A/N- Trigger warning. This chapter describes child abuse.

The double lesson ended and Y/N and Hermoine went to lunch in the great hall before heading to Charms. They had double charms to finish the day.

As they entered the class they were greeted by the friendly but diminutive Professor Flitwick.

After checking the attendance record and falling off his stack of books when getting to Harry's name he turned his attention to Y/N.

"Mr L/N... I had a discussion with Professor McGonagall about your... progress and I would like to assess your skills prior to starting the class if that is ok with you?"

"Of course Professor whatever you say" Y/N smiled.

He invited Y/N to the centre of the classroom and conjured up a training dummy.

"I will call out a spell and if you are able to please perform it. Please direct your spells towards the training dummy"

"Of course Professor" Y/N smiled. He stood up from his seat between Hermoine and Harry and walked to face the training dummy, raising his wand.

"Let's start easy. Light"
Lumos

"Extinguish it"
Nox

"Levitate it"
Wingardium leviosa

"Bring it down"
Descendo

"Hit it with water"
Aquamenti

"Protective shield"
Protego

"Blow it up"
Bombarda

"Fix it"
Reparo

"Knock back jinx"
Flipendo

"Disarm it"
Expelliarmus

"Stun it"
Stupify

"Cut it"
Diffindo

"Set it on fire"
Incendio

The training dummy was now a burning pile of ash and broken parts on the floor. Flitwick non verbally restored it before turning his attention back to Y/N with a giant smile plastered across his tiny face.

"You may lower your wand Mr. L/N"

Y/N did so before he turned back to the teacher, noticing the faces of his fellow first years. They all, without exception, sat with eyes and mouthes wide open. The Professor smiled.

"That was exceptional Mr L/N. Truly exceptional. Good show. I would ask that you spend the rest of this lesson undertaking a previous theory exam while the class starts learning the light casting spell".

"Sounds great Professor" Y/N smiled before returning to his seat. Hermione grabbed his hand under the desk and gave it a friendly squeeze. She whispered into his ear:

"That was incredible Y/N".

"Thanks" he replied with a shy smile.

-~-

The class had finished and the students were free for the rest of the day. Y/N stopped next to Hermione and asked her: "Do you want to go to the 7th floor now?"

Hermione nodded excitedly replying: "Definitely".

As they are approach the seventh floor corridor Y/N stopped and turned to make sure they weren't being followed. He pulled his wand and cast a spell Hermione hadn't heard of before:

Homenum Revelio

Nothing happened so he signalled to Hermione to follow him. She did so happily as she asked:

"What was that spell Y/N?"

"It's the counterspell to a disillusionment charm. Just in case anyone was following us" Y/N replied.

"Oh ok. What are we looking for?" She asked happily.

"A door that isn't supposed to be there"

"Pard..."

"There" Y/N said quickly cutting her off. "That's it let's go"

He grabbed her hand and excitedly ran towards it. Hermione giggled and allowed herself to be led towards the door. Y/N opened it and gently pulled her in before shutting the door behind him.

"Y/N what is this place... wow"

Hermione was shocked at the room that seemed to have been hidden in plain sight the whole time. She looked to her left to see a huge book shelf full of books along with a double seated desk and a couch in front of a roaring fireplace. To the right there was a home gym and a changing room.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked smiling.

"It has a couple of names. The Come and Go Room, the Room of Requirement. Not many people know about it. It's enchanted to provide the person who finds it with whatever they need most"

"So you want to work out and I want to do homework?" Hermione asked with a giggle.

"Exactly. I-uh- I thought this could be our special secret place" Y/N said nervously.

Hermione smiled at her friend before wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Y/N. That is really sweet of you. I'd love to have a special secret place for just the two of us".

"I'm glad. Me too" Y/N smiled in relief.

They both looked over to the couch and fireplace as Y/N said gently:

"I guess the room wants us to have that chat now".

"I guess so. Are you sure you are up to it?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Yes. I trust you and I know you won't repeat it" Y/N replied with a saddened gaze.

"Of course not" Hermione smiled sweetly at her friend.

They walked over and sat on the couch. Y/N started to reveal his history.

He started at the beginning. The Wizarding War, how his mother was a blood supremacist sicko who approved of Voldemort. How his father was a hero who fought in a secret Order with Dumbledore and Harry's parents. How after the Voldemort's fall, Death Eaters tracked down enemies of the Dark Lord. How they came to the L/N Manor House one night.

She cried for him when he spoke of his father being murdered in front of him. How the Death Eaters had taken turns torturing him in front of his mother.

"But you were a baby" Hermione sobbed as Y/N wrapped his arms round her, comforting her.

"They were incredibly sick people. There's a lot more. Do you want to stop here? I don't want to upset you too much" Y/N asked tenderly.

Hermione calmed herself and wiped away her tears: "No it's ok you can keep going".

He explained next about one of his earliest memories. Dean left for Hogwarts and everything got so much worse. That was when the beatings started. His mother would beat him relentlessly. He remembered the bruises. The pain. The blood, there was so much blood. How she would beat him nearly to death and then heal him so she could start over.

Hermione was a complete mess at this point. All she could stammer our was: "Why... why would she do that to her own child?"

"She said I looked just like my dad. Others have told me I do as well. She said it was my fault my father died. So I had to be punished" Y/N replied calmly.

"How long did this go on for?"

"Five years"

"Five...five years?"

Hermione's voice broke as she wrapped her arms around Y/N and cried onto his shoulder. He whispered soothingly into her ear and gently rubbed her back. When she had composed herself slightly she let go and asked:

"What ended it?"

"When Jacob disappeared he had actually been imprisoned in one of the Cursed Vaults by this bitch named Patricia Rakepick. When Dean broke the curse and freed him he apparated home.... right when it was happening. Jacob attacked Mum and grabbed me apparated us to St Mungos. I was there for a long time. I don't remember much from that time. There was a lot of healing that was painful. Bones that hadn't healed right needed to be broken and fixed correctly. Scars needed to be healed with potions that burnt badly. Things like that. I remember Dumbledore came and spoke to Jacob. Jacob was granted guardianship by the ministry. My mother disappeared- no one has seen her since. Jacob said I had to be a soldier and that I was important for the future and he would be training me. When I was finally discharged from Mungos that's when my training started."

Hermione smiled, but it quickly faded.

"It felt like a death march for so long. I read and worked and practiced like he told me. We were constantly on the move from... uh bad guys? I still don't know who exactly. Only that Jacob said they were always after us. Then the training... it was hard. The occlumency, The Imperio curses, the torture curses-"

"What?" Hermione practically screamed in shock. "He didn't."

"He did. But it was for an important reason."

"What do you mean?"

"The torture when I was a baby. Did something to me. Neurologically. I'm able to absorb and block out pain now, much much more than an ordinary person. I didn't realise it until the day after I met you at Diagon Alley."

"What do you mean?"

"When we got back to Dean and Penny's place Jacob was waiting and he was mad. There was an argument. I went back to him the next day and he and another guy who trained me used the torture curse on me again."

Hermione broke down in tears again. She tried to talk but was too distraught to form comprehensible words.

"Hey no shhh shhh" Y/N comforted her as he hugged her, gently rubbing her back. When she seemed to have calmed he continued:

"It's ok. I mean it still hurt like hell but I was able to block it out, push back. That's when I realised. Why he did it all. It did make me stronger. Stronger than a normal person. He didn't do it to hurt me. He did it to prepare me. I don't know what for but I know I have to keep working and be ready".

Y/N looked down and smiled as Hermione nodded and wiped her eyes again.

"After that Dean came and spoke to him and I got to stay with Dean and Penny a lot more. They helped train me in curse breaking and potions. I became close with Dean which is amazing. I was already close with Penny but now I feel like I have two brothers. As well as a sister."

He looked directly in Hermione's eyes

"and now I have a best friend as well. So I consider myself the luckiest guy in the world."

Hermione leant into him and placed her head on his chest. He put his arm around her and stroked her back. He smiled as he whispered:

"This is what happiness feels like"