When the little sister of Harry Potter enters the Wizarding World, she catches the interest of a particular professor wearing a purple turban. Why though? Could he possibly know about her time travel? She really should remember to ask Tom his opinio...
A/N: Three Notes: 1) Updating twice a month with three ongoing fanfictions was a little too ambitious. I am changing my schedule to once a month minimum and will update more if possible. 2) I would like to thank ArzalieneGale whose comment inspired me to finish this chapter! 3) Thank you to everyone for sticking with this story and being patient.
Logically, Dahlia understood why nearly everyone favored Gryffindors so much: they were the poster children for honest smiles, infectious laughter, and all-around goodness. However, being the former Slytherin she was, Dahlia just didn't see the appeal. Where the students of Slytherin House could have a stimulating debate at dinner, the people in Gryffindor were likely to end up at the wrong end of a projectile chicken leg. Even now, Dahlia was sure the Slytherins were all sleeping soundly in their beds or doing schoolwork and she wished she was doing the same. Instead, her big brother had roped her into another adventure, this time with a dragon.
Standing atop the astronomy tower, Dahlia stretched her aching back as she watched the flyers cart away the dragon. As her brother and his obnoxious friends celebrated, the girl smiled at her own private success. She ran her fingers over the fresh vile of dragon's blood now laying in her pocket which was part of the reason for her own silent celebration. Now she had one less ingredient to either buy from questionably legal businesses or to steal from equally shady people for the potion her and Tom were going to brew. Dahlia watched the Golden Trio joyfully sneak back down the tower's steps and unknowingly into Professor McGonagall. The young Malfoy heir of this time had warned her beforehand of his plan to get them in trouble as a way to gain favour with her. Even now, Lady Luck was smiling upon her as the three Gryffindors had left the invisibility cloak with her atop the tower. Dahlia smirked as she walked unseen by the professor who was in the midst of berating and disciplining the young Malfoy heir, her brother, his two best friends, and Neville Longbottom. On the way back to her bed, Dahlia thought of a way to spin her brother's detention to her benefit. As she folded and secured Harry's cloak in her trunk a plan formed in her head which if done correctly could raise her image in the eyes of all of the teachers, including the biased Professor Snape.
Dahlia waited a day before approaching Professor McGonagall about joining her brother and the others during detention.
"You may enter," Dahlia heard soon after knocking on Professor McGonagall's office door. The girl stepped in the office and smiled shyly at the teacher. "Miss Potter, what can I help you with?" the woman asked as she set down her quill.
Dahlia mimicked Tom's own charming smile and said, "Well, Professor, I came here to talk to you about my brother's detention." As the young student opened her mouth to continue, Professor McGonagall interrupted.
"I'm sorry, Miss Potter, but you're not getting Harry out of his detention. What he did was irresponsible, not to mention dangerous."
"I know, Professor," Dahlia said as she gave an understanding look. "I try my best to keep him out of trouble, but Harry's well... Harry. From what I understand, he takes after our father in his propensity for getting into trouble."
Professor McGonagall smiled fondly at the mention of James Potter and calmed from her earlier outburst. "Yes, yes, he's quite like James." There was a moment of silence before the teacher smiled, shook her head, and offered Dahlia a seat to sit in while they talked.
Young Dahlia Potter smirked internally as she knew her plan was progressing just as she had thought. She explained to the professor how she wanted to join Harry and the others in their detention in the Forbidden Forest to help keep him in line. Not only that, but Professor Sprout had mentioned that she could use a few seedlings and young sprouts from the forest necessary for one of her projects while they were chatting after class a few days ago. Dahlia explained how, if allowed, she could use the detention as an opportunity to gather some of those things for the professor. Professor McGonagall seemed stunned momentarily at the girl's idea before she smiled and granted her student's request to join in on the detention. As Dahlia said her goodbyes and started to leave the office, the professor had one more thing to say.
"Your brother may have James' troublemaking tendencies, but you inherited Lily's heart" Professor McGonagall said.
Dahlia was speechless for a moment as she experienced a flash of happiness at that comparison followed swiftly by a rush of doubt. Dahlia thanked the professor; however, inwardly she considered how her time in the past with her close friend Tom had resulted in her becoming more self-serving. Perhaps once she used to be like her mother but these days it seemed Tom influenced her behaviors more than anyone. Shaking her head, Dahlia shoved her doubt deep down, smiled thankfully at her Head of House, and proceeded down to the dungeons to speak with Professor Snape.
Only ten minutes into grading a batch of first years' potion essays and Professor Snape was already in need of a headache potion. Just as he was marking the Gryffindor Patil's essay a D, he heard two sharp knocks on his door. "Enter," he drawled. Surprisingly it was not one of his snakes who was standing at his door but the female Potter.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Hello, Professor Snape. I apologize for the interruption, but I came to ask if you would like me to gather any ingredients from the forest. You see, during my brother's detention I am tagging along to gather a few things for Professor Sprout and I figured you might like me to gather some items for you as well."
Professor Snape half listened to her as he watched the young Gryffindor throughout her speech as he looked for hints of James Potter in her. Her eyes and nervous smile were all Lily. How she talked and held herself wasn't even like the trademarked Potter arrogance. Actually, those aspects of herself were rather aristocratic and calculated like the Pureblood Slytherins of his own house. Even her hair was not reminiscent of the deceased Potter male. Whereas his hair was an unruly dark black, Dahlia Potter's hair was a shiny and wavy black hair.
As she finished speaking, Professor Snape paused as if in consideration before tersely saying, "I will get you a list. Dismissed."
Dahlia nodded her head in respect of him and said, "Of course, Professor. Have a good evening."
The young female Potter left his office feeling accomplished while Snape was left with even more of a headache than before she visited. Professor Snape did indeed send a list of his depleted herbs and plants to her at breakfast the next morning as Dahlia Potter was in the middle of checking and finalizing her own private list of ingredients to look for in the Forbidden Forest. Meanwhile, unknown to all, a certain dark spirit attached to the Defense Professor planned his next hunt in Hogwart's Forbidden Forest while his host ate breakfast. However, the Dark Lord Voldemort wouldn't only be hunting for unicorns to bleed dry this time.
