Chapter One
The Incident During Summer

It was the middle of the summer leading up to Kristina Magi's sixth year at Hogwarts. She was slowly coming to terms with what had happened the previous year, and she was able to teach herself to move past it. Something that Professor Snape was proud of her for doing. It was not as if he ever could do that himself. At least, he mused, Kristina was not going to become like him. In that aspect, anyways. However, she was just as smart as he was, as could be seen by the scores that she had earned on her O.W.L.s.

It was about mid-July when she got her scores back. Anxiety took over her at first, however, given how hard she had studied she had fought back for her calm and split the envelope open with the end of her wand. Now feeling fairly confident, she pulled out the parchment and examined it. After a few moments of reading the parchment, delight crossed her face and she jumped up and down from excitement. Turning around, she shouted down to the living room to get her cousin to come see. Professor Snape turned his head, looked at her standing with parchment in her hands and grinning from delight, and then he stood up.

"How many O.W.L.s?" he asked her.

"Nine!"

"Brilliant!" Professor Snape rushed up to see what she got her OWLs in.

When Kristina handed over the parchment, Professor Snape glanced over all of it and double-checked her counting. Indeed, she had nine OWLs. However, he did scrutinize her grade for Arithmancy, though remembered she only took it as a challenge to herself and not go into a career dealing with it.

Kristina Astrid-Leigh Magi has achieved:

Astronomy O
Charms O
Defense Against the Dark Arts E
Herbology E
History of Magic O
Potions O
Transfiguration E
Ancient Runes E
Arithmancy A
Divination E

"An A in Arithmancy," Professor Snape teased her.

"Hey, you know exactly why I took it," Kristina told him.

"You said you wanted Arithmancy classes this year? You think your teacher is going to allow you to proceed?" Professor Snape asked.

"Well...I'm not looking to get a N.E.W.T. in it," Kristina shrugged at Professor Snape.

"Alright..." he sighed. "However, I am proud of you for the grades you did make. Don't know how you managed with History of Magic, Professor Binns is rather dull."

"History is interesting," Kristina shrugged. "Reading through the book on my own probably helped a bit."

"Perhaps so," Professor Snape agreed.

"So now I know for a fact that I am going to be able to take the classes I want this year," Kristina placed a hand on her chin. "I'm interested to see where Alchemy goes."

"It's much more difficult than potion-making," Professor Snape warned. "Even more precise and subtle than potion-making."

"I know," Kristina nodded.

"I know...I've already asked you this, and you most likely have the same answer, however...are you sure you can handle alchemy?" Professor Snape asked.

"Of course," Kristina smiled. "I'm ready for the challenges it presents to me."

"Alright," Professor Snape nodded. "If you are certain."

"I am," Kristina assured him.

X X X

A couple weeks later, Professor Snape took Kristina to Diagon Alley to get her supplies for that year. When they arrived, they were surprised to discover it was bustling more than usual, even for the very beginning of August. Both of them exchanged glances as they passed through. Kristina clutched her bag of currency and kept close to Professor Snape as they walked. Trying to get through was difficult, and Kristina and Snape bumped into people more often than not. At one point, Kristina noticed that many of the people there had newspapers clutched in their hands.

"What on Earth is all of this ruckus about?" Professor Snape wondered.

"I don't know," Kristina admitted. "But I feel as though it has to do with something in the newspaper."

"Huh?" Professor Snape looked around and noticed what Kristina had.

Kristina had walked up to a newspaper stand and picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet. She paid the one sickle for it and brought it back over to her cousin. Together, they stood on the side, away from people, and read the front page. What struck both of them as odd was the fact that the image on the cover page was nearly a blur.

"That is curious," Professor Snape muttered.

"That is," Kris agreed.

"Headline: Escaped Cursed Mask Causing Problems at Hogwarts," Professor Snape read out loud.

"That does not bode well," Kristina grumbled. "So...does this mean that parents are fearful of the mask harming their students? And is that why they've swarmed here? What do they expect to get?"

"I don't know if it is that simple, my child," Professor Snape reminded gently.

"It says right there it's already knocked the heads off of statues at Hogwarts..." Kristina pointed out, pointing at the sentence.

Professor Snape looked and blinked, "Well...that is certainly..."

"Shield charms? I don't think those will work half as well..." Kristina murmured. "Hm..."

"I think they're all here for the newspapers," Professor Snape shrugged.

"Perhaps..." Kristina sighed, stuffing the newspaper into her bag. "Well this certainly is going to be a fascinating year..."

"I'd rather hope not," Professor Snape sighed. "I don't know how much more trauma you could deal with."

"That...is also true," Kristina sighed as they went to get her new robes, after her set from last year was burned through and through by the hands of Alex Northam. Just because of her trauma in December, apparently meant to Alex that Kristina needed more trouble. She released a fire crab into the bathroom while she was in there and being unable to handle the crab, she ended up with severe burns and a half-burned set of robes. She was permitted to not wear her robes for the remaining five days of school, since it would take awhile to get exact measurements and get the new robes sent back out. And her other two were in desperate need of repair from years of abuse.

"Did Alex get expelled this year?" Kristina asked.

"She did," Professor Snape answered.

"Good," Kris muttered. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Professor Snape agreed.

"So this year should be a lot better?" Kristina wondered as they stumbled into Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

"Well, that is the hope," Professor Snape responded with a nod. "However, with this...cursed mask, I wonder what kind of chaos is going to be made this year."

"I dunno..." Kristina mumbled as they approached Madam Malkin.

As she turned around and prepared a greeting for them, she realized she was looking at Kristina Magi, whom she'd only seen once before she started her first year at Hogwarts. That time with her father and her mother, but not Snape. Not that time. After a few moments of thought, she remembered that Kristina had lost both parents the previous year by the hands of the Ministry. The woman blinked in surprise at her.

"Miss Magi," she nodded. "It's been five years!"

Kristina gave an awkward smile, "Yeah...I uhm, haven't had the need for new robes since I stopped growing in '81. Wore the same one for what, five years, Severus?"

"Indeed," Professor Snape nodded.

"Oh?" Madam Malkin raised an eyebrow.

"Until June, when a former friend and serious bully stole a fire crab from the Care of Magical Creatures class and set it loose upon the girls' bathroom, where I was not suspecting a fire crab to actually be..." Kristina sighed, touching her face gently. "Scars mostly have healed but I need new robes, unfortunately."

"I see. Well, come! I'll help tailor a new one for you to fit as perfectly as the first set did!" Madam Malkin smiled.

"I still have not quite figured out how she smuggled it..." Professor Snape mused to himself, following as Madam Malkin lead Kristina off to get a new set of school robes.

"Ravenclaw, correct?" Madam Malkin asked.

"Mhm. Oh, could I get a new blazer too?" Kristina asked.

"Of course!" Madam Malkin smiled.

When she stood in place for the tailoring, Madam Malkin came back with the clothing and placed them on her. First, she worked with the grey blazer. Tucking and hemming until it sat comfortably on Kristina's petite frame, accenting her toned and wiry appearance. After Madam Malkin finished, she allowed Kristina a couple of moments to move about in her blazer and for Professor Snape to examine her himself.

"This okay?" Kristina asked. "Feels great. I feel...kinda hot. Like, in the beautiful way not the, I'm sweating bullets...way..."

"Eh, yes, you look great," Professor Snape tried to hide the embarrassment at the comments about herself she was making.

"Oh, Severus! It's great for a girl of her age to have such confidence in her appearance," Madam Malkin giggled at him. "Not many do!"

"Y-Yeah..." Professor Snape sighed. "Never thought I'd live to see the day she said that about herself. I'm concerned boys will look at her..."

"Oh give me a break, Severus," Kristina muttered. "You know they have been. You've seen them. They make comments...like how my breasts are too big...and a few wish to...have...coitus with me."

Professor Snape crossed his arms, "Oh? Do tell..."

"I feel uncomfortable with those comments," Kristina added. "I don't like them at all."

"As much as I'd like to say 'boys will be boys'," Madam Malkin started. "They do not have any right to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I don't like the idea of coitus," Kristina mumbled. "It's not interesting. I'd rather be reading and learning. Drawing. Writing."

"Indeed, you would," Professor Snape agreed.

"I like to feel hot but it's for myself, not for those stupid boys," Kristina offered a contemptuous expression. "I don't want a romantic relationship."

Madam Malkin laughed at Kristina's expression in the mirror and Professor Snape swallowed his amusement.

"Wow! I've never seen a girl with that look when talking about a relationship!" Madam Malkin grinned.

"That's...well...my cousin, for you, Madam Malkin," Professor Snape agreed.

"Well...I just don't think I'm the kind of girl who would go for a relationship," Kristina shrugged. "Platonic? Yeah. Other than that, no way."

"Alright, let's get your robes next," Madam Malkin told her.

"Shoes?" Professor Snape asked suddenly.

"Yeah, in a bit," Kristina agreed.

"Is there anything else you need while we are here?" Professor Snape asked her.

She shook her head, "Mh-mh. I have decent summer clothes still and all of my ties are still in fair condition."

"I'm making sure..." Professor Snape sighed.

When Madam Malkin returned with a Ravenclaw robe, she began tailoring it to Kristina's petite frame. Suddenly, a couple of students walked in, chatting about something that caught Kristina's attention. Her eyes peered over and she found the set of students who were speaking. Two were Ravenclaws, and the other two were Hufflepuffs. She recognized the bubble gum-pink hair on one of the Hufflepuffs: Nymphadora Tonks. She seemed interested in what her friends were on about. And so was Kristina, at this point.

"...They say that the mask was actually made by Orion Magi," the other Hufflepuff started.

"Who the hell is Orion Magi?" a Ravenclaw asked.

"My great-grandfather?" Kristina asked Professor Snape.

The group looked over at Kristina, Snape, and Madam Malkin. Kristina's face flushed of color when she realized she was too loud.

"Er..."

"Not that it is any of their business, but yes..." Professor Snape gently told Kristina.

"Kristina Magi?" Tonks asked.

"Uh...hi, Tonks..." Kristina blushed. "Passed by ya a few times, never formally met have we?"

"Wotcher!" Tonks grinned. "I'm so glad to finally meet Kristina Magi."

"Uhm..." Kristina looked at Snape, who simply shrugged. "I suppose I'm honored?"

"Considering you kicked that demon's ass, and never got into Azkaban for it!" Tonks's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! And you're super smart. Super smart and cunning. And that was what helped you kick that jerk of a demon's ass."

"It wasn't all me," Kristina shuffled in her shoes uncomfortably, causing Madam Malkin to accidentally poke Kristina with the needle.

"Oh! Sorry!" Madam Malkin apologized quickly. "You moved."

"N-No," Kristina shrugged it off. "My mistake."

"She lost her parents last December, ya know," the other Hufflepuff looked at Tonks. "I think she has a bit of bravery being able to take that...Smart like Ravenclaw, cunning like Slytherin, and brave like Gryffindor."

"I wouldn't say I was brave," Kristina admitted. "I did it because I had to, and it was the right thing to do."

"Do you know anything about the mask?" the eldest of the two Ravenclaws asked.

"No," Kristina shook her head. "I don't even know much about my family past my dad and mum. And..." She gestured at Snape, "My cousin."

"Oh yeah! He's your cousin," Tonks remembered. "Professor, do you know anything about Orion Magi?"

"Other than the fact that my grandmother married him before my grandfather? No," Professor Snape's voice was scalding hot, causing Tonks and her friends to flinch.

"Why do you suspect my great-grandfather had something to do with it?" Kristina asked. "I'd never heard of a mask made by him, let alone anything about the mask itself."

"Someone within the Daily Prophet said that it had the name "Magi" inscribed in it," Tonks told her. "Hey, if you ever want to find out more about it I would love to help you, Magi. Can I call you Magi? Right?"

Kristina nodded.

"Sure," Kristina smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Nymphadora."

Tonks cringed, "Oh please don't call me Nymphadora."

"Er...right...Tonks," Kristina's face turned pink. Then, she quickly changed the subject, "Did you guys ever believe any of the crap being spread about me?"

"No, not particularly," the two Ravenclaws told her.

"Yeah, no," Tonks shrugged. "It was an obvious ruse by a really bad liar. Even for a Slytherin. Crikey."

"Indeed," Professor Snape sighed. "How could she have ever been a Slytherin? I wish I had the answer to that riddle."

"Well..." Tonks sighed. "Nice to finally meet you, Kristina. Gotta go. I need new robes!"

"WAIT." The other Hufflepuff started. "Tonks! Wasn't there something about Kristina you wanted to ask her?!"

"Wait, what?" Tonks paused in thought. "WAIT. You're right! Kris, is it true you're a Metamorphmagi?"

"A Metamorphmagi?" Kristina asked. "N-No. Well. In a way, yes, but for a different reason. I wasn't born that way, the demon I had kinda...made me that way...and nobody's been able to figure out how to reverse what was done to me. However, it doesn't seem to be at all dangerous and therefore everyone's safe."

Tonks gasped, then ran up and hugged Kristina, "I knew I was forgetting why I was so happy to meet you. That is PROPER awesome!"

Kristina let out a surprised squeak at Tonks and the pain that followed from Madam Malkin messing up, because of Tonks. Madam Malkin glared at Tonks and her face turned pink with embarrassment.

"Er, sorry, Madam Malkin..." she apologized. "I thought you had stopped for a few moments."

Madam Malkin grabbed her wand and muttered, "Episkey" and the wound Kristina had disappeared within seconds.

"I'd wash this when you get home, to make sure the blood didn't soak through," she warned Kris.

"Was it that bad?" Kris asked.

"Eh, a little bit," Madam Malkin shrugged.

"Okay, so uhm. Totally see you around, eh Kristina?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah, definitely," Kristina nodded.

"Great!" Tonks grinned and ran off.

X X X

After Professor Snape helped Kristina obtain her textbooks and clothing, they went home and examined the newspaper cover again and reread the article. This time, Kristina read through it and scrutinized every detail she could while she sipped on her soup. Professor Snape leaned forward and drew his spoon near his mouth, but taking a moment to glance up at his cousin and eye her in curiosity. After he sipped on his soup, he glanced down and replaced his spoon in the dish.

"What do you plan to find out from the article, my child?" he asked her.

"Something about my great-grandfather," she responded. "Any bit of detail I can squeeze out."

"And?" Professor Snape raised an eyebrow.

Frustrated, Kristina threw the paper down on the table, "Nothing. Not any information on him worth a damn."

"Perhaps, then, if you are that bent on finding out information on your great-grandfather, you ought to look at school records and perhaps old Daily Prophet articles..." Professor Snape responded coolly.

"I mean, I still don't even know why my grandmother never mentioned your father," Kristina ignored his suggestion. "She should've. It would be nice to know about my family. No matter how screwed up it all is..."

Exhaling in exasperation, Professor Snape picked his spoon back up and sipped his soup some more.

"I don't know why either, Kristina," he finally responded after a few minutes. "To make you feel better, I have no idea why my mother ever married that rude piece of muggle filth of a father...He was abusive, a drunkard...I think he even hated wizards, if I recall correctly..."

"Did he know your mom was a witch?" Kristina asked.

"I believe he did," Professor Snape admitted. "He screamed at her and threw a potion bottle against the wall...where I was cowering...It broke, but it didn't harm me."

Kristina fell silent: how was she supposed to react to that piece of information? Blinking at him, she went back to eating and she shoved the newspaper away.

"I know you're frustrated..." he told her, switching back to the original conversation. "However, I am not certain that getting into this mess with a cursed mask belonging to your great-grandfather is going to do you any good. Not after the events of last year."

"You're right," Kristina agreed after a hesitant pause. "I don't need another last year..."

Professor Snape nodded in agreement as they both finished their soups.

"Try not to think about the cursed mask," he told her. "It's not worth your sanity this year."

Kristina flicked her wand at her bowl and carefully lifted it up and sent it to the sink, where she cast a cleaning spell on it. Professor Snape did the same thing she did and then stood up.

"Alright, suppose it's time to get ready for bed," he told her.

"Yeah?" Kristina looked at the time. "I suppose so..."

They both grabbed a glass of water and Professor Snape placed his arm around Kristina's shoulders carefully. Together, they headed to their rooms and split off for the night.

X X X

Kristina was fast asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillow. It was more or less a surprise: she did not exactly "feel" tired. Once upon a time, Kristina thought that sleeping was sometimes better than reality, until the events of the previous year. Left with nightmares about her parents, about the demon, about Azkaban, Kristina could not look forward to sleeping anymore. Usually, she had to drink a sleeping potion. Tonight, it slipped her mind.

The dream she had a few hours in was vague and blurry. There were muffled voices, a flash of bright green. Kristina struggled to catch everything. All she could catch was the occasional couple of words and at first, a sense of jubilation. The words, Kristina presumed, was words of excitement and elation. She strained her ears to listen.

"...it's done..." came a heavy Scottish-accented voice. "...alchemy...s and some of this...did it...Perhaps this will..."

The jubilation faded and was replaced with fear, horror, and, much to Kristina's surprise, death. Screams rang out in the dream, and Kristina doubled over, clutching her ears.

"No! No! Orion! ORION!"

The woman's voice pierced her ears and instilled a sharp pain in her heart.

"We need to obliviate her," came a voice.

"She should never have married the Alchemist," said another voice.

Dazed, Kristina glanced around. She still could not see worth a damn in the dream, but soon enough she was greeted with a semi-lucid sight. It was a mask, appearing as though it was from a Nordic origin. Intrigued, Kristina dropped her hands and approached it. The cacophony of screams had ceased as Kristina approached the mask. It stayed still in thin air. Curiosity made her reach a hand out to touch it.

Before she knew it, the mask zapped and burned her hand. Kristina jerked her hand away, collapsed onto her knees, and screeched in pain. Tears filling her eyes, she glanced back up at the mask.

"I killed Orion," it told her. "And I will kill and destroy whatever else gets in my way."

Kristina remained speechless.

"You and your cousin are next," the mask declared.

"Don't hurt him!" she screamed at the mask.

The mask dissipated and what appeared in its place horrified Kristina. A scene lay before her of Professor Snape dead with a slit across his throat and his heart ripped out. Beside him was her and both of her cats, facing the same fate he did. She covered her eyes and screamed as loud as she possibly could, waking herself up in the process.

"No! No!" she cried, sitting up as fast as she could without consciously recognizing what she was doing. "Severus! SEVERUS! KISMET! SNARF!" Her voice was a high-pitched screech.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps rushing to her room and then a voice. It was Professor Snape's smooth voice to calm her down.

"Kristina! What happened? What's wrong?!"

Shaking, Kristina pulled her hands off of her head and she panted. Professor Snape had silently turned on her lights and she could see his dark shape from the corner of her eye. She looked at him, sprung to her feet, and raced over to hug him tightly. Sobbing, she buried her face in his chest and refused to speak.

"Kristina, my dearest, what is wrong?" Professor Snape asked with a gentle voice.

She clutched his dark shirt and felt the pain in her hand scorch its way up her arm. Sniffling, she tried to recollect herself.

"N-Nothing, it...it was just a bad dream," she lied.

"Kristina, I know better," Professor Snape told her sternly. After attempting to search her thoughts, he realized she had practiced her Occlumency because he could not penetrate her mind.

"I told you, it was just a bad dream," she told him again in a scalding hot voice, wiping her face.

Professor Snape crouched to look at her at eye-level.

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked her. "You've practiced your Occlumency: you don't want me to see whatever it is you experienced in your dreams. I would like to help you."

Kristina shook her head quickly, "No. I don't want to worry you."

"Are you certain, my dear?" he asked her with a softening expression.

"Mhm..." Kristina nodded, swallowing hard.

Professor Snape put a hand on the back of her head and drew her in for a forehead kiss, "Fine. I suppose I can't make you tell me."

His eyes were suddenly drawn to her hands and he saw a serious burn on her left hand.

"Kristina, where did that burn come from?" he asked her softly.

She flinched but Professor Snape, calm as ever, stood up and exited her room to find his burn-healing paste. Kristina was surprised by his sharp eye: she did not even think the burn was real. Eyeing her hand, she examined the scorch marks and was surprised that it covered her whole hand. Behind her, Kismet yawned and rested her head in her paws. Kismet seemed unperturbed by what was going on around her.

Moments later, Professor Snape returned with the burn-healing paste and he gestured at her bed.

"Sit," he told her.

Obeying, she backed up back into her bed and sat down beside her cat. Kismet opened one eye to glare at her but closed it to sleep. Her tail twitched in annoyance. Professor Snape opened the jar and stuck his fingers in it, crouching in front of his cousin again. Then, with his free hand, he grabbed her by her wrist and began rubbing the paste on the burns. She tried to clench her hand but he stopped her with a glance.

"Don't, you'll make the burn worse," he told her.

"Will you think me mad if I told you...I saw the mask in my dreams?" she asked him sheepishly.

Professor Snape glanced back down at her hand and spread more of the paste on it. Swallowing hard, he shook his head.

"I was afraid that would happen," he admitted.

"I tried to touch it...that's why my hand is burned," Kristina told him.

"Don't do that again," he told her, taking a cotton bandage out from his pocket and wrapping her hand up in it.

"Uncle Severus..." Kristina started.

"Hm?" he did not look up from wrapping her hand.

"It...it said that we're its next victims..." she admitted with a shaky voice.

Professor Snape stopped and glanced up, "What do you mean?"

Kristina breathed shakily, her lips trembling as she tried to find the right words. The images haunted her but she knew she had to tell him.

"It showed me...a vision of sorts," she choked. "You, me, and both cats...our throats slit, our hearts ripped out. It said that it killed Orion, and it would destroy and kill whatever else got in its way as it goes for us."

Professor Snape took her hands, "I won't allow it to happen, Kristina."

"You promise?" Kristina asked.

"I promise," Professor Snape promised her, sweeping a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You, just calm down and get back to sleep, alright?"

"Mhm," Kristina nodded.

Professor Snape kissed her forehead again, "Goodnight, my child."

"Goodnight, Severus..." Kristina rubbed at her eyes.

Professor Snape stood back up and Kristina curled back up under her blankets. Professor Snape turned and walked out, turning out the lights and closing the door behind him. Anxiety built back up in Kristina but she tried to force it back down: it was just a dream. Professor Snape would not allow something like that to happen. They would be fine.