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MANY NIGHTS PASSED BEFORE OLIVIA KING AWOKE. She was in the Hospital Wing. Someone had moved her from the Great Hall. She shifted uncomfortably, throwing herself into a coughing fit.
She went to reach for her chest, but found her arms constricted. Chains were keeping her down on the bed. Her chest tightened in pain. Her insides were being cut open and torn out of her, well that was what it felt like, multiple times.
Hands pushed her shoulders back into the comfort of the pillows as her coughing came to an end. "Drink this, dear. It will help." The woman forced the potion down her throat.
It calmed the burning sensation in her lungs, but did nothing for the rest of the pain all over her body.
It seemed to only hit her now, where she was. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. There was no way in Merlin, that she was in the Hospital Wing. It just couldn't be true.
It was meant to be in ruins.
Her shock only increased when the doors opened and in walked two very prominent figures in Olivia's life. Her mouth dropped open.
"Ah, one of our newest residents has finally awoken. Did you every figure out what did this to her, Poppy?"
"No. Never have I seen a curse like this before."
Olivia stared between the three figures now standing beside her bed. A young Madam Pomfrey and professor McGonagall, and a very much the same Albus Dumbledore.
This isn't possible.
Before, she could utter her surprise, the figure on the bed opposite also awoke. He was also chained to the bed, but angrier. Dolohov's eyes landed on Olivia, not seeing the other people in the room.
"I'll kill you, King! Like I did with Lupin, like we did with your filthy blood traitor of a father!"
"Fucking try it, you bastard!" Olivia shouted back, with just as much ferociousness.
"SILENCIO!"
They went silent from Dumbledore's spell. He looked at each of them in interest. Dolohov shrunk back into his bed realising that Dumbledore was stood in front of them, definitely not dead.
Dumbledore released the spell on Dolohov's lips first.
"This isn't possible. I've gone insane. He's dead. You know he's dead. Dumbledore's dead." His lips were sealed once more when they realised, he wasn't going to stop mumbling.
Dumbledore this time, chose to release the spell on Olivia's lips.
"Thank you, ghost of Dumbledore."
"Ghost?" McGonagall asked, her eyebrows rising in question.
"He's dead. He died last year."
"Did I now? I thought I was very much alive?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"I don't have time for this, whatever this is." Olivia pushed against the restraints but it was no use. "I need to go and help everyone. I need to kill the snake!"
McGonagall looked to Dumbledore and Pomfrey for a second before she turned back to Olivia, with a worried look on her face. "What's your name, child?"
Olivia frowned. McGonagall knew her name. She'd only taught Olivia for six years and is her favourite professor. "You know my name, professor. It's Olivia. Olivia King."
"As in Sebastian King?"
"Yeah... you know he's my father. We spoke about this is my first year. Now please let me go, so I can kill that bloody snake." She struggled against the chains once more. She needed to get out now. They needed to stop Voldemort before many more people died.
"I've never taught you in my life." McGonagall whispered.
But Olivia heard it. She stopped what she was doing and stared at the adults.
"Miss King, what year is it?" Dumbledore asked, his head tilted, as he watched her curiously.
"1998." She answered.
"Dear, it's 1977."
Olivia choked on air. "You're having me on." She nervously laughed. But the adults faces said it all. It was no joke. "Bloody hell. How in merlin did I get here?"
Her mind raced thinking it all through. She was in the past. The past where the first wizarding war happened. She knew how to put an end to Voldemort. She could stop it. She could end it here, and a second war would never happen.
She laughed loudly, before they could even speculate how she had time travelled. She smirked at Dolohov. "You've lost now! We're going to win the first war and there's nothing you can do to stop it! You can't even run to mouldy voldy and tell him what's going to happen. No more deaths are needed. All those people you would have killed, won't happen. I'm going to change the past!"
"No, you will not!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"Yes, I am. This ends here and now. Not in 1998 where Voldemort is winning and our only chance at killing him is dead. So many lives and going to be saved, including-" She pointed at Dumbledore, "-yours."
"Minerva is right, there are consequences to changing the past." Dumbledore said.
"No, this is the right thing to do. I'm sorry, but even you couldn't kill him. If I go back, I'm as good as dead. It ends here. Why else would I have been sent back? You can't change my mind."
"Even if it meant a consequence such as you never being born?"
"My life is nothing compared to the many." Olivia rebuked honestly and without hesitation.
"We will have to think this over, Miss King."
"You know I'm right. So many people are going to die in the next few years. Good people. And much more will die when Voldemort returns years later. He's won. I can't just sit here and not change the past, cause those lives will be on my hands if I don't."