Helen Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter One
Which Switch Witch

The dawning sun silhouetted the stacks and roofs of the factory that was responsible for the rise of Spinners End. Most of the houses were run down to some extent, their owners rarely having time to care for things like the lawn or simple repairs. The homes of the old workers, the retirees were the ones in good shape. None of them were lavish, they weren’t the homes of the suburbs; with their perfect gardens and nosy neighbors. These were workman’s houses. Cheap and built by the company to house their employees. There was one residence though, it belonged to Snape, a dark man who the neighbors avoided. It was easy to avoid him, he was rarely home. He lived there with his young daughter and the two had turned the place into a haven. The lawn was always neatly tended, the bushes trimmed back, and the home kept in good repair. It had a high privacy fence that kept everyone from intruding on the solitude of the backyard and the many strange plants that Snape and his daughter kept. She had arrived almost ten years ago and with her change came. Severus Snape refurbished and repaired the old house, then began to raise his child there between terms.

Then three years later he infused the area with new money. With the help of a friend, he bought the old mill, and the plant began to spin fabric again. His corner of Cokes Worth began to push out bolts of fabric, spools of yarn, and to employ teamsters once more. The river was cleaned up, the park repaired, and even the old lamps and streets were refurbished. It seemed that the more alive Severus Snape became the more alive his home became. Now, even the shabbiest house only had a few loose shingles and a lawn in need of mowing. But that one house… strange people came and went, there were times when the Snape’s would be home and then suddenly the house would seal itself and they had simply vanished, and then there were smokes. Smokes of all colors came from their chimney. Blues, and greens, and reds, and yellows wafted from the stacked bricks to confuse the neighbors. But the girl with the red hair was as vivid as the colors and the sound of her laugh filling the street kept the neighbors from being too bothered.

Helen Potter rolled over in bed at the sound of her dad’s voice calling up the stairs. He wasn’t her real father, but for the last almost ten years he had been the only father she had ever known. She had been raised here and the home where she spent most of her time, Hogwarts. She couldn’t gather wool long though, her father was not a patient man, even at the best of times. She slipped on a jumper and skirt and crashed down the stairs for breakfast.

“Must you run down the stairs?”

Helen giggled at the inky darkness at the stove, “Sorry dad, I’m starving!”

“Well, tuck in then.”

He placed the platter of eggs and another of bacon in the center of the table along with a plate of toast and crock of butter. Helen looked closely at him while she ate, he had an aristocratic nose with a slight downturn at the tip. His hair was straight and currently clean, but she knew that once he started working it would get oily in no time. His name was Severus Snape, the Potion Master of Hogwarts, and he spent a lot of time over hot cauldrons. The heat and strange ingredients meant that he had to shower twice a day to keep his skin and hair clean, and during the school year he rarely had time. They finished breakfast in silence, as they often did, before Helen went to do the dishes. It wasn’t that they had nothing to talk about, they spoke plenty. It was the fact that Severus Snape was a bear of a man on the best of days, but doubly so without his coffee.

She was just finishing the last of them when there was a knock on the door. Severus placed the dish he was drying on the counter before walking to the front of the house. When he returned, he had Albus Dumbledore with him. The old wizard was in purple robes, his white hair and beard looking splendid in the gleaming sunlight.

“Uncle Albus!”

Albus Dumbledore smiled, his eyes sparkling, “Hello Helen, how are you today?”

“I’m well, dad is going to show me how to do some new moves on my broom today.”

“That sounds lovely,” Albus beamed. “I have a bit of business with you today though. As I understand it, your eleventh birthday is just a few days away. Normally you would receive this by owl post, but I wanted to see your face.”

From his sleeve he produced a simple envelope which he handed to her. Helen tore it open and squealed as she read it.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)

Dear Miss Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1^st September. We await your owl by no later than 31^st July.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

She looked up at Severus and grinned, “Can I borrow Horacio?”

Severus scowled, “I don’t think that will be necessary, just tell Albus you’ll be there.”

“I’ll be there Uncle Albus, but I have a question, can I bring Mia?”

Albus nodded, “An exception can be made in this case. Now, why don’t you run upstairs and let me talk to Severus.”

Helen left them to it and returned to her bedroom, she had a friend to talk to and was hoping she had returned. She was in luck, as she entered the room Mia wound her way onto the bed. Mia was a six foot long boa constrictor. Helen sat next to her and stroked her scales before putting on her shoes.

“Hello Helen, you sssseem happy.”

“Hello Mia, yes I am. We are going to Hogwarts, that’s why I’m so happy.”

The snake swayed, “I get to hunt in the casssstle again, how wonderful.”

“Yes, you do. Look out Hogwarts’s rat population!”

“You ssssshould get ready. Your father isssss growing impatient with the old one.”

Helen went to her mirror and started to brush out her hair. Severus was fond of telling her that she looked just like her mother, with her curly red hair and gentle smile it was easy to see. The only real difference between them were her impish hazel eyes. Severus said it looked like she was always plotting mischief, and he was usually right.

She pushed her small square framed glasses back up her nose and reminded herself again that she needed to take them off before she fell asleep. She picked up her copy of Moste Potente Potions and returned it to her bookshelf, placing it between Transfiguration of Tomorrow and Creative Casting. She looked over the shelves at her copy of Hogwarts: A History, Abraham Lincoln; The Civil War Years, and How to Draw Anime (the complete collection) before stroking Mia’s head. Severus prized intelligence as much as cunning and they spent their summers abroad, teaching her a wealth of information about history, both muggle and wizard, potions, defense, and everything else that her hazel eyes fell on in a bookstore. Indeed, Severus was just as likely to spend an afternoon discussing Plato as he was to practice wand movements with her.

This year they were planning to spend three weeks in the Congo hunting rare ingredients for Severus’s research. They had started off their vacation with two weeks in Los Angeles spending time at muggle spa’s, touring wizarding LA, and enjoying the beaches. Helen couldn’t understand why so many families spent their summers acting as if they were bound to their houses. Severus wouldn’t have it. He had spent his childhood dreadfully poor and now that he had a well-paying job he was only too willing to enjoy some of the finer things life had to offer. To add to his own income from teaching he sold the rare ingredients they found, created new potions, and wrote books on the liquid arts. There was also the muggle investments that he managed for his friend.

Helen knew enough about Uncle Albus and her dad to know they were having a discussion about her. Whenever they did so they wanted her to be out of the room. What Albus didn’t realize was that her dad would tell her what was happening as soon as he was gone. She looked around her room while she waited. The walls were a pale pink that were almost white, feminine but not overwhelming. The wood furnishings and lace curtains were the same as they had been when she first arrived here, only the changing table was gone. Some of her drawings were hanging on the wall, a Chibi of her dad, a few of her favorite characters, and drawings of her parents. She had snapshots of her parents as well. They smiled and waved at her, her mum blowing kisses. There was a poster of the Paris Pirates, a French quidditch team that just happened to have Marjorie Taylor as their seeker, the only sports hero she would accept. There were also movie posters on the wall, some sci-fi movies, a rom-com, and one for an anime convention that Severus had taken her to in Tokyo two years ago.

“Helen, we will be leaving shortly.”

She smiled at her dad’s voice and bolted for the stairs shouting, “Coming!”

“WALK!” She slowed her decent and calmly entered the sitting room, “How many times must I remind you that you are a young lady, not a rampaging hippogryph?”

Helen hmphed, “I may be rampaging, but I do so like a unicorn.”

“Very well my precious foal, take my hand.”

She did as she was told and they disappeared with a loud crack. They reappeared in the bustle of Diagon Ally, the center of wizarding shopping in London. They made their way down the street until they reached a sign proclaiming the place to be ‘Olivander’s, Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.’. Helen’s eyes bugged as she looked behind the counter at the shelves and shelves of flat boxes she knew to contain wands. An older man stepped from the back, his gray hair was just past his ears and curled becomingly, his eyes were sharp and intelligent as he gazed at his customers.

“Hello Professor, come for a servicing?”

“No, we have come for Helen’s first wand.”

Helen stepped forward and smiled, “Hello sir.”

Olivander gave a small smile, “Hello Helen, are you eleven already? Why, it seems like only yesterday I sold your parents their first wands.”

“Tomorrow actually, but we are going on holiday tomorrow.”

“Very well then, step on the stool and let’s see what we are working with.”

She stepped up onto the stool and watched as Olivander let loose a measuring tape that zipped around her measuring all of her digits, her arms, her head, even her inseam. When it finally rolled itself up and returned to Olivander’s pocket he stepped to the shelves and started to collect boxes. He would pull a box and inspect the contents and either shake his head and return it or add it to the growing stack he was carrying. When he returned to the counter he handed her the first wand.

“Ten inches, holly with a single hair of a unicorn, pliable and excellent for charms.”

Helen took it and gave it a crisp wave. She shrugged her shoulders when nothing happened and returned it to Olivander. Box after box, he handed and she waved. Some there was more success with than others, but none of them seemed to be up to the level Olivander seemed to be looking for. He started going back and forth between the shelves and counter before handing her yet another wand. He finally leaned against the counter and rubbed his chin.

“I wonder,” he muttered before returning to the shelves. He returned with a flat black box and placed the wand in her hand, “Maple, eleven inches with a phoenix feather core. Nice and supple.”

She plucked the wand out of the box and felt a wash of warmth over her body. She felt her hair ruffle and the fringe she had worn most of her life to cover her scar tickle her brow line. This didn’t feel like the wand her dad sometimes let her use, his mother’s, but it felt like part of her. She gave it a wave and the plant in the corner bloomed into a flower covered bush. She placed it back in its velvet lined box and put the lid on it and watched her dad pass over coin to pay. They were off to Flourish and Blots next, a stop that took them far longer than necessary as they both enjoyed a good book, then it was off to the Apothecary.

“Well, hello Severus, Helen.”

Helen grinned, “Hi Mister Broge, how are you today?”

“Business is booming, but then it’s that time of year, isn’t it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Well, I assume you are here for your school supplies then.”

“Of course, but you know dad isn’t just going to pass a chance to shop.”

Mister Broge laughed, “I’ll pull your ingredients, you’ll find the cauldrons and scales over there.”

She thanked him and headed over to the shelves of cauldrons, there were so many different types; gold, silver, crystal, iron, steel, copper. She grabbed the small pewter cauldron that she would need for class and then went and tested several scales before choosing one that measured true. She placed the box in the cauldron and selected a mortar and pestle as well as a set of tools for preparing ingredients. Severus took a peek into her cauldron and nodded in satisfaction and added several jars and a single box to the purchases and they went to the counter. Severus made promises to return after their holiday with a batch of ingredients for Mister Broge.

Their next stop was for robes at Madam Malkin’s and then the shop that Helen had been looking forward to. She had been skimping every Knut she had for this stop, Quality Quidditch Supplies. She walked around the shop and ran her hand lovingly over several of the brooms, they had everything from Clean Sweeps, to Comets, to Nimbus racing brooms, and what she was looking for. The Air Wave Gold was a sweeping racing broom with metal fittings over the top of the twigs. It also happened to be the same broom used by Marjorie Taylor. She looked to her dad hopefully.

“You’ve been saving?” he asked with a scowl.

“Yes, but I’m short forty six galleons.”

Severus hummed, the amount was substantial, but so was the cost of the broom. It was also a professional quality broom and not something that she really needed to play quidditch or practice her flying. He paid her out of his profits from their holiday trips and since they made a fair amount her pocket money had a tendency to stack up a bit. She was likely to make twenty or more galleons on their Congo trip, so the question was did he want her to have a broom this fast. The answer was no, but one of the reasons he and Helen could live together in such harmony, especially considering how he was with his students, was down to the fact that he had certain expectations of her and they included researching her choices.

“Why not a Clean Sweep, or a Nimbus? They are all more than serviceable for quidditch.”

Helen looked down at her feet and knew she was caught, “It’s one of the top brooms, but honestly it’s the same broom Marjorie Taylor uses.”

Severus smirked, “I’m aware. I would rather you not spend your whole savings on a new broom. That being said, I would pay half the cost of a new Nimbus.”

She looked over to the window where the new Nimbus 2000 sat displayed, the sleek handle and perfectly groomed twigs looked so inviting. She pulled a rolled up magazine from her purse, Quidditch Weekly, and examined an article on the latest brooms, after a moment she smiled and nodded. She pulled out her coin sack and quickly counted out the amount she would need to cover half the cost and handed it over.

“But I have a condition.”

Severus looked at her suspiciously, “And that would be?”

Helen pulled a scrap of paper out of her purse, “I want to go to this store for some new clothes.”

He looked over the ad she had clipped from the muggle paper that came each morning. It was an ad for a sale at a local clothing store and Severus couldn’t think of any reason to deny her. He smiled briefly before nodding, “That is acceptable. We will make a quick stop at Gringotts, and then we can take you for a few new things.

Severus had never been to an H&M and he swore to all the gods he would never return to one for anyone else other than Helen. The sales people were pushy, the patrons were stuck up, and the prices were obscene. She had neglected to mention that this store was in a large muggle shopping center and that the one store she wanted to go to was only a hook to get him within the walls. Once she had him in it took a minimum of wheedling to get him to stay. He may have been one of the strictest teachers at Hogwarts, but he was a sucker for his daughter.

He had kept her out of Britain’s wizarding world as much as possible. The danger of her being recognized as the Girl Who Lived was just too great. So, trips like this happened far too often. Instead her socialization with others of their kind happened in the rest of the world they spent their time in muggle London and a host of places far from their home shores. They stayed mostly out of Europe, but that left them with the Americas, Asia, and Africa as their playground. He was still a young man, only thirty one. In every sense he and Helen had grown up together. When she had come to live with him he was just a grown child, admittedly with responsibilities, but still figuring out what life was and what his path through it should look like.

If he stripped it all away the truth was he knew nothing of life before Helen. His childhood consisted of abuse and school and his post education years consisted of Voldemort and regret. Suddenly being thrust into fatherhood had required him to start looking forward instead of back. He had to admit, at least to himself, that many of the choices he made were from looking back. His father was a drunk, and like many drunks he was abusive and angry over the smallest perceived slight. His mother was cold and distant, more often than not she would sit alone wondering where her life had gone wrong. He was blamed for a mistake that was made before he was born. A night with his father and a shotgun marriage. But she was still his mother. Even if she resented him.

His few happy childhood memories revolved around a redheaded girl named Lily Evans, and his mother reading to him. She would read him history, science, political works, and fiction. She had hidden his room behind the bookshelves of their home and thus the stories had protected him. Both physically and mentally. Within his room he could be Robinson Caruso, Jim Hawking, Sherlock Holmes, and a host of others. He could dive beneath the oceans, fly among the stars, and trek through the forests. The world of fantasy had become his playground.

So when Helen came to his home he had given her his bastion, the room behind the bookcase, and he would read to her. She had learned to read on his knee, or sat before the window of their home. His purpose wasn’t to give her a world to hide in, but a world all her own. To foster the landscape of her imagination. The walls of her staircase were filled with the books of her childhood, their house filled with the books of their life. They were readers, writers, and dreamers. Few would have thought of Severus Snape as a dreamer, especially his students, but one of the reasons he could hide the truths of his mind so well was because of the layers he could build over them. The falsehoods he could see so clearly became his minds shield. But they also shielded him from moments like this.

While Helen shopped he delved into his own world and left his body standing against the wall, watching her and the world around them. That ability to be both inside himself and outside himself was useful for a spy. It was equally useful for a father. He smirked at that thought, how often he would sit, his mind in his playground, and his body doing chores he wished he could avoid. He could change a diaper while sailing the high seas. Smelling the salt spray instead of the stink of whatever lived within babies.

But not here. Not in this muggle hell realm. The music was too loud, the people were to annoying, and the next sales person who tried to talk him into adding color to his wardrobe was going to find themselves on the wrong end of his wand. Nothing in his life had prepared him for this hell.

“Dad… Merlin help me, have you died?”

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

Helen rolled her eyes, “I was trying to tell you that I was done. I just need to visit the Asda for some supplies, and we are out of milk.”

“Very well, but for once try to keep the bill under a thousand pound. I would like to try to have something left in the bank at the end of the day.”

Helen laughed, “As I recall my part of the last bill was twenty quid, you were the one who insisted on buying all that food. Speaking of, I still don’t see why you insisted on filling the larder when we are leaving tomorrow.”

She looked at him suspiciously and he simply shrugged, “Preservation spells will keep it fresh and we won’t be leaving until late. We do need to eat after all.”

Chopin, it was always Chopin. Whenever her dad was feeling like he had suddenly become the head chef of a fancy bistro he broke out the Chopin. Say what you want about muggles, she was glad for many of their inventions. Most importantly among them, headphones. She was listening to Nickelback and working on her art. She would have read the complete works of Margrett Thatcher rather than listen to her dad humming Chopin off key. She loved the man, but he had no singing voice to speak of.

Mia was lounging on her shoulders watching her work. The welcome weight of her friend kept her from drifting too far into thought as she used her markers to add color to her work. If she had grown up differently she may have been out with her friends, but she didn’t have any. There were days where that was depressing, but her life was happy, if a bit lonely. She wondered what it would be like to have grown up with friends.

Mia brushed aside her headphones, “You are becoming morosssssse, Helen. What issss wrong?”

Helen sighed, “Just wishing I had some friends. I know I’ve got you and dad, and I love you both, but…well it would be nice to have some friends my own age.”

“I am ssssure you will find sssssssomeone at the sssschool.”

“I wish I could believe that.” She turned toward the window and shook her head, “Honestly, I am more worried about their reaction to Helen Potter. I want friends, not sycophants.”

“I rather like the idea of followerssssss myself.”

Helen couldn’t help but laugh, “Yes, my evil queen, how could I forget.”

“Not evil, jusssssst longing to be adored.”

“Helen,” her dad called, “Would you come down here please.”

She hadn’t even noticed that Chopin had stopped playing. She put everything away and made to stand, “Budge up Mia, I don’t want you falling.”

The snake complied moving the bulk of her belly closer to her neck. She released the bookshelf and stepped absently into the living room. The false book, titled “The Secret Garden”, clicked back into place. She flipped the hidden catch into place, she really didn’t want her dad in her room right now, he would object to her picture, and made her way to the kitchen.

“Did you know I can feel your music through the floor boards?”

Draco grinned, “Since he used a spell to focus the sound on your room you really should have. Happy birthday!”

“Oh bugger, I hate it when you do this dad!”

“I could hardly let your eleventh birthday pass without some kind of observation. Now, come out to the yard I have everything prepared. I hope you are in the mood for a large meal, as someone pointed out, I did a little excessive shopping.”

She looked at Mia and scowled, “You knew about this, didn’t you?”

“What are friendsssssss for?”

Helen was looking into the bushel she was about to seal for transport. She was waiting for the official to finish up his inspection before she put the lid on, it was pretty standard stuff for them. They had hundreds of pounds of pods, leaves, bark, and roots. They had gallons of venom, bile, skin, scales, and other parts that Helen didn’t want to think about too closely. Some of the bundles, jars, and casks were full of controlled ingredients, but they had all the proper paperwork to get them through customs. The wizard finally stamped their paperwork and Helen sealed the final bushel. She and Severus helped carry everything into the transport area and when the stack was complete he waved his wand and sent the lot off to the basement of the house.

“What would you like to do now?”

Helen looked back at the rainforest behind them, “We still have three days, we could try to get some seedlings for Professor Sprout.”

“I’ve been sending back seedlings for the last two weeks. I was thinking we could spend the last of our time at the hot springs in Colorado. That is, if something like that would interest you.”

“You’re serious?” Helen asked excited.

“You have been keeping up on your practice and the assignments I have given you, you deserve a reward.”

Helen flung herself into his arms and he swung her around. He returned her to her feet and looked at her fondly as she started to pack up her things. He could still remember the day she had come to live with him. He had arrived in Godric’s Hollow to spend some time with the Potters, to easy his mind about the rumors he was hearing from his agents in the Dark Lord’s service, only to find the house plainly visible and the front door blown off its hinges. One of his agents had come to him with a warning just hours before, which pushed his arrival. He wanted to make sure they were okay, but that wasn’t what he found. James lay on the floor, his glasses askew and his face set in determined lines. He knew at once what had happened. He would have dwelled on the first floor, but Helen, he could hear her crying upstairs and had rushed to confront whatever threatened her. He had skidded to a halt, his breath leaving him in a gasp as he found Lily laying just in front of the crib, her arm still caught on the edge, an odd look of peace on her face. Helen’s tiny arm was stuck through the bars reaching for her mother, tears rolling down her cherub cheeks.

He left the house that night, Helen clutched in his arms, to find Dumbledore standing on the walk, a sad look on his face. That night had been the start of the last ten years of his life. From starting his own business, to investing with Lucius, to cleaning up his old home. That had been the start of what Severus considered his life. Things would have gone so differently if Sirius had been free. But he had hunted down Pettigrew and been promptly captured. If he had been able he would have raised Helen.

But Sirius had been unable. So Helen had stayed with Severus, first in his quarters in the school, a small room setup for her, then later in his home. It had cost most of his savings to refurbish the house and make it comfortable and with little choice he had started brewing potions on his breaks to boost their finances. But as Helen had gotten older she had joined him, learning to brew, learning about herbs and creatures, and whatever lessons he taught her along the way.

He had not come from a loving family. He hadn’t understood love until he met Lily Evans, and later her daughter. But as Helen grew he started to truly feel love. He was still the snarky bastard of Hogwarts, but in private, at home, his girl got to see a side of him that even her mother hadn’t gotten to see. They had grown up together and he couldn’t be prouder of her.

“Are you going to gather wool all day or are we leaving?”

He chuckled at Helen having caught him out, “Yes, yes. Be patient child, we will depart now.”

He withdrew his wand and stuck out his arm, with a bang a large dirigible appeared with the word “Wizard Aire” emblazoned in purple across its side. It settled to the ground and they climbed into the gondola and Severus paid their fare for the ride. There were tables scattered about the gondola with seats for two, four, even twenty travelers. They found a spot and settled for the ride. Two copies of the Daily Profit appeared on the table between them. Helen picked up one of them to see the latest.

Ministry Continues to Expand

Remus Lupin Named Head of Werewolf Safety and Equality

Two months after the confirmation of Kingsly Shacklebolt as the new head of Magical Law Enforcement, Arthur Weasley as the head of the new Muggle Protection Agency, and the passing of over a hundred new laws to protect muggles, magical creatures, muggleborns, and limit the sale of dark objects, the Ministry of Magic has announced that Remus Lupin will be taking up the post of the newly created Werewolf Safety and Equality department. The continued push for more acceptance and understanding within the wizarding community echoes the continued hope of fostering a brighter world in the wake of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Many from the pureblood community continue to speak out against these expansions of protections and acceptance, but the community at large looks at this as a step in the right direction. Werewolves will now have safe havens for the full moon as well as supplies of wolvesbane potion to help them control their malady. Furthermore, under the newest protections discrimination based on their malady in housing, employment, or sales is punishable under law. Lupin will be in charge of setting up the safe havens to make them comfortable places for those affected by lycanthropy to spend their moon cycle, finding potions experts to brew the wolvesbane, and creating the documents to spread the word.

“Dragon blood prices have risen again,” Severus sighed. “I suppose I will have to find a source for us.”

Helen rolled her eyes, “Stop pretending you didn’t read the article about Remus. You are just bothered that he is going to come to you to brew wolvesbane.”

“Is there something about Remus in there? I hadn’t noticed.”

Helen turned the page and giggled, “You know good and well that there is something about Moony in there. Now, I don’t much fancy trying to hunt a dragon so unless you have something else up your sleeve…”

“I don’t, thus our problem. I am fairly sure that dragon blood is the answer to how to make the theory work, but without being able to afford it, we have no way of testing.”

Her dad, the spy, the quiet lurking shadow, who was forever worried about security. In this case she understood. If he was successful in his creation it would be priceless. He wasn’t doing it for money though. Remus Lupin was a friend. Helen lifted her glass and sipped at the apple juice within. While she enjoyed the flavor her eyes traced around the gondola. Severus had trained her to be aware, of the faces, the placement of objects, even the finger prints on glass. She didn’t see anyone that she had ever seen before, there were no out of place objects near them, and there was no sign of matted carpet or sunken seats.

“I think we should consider the phoenix tears and unicorn blood angle again. If given freely unicorn blood is perfectly safe. It could be a powerful enough combination to overcome the curse.”

“You’ve seen the math the same as I, Helen. It would take so much to counteract the curse that it would probably kill the drinker.”

“I know that dad, but maybe the weaker version could be used immediately after successfully.”

Severus stroked his chin in thought, “You may be on to something. We couldn’t use the completed potion after a certain time and that isn’t ideal. I had thought that we could vary the dose, but this may be an even better solution.”

“I suppose this will give us something to do during breaks,” she giggled.

Helen looked out the window as the dirigible let out a loud bang and the towering trees of the Congo became the garlic topped towers of Moscow. The airship settled down and several large wizards wearing bear skin hats left. The ship made stops in Paris, Rome, Washington DC, Chicago, and Helen and Severus finally got off in Boulder. Severus hired a car and drove them off into the rugged country.

Helen sighed at the hot water that felt so relaxing after spending so much time trekking through the rainforest. They were blessedly alone today and Severus was taking the time to do more thinking. She could see the wheels turning in his eyes as he stared through the holes in the leafy canopy. It wasn’t often that he did this, but it seemed her coming of age was making him look back in time. She was tempted to splash him, but he never really appreciated it when she acted like a child. He understood, he just didn’t approve.

“Where are you dad?”

He smiled at the question, “I was just thinking. Don’t rely on first opinions, they are often more wrong than you could know.”

She snorted at his statement, “And what brought about that bout of sudden wisdom?”

“I was remembering how much I hated your father and his friends when I first met them.”

Helen looked startle. She had never known that there was any enmity between her dad and her birth father. There were so many pictures of him with the Potters that it felt like it should be impossible. She just couldn’t wrap her mind around a world where Severus Snape and James Potter hated one another.

“What changed?”

“In a word, your mum,” he told her simply. “I made a mistake one day and said something I shouldn’t have, it nearly killed our friendship and led me to make certain mistakes.”

She knew the mistakes he was talking about. Especially since his hand had unconsciously went to his left arm and rubbed it. He wore a cuff over the red mark that was only a vague shape, but looked as if it were a rash or skin irritation, to keep others from asking to many questions. He had been a stupid kid when he received it, and at the time it had been black and fully formed.

“It only took a few weeks for me to understand the depths of my mistake. I went to the only wizard who the Dark Lord feared, Dumbledore. He gave me a job and protection from he who shall look like he was hit by a frying pan and I entered his service. When I saw Lily for the first time I apologized and next thing I knew it was as it had been before. More than that though, she forced Potter and me to work things out and once that was done Lupin, Black and Pettigrew followed their leader. Lily had become the peacemaker of their group.”

“Why did you hate each other?”

Severus sighed, “Mutual idiocy if I am being honest. I thought they were swaggering prats too full of themselves, and they thought I was far too involved in the dark arts. Mind, I did have a keen interest in offensive and defensive spells, but it wasn’t as bad as they made out….at first. That came later, with Lucius’s help.”

Helen laughed, “Of course, Lucius is involved in everything.”

“Yes, well, he did have a family name to live up to.” Severus stood and left the pool, “Now, we should talk about this year.”

Helen joined him on the soft moss and gave him her undivided attention, “Okay, what about it?”

“Well, you know things will be different between us? I can’t exactly allow you to run around calling me dad or showing you favoritism.”

Helen rolled her eyes, “Funny, you always favor your Slytherins.”

His smirk was positively gleeful, “Of course I do, and should you be sorted Slytherin I will do the same with you. But I have a feeling that won’t be so... You are too much like your mother. Brilliant but reckless.”

“Maybe I’ll be a Ravenclaw, that would avoid some of the drama.”

“There won’t be drama, Helen. I am just warning you that you grew up in Hogwarts and now things will be different. You’ll have to remember to call people Professor, especially me.”

She dragged on her jumper and shoes and stood, “Well, while I can still enjoy myself I’m going to go have a nap. I’m all relaxed now.”

She could feel Severus watching her go and knew he was wondering if she was okay with all the changes to come. She was, but only because she knew that at the end of the day it wasn’t really going to be that different. Titles would change, but the feelings would still be there. Besides, she finally got to go to Hogwarts to learn, could anything be more exciting.

They returned to Spinner’s End with a week until the Hogwarts Express would leave. They spent their time finishing projects and selling the stock of ingredients they had collected. It was their usual final week at the house, the bustle of preparing for their time at the school and the home they spent most of the year in. They had to pack up, close down the house on Spinner’s End, make arrangements to have the lawn and garden cared for, and make arrangements to get to Kings Cross on the 1^st.

Their last day found Helen sitting on the swings in the same playground where Severus had first met Lily Evans. She wasn’t sure she could describe what she was feeling. She was excited to be going to the place she truly thought of as home, but at the same time nervous about the coming school year. She was wondering if she would finally make some friends, there weren’t exactly a lot of kids running around her part of Cokesworth, most especially on Spinners End, and she didn’t spend enough time here to really meet the locals. There were other things on her mind, but she wasn’t ready to face those yet. There were things in her heart that she wanted to do and see and experience, but telling her dad now, seeing the look on his face… she wasn’t ready for that. So, just as he taught her, she put those things in the vault within her mind and closed them off. Kept them safe from his probing eyes and the even more unsafe eyes of her Uncle Albus.

As if summoned by the thought there was a loud crack and the wizened old man stood before her. He settled on the swing next to her, his thin pale hands gripping the chains with their long fingers. He looked strange wearing a muggle suit, but Helen understood that they could be seen here.

“Good afternoon Helen.”

She smiled at the older wizard, “Hello Uncle Albus. How are you?”

“I am well enough my dear. I wanted to talk to you and Severus told me you were down here.”

That got her attention. Of her Hogwarts family Albus was often the most distant and enigmatic. There were times he would look at her and she would see a sadness lurking behind his eyes and then suddenly they would sparkle and it was as if a wall had sprang up between them shutting away his feelings and thoughts. She suspected that he was never entirely truthful, he didn’t lie, he just held more of the truth inside than he let out to others. She also knew that what he had to say to her was often filtered first by Severus. But her dad wasn’t here this time.

“There are certain rules for students whose parents teach at Hogwarts, some exceptions if you will. First, the Hogwarts Express is optional. If you wish you can come along with Severus and avoid the bustle of the platform.”

Helen shook her head, “That is part of the experience, how could I skip it?”

Albus smiled, “I thought you might say that. You understand that you will be required to stay in the dormitory during term?”

She nodded, “Yes, I didn’t really want to draw attention to myself at any rate. It would look kind of strange to be going off to the dungeons every night.”

“Good, I am glad that won’t be a problem. I am sure Severus already addressed the issue of proper titles so I will forgo that. There is just one last thing I wish to discuss with you. I would like to meet with you once a month, for some extra lessons.”

Her eyebrow rose in a very Snape like fashion that made Dumbledore chuckle, “What kind of lessons?”

“This year I think we will concentrate on magic. Specifically, the power levels of your spells. As time goes on we may explore other subjects. I’m sure that we can think of many areas of the magical arts to explore.”

Helen looked down at the trainers she was wearing, the sparkles were catching the sun as her feet moved and allowed her a moment to think. As far as she knew Dumbledore had never taken on a private student, so why do so now? More than that though was the timing. Why come to her now? She suddenly realized just how many questions she had.

“Professor… why?”

“Why? That is a very open ended question.”

“Dad says they are the best kind when you want a lot of information, but people usually only answer the part they are most willing to. Which part are you most willing to answer?”

Albus locked eyes with her and she felt as if he was looking inside her, “How much has Severus told you about the night your parents died?”

“Very little, he doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Albus nodded sagely, “I thought not. It is an argument we have had many times. Lily was Severus’s best-friend, and as such he still has issues discussing it. The night your parents died a number of amazing things happened. For starters you survived the killing curse, something no one had ever done before. But more than that, the curse itself rebounded onto Voldemort. Many believe he is dead, I do not. If I am right that means he will come for you sooner or later, and I want you ready when he does.”

Helen swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Severus had told her how her parents had died, but there was always some mystery left to that night. She loved her dad, but he understood that she loved her birth parents just as much. They were a missing part of her life. A tear splashed on the back of her hand, and she looked up into the piercing blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

Her voice was a little choked as she asked, “I know my parents fought him, but why did he come after them…personally?”

She could see the battle going on behind his eyes, it was like watching a Quidditch match, just without the thrill. He wasn’t going to tell her, she could see it as plain as day on his face. He looked at her like she was still a baby, she could see the battle lost as soon as her age came into his eyes. He was looking at her and it was as if she could hear the excuses as they formed. As he shook his head she sighed with annoyance.

“I saw the look on your face,” she informed him, “I already know you aren’t going to tell me. I guess I can wait for now.”

He smiled, “You are very much like your mother Helen. I know you hear that often, but it is true. I cannot tell you everything just yet, but you will learn everything over time. Now, I believe Severus has something special planned for today, you should head back to the house.”

She took one last look at Albus before he turned on the spot and disapperated with a pop, she knew she was all of eleven but she was finding adults very annoying lately. With a sigh she trooped up the hill and made her way home. Severus was waiting for her when she entered the kitchen, an unhappy look on his face.

“I suppose he had his little talk with you?”

“Yes, we talked, within his boundaries at any rate.”

Severus gave her an enquiring look, “I take it you weren’t entirely thrilled with the restrictions?”

“No, I wasn’t thrilled with his refusal to answer my questions. Now, what is this about a trip?”

Severus gave her one of his more piercing looks, his eyebrow raised, “The Dark Lord.”

It was a statement, but she had long ago learned that that was Severus’s way of inviting her to talk, “I still don’t know why he killed my parents. I get they were fighting him and all that, but for him to personally kill them seems strange. I know he wasn’t a stranger to murder, but from everything I have read about him the Dark Lord was more likely to send one of his followers to murder someone or to drag them back to him so he could do the deed in his own good time.”

“You are right, it is out of character, but I am not going to tell you why. On this point Albus and I are in perfect agreement. You will find out, but not right now. You don’t need to be burdened with anything beyond what you already carry. Now, I have something I would like to show you, take my hand please.”

Helen hated this, she took his hand and a deep breath in preparation for the sensation of side along apparation. It felt like being dragged through a straw and as she understood it they were basically going through magical conduits between locations. Understanding wasn’t always comfort, instead she held her breath and waited for the moment when her feet would reconnect with the ground.

Her feet hit the ground with a jolting impact, and she looked around with curiosity. They were in a small village with a church and war monument at its center. The square was bustling with traffic and people darting in and out of shops and cruising along the streets towards the edge of the small cluster of businesses and cottages. Severus caught her hand and they set off from the dark nook they had appeared in towards the center. Helen looked up when they reached the war memorial and her breath caught in her. Standing on the pedestal, captured in vivid detail were her parents, and she was in there arms.