The Unknown

Chapter 25: Lose Control

The Christmas holidays were coming to an end and while some of them were happy to be going back to Hogwarts, they all shared a common dislike; Umbridge. No one, especially Dahlia, wanted to be under her tyranny any longer and just wished she'd leave but it was clear that she wanted control over the castle and wanted the headmaster out. Dahlia may not trust Professor Dumbledore but he was still the best chance for the students in the case of an attack. Sirius was taking the coming end of the holidays badly. His cheerfulness of having a full house evaporated and he was now grumpy and had 'fits of sulking' as Mrs. Weasley said.

It was the last day of the holidays, Dahlia, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Crookshanks were in the girls' room. Ron and Ginny were playing Wizarding Chess while Hermione was reading a book on transfiguration with Crookshanks sat on her lap. Dahlia was also reading but it was one of her books from her personal library in her box and she used an illusion so it looked like a Defence book.

Ron was egging on his castle as it destroyed Ginny's pawn when the door opened and Mrs. Weasley popped her head in and said, "Dahlia, dear, could you come down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would life a word with you".

"Snape," Ron said, "what does he want with you?"

Dahlia shrugged as she stood and put her book on her bed. She began to think about what she could have done, at school or at Grimmauld Place, but there was nothing. She then began to think about her homework but she worked hard on it and knew even under Professor Snape's marking, with the fact that she was a Gryffindor and how he believed she was James Potter's daughter, she would have at least got an acceptable.

A few minutes later, Dahlia was downstairs and pushed the door to the kitchen open to find both Sirius and Professor Snape stood in silence, glaring at one another. The man who was legally her godfather and the man who should have been. The mutual dislike was clear as clean cut glass. Dahlia coughed, announcing her presence.

Snape looked at her and said, "sit down, Potter".

Before Dahlia could sit, Sirius said, "I don't think you should be giving the orders, it is my house, you see".

"Sirius," Dahlia said as she sat down, "please, don't". Sirius, for once, listened and sat patiently but his fists were clearly clenched, as if he was ready for a fight, and not the wizarding kind.

"The headmaster had sent me to tell you, Potter, that he wishes you to study Occlumency this term," Professor Snape said.

Dahlia didn't need to ask what it was, she already knew. It was basically the Midgardian magical version of what her sister was already teaching her about blocking her mind. It was useful and required less magic than the other blocking method but it wasn't as strong as her sister's teaching. She was, after all, not just trying to block her mind from Midgardian mortals.

"You will be receiving private lessons once a week but you will not tell anyone, least of all Dolores Umbridge. I will be teaching you, do you understand?"

"Why can't Dumbledore teach her?" Sirius asked aggressively, "why you?"

"I suppose it is the headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," Snape said silkily, "I assure you, I did not beg for the job". Snape stood from his chair and added, "six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter".

He turned to leave but Sirius stood and said, "wait...how do I know you're not going to use these lessons in order to get to Dahlia?"

Snape sneered, "surely you have noticed that Potter is just like her father?"

"I have," Sirius said proudly.

Dahlia closed her eyes and put her head down, not wanting to hear more about how she was like James, how she even looked like him. Her eyes snapped open, however, a moment later when the sound of a chair slamming to the ground occurred and she looked to find Sirius leaping across the room, towards Snape. Both wands were drawn as they squared each other up, Dahlia jumped out of her seat and shouted, "STOP IT".