Okay, as you probably should know by now, nobody on this site owns Harry Potter unless they somehow have the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling.
"Parseltongue"
"Normal Talk"
Thoughts/emphasis
Enjoy!
"I know you hate kids, but can't you make an exception?" the woman pled desperately, her eyes filling with the threat of tears. She carried a small pink bundle in her arms, one that scared her thoroughly.
"No," the ebony haired male retorted angrily, the child in the woman's arms wailing and getting on his final nerve. This one was just like all the other children he saw – just younger. His cold eyes registered the woman's chocolate brown locks, and looked at the infant's tiny black ones.
"Severus, please, I beg of you – take her away from me!" she pled, and the potions master glared at her cruelly as he pointed his wand at her. He knew it was her house, but he also didn't want the child to become a wrench in his plans.
"No," he glared. "I will not make an exception for anyone except the Dark Lord, and you aren't doing this on his orders. You leave me no choice, Sarabella."
"Severus, no!" she pled, but it was no good.
"OBLIVIATE!" he yelled, and the woman's eyes misted over as she fell onto her couch, the baby girl's wailing reaching an unbearable amount. "I will make no exceptions until I have no choice. This meeting never happened."
"Severus," the woman whispered in her sleep as he looked around.
"Now, where did you hide that Ocarina? I know you hid it from the Dark Lord, as only a witch or wizard from Slytherin's descent can use it. Ah," he grinned, grabbing it from its hiding place. He waved his wand, and a dust one appeared, one that would cast a powerful curse upon the person who tried to steal it.
As the wailing continued, he looked at the child. Sarabella refused to even look at this Ocarina for fear of its powers, but he somehow knew that the wailing infant in her arms was destined to have it for her own gain. Even now, the infant reached out to him, or was it for the Ocarina itself? Either way, Snape hid the Ocarina in the folds of his cloak as he left her house.
"It's best this way," he growled, squashing what little emotion he had for the child in his desperate comrade's arms. "Besides, as long as I have the Ocarina, then I can ensure that it will go to the rightful owner of it when she enters Hogwarts."
.o0O0o.
"How did she die?" he heard Minerva McGonagall ask ten years later. They were all gathered as the Order of the Phoenix once more – or what was left of it.
"Sirius Black," the old woman rasped, tears flowing down her cheeks. "He killed her – he left a note in her blood on the walls."
"What?" some of the other members asked incredulously. "When?"
"Just after he killed her, I presume," she replied shakily. "It said 'Give me Wormtail, or the child will die.' I don't know what he meant, though – Sarabella's child was never claimed by its father."
"I think we should keep an eye out for things suspicious," Flitwick squeaked. "And find that child."
"No need for that last one," Severus Snape finally spoke up. "She will come to us. Wormtail will use her as a spy, if he gets that bright idea in his head. If not – well, then the child is royally screwed over and I'll take care of both Wormtail and Black myself."
"Severus," McGonagall said at last. "You know what he meant? Who – or what – is Wormtail? And – you know the child?"
"I should – Sarabella was one of my few friends," he said coldly. "She begged for me to become her daughter's godfather, but I refused. I didn't want the child growing up in the Dark Lord's shadows and in the middle of a war. Sarabella was at least in a muggle community where the child was safe – until Black found her."
"So…Wormtail…" she trailed off, and he sighed.
"Is Pettigrew," Snape replied. "He's an illegal animagus, a rat. One that I've seen frequently these past few years - The Weasley family has been housing him unsuspectingly."
"I think we bring someone that Peter would trust," Dumbledore spoke up finally. "Perhaps Remus Lupin?"
"You're out of your mind!" Snape yelled, jerking up off his chair. "Have you forgotten already? Or do I need to remind you why I'm protecting Potter in the first place aside from Lily's friendship with me?"
"I am more than aware, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. "However, I feel the need to find the child first and ensure her safety. You and Minerva will work on this together until school begins. Molly, you and Arthur protect Harry as you have last summer. Severus – I feel the need that you become an animagus, just as Minerva is. Give them the same reason – and to also protect your god-daughter, just in case they don't believe you."
"Yes, Headmaster," Snape grumbled, considering what his animagus form could be. Something sinister, evil, hated. McGonagall was a cat, but he needed something to help him on both sides. He shuddered at the thought of a penguin.
"Fillius, Argus, be ready for the students to arrive. Tell Hagrid that we have a first year – I wish for Hagrid to accompany me while Severus is at the ministry filling out the paperwork to become an animagus," Dumbledore continued as though Snape hadn't spoken. "Also, could the heads of houses be so kind as to tell the ghosts to inform us whenever a rat with a missing finger is seen throughout your dormitories?"
"Yes, sir," they all chorused.
"I'll let the other ghosts know as well," Professor Binns said with a nod.
"Headmaster," Snape said hesitantly. "What if it isn't a Snake?"
"What?" they all asked in shock.
"Well, if I am to be a spy in this," Severus argued. "I would prefer an animal that would be able to communicate and not arouse suspicions from both sides. The dark lord would trust a snake since he is a Parselmouth, and Potter would as well, unsuspectingly."
"Well chosen, Severus," Dumbledore said with his blue eyes twinkling. "So long as young Harry does not suspect who you are. You are dismissed."
The witches and wizards scattered throughout the castle, some to the countryside, and Snape headed straight to Hogsmeade to apparate to the ministry of Magic. After hours of paperwork, and a bombardment of questions, he was finally relented into becoming an animagus, and for the first time ever, he shifted.
He immediately felt himself shrinking, his stomach twisting into knots. He closed his eyes to focus, furrowing his brow, clenching his jaw. He felt saliva surge into his mouth, but it soon appeared under his teeth as well. He could feel his arms and legs growing numb, and the rest of him hitting the ice-cold floor. He breathed deeply, somehow his nose not working right, and flicked his tongue out. Wait – tongue?
He opened his eyes to near blindness, and his body small. He could feel the vibrations in the floors of the people backing away quickly, and smelled their fear. He closed his eyes once more and focused on becoming human. No change.
"Shit!" he yelled out in a panic, not knowing what was going on. He was stuck, and had no way out. He felt a hand lift him off of the ground, and vaguely recognized the scent – Dumbledore.
"Peace, Severus," the man said, but Snape couldn't hear it. He panicked, and a tabby cat walked up to him.
"Well done, Severus," McGonagall purred. "Even I did not accomplish a full transformation on my first try. I found it much easier to change back into a human."
"Then tell me how to change back," he hissed angrily.
"Relax," she soothed, swiping her tail over him. "Think of a reason to return to being human."
"Easy for you to say," he retorted as he coiled atop her back just before she leapt down onto the ground off of the headmaster's shoulder. He sighed as best he could in this new form, and thought long and hard. What was his reason for staying human? He had none. Except…
He concentrated on that one, single fleeting thought that he had hitherto thought of as a curse until now. He felt his gut return to having knots in it, his arms and legs returned to their normal feelings, and his world returned to normal size. He wanted to puke, and had the strangest urge to eat Pettigrew. He clenched his gut with his arms, and clamped his jaw and eyes shut.
"Not a word," he hissed under his breath at the old woman as they walked out of the ministry behind Albus Dumbledore.
"I won't if you won't," she replied tauntingly, a wide and knowing smile gleaming on her face and in her eyes.
.o0O0o.
"Mister, what do you want with me?" the ten year old ebony haired female screamed fearfully.
Pettigrew grinned widely, more than happy with his catch. He could easily convince the ministry that he was this girls' godfather, and even get his name changed without a hassle with this child in tow. Now the only problem was to get her away from her biological father, who was mysteriously absent…
"Silence!" he snapped as he slapped her across the face. After years of being a rat, he was finally free to do what he wanted! Well, as soon as Sirius was back in Azkaban for the crimes he himself committed, anyways!
"Help! Somebody help!" the girl screamed, her every fiber screaming to get away from this large man. For some strange reason, the man's smile only grew, much to her fear. "Help!"
.o0O0o.
Two days had passed since he first became a snake, and Snape was now asking around the last place he wanted to be – Potter's bedroom. He saw a newspaper clipping of the murder victim, Sarabella, but none of the missing girl. He saw Potter's eyes widen, and the boy straightened up, his brow furrowed.
"Hello," he greeted in Parseltongue. "Are you alright? How did you get in?"
"That is not of importance," Snape replied. "I'm looking for my person. She's missing. Can you help me?"
"A familiar, you? Wow, is she a Parselmouth?" Harry asked shocked, and Snape took his head.
"No, not that I know of," Snape said warily, recalling that he had to play the part of the innocent snake familiar that was lost in order to gain the teen's trust. "I know that her mother was killed, and that she is missing, but that is all I've heard from other animals. Has your predator seen anything? It won't eat me, will it?"
"No, she won't eat you," Harry assured, picking Snape up. "I can't help but feel like I know you from somewhere…"
"I miss my person…" Snape whined, faking it one hundred and fifty percent. It disgusted him how thick he was laying his lies on. When would that boy learn? "Have you seen a rat? A big, juicy rat with a missing toe? It escaped me and I want to eat it. I'm hungry after looking for my human for so long…"
"No, sorry. Wait, yes, there is my friend's pet rat, but he's had it for years, there's no way you could know it," Harry replied quickly. "Maybe another time, okay? Hey, I have to go now, my aunt's coming over, and I'm supposed to be on my best behavior."
Snape glared at Harry's retreating frame. He now knew where Pettigrew was hiding – and where to strike next.
.o0O0o.
"Help!" she screamed, and a large black dog lunged at Pettigrew from behind. It bit his shoulder harshly before he threw it backwards and transformed into a rat. She screamed as she realized that her kidnapper was a freak. She stared in horror as her canine rescuer also transformed – only from large shaggy black dog to a human. She recognized him from the Daily Prophet – Sirius Black.
"Hello, little one," he greeted firmly. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could hide until my name is cleared, do you?"
"Um, if it's alright with you," she said warily as he thrust a knife into her shackles, freeing her. "You could be my pet…"
"I like that," he grinned. "It gets me to where I want to go, and to see who I want to see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to become your pet dog."
The small girl sat in the basement for a while before Black returned as a dog with a snake upon his shoulders, a tabby cat trailing alongside, and a letter in his mouth. She stared in shock as all the cat transformed back into a human.
"Shh, it's alright," McGonagall soothed gently. "You're unharmed, you'll be alright. We've come to take you to Hogwarts."
"No, no, no! Daddy! I want my daddy!" the girl screamed, the foreign word flooding from her mouth. Her mother had only said that her father wanted her in his life only when he had no other option for the girl to survive. She didn't trust the hardened criminal without the father figure she so desperately longed for in her life.
"He's missing, but the Potions Master was asked to be your godfather," she assured, and the girl's eyes widened.
"So…he loves me? Daddy only didn't want me because he knew he couldn't take care of me?" she begged fearfully, and the old woman sighed. She was in for a very long night.
"Why don't we talk about this somewhere less intimidating?" she asked, holding an arm out to the child. The dog and snake looked at each other, circling the other angrily. "That's enough, you two," she said stamping her foot to get the message to Snape. "Save it for later."
Snape and Sirius cringed, both still extremely pissed off at the other. Still, they had no choice but to set their differences aside and work together for the girl's greater good. They still hated each other, but were working together for a common goal under a temporary truce. The truce ended when Lily and James' killer was put into Azkaban for good, his animagus form blocked off somehow.
"I'll get rid of you later," Severus hissed angrily.
Who's Kiru's dad? Truth be told, even I don't know yet...
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