Flicker Through Time

Chapter 2: Welcome to My Life

Author's Note: Hi, readers. Thank you for sticking with this story. Please comment, vote, and follow.

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        When Dahlia flashed back into reality, her eyes were met with old, cold small black bricks. She knew these bricks. These were the bricks of an orphanage in London which housed her first magical friend, apart from her brother.

        "Well, look who finally decided to pop back in," came the bitter voice of a young boy. Dahlia spun around, her wavy black curls slapping her in the face as she did.

        "Tom," Dahlia breathed, "You scared me."

        "And you left me. Alone." Tom's face stayed neutral, but Dahlia could recognize the hurt in his voice. Suddenly, she was reminded of the first time they met.

Flashback: 3 Months Ago

        Dahlia was angry by the injustice of it. While Harry got to weed the flower beds outside, Dahlia had to stay inside washing dishes and dealing with Dudley poking her in the side with his Smeltings stick. Unfortunately for her, Dudley decided to poke her just as she was drying a special, favorite plate of Mrs. Dursley's. It promptly fell to the floor and shattered into dozens of pieces.

        "Oooooh. You're going to be in so much trouble!" Dudley taunted.

        Something akin to horror flashed across Dahlia's face. "Please, no, Dudley, ple—"

        "MUM! In The Kitchen!" Dudley yelled.

        Sure enough Mrs. Dursley came hurrying to see Dudley standing all smug with his poking stick, Dahlia standing now emotionless, and her own prized plate laying broken on the floor. Dahlia was sure only bats could hear the squeal coming from the usually prim woman, yet her husband waddled in to investigate. Dahlia just watched as Mr. Dursley's bloated face turned dark red. Passingly, Dahlia noted he looked like a tomato with a blonde mustache as his beefy hand reached out and roughly grabbed her shoulder.

        As Mr. Dursley mumbled various threats and accusations to Dahlia, he dragged her down the hallway. Dahlia smartly remained mute as retorting would only anger him more. Finally, he threw the girl into the cupboard she shared with her brother and locked the door. In her cupboard, Dahlia sat up on the bed she was roughly thrown onto moments and observed the bruises forming on her shoulder and her arm. That was the first time she flickered out of her own time.

        "Who are you? Where did you come from?" Ten-year-old Dahlia turned from the black brick wall she was staring to see a well-groomed but shabbily dressed boy before her.

        Evenly and coldly Dahlia replied, "To your first question, my name is Dahlia Potter. As for your second question, I unexplainably popped in here from my cupboard room under the stairs in my aunt and uncle's house."

        "Well," Tom spoke slowly, "How exactly did you get here, in my room, Miss Potter?"

        Dahlia looked at young Riddle apprehensively before retorting, "I don't know, Magic? Exactly what part of 'unexplainably' did you not understand?"

        Riddle's eyes narrowed at the foolish girl before him as he took a few calculated steps forward. He then spoke threateningly, "I'd watch your words if I were you, Miss Potter. People I don't like tend to end up hurt."

        Dahlia examined the boy and weighed her words before she said, "Well, I don't particularly need any more enemies. Please, call me Dahlia." Then, she stuck out her hand for him to shake.

        Tom hesitated slightly. On one hand this girl didn't seem to fear him like she should, yet he also found her wit refreshing. Also, she was the only special person he knew apart from himself. Therefore, he extended his hand and shook it. That was the start of their friendship, or at least their mutual acceptance of each other.

        In the next three hours with Riddle, Dahlia learned five facts. First of all, Riddle was a little devil. Interesting. Secondly, she was actually about fifty years in the past. Shoot. Third of all, she and Riddle had no idea how to return Dahlia to her own time (though Tom wasn't exactly motivated to send his new toy away just yet). Fourth of all, Dahlia had nowhere else to go so she should probably take residence in Wool's Orphanage. Finally, Mrs. Cole was an unpleasant sort of woman.

        Left with no other option, Dahlia stayed at the orphanage with Riddle. She and Tom's developed a delicate friendship as they pickpocketed people on the street and plotted against their bullies together. Sure, Dahlia missed her brother but it's not like she knew how to get back to him.

         After about six months at Wool's Orphanage with Tom, Dahlia had an incident. Tom was doing his kitchen duties as Dahlia was doing her yard work when a bully by the name of Davis approached her.

        "Look, if it's not itty-bitty Potter." Davis sauntered up to her. Dahlia ignored him but she did tense slightly. "So, Potter, want to talk with a real man instead of that fool?"

         Dahlia kept her back turned to Davis but returned in a cold voice, "Fool? You shouldn't speak so highly of yourself. You might inflate that already oversized head of yours." Davis stood there puzzled for a few seconds before his face flushed and contorted into rage. He roughly grabbed the girl in front of him who was kneeled over the flowerbed and yanked her up.

         Inside, Tom was quietly washing the dishes when he heard screams from outside. He hurriedly ran outside to the gardens where he knew his friend Dahlia was. Instead of finding her, he discovered Davis huddled into a ball on the wet grass and an abandoned flower bed with only a trowel left behind. She was gone, his only friend.

End of Flashback

        "Oh, Tom," Dahlia started, "I didn't mean to leave. It was just like my arrival...unexpected." Dahlia made her way over to him and sat down beside the boy. "Hey, I'm sorry I missed your spelling bee competition." As she said this, Dahlia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small package. "Here's your I-know-you-crushed-those-featherheads gift, Tom!"

        For a second, surprise flashed across his usually expressionless face. "Y-you got me a present?"

        "Of course!" Dahlia exclaimed. "I'm just sorry it's two months late."

         "Two months?" Tom set aside the present he was given and took Dahlia's hands. "Pot—Dahlia, you've only been gone for three days! The spelling bee is next week." Tom watched his friend with worry as she turned pale and sharply inhaled. "Though," he said with a smirk, "I am honored you think so highly of me to simply assume I would win."

         Just as she was about to respond, a voice startled the two children. "Hello, Tom. My name is Albus Dumbledore."

        After Tom accepted Mr. Dumbledore wasn't a psychiatrist and was actually a wizard, Tom excused himself and went to find Dahlia who had been dismissed from the room after Dumbledore arrived. Between Tom and Dahlia, they convinced Professor Dumbledore that Dahlia Potter was also a magical being. Then, Dumbledore offered her a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry too. Though he did seem deep in thought and slightly puzzled as he extended Dahlia the offer.

        Dahlia and Tom soon headed off to Diagon Alley to gather their school supplies. On the inside, Tom Riddle was ecstatic to learn about magic, but he also secretly enjoyed the fact that he got to experience all of this with his only friend.

        Three years passed. In that time, Tom and Dahlia exceeded every expectation Hogwarts had. Together they established themselves as the power duo of the school and the brightest two to ever walk Hogwarts' halls. As their reputation grew, so did their friendship. On Christmas Eve of their third year at Hogwarts, Dahlia was placing Tom's presents at the foot of the Christmas tree in Slytherin common room when she felt it. All of a sudden, she felt slightly dizzy and lightheaded as she flickered in out of view. Then, she was once again gone.