The stone of Nicholas Flammel is destroyed and Albus was deeply relieved. Harry is safely at the Dursley's. The students have all went back home for the summer. Everything was back in order and he was going to enjoy moment until it last. With Harry Potter now entering school, it seems as he could feel a certain lingering darkness growing outside the territory of Hogwarts. It was just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself and by then, maybe, just maybe, it could be so powerful and evil that he himself could not fathom the consequences the darkness might bring. But for now, Albus is at peace.

He took a few sip of pumpkin juice and savored the sweetness of the fluid. He then picked up the Muggle Papers and it turned bitter.

'House Burned Down, Left Man Unrecognizable'

'Girlfriend Committed Suicide at Place of Work'

'Source of Fire Unknown'

'Daughter Disappears'

Strange, he thought to himself. He put his goblet down, and leaned closer to the contents of the paper. There was a small picture of a skinny girl, brown haired, clad in a frilly blouse and a skirt, smiling at him back. The smile could melt anyone's heart but the picture sent chills down Albus's spine. It wasn't the smile; it was the girl's eyes. The cold, clear shade of brown. He could tell that eyes from anywhere.

"It's not possible." He muttered. But the girl was still there, smiling away. Albus leans back and closed his eyes. It cannot be; there was no way. Of course, he could go to bed and forget about everything. But if it was for real, then evil does not exist only in the form of Voldemort. No, he couldn't ignore it. Most likely, it's just him being paranoid. But he would find out, just to be sure.

"Professor!"

Albus looked up. "Severus?"

"You were deeply in trace about a matter, I see?" a shoulder-long black haired man said, peering over the papers.

"I'm afraid so. But it may be just part of my paranoidism trait." He got up and walked towards one of the high windows.

Behind him, Severus picked up the papers. Even without looking, Albus knew that he was stunned as well. If Severus recognized those eyes, then it is true.

Severus stared at the papers in pure horror. "It can't be…it cannot! But there was no woman in his life!"

Albus turned back at him. "You doubt too?"

"I doubt because it cannot be true. It's impossible!" Severus folded the papers into half and slapped it on the table.

"But you're not sure?"

"Why should I be when you're not?" He replied coldly.

"Forgive me, Severus, but there was a point where you were close to Voldemort. I thought-

"Yes! I know what you thought but I'm sure that there was no child."

Albus looked back to the window. The grey clouds were rolling toward the castle. "Or else, he doesn't know it himself." Severus whispered.

"Then, we need to be sure. Do you know what you have to do, Severus?"

"Again? Throwing the task to me again?"

"You can tell if it is his child. You knew him very well once."

"Enough about that!"

Albus started walking towards a heaving Severus. "I trust you, Severus. Do not think otherwise. Your once-close acquaintance with Voldemort is proving it's worth now. It's precisely the reason tasks are always assigned to you, because I know you can be trusted."

"You make it sounds so easy. Find the child; identify her parentage, then what?" Severus scowls.

"Oh, then everything has changed. The strategy may change too. We will never know what this child could bring to us.

"What about Potter?"

"I'm not thoroughly sure how it will involve Harry. I know it will, though. But we firstly, we must be sure whether she is not what we think she is before any further plans are contemplated."

Severus gave a curt nod and was about to storm out of the door when Albus called him again.

"What now?"

"The child may be the one who caused the fire. Have it occurred to you?"

Severus looked gravely at the newspaper on the table. "It did. She may even intend to murder the man."

Albus nodded. "Do be careful with her, Severus."

And with that, he turned towards the door with his black robes billowing dramatically behind him. Albus took the papers and open it again. The room felt cold suddenly as if she was here in the room. Giving out a loud sigh, he folded the papers again and threw it into the fire, somehow hoping that the girl, evil or not, would vanish.

Severus Snape, professor of Potion, does things with the most efficient, fast and simple method. Because there is always a most efficient, fastest and simplest way in solving a problem. It just takes a good dose of logic and sense to figure the way. The town was in Reading but Reading was a big town. He knew the girl wouldn't stay for long. Probably she's somewhere else already. What would a homeless eleven years old girl do after she killed her mother's boyfriend? Where would she go? She has magic. What would she think about that? Have she ever query herself regarding her abilities? That is, if she was Voldemort's child in the first place.

"God! If this girl is just a common Muggle, I swear Dumbledore owes me a raise." He muttered angrily to himself as he sat on his low-arm chair, staring at the fire crackling away, in his humble abode at Spinner's Street. She could be anywhere. Well, if he couldn't find her…

"Circe Louvenia Grace. Circe…" he let the name slipped out from his lips. Severus got up and when towards one his bookshelf. All the books were either has black, dark green or dark blue coverings. All were at least 1.5 inches thick. His finger lingering across the bindings elegantly until it stops on a black color book with golden spine. It says clearly "Greek Mythology".

He took the book and sat again on the arm-chair.

"Circe…" he flipped the pages with gentle care, avoiding any creases, as if it was a baby. "There you are, Circe. A minor goddess of magic or sometimes a nymph, witch, enchantress or sorceress, living on the island of Aeaea. Daughter of the God of Sun, Helios. Quite an exotic name…"

He closed the book. "I hope you are not who we think you are, Circe." And he retired to bed.