It had been two days, and Malfoy still hadn't calmed down from his midnight conversation with Dahlia. He kept replaying her words in his mind, seeing her mangled hand in his dreams. He didn't know why it mattered, but it almost... hurt that she hadn't waited. Malfoy had reminded himself that he hadn't bothered to wait for her either, but the images of Dahlia wrapped around another man left him... empty. Until the emptiness filled with rage.
The more Malfoy tried to push her from his mind, the more she seemed to infiltrate it. She'd come back so angry, and he couldn't blame her for directing some of it at him. Strangely enough, it was her anger that drew him to her more. She was a force to be reckoned with, one that he hadn't seen coming. Malfoy found himself obsessing over who could have possibly gotten her attention, but he was clueless. The more he thought about it the deeper root his anger took. His disgust with himself for caring who had touched Dahlia just fueled his anger more.
"You alright, mate?" Blaise's voice jerked Malfoy from his reverie. Malfoy twitched in his seat, turning to the entrance wall. He had been relaxing in the common room, reclined in a chair in the corner, on the far side of the fireplace
"I'm fine," Malfoy snapped, turning to face Blaise who had just entered their common room. Blaise was a handsome boy, although his complexion was the opposite of Malfoy's. Blaise was tall, standing about 6'1". Not quite as tall as Malfoy, but taller than the others in their limited friend group. His skin was a darker tone, more caramel than anything and his hair was dark. His eyes were chocolate brown, and right now they flickered with amusement.
"You've been in a sour mood these last few days," Blaise noted as he took a seat opposite of Malfoy's. He folded his legs and looked at Malfoy with an almost amused smile on his face. "Care to talk about it?"
Malfoy ignored him, mind reflected back on his father's most recent letter. Malfoy Sr. was demanding that Draco interrogate his fellow Slytherins for information on Dahlia. Knowing is father, Draco intending on asking only the people his father would follow up on him with, starting with Zabini, Nott, and Parkinson. "What do you know of the Dumbledore girl?"
"Dahlia?" Blaise lit up, smirk spreading across his face. "I've been checking her out. She threw Umbridge against a wall! I mean, she was hot before, but damn after that, I was about ready to marry her."
Malfoy stomped down the anger at his friend's flirty words, hating how they sparked jealousy inside him. He snorted instead, rolling his eyes with disdain. "You're ready to marry any girl that bats half an eye at you."
"He's got you there, mate." Another person stepped through the wall and into the common room. Theodore Nott made his appearance. He was the shortest of the three, although still very nearly six foot tall. He had lighter brown hair than Blaise, and was slightly stocker than the other two boys. His face blossomed to show a dimple on either cheek when he smiled, something he assured the other boys was partially responsible for the amount of women he got.
"Theo," Blaise motioned him over eagerly. "Malfoy was just asking me about the Dumbledore girl!"
"Dahlia?" Theo's eyes lit up, and he broke out into one of his famous dimple smiles. He clapped his hands, rubbing them together as he took a seat next to Blaise. "She's hot, mate. Had a front row seat when she threw Umbridge against a wall, wandless and wordless."
"It was nonverbal?" Blaise looked impressed, eyebrows flying high. "Bloody hell."
Malfoy nearly groaned, but suppressed the urge as he watched his friends continue to rave about Dahlia. He felt his eye begin to twitch, the headache forming as he attempted to control his temper. He had no claim to Dahlia - she'd made it clear she didn't want anything with him. He was forced to agree. Draco had almost succeeded in calming his temper when his ears tuned in to the conversation happening around him.
"-honestly though, you'd fuck her." Blaise was speaking to Theo who instantly agreed.
"Obviously, blood status be damned."
Malfoy's hands started to curl into fists, face beat red - something Blaise took note of. Zabini turned slightly to smirk at Malfoy before glancing back at Theo.
"Malfoy wouldn't shag her, though," Blaise's eyes were twinkling as Draco's darkened, his scowl deepening. "I don't think it's cause he wouldn't want to, though. Word is she can't stand him."
Theo grinned at Malfoy, who was noticeably seething. Theo ignored Draco's temper, pearing curiously at him. "What'd you do, mate? Honestly, I know you're a stickler for the blood status thing, but -"
"Stop. Talking." Malfoy spoke through clenched teeth. He exhaled noisily, running a hand through his normally perfect hair, mussing it in frustration. "When I asked about Dumbledore, I meant what do you know about her."
"Ohhhh," Blaise tried to act innocent, ignoring the murderous looks Malfoy was shooting at him. He scratched his head, glancing nonchalantly at the glass wall.
"Not much," Theo admitted as he leaned back, watching the silent exchange between Blaise and Malfoy curiously. "I know she's got classes with the headmaster over Christmas break."
"What?" Blaise and Malfoy both turned to look at Theo in surprise.
"Where'd you hear that?" Malfoy demanded, almost impressed by Theo's information. Blaise and Draco looked at Theo expectantly, waiting for his answer.
Theo smirked, smuggly stewing in silence for a moment before speaking. "It honestly pays off to not be a hated Slytherin. People see you in the corridors, and they shut up about their secrets instantly. Me? Less people know me, therefore less people hate me. Makes it easy to eavesdrop."
"What're her classes for?" Blaise asked curiously, face turning sour at Theo's words. "I bet it's some kind of advanced class."
"She did cast a nonverbal, wandless spell," Theo pointed out. "The headmaster probably took interest in her and wants to see what else she can do."
"Think about it," Blaise said softly after a moment. "If that wasn't just a one time deal, and she can control her wandless magic, that'd make her the most powerful witch of our age."
"Do not speak like that," Malfoy snarled, eyes flashing. When his friends looked at him in shock he stood up, bellowing. "Her blood status is unknown; she's not that powerful." Even as he spoke he recalled the bathroom incident. She'd decimated an entire bathroom just off her emotions, but that didn't mean she had learned to control it. "We already have to deal with a MudBlood being labeled as the 'Brightest Witch of our Age'. Let's not slap a label on another one."
Malfoy strode off to his dorm room, muttering obscurities that didn't reach his mate's ears.
__________________________________________________________________________
"AHHHHH!" A blood curdling scream echoed through Hogwarts. Dahlia awoke with a start in a cold sweat, heart pounding. She had to get help - someone needed help. For a moment she was frozen in fear at what she'd just witnessed. The next moment, she threw her covers off, bare feet padding across the floor. She stumbled down the stairs, scampering out the portrait hole a moment later, another scream leaver her lips, desperate.
"Albus!" Dahlia was sprinting down the corridors, screeching at the top of her lungs, chest heaving. She'd stumbled out of the portrait to her common room a few seconds previous, and now she was barefoot, in nothing but her Gryffindor quidditch sweat pants one of the twins had given her, and a tank top, scrambling through the halls as fast as she could. "Albus!" Her desperate screams were piercing the empty castle, the urgency apparent. The cold air had no effect on her as she continued to sprint down the corridors.
"ALBUS!" Dahlia screamed, tears running down her cheeks, throat starting to clog with desperation. Her breath came in shallow, ragged heaves as she ignored the burning in her legs, continuing to sprint to her guardian's office with little regard for who she awakened in the process.
Dahlia's panicked cries must have woken Filch because he came limping around the corner, shouting. "Student's out of bed! Student in the corridors!"
Dahlia continued to run past him, not sparing him even a glance, her lungs feeling as though on fire. She blew past Filch, continuing to screech as she made her way towards the Headmaster's study. "ALBUS!" Dahlia choked back sobs as she stumbled to a stop in front of the gargoyle.
The gargoyle was already shifting, revealing the headmaster in his night clothes, rushing down the stairs. "Dahlia!" Albus cried, seeing her shaking, sobbing form at the foot of the stairs. "My dear, what has happened?"
"S-someone is hurt!" Dahlia sobbed, throwing her arms around her guardian. The headmaster held the quaking girl close to him for a moment before pulling away from her.
"What has happened, Dahlia?" Her guardian's voice was grave, his shocking blue eyes searching her face for answers. He gripped her arms tightly enough to ground her, but not hurt her.
"I-I had a dream," Dahlia stammered, fumbling for the words she needed, choking back her sobs. "Th-there was a man. In the Ministry, but not a corridor I had ever seen. H-he looked like Fred."
"This happened in a dream?" Dumbledore seemed confused, looking at her steady, searching her face for the truth. "Your nightmares -"
"Albus! This wasn't a normal dream!" Dahlia pushed away from him, desperation clawing back into her voice as she demanded he listen to her. "There was a man. He looked like Fred and George. He was walking down a corridor and a snake attacked him!"
Dumbledore looked at the girl oddly, almost fearfully. When he didn't speak, Dahlia's voice rose to screech level, amber eyes wild.
"He's hurt, Albus! He might be dead!" Sobs were wracking Dahlia's voice as she pleaded with her guardian, hands gripping the front of his night robes. "You have to find him. We have to help him. There was so much blood, Albus."
"Albus!" Minerva McGonagall's voice rang out from behind them, urgent and panicked. Dahlia and Albus turned to find the Transfiguration teacher also in her night clothes, escorting an extremely pale and shaky Harry towards them.
"Harry!" Dahlia cried out, reaching a hand out towards her friend, glancing up at her Head of House, "What happened?"
"Professor, Mr. Weasleys been hurt." Harry's voice was urgent, his face stained with tears. He fastened on Dumbledore, words tumbling from his mouth. "Please, professor, I saw it happen. Nagini - Voldemort's snake - it attacked him. I think he was inside the Ministry." Harry's words were broken with sobs, but his voice was heavy. Dahlia froze at his words, eyes widening in horror - he'd had the same dream?
"Yes, Mr. Potter, my ward has already made me aware of the situation." Albus straightened, locking eyes with McGonagall, who shared his panicked demeanor. "It would be best if you followed me to my office."
The four turned and entered the stairway to the headmaster's office. Albus was several steps ahead of everyone else, and when McGonagall entered his study with her student's in towe, Dumbledore was already issuing orders to one of his portraits. "Deliver this message: Arthur Weasley has been injured, and needs immediate attention. Send a replacement for him. Make sure he is found by the right people."
"Wait -Dahlia ?" Harry turned to look at her with wide eyes, seeming to have just processed Albus's words from a minute ago. "Y-you saw it too?"
"Minerva, please call Mr. Filch. Have him wake Mr., Mr., Mr., and Ms. Weasley. Have him bring them straight here, do not tell them what has happened yet." The headmaster turned to address McGonagall, who left with a sharp nod of her head. He watched her leave, the door fastening behind her before the headmaster addressed the two students in front of him.
"I have sent a Patronus to alert Molly Weasley of Arthur's condition, although I'm certain she's already aware. That wonderful clock of hers," Dumbledore managed a small, fond smile for the unique clock that sat on Molly Weasley's mantle. "I sent immediate help to him, and he should be arriving at Saint Mungo's in a few moments."
Dahlia and Harry both sagged in relief at his words, Harry dropping into a chair. Dahlia gripped the back of the chair Harry had collapsed in so tight her fingers turned white, head spinning so much she felt physically dizzy.
"So he's alive?" Harry's voice was weak.
"Yes, Harry, he is alive." Albus looked between Harry and Dahlia. "I need to hear what happened. From both of you."
Harry looked up so he could catch Dahlia's gaze. "I want to know what you saw."
Dahlia averted her eyes, wincing at the memory. "I-I was in a corridor. A dark one, with strange designs on the walls. I just saw the man. He had red hair. He looked so much like Fred and George and then s-suddenly something attacked him. I-I couldn't see what it was for a second, but th-then I saw the snake." Dahlia shuddered, collapsing into quiet sobs, shoulders quivering. "I-I came straight to Albus. I have nightmares, I've had them for months, but this one felt so real!"
Harry stood, coming around the chair to wrap his arms around Dahlia. He pulled Dahlia to his chest before looking at the headmaster, almost angrily. Dumbledore was decidedly looking at his ward, not Harry, but Potter spoke anyways.
"I-I was the snake," Harry admitted gruffly, released Dahlia. She jerked away from him, eyes wide in horror.
"What?"
"In my dream," Harry said numbly, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.. "In my dream I saw it through the snake's eyes. I was the snake attacking Mr. Weasly."
"Mr. Weasley..." Dahlia's face took on a look of horror, defaulting to her guardian. "This isn't just some twisted joke? This is real? That really was Fred and George's dad?"
Harry nodded, voice thick as he responded bitterly. "Yes."
"How is this possible?" Dahlia whispered, turning from her guardian to Harry, looking at both with quiet desperation for answers. "How did we see this happen?
Dumbledore observed their conversation in silence, mulling over her question before finally speaking. "I will not lie to you and say that I have all the answers now. I do not. Right now, we need to dwell on the fact that it is a miracle you did, because if you had not Mr. Weasley would certainly be dead now."
Before Harry or Dahlia could speak again, the door to the study bust open and Minerva McGonagall returned with the Weasley clan in towe. All four of them were still in their mismatched pajamas, hair mussed from sleep.
"What happened?" Ron was still wiping sleep from his eyes, yawning as he surveyed the room.
"Why're we here?" Fred seemed to be the most awake, and on guard, taking in Dahlia's pale and shaky complexion with an apprehensive look. She jerked her eyes away from him, staring determinedly at the ground, ignoring the looks she felt thrown at her.
"Why's Harry here?" Ginny seemed to notice Harry's presence in the room first.
"There's been a grave accident," Dumbledore said seriously, standing to walk around to the front of his desk. "Mr. Potter and Miss Dumbledore were witnesses."
"Accident?" Ron seemed awake now, looking between Dahlia and Harry for answers. Neither would meet his eyes, leaving the boy to glare at the headmaster.
"What happened?" Ginny and Fred demanded, a stricken look passing over their faces.
"Your father has been in a terrible accident," Dumbledore began, but Harry interjected, stomping his foot in a moment of passion.
"No, he hasn't been in an accident. He's been attacked!"
"Attacked?!" All four Weasley's were on guard instantly, wands drawn. They broke out into a million questions, simultaneously, each voice louder than the next.
"Attacked by who?!"
"Is he okay?"
"Where is he?"
"How did they know about it?" Ron was pointing at Harry and Dahlia. His question seemed to silence all the other questions in the room as everyone turned their attention to Dahlia and Harry who had been silently standing to the side.
"You said they were witnesses?" Ginny demanded tearfully, looking to Dumbledore for confirmation.
"I saw it happen," Dahlia spoke hesitantly, feeling like she was on trial. "It was like a dream -"
"Bloody hell, you're telling me you dragged us out of bed at this ghastly hour over a dream our father was injured?" Ron was incredulous, relief washing over his face.
"It wasn't a dream, Ron." Harry's steely voice was quiet but strong. He stepped forward, backing Dahlia's truth with his own. "I saw it too."
Fred and George looked at Harry and Dahlia in shock, eyes sliding back and forth between them. Dahlia's heart broken at the despair written on their unusually pale face. "You both saw it happen?" Fred's voice was hoarse.
Dumbledore sighed, conjuring up chairs. "Why don't we have a seat, and we can start from the beginning? Tea, anyone?" with a wave of his wand, six tea cups and a pot of steaming tea appeared on the desk before him.
"I'll take a seat when you tell me what the hell is going on with my dad!" Ron's face was turning redder by the second, temper flaring.
"If you would take a seat, Mr. Weasley, I'm awaiting news of your father right now, and in the meantime, I'm sure you would like the whole story." Dumbledore's voice was cold, as if he was accustomed to dealing with angry teenagers.
Once everyone had begrudgingly taken their seats, Dumbledore gestured for Dahlia to start with her story. All eyes instantly locked on her, and Dahlia squirmed uncomfortably as she took a deep breath, masking the horrid details as she spoke.
"It was a dream, or it felt like one. I was in a dark hallway, and there was a man walking away from me. I followed him, and then suddenly he was attacked by something. I couldn't see it at first, but then I saw the snake." Dahlia's voice got thicker as she progressed, until tears were pooling in her eyes. She turned to lock eyes with Fred as a sob escaped her chest. "The man... he looked so much like you, Fred. I tried to help, I swear I tried to help, but I couldn't get the snake to stop." Tears were freely falling down her face, and she briskly wiped them away as she tried to choke out the rest of her story. "I-I woke up, and I knew. I knew it wasn't a dream so I started screaming for Albus. I ran all the way here and then -"
"How'd you know it wasn't a dream?" Fred seemed to be clinging to her every word, his normally mischievous demeanor somber as his brown eyes latched onto her's.
Dahlia hesitated, glancing cautiously up at her guardian before standing, hiking her sweatpants hem up to her knee, exposing her ankles. "Because of this." Dahlia lifted her sweat pants leg up slightly, just enough to show the speckles of blood that were splattered on her skin.
At the blood, Fred cried out, his hands covering his pale face. His hands were shaking as he shook his head in denial. "No!"
Dumbledore looked at Dahlia in shock, sweeping around the side of the desk to kneel in front of her. He inspected the blood on her legs closely, using his wand to siphon it off of her skin and nito a vial.
"You're positive this isn't your blood?" Dumbledore's voice was harsher than normal as he inspected Dahlia for injury.
"Yes." Dahlia lifted her pants leg more to reveal not a scratch on herself. "I have no cuts. I was running to him when the snake attacked. I felt the blood hit me."
Harry was looking at her in horror. Dahlia avoided his gaze, shame filling her features. "I-I'm so sorry," Dahlia choked back a sob as she approached the twins, praying they wouldn't hate her. "I tried to help him, but it was like the snake knew I was there. I couldn't -" Dahlia's voice broke as her voice shook with sobs. "Th-there was so much blood. And then I woke up so I came straight to Dumbledore."
George's shoulder's were shaking with silent sobs, but Fred sat stoic, his face unreadable. Ginny's face was streaked with tears, although she hadn't made a sound, eyes glued to Dahlia.
"I was the snake," Harry whispered again, not meeting any of Weasley's eyes. The four of them snapped their attention to him at his words, eyes bugging.
"Wh-what?" It took a moment for the words to be processed.
"In my dream, I was the snake." Harry's voice broke as he tried to contain his emotions, glancing up to finally meet Ron's eyes. "I-I saw it through the snake's eyes."
"Did you see Dahlia?" This was the first time Albus had spoken directly to Harry. Harry glanced to him out of habit, Albus jerking his gaze away the moment Harry made eye contact with.
"N-no," Harry shook his head, hating the feeling that even the headmaster couldn't look at him right now. Harry glanced apologetically at the Weasley's, "I'm so sorry," he choked out at Ron specifically. "I would never hurt your dad, ever. I -"
"Mate, no one think you're the one who attacked dad." Ron cut him off with a sharp tone, looking at Harry as though he'd gone mental. "You weren't even there; you were in your bed."
"Dahlia was in her bed, yet she somehow got blood on her!" Harry's unusual furious outburst stunned everyone for a moment. Dahlia blushed, embarrassed by his call-out as she had no idea how it had happened. For a moment no one spoke, and then Ginny cleared her throat.
"Don't be stupid, Harry," Ginny's voice was strained, but honest. "You'd never hurt dad; all of us know it. If you hadn't been there; seen - I mean dreamed - or whatever it is you did, dad would be dead."
The twins nodded solemnly in agreement. "We don't blame you, Harry."
"Send this off to St. Mungos," Dumbledore broke the tension as he handed the vial of blood he had siphoned off of Dahlia's leg to his phoenix. "Ensure that they test it to see who's blood it belongs to. If it comes back as Arthur Weasley, I need the full report."
Fox disappeared in a bright light.
"So what happens now?" Ginny asked weakly, looking around at her brothers who were trying to hold it together. Ron was awkwardly patting her shoulder, but Ginny felt it was more for his comfort than hers. Fred and George were gripping the backs of chairs tightly, trying to appear unworried.
"As soon as I receive word about your father's condition, I will arrange transport for all the Weasley's to a safe location. Your mother will meet you there, and you will await further notice on your father."
"What about Harry?"
"And Dahlia?" The twins spoke almost simultaneously.
Albus hesitated, "I hadn't realized you would want them to accompany -"
"Want them to?" Ginny's face flushed red at Albus's thoughtlessness. "Harry's practically family! He spends every summer with us. He has to come."
"Dahlia too," Fred spoke out. His gaze locked onto Dahlia's and for a moment Dahlia saw the torment of despair behind his eyes. "They saved dad."
To Dahlia's surprise, his statement got a nod from all the Weasley siblings.
"If... if they hadn't had the dream, would our dad be dead?" Ron's voice sounded almost inhuman, haunting and weak like a ghosts.
"Yes," Dumbledore said after a moment's silence.
"They come." Ron's voice was final, clipped and not open for arguments. "You're family, Harry," Ron said firmly, looking at Dumbledore as though daring him to deny it.
"You're family now too, Dahlia," Fred said with a weak smile, glancing her direction.
Before Harry or Dahlia could express their gratitude, a silvery patronus in the form of a Rabbit appeared.
Arthur at St. Mungos in critical condition. Gone to be with him. Tell kids I will update when I can. Bill and Charlie already alerted and are apparating to Mungos.
"He's still alive," Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Dahlia staggered backwards, suddenly dizzy. He was alive. Mr. Weasley was alive. A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist just as Dahlia's knees gave out, the world edging with darkness.
"Breathe, Dahlia," Fred's voice whispered in her ear as he shuffled them over to a chair, fully supporting her weight. He sat, pulling Dahlia down into the chair with him. Dahlia clung to him for a moment, her eyes squeezed shut, arms sliding around his neck. Images of another boy's body, feelings of another person's blood on her clawed their way to the front of her mind, bile rising in her throat, panic swelling in her soul. Dahlia stifled a whimper, burrowing deeper into Fred's chest, focusing on her guardian's voice.
"Since that's settled, I will arrange a port key for all of you. If there is anything you would like to go pack up, I don't imagine you will be returning here before the end of the term."
"What about exams?" Dahlia blushed at the question she'd blurted out as everyone else turned incredulously at her.
"You're thinking about exams right now?" Harry sounded flabbergasted.
Dumbledore managed a small smile. "Reminds me of Miss Granger, as I'm sure that would have been her first question as well. The seven of you will be permitted to take your exams from home, with a parent or guardian proctoring it for you."
"Seven of us?" Ginny spoke, turning slowly around the room as she counted heads. "There's only six of us, professor."
"I'm sure Miss Granger will not take kindly to all six of you abandoning her four days before the end of term. Best you head back to your dormitories now so as to pack. I will send the portkey down to you momentarily."
"R-right. Thank you, professor," Ron mumbled as he shuffled to follow the twins out of the door to the study. Fred wrapped an arm around Dahlia's waist as they descended the stairs, Ginny slowing to walk with Harry. Ron and George left the room in silence, minds caught up in their own thoughts. Everyone paused when Dumbledore's voice echoed after them.
"Please, let's keep the details of this to ourselves for now - too much is unknown."