's eyes widened and she turned to Hermione. The older girl was staring back, looking just as shocked.
Ginny couldn't believe it. James Potter? As in, the famous James who was also the father of Harry? He's pretty cute, a little voice inside her head said. She grinned. He was. James looked exactly like his future son - from the ruffled raven-black hair, to the strong nose, to the cheeky smile. The only difference was that his eyes were brown, rather than green like Harry's.
When she turned back to James, he was no longer facing her, but a cute sandy-haired boy. Probably Lupin, Ginny thought. That means that the boy sitting across from James must be Sirius and that means... She narrowed her eyes at the sight of a small, chubby boy with thin brown hair. Peter Pettigrew, the man who had betrayed Harry's parents and sent them to their deaths.
Hermione seemed to be sharing the same thoughts as Ginny, because when she looked over, her older friend was looking at Peter with an angry expression on her face. Draco, on the other hand, was leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table, examining his fingernails.
"Hey Ginny?"
Ginny was surprised when James addressed her, but quickly gained her composure and smiled at him.
"Yeah?"
"Do you and your friends want a tour of the school? Me and my friends can give you one."
Ginny turned to the other two with an inquiring look. Draco shrugged, which she took as a yes. Hermione nodded.
"Sure," she replied, grinning.