Flicker Through Time

Chapter 1: Started with a Bang

        Lily made a mistake, but to be fair so did James. Only Lily's mistake led to the creation of a new life with James worst enemy, Severus Snape. James pushed Lily away and Lily got drunk. Of course, James supported his wife and accepted Severus' child as his own and loved the baby girl as his own until the day he died. Lily loved her illegitimate child and she was sure Severus would have too; however, he was a Deatheater and she and James considered Snape's life too complicated to take care of a child. That's why on that fateful Halloween night Lily and James fell at Voldemort's hand without telling Snape that he sired a daughter. Her name was Dahlia Eileen Potter.

        On that night in Godric's Hollow when Voldemort murdered James and Lily Potter and tried to kill young Harry too, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named spared Dahlia, but not because he had any moral qualms about killing a newborn. No, he had personal reasons. After all, he knew what she would one day become, even if no one else did. He knew her.

10 Years Later

        "Can you believe it, Harry?" Dahlia whispered to her older brother, "We're actually going to the zoo! Us." Harry couldn't believe their luck either, but he still would have rather they be left at home with free reign. However, the zoo was nice too.

        Everything at the zoo was going spectacular according to Harry and Dahlia's expectations. They even got cheap lemon pops and the opportunity to finish Dudley's ice cream. It all took a turn at the reptile house.

        After Dudley had gotten bored with the Brazilian Python, Harry and Dahlia stood at the snake's habitat as Harry chatted with it. Dahlia wasn't exactly paying attention. Instead, her green eyes were roaming the area looking for trouble. In other words, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Harry called her a pessimist, but she just called it being a realist.

        Curious incidents always happened when she or Harry was involved, especially when it came to Dahlia. Dahlia knew this, so as far as she was concerned it was to be expected when Dudley magically got sealed into the snake exhibit and the snake escaped. She wasn't even surprised when weeks later oddly specifically addressed letters began pouring out of the chimney by the hundreds or a half-giant crashed through the door into the little dingy ocean cottage in the middle of nowhere.

        Everything that happened next just confirmed what Dahlia always knew. She and Harry were not freaks. They were magic. The only real shock for Dahlia Potter in the next few days was the incident in the magical pub where the entrance to Diagon Alley was contained that was where Dahlia first encountered the bizarre novelty of Harry's apparent fame in the Wizarding World. That was strange. Well, that and Professor Quirrell. He seemed curious about her and scared to be around her, yet he seemed perfectly pleased to meet Harry. Strange. Soon enough, however, Harry and Dahlia were caught up in the whirlwind of magic. Before she knew it, they both had their wands and were aboard the Hogwarts Express with a truck load of candy.

        After about an hour or two of putting up with Harry and the Weasley boy, Dahlia had enough of their incessant talking of candy and Quidditch, whatever that was. She just wanted to read in the peace and quiet and she wasn't making much head-way in her textbooks with their boyish antics so Dahlia set out looking for her own compartment. Eventually, she found a near empty compartment close to the back of the train. Dahlia was under the impression it was a storage compartment. There were a few suit cases piled in one corner and the room had no windows. Thankfully, there was an abundance of light though so Dahlia settled into a seat and read.

        "H-h-hello," Professor Quirrell stuttered. Dahlia looked up to see the odd man from the pub standing before her. She quickly stood up and marked the place in her book.

        "I'm so sorry, Professor. Am I not supposed to be here?! I'll leave," Dahlia responded quickly. She gathered her books and hurried to the door when an arm shot across her path, effectively blocking her exit route."

        "N-No. Miss P-P-Potter, please stay. I, I insist." Quirrell observed the girl as she calmed and sat back down. Then, he smirked as he glanced her textbook sitting on her lap. "G-Getting a head start on school, hey Potter?"

        Dahlia smiled as she heard that question. Sure enough, the student and the professor were soon engrossed in a lively discussion about everything from Ministry politics to powdered toadstool. Dahlia was relieved to have an intellectually stimulating conversation, even if she was just an eleven-year-old. Much to her and Quirrell's disappointment, their conversation was interrupted just as they started debating the ethical implications on employing dementors at Azkaban.

        "Excuse me for interrupting what I'm sure is a fascinating discussion," drawled Professor Snape, "However, Quirrell, you're needed in the teachers' lounge compartment to discuss a few job particulars." After he said this, he glanced at the girl opposite of Quirrell and his face betrayed none of the shock he felt at seeing Lily's eyes staring back at him.

        As Quirrell cleared his throat, Severus' attention was pulled back to him. "Right. W-W-Well, b-best not, not keep everyone waiting, should we S-Severus?" Professor Quirrell stood up and straightened his robes, but before he left he turned to the girl who was still sitting with a textbook in her lap. As he shook her hand Quirrell smiled kindly and said, "Pleased to m-make y-your acquaintance, M-M-Miss P-Potter. I look forward to seeing that b-brilliant m-mind of yours in m-my c-c-classroom." Quirrell quickly departed after that and Snape glanced once again into the girl's eyes before he sneered at her and he too left.

        "Ooookkaaay. Weird," Dahlia spoke quietly to herself. She picked up her textbook and continued to read when she felt it.

        All of a sudden, she felt a little dizzy and lightheaded. "No. Not now. Not Again. Not Now!" she mumbled to herself like a mantra. Unfortunately, her desire didn't matter because she looked down at her hands and saw them to start becoming transparent. Then, she watched in resigned horror as her whole body began flickering in and out of existence.

        Crash! Dahlia Potter's textbook fell to the floor as the girl mysteriously vanished from her compartment.