Flicker Through Time

Chapter 4: Mysteries, Near Death Experiences, and Massacres

A/N: Two short notes. First, I will try to update at least one chapter every two weeks. Finally, I would like to thank CallmeMaskedKait who was the first to comment and vote on one of my stories.

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        After Dahlia's sorting people avoided the chilling girl as if they were afraid she would curse them on sight. The Slytherins didn't dare to mess with her and even her own house was indifferent to her. So, for the first two months of her second round at Hogwarts, Dahlia was isolated. Yes, she was isolated, bored, and pissed at whoever barred her from Slytherin House. Even though she was on the outside of most of the crowds, her brother did try to include her in their wanderings, even though sometimes she really wished they would not. He and his friends had a propensity for finding trouble and while Harry claimed there was safety in numbers, Dahlia also knew there was death in numbers. It was called a massacre and her brother seemed determined to drag her into one.

Flashback (Halloween in Harry Potter's Time)

        As usual, Dahlia Potter was trying to ignore the irritating chatter around her. She just didn't understand how the other Gryffindors could be so annoyingly loud, then again this was a time of celebration and rejoicing at Lord Voldemort's defeat for them. For her, it was just a reminder of the night her parents died. "Ugh," she thought threateningly with a hint of disgust, "if I ever meet Voldemort, I'm going to---"

        "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Professor Quirrell screamed. "Thought you ought to know." As the man dropped in a faint, most people screamed in panic whereas the young Dahlia Potter simply continued to eat her treacle tart, that is until someone slapped her fork out of her hand.

      "What?!" Dahlia hissed to her brother who disrupted her dessert. Her brother, Harry, looked tired and rather jumpy.

        "Come on," Potter whined as he tugged his sister's arm. "Dumbledore said for us all to head back to our dormitories. Even though she rolled her eyes, she followed her brother. Little did she know that she wouldn't be going to the tower with the rest of her house.

        Let it be said that Dahlia hated Gryffindors and their astonishing talent to end up in the thick of things. That unfortunate quality was how she ended up facing a mountain troll instead of finishing her treacle tart. Yes, she hated Gryffindors and now she had added trolls near the top of her hate list. Thanks to the rotten Potter luck, Dahlia ended up dodging the troll's club while trying to save her brother and his friends. Soon after they arrived in the girls' lavatory, Ronald Weasley knocked out the beast by dropping its previously levitating bat on the thing's head. Hurrah. Unfortunately, it was going to fall on top of her brother and his red-headed friend. In a moment of panic, and Gryffindor stupidity, Dahlia ran in front of them and used wandless and nonverbal magic to push the troll backwards.

        The teachers were shocked. Four first years successfully fought a full-grown mountain troll, and one student had reportedly done so with wandless magic! A few points were deducted and more added before the two boys and two girls were sent to their respective dorms. As Dahlia was lying in bed silently bemoaning the loss of her treacle tart, the red weasel, the bookish Gryffindor, and her brother were retelling the tale of the mountain troll and the Girl-Who-Did-Wandless-Magic. Unknowingly to all, this story started changing views about the frightening, antisocial Potter as she started to gain the Gryffindors' admiration and the Slytherins' respect.

End of Flashback

        After Halloween night, Dahlia's life did not go back to the usual boredom with its brief interludes. For the first time in two months, people recognized her and would return her smiles. For the previous one half of the Hogwarts power couple, the positive change in attitudes towards her were at first welcoming, but then suddenly everyone wanted to be her friend. Teachers now felt welcome to ask for her assistance, older students found themselves begging for tutelage in wandless magic, and most annoyingly fellow first years were following her around either asking for help on assignments or asking for an introduction to Harry Potter. Consequently, most days she sought out a place of quietness and intellect... Professor Quirrell's office.