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Dahlia nodded solemnly before leaving. She couldn't believe what she had heard…and that ultimatum. She couldn't leave could she? Harry and the others had a good hand on everything, she could go and be a bigger help to the Order. She needed to talk to her uncle and possibly Remus or Sirius. She stopped at the entrance to the classroom and leaned up against the doorway. How was she supposed decide this?
The lilac haired witch looked up and saw Snape slinking his way to the classroom carrying something. "Whatcha got there Severus?"
"Veritaserum," he said gravely, "Professor Umbridge has requested my supply."
Dumbledore's niece was shocked, "Despicable," she muttered and shook her head.
"Agreed Miss Dumbledore," he told her, "however, there is nothing I can do as Professor Umbridge is now the High Inquisitor, only the Headmaster can prevent this."
"Understood," Dahlia nodded taking off for her uncle's office.
Her thoughts raced as she rushed to Dumbledore's office. Veritaserum…the toad, Dahlia shook her head as she said the password. The implications alone for using that on students was against the rules of what Professors can do as far as getting information; no sane person would consider this!
She opened the door, "Uncle," her voice was louder than she expected.
"Dahlia," Albus greeted her a bit surprised.
She headed straight for the rose colored couch before collapsing onto it, "Do you have any idea what she's doing now?"
Albus gave a slight chuckle at her dramatic entrance before pulling one of the chairs in front of his desk toward her. "Tell me."
She turned her head to him, "The High Inquisitor is going to be interrogating students using Veritaserum!"
Albus sat back thoughtfully, "I knew about the student questioning but not the Veritaserum that is disquieting."
"Disquieting, no Uncle that's beyond despicable, what's disquieting is that she's still here and we're bending to her every cruel whim. And she wants me to participate in this because and I quote 'I have their ear and they trust me'!"
"I see," Albus told her softly.
"Albus," Dahlia sat up, "She gave me an ultimatum: either I help her do something so unscrupulous or I pack and leave."
Dumbledore nodded getting up and pacing, "How long did she give you?"
"Until end of day," she informed him.
He nodded again, "I will not tell you one way or another on what you should do. I will leave that decision up to you," he stopped pacing, "and I will not fault you for either." He resumed his pacing, "I think you should go and talk to Sirius."
Dahlia sighed, "I'm being watched otherwise I would agree with you."
"You aren't being watched in here my dear niece."
She smiled, "Thank you Uncle," she hugged him.
Dahlia grabbed a handful of Floo powder said her destination and left Dumbledore's office. She walked through the fireplace at 12 Grimmauld Place. The house was quiet as she dusted off the soot from her clothes.
"Harpy blood traitor," Kreacher croaked out at the lilac haired witch.
She glared at him, "Not the creature I was looking for," she gave a huff and a fake smile walking toward the kitchen.
When Dahlia got to the kitchen she was met with wonderful smells of a Molly Weasley meal. Dumbledore's niece smiled as she saw the Weasley matriarch busy at the stove. Molly turned around to see the lilac haired witch giving her one of kind smile.
"Dahlia," she said putting the dish she was holding on the table to embrace the young witch. "What are you doing here?"
"Moral dilemma at school, needed to see Remus," she said into Molly's hair.
Mrs. Weasley pushed out the girl to look at her, "You look so thin! Are you eating," she ushered Dahlia to a chair and pushed her gently into the seat, "You can eat while you wait."
"Thanks Molly," she smiled.
"Being force fed are we Dahlia?"
Dumbledore's niece turned, "Remus," she grinned getting up to hug the tall wizard. "I've missed you."
"Missed you too my dear assistant," he held the girl tight to him.
"Join me in feasting?"
"Of course," Remus said sitting down next to Dahlia. He looked at the teaching assistant, "What happened?"
Dahlia sighed, "The High Inquisitor has finished her queries of the teachers and is now going after the students."
"That's awful, does Dumbedore know?"
She nodded taking a plate from Molly and giving it directly to Remus, "He does I just came from there." She paused taking another plate form Molly, "There's more too, she wants me to help in these interrogations of the students as she put it, 'They trust me'." Dahlia shoveled in a forkful of potatoes. The scowl dropping at the delicious food melted in her mouth.
"I can see why you needed counsel," Lupin stated taking a bite of food too.
"Not the worst of it," she said between mouthfuls, "she's using Veritaserum to do it."
"That's unethical," Lupin said putting his fork down, "did you tell Albus?"
She nodded poking at her food, "I did," she said quietly, "I don't think he's going to do anything about it," she told them both as Molly took a seat across from Dahlia. "And she gave me an ultimatum, either I assist her in this hideous task or I am to leave Hogwarts."
"Oh, Dahlia," Molly said grabbing her hand.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said putting her fork down.
"Well," Remus said turning to her, "let's weigh your options."
"If I stay I have to be an accessory to cruel and unusual treatment of my students and can't help them in any way possible, I am completely impotent. If I leave," she paused shaking her head, "I make them vulnerable to everything that gargoyle has planned, again completely impotent." Dahlia sat back pulling her right hand to her mouth thoughtfully chewing her thumb nail.
"I'm sure we can find a solution," Lupin told her with a comforting hand on her knee.
"Either way," Dahlia said sadly, "I feel trapped."
"Do you have a time frame," Molly asked.
"End of day," Dumbledore's niece replied.
"Then we'll have to work quickly," Remus told her.
The trio sat in silence for a moment weighing the options. There really was no good answer to this problem. The Veritaserum was a problem, what would happen if Dahlia unknowingly ingested some, that would be disastrous. If she left the school, the students would be vulnerable to the machinations of Umbridge and the Ministry. And then only giving her a few hours to decide, it was intentionally cruel.
The soft padding of footsteps interrupted the three of them. Dahlia turned to see Sirius a look of deep concern stretched across his face seeing Dumbledore's niece away from school. He took a seat next to the witch putting a comforting arm around her.
"What happened little love?"
Dahlia looked at him unable to keep her emotions in check any longer seeing his face, "She gave me a choice to stay and interrogate students or leave Hogwarts," tears streamed down her face as she told him.
Sirius' expression changed from concerned to shock, "Dahlia," he got her name out but his words failed.
"I know, I have until tonight," she said into his shoulder.
The ex-convict gently rubbed her back trying to think of something positive to say to her, "Does Albus know?" She nodded as he continued, "What did he say?"
Dahlia sat up looking into his intense eyes, "He told me to come here and get counsel."
Black nodded, "I see," he said solemnly taking his gaze away from Dahlia momentarily to look at Molly before his eyes landed on Remus, "have we reached a consensus?"
"Not so far," Lupin told him.
"Either way it's awful."
Sirius nodded, contemplating for a long moment. He turned his gaze to Lupin, they were of the same mind, Dahlia should leave it would be better in the long run, but to convince her to leave would be difficult. Her loyalty to the students and the institution were strong, it would be a fight to get her to see that this would be the best decision. The friends nodded turning their eyes back to Dahlia who looked positively pale and sick with worry. Another problem the clever Ravenclaw couldn't solve.
"Dahlia," Sirius started softly, his hands firmly on hers looking into her pale eyes.
She nodded, "I need to leave," she uttered quietly.
Black nodded, "I promise they'll be fine."
Dahlia sighed, "I have to resign myself to believe you. I'm not too worried about Harry and those in the DA," she said, "it's more the younger kids being left with that monster." She kissed Sirius lightly, "I need to tell my uncle and Umbridge," she sighed again, "and then the others."
"We'll be here when you return Dahlia," Remus said standing and wrapping his arms around her.
"Thanks Remus," she told him her voice quivering.
Lupin handed the softly crying witch to Sirius. The convict held her lovingly to him, his hands running the length of her back. She was doing the right thing; she would see it in time.
"It'll be all right little love," he told her softly.
"Thanks Sirius," she said sadly before kissing his cheek. Dahlia let him go turning to head to the fireplace.
"We'll be here when you get back," Remus repeated to reassure her that this was the best decision.
The lilac haired witch nodded sadly before kissing Sirius again. She grabbed some Floo powder heading back to Dumbledore's office.