Hogwarts 1944

Lyra's body launched to a halt mere inches away from the ground. Dumbledore hadn’t mentioned the side effects of literally spiraling through space and time itself.

She left sick as her body was slowly lowered onto the ground, turning to her side as she felt the hard wet ground beneath her- she vomited.

Everything she’d eaten that day came out, her stomach emptying itself only leaving a fowl acidic taste behind.

Don’t eat before jumping through time, noted. Lyra thought to herself as she pushed herself up slowly, wondering what had broken her fall. For a moment, she thought she was going to die upon arrival.

And that sinking feeling in the pit of her gut didn’t subside as she looked up to find two people running straight towards her- wands out.

Scrambling up another wave of nausea had her stumbling, back nearly falling onto her ass for a second time that night.

“Whoa!” A very concerned voice called out, “Maybe you should sit down-”

“Cora- step back.” Someone else called- a second voice. “We don’t know who she is- she could be dangerous.”

The girl hadn’t heeded his words as she stopped right in front of the Lyra, catching hold of her arm to steady her swaying. “Are you okay? What happened- Where did you fall from?”

The rapid questions from the girl holding her had Lyra’s head spinning as she tried hard to focus, the reality of what she had just done catching up to her.

“Cora!” The second voice snapped- a boy, “Step back!”

“Tom!” The girl- Cora,  shouted over to him where he had his wand up and pointed at Lyra. “She’s clearly dazed- and she’s obviously a student, look at her uniform.”

The boy looked down at the girls attire where Lyra still had a deep royal blue vest that proudly proclaimed her house under the robes wrapped around her shoulders. “Still, she could be-”

“Who? Who could she possibly be?” Cora snarked, giving the boy a pointed look when he couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation.

“Are you okay?” The girl tried again.

“I- I’m- ” Lyra started, trying to find the words, hoping a logical explanation would come tumbling out of her mouth effortlessly.

In truth, Lyra was reckless. How could she send herself anywhere, much less fifty years into the past without a well thought out plan of action.

What was she supposed to do? Approach her father- No, a boy who was to be her father in the far out future and ask him pretty please to love, cherish, and protect her? Beg him not to become evil, not to turn her into a social pariah, omitted from society and everything in it just from being associated with him?

This was a mistake. Lyra couldn’t do this- she couldn’t possibly- she couldn’t-

She had to take it back.

The girls breathing came in short gasps as she looked down, patting her pockets, pulling them inside out desperately searching for the time turner.

“Where is it?” Lyra’s vision pinholed, she felt pins and needles across her skin as pure terror dawned upon her at the realization of what she’d done.

“Where’s what? What are you looking for?” The boy- Tom asked accusingly.

Lyra flung herself onto the ground, hands outstretched feeling the wet grass for the watch. “No, no, no no no-” the girl whispered frantically.

A hand touched her back softly as if trying to get her attention- “what are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”

Just as Lyra thought she were to pass out- her fingers brushed against the cold metallic object and a breath of relief fell from her lips and tears escaped her eyes.

The relief had only lasted a moment before her eyes laid on the front of the watch, a large crack shattered the front of the glass and the knob had bent at an awkward angle preventing it from turning altogether.

Lyra stared at the object- stunned. How was this possible? She hadn’t even hit the ground hard enough to bruise, no way had it broken when she landed on it.

“Uhm,” Lyra started, looking up at the girl for the first time. She had soft brown hair that reached just below her shoulders in loose waves, and her eyes were deep, earthy- it reminded her of a warmth like the petrichor emanating from the ground after the first rain in the warm, dry weather of the early summer. They were wide- full of concern and it took Lyra a long moment to realize the concern was dedicated to her. “I don’t-”

“You don’t..?” The girl stepped forward resting a hand on her arm. “Do you know where you are?”

Lyra nodded, “Hogwarts, but..”

The couple in front of her looked at each other in confusion wondering, eyes simmering with unasked and unanswered questions. They both stood quietly as anxiety ate away at the poor girl, waiting for her to gather her thoughts.

“What year is it?” Lyra settled on as she gripped the watch so tightly her pale fingers turned white.

“Tom,” Cora’s eyes narrowed softly, “I think we should get her to the hospital wing- I think she’s hit her head.”

Tom cursed under his breath as he moved closer, lowering his wand completely, but unwilling to unclutch it from his fist.

Lyra hadn’t hit her head, she’d barely even felt the fall, but maybe a concussion would be the least suspicious explanation for her otherwise very bizarre behavior.

She walked in a daze through the twist and turns of the castle, vaguely following the pair in front of her. Lyra hadn’t taken in her surroundings, she hadn’t even noticed when she guided to a bed and the two prefects where promptly shewed away.

Lyra half expected to see madme pomfrey when she snapped back into herself, only to be met with another woman- round, short yellow hair, thick freckles and hooked nose.

She registered faintly that the woman had been snapping in front of her face, trying to get her attention. “Huh?”

“I asked, what is your name?” Her voice was firm, it commanded attention, but it was not unkind.

“Lyra Riddle, a fifth year.” She answered the next question as the woman pushed her to lay flat on her back, pulling her fore arm, she placed two fingers on her wrist.

“You’re in shock.” The woman stated mater of fact, “Can you tell me what happened.”

“I- i-” Lyra’s eyes once again began to well up as the gravity of the situation hit her, “I can’t.”

That much she knew. Not one person within this castle could know her purpose, it would likely derail and escalate the situation- Lyra could possibly even cease to exist entirely.

“You can’t.” The woman repeated, but it didn’t sound like a question. “Well, then, what can you tell me?”

Lyra thought for a moment, staring up at the high ceiling above her, “I- i need to speak with Professor Dumbledore.”

There will be plenty of time for talk,” The woman informed her, “Now, you need rest.”

“No!” Lyra’s voice raised in frustration- frustration at the situation she had willingly landed herself in, looked at the shocked expression of the lady in front of her, she let out a shaky breath, her hands coming together nervously. “I’m, I just- I need to speak to Dumbledore.” The girls voice came out quieter this time, softer, as a tremble started in her chin as her bottom lip wobbled.

The woman stared at her for a moment. Her brows frowned in concentration as she studied Lyra’s face, “Very well.” The woman sighed, nodding her head. “I’ll fetch him.”

Dumbledore was the brightest man in history, a powerful wizard who could overcome even the darkest of times. Lyra knew if she wanted to succeed it was in her best interest to inform Dumbledore of the situation and ask for his help- he’d help her, he had to. After all, he was the one that coaxed her into the situation in the first place.

It didn’t take long before a familiar head popped around the corner, although this time, his long unruly hair and beard had far more grey than the white she had seen only hours before. Nothing had changed about the man she realized, not in the way he spoke or carried himself as he introduced himself for the first time and she vaguely wondered if it had been a dream, if she hadn’t travled fifty years into the past.

“Hello, I’m Professor Dumbledore, but I would assume you already know that considering you’d requested to speak to me.” The man sat in a chair beside the girls bed, not once had his curious eyes moved from her were she sat- rigided and tense.

“I, yes, well- I’m Lyra.” She spoke cautiously, unsure of how to navigate the situation in order for the man not to dismiss her as another crazy witch with a vivid imagination- because, honestly, that’s what she sounded like as she opened her mouth to ramble- crazy. “Riddle. Lyra Riddle.”

“Riddle..” the tone of his voice was intrigued but the man's face hadn’t changed in the slightest- didn’t showcase emotion that would clue the girl into his thinking. Something in that comforted her as she realized it was the same man she’d known all those years into the future, something about the way he remained unchanged even in the past.

“Yes. And I- I- I know it sounds strange,” She stuttered out, deciding it was better to just get to the point than to continue to beat around the bush- for her own sanity. “No, it sound impossibly- ridiculous even but, I just need you to hear me out- I need you to listen.”

The man paused before nodding his head, giving the girl permission to ramble on. “I am- no I will be, Tom Riddles daughter. Not now, of course, that would be impossible but, thirty six years from now, I was born. Thirty six years from now, terrible evils will be committed by Tom Riddle, but by then, he’ll be called Voldemort. And fifteen years from then, you will ask me to go back into time to try and stop him- appeal to a younger version of Tom Riddle need of family to stop the war.”

Lyra paused, watching the mans face contort into realization as he took in her word vomit.

“I know how it sounds, but Tom Riddle will grow into a vile.. Thing. A murderur, a terrorist, he’ll wage war and destroy anyone in his past, as evil as he is, he’s more powerful and he has followers too- many, people within high society, with influential positions. I know how this sounds, i know how this looks, but please, just consider the possibility- you must have suspected something-”

“I believe you, Miss Riddle.” The man hummed and the girls breathing halted. “This does sound like something I would do, i believe you. You did the right thing in telling me.”

Lyra sighed out a breath in relief as tears began to fall, she wiped at them desperately. “Thank you.”

The girl felt as if she wasn’t alone, if the brightest man in history was on her side, she finally had the sense that she wasn’t alone.

“If I may,” He spoke one again, his voice low, slow and drawn out. “You speak as if you know nothing of Tom Riddle, your father, what was your relationship with him?”

“I know nothing of him, I grew up in foster care, adopted by a kind couple when I was young.” Lyra stated, “I didn’t even know i was his daughter until you told me. And truthfully, i’m not sure he even knows- or cares if i exist.”

A hum sounded from the man, “And your mother?”

A small shake of her head and a shrug was all the man need to know. “You were smart not to tell anyone your story- I think it’s best we keep this between us. If what you say is true then the world is in more danger than I originally thought. I always suspected- I just never thought…”

“What would you suggest?”

“We’ll get you sorted, you’ll arrive as a transfer student from another school, you’ll need a new name of course. And we’ll need to be careful, Riddle is suspicious by nature, always calculating and making enemies of people who don’t fit into his equation.” Dumbledore started softly, “Lyra.. Finley.”

“Finley?” Lyara tested the name on her lips, “Lyra Finley, has a nice ring to it I suppose.”

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Lyra Finley.”