Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers.

Authors note: thank you to those of you that reviewed and welcome to the new followers and favourites. Enjoy!

Chapter 26: Thestrals

Dahlia was in the hospital wing with the rest of the year, everyone was sat on different beds while Madam Pomfrey walked around the room, making sure none of the students were injured enough to need stitching. Even those who looked unharmed she checked over and fortunately, the majority of the people only had cuts, none that really needed stitching. There was the odd person here and there that had to have glass removed from their skin as it seemed to get lodged underneath it or was too painful for some of the students to remove.

She sat on a bed closest to the door, Hermione beside her while across from them sat Ron on another bed. Hermione and Ron were talking about what happened, Ron saying it was bloody lucky that no one got really hurt while Hermione began to sprout off ideas of what could have happened. Dahlia, on the other hand, just stared at her left hand, brushing it with her other along the cuts, and she knew she had cuts on her face too. She prayed to the Norns that they wouldn't be permanent, she didn't need any more scars on her face.

Thankfully, they didn't have to remain in the hospital wing long. Professor Dumbledore came and inspected the students, asking what happened in their own account, but he never asked Dahlia. He avoided her and didn't even look her way when Ron and Hermione spoke but there was a moment, a moment when Madam Pomfrey said they could all leave that Dumbledore glanced quickly in her direction and when they clapped eyes, he looked down but his head stayed in her direction and she got the sense that he knew she did it. He, however, would suspect it was the Horcrux inside of her, not her own anger acting on her magic and the lies the God of Thunder spoke.

Sports and Self-defence was cancelled for the fifth-year students as they had already gone into that period while being in the hospital wing, and even though it was a double period, Professors Romanoff and Barton knew they wouldn't concentrate and would just gossip all lesson. Being distracted while exercising with machinery could sometimes end in disaster and they didn't want to risk injuries. Hermione took the time to go to the library, study, and begin homework for other lessons while Ron went back to Gryffindor tower with the other boys. Dahlia was offered to go to both places but turned them down, just wanting to go for a walk and think.

Thankfully, the hallways weren't filled with students, only the odd one or two that didn't have lessons. Dahlia made her way to the wooden bridge and when she got to the middle, she leaned against it and looked out to the horizon. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and sighed as she opened them. She picked up her locket from under her shirt and held it tightly as she began to think of everything. Why was she still at Hogwarts? She came back to learn magic, she came back because she feared what Voldemort would do to others to find out where she was. She came back so that Odin wouldn't discover a living girl on Niflheim, discover the truth behind her existence, but now it didn't seem to be worth it. She could practise magic on Niflheim, have teachers there. She would find a way to contact those on Midgard and keep a close eye on Voldemort's followers so she could protect others and stop the war like she was prophesied to, and when it came to Odin, she trusted her sister to protect her. She made a mistake by returning to Hogwarts, she only put herself in danger from the Avengers and Voldemort and his followers. The only positive that came with her return was the fact that she could see her friends but even then, it was covered with doubts. If the truth was revealed, if she told them, who would stand by her side and who would abandon her? With the lies and twisted truths that Thor was teaching about her father and the nine realms, could they, or anyone for that matter, trust in her prophecy and be on the side of the light? Or would they believe she would be only a murderer and torturer like her family?

She laughed to herself, thinking back to when she thought her life was complicated when she first started Hogwarts. If there was somehow a Time-Turner that would take her back all of those years so she could tell her younger eleven-year-old self on the train to Hogwarts just how confusing her life would get by the end of that year, she probably would have laughed and said that it was impossible and that she was crazy. She went from the lonely orphaned girl whose parents died in a car accident to the daughter of a god and a witch, her mother sacrificing herself and the daughter becoming the saviour of the wizarding world. A world she never knew existed and didn't believe in. Now, she was the victim to some prophecy, a target for gods and man alike and she was only fifteen years old. A part of her wished that she had a normal life but then she would be denying her father, sister, and brothers, and that was something she would never do. She was sure now that if she was to face a Boggart after all these years of knowing her family, her time spent with her father and Hela, she was sure that it would turn into them being taken from her forever before she ever truly got to meet them.

As she thought of her family, something caught the corner of her eye, flying over the Forbidden Forest. It didn't take her long to realise that it was a Thestral, she would recognise those bat-like wings anywhere. She tucked her necklace back under her shirt and took off towards the Forest.

Entering the Forbidden Forest, it didn't take her long to find the Thestrals as they were in a small clearing not too far away. The loyal herd that her sister told her about, and from what little Hagrid could tell her in lessons before Professor Umbridge had her input, it started out with one male Thestral named Tenebrus, a personal favourite of Hagrid's, and five female Thestrals. It had expanded from there with Hagrid training them and caring for them. Hagrid was proud knowing that they were the only trained herd in Britain of its size. As she entered the clearing, she saw two Thestrals near a small water hole, one flying high above, a female Thestral tending to a baby one, staying close by as if the small Thestral would fall and Dahlia could tell by its walking that it hadn't been walking long, and the others were just walking around. When the Thestrals noticed her, they all stopped what they were doing and just looked at her, as if she was some mystery to be solved. The largest of the Thestrals, clearly the leader named Tenebrus, walked towards her and when he got within five feet stopped, he tilted his head and then she realised, even though these Thestrals were not born on Niflheim, they were descendants of those that were and they would be able to recognise the connection Dahlia has to Eclipse. They would recognise that Dahlia was linked to a Thestral and that she was not to be harmed.

As she held out her hand, Tenebrus stepped forward and stopped just as her hand touched his nose and she began to stroke him. Dahlia smiled and said, "you can sense it, can't you?"

Tenebrus then shrieked and she laughed as he lifted his head up to do so but it was when her laughter died down and he stopped shrieking did she hear a twig snap. Reaching for her wand, she immediately drew it from her waist and held it out in the direction the noise came from. Nothing good ever happened in the Forbidden Forest; you'd think that after almost being attacked by Voldemort in the first year, almost being eaten by spiders in the second year, having a werewolf chase her and being attacked by Dementors in the third year, she would have learned why it was called 'Forbidden', but clearly not. Thankfully, the blonde-haired head popped out of the bushes and Dahlia instantly relaxed, seeing that it was only Luna Lovegood.

Placing her wand away, Luna came out from behind the bushes and said, "hello, Dahlia".

"Hi, Luna," Dahlia said as Tenebrus turned away from her and walked to Luna. The young girl petted him as if they were familiar with each other. Dahlia asked, "do you see them often?"

Luna looked away from the Thestral as it turned to walk away. As it did, Dahlia walked closer and Luna answered, "sometimes. People avoid them because they're a bit…"

"Unique," Dahlia answered and she wouldn't call them anything else as she knew others would insult them.

Luna smiled at the answer and they began to walk around the clearing then said, "they can only be seen by people who've seen death, I think that's why many people avoid them. They believe they are an omen of death".

Dahlia nodded, already knowing this but her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "you saw someone die, who?"

"My mum".

Dahlia closed her eyes for a brief moment as she looked away from Luna and sighed before she opened them again and said, "I'm sorry". She knew what it was like to lose her mother and although Dahlia loved when people talked to her about her mother, when it was her death that was the topic of the discussion, she wanted the world to open her up and swallow her whole or for her sister's portal to open so she could jump through to another realm itself. She could only assume Luna disliked speaking of her mother's death just as much as she did, and Luna was there to see it. Thankfully, Dahlia was too young to remember her mother's death but thanks to the Dementors she now remembered the screams, and that was enough to make her cry and cringe.

"It's okay. She was quite an extraordinary witch but she did like to experiment and one day, one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine. It was rather horrible and I do feel sad about it sometimes but I've got dad," Luna said calmly.

Spell gone wrong? In her view, and from what she was aware of about the conditions of Valhalla, it seemed as if it was highly likely that Luna's mum would be on Niflheim, watching over her if she had a looking glass, which many did. Dahlia began to think about what kind of woman could be the mother of Luna Lovegood, the girl who was free-spirited, extremely quirky with eccentric beliefs and qualities, and who really didn't give a damn about what people thought of her. Dahlia remembered her father at parent's weekend, she remembered that he was very much the same, and Dahlia wondered if the mother was also like that or was it through Luna's single parent's upbringing in the last six years that made her the person she is.

"I'm sure she's proud of you, watching over you," Dahlia said offering some comfort.

"I like to think so".

"You know what I find that helps?" Dahlia said, "if you have a picture of her, talk to her when you're alone or write in a journal what you want to say to her. She may not answer you back but somewhere out there, I'm sure she's watching you". Dahlia did it, of course, she talked to pictures of her mother but she began to do that before she was even aware that there was a chance that her mother could be watching her. She didn't know if they used looking glasses in Valhalla but she knew her mother would be able to watch her.

Luna smiled brighter as she stopped walking, which made Dahlia stop, and they saw a baby Thestral walking towards them. "I like that idea," Luna said as she went into her shoulder bag and brought out a piece of raw meat. She threw it to the Thestral and the baby began to devour it immediately.

"Where'd you get that from?" Dahlia asked.

"The kitchens. The house elves give them to me when I come here. The baby Thestral can't hunt yet so I bring this so the others don't spend so long hunting," Luna said thoughtfully.

They both stared at the baby Thestral as it walked back to who they assumed was its mother and Dahlia couldn't help but think about one of the first times Luna spoke to her. So, she asked, "Luna, at the beginning of the year, you said you believed me. Why?"

"More people believe you now," Luna pointed out.

Dahlia shrugged and said, "only because the Prophet and the Ministry are now contradicting themselves. There's still those that believe the Prophet is right, that I'm a liar and that I'm crazy but you didn't. why?"

"What reason would you have to lie?" Luna said, "last year, you didn't want to be a part of the Tournament, anyone could see. You have money and fame, so there was nothing to gain. Dad and I believe you. You mustn't give up hope, people will come to the truth on their own but I suppose you're feeling what he wants you to feel".

Dahlia froze for a second, thinking of the Horcrux within her and if somehow Luna knew, which would explain about her feeling what he wanted her to feel. She frowned as if she was confused and asked, "what do you mean?"

"Well if I was You-Know-Who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else, 'cause if it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat".

It took a moment, but Dahlia smirked because a person so carefree and spirited as Luna Lovegood could think like someone with evil intentions. Lucky that Luna was on her side. The two students stayed out in the clearing for another hour before it began to rain so they retreated to the castle where dinner was soon being served.

After all classes ended and before dinner would be served, the Avengers all gathered in the common room they shared to discuss the day's events. As they all gathered and sat down at a table, a total of seventeen pictures were laid out as the Avengers discussed each girl. Four girls in Ravenclaw, four girls in Slytherin, four girls in Hufflepuff and finally, five girls in Gryffindor. All fifth-year girls and every girl were present in the class when the windows shattered. Separating the girls into houses, it was Tony that spoke first, "you've got to give it to her, took her almost five months to do anything. Shattering windows seems a bit excessive".

"Fury wants results," Steve said, "we knew the subject would get to her, especially with what some of the students were saying about her sister".

"Still," Clint said, "the kids could have been hurt".

"But at least we got it down to a year. Now we just have to go through the list of girls in fifth year and find out if any of them match who we're looking for," Natasha said.

Bruce picked up the group of pictures from the Ravenclaw pile and said, "let's get this over with. First up, Lisa Turpin". Immediately everyone around the room shook their heads and gave their opinions

"Smart girl but not evil".

"Too much of a Ravenclaw".

"Too close to her parents at the parent's weekend for them not to be hers".

"Shows no hatred to Thor".

Bruce put the picture down on the far-left side of the table, beginning to make that the pile of girls they didn't think would be the one. The next was, "Padama Patil".

All shaking heads once again, Natasha said, "she has a twin sister and we're only looking for one kid".

Quickly putting that on the 'no' pile, the next was Sue Li and she immediately joined the same pile, just like the last Ravenclaw girl, Mandy Brocklehurst did. Clint gathered up the Hufflepuff pile and all of them but one, went onto the 'no' pile. They did question when it came to Susan Bones. Her prominent family with strong connection to the Ministry and not particularly poor drew their attention. Also the matter of her aunt being a powerful witch, having a seat on the Wizengamont and being the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, could mean that if Susan did commit any crime or acted strangely, it could quickly be covered up and if anyone tried to take Susan, they would have some of the best wizards in Britain to face who were trained to deal with dark wizards. Now, none of the Avengers thought particularly bad of Susan, she was a nice, loyal girl but they simply couldn't ignore the connections she has at her disposal.

Tony was quick in gathering up the Gryffindor pile and held up the first girl, Lavender Brown. Before anyone could shake their heads, Natasha sniggered and commented, "too much in love with Thor to be Loki's".

Everyone in the room laughed, except Thor who just crossed his arms, not liking the way some of the teenage girls looked at him at Hogwarts. Lavender's picture quickly went onto the no pile, as did Parvati Patil's for the same reason as her sister. Fay Dunbar and Louise Rowtree joined them as well after Steve mentioned how enthusiastic Fay seemed to be to find out if Hela was half dead and the comments that were made after the truth of Hela's looks were revealed. When it came to Hermione, they again hesitated but this time for different reasons.

Clint said, "doesn't come from wealth but isn't poor".

Bruce said, "she is named the smartest witch of her age. Some people speculate she's getting extra lessons to get ahead but the professors deny it, saying that its of her own will to learn but even they're impressed with how quickly she learns magic and has adapted to the world".

"Some also say," Natasha added, "that she has had access to the restricted section of the library many times that are filled with dark books, that two years ago she took so many classes that she had to be in three places at once and I checked, she did attend those classes. Also, in her second year it was theorised that she made a Polyjuice potion, a potion that even adult witches and wizards struggle to make and stole the ingredients from Professor Snape".

Thor said, "she did know about the children living on Asgard, of their banishment, where they are, and of Ragnarok".

"What about when she was petrified?" Tony asked, "other Muggle-borns were petrified but if Hermione is more than just human, would it still affect her?"

They all looked to Thor who seemed to be thinking for a moment but eventually said, "I am unsure what the effects of a Basilisk would have on a child of two worlds, if it had any at all".

"Okay," Tony said, "let's just put her on the maybe pile for now…Dahlia Potter".

The topic of Dahlia Potter was always one thought with concern when it came to the small group of heroes. In many ways, they could relate to her. Bruce and Clint to the abuse she was going through and losing both parents at a young age, Natasha could relate to the abuse she was going through, to being a child and becoming a weapon and never knowing her parents, Tony to the constant disappointment and loneliness that held both their childhoods. Steve to the bullying that they both had to endure as children, and Thor to a being born with the responsibility to protect a world or realm and the pressure that brought.

"The saviour," Tony said, "I'll admit she looks like him-" Bruce interrupted.

"Don't all the professors say she looks like her father but has her mother's eyes?".

"Yep," Tony said popping the 'p', and continued what he was saying, "but I don't think it's her. Come on, saviour of the wizarding world, daughter of `you are all beneath me, I am a god'? Yeah right".

"She goes against the profile," Natasha said.

"Loki would never leave his daughter in such a home," Thor said and although Loki was a homicidal bastard to the others, they had to agree with Thor. So just like the others, they put Dahlia's picture on the no pile, believing that the god of mischief could never have such a daughter of the light. How foolish they were.

When Natasha picked up the Slytherin pile, Tony joked, "why don't we just put them all on the maybe pile?"

Natasha looked through the four pictures and held up the picture of Millicent Bullstrode, a large girl that could quite easily be bigger than some of the boys in her own year, many would describe her as ugly. "you think she could be Loki's daughter?" the redhead assassin asked. All around the room they shook their heads and began to discuss the Slytherin girls.

The final list ended with Susan bones, due to her connections and the safety and power they bring. Hermione Granger, for her great mind and magic that made even them and the professors curious how she can do so much. Daphne Greengrass, for being a member of one of the oldest and purest blood families in Britain's Sacred Twenty-eight which gave her power, protection, and wealth, and the wizarding laws were very much in favour of purebloods, for her Slytherin cunningness and the fact that she looked very little like her brunette sister two years younger than her. Pansy Parkinsonism, for the same reasons as Daphne, being a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight but also for the fact that she tried to get closer to all those that obviously had more power and influence than she did, and the bullying that many accused her of. Lastly, Tracy Davis being friends with both Daphne and Pansy, she got up to just as much trouble as they did and even though she wasn't a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, she was from a wealthy family who had influence.

They had their list of five girls and all they needed now was proof. They knew that without it, they wouldn't be able to remove any child from Hogwarts without evidence of who she truly was, even with Dumbledore knowing about their mission, they wouldn't want to take the wrong girl.

Two weeks had passed and Dahlia couldn't sleep, dreams of Voldemort clouded her mind when she closed her eyes, his constant feeling of happiness since the breakout sickened her. She sat on the windowsill, watching out of the window to the midnight sky when she saw a familiar sight. Not believing it from a distance, she grabbed her wand and dagger, put them at the waist of her pyjama pants, and put on her dressing gown, slippers and her invisibility cloak. Sneaking through the castle and across the grounds, she made her way towards the Forbidden Forest when the winged beast flew down as she removed her cloak.

She couldn't help but smile and run towards it as she almost squealed, "Eclipse!".

Eclipse stretched her wings and flapped them for a moment in joy at seeing her rider and mistress as it had been almost six months since she had been seen or ridden by Dahlia. Dahlia wrapped her arms around Eclipse's neck as the Thestral leaned down and retracted her wings.

"What are you doing?" Dahlia said then pulled back, "did my sister send you?"

Eclipse let out a small shriek and nodded her long-necked head.

"I saw you from my house's tower, you flew here through the passageway between Midgard and Niflheim, didn't you?" Eclipse nodded. Dahlia stroked her head and said, "you must be tired. There's a group of Thestrals in the forest, they're well trained you can stay with them while you're here. You probably want to rest-"

Dahlia was cut off as Eclipse nudged Dahlia's hand away before bowing and outstretching her wing, indicating what she wanted. Dahlia laughed, and walked up her wing and sat down, "okay, just one ride. We don't want to get caught and you need to rest".

Eclipse shrieked as she went onto her back two legs then took a running start before flying off into the sky. Over the forest and castle, over the hills and the Great Lake. Many people thought flying was the same but when it came to a Thestral and her rider, the experience for Dahlia was hard to describe. Because they were linked by their souls now, the loyalty and trust between them, Dahlia knew that she could stand on Eclipse's back while Eclipse flew and not fall. Eclipse wouldn't let her get hurt.

They flew for longer than Dahlia thought and when they landed, Eclipse went and joined the other Thestrals in the forest, being accepted into the herd immediately as the others were smart enough to recognise she was a natural born Thestral. Dahlia smiled all the way back into the castle under her cloak.

On the morning of the 14th February, all third years and above went to Hogsmead, many couples obviously going together and kissing along the way as it was Valentine's Day. Of course, Dahlia just went with a Hermione as both girls were single and Dahlia didn't even want to think about boys as she knew her father would freak out. It was only when Hermione practically dragged her to the Three Broomsticks, did she realise that Hermione had arranged, or blackmailed in secret, for Rita Skeeter to be there. Dahlia gave her side of the story to Voldemort's return, even mentioned names of Death Eaters. It didn't take long for the article to be published in The Quibbler, and with the Quibbler came mail for Dahlia; people saying she was crazy, some saying that they now agreed with her, Dahlia's story was making more sense than what the Prophet was publishing. Professor Umbridge had discovered what she had done and Educational Decree Twenty-Seven was put in place, banning the magazine from the school. This only made other students more tempted to read it and hide the pages of the interview from Professor Umbridge.

Professor Umbridge then finally fired the first professor. Everyone was in the courtyard, watching as Professor Trelawney was crying, her trunks surrounding her. Professor McGonagall forgot about her dislike for the younger professor and tried to calm her. As did Steve and Thor while Tony, Natasha, and Clint stood to the side and Dahlia heard them muttering about "putting an arrow through the toad's socket" or "putting a bullet in her", or Dahlia's favourite from Tony "releasing their kids on her". Professor Trelawney may have been eccentric and just always over the top but there were students in the school that loved her as a teacher. Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore arrived and stated that Professor Trelawney could stay at Hogwarts and that he already had another teacher, which only seemed to infuriate Professor Umbridge.

Authors note: A little spoiler for all of you patient readers out there, you will be getting the reveal chapter this week (if nothing comes up or goes wrong). I hope it lives up to your expectations. Review and tell me how you think people are going to react, Hermione, Neville, the Weasley's, Avengers and all of Hogwarts, when the truth behind the chosen one is revealed.