Room of Requirement

September 4th, 1973

"Are you going to tell us, or…?"

Kyla looked at Sirius and made a face. "It's a lot. I don't know where to… start."

"Start with what happened when you touched that ring," James requested softly.

"There's a lot you guys might not believe. James… use our bond. You'll know if I'm lying," she reminded him. He nodded. "Sirius… I'll swear that I didn't lie at the end, on my magic."

"Okay, just fucking tell us."

"Jamie, when I touched that ring, it… sent me to the future. To 1991."

James's eyes widened dramatically when he realized she was not only serious but telling the truth. "Oh, shit."

"When I got there, Dumbledore was there," she continued slowly. "Albus, not Abe. He took me to Hogwarts. I'm not sure what his plan was, honestly. He clearly was aware I would be showing up. He told me where I was, and I… I didn't… take it well. I tried to grab for our bond, but I couldn't find it. I couldn't find Mum and Dad, either."

"We're… dead?" James's eyes widened. "Fuck."

"It's- I'll get to that," she promised. "I sort of lost it when I realized, though. So Dumbledore Obliviated me. He changed some memories, placed fake ones. He put me with… Richard and Helen Granger, two muggles, and I thought I'd been born their daughter. I went to Hogwarts. I grew up there. I fought against the war, I fought in the war. I… I fucking tried. I did everything I could and I just… I wasn't enough."

"Did we lose the war?" Sirius asked quietly. She shrugged.

"From when I came to the past, it sure fucking looked like it," she said. "I came here on purpose."

"You did?" James blinked.

"I'd… gone through something. It was the last straw. I knew there was a book in Grimmauld Place, I'd read it before fourth year, I just had to go back and find it."

"What the hell were you doing there?"

She looked at Sirius and smiled softly. "I knew you. You were Jamie's son's godfather, and he was my best friend. When things got… tense at home, you asked me to stay with you. I spent the summer there."

"Tense," he repeated. "I don't know if you saw what I saw, but-,"

"I know what you saw," she snapped. "Do you want me to bring up the shit you don't want to even think about? I know you well, Sirius. Drop it. I'm away from them, it doesn't matter."

James looked between them before asking a question. "What made you want to come to the past?"

She considered the question for a moment. She didn't want to share it, but she had a feeling they'd find out anyway. So, she pulled her sleeve up and showed them her scar - it wasn't the whole truth, but it was explanation enough.

The rug caught on fire, but she couldn't tell whose accidental magic it was. She put out the fire calmly and looked between them. "I was tortured for hours. This was one of their last gifts to me."

"Jesus," Sirius whispered.

"We escaped, and I was recovering, in that room alone, and… they have the ministry. They have Hogwarts. They have Hogsmeade, and they have Diagon Alley. In my mind, they won. Even if we managed to kill their leader - which is a lot harder than it has any right to be - they're still embedded deeply in every system we have. The only solution I could think of was to change time."

"I can't believe… twenty years," Sirius whispered while James looked at her with unbearable sadness. "This war goes on for twenty years?"

"No. Kind of. It's… it's complicated. It ended for fourteen years before it began again."

"Why- why? What happened?"

She looked at James and grabbed his hand tightly within her own. "You… died."

"Fuck," he whispered. "I… how?"

She prepared herself to tell the story, reminding herself that she was changing it all. "You got married and had a son. His name is Harry. He's just as stupid as you, and filled with as much righteous fury as his mum. He was… my best friend."

James was quiet for a moment. "Did he die too?"

"No," she shook her head quickly. "No, he's fine. But there was a prophecy about him, that he'd defeat Voldemort. I don't know if it's true. I don't really care at this point. All that matters is that Voldemort believed it, so he had you and your wife killed."

"Fuck," Sirius cursed quietly.

"Your wife had used some powerful protective magic, and she managed to save Harry. Voldemort's Avada rebounded and hit him. It killed him, mostly."

"What does mostly mean?"

"It's not something either of you need to know or worry about," she told them seriously. "I'm going to handle it. Point is, Jamie died, Harry lived, Voldemort went away for a while. Then in our fourth year, he came back. The war started again. Sixth year, Dumbledore died. What would've been our seventh year, we went on the run. We were being chased by his followers. In the end… we were caught."

"So you're saying… that when you were eleven, you were sent to the future, and then when you were- how old were you?"

"Eighteen," she said softly.

"When you were eighteen, you decided to come back and… what was your plan?" Sirius wondered.

"I didn't really have one," she admitted. "I was… I needed to escape. I wanted to change all the fucking sorrow in the world, and I knew if I went back in time, I could… do something."

"Like what? How can you prevent James's death?"

"Calm down, Sirius," James requested, but Sirius shook his head.

"No! She's telling me my best friend- my brother is going to die!"

"She's my sister," James reminded him sharply. "You think she fucking wants me to die?"

"I'm here to prevent a lot of deaths," she told them both softly. There was a moment of silence before another thought occurred to Sirius.

"Where was I?"

"Huh?"

"You said we were close, so where the hell was I when you were tortured?"

Her face fell slightly. He was smart, and she always seemed to forget it. "I watched you die when I was sixteen."

"Oh, shit," James stared between them. "You watched him die?"

"Um," she sniffed a little and rose her wand. "I do swear on my wand and magic that everything I have told you in the last half hour is the truth."

Sirius tipped his head back when the tip of her wand lit up.

"Jamie," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you. I didn't mean… it wasn't supposed to happen."

"Just… thank you for coming back," he said before pausing. "Even if you are an adult now."

She grimaced. "Yeah, it- it feels weird. I have all my memories, but when I'm fourteen, I feel fourteen."

"Maybe someone should tell Mum and Dad," Sirius suggested. "Chances Dumbledore will let us Floo call them?"

"Slim to none," she made a face. "Jamie, you send a Patronus to Mum and have them go to Abe and we'll sneak them into the castle through the Shrieking Shack." The boys exchanged panicked looks, making her laugh. "Yeah, I figured out Remus was a werewolf in my third year, and I've been in there before."

"You knew Remus, too?" James's eyes widened. "How?"

"He was our third year DADA professor," she shrugged. "Best damn one we ever got."

"Did you know Pete, too?"

She tensed a little. "Yeah. Yeah, I… saw him recently. Can you just send them a message?"

"Love to, but I don't know the Patronus."

"Sirius?" she wondered. He shook his head. "Damn. Okay, maybe… I'll send it, ask them to meet me at the Hog's Head, and… hopefully, they'll show up."

"Mum's gonna try and curse you," James warned her. "She'll be angrier than I was."

"I lived through a war," she told him softly. He could see the pain in her eyes, but more than that, he could feel it through their bond. "I know Mum will… but I can protect myself."

"I've never seen a Patronus before," Sirius said. "What's it like?"

She looked between them and hesitated for a moment before she raised her wand. She cast and watched her otter swim out and around her head. "To Charlus and Dorea Potter. Please meet James, Sirius, and I at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade."

They all watched the otter swim off quietly. Once it was gone, James spoke. "You really think we can sneak completely in and out of the castle?"

"Um," she grabbed her bag and dug into it until she pulled something out. "Look, it probably fucks with time that I have this here, but we can use the cloak and this map. Don't- neither of you can touch it."

"Why not?" Sirius pouted. She rolled her eyes.

"Because you idiots help to create it. It doesn't exist yet, but I had it in my bag when I came back in time. Didn't think to take it out."

"That's not gonna… break time?" James wondered.

"Let's try and not find out," she suggested. "So don't touch it."

"How's it work?"

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she said, tapping her wand to the map. It began to reveal the castle and she opened it up and looked at James. "Your cloak will still fit all three of us, right?"

"Fits us as well as Pete and Remus," he nodded, watching the map. "This is so cool! We could use it for… we'd get away with so much more!"

"Yes, yes, I'll help you make it later," she waved him off, leading them out of the room and down the stairs. "We don't need the cloak until we get out of the castle, so let's get it and hurry."

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"I have a question, Ro."

She looked over at James and smiled softly. She'd missed that nickname and she hadn't even known it. "Hm?"

"Sirius said… something about your muggle parents," he said quietly. "Ro, were you… okay?"

She considered his question quietly. Her immediate, gut reaction was to lie, but Sirius was watching her, and she'd never been able to lie with Sirius around. So, she looked at her brother seriously. "No. Jamie, no, I wasn't. The people Dumbledore put me with… should not have had kids. It took me a really long time - and help from Sirius - to realize that they shouldn't have done a lot of what they did."

"What did they do?" he whispered, horrified.

"My dad…" she frowned, trailing off. "He was just… he solved problems with his fists, or whatever hard object he could find. My mom… fuck, it was almost worse. It's hard to describe mental, emotional manipulation, neglect, and abuse. She made me feel like I could trust her, be safe with her, and I couldn't. I never… I never could."

"We're here," Sirius told them quietly. He pulled the cloak off of them before they entered the Hog's Head.

The first thing she saw was Aberforth. The man looked over as the door opened, and she saw him narrow his eyes.

"Did you sneak them out of the castle?"

"Abe, I have a damn good reason for it," she said quickly, putting her hands out. "Chill. A lot has happened, okay?"

"What could possibly explain why-,"

"I'm Rowan Potter."

He blinked.

"Your brother Obliviated me," she told him. "When I got sent to 1991 when I was eleven."

"Damn. And you're here why?"

"My parents-,"

The door opened again, and she barely had time to put up a shield before Dorea caught a glimpse of her and she had her wand out, shooting off curses.

"Mum, stop!" James exclaimed, jumping between them. Charlus pulled him out of the way and behind him. "Stop it!"

"My daughter is dead," Dorea said sharply. "Whoever you are, you'd better pray that I find it within me to grant you mercy."

"I know this must be upsetting," she told her quietly. "Before you do anything, at least do me the favor of touching my hand and searching for a familial bond."

Dorea looked like she had no such inclinations, but Charlus stepped forward quietly and held out his hand. She looked at it and hesitated for a moment before she touched it.

Charlus stepped back in shock.

"That's impossible," he whispered.

Looking between them, Dorea stepped over and grabbed her hand within her own. Their familial bond was sparked and Dorea's grip on her hand tightened. "Explain."

"Can we sit down?" Sirius requested. "I think she needs to be looked over by a healer."

The group moved to a table, and she was sandwiched between James and Sirius, looking at her parents across from them. "I'm not… entirely sure where to start."

"Dumbledore's an asshole," Sirius offered. He didn't even get a stern look from either of their parents, considering the situation.

"That day, when I touched the ring, it didn't kill me," she told them. "It sent me to the future, to 1991. When I got there, Albus Dumbledore was waiting for me. He took me to Hogwarts. I realized Jamie was dead, and so were the both of you. I… I lost it, so Dumbledore Obliviated me, changed some memories, and put me with muggles. I went to Hogwarts as Hermione Granger. I grew up there, best friends with Jamie's son, Harry. I fought in the war. I- it… I knew how to change things and I… I couldn't…"

"She came back to save us," James picked up for her, squeezing her hand tightly within his own. "To change time."

"Is that possible?" Dorea asked Charlus. The man was an Unspeakable, and if anyone would know, it would be him. He looked at his daughter thoughtfully.

"What magic did you use to get back?"

"It was… a spell from Grimmauld Place," she cringed at the look she got from her parents. "I had access to it due to the war- that sounds bad. Sirius allowed it to be used for Order meetings, and then it was a safe house when the war really picked up. I'd spent time there during summer before fourth year, and I knew the book I needed. I found it, used it, and Abe helped me organize… everything. Gave me the name Kyla Brooks, sent me to school to change things."

"It… theoretically, it could be possible," Charlus said, looking at her. "I just can't believe you…"

"You said she needs to be looked at by a healer," Dorea looked at Sirius. "Why?"

"Sirius," she said, her tone warning.

He ignored her.

"She got tortured right before she came back in time," he told his mum.

"Don't look at me like that," she said when her parents looked at her. "Don't- don't. I did what I had to do to survive- to find a chance in hell of winning the war."

"Oh, sweetheart," Dorea whispered, getting to her feet. "It looks like we're all taking a trip to St. Mungo's."

"Please, it's not-,"

"I've been trying to drag the witch there since she got here," Aberforth said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "She hexed me twice for it."

"Rowan!"

"The last time a man grabbed me and tried to Apparate me away, he took me to fucking Voldemort!" she snapped back. "You'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit jumpy."

"Dad, can we come?" James asked nervously. "I don't wanna… leave her."

"Of course," Charlus said as they all stood.

It didn't take long to get everyone to St. Mungo's, and it didn't take long for her to get into a room. By the time she'd been seen by the healer, she was more than irritable.

When the healer came back and looked between the group with her hesitantly, she frowned. "What is it?"

"I'd like to speak with you privately," Healer Hast said gently. "They can come back as soon as we're finished."

"Okay," she agreed. It took a moment to get everyone out of the room. Once they were, the woman sat on the stool by the bed and looked at her seriously.

"Miss Potter," she began slowly. "Are you safe at home?"

"What?" she blinked. "Yes, of course, I am."

"We took your medical history," the healer explained.

She tipped her head back against the bed and sighed. "My parents didn't do that. None of that. They've never- they would never hurt me."

"And the… torture?"

"I got into some trouble, and I didn't get out in time," was all she said.

Healer Hast searched her face quietly for a moment before she nodded and stood. "Do you mind discussing any of this with them in the room?"

"They either already know or they'll find out soon," she shrugged. "Mum's gonna be pissed."

Once everyone had returned, the healer began again. "The good news is, over time, you can heal from almost everything."

"Almost?" Dorea's eyebrows rose.

Healer Hast hesitated. "Your daughter has Longis Cruciatu."

"I see."

"Mum," she said slowly. "Mum, you look scary."

"Oh, sweetheart, that's because I am."

"How do we treat that?" Charlus asked.

"Potions and intense physical therapy," Hast answered, eyeing Dorea nervously. "She will have to be seen by a specialist. She can only get so much physical therapy. The potions, though, will be lifelong."

"What else is wrong with her?" Sirius asked, looking nearly as pissed as Dorea. She got the feeling that James and Charlus didn't fully understand what Sirius and her mum understood about her condition.

"Well… she underwent repeated physical abuse through childhood that went untreated, leaving only her magic to heal her," Hast said, noting how shocked, crushed, and absolutely furious Lord and Lady Potter were at the news. "We can fix a great deal of that damage, but it will be painful and draining to her core."

"I'm fine, we don't need to-,"

"You will be healed," Dorea told her in a surprisingly soft voice.

"Speaking of her core," Hast continued. "It was bound when she was young. A professional would need to look at it closer, but some of that binding still seems to be there. I wasn't able to see how much of her core is hidden."

"I will check," Charlus said, surprising the kids and the healer. "Part of my job is working with cores, frequently unstable cores."

"Finally, I would highly suggest she see a mind healer."

"No," she said sharply, shaking her head quickly. "No, I won't. I refuse."

"Breathe, Rowan," Charlus guided, grabbing her hand gently. "We won't force you, but we do need to have some conversations."

"Is there anything else?" Dorea asked.

Hast hesitated, looking at her. "The scar on your arm, you got that recently?"

She covered her arm. "Yes. And?"

"How was it given?"

"Via cursed blade."

"Cursed how?"

She scoffed. "How the hell should I know? She didn't stop torturing me to take questions."

"I think it needs to be looked over by a curse breaker sooner rather than later," Hast advised. "The type of magic in there is known to slip into your blood and poison it."

"Oh, great."

"I'm going to get you set up with physical therapy, get you the potions for your condition, and find the correct healers for the other issues we need to heal and I'll be back," she said, looking over them. "Alright?"

"Thank you, Healer Hast."

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