Chapter 2

Her fingers pressed into the mattress and Malinda's lips tugged into a smile. Finally, she'd woken up and she actually felt pretty good. Not bad for a few hours of sleep. Malinda stretched and as she woke, she shifted. Her bed felt suspiciously and comfortable- Not at all like the cheap mattress she'd bought off the internet. Malinda opened her eyes and blinked several times.

This was not her bedroom.

But she was awake.

A stone ceiling greeted her and she looked around, finding herself laying in one of many hospital wing beds. She still wore her pajamas, a small comfort. Malinda sat up slowly, but found herself feeling… great. Nothing was wrong. Well, aside from the insane fact she was still apparently in Hogwarts. Malinda grimaced, the very thought making her wince.

"Hello?" She called out.

There were sounds of movement and a moment later, a woman in medical robes came out of an office. Her hair was curly grey, but perfectly kept beneath her distinct medical cap. Malinda stood and tried, "Madam Promfrey?"

"Yes," the witch answered with a frown. "Dumbledore asked me to take you to him when you woke. How are you feeling?"

"Fine…" Malinda paused. "Am I dreaming? Are you real?"

The witch's frown deepened. "He said you may ask strange questions. Come along then."

Malinda silently followed Madam Promfrey out of the hospital wing. They traversed through the castle hallways and Malinda could only stare. The portraits moved, having their own conversations, most paused to stare back. She pinched her arm, again and again. Still, she remained, walking in Hogwarts, behind the famed mediwitch.

They came to a stop before a large, golden statue of a phoenix. Madam Pomfrey said, "This is-"

"The Headmaster's office," Malinda finished and stepped into the space, knowing what would come next. "Let me guess, acid pops? Sherbet lemon? Fizzing whizbee- Ah."

The staircase kicked into action. A surprised Madam Pomfrey vanished from view as Malinda was raised up, in the safety of the phoenix's wings. The magical mechanism came to a stop and Malinda opened the door, stepping into the headmaster's office.

Her eyes widened. It was so much better than the films. Of course it was. How could they have known to create such wondrous and magical trinkets. The office was full of strange and interesting tools, some spun in place and others seemed to vibrate. She could almost feel the magic in the room. Malinda examined the dozens of portraits, seeing the previous Hogwarts headmasters examining her.

Then she noticed him. "Fawkes!" She stared, keeping her distance. The creature peered curiously at her, as if knowing she was out of place. His feathers were vivid and he seemed to be young, still far from his next death and rebirth.

A door opened from above and Dumbledore arrived. He walked slowly down the stairs. "Good evening, Malinda."

"Hello Professor Dumbledore," she answered dutifully. When he arrived on the ground floor and sat on the edge of his desk, she bit her lip. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

"No, you are very much awake right now."

"And you're real?"

"I have never once questioned my existence," Dumbledore told her seriously, "Until this morning when a certain witch called me a 'main character'."

Malinda winced. "I'm not a witch. I'm a muggle and where I come from, Hogwarts is part of a children's book series."

"Madam Pomfrey was kind enough to conduct a full physical examination. Though muggle and wizard physiology have subtle differences, they are distinct. I can assure you, you are a witch. Though we were unable to find your wand."

"That's because I don't have one," Malinda replied, running a hand through her dark hair.

The headmaster stared at her. A heavy silence fell between the two of them. Then Dumbledore asked, "If you were truly a Muggle, the wards would have-"

"Made me remember something I suddenly needed to do elsewhere," Malinda laughed hoarsely. "I know. Trust me, professor, I know."

A thoughtful silence fell between them. Malinda's mind spun and she had an idea. Looking about the room, she asked, "Sir, in the books… You have a pensieve. Do you actually have one?"

He nodded, his eyes peering at something behind her. She turned to find the sink and pedestal inside a glass compartment. "Perhaps I can show you?" Malinda offered, pointing to her head. "Otherwise, I think it's far too much to explain. And insane, from your perspective."

"Excellent idea, Ms. Roberts." Dumbledore waved a hand and the compartment opened. They approached and Malinda waited. The headmaster raised his wand to her temple and instructed, "Think of the memory you'd like to show me."

She thought of yesterday, leaving class… Heading over to the library… Then Malinda found herself falling into the pensieve and she couldn't help but scream.

It was a strange feeling, coming back into her body. Dumbledore's office was unchanged, but she knew time had passed. Her legs felt stiff and awkward in place. Malinda forced herself to move, walking until she collapsed into one of the two chairs by the headmaster's desk.

Dumbledore seemed to recover without any issue, accustomed to the experience. He strode silently to the side of his office, where shelves of books lay. His fingers grazed the spines until he found the one he needed. The wizard walked and searched its pages, before taking a seat in the ornate chair across from Malinda.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," he said after a long moment. "While it is relieving to know that light will triumph over dark, I am saddened to know the price. Many good people will be lost."

"I'm sorry," Malinda bit her lip. "I'm not even sure if I should've shown you the future. It might change things and-"

"I believe that's precisely the reason for your arrival," the headmaster interrupted. He placed a book on the desk and turned it around, so she could see the pages right-side-up. "I also have a fairly good idea of how you were brought to Hogwarts. Does he look familiar?"

The book lay open to text alongside a small portrait. A quick glance at the text referenced old dates, well before the days of cameras, even magical ones. Still, despite his image being painted, Malinda recognized the man immediately. "Merlin." She bit out. "He was Merlin the Warlock?!"

Even though it was a painting, there was no mistaking who lay before her. Mervin, or Merlin, looked different in his ornate robes, but it was him. He held his wand proudly, looking off to the side. She shook her head, "H-How is this possible?"

"His powers are legend," Dumbledore stroked his beard. "There have always been rumors that Merlin lives even today, walking amongst worlds, occasionally playing a hand in destiny. It seems that he has chosen you."

Malinda rubbed her eyes, "To what? What am I doing here? This is absolutely, fucking insane. I'm just a normal muggle and… and… I missed class today! I need to get back. Can't you just apparate me back to Oxford and-"

"You are a bit young for Muggle university, are you not?"

"What? No," she frowned. "I'm nineteen."

Dumbledore's eyebrow rose. He waved a hand and one of his many trinkets rose from a nearby shelf. It floated in the hair, hovering before her. A mirror gave Malinda a good look at herself and she nearly passed out again, this time on her own accord. Her face had gone back in time and she found herself staring at her younger, teenage self.

"You've got to be kidding me."

...


...

On her fourth day, Malinda finally felt calm when she woke up. She'd been given professor living quarters and the privacy was much needed to hide her shrieks and howls of grief, fear, and confusion. Her eyes were still puffy as she woke. She'd finally broke and cried herself to sleep. The release was much overdue and now, she felt… alright.

This wasn't her world and she'd come to accept it. Dumbledore had checked- She'd given him the names of her foster families in 1996, when she was eight, but there was no record of her. She didn't exist in whatever world this was and clearly, magic was real. And clearly, she was a witch. Her meltdown had triggered explosions and candles to burst into flame- Her skin itched with the need to release her new power.

Malinda rose from bed and sighed. She was a witch, living in Hogwarts, and Harry Potter was currently at the Dursley's home, waiting for his sixth year to begin. Which also meant that Voldemort was out there, making plans and gathering his forces. It was the truth and she could cry no more tears. She was here and would make the best of it. More importantly, she would try to help.

After a hot shower, Malinda donned the plain black robes Dobby had dropped off. The wizarding clothes felt a bit strange, but they were comfortable. Thankfully, they were warm and kept the castle's draft at bay. She left her quarters behind and went to Dumbledore's office. She'd spent enough time wandering to have a basic grasp of the upper and main levels. She'd only met Madam Pomfrey and Dobby thus far, with the rest of the staff either at home or house elves busy with work. Dobby was just as charming in person as in the books. Still, she struggled to look him in the eyes, knowing what was to come.

Well, unless she managed to change the future. No big deal..

Her shoulders felt heavy as she said the password and rose upwards again. Without bothering to knock, she entered the headmaster's office. Of course he sat waiting for her. This time though, someone else sat in the room too.

By the dark, oily hair, Malinda knew who the newcomer was. Severus Snape looked very little like his film portrayal, which made sense. He would have been in his thirties, not fifties.. Sure enough, he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, his nose prevalent, and his face pale. He turned in his seat, blatantly looking her up and down. His voice was smooth and deep as he said, "She looks rather ordinary to me, Albus."

"At least Alan Rickman nailed your poor attitude," Malinda rolled her eyes and took the only other seat. "Nice to meet you too Snape."

"Professor Snape."

"Perhaps I should call you the Half Blood Prince instead?"

Snape's eyes narrowed, "How do you-"

"I know a lot about you," Malinda waved off his suspicion. She was exhausted from hours of crying and felt little patience for the potion master. "Just so you know, you're one of the most famous characters. Your undying love for Lily isn't revealed until the end, but it's a tear jerker, and-"

Suddenly, Malinda felt her head explode and she hissed. She could feel the alien force slam against it. It hurt, but she could actually feel Snape in her mind. What was she supposed to do? A wall. She needed a wall. Painfully, she imagined a massive, indestructible wall around her mind and bit out, "Get. Out. Of. My. Head."

The pressure eased off and Snape snarled, "Do not speak of her."

Malinda's stomach tightened. Even now, so many years later, she could hear the grief in his voice. He still loved Lily. She rubbed her temples, "I-I didn't mean to insult you. Quite the opposite. Not many people would be a double agent, protecting Harry like you have. Protecting Draco too. You're famous because you're a hero."

Severus shifted uncomfortably, "I'm no hero."

"No, but Harry Potter eventually names his son after you. When he learns the truth, he lets the world know you were on the right side of history."

The potions master simply stared at her, at loss for words. Dumbledore finally spoke up, "As I explained, Severus, she has a remarkable knowledge of our world's events. She has agreed to leverage them to help Mr. Malfoy."

Malinda tensed but did not protest. Snape frowned and asked, "You say Merlin himself brought her here for this? Why? Why her?"

"He has his reasons. From their encounter though, he seemed quite pleased with her desire to help Mr. Malfoy from pursuing a dark path." Dumbledore gave Snape a meaningful look. "You know what Voldemort has asked him to do."

At this, Snape fell silent. The potions master turned his dark eyes to Malinda. He sneered, "Why do you want to help Draco? A stranger?"

She crossed her arms. "I've thought a lot about it. Me being here, it has to mean something. With what I know, we can change things, save people. Merlin asked me what I would change and I said Draco's story. He's portrayed as a villain but really, he's just a kid."

"You speak as if you are not a child yourself."

"I'm actually a university student.. Not a big difference but still," Malinda smiled bitterly. "Dumbledore's age spell says I'm sixteen again. Look, I'm here so I'm going to help. Not just Draco, but you, Dumbledore, and Harry. I know how to kill Voldemort."

Snape stiffened, "Impossible."

"It'll be difficult but between the three of us, we can do it. Without your elaborate plan for you to kill him," Malinda nodded towards Dumbledore. "Have you already made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa?"

His face paled even more. "No."

"She'll come soon, later this summer," Malinda frowned, trying to get a sense of the timeline. "She'll ask you to protect Draco, no matter what."

"And I agree to this?"

"You do and I think that if we plan it right, you still can."

"What is this plan?" Snape challenged. "What can a teenage girl do to change the future?"

"First, I'm going to help Dumbledore hunt for the horcruxes. Second, I'm going to befriend Draco and try to save him. Third, I'm going to help the Order get ahead of a few… events." Malinda stood. "Before we do any of that though, I need a wand. If I'm going to pass as a student, then I also have five years of spells to learn before term begins."

"I can help with that," Dumbledore offered.

"And I need you to teach me Occlumency, please." Malinda directed to Snape. "Because if we're going to survive this, we need absolute secrecy."

"The potential is there," Snape admitted slowly. "Your mental reflexes were decent. It can be done, with practice."

"Excellent," Dumbledore stood as well. "Not a moment to waste. Let us get started."