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

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

Chapter 35: Mind or Body?

The next morning, Dahlia woke up and felt feeble and dizzy, even more than the day before. She could only just sit up before her body gave away, her head banging against the headboard which only gave her a headache and made the dizziness more apparent. Mrs Weasley tried numerous times to get Dahlia to eat and drink but Dahlia refused. She tried to get her to have a strengthening solution too but even after Dahlia tried to explain that it could kill her by being mixed with the poison because of her biology, no one seemed to take her seriously and thought she was senile due to her injuries, which is why Dahlia was certain they would drug her food and drink, just like Dumbledore did.

As time passed by that day, Dahlia began to hear people arrive. She knew by the way the sun shone through the windows and the number of times Mrs Weasley came into the room with food that it was now the afternoon. She didn't know the exact time, but she heard Kingsley, so she knew it was after he finished work at the Ministry. She didn't have much time to listen as the bedroom door opened and Tonks walked in carrying a plastic bag you would get in a Muggle supermarket and two plastic smoothie cups with the Daily Prophet being carried under her arm.

Tonks walked around the bed and then sat down, facing Dahlia with the paper placed to her side, as was the bag. The Metamorphmagus looked shocked at Dahlia's appearance; she looked deathly pale with dark circles around her eyes, limp in form as if Tonks knew she wouldn't be able to move, even if she wanted to. She was shocked at seeing the young girl she knew as being strong look so weak. She held out a smoothie and said, "Molly said you weren't eating. Said you thought they were poisoning you so I got something from outside the house. Strawberry berry smoothie for you and apple mango for me...'Lia, I promise you I wouldn't put anything in your drink".

Dahlia was hesitant but eventually took the smoothie and as it shook in her hand, she had to balance it on her chest so that she could reach the straw with her mouth. She took a small sip and she silently admitted to herself that it did make her feel a little better. She took a few more sips before asking, "why are you being nice to me?"

Tonks brows narrowed, not understanding why she wouldn't be nice to her, after all she believed they were friends. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Sirius is your cousin, I used my magic on him, attacked him".

Tonks then laughed and said, "Sirius needs a good reminding every now and again that he needs to keep his opinions to himself, even those that are not true. Don't worry, he got a good telling off from everyone in the Order after what he said about your mother. Remus especially," Tonks said affectionately.

Dahlia smiled as best she could and said, "Professor Lupin huh?" She took a sip of her drink and said, "well he was friends with my mum...what did you think of him standing up to Sirius?"

Tonks shrugged and looked away for a moment before she answered, "Sirius deserved it, I think it worked more than anyone though considering Remus is one of his closest friends, a part of the Marauders," she rolled her eyes and laughed.

Dahlia wanted to laugh but couldn't, so it simply came out in muffled sounds that stopped after a few moments. She took a drink to clear her throat before she tried to smile as she asked, "so you and Professor Lupin?"

Tonks looked confused as she asked, "what about him and me?"

"Love," Dahlia said simply, not wanting to beat around the bush as she didn't have the strength to talk for long.

Tonks immediately looked away from the half-Midgardian and looked down to her hands. The pink-haired woman mumbled to herself for a moment before biting her lip and then she looked back to Dahlia. Shifting in her position, she said, "love, what love? I don't love him," she blushed, the tips of her pink hair turned red, "he doesn't love me, we're friends, just friends. Anyway, I brought you some things," Tonks said trying to divert the conversation as she picked up the plastic bag. "All good foods for recovery, apparently. Nuts, grapes, blueberries and some more fruit. Supposed to help with vitamins and all that-"

"Stop trying to change the subject...you know no one is believing that, that there isn't anything between the two of you," Dahlia interrupted, "well, anyone who knows what to look out for won't believe it".

Shifting in her position once again, Tonks said, "you're fifteen, what do you know about love?"

Dahlia tried to shrug but she only winced in the pain that it brought her and Tonks could clearly see that as she shifted closer. Bringing the straw closer to her mouth, Dahlia had a few more sips and answered, "I might be fifteen but my dad is thousands of years old and I remember something he once told me. He said the first time he saw my mum smile, it was like his world had changed. Everything around him disappeared and it was like her smile was his world. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face. That it was like as long as she was happy, so would he...what?" Dahlia asked as Tonks looked at her with deep interest.

The Auror shook her head and said, "nothing, just romantic. I never expected the God of Mischief to say something like that".

"Yeah well...bring about the right people and my father is a very different man. Anyway, what I meant to say was that I saw a very similar look between you and Professor Lupin at Christmas. I saw the two of you keep on looking at one another. I saw the way you smiled every time you heard him laugh with Sirius. I saw the way he looked at you whenever you would show me and the others your powers. Even when you fell over the troll's leg, he would smile. Just the glances between the two of you, the lingering touches when you pass each other that you probably don't even realise you do...if you're not in love, then you're both falling in love".

Tonks opened and closed her mouth a few times, not knowing how to respond when a tap at the door came. The door slowly opened, and Remus poked his head around which made Tonks blush and look away while Dahlia gestured to him to come in, taking a drink from her smoothie.

Lupin sat down on the opposite side of the bed than Tonks but smiled at her before he sat which made her look away from him and drink her own smoothie as thoughts of what Dahlia said were running through her mind. "How are you feeling today?" Lupin asked.

Dahlia answered truthfully, "worse. You need to speak to Professor Dumbledore. I need to get back to my sister, I'm not delusional, I will die if I don't get the antidote for the poison. Giving me potions will only speed along the process". Lupin and Tonks looked to one another urgently and Dahlia knew that look. They didn't know what had been said. "He didn't tell you," Dahlia said and they looked back to her guiltily.

"I'm sure it simply slipped his mind, or he believes there is a way around the antidote," Lupin said with uncertainty.

Dahlia would have scoffed but knew she didn't have the strength and said, "yeah right, he knows about poisons not of this world. This is the poison from the Realm of the Dead. There is no cure on this realm, only the physicians from Niflheim know how and only they have the right ingredients". A tear slipped from her eye as she said pitifully "why can't I just go home?"

"You can soon," Tonks said reassuringly as she placed a hand over Dahlia's, but it didn't bring any comfort. "Professor Dumbledore is just trying to protect you but I'm sure that you can be with your sister soon".

Dahlia looked directly at Lupin and said, "you knew my mother. You must have known on some level that when she went back to James she didn't love him". It took a few moments, but he sighed and nodded. "She wouldn't want this, even if you believe you are trying to protect me. She'd want me with my sister, please help me...I don't want anyone to die".

"No one's going to die," Tonks said.

"Yes, they will," Dahlia said looking between them. "When my sister thought I died, she searched the world for revenge, to destroy Voldemort. Her own realm suffered because of her grief. She knows I'm alive, she knows I'm here on Midgard, she'll never stop looking for me. She will kill everyone, burn this whole world apart looking for me. Please, you have to help me get back to her".

"I understand, Dahlia, but," Lupin said, "Dumbledore will not let you leave. He's trying to protect you, not just from You-Know-Who and Death Eaters anymore but from those he believes are unsafe for you like the Avengers, in case of revenge, or your sister and your father's behaviour or-"

"My father is in prison," Dahlia said clenching her fist that Tonks had her hand on. She did, however, notice the quick look sent between the two adults and the slight glance that Tonks made at the newspaper on the bed. "What is it?" Dahlia asked fully intrigued, "Tonks, what's on the front page? Show me".

Hesitantly, Tonks removed her hand off Dahlia's and opened the paper so that Dahlia could see the front page. 'GOD OF MISCHIEF AT HOGWARTS' was written in big bold writing and she couldn't believe it. It couldn't be, he really couldn't be on Midgard, he just couldn't.

Dahlia began to breathe heavily and Lupin said, "calm down, take deep breaths".

Dahlia shook her head, despite the pain it caused her and said, "it's not true, he can't be here. Odin wouldn't allow it".

"It's true. Your father and brothers are here," Lupin said hesitantly, not knowing if the truth would make her worse. "From what we've been told, a deal has been made for them to return".

Dahlia tried to move from the bed but winced with every movement, her body continued to disagree with her and demanded not to be moved. "Dahlia, be still, you're injured," Tonks said.

Stubbornly, Dahlia managed to slide to the side of the bed and dropped her feet over the edge, despite her constant wobbling just by being sat up which they knew she would instantly fall if she attempted to stand. They tried to make her lie back down but she refused, "my sister will have some resistance to certain methods of finding me, my father on the other hand...he's wanted his family back together for more than a thousand years, if he has the others safe and close, there won't be no line that he won't cross to get me back".

"He can't kill anyone," Lupin informed her, "some sort of magic between Odin and himself means that he can't kill anyone whilst here".

Dahlia looked at him intensely and for a moment, Lupin had to look at Tonks to see if he had something wrong with him before he looked back to Dahlia. She shook her head slowly and spoke as if he knew nothing, "there are ways of getting information out of people without killing them"

She then stood, well tried to, but the second Dahlia left the bed, she ended up on the floor. Lupin and Tonks were at her side almost instantly but before they could help her up, she began to be sick. It was unlike anything they had seen, thick and black.

Tonks held Dahlia's hair back as she asked, "What is th-"

Before she could finish, Remus interrupted. He could smell what it was, and it made him cringe, "blood, it's her blood".

"The poison," Dahlia said after throwing up, "I can't last much longer," and began to throw up again.

"What's going on?" Someone said and they looked up to see Snape at the door. He rushed forward to Dahlia and asked the others, "what has she been given?"

"Nothing," Tonks said urgently, "just a smoothie that's all. Remus said it's her blood but it's black. She said it's the poison".

"I need some water, a cloth, thyme, rosemary, and wormwood. NOW," Snape ordered as the other two Order members quickly left, in search of the things the Potions Master needed. He moved Dahlia so she was sat upright with her back against her bed and her head between her legs, he hoped that it would stop her throwing up and it did. But then, Dahlia began to bleed the same black blood from her nose so she leaned her head back while Snape gathered a shirt from the floor and handed it to her so she could hold it against her nose, while he saw a towel and began to use his magic to clean up the sick already in the floor and banish the smell away. "This is what you get for your so-called heroics of sacrificing yourself. You become a burden on other people being injured, you insufferable brat".

"Shut up," Dahlia snapped her voice wheezing with every word. Snape stopped what he was doing, shocked that in her weakened state she would command something from him. However, he didn't expect what came next, "I'm not James' daughter, I'm not his, yet you still hate me. Why?" She said sharply with resentment but he could hear an underlying tone of sorrow.

He continued to clean up, not looking back at Dahlia, preferring to keep silent.

"I know the truth," she eventually said after a moment of silence, "I know you loved my mother".

Snape immediately froze and stopped what he was doing, his wand in hand, every instinct of his body told him to turn to her, to deny everything but he couldn't. He couldn't look into Lily's eyes and lie, so he said, "you know nothing".

"I know you loved her and I know she loved you". When Snape heard this, he stopped everything, lowered his wand but continued to have his back to her. "You met her when you were nine years old at the park, you're the one who told her she was a witch and she didn't believe you at first but when she did, you became best friends. Your mother, Eileen, had to explain to my grandparents the truth after being sure that my mother was a witch. After that, you were close. You became best friends and you taught her everything about the magical world so she wouldn't be going in blind like many Muggle-borns. You both ended up in different houses but were still friends when many told you not to be. You both excelled at potions and would practise during the summer holidays and read ahead and try to create new potions that didn't need magic, so you wouldn't get in trouble. You were best friends for years, but you had Death Eaters in your house, whispering words in your ear, trying to recruit you while my mum had Gryffindors in her own ear telling her how wrong it was to be friends with you. You stuck by one another until fifth year when you called her a Mudblood".

"Don't say that word," he said sharply and turned instantly, glaring at her.

"She forgave you," Dahlia said, ignoring the way he was looking at her, "she was young, she didn't get the full picture, but she regretted not accepting your apology later that day. She hoped that it wasn't true, that you weren't a Death Eater because she still saw you as her best friend. She told my sister that you were her best friend and she wanted to tell you the truth about everything. About my father, about me, how her marriage to James was a scam and she hated every minute off it...I know, we all know, she knew, the guilt that you've been carrying around with you all this time. That you're the one who told Voldemort the prophecy. She wouldn't want you to blame yourself, she knew you didn't want to put her in danger. Peter would have told him if you hadn't, he would have come after us either way, she didn't blame you".

"Impossible, all lies," Snape snarled at her, not wanting the words of hope that she was offering that Lily had died forgiving him for all he had done to her.

"It's not," Dahlia said, removing the shirt from her nose and saw that the blood had now stopped for the time being. "I was on Niflheim, my grandparents and your mother told me the truth. Your mother gave me a picture of you and my mother, you were just kids in it. Your mother told me all about the bullying, how you're not a Death Eater, you just made some bad choices...your mother watches over you, she loves you".

For the first time in the conversation, Snape looked into her eyes and for the first time since Dahlia entered Hogwarts, he didn't see James Potter's daughter. He admittedly did see Lily in her even more than he did before but this time when he truly looked at her, he didn't see anyone but Dahlia. A young girl struck cruelly by fate on more than one account and he treated her like crap since the moment he met her, and he was ashamed.

"Sirius isn't my godfather," she said breaking his train of thought, "James lawfully made him mine but my mum never chose him. To her and everyone else who knew the truth, both of my parents chose somebody else...you".

Snape couldn't even comprehend what she had just said because as soon as she said it, she grabbed her head and began to moan in pain and he knew that if she wasn't biting her lip, she would be screaming. Kneeling just as Tonks and Lupin came into the room with what he requested, he asked, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, Merlin," she said loudly, "he's in my head...I can't get him out," she grunted and gripped her hair so tightly they thought she was going to rip it out.

"We have to get her back to the castle," Snape said and it seemed the other two Order members agreed with him but there was one problem.

"All the Order members are downstairs waiting for the meeting to begin, Dumbledore included. How are we going to get her out?" Lupin asked.

They all then heard a shrieking, it wasn't too loud but loud enough that they could hear it as it was outside. Dahlia seemed to relax at that point but her whole body fell to the floor limp as she whispered, "Eclipse".

They only just heard her and Snape said, "her Thestral. You two get downstairs, distract the Order, tell them I was summoned. I'll get her out of here and back to her sister".

They nodded and then ran from the room following Snape's orders, if you asked anyone, neither of them would ever admit to it. Snape helped Dahlia stand, placing her arm around his neck while he held her at her waist, helping her stand. Leaving the room and going down the stairs, he could tell that Dahlia was getting weaker as she was getting heavier to hold.

"Thank you," she whispered as they reached the last flight of stairs.

"You're still an insufferable brat," he said quietly and not with malice in his tone that she had become accustomed too. She smiled, he caught her smiling in the corner of his eyes and he couldn't help rolling his own at the fact that she took that as a compliment.

Sneaking quietly out the door, they were hoping not to awake the portrait of Walberga Black that would alert the rest of the house to their escape. After leaving the main door, Snape looked around to see no Muggles in sight but quickly saw the Thestral swoop down and land with grace. The creature's eyes stayed purely on him in a way that made Snape want to shrink so that the creature couldn't see him.

"E...clipse" Dahlia said struggling to keep her eyes open now, let alone speak.

The Thestral's attention moved immediately to Dahlia and the creature moved forward and bowed before crouching down so that Snape could place Dahlia onto her back. Snape followed the creature's lead and placed Dahlia onto her back, but it was then he noticed the damaged wing and how it shook under the slightest of movement. "Is that safe?" Snape asked glancing between the Thestral and the wing.

Eclipse answered by standing straight and holding her head up high and stretching her wings; he knew it probably hurt her to do so. A wave of light then passed him, hitting the Thestral's wing, but it seemed to have no effect. Snape turned to see Sirius stood at the front door, a clear look of anger etched onto his face, especially when he turned his wand on Snape. Snape quickly drew his wand from his waist, knowing that this fight wouldn't consist of simple spells that they taught the students. He was an ex Death Eater and Sirius was a member of the Black family, they both had knowledge of dark magic that could kill without having to utter the Killing Curse and make it look like an accident.

As Snape anticipated, Sirius strikes first while the Thestral flew away, hopefully getting Dahlia to safety before Snape failed Lily once again.

Feeling lightheaded, Dahlia barely remembered climbing onto the back of Eclipse, all she recalled was the feeling of flight and when she could open her eyes after Eclipse's constant screeching like she was signalling someone, she saw that she was flying high over a forest. She was clearly far from London, but she didn't know how far as she couldn't recall anything from the journey, she couldn't even recall when she passed out on the Thestral, she just remembers waking.

From her position where she was leaning against Eclipse's back due to not being able to sit up from pain, she saw that Eclipse's wing was still damaged and was surprised that the Thestral was even able to fly. Dahlia knew she must have been in some pain, especially flying as fast as she was through the wind. Dahlia tried to speak but she found she couldn't even mumble. She wanted to know where they were, where Eclipse was taking them but also why Eclipse wouldn't stop shrieking. That question, however, revealed the answer rather quickly when Dahlia saw more Thestrals than she could count crashing through the clouds and scoring through the air. It was only then that Eclipse stopped shrieking, clearly signalling to the others.

"I thought she couldn't fly," Dahlia gasped hearing her father's voice.

"I also told you she saw stubborn, just like Dahlia. I'm surprised she didn't escape the camp sooner," she heard her sister say.

Dahlia mustered up the strength to turn her head to the side and saw Zelda with her father and sister. They looked tired, worried and drained but above all else happy to see her. It was this reason she knew she wouldn't question why they had blood on them. Not loads but enough to make it obvious that they had been torturing someone. For the first time, she saw her father in person and he was as handsome as he was in their dreams. Of course, she knew he looked the same but now it was real, he was in front of her and Dahlia hated herself for looking weak the first time he was truly meeting her. She wanted to look strong and powerful, someone worthy enough to be his daughter.

"Dahlia, can you hear me?" Hela shouted, flying Zelda as close as possible without the two Thestrals clashing.

Moving her head up and down for a moment, they got their answer but saw that she couldn't stay conscious for long. They then flew away from her side and Dahlia couldn't find the strength to move her head.

"Keep her steady," she heard her father from what it seemed like above her and although Dahlia couldn't see, Zelda flew above them steadying herself as Loki was going to drop onto Eclipse.

Eclipse seemed to understand what was happening considering she began to fly more slowly and steadied her wings in order for the drop to be clear, and it was. With the help of Hela, Loki dropped from Zelda and managed to drop ten feet from one Thestral to another.

Dahlia's eyes closed just as her father dropped onto her Thestral and she could feel him behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her up so she was against his chest and she mumbled, "daddy".

"I'm right here," Loki said smiling but it wasn't a full smile, he still held his injured daughter in his arms and he could clearly see that if they didn't get her back to the camp soon, he would have one less daughter living. "She's lost consciousness," he shouted to Hela.

Hela seemed to think ahead and shouted, "I put her necklace in your pocket. Put it on her".

Loki, with only one hand, routed through his pockets until he found his daughter's locket. Placing it on her, he just hoped that his daughters would have some connection and the poison hadn't already weakened her to the point that they wouldn't.

"Sister...Dahlia, talk to me...lillesøster," Hela said through the necklace, (little sister).

Thankfully, the necklace worked, and Dahlia responded, weakened, "about time you found me".

Hela laughed and replied, "you were protected by strong ancestral magic, I couldn't simply look through the looking glass and if you haven't noticed, Eclipse is injured. Carr said she isn't supposed to be flying".

"What! Why didn't you chain her up then?"

"She's as stubborn as you, did you honestly think she'd allow us to do that? Besides, she found you quicker than we did, where were you?"

"That doesn't matter, who've you been torturing?"

"No one important, just some Death Eaters...I thought he had you," Hela said worriedly.

Dahlia sighed and said, "he didn't. Sister, I really don't feel good. They tried to heal me with potions and I think it made it worse".

Screaming was then heard, not just in Dahlia's mind but from her body. She screamed, not even being awake and no one could guess why but then they were attacked. A cluster of Death Eaters on brooms attacked, flashes of green light hitting Hela's soldiers and Thestrals and she would have laughed at the fact that the Killing Curse wouldn't work on them but she was shocked at seeing some of them flying without the assistance of brooms in black smoke. It then dawned on her that her sister's scar was hurting which meant he was here. Drawing her sword, she swung at the smoke as it passed her as did her father but neither one saw the smoke pass Dahlia, only heard her scream and then it all stopped. She stopped screaming but began to whimper and shake as the Death Eaters vanished.

"Sister," Hela said using the necklace, "Dahlia..." she wasn't answering. Hela looked to her father and said, "she's not responding".

"How far-" he didn't finish asking the question as they all came out of the clouds and could see the castle ahead.

Landing rather harshly on the ground not too far away from the camp, they were greeted with the sight of Falcon arguing with the Avengers and three members of staff, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. Her brothers were there too, looking a lot better in clothes that befit them and with Jörmungandr properly shaved with his hair cut to his shoulders. He was, however, on crutches which was a start and it was clear that he had been given strengthening remedies from the healer. It was only then with how Snape was stood did Hela realise who must have had her. She was protected by ancestral magic and whoever had her cared enough to try to heal her, of course she was at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

The soldiers and the family dismounted their Thestrals, all the attention was on Dahlia, Loki and Hela. Hela rushed to her father's side to help him get Dahlia down while Falcon, the brothers, the Avengers and Hogwarts staff members approached them. As soon as Dahlia was down, Eclipse seemed to move away and scratched her hoof along the ground while looking threateningly at Dahlia who was in Loki's arms. She began to shriek and made it clear that it was directed at Dahlia.

Hela quickly stood between them while Loki held Dahlia protectively and said, "stand down, Eclipse. What's wrong with you?"

It was only when the others approached, that Falcon looked at Dahlia did he stiffen and said, "Lord Loki, put her down".

"What? No," Loki said.

"Falcon, what is it?" Hela asked, not knowing why her love and Dahlia's Thestral were acting strange.

"Look at her, Hela, truly look at her," Falcon said urgently and so Hela did and the more she focused on Dahlia, the more she realised what he was talking about. Two souls occupying one body, not like before, these were two living souls. one her sister and the other...

"Papa, put her down now," Hela said urgently and even took a step back while doing it.

Loki did as she said while Fenrir asked, "what is it? What's wrong?"

Loki stood after placing his daughter on the floor, looking to his other wondering the same question. He then took a few steps back while Hela answered, "she's too weak, she's trying to protect her mind but she too weak to protect her mind and body".

"From who?" Jörmungandr asked.

"Tom," Dumbledore mumbled but it was enough for them all to hear.

Hela nodded and said angrily, "yes and it's all down to you. Your stupid Order of the Phoenix thinking they can protect her, taking her from here has made her weak".

"It was you that took her," Steve said surprised at the old headmaster.

Loki glared at the man and said, "I'll have your head mounted on a spike for this".

A gruel and twisted laugh then interrupted anyone else who wanted to speak and they all looked to see Dahlia, eyes open but it wasn't her eyes looking back at them. They were grey with hints of green that they had never seen in her eyes before as they shined with darkness and possession. With the control of her body, Voldemort stood as if Dahlia's body wasn't injured at all, smirked at all of them and turned in a circle as he knew he was surrounded.

"You all want me dead...here I am," Voldemort said as he held out Dahlia's arms and using her voice which affected Hela and Loki more than anything.

Authors note: I know I know cliffhanger but they're so close to being together, and they technically are in body that there won't be many cliffhangers for a while after this. Never know, you might start to miss them. Please review.