Loki tried to find Dahlia but couldn't and thanks to the Ministry showing up, the security around the camp wasn't as it should have been, and he noticed a footprint in the mud, Dahlia's footprint, leaving camp at the back where there was a guard before the Ministry showed up. He left the camp and ran after the footprints in the ground, but they stopped after about twenty feet and he knew she wouldn't go to the castle, not dressed in her nightwear and being asked questions, she'd want to be alone.

He searched for an hour, he looked at the Quidditch pitch, the owlery, the lake and even Hagrid's house but no one answered. So, he made his way to the forest where he knew were many dangerous creatures but none more dangerous than him if they tried anything, especially if his suspicions were right and Dahlia was in there. His suspicions were right when he found her slippers in the forest.

He eventually did find her a mile or so into the forest. She was curled up against a large tree, its roots spanned out about ten feet and she hid herself between them, her legs to her chest for warmth. He almost missed her but then he heard a sniffle and just saw her move between the roots. Loki walked cautiously, making sure not to make a sound. He kneeled when he wasn't too far away and said, "Dahlia". Her head snapped to him and he said, "it's dangerous here, let's go back to camp".

She shook her head and said, "you're gonna get mad, you, grandma, grandpa, you're gonna get mad".

"I have every right to be mad, but not at you...Dahlia, what did they do?"

She shook her head rapidly, "nothing bad, I promise".

"Locking you in a cupboard, starving you, hitting you is bad".

"Fen and Jora suffered more. Fen was tortured, Jora was literally hit with missiles, they have nightmares about it. What I went through is nothing compared to that".

He shook his head and said, "just because the boys suffered at more extreme lengths doesn't mean your suffering doesn't matter. We have to talk about this".

"No, we don't. It's over now, I'm with you".

"And I'll protect you, but I need to know".

"Why? You'll only get mad".

"I'll go mad not knowing what they did to you. Sweetheart, what did they do?"

She sat there for a minute silent, contemplating her options as she curled her dirty toes in the soil and played with her fingertips. She eventually said quietly, "their favourite word for me was freak. I thought it was my name before I started school. My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs, I wasn't allowed any toys or books or anything like that so if I picked up one of Dudley's I'd get in trouble. I had to cook and clean and do the garden and anything else they wanted. I wasn't allowed to do better than Dudley at school, so I had to pretend I was stupid. I couldn't control it when my magic happened, I turned my teacher's hair a different colour once and uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia were angry. They err...uncle Vernon gripped the top of my arm and...he pushed me against the staircase when we got in that day from school and my head was bleeding. They didn't care. They locked me in the cupboard all weekend. It wasn't bad, dad".

Loki clenched his fists and had to look away and she curled further up into the tree, as if he was going to start shouting.

"It wasn't bad," she said again, "I promise, it wasn't like abuse you hear about. They didn't hit me too often, mostly it was when they pushed me a little too hard or gripped me a little too hard. Uncle Vernon would always threaten to beat the freak out of me, but he never did what he threatened".

"Just because he didn't do it, doesn't mean what he did wasn't wrong," Loki snapped and noticed her jump and he sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. Why did you never tell me?"

"You were in prison, I didn't want you to worry".

"Why not Hela?"

Dahlia hesitated on that one and just shrugged, "life was getting better. After I got my Hogwarts letter, they moved me into Dudley's second bedroom and were easier on me. I think it scared them that my letter said 'cupboard under the stairs'. If I just stay out of the way and be quiet, then everything's fine. I didn't tell Hela because I didn't want her to overreact".

Loki sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead with his hand then said as his eyes opened, "come on, we have to go back to camp".

Dahlia shook her head, "grandpa and grandma, they'll want to know, I can't tell them. Petunia is their daughter".

"Dahlia, they already know. Hela and the boys told us".

"No," she sighed and closed her eyes and put her head down.

"Come on, we have a ministry to get rid of". He held out his hand and she reached out for it. He pulled her out and up over the roots and then picked her up in his arms and asked, "what possessed you to take your slipper off?"

"They kept falling off," she answered. "Dad, I don't want to be a problem-".

"You're not," he said quickly.

"-or cause anyone's deaths." She added, "the Ministry, Fudge is just scared. They all believe I'm the chosen one to defeat Voldemort and with Hela not hiding the fact that I'm going back home when I'm better, they'll try anything to keep me here. We can go home soon, there's no reason for anyone to die".

"They're trying to take you from me, that's reason enough".

"But they haven't," she argued, "dad, I want to see my friends. When we leave, I do want to come back and visit and I don't want to have to think of the Ministry coming after me thinking I've been kidnapped. I don't want my friends being watched just for my return. Griphook said there were ways around it".

"Allowing you to be with another wizard family or a member of the school...I can't see an issue with either of those," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "not everyone is bad in this world. I was thinking a member of the school, that way we can still see one another until Griphook finds something or we can go home. I thought about making a replica of me, Hela and I did it before, but I remember reading that you have to be healthy as it connects to your magic. Considering what's happening with my magic at the moment, I don't think making a copy is a good idea".

Loki nodded, "so which staff member? Your godfather?"

Dahlia instantly shook her head and said, "definitely not. Snape still hasn't accepted the fact that mum wanted him to be my godfather, which means he never accepted the role. He's hated me since the day I was born because he thought I was James' daughter, I don't even know what he's thinking now, but I know the last thing he'll want is to take guardianship of me".

"Then who?"

She shrugged, "they said we have to agree on a teacher".

"True. You need to think about who you trust".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't take long for them to get back to the camp and they went through the back, the way they left in case the Ministry was still at the front. He put her down just as they came to the royal tent and Dahlia entered first and saw that her brothers, sister and grandparents were in there. Her grandmother, looking like she had been crying, jumped out of the chair and engulfed her in a hug and said, "what did we say about running off?"

"Sorry, grandma".

Violet then pulled away and asked, "why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Dahlia said shaking her head.

"Well we do," Jonathan said sternly as he stood, "all those years we looked in on Petunia and her family, we were confused why we couldn't see you and now we know. You were locked in a cupboard under the stairs. Your brothers told us what they saw".

"What did you see?" she asked them.

They couldn't answer as her grandfather came close and said sternly, "it doesn't matter what they said, I want you to tell me what they did to you and if it doesn't match up with what your brothers saw, you will remain in this tent until you tell us the truth".

"Jon," Violet said but he cut her off.

"No, Vi, you're going to tell us now".

Dahlia had never seen her grandfather so serious before and he sounded angry, she knew he wasn't angry at her, but it still sent a chill down her spine. The look in his eyes almost had her taking a step back as he looked like he wanted to kill someone which was a massive difference from the warm, gentle, cuddly grandfather she knew.

She didn't chance on taking him up on his threat of not leaving so she walked past him and sat down in a single chair as everyone looked to her. She twiddled with her fingers on her lap and looked down as she started, "I don't remember when it started. I guess they always hated me. They didn't hit me, they just sometimes got a little rough when grabbing me or pushing me when I wasn't walking fast enough for them and I got hurt sometimes. They did give me food, even if they locked me in the cupboard, but I remember the first time they used it as a weapon. Dudley and I were in school, year 1, and it was a month in. I was good at reading, I guess it helped reading food recipes and instructions all the years they made me make food. We had a spelling test and I got 100% but no one else did and that's when the teacher gave me another test, it was harder, and I got the majority of them right too. I couldn't tell her how I learned to read, uncle Vernon said he would feed me to aunt Marge's dogs if I said anything other than pretending to be the perfect niece, thankful for their hospitality. Our teacher told them and then also said how Dudley was struggling and how he was falling behind and how he tended to pick on me. They got angry. I knew they were mad, so I tried to stay quiet when we got home but Dudley threw a ball at me and I ducked, and it knocked over a lamp. Aunt Petunia got mad and shouted for uncle Vernon to lock me away. I tried to run but like always, he caught me. They said I wouldn't eat and I didn't that night...or the day after, or the day after that. I learned to act dumb in school pretty quickly, but it didn't make a difference".

Dahlia told them the whole story, everything she could remember and the whole time, Dahlia looked down as she spoke as she didn't need their pitiful looks when she knew they hated getting them when it came to their problems. She didn't understand why they were getting so upset when they had suffered more than she could ever imagine.

When she finished, she shrugged and said, "I'm fine. Fen and Jora have suffered more, it doesn't matter. What matters is finding a way to keep the Ministry off our back"

"Kill them," Fenrir said as he shrugged.

Dahlia rolled her eyes and replied, "no. I do actually want to come back here and see my friends and I doubt that can happen if you just kill everyone who stands in our way".

"Then what do you suggest?" Hela asked and hummed, "let the Ministry dictate what happens, the corrupt Ministry?".

Dahlia shook her head and said, "no, we play them at their own game. Let them think they have some power over this whole situation. Just until I can travel through the portal home".

"And how do we do that?" Jörmungandr asked.

Dahlia quickly glanced to her father and what they spoke of earlier before looking to her siblings and grandparents and said, "well its clear none of you want me returning to the Dursleys, the Ministry is so corrupt I'd end up with a Death Eater family, so the last option is to become a ward of the school..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The children, Loki, the grandparents, and a few soldiers ended up at Hogwarts, specifically in a meeting room as Dumbledore's office was too small to hold them, himself, Fudge, Griphook, Sirius and multiple Aurors. Loki's family all sat down at a large table on one side while their soldiers stood behind them. Dumbledore sat proudly at the head of the table, which angered some at the table as he seemed to believe he had power that he didn't. Fudge, Griphook and Sirius sat on the other side with some Aurors, others stood behind them.

It was an awkward silence for a few moments before Hela said, "I would like to see that will".

Fudge who held the scroll asked, "why?"

"I can show you if this will is truly legal or not".

Hesitantly Fudge handed it over and Hela read the scroll out loud, so they could all hear it.

Being of sound mind and body, and under no influence by spell or potion, we, James Fleamont Potter and Lily Jane Potter née Evans, declare this to be our last will and testament in detriment of any, and all previous wills we have made.

If Lily survives this war, she is to be given half of the Potter estate and fortune while the other half goes to our daughter Dahlia Lily Potter. If we both fall, we have set forth the following orders.

To our friend Remus John Lupin, we leave you 100,000 Galleons. Take the money you need it. Get the potions you need to help with your furry little problem, find somewhere to live and help raise Dahlia. She needs the guidance from someone with a brain, who knows what would happen if Sirius raised her alone. Find love, have a family, there's someone out there for everyone and the right girl won't run away.

To Sirius Orion Black, we leave you 100,000 Galleons, not that you really need it. Raise Dahlia or at least be a part of her life. Do not turn her into a marauder, Lily will not be impressed, and neither will you when you die. Find love and have a family, have children that know the love that you never received from your own parents.

To Peter Pettigrew, we leave you 100,000 Galleons, take care of your mother with it. However, if Voldemort is to discover where we are, it was Peter who told him. He was our secret keeper, not Sirius as we led people to believe, we believed it to be safer. If he does reveal us, he is to receive nothing but the prison sentence we hope he gets.

To Alice and Frank Longbottom, we leave you 80,000 Galleons. Please be a part of Dahlia's life and have a positive impact, don't let the remaining marauders corrupt her into pranks and trouble.

To Neville Longbottom, Lily's Godson, we leave you 50,000 Galleons and wish you well and a life growing up without war.

Finally, to our daughter Dahlia Lily Potter, we leave you everything else. All the estates, the investments, fortune and the knowledge that we love you. We're sorry that we have left you, but we hope you are being loved and protected and live the life we want you to. One of love and happiness. We will be watching over you and will be proud of the woman you become. If Dahlia is underage at the time of our deaths, her inheritance is to be put into a trust fund, managed by Gringotts and only them. Dahlia is to receive 15,000 Galleons a year and once she is an adult, she is free to do with it as she pleases.

Regarding custody of our daughter, she is to go to her godfather Sirius Black. If he is unable or unwilling to raise her, we wish her to go to Alice Longbottom, her godmother, and her husband Frank Longbottom. If they are unable to raise her or unwilling, guardianship must go to Remus John Lupin. Please look after our daughter and protect her. Under no circumstances is our daughter to be placed into the custody of Petunia Dursley, Lily's sister, or her family. They hate magic and will hate Dahlia and treat her less than that of a house elf.

Signed

James Fleamont Potter and Lily Jane Potter née Evans.

Witnessed by:

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Marlene McKinnon

Dahlia looked to Dumbledore and scoffed, "I knew you knew what was happening to me there, I knew when Mrs Figg told me you sent her to watch me. But for my mother and James to put it into a will, for them to warn you before they even died, it's sick that you left me there".

Dumbledore sighed and said, "the danger of you being there did not outweigh the benefit of your mother's blood magic protection".

"And if they killed me, if they killed me before Voldemort had the chance, what would have happened to your precious prophecy then?" Dahlia almost snapped and saw her eldest brother sitting next to her, his claws come out and she didn't need to look to his face to see his teeth had either. She put her hand on top of his and whispered, "don't, please".

Fenrir listened and turned his hand to hold his sisters' hand, but Dahlia knew this wouldn't be the end and sure, Dumbledore had his faults, but he didn't need to die. For once, she wished he would die in the war, so he didn't have to suffer at the hands of her sister.

"You said you could show the legality of the will," Fudge said to Hela.

Hela didn't answer but lay the will on the table and placed her hands in the air above it and said, "Subscriptio magicis veritatem... Subscriptio magicis veritatem..."

From the will, two streaks of colour appeared, one brighter than the other which made Hela and Loki smile while everyone else was confused. Sirius demanded, "what did you do?"

The corner of Hela's lips went up as she said, "magical signatures. Everyone has them, it's how you keep tabs on your young when they do magic outside of Hogwarts. When signing a will that is linked to your magic, it leaves a signature. I've just showed you both James and Lily's magical signature, if you don't believe me I'm sure master Griphook can confirm it".

The goblin smirked and nodded, "indeed. We use other methods at the bank, but she is correct".

"I'm also correct in saying that there's another will, one written after this one. The brighter signature a moment ago shows this is James' last will, it makes it legal in that right but the lesser bright one shows this is not Lily's last will. It makes this will null and void. Because Lily died after James, it means whatever will she has out there, that is the true and lawful will. Which means..." she looked to Griphook.

The goblin said, "custody of the child goes to no one until the will is found. She becomes a child of the Ministry or the school. It is enough evidence to contest the will before us".

"School," Dahlia said, "the Ministry is corrupt," Fudge opened his mouth to speak but Dahlia beat him, "don't defend it. You chose to ignore us, you left it almost a year before you even released to the public that you were wrong, and Voldemort is back. The Ministry was corrupt before, now they're just ready for the final takeover". She then glanced quickly to the Aurors in the room and said, "let's hope the Aurors here are strong enough to keep the Ministry in power, the people have already lost hope in you".

"A ward of the school," Dumbledore said, his twinkling eyes focusing on Dahlia, "a teacher then has to-"

Loki interrupted, "you are not having guardship of my daughter, not now not ever. If it was up to me, you would never lay eyes on her again".

"Hear, hear" said Jonathan, Violet, Hela, Fenrir and Jörmungandr.

"Then who?" Dumbledore questioned.

Everyone looked to Dahlia as it was her choice as she knew the teachers more than anyone and after a minute, she answered, "can someone please go get Professor McGonagall".

An Auror member stepped forward and was told she was teaching and he left to get her.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked.

Dahlia nodded and replied, "she's seen us together, she actually cares about what happens to the students and me. I don't think she'd use me".