”Harry?” Hermione replied with some uncertainty as her eyes fell on the other girl. For a short moment Hermione just stood there – looking at Harry. Then a smile appeared on her face and she ran to her and wrapped her arms around her.

”Oh my god, I've been so worried! When you didn't reply to my letters I...” Hermione mumbled into Harry's shoulder. Harry hugged her back. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to see her friend again. ”I can't imagine what you must have gone through!” Hermione continued as she finally withdrew.

”How did you know?” Harry replied, still in shock.

”Professor Dumbledore came to my house yesterday and... Oh! Professor! I'm so sorry. I forgot you were here,” Hermione said as her eyes fell on the old wizard at the desk.

”Of course,” chuckled Dumbledore lightly. ”You two must have a lot to talk about. I will leave you here for a bit. Beware of the flip-beaked dice.”

Harry hadn't the faintest idea what the Headmaster was talking about but Hermione nodded excitedly and took a seat in one of the armchairs. Harry didn't take the other chair. She just stood there looking at Hermione. It was so surreal to finally see her.

”Erh,” Harry began and Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet hers. The other girl studied her with a strange awe and wonder in her eyes.

”Oh my, Harry! Professor Dumbledore told me you'd look different but... wow.”

”I don't look that different, do I?” Harry replied as she finally took a seat.

”No, I guess not. I mean, yes you do, but I can still see it's you. Do you know what I mean?”

”No?” Harry replied. ”But Hermione, you said the Headmaster came to your house?”

”Oh, yes he did. My parents were very glad to meet him although they are worried now that they feed us right since he kept eating sweet throughout. Well, he told me they had figured it out... about you... and they knew that I knew and that you would like to see me. Well, he also said you had been under a spell and that you'd look different now.”

”It's what I really look like,” shrugged Harry. ”Is it very bad?”

”You look pretty,” Hermione smiled. ”No, really, you do! It's just... different. It'll take some getting used to I guess.”

”I missed you,” Harry offered, not really knowing how to say such things.

”Oh, Harry!” Hermione cried as she jumped out of her chair and once again flung her arms around Harry. ”I missed you too! What happened, Harry? Didn't you get my letters?”

”I didn't,” replied Harry suddenly feeling like she was on the verge of crying. ”I thought... But you didn't! You really did write to me! Someone took the letters but I couldn't get them back! I tried Hermione! I promise I did!”

Hermione narrowed her eyes considerably. ”Someone took the letters? Do you know who did it? That's stealing!”

”Yeah, I know... But no one believes me so what does it matter anyway,” mumbled Harry.

”Harry, who was it? Maybe we can...”

”I don't want to talk about that. I haven't seen him since anyway. How was your summer?”

”You want to hear about my summer? But after everything that's happened you...” Hermione replied, astounded that Harry wanted to hear about that when so many strange things had happened to her that were much more exciting to discuss. Harry knew Hermione could resist a mystery just as well – or rather just as poorly as she herself could. The trouble being that Hermione was much more persistent and thorough in her research. The thing was, now that Harry finally sat in front of one of her friends she found she didn't want to talk about her own summer. She wanted to forget about it and just let everything be normal for a while.

”My parents took me to Cardiff for a week. My mum has an old aunt there. I didn't like her much because she kept shushing me all the time for no reason but at least I got to take long walks. It was beautiful. Have you ever been to Wales?”

”No,” Harry shook her head. She wanted to side with Hermione but if she had to be honest she honestly didn't think the aunt was shushing her just for the fun of it. Honestly, Hermione could give better lectures than McGonagall if she first got herself going. She smiled.

”Are we allowed to go outside? It would be really fun to see the tower in summer – or perhaps the library!” said Hermione.

”I don't think so,” replied Harry quickly. Clearly Hermione thought she was here on Harry request and so she couldn't possibly know that Harry wasn't in fact supposed to be there. How would she explain sneaking around to Hermione?

”Really? I'm sure if we ask permission we...”

”Hermione, I can't you see... I'm not supposed to walk around the castle alone.”

”But we'd be together...”

”No, I'm serious!” How was she going to go about this? ”Let's just stay here.”

”Okay,” said Hermione quietly. ”Harry, what's going on? You look scared of something?”

”It's nothing.”

”You can tell me anything,” countered Hermione, clearly not buying it. ”You know I could talk to McGonagall about it if you like?”

Yeah, like that's going to help! She's not the one who is going to kill me! She knew at some point she'd have to tell Hermione – not about the whole thing with her... with Snape. Not only had she been told not to but she just could see how she'd ever tell her that. It seemed her Gryffindor bravery was failing her. Well, there's that. She knew she would have to tell her about what the teachers were planning. Of course she still hoped that if she put up enough of a fight they'd let her stay in Gryffindor. She looked up into Hermione's soft eyes and considered just spilling it all now. But Hermione looked so happy to see her and so concerned on her behalf. How could she sit there and tell her they might not be in the same house anymore?

”I wonder what that is,” she said as she got out of her chair and went to Dumbledore's desk where several papers were lying. It was a poor distraction but it seemed to work.

”I don't think we're allowed to look at that!” Hermione warned. ”No, wait!”

Harry moved some papers around. Mostly just lists of what Harry presumed was new students and letters. Then her eyes fell on a large letter lying folded on top of an envelope with a large M stamped on it. The letter consisted of several sheets but what caught Harry's eyes was the name Harry Potter. She took it and unfolded it. There was her old name. There was her new name in Snape's spiky handwriting. There was Dumbledore's signature and near the bottom the signature of someone named Elsbet Magpie from the Department of Registration and a large stamp that read: Approved. Near the top was another stamp that said copy. She put down the name-change form and didn't notice when Hermione snatched it because her attention was caught by the second document. It was her birth certificate. Only this wasn't her original one. This one was brand new. It had her new name at the top. Under mother was the name 'Lily Potter nee Evans' and under father was simply the word unknown. This one had the signature and stamp of someone in the Department of Family Affairs.

”Is this... Is this your new name?” Hermione suddenly inquired. She was holding the first form in her hand and inspected it with astonishment.

”Oh, yeah, it is,” Harry shrugged. ”Well, I needed a new one.”

Hermione suddenly gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. ”Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know! And I've been calling you Harry all this time!”

”Hermione, you still can! That's the whole point of having... that.. as my middle name,” Harry reassured her.

”But what do you prefer?

”I don't know,” shrugged Harry honestly. ”I'm still trying to get used to it, you know? And it's hard when you don't hear anyone else call you that. It's just Miss Evans this and Miss Evans that... That's kind of weird too.”

”It's a pretty name,” mused Hermione. ”Did you choose it?”

”Erm, yeah,” Harry blushed, not wanting to tell Hermione whose idea that actually was.

”Well, I like it. I'll use it if you'd like me to,” Hermione nodded as she handed the form to Harry. Harry folded the documents and placed them back on the desk in the same place they had been in upon discovery. She didn't really know what to say to that.

”Victoria?”

Her head shot up. Somehow her stomach filled with ice at the sound of it. She stared at Hermione. She found she couldn't bear it right then. When she heard her name pronounced she was instantly reminded of the person who had given her the name, where she was, what she was doing and all the emotions that had been whirling around inside her for so many days.

”Could you... Could you call me Harry, just for now? It's just... Everything feels normal when you do.”

”Okay,” Hermione said thoughtfully. ”But Harry? If you're not... happy about something, you can tell me. You know that right?”

”Yeah,” smiled Harry weakly.

”Maybe you could come visit?” said Hermione, changing the subject as she noticed Harry feeling uncomfortable.

”I'd love that!” replied Harry. That would be amazing. Surely she could get the adults to agree to that! And Hermione would be there with her and they could have fun together! Well, knowing Hermione they would also have to study but honestly Harry didn't care as long as her friend would be there.

”We can talk to Dumbledore about it,” suggested Hermione.

Yeah, but who is going to ask Snape and McGonagall? In the next moment the door to what she presumed were Dumbledore's private quarters opened and Harry quickly stepped away from the desk. The Headmaster emerged, a smile on his lips.

”Ah, Miss Granger, I promised your parents to have you returned shortly. We had better not disappoint them.”

”Professor? Harry and I were wondering if she could come and stay with my family for a while this summer?” said Hermione.

Dumbledore halted. His gaze shifted to Harry whose eyes instantly dropped to the floor. She could feel him studying her.

”Perhaps. We will see about that but I cannot promise anything yet and you must get permission from your parents first before we can really consider it,” he smiled at Hermione.

Harry knew Hermione to be perceptive and she did give Harry a sympathetic look as she noticed the other girl's discomfort but she clearly didn't attribute it to Dumbledore's presence for she beamed at his words.

”I should get back, Harry. Mum and dad are going to worry if I'm not back soon. I'll see you soon!”

”Bye, Hermione!” Smiled Harry and hugged her friend goodbye.

Hermione nodded before she stepped closer to the fire. Dumbledore handed her a small pot from which she took something that Harry couldn't see. She then cried out an address, threw it and disappeared – all before Harry could truly register anything of what was going on. She waved goodbye to the green fire with a dumbfounded expression on her face as the fire calmed and turned from green back to orange. Dumbledore moved to his desk and sat down placing two book on the desk top entitled Transformation Algorithms: Why it is not boring and The Prevailing Morality.

”Professor?”

”Hmm?” replied Dumbledore as if he'd been in deep thought.

”Why was... Why did you invite Hermione here? I mean... I'm really glad you did of course but...”

”I rather thought you would enjoy the company of someone your own age,” twinkled the old man.

”But you said that... Why couldn't I tell professor Snape?” said Harry in confusion.

”Because when last the topic was raised he objected to your friends coming here to see you,” continued Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't believe it. Snape had said her friends couldn't come? Really? She'd been miserable the entire summer for more reasons than she could count and when she ended up with him he did nothing but complain about everything she did. He didn't even want her there! Harry's eyes filled with a green fire that rivaled the one Hermione had traveled in.

”Now, Harry...” Dumbledore said, sensing her mounting fury. ”There's no reason why you cannot see them I'm sure we can come to some form of understanding.”

”Right,” huffed Harry as she sat down in a chair and crossed her arms. ”Why do you do that?” she said with the intention of changing the subject so she might fume in peace later. Dumbledore only raised his eyebrows in confusion, she continued: ”Why do you call me, Harry? All the other teachers don't. Aren't you supposed to call me Miss Evans or Evans?”

”I would if you prefer it but as I said earlier today you are no ordinary student and so I haven't addressed you as one. Speaking of which... How are you coping with your new name? A pretty yet interesting choice I dare say,” said the professor, looking over the rim of his glasses.

”I should go,” Harry suddenly said as she rose from her seat. ”She didn't like being here now that Hermione wasn't there.”

”Wait just a moment, Harry! I would like to talk to you about the sorting.”

”I already said I'm not doing it!” hissed Harry.

”Harry,” Dumbledore sighed. ”The sorting hat has already made the decision. You have been entered into the records as joining the second year Slytherins this term. It is done now.”

”Why don't you care about what I want? I want to stay with my friends!”

”You will always have your friends, Harry. Those who love us do not leave us behind so easily. This is important. I know you've not been on the best of terms with some of the Slytherins but I would like that to change. I want you to build bridges as they say.”

”I'm not building anything with Malfoy!” she glared.

”Ah, but do you not see? That is precisely the point. You must. In fact I believe they would benefit from your friendship. It would bring the houses closer together and you may introduce them to the Gryffindor values,” twinkled Dumbledore.

”He's a slimy prat!” retorted Harry.

”Forgive and forget, Harry. A saying I dare say your mother lived by.”

”What do you mean?”

”Otherwise we wouldn't have you, would we? Ah, but it's getting late. Give some thought to befriending your future house-mates.”

Harry didn't need to hear anything more. She slammed the door behind her as she went.

---

What the hell is that supposed to mean? She stormed down the stairs, positively fuming. For one thing anything regarding her transfer was enough to send her over the edge but it wasn't just that. Forgive and forget. Otherwise we wouldn't have you. She knew it! That just had to have been a reason why Snape hadn't mentioned anything about the past. Clearly he did something to her mum as well. Was it as bad as what James did? And if it wasn't why wouldn't he tell her?

Consumed by these thoughts Harry reached the end of the stairs and as the gargoyle lept aside she made her way towards the smaller hallway. She was surprised to find that the armor had moved at least three meters down the hallway and was now equipped with an axe. She could have sword it was a sword earlier. She took a moment to listen for any signs of Peeves about. Sure enough it was the same armor, as she discovered when her cloak was inside where she left it. She wrapped the cloak around her shoulders. Speaking of Snape, never mind Dumbledore's mysterious words, would Snape have noticed that she was gone? What would she even say if he had? Earlier that day she had only barely managed to get away with lying to him but what would be her excuse now? Not that he had any right to tell her where she could and could go, but somehow she didn't think he would see it that way. She could tell him she went to see another professor, perhaps? But he'd likely just go and ask them. Unless... He didn't like them. Perhaps. Harry took a deep breath. Perhaps she would be lucky and he hadn't yet left his lab.

The office door wasn't locked. She had halfway expected it to be. In fact she had expected Snape to be at his desk, glaring at her the moment she silently stepped inside but the room was quiet and the remaining embers in the fireplace was the only source of light. She fumbled her way to the right book and stepped through the door with her heart in her throat. The living room was quiet except for the crackling fire. She was alone. There was no sound coming from the kitchen or the hallway either. He hadn't left the lab then. Sighing with relief, Harry went to her room. She could have sworn she had closed the door behind her but clearly she should be thanking her lucky stars that Snape hadn't passed or it would have been clear to see that she wasn't there. Quickly she stuffed the cloak into a shirt and hid it in the wardrobe and she couldn't have finished soon enough for the next thing she heard was a loud bang emanating from the living room.

She got on her feet and sneaked into the hallway with her heart racing. Had she knocked something over? Had something happened in the lab? She didn't even make it to the door before she came face to face with the Potions Master himself.

”Did you...” she blurted out, intending to nonchalantly question whether he'd blown up his own potion but she never made it to the end of that sentence before Snape hands clamped down upon her shoulders.

”Where have you been?” he hissed. His fingers dug into her but Harry didn't dare complain. She stood there gaping at him, unable to remember what exactly she'd planned to do.

”I was... in my room,” she offered. That was clearly the wrong response because Snape's scowl darkened tremendously and Harry was uncomfortably reminded of a viper preparing the strike.

”Do you realize I have been looking for you for more than half an hour?”

”Erm... Well, you know maybe we just missed each other?” mumbled Harry as she tried to back away.

”Excuse me?”

”Well, maybe I was in the kitchen when you looked in my room and so on,” said Harry. She tried to shrug but that proved to be a mistake with Snape's tight grip on her. Snape slightly bent down until their faces were mere centimeters apart.

”Do you take me for a fool?”

---

Severus glared at the small girl squirming in front of him. His heart was still racing. He'd been just about to give Minerva a panicked floocall when he had heard someone in the hallway. She was not one of his snakes – well, not until recently at least and she had no idea how deep the dungeons went or how to navigate them. After all it was only last year he had to search them for hours only to find Blatton – a nitwit of a first year, stuck in one of the old drainage pipes. How exactly he'd managed to get in there was still a mystery as Severus hadn't been able to get a coherent response out of the boy. That was only the dungeons. The castle had a life of it's own. There were so many rooms, so many spells that no one alive knew about them all. Not even Dumbledore did. Ancient as he was, there were still plenty of things that were before his time.

”You were nowhere near this place,” he thundered. The girl seemed frozen. Her eyes where vacant. Severus knew that stare. He'd seen it hundreds of times. Especially with a certain little blond boy who often found himself in trouble. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to come up with some sort of story. Severus didn't know whether he should feel disappointed or happy that she was a terrible liar compared to his snakes. Gryffindors generally were bumbling deers in headlights in such situations. No! Not a Gryffindor. She was a Slytherin. The hat had said so. Gryffindor was James and his lot. Severus dismissed the thought that Lily was a lion too. She was clever enough to be in Slytherin – he had always thought so. If only she had been things might have been different. Do you really think your peers would have welcomed her? Do you really think they would have left her alone? A small voice whispered. I would have protected her. I wouldn't have let anyone touch her! Severus reasoned with himself but he was getting off track. He stared down at the child in front of him. The last bit of Lily. The testimony that she really had believed in him. The reminder of everything he had lost and everything he still had to lose.

”I... I told you I had to go to the library,” Victoria mumbled. She didn't even look at him. Severus felt his heart sink. That was new. The anger was there too. The anger he was fighting to keep down. Where did the sadness come from? The disappointment? Had he honestly thought she was going to tell him what was really going on? It wasn't just now. Something had happened earlier as well.

”The library?” Severus repeated slowly. ”And where, may I ask, is your book? In you room perhaps?” The panicked look on the girl's face was priceless and in any other circumstance Severus would likely have thought it hilarious.

”Umm... I couldn't find it,” she replied. What was the point of it? His entire argument to Dumbledore had been that he could provide better protection for her if she was near him. What kind of protection could he possibly provide when Victoria didn't even trust him enough to follow the simplest instructions? How could he protect a child if he couldn't trust her not to sneak around. He knew who he was. He knew he was the scary bat of the dungeons – and yes, the occurrences of Slytherins coming to him because they were upset, homesick or scared of the dark were few and far between. He didn't complain. There were prefects to deal with that sort of thing and frankly he couldn't be bothered with it. But when there were serious problems, when they were in trouble or something serious had happened the majority did come to him – even if many were shaking in their boots as they did so. Was the girl to scared of him to confess? The thought was sickening. Children shouldn't ever be afraid of their parents – he knew that. Perhaps it was the other way around? Had he lost his touch with her and could no longer intimidate her into confessing? He didn't know what to make of it. It was unfamiliar territory to him.

”Let me make myself very clear,” he said as calmly as he could after a moments silence. ”You're lying. I know it and you know it. I'm at the very end of patience. I'm only asking you one more time – where have you been?”

There! Honestly he didn't really know what he planned to do about it. A part of him just wanted to shake her and preferably give her a few smacks to the rear but that tiny voice that sounded uncomfortably like Minerva was huffing at him saying that wasn't likely to help the situation at all. What did parents even do when they reached these kinds of stalemates? He had tried it before as a teacher but then the solution had been to owl the child's parents and have them deal with it. This was his child. He knew exactly what his own parents would have done. His mother would have let Tobias handle it and Tobias... Well, he wasn't ever going deal with Victoria by his example. She had already known too much of that sort of thing despite her relatives being near angelic by comparison to his own childhood home. But any amount was too much.

”I just...” said Victoria as she scraped the floor with her left shoe. Severus loosened his grip on her considerably. What did his mother used to say? Severus sighed.

”Believe it or not I am only trying to help you. My main concern is your safety but I cannot guarantee it if you are not honest with me.”

He wasn't a fool. He knew she was likely lying because she knew she would be in trouble if he knew the truth. He briefly considered promising her he wouldn't punish her should she tell the truth but quickly dismissed that as a foolish notion. That would teach her absolutely nothing. He had sworn he wouldn't allow her to escape consequences like others had done before him.

She looked almost... guilty? That was a good sign.

”Miss Evans?” he urged her in a stern voice.

Too late he realized his mistake. Something changed in her eyes and she pulled away from him, stepping backwards towards her room.

”You only care about me doing whatever you say. Well, I don't need you to protect me! I beat Voldemort twice! So stay out of it!”

The mark hidden under his sleeve flared with pain but Severus didn't flinch. He stood there expressionless for a moment as the furious girl huffed and puffed like she was about to bring the castle down about their ears should he contradict her. What did his mother used to say? The fact alone that he couldn't remember spoke volumes. His hands were shaking and he quickly clenched them before he marched into the confused girl's room and opened her wardrobe. Grabbing a pair of pajamas he took Victoria by the arm and pulled her out through the hallway entrance. She didn't protest, clearly too shocked to speak. When they finally reached their destination, he flung the door to Minerva's office open without bothering to knock and pulled the girl inside.

”Severus, was is...” Minerva said as she quickly rose from her desk.

”She will be staying with you tonight,” Severus replied. It wasn't a question, it wasn't even a request.

Minerva looked shocked but quickly opened the door to her own quarters. ”Harry, get inside, I'll be right there.” Victoria didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed the clothes in Severus' hand and disappeared through the door. Severus couldn't help but notice that she was crying again.

”Severus!” cried Minerva as he turned to leave. She closed the door. ”You're telling me what's going on right this minute.”

”I can't...” hissed Severus. ”I just can't... I don't know what to do.”

”And so you give up? Severus! No! Sit down! Talk to me.”

He remained standing but made no move to leave. ”She's lying to me, Minerva. She's sneaking around, lying about where she's been and nothing I do seems to help. I can't do this. How can I protect her if she's fighting me all the way?”

”What exactly have you done?”

”I tried to be patient. Isn't that what you've been telling me to be all these years? I informed her I knew she was untruthful and I gave her several chances to come clean but she will not.”

”And so you give up?”

”What am I supposed to do?” sneered the dark man. ”Lock her in her room? Veritaserum? You would have had my head for that.”

”Undoubtedly,” the woman agreed. ”Your problem, young man, is that you want to have your cake and eat it too. You want your daughter to trust you but you refuse to earn that trust.”

”She trusts you, does she not?” Severus interrupted.

”Barely,” replied Minerva. ”I have been her Head of House for a year. Even so I have done my best to include her when possible and I have been honest about my intentions.”

”And I have not?” scowled Severus, feeling his blood boil.

”No,” said Minerva coldly. ”How could you be when you cannot even be honest with yourself. I suggest you decide what you plan to do and you decide quickly. What is she to make of you?” When Severus didn't reply she continued. ”I asked you last time we spoke in this office whether you wanted to be a part of her life – I suggest you figure it out and you figure it out fast. The Headmaster contacted me. Apparently Hermione Granger has been trying to contact Harry to invite her home for a week. Perhaps that might be a good idea?”

”Granger?” Severus huffed. It couldn't be too bad. The girl would be hidden from the wizarding world's eyes there. He took a deep breath. ”I'm not good for her. I don't know what to do.”

”I'm no mother myself but it is my understanding that no parent does. They learn as they go along,” replied Minerva. ”I will watch over her until tomorrow. I suggest you speak with her then and then she may go to the Grangers. Then you may both have a week to consider things.”

A few hours later Severus sat in his bed with his eyes wide open, starring into the dark. Who am I kidding? I cannot do this. His thoughts went to what he had felt earlier that evening, what he had felt that day in Kitty's Creek, what – if he was honest with himself, he had felt traces off as he watched a boy named Potter standing by an unconcious troll, nearly falling of his broom and lying lifeless by the Mirror of Erised. He knew one thing: Even though the thought of a life near Victoria as terrifying the thought of a life without her was unimaginable. He wondered why it was no longer just because Lily would have wanted it so.