The platform was packed with people. An odd assortment of children, teens, and parents chattering, owls hooting, and cats winding in and out, but Eileen didn't notice. She was too busy staring at the gleaming sign that said Hogwarts Express.

It was true: the school really existed! She might actually be a real witch. Not that she had doubted it. After what her father had told her and all of the accidental magic over the years, she knew that this day was a long time coming.

But still she took in the sight of the scarlet steam engine, blowing smoke over dozens of heads, with awe and disbelief. It was one thing to hear about and completely another to experience.

Headed for the end of the train, she spotted a compartment nearly empty except a black-haired boy.

"Hello!" she exclaimed when entering, before realizing she had interrupted his eavesdropping of this red-headed family saying good-byes outside. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," she added at his guilty look.

"No, no it's alright! My name's Harry."

"Nice to meet you! Eileen Snape" she responded, smiling sweetly. He returned her smile shyly. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all! Are you a first year as well?"

Eileen put her trunk away and settled into her seat before responding, "Yes! I'm very excited. All of this is still very overwhelming for me. I've been reading a little to find out more about the Wizarding World, but it's not like I can walk into Blackwells or another book store and ask about Hogwarts"

"Oh so you're from a Muggle family?" he asked, as the train started moving.

"Muggle?"

"Oh, I just learned the word recently myself too! A muggle is anyone who isn't magic!"

"That's so interesting! I guess I am. My da knew about magic, and he told me a little about it, but he definitely wasn't a wizard. I never had the chance to ask him more. He, uh... passed away when I was ten."

"Oh I'm sorry," Harry responded, but before he could finish what he was saying a red-headed boy poked his head in.

"Anyone else sitting here? Everywhere else is full."

Eileen and Harry shook their heads. The boy took a seat next to Eileen, stared at Harry and then looked away, pretending he hadn't been looking.

Suddenly, two twins, who looked very similar to the boy sitting next to her, barged in and said "Hey Ron, we're going down to the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there" before turning to look at the rest of the compartment.

"Hello! Not sure if we introduced ourselves earlier, but I'm Fred and this is George and our brother Ron." Fred turned to look at her, and Eileen thought it was best to introduce herself.

"Snape? That's so interesting. Related to Professor Snape, the potions professor, by any chance? You could look alike... same color hair, same nose and facial features too" George asked, inquisitively.

"Although your hair is curly and your skin is much tanner," Fred added.

"No, I don't think so. I'm a muggle," she responded, looking at Harry to see if she had used the word correctly. "I don't know anyone in the magical world."

"Well that's good! Snape's a bit of a git anyways," George responded. "Now, we'll be off. You kids have fun!"

"Bye," the three of them said.

It was quiet for a second before Ron blurted out, "Are you really Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded.

"Are you famous?" Eileen asked, surprised Ron knew who he was.

Ron sputtered, "Famous? He's the most famous of them all! He defeated You-Know-Who when he was just a baby!" Turning back to Harry, he asked "Have you really got a scar?"

Harry pulled back his bangs to show a lightning scar. Ron and Eileen stared.

"Who's You-Know-Who?" Eileen asked.

Ron began explaining about an evil wizard and how Harry had defeated him. Harry explained that he didn't remember much, but Eileen was quite impressed. She noticed however that Harry wasn't enjoying the conversation much and she directed the conversation elsewhere. They began talking about Ron's family (he had so many brothers!) and what it was like to come from the Wizarding world.

As they continued to talk, Eileen seemed content, glad to already have met a couple of people she liked. Whatever Hogwarts was like, she knew it was sure to be better than what she had left behind.

*********

The rest of the train ride had continued smoothly enough. Eileen met two other first years, Neville and Hermione, and had decided to help Neville find his frog. Apparently when she had left, Harry and Ron had had a spat with another boy, Drake Malfay, but it had all worked out by the time they had reached their destination. Once there, a friend of Harry's, Hagrid, had taken them on boats to get a spectacular view of Hogwarts. It was the prettiest sight Eileen had ever seen, and she wished more than anything that her Da was still alive and that she could tell him all about it.

Now, all the first years were just standing together in front of a huge oak door. Eileen surmised that the entrance hall was so big it could have fit the entire orphanage in it. The flaming torches made the high ceilings hard to make out, adding an amazing aura of mystery, which Eileen loved. She was excited to call this school her new home. Each moment seemed better than the last.

Pretty soon, a tall witch in emerald-green robes, Hagrid had called her Professor McGonagall, gave all the first years an introduction about Hogwarts and its four houses. Eileen had already heard a little about the houses from Hermione earlier, and she wasn't really sure which one she wanted to be in. It would be nice to have a friend already wherever she got sorted. Ron's family was entirely in Gryffindor, and he was likely to be in that as well so maybe that was a good place for her. Eileen was extremely anxious, wondering what if they couldn't sort her. Would they send her back? It seemed like all her peers were just as nervous as she was. Hermione was muttering about everything she knew, and it was only making Eileen even more on edge.

Finally Professor McGonagall led the first years through the door. Eileen could hear everyone's shoes across the flagged stone floor, and she took comfort in the fact that whatever was coming next, they would all be facing it together. The new room, the Great Hall, was bigger than anything Eileen imagined. It lit by thousands of candles that were floating, and there seemed to be hundreds of students just sitting at four long tables, staring at all the first years. Eileen kept following the people in front of her until they were standing at the front of the hall. She looked up and couldn't believe the night sky that looked down at her.

Distantly, she heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Eileen wished she knew as much as Hermione did right now. She never liked being caught by surprise or being unprepared as that was how most people got hurt. She knew from experience. Eileen knew the first chance she would get, she'd ask Hermione for the book or go find it in the closest library.

Eileen noticed that Professor McGonagall had put a frayed hat on a stool in front of all the first years. They all observed the hat, and Eileen noticed that all the chatter from the older students had come to a stop. Before she could even blink, the hat twitched and began to sing!

Eileen couldn't follow all the words, but she realized that this hat was the Hogwarts Sorting Hat! The black topper gave quite a spiel about each of the four houses, and as soon as it finished, the entire hall burst into applause.

Ron whispered near her, "So we've just got to try on the hat!"

Eileen zoned out and began to quiver at the thought. She didn't feel like she had any of the characteristics the hat mentioned. She had no clue about she measured up. Before she could dwell on her negative thoughts much longer however, Professor McGonagall began to speak, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

And from there, the Professor called each student one by one. Knowing she wouldn't be called for a while, Eileen began to peruse the hall once more, trying to keep her nervousness at bay. She looked at the High Table where all the Professors sat. There was the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, at the center; the empty seat to his right was most likely for Professor McGonagall. Next were several Professors she didn't know, so she looked to the left of the headmaster. On that side, she saw Professor Hagrid, a professor with a purple turban, a professor with straight thin black hair, and Professor Sinistra, who was smiling at her.

Professor Aurora Sinistra was Eileen's lifesaver. She was the one who came to tell Eileen about Hogwarts, magic, how to get on the platform, and everything else. She came with Eileen to buy her supplies and she even bought Eileen a couple of treats, because Eileen couldn't afford it for herself. Eileen was a scholarship student at Hogwarts; while she had some money from her father, Eileen was not rich and she needed to make her father's money last as long as she could. If she hadn't received financial aid from Hogwarts, Eileen knew that there was no way she could have been here today.

Eileen was very grateful for all the help Professor Sinistra had given her over the past summer, and she hoped that she would get to see a lot of her over the term. Eileen waved and she saw the Professor give a small wave back.

Turning back to the sorting, Eileen took note that Harry and Hermione had both been sorted into Gryffindor. After two Patil twins were sorted, she heard Professor McGonagall begin her name, "Snaap, um mhm," the Professor cleared her throat.

"Snape, Eileen"

Eileen noted that some of the chatter had died down a little, although nowhere near as much as when Harry's name had been called. Eileen didn't give it much thought though as she quickly sat down and waited for Professor McGonagall to put the hat on her head.

Eileen didn't know what to expect, but a voice in her head was the last thing she would've guessed: "Interesting," the voice whispered behind her ear. "A quick and clever mind, some cunning and courage too, and even some loyalty, although you keep that for only those that have earned your trust. You would do well in most these houses, but which will be the best?"

Eileen thought about it and knew she wanted to stay with her friends. Gryffindor please, she thought.

"Gryffindor, eh? Well it's either that or Slytherin, where you'll be sure to find your kin. Are you sure? well then it better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Eileen took off the hat and quickly made her way to the applauding table where Harry and Hermione sat. She sat down next to Hermione and a boy who looked as if he must be another of Ron's older brothers (Hermione introduced him as a prefect named Percy). While waiting for the sorting to finish, Eileen looked up again at the High Table and saw Professor Sinistra smiling widely at her, which gave EIleen some confidence. She also noticed the pale professor with the thin hair was observing her closely with an odd expression on his face. Eileen didn't know what to think of it, and she decided to ask Percy for more information.

"Who's that teacher sitting near Professor Sinistra?" Eileen questioned.

Percy looked up, before responding, "That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions."

"That's like Muggle chemistry," Hermione explained.

Eileen looked up at the table again. This time she noticed that Professor wasn't looking at her anymore, and she decided not to think on it any longer. He had probably just been staring because they had the same last name.

Looking back at the sorting, she wished it would hurry along. She was starving!

*********

Eileen Snape. His mother's name.

Everyone at the table turned and looked at him as if he knew exactly who she was. Well he didn't. But it seemed that Aurora Sinistra did.

He took notice of their interaction: the smiles and waves. Who was this girl?

Severus couldn't take his eyes off her as she was getting sorted, and he almost expected her to get sorted into Slytherin, as did probably most of the Great Hall. When she made her way off towards the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to a bushy-haired girl, Severus was even more intrigued.

Snape wasn't that unusual of a name; it was unlikely that she was related to him. For one, she didn't look anything like his mother. Her hair was filled with waves, and she was tanner. But she could pass for having the Snape eyes, dark hair, and nose, although it wasn't as prominent on her face.

He turned to Aurora and asked, "How do you know Miss Snay, mhm Snape?" He struggled with the word, unaccustomed to stating it aloud in such a context.

Aurora glanced at him with a curious look, "I helped her with her transition to Hogwarts. Quite an extraordinary girl. She already knew all about magic and whatever she didn't know, she quickly picked up!"

Severus internally breathed out a sigh of relief. None of his father's family knew anything about magic, and chances were the majority of them would reject the notion like his father had rejected him.

Professor Quirrell, from his left, asked, "Is she of any relation to you Severus?"

Severus took note that several of the Professors were interested in his answer. "Unlikely. No one on my father's side knows about magic," he projected loudly and clearly. The last thing he needed was for someone to believe he had abandoned his own progeny or that this girl was a nephew or niece or some other crazy notion.

Eileen was enjoying everything so far at Hogwarts. The classes were great and she was learning so much. Things she would never have learned at school in the orphanage. Even better, Eileen wasn't even behind in the coursework in comparison to everyone else. In fact, she believed that she was actually ahead. So far, she had been catching on to the material quick, but she definitely did not know as much as Hermione, who was a walking encyclopedia. Some of the other students didn't like that about Herm, but Eileen didn't mind. She truly enjoyed Hermione's sincerity about learning and the girl's spirit and interests complemented her own!

Eileen still also spent much of her free time with Harry and Ron. Ron had taught her some Wizarding games and much about the culture of this new world she now lived in. His sense of humor and easy-going nature was one that she admired, and it brought a lightness to her day that she hadn't felt so continuously in quite a while.

But despite that, Harry was her favorite friend so far at Hogwarts. They had an instant kinship that she couldn't explain. Maybe it was because they had both faced hardships in their lives or that they both didn't have anyone who really loved them anymore; regardless, she had already spent hours telling him so much about her life at the orphanage and her Da and he had told her all about his awful relatives, the Dursleys, and what he remembered about the day his parents died. Eileen wasn't sure that she would ever be able to find someone to whom she could relate to more closely.

Eileen would've liked all her friends to be friends with each other, but Ron and Hermione would just not get along; Ron kept emphasizing how he couldn't stand her. Hermione kept exclaiming how ignorant he was. Eileen had given up trying to make them friends, even though it exhausting to be around their mean-spirited bickering.

When walking to class, she quickly realized, it was often easiest to walk with either just Hermione or just Harry and Ron.

Today though she was walking with just Harry because Ron decided to talk to one of his brothers at breakfast about a letter from home. Walking around with Harry was unusual, Eileen decided. Everyone stared and pointed and discussed his scar. It was extremely annoying, and she was glad that she wasn't the center of all this attention. She wasn't sure how Harry was putting up with it, but he never really mentioned it to either her or Ron.

They were on their way to their first Potions Class with Professor Snape. Ron had mentioned earlier at breakfast that Professor Snape, as Head of the Slytherin House, favored his students more than anyone. Eileen wasn't sure if she believed it, but even if that was the case she didn't care. She had already read a little bit of her Potions book, and it had been so interesting that Eileen just knew this was going to be her favorite class!

Potions lessons took place in the dungeons, which were freezing. The classroom was set up with several long desks, big enough to seat two people. Hermione was already sitting in the first row with Neville Longbottom, so Eileen decided to sit behind her in the second row. She was glad to see that Harry chose to sit next to her and hadn't ditched her for Ron.

Snape began the class by taking the roll call, and like some of their other professors, he paused at Harry's name. However, unlike his colleagues, Professor Snape, drawled, almost cruelly in Eileen's mind, "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Suddenly beginning to doubt how much she'd enjoy this class, she nervously said "Present," when the Professor called her name. Eileen saw the Professor evade her gaze, quickly moving on to the next student.

Odd, she thought to herself.

After roll call, the professor began to lecture on the subtleties of potion brewing, Eileen began to relax as this seemed much more normal. However, her sense of ease only lasted for a few minutes, because Professor Snape suddenly bellowed, "Potter!"

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

She knew Harry had no clue, and she only knew because she had read the second chapter of the textbook. Eileen took notice that Hermione's hand was raised in front of them, but the Professor, it seemed, could care less.

When Harry responded that he didn't know, Professor Snape sneered and insulted Harry's fame and intelligence.

Is this really happening, Eileen asked herself. She had never seen a professor treat a student like this, and she wanted to stop it from happening but she wasn't sure how.

While Eileen was trying to figure out what to do or how she could help, Professor Snape asked two more questions. She finally heard Harry respond for a third time,

"I don't know," before he continued quietly, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few of their classmates laughed, and Eileen took pride in Harry's courage and quick retort.

Professor Snape, however, was not pleased. He explained the answers to his questions and then yelled at the class "Well? Why aren't you all writing that down?"

Eileen felt so bad for Harry and was so frustrated with the class so far that when she heard the Professor continue speaking, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter" that she couldn't help but roar,

"THAT ISN'T FAIR!"

The class quieted suddenly.

Professor Snape sharply turned to look at her and spoke in a quiet, dangerous tone, "Excuse me?"

He was glaring so harshly that Eileen almost backed down. But then she remembered how the last few minutes had played out, how Harry had been bullied his entire life, and how Hogwarts was supposed to be a sanctuary for both of them from the troubles they had left behind.

Strengthening her resolve, "You pushed him into that response by asking him all those questions from random parts of the book. It isn't fair."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Snape."

"But,"

"And a detention with me tonight. Would you like to continue?"

Harry kicked her under the table, and Eileen knew she had lost. Feeling tears at the back of her eyes, she kept her mouth shut.

Things didn't improve as the lesson continued. Professor Snape swept around in his long black cloak, criticizing almost everyone. He didn't approach the table where Harry and Eileen were working until Neville blew up his potion in front of them and was crouched in pain. Professor Snape ordered Seamus to take Neville to the hospital, before turning to glare at Eileen and Harry. Eileen almost thought he was going to blame them for the mess, but Snape just vanished the mess before continuing his rounds.

After class, none of the other students approached her and Harry except for Ron and Hermione, who tried to cheer them both up. Hermione exclaimed that she thought Eileen was very brave, while Ron told them that Snape was always taking points off and handing out detentions.

Regardless, after that class, all Eileen wanted to do was go back to her room and read in the privacy of her own bed. Hermione decided to accompany her, while Ron and Harry went to visit Hagrid.

Eileen hoped that neither her or Harry would ever have to interact with Snape like that ever again. In fact, she wished that they would never have to see his obnoxious, git of a face. What a monster!

Severus made his way past the gargoyle on the third floor into the concealed Headmaster's tower.

As he climbed up the circular staircase, he wondered why he had been summoned. He really hoped this had nothing to do with Potter and his interrogation earlier today. Severus, in hindsight, knew he had probably gone too far in Dumbledore's eyes, but it was nothing the child didn't deserve. Had he not opened a single book over the holidays? And the nerve Potter had to give him such cheek.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Severus knocked on the door.

"Come in," the voice called from within.

"You wished to see me, Albus?" Severus drawled as he entered the small office. If he was surprised to see Minerva sitting inside as well, he gave no indication.

Severus nodded to the smaller woman, who he respected more than anyone knew. The female Professor nodded back crisply, before gesturing that he should take a seat.

"Severus, would you like some tea," Albus asked calmly.

He shook his head. "I know you called me here for a reason. Better get on with it," he responded curtly.

Minerva gave him a disapproving look, most likely at his tone, before calmly inquiring as if he hadn't said anything, "How was your first day of classes?"

"As good as it could have been teaching dunderheads."

"Now surely they're not that bad," Albus added.

"Neville Longbottom ruined one of my desks and almost killed himself by not following some simple instructions! The rest weren't much better."

"What did Miss Snape do to call upon your wrath?" Minerva questioned calmly, but Severus could hear the undercurrent.

"Hmmmm? I don't believe she has seen my wrath."

Minerva pursed her lips, before continuing. "Then why does she have detention, Severus? It was your first class with them!"

"She had an outburst in my class. Yelled at me, undermined my authority. I first took points and when she continued, I gave her detention. It was well-deserved."

"That's so unusual as Miss Snape has been nothing but a delight in my class!"

"Minerva, leave it be. I trust Severus to not take advantage of his position as a Professor at this school," the Headmaster interjected.

"Thank you Albus," Severus said while attempting to hide any hint of guilt. While he truly believed Eileen deserved detention, he knew Albus would have disapproved of his behavior with Potter, the golden boy. "Now why have you both called me here?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged glances before Minerva stated, "There's quite a bit of resemblance between you and Miss Snape, Severus."

Severus scoffed, "Hardly."

Minerva continued, as if he hadn't spoken, "Even more interestingly, her name is Eileen, a tribute no doubt to your own mother."

"Purely coincidence. She's not my mother's daughter: there is no resemblance there. And she can't be mine."

"Are you sure? Miss Snape is an orphan."

Severus kept his shock hidden at this piece of information. "I am positive that no one I was intimate with during the war could be Eileen's mother. Now, I am done discussing Miss Snape and her origins. I have better ways to spend my time. Is there anything concrete you wish to discuss?"

Minerva shook her head, "Severus, don't blind yourself to opportunities." She gave a little cough before continuing, "Also, don't forget the faculty dinner tomorrow. It seems without a personal invitation, you seem to shirk your social responsibilities."

"I never shirk, Minerva. I will be there. Now may I be excused?"

"A lemon drop before you head out?" asked Albus, offering Severus the bowl.

Eileen made her way towards the Potions classroom as if she was a prisoner trudging to her own execution. Dragging her feet, she knew that time was being wasted but who wished to be early for detention?

Still dejected from the lesson earlier, Eileen was tempted to just not go and head back towards the Gryffindor tower, but she knew that skipping would just make the matter worse and even more drawn out. She just needed to get this over as soon as possible. Gathering her courage, she knocked on the classroom door.

Professor Snape quickly appeared, gesturing her inside. "Follow me."

Eileen was surprised to hear his calm tone and quickly began walking behind him towards the door behind his teacher's desk. She was surprised she hadn't seen it earlier, although she supposed she had been distracted in class. Eileen almost tripped when Snape began talking to her.

"I am brewing a sensitive potion at the moment, so you will be serving your detention in my personal lab. Be careful and do not touch anything," he said curtly, before casting an incantation that opened the door. Then, Snape grasped her shoulder and guided her inside ahead of him.

Eileen was in awe. "This is your potions lab? It's beautiful," she exclaimed, staring at the pristine counters with several cauldrons and test tubes, and the shelves stocked with all sorts of colorful and odd potions ingredients. She saw a school desk in the corner, where she expected she would be sitting, as well as a cauldron mid brew, with steam coming out of the top. It seemed as if the brew was a solid orange color.

Snape ignored her, as he curtly stated, "At the desk, there is a parchment with the sentence 'I will not talk back to my Professors and always treat them with respect'. You will write lines for the duration of your detention. Get started."

"How many times?"

Snape had already moved back towards his potion, "What did you not understand about for the duration of your detention? The more time you waste, the more time you have to spend here Miss Snape. I would highly recommend getting started. If I find the quality of your work not to my satisfaction, then I may make you repeat this exercise tomorrow as well."

Eileen rolled her eyes, before making her way towards the desk. At least she had already finished her homework for today and could just go to bed after this.

Thirty minutes passed where the scratching of Eileen's quill and the stirring of Snape's potion were the only noise breaking the silence. Writing slowly, Eileen hated that she didn't know for how long or even how many times she would have to keep writing. She looked up to see Snape pause his stirring to grab a small beaker which he filled halfway with the orange potion. Pulling a hair from his head, Snape dropped the strand into the beaker, and Eileen observed the liquid turn into a colorless liquid with the consistency of water.

"Miss Snape, I don't hear writing."

Eileen quickly looked down at her parchment and continued from where she had stopped. She was aware that Snape was moving around with the beaker still in his hand. She heard him put something away, before making his way towards her. Looking up, she saw that he was only a foot away.

A little intimidated, but gathering up her courage, Eileen asked brassly, "May I help you?"

"Don't be cheeky," Snape responded. "I'm going pull out a strand of your hair."

Eileen wasn't sure she heard correctly. "Exscuse meOOOh? That hurt!" she exclaimed, while rubbing the back of her head from where he pulled out a stray strand.

"It was barely a pinch."

"That is so, so," Eileen didn't know how to finish her sentence. "How can you treat students this way? This behavior must be against the rules! That's physical abuse!"

Snape ignored her as he straightened out the strand and hovered it above the potion.

Eileen wanted to continue her tirade, but her curiosity got the better of her. "What is that? Why did you need a strand of my hair?"

Snape dropped it in. They both watched as the color shifted from clear to light blue. Snape gave a slight shake of his head before putting the beaker down on the counter.

"You are dismissed Miss Snape."

Eileen ignored him and instead asked, "What does light blue mean? What is this potion?"

Snape looked at her without blinking, as if contemplating whether he should answer or not.

"I have a right to know. You used my hair, for goodness sakes!"

"It is a relationship determiner. It evaluates the exact relationship between two persons."

The words sunk in slowly. Eileen sucked in a breath before slowly releasing, "And what does this color mean?"

Silence followed her question, and she dreaded what he would respond.

"Once the second strand of hair is added, the color either stays the same or changes to blue or red. Clear, obviously, means no relation at all," Severus lectured. "Blue signifies siblings, and the lighter intensity here indicates we are most likely half-siblings."

"Most likely?" she asked, hoping that what she was hearing wasn't true. This man who had just tormented her earlier today could not possibly be her brother.

"We are definitely half-siblings. The potion is highly accurate. I developed it myself."

"Oh." Eileen didn't know what else to say. She tried to wrap her head around this new information, but couldn't.

Looking to fill in the silence with something, anything, she ended up asking, "What would red have meant?"

Severus looked at her calmly, studying her, before responding simply "It would have meant that one of the persons is the parent and the other their child."

Eileen nodded, in shock and only half listening. Her mind couldn't seem to accept that they were related. And siblings! She looked at the Professor. Did they look alike? Studying his face, she realized that he looked like her father. The thought had occurred to her before as well, but she hadn't taken it seriously. Now, however, she saw clearly that they had the same nose. Her Da, however, would never have let his hair grow to this shoulder length, and he had worked outside most of the day, so his skin had never looked this pale.

She supposed that she had briefly thought that they could've been related at the Sorting Ceremony, but she had quickly put that out of her mind after the horrible potions lesson. Even if she had thought that it was possible that they were related, she would never have guessed siblings. Wouldn't her father have told her?

Where do we go from here?

Perhaps, Professor Snape had the same thought because he asked, "You are an orphan, Miss Snape?" Without waiting for her to respond, "I would be willing to be your guardian and offer my home as part of my familial duty."

Familial duty? What an odd phrase. Eileen didn't respond. She didn't even know what to say. Some family must be better than having no one, right?

Her silence didn't deter the Professor, who continued talking, "Did Tobias kick you out when he realized your magic potential?"

Eileen realized he had asked a question and tried replaying it in her head. Did she hear him correctly? "Excuse me?" she asked, unsure what he was implying.

Professor Snape elaborated, "I realize we don't know each other, but I'm sure I can offer you a more peaceful home than the orphanage and what Tobias provided. He hated my magic, and I"

Enraged and finally understanding what he was saying, Eileen shook her head. Cutting him off, she responded angrily, "I don't want to live with a horrible bully like yourself. My father was the nicest, kindest man I know. He would've never treated Harry like you did today. He was the best part of my life until he passed away, and I miss him every day. It disgusts me to know that you're related to me and my father. Who are you?"

Professor Snape looked at her, confused. "Tobias was my father as well, and he was nothing like you just described. He made my life a living hell until"

"STOP! I don't want to hear you talk! Stop it! I won't believe anything you say and I definitely don't believe this random liquid and its different colors!" Eileen interjected, unable to hear him talk ill of her father.

Here was her supposed half-brother, a connection to the father she had loved so much. A relative who was offering a home away from the orphanage, but he was nothing she wanted. This man was a brute, a monster, who was tarnishing the memories of the short time she had had with her father. Eileen felt the anger boiling inside her, rising and rising up. It felt so powerful, and she didn't believe she could control it.

Eileen heard the glass shattering before she felt it.

"Calm down, Miss Snape. No need to work yourself u"

"DON'T talk to me! I HATE you!" she yelled, stepping away from him before looking towards the door and quickly deciding to run away.

"Miss Snape! Eileen," Severus called after her as he watched her speed out of his laboratory. He looked towards where the beaker with the relationship potion, Veras Sanguis, had once stood before Eileen's accidental magic had destroyed it. He wasn't sure what happened; he supposed the last half hour had been a shock for both of them. He probably shouldn't have spoken ill of Tobias until he had heard her opinion of him, but it was hard for Severus to take the image of his father and imagine him as anything other than an alcoholic who hated magic.

Looking around the lab, Severus silently waved his wand to clean up the shattered glass. He went to move the student desk where Eileen had done her work back outside into the classroom, when he noticed that her bag with her books was still there. He knew he should return that to her; it would give them another opportunity to talk as well.

What would I even say to her? I apologize that you couldn't accept the truth? Severus knew that wouldn't go over well.

He would just take her things back to his quarters, and if he ran into any students, then he'd ask them to return it to Eileen.

Eileen had been sobbing for the last fifteen minutes and and didn't know how to stop. The tears just kept coming and the emotions inside left her feeling raw, full to the brim with useless anger and despair. She hadn't even made it out of the dungeons; she didn't want to go through the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor Tower, looking like this. Luckily, while she was running, she saw this dead-end corridor, tangent to the main hallway in the dungeons. It wasn't lit very well, making it the perfect place for her to cry her heart out. A bunch of Slytherins had already walked by down the main hallway, but no one could really see her and so they just kept walking by, which was great. The last thing she needed was for someone to bother her now.

"Snape."

Eileen closed her eyes and refused to look up at the person, hoping he'd just go away.

"Snape, you don't have to talk to me, but here's your stuff. Professor Snape told me to find you and give you your bookbag."

Eileen heard her things drop next to her feet.

"You know, crying doesn't ever really solve anything. You have to stop sooner or later, and then after you pull yourself together, you still have to deal with whatever made you cry in the first place."

Eileen considered what he said. Taking a minute to just breathe in and out, she wiped away her tears before looking up at him from her spot on the ground.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Draco Malfoy," he smirked. "No need to ask who you are. Miss Eileen Snape - a recklessly brave Gryffindor, who stood up to the scariest Professor of Hogwarts just this morning, but is now crying as meekly as a mouse in the dungeons. You might want to hurry up and make your way back to your tower. The Slytherins down here can be quite mean when they want to be."

She watched him leave, absorbing everything he had said. Eileen sat there another minute, before getting up and gathering her bag.

Eileen looked around the small living room, marveling at the moving pictures hung all along the walls.

"Your quarters are beautiful Professor Sinistra," she gushed.

The Professor smiled, "Professor? You haven't called me that since the summer. Why so formal?"

"Well, we're now at Hogwarts, and I'm not sure if it's still appropriate for me to call you by your first name!"

"Well, as long as you refrain from doing it in the hallways or in class, I see no harm. And thank you, I'm glad you like my home away from home. I do stay here almost ten months out of the year! Let me know if you have any suggestions about how I can spruce the place up even more."

"No it's perfect. Homey and warm. Just what I imagined your quarters would be." Eileen dunked a biscuit in her tea before continuing, "Why are you all dressed up today?"

Aurora looked down at her royal blue dress robes with gold trimmings. "We have our start-of-the-year Faculty Reception tonight after dinner. There's actually a get-together for all the Professors every month."

"That's cool! Are you friends with a lot of the Professors?"

Aurora took a sip of her tea, considering the question. "Some I talk to regularly because they're close to my age or teach subjects I'm interested in. We have coffee together during free periods in the Faculty Room. Others I never interact with, and there are various reasons for that as well. Most of my friends work elsewhere, and we visit one another mostly during Holidays or weekends."

"That's cool. Will the reception be fun?"

Aurora grinned, "I doubt it. Formal receptions tend to be quite boring, although every so often, one of the professors gets decently sloshed, providing entertainment and gossip for the rest of us."

"Will you share some of the gossip with me?"

"We'll see." The pair exchanged mischievous smiles. "On a different note, how have your classes been so far?"

Eileen smile dimmed, wondering what the Professor knew. "Really great so far! I've had almost all my classes, and I've loved them so far. I really liked Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout!"

"That's wonderful! And Pomona is one of my good friends here at Hogwarts."

"She seems really sweet but strict."

"Well, Herbology can be dangerous if you're not careful. It's similar to Potions. In fact, the subjects are very dependent on one another in some ways. What do you think of Professor Snape so far?"

Eileen glanced at the Professor, trying to gauge her tone and question. After a beat, she finally responded flatly, "You know."

"Know what?"

"That I had detention with him yesterday," Eileen sneered.

Aurora was a little taken aback at the child's tone. "Well yes, there's a list, and you were the only first year, and I recognized your name. But it's only detention. As long as it's not a regular thing, I wouldn't worry about it affecting your progress here at Hogwarts. And having observed Professor Snape from afar, I know he has very high standards."

"He's an arse. I hate him."

"Eileen," chastised Aurora. "He's your Professor, and he deserves to be treated with respect." Pausing, she decided to add, "No matter how you feel about him."

Eileen didn't respond, instead staring at the crumbs on her plate.

"What did he make you do during detention?"

"Write lines."

"That's pretty standard. I'd probably expect that out of most detentions that you have."

Eileen shrugged. Aurora nerves tingled. Despite having only known the child for a few months, the professor had quickly realized that Eileen was only silent when she was uncomfortable or tired.

"Did anything else happen?"

Eileen looked up quickly, searching Aurora's face for something, before looking down and simply shrugging again.

Aurora reached out her hand to brush aside Eileen's side bangs, making the child look up at her. "Eileen, you can talk to me about anything. I'm here to help you! And if any of your professors, including Professor Snape, do something to make you uncomfortable or even if they just annoy you, you can tell me about it! I'm always here to listen to you, as long as you do it respectfully."

"I know Aurora!" Eileen smiled at the thought, "You're my closest friend. I trust you."

"Good." Aurora paused. "So do you want to talk about it?"

A beat of silence passed, but Aurora didn't push. Finally, Eileen spoke in a whisper, "I really don't. At least, not just yet."

Just yet?, Aurora thought to herself. This situation was obviously more than Eileen upset about an unjust detention. Not wanting to push the girl, she responded, "Of course. I want you to know though that I'm here whenever you need it."

Eileen smiled, "I know, I promise I do."

Aurora smiled back, "Okay then! Have another sweet, and tell me about your house and your friends so far!"

As Eileen, slowly regaining her energy, chattered on, Aurora contemplated how she could figure out what was going on.

Maybe she could talk to Severus later tonight? If he showed up. He was one of those professors that often avoided the faculty social get-togethers.

"Eileen! Wake up," Harry whispered. "Eileen?"

"Wha?" Eileen mumbled, blinking her eyes. Looking around, she realized she had fallen asleep in the library. Again.

Trying to feel less groggy, she attempted standing up and stretching her limbs before looking at Harry, who was glancing at the titles of the books she had on the table. Surprised, she rushed to distract him from looking further, exclaiming, "What are you doing here?"

Harry looked at her suspiciously, before announcing, "It's almost time for our flying lesson so I came looking for you."

"Oh," she responded, quickly gathering up her bag and shoving the papers and a couple of the books into her bag. "Thanks for coming to find me! I'm just going to clean this up before heading back over to the pitch. You go ahead without me."

"It's okay; it'll go faster with the two of us."

"Um, I think we can just leave the rest on table." Grabbing Harry's upper arm, she tried to drag him away from the table.

"You're being weird, Eileen. I know this has something to do with Snape and your detention. But if you don't want to talk about it, then that's fine with me. I can still help you clean up."

Eileen looked at Harry gratefully. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

They quietly worked around each other, stacking the books and carrying them back to where she had originally found them. Eileen had been in the library for the last three hours since lunch, and she still had had no luck with figuring out what potion Snape had used to determine their shared bloodline. Part of the reason she was having such a hard time was because she refused to ask Madam Pince for help.

But Eileen just knew if people found out about her connection to the Professor then she would just end up hating her life here at Hogwarts, and she refused to let that happen. Hogwarts had been so special, so perfect so far. She didn't want to ruin that.

She had thought about the option of just giving up, pretending it had never happened, but for some reason, she couldn't let it go! She needed to know if it was true.

"Come on! We better head out. Ron's waiting outside," Harry whispered.

She nodded, happy that Harry was such a great friend. No matter what happened, at least she had that.

Walking past the library doors, they found Ron leaning against the wall. He smiled at them both, "Excited about our first flying lesson?"

Eileen energetically nodded, smiling back at him.

Harry just shrugged before responding darkly, "Flying with Slytherins? Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably as they started to walk towards the pitch. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch but I bet that's all talk."

Eileen yawned as they walked to their first flying lesson, still groggy from her nap in the library. "Malfoy doesn't seem that bad. And it's not like you don't talk about how good you are at flying, Ron. You were just telling us yesterday about how you narrowly escaped a hang-glider on your brother's broom"

"It was the best flying experience I ever had," Ron reminisced.

"How can you say that about Malfoy? He's such a smug arse," Harry said at the same time.

"He seems nice enough to me. Anyways, I don't think being nervous or worrying about what other people are saying is going to help your flying skills," Eileen deflected. She saw Hermione at the end of the hall also heading towards the pitch but with her head in a textbook. Not wanting to let Harry ask her why she was defending Malfoy, she caught up to the bookish girl and said, "Hi Hermione!"

"Hi," Hermione responded distractedly, trying to speed through the pages.

Eileen looked at the title before saying carefully, "Herm, I really don't think you can learn how to fly through a book."

Hermione, who had been devouring every book she could find about flying and quidditch, quickly cut off any conversation by responding snappishly, "You don't know that Eileen!"

Eileen sighed as they walked outside. Taking a moment to feel the cool breeze in her hair, she realized that she didn't really care about flying and wasn't nervous; if she wasn't good, then she wasn't good. It was just nice to be finally out of the library.

But on second thought, it would be pretty cool if she could pick it up easily. Drawing up some confidence, she began to stride towards the broomsticks on the grass, hoping today would be a good day.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Severus?"

Severus growled internally at the Headmaster. This entire school year could not be going worse.

"Potter is to play on the quidditch team?"

Albus sighed, as if he knew Severus was going to be bringing this up. "Minerva believes it will do him a lot of good, and he is apparently very talented."

"Talented or not, as Headmaster you cannot allow for this special treatment for the boy-who-lived. How will it look to other parents and students?"

"Exceptions have been made in the past. Harry is not the first first-year we have let on the team, he is just the first in over a hundred years. Apparently his talent deems it necessary.

"Now Severus, please stop growling at me and sit down. Nothing you say will change this decision, and I would hate to waste a pleasant afternoon," Albus stated cheerily.

Severus scowled. "There is nothing pleasant about it. Mr. Malfoy's nose is broken, and I am positive Lucius will be paying me a visit personally to discuss the matter of his broken body as well as to why Potter is being rewarded for his misbehavior. This would never have happened if Potter had been in my house!"

"Now Severus, you can't punish Harry for poor Mister Malfoy's condition. Apparently Harry was impressively catching the snitch in a thirty foot drop, when Miss Eileen Snape punched Mister Malfoy."

"Minerva rewarded Potter's daredevil swoop with a position on the Quidditch team! Lily would be enraged if she was here. She would never have allowed her son to play on the Quidditch team as a first-year. Minerva is taking advantage of her status as his magical guardian to make up for Gryffindor's deplorable team.

Severus took a deep breath, before continuing, "That is why I am here Albus. I believe I should be Potter's magical guardian, not Minerva."

Severus tried to seem confident, even though on the inside he was shaking after having dropped that bombshell. He had been thinking about this decision for sometime. Every student at Hogwarts who was from the muggle world was assigned a guardian in the magical world. Often this guardian was the child's Head of House, and the main duties were simply to communicate with the child's muggle parents. Most muggle students never even realized that their Heads of House had that title, even after they graduated! However, every so often, in the cases of abused, orphaned, and miscellaneous cases, the magical guardian could have more control/influence over the student. Severus believed that in Potter's case, a more protective and stern influence was needed, and he believed he was much more capable than Minerva.

Albus had still not responded, staring at Severus contemplatively.

Severus took a breath before continuing, "Albus, you know of my promise to Lily. I do not believe that I can keep the boy out of harm's way if I cannot keep him accountable. Potter needs boundaries, consequences for his behavior, and a consistent authoritative figure. I do not believe Minerva can provide that for him. She has a soft spot for him, just as she had for Potter Senior."

Albus stared at his Potions professor with full concentration. Severus took a deep breath, wondering what the Headmaster would say. He didn't have to wait long.

"I'll consider your request, Severus."

That was not the agreement he was hoping for, but Severus was grateful it was not a flat rejection. "Is this about Minerva? Because I truly believe that..."

"It isn't about Minerva, Severus. Minerva is not Harry's guardian. I am."

Severus stared at Albus with an impassive face, while shock and disbelief shook his core. "Well then Albus, I guess there is no point to this conversation. I will simply come to you with my concerns over Potter's behavior in the future." Internally, Severus scoffed. Albus would never take his concerns seriously.

"I meant what I said, Severus: I will consider it. I am not dismissing your request"

Severus still didn't believe him, but graciously stated, "Thank you."

"Are there any other students whose magical guardianship you have concerns over?" Albus' eyes twinkled, as if he knew something.

Severus contemplated the question. He had first thought of magical guardianship in terms of Eileen, not Potter. However, since their conversation a week ago, she had not muttered a single word in his class, not to him and not to anyone else either. She was a perfect mute in class, sitting next to Potter and silently glaring at him. Unfortunately, the hate etched on her face made him just realize how many of her features she had inherited from Tobias and he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling he felt about her. He tried not to look at her in class or head in her direction, which had allowed Potter and her to work in peace together. He had considered approaching either Albus or Minerva for her guardianship, but he didn't want to raise suspicious.

After today's events though, he realized that he should've asked for Potter's guardianship over the summer, regardless of his situation with Eileen. The boy obviously had a death wish and he needed closer watching, and perhaps he was the perfect conduit for him to ask for Eileen's guardianship as well.

Albus interrupted Severus's thoughts, "I believe Miss Snape was a central figure in today's events. I hear she has a mean right hook."

"Yes, Draco's nose was gushing blood when I saw him in the infirmary earlier, but he will be fine by dinner."

Severus paused, not sure why he was nervous or what he was going to say exactly, "Speaking of Miss Snape," He hesitated, before continuing "I would also like to ask for her guardianship."

That was not as smooth as he was hoping. Severus took a breath before looking at Albus, trying to glean his reaction. He had been expecting shock, confusion, surprise, perhaps something else.

Instead, all Severus saw was Albus smiling. The old man obviously knew, perhaps had even expected this conversation. Severus couldn't stop himself from asking, "How did you know?"

"Why, my boy, it was obvious to me the moment I saw her. She has much of your spirit! And I couldn't help looking into her background, once I had heard her name. Not a big believer in coincidence am I," chuckled Albus.

"What did you find out?"

Albus's expression changed, "And I would love to grant you her guardianship, but unfortunately it is not mine to give. You must ask her current guardian."

"Yes, I'll speak to Minerva then. I'm just not sure how to bring it up," Severus said more to himself.

"Actually, you'll have to talk to Aurora. She asked me permission for it over the summer, and I gladly granted it to her. Apparently, Aurora and Eileen hit it off over the summer. As to what you should say, I find the truth often works best."

"And then before I knew it, his nose was pouring blood and I couldn't stop smiling! It was awful; I was in shock, and the situation wasn't funny, but I didn't know how to stop my lips," Eileen cried. "I'm a terrible person. And I have another detention!"

"Oh wow. It sounds like you had a hard day. Did you like flying at least?"

"I don't know. I was pretty upset the rest of the day," Eileen said as she took a sip of her tea. "I was better at it than Hermione at least, who seemed like she was on the verge of tears at the end of class."

"Why? I'm sure she wasn't the only Muggle Born having a hard time."

"Oh, you don't know Hermione very well, but she hates not being good at something. I think she feels like she has to prove that she belongs here."

"Why don't you bring her to tea next time?" Aurora Sinistra asked. "I'd love to meet her and your other friends, too!"

"Okay!" Eileen exclaimed. "They would love to come! I've been telling them about our weekly teas. It's one of my favorite parts of the week!"

"Mine too!" Aurora smiled. "What's your least favorite part of the week, or have you maintained this level of exuberance for everything at Hogwarts?"

Eileen scowled. "I still hate Potions. But I think I'm doing okay in the class. The material is interesting."

"You haven't had any more detentions with Professor Snape?"

"No. I never talk in class and I always go over the lesson before class so I don't need help. I think I've made it almost impossible for me to get in trouble."

"Or to have to interact with Professor Snape. Why are you still avoiding him?" Aurora paused, recalling their conversation the week before when Eileen had fallen quiet in her description of how much she liked Hogwarts as soon as the topic of Potions had arisen. Ever since, Aurora had been waiting to restart the conversation, in hopes of understanding why Eileen felt the way that she did. "I think it's time you told me what happened last week in detention?"

Eileen stared at the Professor in front of her, wondering what to say. Aurora was the closest adult confidante that she had had for years. Yet, she didn't know how to explain the situation. Eileen had tried wrapping her head around the information she had learned last week, and she had found the potion Professor Snape had brewed in the textbook Genealogy Potions when she visited the library. She was contemplating brewing it herself, but her first-year potion making abilities were lacking. And until she could confirm and duplicate the results, Eileen didn't want to bring up the situation to anyone in case other people found out and the situation became even more of a reality.

Thinking it all over, Eileen, finally, whispered quietly, "I don't know how to explain it, but I think I'd still rather not talk about it."

Aurora contemplated this silently, before reaching out her hand to embrace Eileen's palm and gently rub her thumb across the surface of the distressed child's skin. "Sweetie, we don't have to talk about it now, but I want you to know that I am always here for you. I can tell that you're still upset about your interaction with Professor Snape even though the detention was ages ago. I want to help you. But I can only do that if you talk to me."

"I know. I think I need more time. I'm not even sure if it matters." Would anything even change if she could prove that Professor Snape was telling the truth? "Can we just talk about other things right now?"

"Alright, but this conversation isn't over," Aurora stated gently. "Now, let me pour you some more tea, while you tell me a little bit more about what you've explored so far at Hogwarts!"

The professor sat back, listening to Eileen chatter, but she was internally still concerned. As more time passed, however, she lightened up.

The two continued to happily converse, until a knock was heard on Aurora's door. Eileen checked the time, before exclaiming, "I've been here for almost two hours! I should probably go."

Aurora nodded in agreement, "Okay, pack up your stuff. Feel free to take some sweets with you. I'll just go check who's at the door."

Heading towards the front of her quarters, Aurora checked out her features in the mirror hanging in her hallway. Fixing her bun, she took pleasure in the fact that she had had quite a pleasant Friday, grading papers in the morning before having an enjoyable tea with Eileen.

The crisp knock broke through her thoughts, this time more impatient than the last. She hurriedly pulled open the door, not taking the time to check who it was.

"Aurora," Severus stated. "May I borrow a few minutes of your time?"

She stared at Severus, shocked, but trying to school her features into a more pleasant expression, or at least one that wasn't annoyed at his sudden presence in her home.

"Severus, what a surprise." Moving outside, Aurora left the door only half-open, not willing to invite him in just yet. "How may I help you?"

"I have an important matter that I was hoping to discuss with you before dinner. May I come in?"

Considering her options, Aurora began, "I have company right now, but I could head down to your quarters in

"Aurora?" Eileen called from inside, almost at the door.

Aurora felt the door open behind her. Turning, she said, "Eileen. Professor Snape has something important to discuss with me."

Severus looked shocked to see the student there, but managed to nod out a quick greeting, "Ei-Miss Snape."

Ignoring him, Eileen instead looked at both professors with grave suspicion before responding, "Alright, I was just heading back to Gryffindor. I took some biscuits with me."

"Great! I'll see you soon," Aurora replied, gently side-hugging the child who awkwardly returned it.

"Bye Professor Sinistra," resorting to the formality in her confusion, before heading down the hall.

The two Professors watched Eileen until she turned the corner, before looking at each other.

The silence continued for a few moments until Aurora finally asked, "How can I help you Severus?"

"I need to talk to you about Eileen Snape and your current magical guardianship over her."

Still suspicious, she gestured the Professor inside to her quarters. "Alright, let's talk."

"Snape's in a mood," Ron nodded his head at the High Table. "Do you think it has anything to do with Harry being the Gryffindor Seeker? Or maybe he's upset about you conking out Malfoy?"

"Maybe," Eileen shrugged, before taking another bite of her steak.

She had been sneaking furtive glances at the Professor's table ever since Snape had stomped into the Great Hall, his robes billowing in his wake. The man, after taking his spot near the Headmaster, had alternated between glaring at the Great Hall and his dinner.

Eileen was sure Snape had heard about the Gryffindor/Slytherin flying lesson, but she would bet everything that his angry behavior now could only be explained by whatever happened in his discussion with Aurora.

She snuck another glance at the table, but this time focusing on Professor Sinistra. Aurora was seated next to Professor Sprout, several teachers down from Snape, seemingly oblivious to the grouchy bat.

"You seem quiet, Eileen. Upset about having detention?" Hermione asked from her right.

Eileen shook herself out of her thoughts. "No, it was worth it. Malfoy was such a prat, I'm glad I could give him what he deserved."

"That had been bloody fantastic, Eileen." Ron exclaimed. "By far the best thing that happened today."

"I can't believe I missed it," said Harry. "I heard Malfoy was in the Hospital Wing the rest of the afternoon with a broken nose. Where'd you learn how to hit like that?"

Eileen smiled, "My Da. I know a few moves, so you better not get on my bad side."

"Just wait, Snape. You'll get yours," drawled a less-than-welcome voice behind her.

She turned quickly to see, "Malfoy."

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting on the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that your feet are on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. "Although, I hear they didn't help much when you got knocked down by a girl."

"Hey!" Eileen responded. "This girl can knock down your arse too!"

Malfoy responded before Harry could, "I'm a gentleman and a wizard. I don't fight girls, and I don't fight with my fists. I'll take you, Potter, anytime on my own.

"Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight, all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

"That's ridiculous," Eileen interrupted. "How does Harry know you're not setting him up? And neither of you knows enough magic to be able to do anything regardless."

"Potter, you going to let your girlfriend do all your fighting for you?"

"Try saying that to me again, Malfoy," she remarked, getting up from the table and into his face. Eileen was luckily an inch or so taller. "I broke your nose once, and I can do it again. Detention doesn't bother me."

Malfoy took a step back, unclear whether out of fear or the fact that a Professor was quickly approaching them. "Potter, Weasley. Midnight," he remarked, ignoring Eileen before walking away - his goonies following.

"Is everything all right here?" Professor Sinistra asked as she approached, just missing Malfoy.

"Fine," Eileen responded gruffly. Before she could head back to her dinner, the professor placed her hand on Eileen's shoulder, gently pulling her aside so they could talk.

"What? I haven't done anything!" remarked the eleven year old.

"I know. However, to the professors at the High Table, it seemed as if a brawl was about to break out, and after this afternoon's events, I didn't want to risk you getting another detention."

"Whatever."

Taken aback by the haughty tone, Aurora responded, "Is something wrong Eileen?"

A moment passed, before she whispered angrily, "Why were you meeting with him?"

Aurora nodded her head in understanding before automatically responding, "Professor Snape?"

Eileen didn't respond.

Aurora sighed. "The Professor had something important to discuss with me."

Eileen asked skeptically, "And it had nothing to do with me?"

"Anything the Professor and I discuss is confidential. Just as anything you and I discuss stays between us."

"Well that's bollocks! I have a right to know what he says about me."

"A point from Gryffindor! Miss Snape, we may be friends but I am still your professor. I deserve your respect."

Eileen nodded, feeling chastised by the lost point.

"As I said this afternoon, I am always here to talk if you wish. Anything you tell me will always be kept in confidence, and how can you trust me if I don't keep the confidence of others?"

She nodded again reluctantly.

"All right. Stay away from Mr. Malfoy if you cannot control your temper around him. Do you know where to report for detention?" The Professor paused for a second, observing the student. "Then finish your dinner and head out. You have about twenty minutes."

Eileen, disinclined to apologize or say anything else, nodded a final time before heading back to the Gryffindor table.

As she approached her friends, she heard Hermione chastising the boys about the duel, "you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," replied Harry annoyed.

"I agree with Hermione," Eileen piped up, as she resumed her seat. "Malfoy isn't worth it."

"Says the girl who punched his lights out earlier today," said Ron. "Now look Harry, if he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."

Eileen rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I have detention, which is what you two will have after tonight."

Heading out, Eileen made her way to the classroom Madam Hooch had notified her about. Winding her way through the halls, she considered what Snape could have possibly discussed with Professor Sinistra. Could he have told her their dirty secret? Should she talk to her about it?

Arriving at the classroom, Eileen paused outside.

"Going inside Snape?" she heard behind her.

Eileen turned so fast, she had to gather herself before she could confirm that the voice was Malfoy.

Sneering, she responded, "What are you doing here?"

Before he could respond, Madam Hooch arrived at the doorway and clarified, "He has detention just like you from Professor Snape for his deplorable behavior at today's flying lesson. Now inside you too! I don't have all night."

"Professor Snape gave you detention?" Eileen whispered incredulously as they made their way inside.

"Yes, which is completely ridiculous, considering I didn't do anything, and you hit me!"

"Nothing would have happened if you hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall in the first place."

"Longbottom deserv-"

"Enough!" Madam Hooch glared at them both. The students stilled, turning their eyes to the professor. "Sit down and start writing. You each have a hundred lines. When you finish, you can leave, but only if I like the work you've done. Otherwise, you start over. Clear?"

Eileen felt herself nod automatically, before looking around the classroom. In the first row of desks, on opposite sides, there were two seats with parchment in front. She headed towards the seat closer to the door. Malfoy watched her before heading to the seat on the other side. Madam Hooch nodded, satisfied, before moving to the desk at the front.

Staring at her parchment, she saw the words: 'An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind' appear at the top.

'What?' Eileen thought to herself. Out of the corner, she saw Malfoy begin to write and she wondered if he would be copying the same phrase. Settling herself for the long haul, she picked up her quill and began.

As she wrote, Eileen couldn't help but think about the phrase. What did it even mean? She hadn't treated Malfoy the way he had treated her. Instead, she just gave him what she thought he deserved: a blow to the nose. Her form of justice would hopefully keep him from tormenting others.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," yelled Harry over the wind. "Or both!" he added, after a momentary pause, before diving down towards the ground.

Eileen tried to follow on her school broom, but it was no match for his Nimbus Two Thousand. Regardless, the speed and thrill of flying still brought a smile to her face as she chased after him around the Hogwarts' grounds on this particularly beautiful October Saturday.

As she neared the ground, Eileen tried a new trick, jumping off her broom and rolling on the ground to break her fall. Her broom kept moving forward until it crashed on the ground just a couple feet ahead. Pleased with her horseplay, she jogged towards her broom before moving to grab an empty seat under the closest tree.

Looking up at Harry, she laughed at the flips he was trying himself but in mid-air. Hearing the sound, he charged towards her before making a sharp turn and stopping right at her feet.

Eileen clapped excitedly. "You're getting so good! You'll be perfect in a month for the first match."

Harry shrugged his shoulders nervously, before taking a seat next to her. "So what do you think?"

"About the package? I don't know… it could be anything, but if I had to guess, then maybe I'd say it's a potion?"

"Why?"

"Well, we don't really have a lot to go on… All that stuck out to me is that the mysterious little object could fit into the palm of my hand. Potions could be that size and be pretty well-valued or be super deadly. But even if it was a potion, it could still be any type of potion. And if it wasn't a potion, it could still be anything else." Eileen sighed, feeling helpless, "We just need more clues."

"Yeah, I guess we can try talking to Hagrid again. By the way, I'm still wicked annoyed at Granger for butting in. Talk to her, will you?"

Eileen shrugged, not wanting to state that she agreed with Hermione: they really never should've snuck out or gone to the forbidden third floor. Especially to fight Malfoy, who like she predicted had never shown up and had sicked Filch onto them instead.

They sat in silence for a minute, stuck in their own thoughts, before Harry continued, "So why are you skipping your teas with Professor Sinistra?"

"What?" She gave him a confused sidelong glance.

He rolled her eyes at her but didn't elaborate further. Eileen thought for a moment.

"I haven't been skipping them – we went to tea with Hagrid the week before, and yesterday, I had a lot of work to finish. Not all of us like leaving everything to the last minute," she finished, smiling at him cheekily.

He shoved her. "I don't procrastinate, and you haven't been that busy. She seemed pretty sad yesterday when you told her you weren't going," recalled Harry, thinking back to the awkward conversation he had witnessed yesterday afternoon.

"I'll go next week. You could come with me!"

"See! You're totally avoiding being alone with her!"

She glared at him, "I am not! I might go see her today."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Fine! I'll go now." Eileen jumped up and started brushing away the dirt and grass from her jeans.

She took a couple steps, before turning back towards Harry, "Do you wanna come with?"

Harry laughed but got up as well, following her back towards the castle. "You don't have to go; I was just asking why you were avoiding her. Did she do something?"

"No. Yes." Eileen sighed. "I don't know. Not really, I guess."

"Does this have to do with all the time you've been spending in the library, looking at those potions books?"

She shoved him again lightly, scoffing, "Have you been spying on me?"

"It's hard not to notice, especially considering you don't do any of our actual potions stuff. You don't even like Potions."

"That's not true. I like Potions. I just don't like Professor Snape."

"Who does?" Harry muttered. The Professor continued to ignore Harry when Eileen was around, but would mutter obnoxious comments about Harry when he was alone. The whole situation was confusing and frustrating for Harry, who wasn't sure what he had done. Harry had asked Hagrid about it a couple times, but the giant man refused to answer his inquiries.

"I think that's part of the problem. She's talking to him about me."

Harry tried to refocus on their conversation. "Professor Sinistra and Snape?"

"Yeah. Or the other way around."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. Come on this way," she led them both up the steps of the castle before turning towards the hallway that led to the Astronomy Tower stairs.

"Why would they be talking about you? Also, I don't think I've ever really seen Snape talk to her before. They sit on opposite ends of the High Table."

They turned a corner. "Last time I went to tea, he stopped by as I was leaving."

"So? What does that have to do with you?"

Eileen wondered whether she should tell him about what happened between her and Snape. Thinking over what he said though, she thought Harry might be right – just because they were supposedly blood related (she still hadn't had a chance to make her own potion and confirm!) didn't mean everything Snape did had to do with her. After her detention with him, she had been concerned people would find out that they were half-siblings, but no one had mentioned it yet. Clearly, Snape wasn't telling people, but did that mean she shouldn't either?

"Nothing, I guess." Eileen replied. Harry had asked her for her advice on his trapdoor adventure and the package. Maybe she could trust him to help her too. Eileen continued, now whispering, "But there's something I should tell you."

Looking around, she turned right into a hallway that seemed empty. There was a single door at the end of the corridor and she could see Professor Flitwick heading inside.

"Something happened."

Harry looked up and down the corridor, before responding, "What's going on?"

"You remember when I got detention for mouthing off to Professor Snape? Well, he made me write lines in his personal potions lab while he'd been brewing this potion, Veras Sanguis. It tells the brewer the relationship between two individuals."

Eileen saw his eyes widen and she could see the gears turning in his head. He'd already put it together.

"Is Snape your father?" Harry tried to keep the shock, disdain, and pretty much all other emotions out of his voice in support for his friend. SNAPE?!

"WHAT?!" Eileen let out a little loudly. She shook her head vehemently.

Returning to a whisper, she continued, "No! Not my father. I've told you about my Da! He said he was my brother. Half-brother to be precise, and then he asked me to live with him."

Harry was quiet for a moment before he smiled at her, "That's wow, great. I'm, uhm, happy for you." Internally though, Harry felt a small pang of heartache. Being orphans was one of the first facts Eileen and Harry had bonded over. That and the fact that Hogwarts, even after only a month, had felt like a real home to both of them… He hadn't known anyone else who was as alone as he was in the world until he had met her, but now, even she had someone else.

Eileen looked at Harry, wondering what he was thinking. "It's not great, Harry. He used the potion, told me what it meant, and then started saying these things about our Da. Mean, hurtful things."

She could feel her voice start to crack, but she continued, "I don't believe what he said, but I can't deny that he looks like Da. And I looked up the potion so I could make it myself, but I don't have most of the ingredients or the money to buy them. I also don't think I could do such a complicated potion alone, and I don't want to ask anyone for help! You're the first person I've told."

Harry pulled his friend in for a hug, "It's okay. I can try and help you with the potion, and we can figure it out from there. You don't have to do anything about Snape if you don't want to."

She nodded into his shoulder.

"Have you talked to him since the detention? It's been a month."

Eileen gently pushed away from him and leaned back against the wall behind her. "No. He hasn't tried at all and I haven't been very friendly."

"Makes sense. Is there anyone you can ask about your dad and Snape?"

"No. We always moved around a lot for Da's job, and I'm not in touch with any of his friends. He also never talked much about his life before me; he didn't like talking about it to me or anyone else and now I think I know why."

At that moment, they heard the slam of the door at the end of the corridor and they saw two frustrated professors conversing intensely as they exited from the room: Snape and Professor Sinistra. They didn't even notice the students as they turned down an adjacent hallway.

Harry and Eileen looked at each other surprised at the coincidence, before wordlessly deciding to follow. Hurrying to catch up, they stopped at the end of corridor, not wanting to turn the corner until the professors were further ahead. To their luck, the teachers had stopped in the hallway and were whispering loud enough that the pair of them were able to overhear most of the conversation from their hidden spot:

"What is the cause for the delay? You wanted time to decide, and it's been weeks," Snape whispered furiously.

"Don't gripe at me. I haven't had a chance to discuss the situation with her, and I wanted time to discuss this with the Headmaster."

"You spoke with Albus?" The cold drawl sent a chill up both students' spines.

"Don't take that tone with me. You asked me a very serious request; of course, I would discuss it with the Headmaster." She added, after a second, "and Professor McGonagall."

"Minerva?" If possible, Snape's tone dropped in chill. "I," he emphasized with his hand, "haven't even discussed this with her."

Professor Sinistra replied wryly, "I realized. I also came to know that she isn't the only student you made this request for. Why him too?"

Eileen and Harry looked at each other, realizing they really had no clue at what was being discussed.

"That really is none of your business. Let me know when you've made your decision. I won't be patient much longer."

Eileen and Harry realized his voice was getting louder and that he was heading back towards them.

"This is you, patient?" Professor Sinistra laughed skeptically.

Furiously scrambling backwards, they tried to step quietly towards the other end of the hallway again, but not before the two Professors were standing at the end of the corridor, with a clear view of the guilty students.

"It's been half a mon-" Snape stopped mid-word, shocked at the sight of the two students but quickly analyzing the situation. Trying to recall what they may have overheard, his anger levels started to rise. He began again furiously but this time channeling his annoyance at the two shamefaced children in front of him,

"Eavesdropping? Of all the most disrespectful, impertinent…"

Severus quieted and stiffened when Professor Sinistra put her hand on his upper arm.

"Miss Snape, Mister Potter. What are you both doing in the faculty hallway?"

The two students exchanged glances, trying to decide who should answer. And, more importantly, what they should say.

"Speak!" barked Snape.

Eileen, annoyed at being chastised by her supposed brother, spoke up flippantly, "We're not dogs."

Snape's eyebrow twitched. Before the situation escalated, Harry quickly jumped in, "We had just stopped for a moment to talk. We didn't know it was the faculty hallway."

The Professors tried to analyze the veracity of his explanation.

Professor Sinistra, giving them the benefit of the doubt, questioned, "How long were you here?"

Harry felt his ears burn. "A few minutes?"

She quickly made a decision, "Five points from Gryffindor for eavesdropping. Now,"

Severus interrupted, adding, "From each of you."

Aurora looked at him annoyed. Seriously? Struggling not to roll her eyes and undermine their joint authority, she started again, "Now, hurry up and find another corridor to loiter in."

Noticing their brooms, she smiled, "Maybe go outside? It's a lovely day."

Eileen refused to answer or even look at either of them. Instead, she tugged on Harry's sleeve and they quickly walked past the professors.

They overheard her mutter to Harry, "Ten points? Nitpicky git."

Aurora stifled her own giggle as she heard Harry nervously chuckle. She was glad when Severus decided to let it go, although he had clearly heard Eileen and tensed at her comment. She tried to distract him by continuing their previous conversation,

"I'm taking the decision seriously, Severus. I'll let you know soon. It'd be easier if I thought she would want that, but there's clearly no love lost between you and Eileen from her perspective." She paused, before continuing, "Or between you and Mr. Potter. Why do you even want the guardianship and the responsibility for either of them?"

"That really is none of your concern, but I believe it's for the best. For both of them."

"Well then, I suggest you learn to get along better with them if you want me to transfer her guardianship. Part of this responsibility is to be a confidante as well as a protector. With your current relationship, I don't think either would ever want to talk to you about their problems."

Snape curtly nodded but didn't respond to her point. "Let me know. Soon." He took a moment before continuing, "About Eileen - you have no control over the decision about Potter."

Then, without further explanation, he walked away. Probably back to his own quarters.

That's what he thought. Git, she thought to herself. When she had spoken with the Headmaster, he had asked her to give a recommendation about Harry as well when she was pondering her decision about handing over Eileen's magical guardianship to Professor Snape.

Aurora knew that she would never transfer her ward without feeling secure in the relationship between Eileen and the Professor. She didn't know much about their relationship, but honestly, the last name and similar looks were a clear giveaway… of at least some sort of blood relationship.

Knowing Eileen's background, she didn't want her to give up a chance for an actual family. And despite the Professor's gruff and cold exterior, Aurora believed he genuinely cared about both students deep down.

Watching him stalk off, she added to herself, deep deep down.